Oh the Places We Go, The People We See ...Dream Trip Report

[jenseib]

Again I eyed this shirt, but again, I couldn’t justify the price.

Out to look at the arcade.

There she is again. We watched her for a bit. I also wondered if we looked suspicious since we kept seeing her. LOL.

[jenseib]

We made our way around the pool.

Lots of work was going on.

[jenseib]

I tried to get this bird, but my focus was completely off.

Pop had a few plant issues as well.

[jenseib]

Time to head back. A view to the right as we got off the bridge.

And a view to the left.

A little bit of running around once again.

[jenseib]

[jenseib]

Time was starting to tick down unfortunately now.

Another quick bathroom stop.

And we then went back outside to have a seat for a few more minutes and just take it all in.

While sitting there I noticed a group of people walk by. Hey, that’s Rita!!!! (in the blue shirt). I had done a convention a few years ago and she was one of the leaders and she and her partner Timmy took us on tours of resorts. She must be leading a tour! I looked around, but didn’t see Tommy.

We decided to head back in and took one more look around the gift shop where I debated on a couple of shirts once again. I didn’t buy them, but I did buy an AoA magnet that was really cute. I think Claire bought something too, but I no longer remember what. We then went to go get our carryons and who do I see outside?????? Tommmy! (he’s in the yellow shirt with his back to us)

Tommy was the one that led my particular group and he was fabulous!!!!

[jenseib]

We had a seat on the bench to wait for unMagical Depress.

Backside of entrance sign.

[jenseib]

While sitting there I saw Tommy and his group walk by and get on their tour bus. I said hi to him and told him I had done this program in 2011. He asked how I liked it and I told him it was awesome. He said he didn’t remember my face, but was better with names and so I told him and he did seem to remember that…or so he says at least! He then introduced me to his group and told them to ask me any questions. LOL. Basically I just told them that it was a fun trip and I learned a lot and got to do new experiences. Tommy asked if I had been staying at AoA and I said yes and told him about my long trip and how sadly this was our last day and introduced him to Claire, who just stared at him…because she is shy and not friendly when she should be!

I sat back down with Claire, who had pulled out her popcorn bucket and proceeded to eat what was left.

Finally the bus pulled up and we got our front row seats for the 3rd time in a row! SCORE!!!!!

Claire’s thoughts about leaving!

We did have to wait a few minutes for stragglers.

Claire sat patiently waiting for the movie to start, though I told her it wouldn’t for awhile.

[jenseib]

Here we go! Good by Art of Animation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jenseib]

I think we had a full bus. I kind of remember someone asking if they could ride this one instead of the next and they guy told them no. I also don’t think we stopped at any other resorts. If we did, then I didn’t take pictures, but I am pretty sure we headed straight to MCO.

We made good time getting to the airport and let me just say it was sooooo wonderful not to have to go and check our bags in, or struggle with them for that matter.

Since we were early, we headed in to a few shops to have a look around. We really liked the Sea World shop.

I would love to go to Sea World on a Holiday trip.

Claire thought we should get one of these guys……Um no!

We then moved on and made a quick stop to see Snow White.

And then we wandered around the Disney store, and Claire tried to talk me into buying something there and again I said no.

[jenseib]

And then we went to get in line for security. HOLY! CRAP!

It was insane! But we got in line and finally got through. I did have a few moments of panic, thinking we may not make our flight after all, but we did get to the gate with time to spare.

That is the last picture I took of the trip.

The rest was of this day was fairly uneventful. We made it on the plane on time and we dozed off and on, worked on a bit of homework and Claire watched a movie on her ipod touch (which we have since lost in no mans land).

Amanda was there promptly to pick us up. I think we swung into a fast food place to get something to eat to bring back to her place for dinner. We told her about the trip and laughed and talked a bit till it was time for bed. There was no way I was going to drive home tonight. I had done that after my Sept. cruise and I was about to fall asleep by the time we got close to home. That was too much travel in one day.

Amanda had gone to Sears automotive and they did move the spare tire of my car to the back and put the good tire on the front, at the suggestion of Skip‘s friend. So we were good to go for the morning. I was going to let Claire sleep in and Amanda had to work, so she gave me a key to lock up.

We said our good nights finally and went to sleep in yet another bed….the first bed that we had slept in at the beginning of this trip almost 2 weeks earlier.

[jenseib]

Nov. 15, Thursday, Day 15……..

Amanda headed off to work and I let Claire sleep in and I just lounged around a bit. Once she got up we set off for home. We barely made it out of Amanda’s condo complex when I noticed a weird sound coming from my front tire…the good tire. I drove down the road a bit and it sounded awful and I was nervous. I noticed an AAA repair shop on the corner and we stopped in. I talked to the guy and told him the long story about the tires and how I had to drive back to Toledo and was worried something else was wrong. He said my car would be next, but it might be about 30 minutes, so Claire and I walked across the street and got some lunch while we waited.

When we returned, he told us that the wheel dust cover was bent and rubbing on the tire. It’s nothing major and they just took it off and all was good to go and to just drive slowly. Good deal. And it didn’t cost me a dime!

The guy was so friendly and he is a big Disney fan (Had a picture of his daughter in her princess costume on his desk) and we talked about our trip a bit before heading off once again.

We now were officially on the road and I gave Skip a final call to let him know we were on our way.

I kept the car at 55 the whole way and we did fine, though at times I felt nervous. More so because I know I was holding up traffic at times, but I needed to be safe. It took us a little longer to get home, but not by much, which impressed me.

It was good to be home and of course the unpacking and laundry started then.

Skip ended up ordering a used rim from a junkyard that was only about $50, compared to the several hundred dollar charge for a new one and the tired itself was never actually damaged…. in a few days everything was fixed good as new.

Sadly life went right on after we got home …with school for Claire and work for me. I do love my job, but it took a few days to get back in the swing of things.

Up next, my recap and thoughts of the trip.

[jenseib]

My thoughts…..

This was the longest trip I have ever taken, and even with all the extra time, I still felt I didn’t do as much as I wanted to, but that’s just me. It was one of the best vacations we have ever been on. We did so many new things, tried so many new places to eat and resorts to stay at. We also did some old favorites. It was a very Magical trip being there with so many family members. Something I hope Claire remembers for a long time. I had worried how it would be with so many strong willed family members on one trip, but it worked out fine and we did things together and apart with no issues at all.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of our new favorite resorts and we hope to stay there again. Sadly, my cousin Katie stayed there as well and did not like it. She had a few issues and she got less than stellar service when she inquired about them. Actually one CM was quite rude and she wrote a letter and was given a partial refund.

The cruise was fabulous. It was even better than I could have hoped. I really hope in a few years time we can do it again, because it was just that much fun with so many people we knew on the ship.

The Parties were so much fun. I am so lucky and happy to have been able to enjoy both the Halloween party and the Christmas party all in one trip. It was totally an amazing experience.

The décor for both seasons was just amazing, but I have to admit, the Christmas stuff totally blew me away and I MUST get back for a holiday trip again in the future. NOTHING compares to seeing the castle lit up at night.

The Beach Club Villas were nice, but not a place I would rush back to. I did not like the room décor. The pool was fabulous, however, but we just didn’t have enough time to use it much.

Art of Animation was fabulous. The theming is just so amazing. I did not like the walk to the Little Mermaid rooms however and I do not see us staying there in the future without a fantastic deal, and then I would still have to think about it. If I could get a deal on a suite, I would be more likely to stay, since its closer to the main buildings. That walk could be a killer at times.

We tried many new places to eat this trip. Some were very successful. We have 2 new favorites, T-Rex and Via Napoli. And now we have some places that I don’t think we’ll ever go back to, but I am glad to have tried them.

We also got to try out the New Fantasyland TWICE!!! I had been bummed that it wasn’t going to be officially open for our trip, but now knowing what I do, we actually were fortunate it wasn’t. Crowds and wait times were insane when it did open and I was lucky enough to basically have no wait for them …AND I got to try out BOG when I didn’t think it would be in the cards for us this trip.

Gail said that a few days after being home, she asked Alexis what she wanted for dinner and Alexis replied she would like crab legs. Gail told her no, that was vacation food and not something she makes at home. So Alexis thought about it and said she would like Shrimp then. LOL. She loved eating like a queen on the ship and the parks!

Gail says that Abby will still randomly ask if they can go visit the princesses today. She is just such a stinker and so darn cute.

I am one who believes that no trip is ever going to be 100% perfect, but how you go about it and your frame of mind can make or break the trip as well. This one had its ups and downs, just like any other trip, but it was still super fabulous and I would love to relive every moment of it. Ok….maybe not the part where my Dad took the wrong suitcase at the airport and we had a very tense morning till we got Mom’s suitcase back….

For the most part, everyone had a great time. Even Aunt Mary and Geoff said they would love to cruise again, and they weren’t sure about the cruise part from the start. They like to lounge around and were able to just hang out in the room and do nothing if they chose to.

We also wondered how my Dad would like it…as he can be a bit whacky when things are completely planned and going the way he thought they were supposed to go. And though I had told him before the trip that with cruising, there is a lot of “go with the flow” he said he wasn’t going to go with any flow. LOL

When asked when he got home by his friends if he liked it, he said he wouldn’t trade it for anything. It was one of the best vacations he had been on as well.

The only downer we had was with Dollar rentals. Some of the family members were charged for the insurance. They had accidently checked yes to it because the counter people tell you to check yes to everything. Luckily I read everything as I checked and checked the no box and I didn’t have that issue. My Aunt has written several letters/emails and as far as I know it still has not been resolved. I now warn everyone I know who rents with Dollar to really check everything and double check that they are NOT charging you for something you don’t agree to. They are slick!

The only thing that might have made it even more special is if Skip had come along, for even part of the trip, but he was being stubborn. He told me that the next trip would include him, but that was not the case, because my next trip was with my other sister and parents to Williamsburg.

We are now at over 1 ½ years since Skip has traveled with us and I keep trying to bat my blue eyes and convince him to do a holiday trip. It’s not working as of yet, but I never give up hope.

The next trip most likely will be with my parents again in March of next year and we will be staying offsite at their timeshare. It will be a different experience, but lots of fun too.

Thanks so much for reading along and sharing in all the fun we had this trip!

[Host Mick]

Thanks for posting another epic trip report. I think that Claire actually looks a little older since page 1.

[jenseib]

Thanks for posting another epic trip report. I think that Claire actually looks a little older since page 1.

 

thanks so much for reading along!!!!

[DisneyKidsDad]

Where are we going next and when? :confused:

[Got2GoGo]

I also enjoyed reading your report. I recently went on my first ever cruise aboad the Disney Dream and LOVED it!

 

I don't see a message feature on this board, so I am posting here with my request for an interview. I am a travel writer on assignment from Orlando Attractions Magaize, http://attractionsmagazine.com/.

 

I am writing a feature on meeting characters in the parks and would like to include your and Claire's experiences and photo. I really like the Mary Poppins photo in your signature, although I can tell it's a few years old - it's adorable!

 

We can conduct the interview by phone or email, whichever you prefer. If you agree to participate, please contact me at: juliesflfun@hotmail.com - I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks and regards, Julie

[skittl1321]

That was one epic trip report! Thanks for sharing with us.

[matondo]

I have enjoyed your review. I know it took a lot of time and effort. Since I started reading it I have booked a Disney cruise and also taken it as well. Not sure if another one is in our future but at this point in my life I am happy if I can get on any ship to get away to someplace warm.

 

Hopefully, you can figure out what Skip wants out of a vacation and you all can work something out. Be thankful he doesn't mind when you travel without him. I am getting ready to go on my first curise solo:eek:...DH can't get away and I need some R&R.

[jenseib]

Where are we going next and when? :confused:

 

Next trip should be Disney World next march. this time offsite as we will be staying at my parents timeshare. I am trying to work a cruise at the end of the trip too. I am also currently writing my trip to Williamsburg, VA from this past April on Disboards and Passporters. I will eventually put it on my blog too, but I haven't had time to do that yet.

 

I also enjoyed reading your report. I recently went on my first ever cruise aboad the Disney Dream and LOVED it!

 

I don't see a message feature on this board, so I am posting here with my request for an interview. I am a travel writer on assignment from Orlando Attractions Magaize, http://attractionsmagazine.com/.

 

I am writing a feature on meeting characters in the parks and would like to include your and Claire's experiences and photo. I really like the Mary Poppins photo in your signature, although I can tell it's a few years old - it's adorable!

 

We can conduct the interview by phone or email, whichever you prefer. If you agree to participate, please contact me at: juliesflfun@hotmail.com - I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks and regards, Julie

 

Thanks. I will try to get an email out to you today.

[jenseib]

That was one epic trip report! Thanks for sharing with us.

 

 

Thanks for following along!

 

I have enjoyed your review. I know it took a lot of time and effort. Since I started reading it I have booked a Disney cruise and also taken it as well. Not sure if another one is in our future but at this point in my life I am happy if I can get on any ship to get away to someplace warm.

 

Hopefully, you can figure out what Skip wants out of a vacation and you all can work something out. Be thankful he doesn't mind when you travel without him. I am getting ready to go on my first curise solo:eek:...DH can't get away and I need some R&R.

 

I hope you had a good time. I do love cruising.

You will have fun. Getting away is so nice. I have to have an outpatient surgery in a week and I am going to use my recovery time to work on Skip to go on a cruise in Dec. not sure it will work, but I will work with it at least. :D

[Got2GoGo]

Next trip should be Disney World next march. this time offsite as we will be staying at my parents timeshare. I am trying to work a cruise at the end of the trip too. I am also currently writing my trip to Williamsburg, VA from this past April on Disboards and Passporters. I will eventually put it on my blog too, but I haven't had time to do that yet.

 

 

 

Thanks. I will try to get an email out to you today.

 

Great! Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you!!

[jenseib]

great! Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you!!

 

:d :d :d

Edited November 9, 2013 by jenseib

[Got2GoGo]

:d :d :d

 

HI again - I'm on deadline, so if you could kindly contact me today, I would appreciate it greatly. Best, JS

[jenseib]

HI again - I'm on deadline, so if you could kindly contact me today, I would appreciate it greatly. Best, JS

 

I just sent you an email