Australian Karen's Trip report: be gentle with me

[australiankaren]

WDW- MGM- POOL HOP TO BOARDWALK- MGM- 22 September 2011

So this morning we plot and scheme togeather as a couple for a change...and come up with a plan.
1.breakfast- food from contempo cafe
2.take clown car to MGM,park, get fastpasses then catch boat to boardwalk
3.find pool, swim, lunch
4.boat to mgm, more fastpasses
5.car to BLT, swim, shower, nanna nap etc
6.back to MGM for dinner @ 50's Prime time @ 7.50pm and do rides [ok, star wars]

And funny enough, the plan worked .........here are the photos....


Boardwalk quiet pool



Lunch


Boardwalk pool area


Safety before style


The OMG noisy Boardwalk pool




Eating funnel cake in the rain at MGM


Soaked but happy @ MGM


self explanitory


Rain storm from our balcony......are we going out in this?????yep!


Happy DH waiting for food at 50's prime time


Meatloaf, pulled pork, chicken etc....yummy deep fried goodness






Themeing was fantastic.....wish I was back in the 50's


Two very full and happy campers.....
So had a great day, bit sunburnt but hey.....

back in the clown car..

and homeward we go.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Loving the food porn. Great updates too.



















I know I really should resist the urge to......











...but I can't!!!



Nice berries!

And that luscious round mound of.........

........icecream sorbet.......looks delicious as well.



You certainly can't mistake the A-U-S-S-I-E!!

 

[australiankaren]

Loving the food porn. Great updates too.



















I know I really should resist the urge to......











...but I can't!!!



Nice berries!

And that luscious round mound of.........










........icecream sorbet.......looks delicious as well.



You certainly can't mistake the A-U-S-S-I-E!!

yes your funny.....and if they had any doubt, they just had to wait til i opened my mouth

 

[hjd0411]

I'm loving your report!! And your photos are great too!
That line of people at MNSSHP waiting for chocs/lollies - not one of them in the line look like they really need the lollies...!!! (Not that I can talk - I would fit right in..!!) But it appealed to my sense of humour!
Looking forward to more.

 

[australiankaren]

I'm loving your report!! And your photos are great too!
That line of people at MNSSHP waiting for chocs/lollies - not one of them in the line look like they really need the lollies...!!! (Not that I can talk - I would fit right in..!!) But it appealed to my sense of humour!
Looking forward to more.

so true....but they had to finish the turkey legs and jumbo cokes before lining up......oooohhhhh...did i say that out loud...I'm Bad!

 

[cado]

So MVMCP is great we are going in december looking foward to it

 

[australiankaren]

WDW- Resort hopping -Artist Point - MK - 23 September 2011

So today is spent catching the monorail to the 2 other monorail resorts : Polynesian & Grand Floridian.

Breakfast was at Kona Cafe @ Poly resort...a favourite of ours as they make great plunger coffee and a nice cooked breakfast for a decent price.


Aloha DH......


Ok, not the most attractive photo...but I'm so happy to get a decent coffee...finally...


My healthy breakfast




DH's Tonga toast

After breaky, we like to walk for a bit and check things out...so heres a few shots of the Poly resort







this was taken from a great little look out at poly, would be fantastic for a wedding.....or proposal.....or just to spend a quality moment with someone you love...

So onto the boat we get, on our way to the Grand...





A well fed and happy DH...


I have no idea what I am doing....something stupid most likely if true to form

So we arrive at the Grand, and I'm wanting to check grand cafe menu for later, do some shopping and try to use my snack credits....




Grand Floridian cafe...which we didn't end up eating at....next time


Foyer of grand, but it looks even better at Christmas..with a gingerbread house and everything..so make sure you go have a look...





So after spending a small fortune...the boutique stores are great.....we caught the monorail back to MK.......then walked back to the contemporary.

By then it was Nanna nap, packing & Pool time.

We had reservations for Artist point at 8pm, but tried to get them earlier using the automated phone reservation system.....if you have a strong Aussie accent.. don't bother..it doesn't understand you! Grrrrrrrrrr....

So, having 2 TS credits left each, we decided to try Artist Point...I was there in 2006 with my youngest and we enjoyed it.

The DH wasn't as easily impressed, he said he enjoyed 50's prime time better..oh well.......and i don't think we even took photos.....if I find them I'll down load them later..

So back to the resort & finalise packing as we were leaving tomorrow.....so sad.

 

[aussietravellers]

Your TR cracks me up. The picture of the clown car... every time I see that I laugh for some reason, I think because it keeps appearing.

Do you mind me asking where you got your Aussie TShirt from? Its fabulous! I want one!

 

[aussietravellers]

Oh, you posted a new update as I posted my last reply.

A little disappointed with the latest update. No clown car photo!

 

[PrincessInOz]

^^^^^^

I'm with Aussietravellers. What happened to the clown car whilst you were visiting Poly and GF?


Leaving already? WOW. Short visit.

 

[australiankaren]

WDW - MK - Tampa - LA - 24 September 2011

Such a sad day..the day of departure...all the excitement and expectation is spent and now its just left to pay the bill and pile into you're little clown car and go.

here's a photo of the clown car


Just a quick side note..the best $4 I ever spent was paying the valet @ Contemporary to load our luggage into the above mentioned clown car....I wish I had videoed it...seriously funny.
Sorry no photos..but picture 4 LARGE suitcases, 2 back packs, 2 smaller bags....the DH was so embarrassed.....worth the cost of the trip I say

Anyway, went over to Captain cooks quick food place at Poly for breaky

Ok, so I had a burger........


DH had healthy yummy noodles...good for him


Its a self order place, so expect to wait if people have no idea what they doing....

So monorailing it to MK, we walk around saying goodbye to our favourite place... tommorowland





The crowds were heavier than we had seen, being a Saturday we were still surprised as we had enjoyed relatively no crowd conditions all week.





So, back to BLT to get our luggage, load/cram it into the clown car

and drive off to Tampa...

The trip was ....interesting....took about 1.25 hrs, 4 lane highways, speed limit..whatever.Hit a huge storm just at Tampa, we couldn't see 3 feet in front of us but did anyone slow down...HELL NO!!!! Thank god for our GPS.

So dropped off car, which by the way ran on fumes for the last 20 mile, and checked in with one of the nicest check in ladies at Delta

....hardly no line for security, the TSA agents were really friendly, my Aussie shirt helps...chatted about Sydney etc....

So off to the Delta lounge to wait for our flight

### check out my new coach backpack on the seat
Good flight, non-stop to LA...gotta love first class, and it had in seat entertainment so DH happy boy..great meal [no photos...] and we arrived 9 pm LA time...1 am orlando time...so caught shuttle to LAX Hilton, checked into hotel and slept the sleep of the dead.

 

[australiankaren]

Oh, you posted a new update as I posted my last reply.

A little disappointed with the latest update. No clown car photo!

hows that, just posted and your wish came true.......long live the clown car

remember ..it was $126 for 8 days...that at least was the mantra I kept saying to DH as we were being orbited by other cars on the freeway....

re the aussie tshirt..it was in the bargain racks at target 2 years ago..I think i paid $2.50........gota love a bargain.

 

[aussietravellers]

hows that, just posted and your wish came true.......long live the clown car

remember ..it was $126 for 8 days...that at least was the mantra I kept saying to DH as we were being orbited by other cars on the freeway....

re the aussie tshirt..it was in the bargain racks at target 2 years ago..I think i paid $2.50........gota love a bargain.

Oh I'm content now, it was a double clown car photo display in your last update . I would love to have seen it loaded up with all of your luggage.

LOVE the new coach backpack by the way!

 

[australiankaren]

Oh I'm content now, it was a double clown car photo display in your last update . I would love to have seen it loaded up with all of your luggage.

LOVE the new coach backpack by the way!

the bag rocks...it even has a big purple flower on the front hanging off the zip...very cool.....

re the photo, the DH said no to photographing the poor dude loading car...said something about it being un ladylike or something and I'm sure I heard the word divorce in the sentence as well....

 

[australiankaren]

DISNEY CRUISE TO MEXICO- 25 September 2011

Ok, so today we are leaving the LAX Hilton [which is awesome, and the beds are great, oh and so is the gym].
We have to meet the DCL bus to the port at the delta terminal at 10.30am, so catching a shuttle to the airport we arrive 30 min early and they are waiting for us...gotta love the mouse.

So off we go to the port.......

Arriving early, we walk straight in.....we are in a cat 5 balcony stateroom...but I had already asked DH on the bus..."what do you say we see if they have upgrades, and how much $$$ are you willing to pay"...he replied "sure, and $##".

So smiling as we check in I ask, and they said yes they have a few suites free, and its $$$$$...DH nearly has a heart attack [I'd always wanted to use a de-fib]......so we upgrade to a cat T concierge suite.....SCORE!!!!!!!

now I chose mid ship deck 8.....idiot, as I find out later...the damn thing is right under the kid pool & deck....sounded like a jumbo landing every time someone moved a chair......but that's later.


happy me

So you board first, they take you to the Cadillac lounge and look after you until the suite is ready....not like everyone else who has to bum it on deck..





This is where we met our concierge Alice from Italy...Alice you ROCK!!!!

So after eating and drinking we go for a wander, have a look around and finally its ready to see our suite....














So after squealing like a girl...and that was just DH...we go upstairs for our customary cocktail of the day...




So if you have sailed before you get castaway club gifts.....


So anyway, back down , get changed and then...to the pool!!!! But have to grab a quick snack first....




Then of course where do aussies tend to go...to the coffee shop...quiet cove..good coffee with soy...



and cake of course...

We are now at sea.......


ok, have to go have farewell drinks..but will be back to finish this one

 

[craftymama71]

I am so loving your TR! Can't wait for the next installment

 

[hjd0411]

so true....but they had to finish the turkey legs and jumbo cokes before lining up......oooohhhhh...did i say that out loud...I'm Bad!

Isn't it turkey legs and jumbo DIET cokes???? (I laugh at myself when I go to Macca's (not often) and order a Big Mac and diet coke!! )

The cruise looks great so far - I'm going on the Wonder next year - alas not MR as my timing was off for that, but Pacific Coast instead - so I will be very interested in your reports of the ship. Your concierge suite looks fabulous - I love having lots of room to move!!!

 

[AussieFan]

Hi Karen
Welcome home!
I'm loving your trip report. Can't wait to hear about your adventures on the cruise. I wonder if you meet any interesting people at the safety drill?

 

[Caroline NZ]

Wow - your suite looks incredible.

 

[Mum from oz]

Hi Karen, Welcome home! Boy you don't muck about getting your TR done! I am loving it so far, looks like you had a fab time! The clown car rocked, in a laugh everytime I see it kinda way!

I am loving the Suite on the Wonder. I will reading this part with interest as we are thinking of doing MR as our next cruise.