Well, the trip has come and gone. It is now the end of April and I am just now getting almost organized enough to reminisce about our wonderful, hot, long, painful, eye opening, lovely trip.
We spent the time over Christmas info New Years in The World. We had a somewhat new family dynamic...adding in a new boyfriend (that sounds odd at my age but I guess it is what it is) who had never been to Mickey's House and the fact that it had been over four years from the last time the kids and I were there so we had a lot of time to account for.
We stayed at Caribbean Beach with a water view room booked. We were there from December 19th thru January 1st. We had the deluxe dining plan and ten day hoppers we upgraded to Annual Passes the first day. We only had Fast Pass + reservations booked for the last ten days because with the ten day hoppers that was all I could do. We had no problem getting the ADRs we wanted at 180 days out or the Fast Pass + we wanted at 60 days out. We rented a card from Hertz and drove (also a change from our norm).
This trip was awesome. It was long. It was hot. We did a lot. We missed a lot. We ate A LOT! We learned a lot.
It actually took me this long mostly because when we got back, I just did not have it in me to think about it. Weird! Then mid April, I started thinking again...which led to booking another vacation and getting organized and fighting with Photobucket and starting my trip report.
So here's who we are...
This trip was with me, Sherry. I'm the mom, the planner, the one who pays attention, the one everyone depends on to do the right thing. I work for a large hospital system collecting from HMO insurance. Our corporate office is in central Florida and some day I dream of moving south. I hate my picture being taken but am coming to terms with "it is what it is" so I do have more of me this trip than usual.
Cary, boy friend of 3 years. He turned 42 on the trip. At the time he was a manager at a Jiffy Lube...now he's a fork lift driver. He has never been to much of anywhere and has lived on the "wrong side of the tracks" for most of his life. He has made great strides in coming to the right side of the tracks but is sometimes overwhelmed or needs a bit more guidance than a 42 year old man should. He was very excited for this vacation as he never dreamed he'd be able to go somewhere like this!
Tyler...Tyler...Tyler...he turned 17 on the trip. He is a Junior in high school in all honors and AP classes. He plays football and is on the Scholastic Bowl team. He just got accepted into Mu Alpha Theta for math excellence. He wants to be a mechanical engineer but other that that had no clue how to get there. He is my headache, my heart ache, and my baby but darn it, the kid needs to grow up soon or my head just might explode! He works part time at Little Ceasars and could eat pizza and ramen every day and not get tired of it...don't know if it's because he actually likes them that much or if it is just that they are quick and easy so they fit into his lazy at all costs lifestyle he has adapted lately! He is finally showing interest in getting his driver's license after all this time so maybe soon.
Skyler just turned 12. She's in 6th grade at the local Academy. She is an avid dancer. She does Ballet, Tap, Lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop, Pointe, and competes. She is on three competition teams this year and she competed a solo too. Only one of her group dances competes in park district competitions because they contain high schoolers who cannot compete until the seasons are over at school. Their theme this year is Disney! So her group dance placed second at State this past Sunday...it was Rockin' At The House of Mouse (she was Minnie). And her solo, God Help the Outcasts took a first place and HIGH POINT OVERALL!!!! She is an awesome little dancer. Sorry, I got carried away there. Anyway, she is at the studio four days a week and then at the gym for tumbling two days a week. She is on the school's Scholastic Bowl team and in the Choir. She gets pretty close to straight As and in general is more responsible than her big brother. She wants to put her self through med school while performing on Broadway. She wants to be a Forensic Pathologist when she grows up.
So that's us and here I present for your enjoyment, our CHRISTMAS VACATION!
So our story starts on a Thursday. Skyler's class was going on a field trip to a hockey game that she has absolutely no interest in so we called her in sick. Tyler had finals so he had to go for the scheduled half day. One of the two finals he had on Friday let him take it earlier in the week but his Chemistry teacher would not let him make it up any other time than the scheduled make up time which was after the half day scheduled. So he was there. Cary and I had taken off today. The plan was to pick up the rental car and get it packed (which ended up being an understatement!) and wait for Tyler to call to pick him up and then GO!
So we got up and headed to the Hertz across town. While in route, we get a call from Hertz that they do not have any cars. WHAT?!?!?! I've had this booked for months...how do you not have cars??? He says they are working on getting one in but cannot say how long it will be. Can you imagine how mad I was at this point? So we hit Walmart for some last minute odds and ends, snacks and drinks for the drive, etc. and wait. Finally, About an hour later I call them back and they said they have one coming in from another store so we can head on over. When we get there, the car is there...thank goodness! I was about to have a coronary!
We ended up with a Nissan Altima...which I loved! But then I drive old beaters so I would probably love just about anything sold in the last decade! We backed our luggage and junk in the trunk with over flow to the back seat. Let's just say we filled that car. We had intended on a mini-van but then I changed it in lieu of saving money. I figured we were not planning on using it at all while we were there so why pay more for comfort for the way there and the way home. The problem was we had clothes which had become more than intended when we realized the temperature was going to be must warmer than we had planned, Christmas decorations, Christmas presents, blankets, stuffed animals, snacks and drinks, planning material, and kids. We were full to the rim! But we made it with very minimal complaining.
Just about when we were done packing up Tyler called and said he was done. SO around 2:45pm we drove the 7 minutes to school to pick up the boy, watched to see how long he'd stand there looking at us not realizing it was us, and headed to pick up McDonalds for the first vacation meal. We were on the road by 2:51pm!!!
About 5:45pm we stopped in Effingham,IL potty breaks.
About 8:14pm we stopped in Calvert City, KY for gas and potty breaks. We had gone 391.3 miles and it was 36 degrees outside!
About 9:10pm we were entering Tennessee.
About 11:35pm we entered Georgia.
About 11:38pm we entered Tennessee again!
About 3:56am we stopped in Byron, GA for gas and potty breaks. We had gone 853.7 miles and it was 52 degrees outside.
About 4:24am we stopped in Dooly County for a rest stop.
At 7:12am we just passed the Florida Welcome Center and I got the text that our room was ready!
At some point this is what the back seat looked like...
I had driven most of the night so Cary drove us through Florida...
It had started raining as we got nearer Orlando. We arrived in Disney World at about 9:30am.
Aaaahhh, we made it...and I think that is the first time I have ever been able to get that shot!
We went straight to our room. I do like this service. Rather than standing around waiting to get a key and listen to all the same things I already knew, we were able to get right there and unload. We were able to get a spot right next to the walkway that wen right to our room.
Martinique 2456
We were on the second floor (which was not what I requested but it wasn't a big deal) and facing the quiet pool and we could see a little of Barefoot Bay. And we were in Martinique which is where we have stayed every time we have been there and where I prefer but did not even request it because I figured I wasn't paying for preferred and most of it is preferred. So all in all we were very happy!
Cary was still a little weirded out by me not letting them come into the room until I took pictures...he had already been warned about food porn!
once I allowed them into the room we unpacked a very little, cranked up the air conditioning, and chose our beds. Then it was time to head out!
Joining in! I love the Nissan Altima (altho I drive a Honda Accord which I also love) - anxious to see how the Altima was for driving and comfort Sounds like you made really great time on your trip down! Can't wait to read more!
So we donned our Magic Bands and headed out to our Martinique bus stop.
It had stopped raining when we pulled into Caribbean Beach and while we lugged our stuff upstairs (no elevators) and while we waited at the bus stop.
We took our first picture of the trip...remember we were tired and hot and we had driven all night...and I really hate my pictures taken!
As soon as we got around the corner, because that is really how close we actually were to it, it started a heavy downpour. Not a storm, but a steady downpour. And do you know where the ponchos were? Yep, in the luggage in the room that we left about fifteen minutes ago!
Hi there! The car was great. Even with all the junk we brought with us we were all still comfortable. It was great on gas and ran beautifully. I had been planning on purchasing a Caravan in the future until I drove the Altima...and then shortly after rented a CHARGER and well, maybe I'm just fickle! LOL
So after our very short wait for a bus we rode around the corner to Hollywood Studios! And it was pouring! And the ponchos were in the room! And we were gonna get wet! We arrived at about 10:45am.
Well, here we go. We hid the camera under a shirt, put our heads down and walked. Luckily our magic bands gave us no problems at all and we were able to continue in through an almost empty street and around the corner to 50s Prime Time Diner.
We headed in to an almost empty lobby and checked in for our 11am ADR. We stepped into the living room and Cary went to dry off a little in the bathroom and we were called.
We were seated at one of the cool booths that the show in the ads.
We were very wet. And it was a bit cold in there.
However it did not stop us from ordering Milk Shakes!
The kids got plain old boring vanilla...
I got the PB&J...
And Cary got the Specialty Shake which I believe was cotton candy...
They were all very good but Cary's was the best. I thought the PB&J was mostly a PB but it was good so I was ok with that. And the kids always love a thick vanilla milk shake!
For appetizers I got Grandpa's Crab Cake...lump crab cake served on succotash salad with bacon and chili sauce and crispy onions...
I love me a crab cake. This one was good...the relish on the side was a nice flavoring to go with it too.
Cary got Fried Herb & Garlic Cheese...served with raspberry sauce, grapes and apples...
He liked it but I actually liked this cheesy item better than my crab cake! The kids ate the fruit but not the cheese even though they are cheese freaks.
Tyler got the Beer Battered Onion Rings...served with horseradish sauce...
These were good onion rings! And a great amount.
Skyler got Chicken Noodle Soup...Hearty mixture of chicken, vegetables, and egg noodles...
That she proceeded to eat with a fork! It was good Disney chicken soup and she liked it.
Cary and I both got the Sampling of Mom's Favorite Recipes...golden-fried chicken, fork tender pot roast, and traditional meatloaf with all the fixings...
Cary liked the meatloaf the best and I liked the pot roast the best. The chicken was good but neither of our favorites.
Tyler got Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken...served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, chicken gravy and seasonal vegetables...
Which he only ate the chicken on...Skye snagged his corn on the cob and I think no one ate his mashed potatoes. He was worried about that but out waitress (Zoe) was not all that adventurous so he needn't have worried!
Skyler got Caesar Salad with Chicken...Romaine lettuce tossed with Caesar dressing, grated Parmesan, and garlic croutons...
Which she ate most of so it must have been good. She had just started eating salads with dressing on them...yes, she used to eat them dry...her 17 year old brother still does!
For dessert I had Mom's Favorite Chocolate Peanut Butter Layers Cake to go...
Cary had 50's Pineapple Upside Down Cake to go...
I don't remember if these ever got eaten or not. Unfortunately, a lot of our "to go" things never got eaten. Something new this time around that will come up in future planning.
Tyler got Dad's Brownie Sundae...chocolate brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream, Hot Fudge, Caramel sauce, whipped cream and toppings...
Which we all shared and it was very good and fun!
Skyler got no sugar added cheesecake...topped with fresh whipped cream and strawberry sauce...
Which we all shared and it was very good...if everything with no sugar was that good I'd be in good shape!
All in all, we had a good meal. It was fast. We were done by 11:44am. We would definitely return here.
And you know what? It stopped raining! this was the last rain we saw the whole trip!
Well, after lunch we walked back up to the entrance, as hard as it was to pull ourselves away.
We headed to the Ticket booth to upgrade our ten day hoppers to Annual Passes! Phew, that's a lot of money! I don't think the cost of thing really hit Cary until he saw me hand over that much cash...LOL! But it was well worth it (especially since we are going again in 79 more days!). There was no one else in line so we walked right up. The lady knew exactly what we wanted to do. She made conversation while she completed the transaction. She informed us of various amenities of the Annual Pass and told us that if we decided to even go to the water park one time to do the upgrade to water parks and more because it will end up cheaper in the long run (we are contemplating that for July). She gave us all our cards and booklets about the passes and sent us on our way.
We headed for the line for the bus to the Magic Kingdom and waited about 15 minutes for it to come.
We had to get there because this was the last time for our whole trip that Festival of Fantasy was running and we had never seen it!
We arrived at the Magic Kingdom!
There was no wait to get in even with the bag. But, this was the first of many times I would get called over for the extra search. And I did not like it at all!
Anyway, we stopped for some photopass pictures.
Then we went to scout our a seat for the parade. The kids were itching to show Cary the World but we knew we wanted good seats too so we looked.
Oh and I forgot to mention. We did not go right to the front gate from 50's Prime Time. We were running ahead of schedule so the kids wanted to get on something. We when to check out the line for The Great Movie Ride at 12:05pm. The sign said it was a 30 minute wait but we were on by 12:21pm so more like a 15 minute wait! So our first ride was The Great Movie Ride. We got the Western scene. Cary loved it. He was in awe of what it was. But next to the exit was the popcorn stand selling Star Wars containers filled with stuff so we ended up the proud owners of this...
...for $12.50...and it was purchased at 12:55pm.
And as you can see, we found our seats right on the curb almost across from Casey's in front of the Ice Cream Parlour.
We had a short wait and during it Cary ran to Casey's for a drink...it was crazy in there! Right as he was getting back the Festival of Fantasy started!
THE FESTIVAL WAS AWESOME. We were so glad we got here in time to see it before the 3:00pm parade became the Christmas parade. We highly recommend seeing this one and preferably from a curb side seat!
Following along... I so need to re-read your trip report. I thought you had another kiddo going and that you were camping LOL... I am not a writer as I found out with my pre-trip report. All of my pictures are on a disc and sitting in the box to be scrapbooked... I haven't gotten to it. I do have the itch to go again, however Hubby says that we cannot go again until 2018 or so when Star Wars is more completed. So excited to read more!
Yes, initially we booked a camp site. We changed when free dining was announced for our dates. Maybe we'll camp one day but this was not the time. LOL
And we did have another member of our family coming. Cary's son was supposed to be coming but he decided he couldn't live here with our rules. It came to the point that we had to call the police on him at one point and he said and did some pretty horrible things about and to all of us. So he went to live with a "great" aunt in Kentucky.
So it was just the four of us. It cost me $50 to remove him from our reservation.
As horrible as it sounds (and maybe that's why my ore-trip fizzled out???) the whole atmosphere in our home changed when he left.
It was hard for Cary to lose him but he knew this was Dylan's choice and he had to let him go because EVERYONE was miserable when he was here.
So after the parade we headed back to the bus lines. There was a Caribbean Beach bus waiting when we walked up. We boarded. Then we unboarded. We had noticed it was running really loudly and apparently so did the driver. She was taking it out of commission. So we had to wait on another bus. It was only about ten minutes. Which is better than breaking down half way there and waiting for who knows how long!
When we got back to the room we decorated and unpacked...and then took a small nap. OMG, that felt good! The kids didn't notice that much because they sleep great in a car, always have. But Cary and I needed that nap!
We apparently also got our mugs from Old Port Royale at about 5pm.
We were one of the only ones around I think...it was very quiet and until later in the week we did not see a sole anywhere near our room. We were also one of the very few whose room was decorated for Christmas the whole time we were there. It did make it easy to find our room at night!
When we got up, we got ready for what we determined would be our big, dress up, Christmas dinner.
About 6pm we got a bus from our stop to Magic Kingdom and then a monorail to The Contemporary.
We checked in at California Grill at 7pm for our 7:15pm ADR. We were taken right upstairs and as soon as we were out of the elevator our buzzer went off.
We were seated towards the middle of the restaurant along the window. Perfect seats!
Our waiter was Topher. He was good...funny...helpful. We were given a basket of bread.
I'm sure there was butter but I somehow don't have a picture of it. This was the meal I failed the most on. I completely spaced on the entrée portion and TOO NO PICTURES of it! I couldn't believe myself!
But I do have pics of everything else!
So I had a diet, Tyler a coke, Skye a sprite, and Cary had a Heineken.
Skyler had decided on a kid's Mac & Cheese here...she loves their mac & cheese. SO she shared a cheese flatbread for appetizer with Tyler. The flatbread is not on the menu this way but Topher had not problem with it being ordered. The kids loved it but pizza is a food staple for them so it would have to be pretty bad to not have them like it. The plate was cleaned before it was removed form the table!
And Cary and I shared the Dragon Roll...Spicy and Tataki tuna, shrimp tempura, avocado, Dragon sauce, Hijiki-Shirataki salad... and the Spicy Kazan Roll...crab, shrimp, scallops, tuna and fireball sauce.
They were both really good and fresh. We like sushi but only get it at home sparingly and not usually such fresh sushi...usually it's that pre-packaged stuff. So this was a treat! I think we both like the Dragon Roll the best...but both were really good and a lot of sushi for one appetizer. We were glad to see it counted as an appetizer on the dining plan.
Now I wish I could show you our entrees because they were superb!
I got the Oak Fired Filet of Beef...Florida Heirloom Tomato Risotto, Aged Balsamic, Tiny Basil, Tomato Butter.
Cary got the Bison Strip Loin...extra virgin olive oil potatoes, baby brussels sprouts, cherrywood bacon, dried cherry demi-glace.
Tyler got the Wagyu Beef dish...which is no longer on the menu.
Cary's bison was great but the least loved of the three. It was a but tougher that the others. He got it medium as suggested even though he normally likes medium well. Don't get me wrong it was very good and he/we cleaned his plate but it took third place to the others.
My Filet was second best. It was ordered medium rare and it was almost able to be cut with a fork! I was very happy with my choice! Skye had a little of mine with her mac & cheese..
Tyler had the true winner this time though. He was wary because he had never heard of Wagyu Beef and even though we assured him it was just a good steak he always thinks we are trying to trick him into eating something he does not want to. But he ordered it and loved it. In fact he wanted to go back late in the trip for more! His was medium rare also and it could be cut with a fork. He shared very little of it!
For dessert I had the Warm Homemade Fritters...Banana-stuffed, Cinnamon-dusted Fritters complemented with a Trio of Dipping Sauces.
They were warm and everyone liked them!
Cary had the Chocolate Pudding Cake...Luscious Chocolate Cake with Nutella Filling, Meringue Kisses, and Chantilly cream.
Sklyer dug into this! It was very rich and very chocolate-y.
And Tyler had the Sundae Sampler...Unique and playful Sundaes with a nostalgic twist: Frangelico toffee, reverse root beer float, and banana split.
I think Tyler's was different than the description though. I believe the thing with the eye dropper in it was a chocolate and caramel thing...the caramel was in the eye dropper and the other was a sundae in an ice cream cone. The kids both loved this...at least what Tyler would give up to Skyler!
Somewhere during dinner the Electrical Water Pageant came by...
We had great seats. It's too bad we are quick diners and we were tired because fireworks would have been perfect from our table. We ended up deciding to call it a night after dinner since we had an early morning planned so no Wishes for us.
Over all, we love California Grill and will be back!
TOTAL = $300.94 ... FOOD TOTAL = $482.77
OOP = $19.19
USED 6 MEAL CREDITS ... TOTAL USED = 10
After dinner, like I said, we just decided to make our way back to Caribbean Beach and the bed. SO we stopped to check out the gingerbread scene in the lobby.
Skyler loves Frozen but not for the girls...for the snowman...Yes, Olaf! And she loved the little snot men too! And of course, the music...she can sing that whole soundtrack without music!
We monorailed back to Magic Kingdom and then caught a bus back to Caribbean Beach. It seemed we were usually the third or fourth stop.
It was cold out tonight! About 34 degrees. But when we got back to our room Tyler changed and went swimming in the quiet pool right outside our room. No one else was brave enough...***stupid enough***...to go with him!
He stayed out there for about 20 minutes, remembered he forgot to take a towel with him and ran his freezing butt up the stairs as fast as he could without slipping!
He changed and very shortly after, we were all sound asleep!
Our first wake up at Mickey's House! My alarm went off at 6am and I got up and in the shower...Skye next...Cary after her...and Tyler last. Around 6:30am we were heading out to the Main Bus Stop via the food court for fill ups in three of our mugs.
We stopped in to fill up and then headed to the bus stop. The sign at that stop (the only stop that had a sigh) said the bus to Hollywood Studios was due at 7:39am and then changed to 7:47am and then to 7:46am. It arrived almost empty.
On the way around we cross over this bridge looking back towards Old Port Royale...you never get a feel for how big this place is unless you stay way over here. I don't think I would ever want to.
We arrived at Hollywood Studios at a couple of minutes to 8am and they were letting people in. We were each given a BB8 trading pin as we entered!
The plan was to rush to Toy Story Mania to ride.
But the wait was already at 45 minutes so we passed. We walked around towards Muppets...
And around towards Star Tours...
...and rode twice with no wait.
This is one of Tyler's favorites and Cary loved it. We were kinda disappointed that we saw the same scenes both times and they were two of the same scenes we had seen years ago. Why advertise the multiple scenes available if you are not going to use them? But we love it anyway. None of us ever get to be the Rebel Spy though. The dump show is very cool too and I had to reign the boys in...it is our first full day after all!
After a couple of tours, we headed to Muppets 3-D at 9am.
By now it was about time for breakfast so we started heading up that way.
These guys have been catching Skyler every time we have been here since she was ten months old! Well, she doesn't quite fit the same anymore but they still got her!
Although it looks like she put up a bit of a fight tis time!
We arrived at our destination at 9:45am and checked in. We were told we probably would not be seated until our ADR time of 10am.
We hung around outside for maybe five minutes and our buzzer was buzzing.
We were taken over to the first table, middle isle, on the right side. We were very near the buffet. And right in the front where the singing and dancing happens! Now we know of the characters here but we cut out or cable at about the time they were coming into their popularity so while happy to see them, they were not tops on our list. The meal is fun and it has never been overly crowded. We did not have to wait at the buffet for anything and everything was hot and full. Sip was our waiter and he was ok...but it's a buffet so we don't expect too much. We ordered our drinks...apple juice for the girl, coke for the boy, coffee and orange juice for Cary and I had an unsweetened iced tea...and headed for food.
This was Skyler's first plate...she had been wanting these babies for years!
Tyler's first run...bacon, scrambled eggs, French toast sticks and Mickey Waffles.
Me...ham, corssaint, cheesy hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, and breakfast tacos...everything is better wrapped in a tortilla!
Yogurt with blueberries and honey.
Sausage patty, bacon, scrambled eggs, French toast sticks and corned beef hash with corn bread topping.
My oatmeal and Cary's bacon plate! I love Disney oatmean...don't know why it's different but it is!
Cary's Bacon, croissant, and biscuits.
Tyler's bacon and eggs.
Skyler's ham, melon, Mickey Waffles, and bacon.
And then characters started coming around. Tyler said he wasn't taking pictures with these guys because he did not know them (although now that we have cable again, every morning his TV is on and some type of Disney Jr show is running!).
Sophia the First was first.
Then Handy Manny (who Tyler does know and used to love when he was little!).
And we're waiting...
Until Jake came around...
and gave Tyler no choice...
And finally Doc McStuffins came around. She actually skipped us after the little song and dance they do. SHe ended at the table before us and then started at the table after us. So Sip had to go wrangle her up for us.
Ok so we don't watch her show but one of the songs they sing is hers about it being time for your check up...we all found this a little bit odd or creepy...maybe we're just weird. But the kids found it just creepy enough to giggle and sing it throughout the day..."time for your check up, time for you check up...it's ok if you giggle"...???
So anyway, are were done around 11am. We had a good time and we were all very full.
We snapped one last picture on our way out...
And why does it look like Sophia is grabbing Tyler's butt? Those crazy Disney Jr characters!
TOTAL = $127.76 ... TOTAL FOOD = 610.53
USED 4 MEAL CREDITS ... TOTAL USED = 14
After leaving Hollywood & Vine we strolled around.
Right out in front of Hollywood & Vine was a photopass photographer so we stopped.
We headed back towards Star Tours.
And we stopped at a photopass photographer outside of Tatooine.
And past Muppets again.
We wandered through Pizza Planet. We were not going to be eating there but the kids wanted to show Cary and now, since it's closed and it's future unknown, I am glad we did.
And we continued around on that route.
Took some pictures outside the It's A Wonderful Store Christmas shop with the snowman.
Past the mess those crazy muppets made!
And waited around for some of our favorite boys!
Ferb loved Tyler and kept trying to smoosh him down. Tyler is almost 6'3" tall.
Phineas did not want to stand by Cary because he was afraid of his shirt with Darth Maul on it. Too bad my eyes were shut other wise that would have been a great picture!
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Sounds like you made really great time on your trip down! Can't wait to read more!
So excited to read more!
