The "Dreams Really DO Come True" Trip Report - COMPLETE - UPDATED 11/4 About This Page:

[BelmontBelle]

I just caught up, it sounds like you're having a fabulous time!
How awesome that you get to do the bounce back, no worries about whether they'll do free dining next year or not.

This is so precious, what great memory for Nicholas!

[jhoshowski]

Day 6 – Assorted “other stuff”

Today we had planned to take it easy. We woke up and had some breakfast, and then I called on the bounceback free dining offer. We had decided to do a Saturday to a Sunday (8 nights). I asked the CM what the latest Saturday I could check in on was, and he said September 27th. I then had him price out POP in a preferred room versus POFQ, standard. I wrote down the prices and showed them to Fred, reminding him that the fridge would be extra for POP. He said to go with POFQ, since the difference wasn’t too much, and we had really fallen in love with the resort. A few minutes later I had made the deposit, and we were all set for 2008. I felt giddy!

We really fell in love with POFQ. We were lucky enough to get a room in building 4. The “buildings” are actually a group of three buildings each. We were in the section of 4 furthest from the pool, food court, etc. but it was still a very short walk. We realized soon after arriving that any building at this resort was fairly close to the main area. The architecture was so beautiful. I was lucky enough to go to New Orleans with some friends in 1999, and POFQ really took me back there! It was very quaint and peaceful, but the kids never felt out of place.



The pool area was a dream for Ethan and Nicholas. Every day they were asking if they could go swimming. The pool is very large and meandering – there is lots of room to swim and explore. And the boys couldn’t get enough of the dragon slide or the fountain. The hot tub is set among some bushes, so it seems private and is so relaxing. Nicholas loved the playground. The laundry room was close by the pool, and there were always washers and dryers available.



The food court offered plenty of choices – one night I had roast beef for dinner. The lines were usually short, and it was easy to find a table. We loved filling our refillable mugs for an evening in the room. Add a bag of chips or a Toll House ice cream sandwich (thanks to our snack credits), and we were good to go. The store offered everything that we needed, and the boys LOVED the arcade.

Our room was spacious and well organized. Even after nine nights, we never felt cramped. The bus stops were covered areas with benches, very convenient to our room. We never had to wait long for a bus, and being the first picked up (before POR) almost all of the time meant that we always had a seat. I always thought that I would like to try out all of the moderates at WDW, although soon we hope to be able to “move up” to deluxes. However, after staying at POFQ, we really don’t want to go to any other moderates – why mess with perfection?! If anyone has any other, more specific questions about the resort, feel free to PM me.

As I said, today was a “take it easy” day. We went to DTD to shop for a while – LOVE the boat ride to downtown, it is one of the many awesome things about POFQ. We had lunch at Earl of Sandwich, which is my favorite counter service. The line is almost always long but it moves very quickly. I had the Caribbean Jerk Chicken sandwich, as usual. My mouth is watering thinking about it. We headed back to the hotel and Fred took the boys swimming. After that, we took it easy in the room for a while.



We took a bus to the MK, where we planned to board a boat for the Wilderness Lodge. However, as we were getting off the bus, we noticed that it said Wilderness Lodge on the display. We confirmed with the driver that he was headed there, and sat back down. When we arrived at the WL, we had some time to burn before our dinner at Whispering Canyon Café. We browsed the store, picking up some Jibbitz for the boys’ Crocs. Then it was time to eat.



Our waiter at WCC was Slippery Pete, and Nicholas thought he was hilarious. We ordered the skillet (very good) and Fred and I got a couple of long, tall cold ones.We enjoyed the antics in the restaurant - I won’t spoil it for those of you who have never been. Nicholas took part in the Pony Express, and when he was playing with Fred’s empty beer yard and pretending to drink out of it, a waiter sternly reminded him the this was NOT Universal Studios! We were planning to take the boat over to the MK to see Spectro, so after a quick bathroom break, we headed for the dock.



The boat to the MK was very crowded, but (of course) we still had to go to Fort Wilderness. It was a pretty windy evening, and when we got to FW, they couldn’t dock our boat! Every time we got close, the wind would blow us away. After several attempts, it was finally accomplished, and a few minutes later, we were on our way. When we got to the MK, we decided to grab a stroller in case Nicholas wanted to sit (there was no charge for it). We walked out of the train station and the crowds were terrible. I am sure this was because they were only showing Spectro a few times this week.

I didn’t want to battle the crowds to try to find a good spot. I am not sure that there would really be one at this point. So we found a bit of room near a trash can. We put the stroller behind it, and I stood behind the stroller. Ethan squeezed himself onto the curb in front of the trash can, and Fred stood next to it, holding Nicholas. We patiently waited for the parade to begin.

A few minutes before it was scheduled to begin, a family squeezed themselves up through the crowd that had formed around us. The son pushed his way in next to Ethan, who is not the type to say anything. The mother shoved herself right up next to Fred. The the father, who was behind the mother, asked Fred to put Nicholas down, so that HE could see the parade. Fred and I both stared at him, open mouthed. Fred recovered first (luckily – I don’t want to think what would have happened if it had been me). Fred said “ I am sorry, but I want my 4 year old to see the parade. We have been here waiting.” Then the guy says “But I want to record it” in a snotty voice. Never mind that his wife, who has squeezed herself in, has a camera. Now, I am all for being kind to others. But #1 – this guy’s son and wife had already pushed in front of others to get a good spot. As a matter of fact, so had he – there were other people behind us. #2 – this guy had a nasty attitude. #3 – I would NEVER, especially at WDW, expect any child to be prevented from enjoying something like a parade for an adult – my child or any other. Nicholas was resting on Fred’s hip, not his shoulders or anything. So his head was no higher than Fred’s. Jerks! Okay, sorry – I had to get it out!

After the parade, we took a bus back to POFQ. Fred took the boys to the arcade, and then we turned in for the evening.

Up next. . .the moment we have all been waiting for. . .

[amandal]

Maybe this was the same family who practically pushed Danny and I from underneath the awning at MGM during the monsoon that Friday night. Who were wearing ponchos, nonetheless (we weren't and we soaked to the bone). Possibly??? I wish I would have known you had plans to visit WCC - we probably could have met you over there (since we were staying at WL). I am super excited you were able to book your next trip while there. Too bad we'll miss each other next year. We're going in July/Aug so my nephew doesn't miss school. Looking foward to the next update!!

[Colexis Mom]

Glad you booked the bounceback offer Sorry about the rude people at the parade

[WHMom]

I am so sorry to read about those incredibly rude people. People like that really know how to ruin others' experiences! I hope you were able to enjoy Spectro anyway.

[Lemap760]

I'm finally caught up with all your updates. Sorry Ethan is having a hard time with the heat. Sounds like you've made a good plan for next year.

[bsblady01]

more please

[mcc0313]

There are always those few people that makes you wonder where they were when they gave out the lessons on manners....

Glad you enjoyed your dinner at the WCC....the pictures of the kids were great.

Looking forward to the next installment.....

[Jookiba]

Originally Posted by jhoshowski

Additionally, our waitress was kind of “blah”. Not bad, just making a minimal effort.

This is precisely why I am GLAD they have taken out the guaranteed tip on the DDP. Every single server we had (except ONE) had this attitude and it wore on me the whole trip-I began to dread eating on vacation which was pitiful!!

How neat you got the baby Simba pictures!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for one of those on our trip!!

What is it with rude people at WDW??!! I know all of us can be rude, but I would NEVER deny a child something like that-let alone push myself up in front of someone else that was already standing there!! I have a "personal space" phobia and don't like it when someone invades this space and/or is on my heels! Drives me crazy!

We loved POFQ too! We were also in building #4, on the first floor. Your pictures of the resort brought back all kinds of warm, fuzzy feelings! On your next trip be sure you try their meatball subs-they are GREAT and made with REAL meat-not the soy meatballs like they have at Subway-these things are HUGE!! Many a night (usually right before closing) my kids would walk down there and get a sub to bring back to the room to share.

Great updates.....hope you hurry back soon with more!!

[GoofyMom]

You write a pretty good Trip Report for a TR Rookie! I'm totally enjoying it. And I agree with your appraisal of POFQ - it's a really nice resort.

[MAria R]

Great updates, how exciting that you got the bounce back deal. POFQ is on my list of must dos, I have heard so many great things about it. The nerve of that family (especially the father), to ask a child to miss out so that he can tape, whatever.

[DyanKJ130]

Nice overview of POFQ! That's the one moderate we have yet to stay at. to hear about the demanding people. We run into them at least once every trip!

[BelmontBelle]

I totally agree with you about POFQ, we loved it too!
Sorry you had to deal with the rude family at Spectro, sometimes people are unbelievably selfish!

[iamgrumpy]

Glad you enjoyed POFQ and we will be checking into POR on the 27th as well next year!

[jhoshowski]

Day 7 – MK, MNSSHP

Today was the day we had been waiting for – the day of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! We had decided that we were going to take it easy today. We headed to the MK for a few hours in the morning. The day started off with two trips on Buzz Lightyear (naturally). Ethan wanted to ride Space Mountain, so I took him over there while Fred and Nicholas did Buzz again. When we met up with them, we found out that they had won Dream Fastpasses, in the same spot we had won them a few days ago! The boys wanted one of those silly hats with the ears – Ethan got Goofy, and Nick got Pluto. By this point in the trip, they had decided that those were their favorite characters. Fred took Nicholas on the Tommorrowland Speedway while Ethan and I did a bit of shopping. We grabbed lunch at Cosmic Rays, then I took the boys on the Teacups. Fred and Nicholas used their fastpasses to go on Winnie the Pooh, then I took the boys on the Carousel. Fred and Nicholas did Peter Pan (fastpass again), then we headed over to Adventureland so that I could take the boys on Aladdin’s Carpets.



At this point we decided that we had better head back to the hotel. I did laundry while Fred and the boys went swimming. We changed into our Halloween shirts (purchased earlier in the week) and headed back to the MK. We had a 5:30 dinner reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern. Dinner was delicious, as always. It is a simple, Thanksgiving style meal, and it has become a tradition for us – an especially nice one before one of the special event parties!!



We wanted to ride the Haunted Mansion. The line was about 15 minutes – no surprise, seeing as it had just reopened the day before. We did get stuck in the portrait gallery room for about 20 minutes, but Fred used that time to explain the ride to Nicholas (who was riding with him). He told him that the ghosts were having a silly birthday party and they were singing, dancing, and having cake. Nicholas ended up LOVING the ride, which really surprised us. I like the updates very much. The new attic, in particular, blew me away. Kudos to the Imagineers for this one!

We worked our way over to Adventureland and were able to complete three trick or treat stops, when it started raining. Since we were right outside Pecos Bill’s at that point, we sat down at a table in the outsde covered porch area. We busied ourselves trading (and eating) candy. It was storming terribly hard, and it lasted for quite some time. They made an announcement that the first parade was cancelled. After quite a while, the rain slowed down enough that we were able to make our way over to Fantasyland. We rode Peter Pan and It’s A Small World. It was still raining, so we ducked into Pinocchio’s Village Haus. The dining room was open, although they were not serving food. We were able to catch glimpses of the fireworks by standing at the door.

The rain finally let up, so we ran over to to the Winnie the Pooh ride, then crossed through Tomorrowland and over the bridge to get a spot for the parade. Nicholas fell asleep before it started, which is a real shame. I have found a new favorite parade at WDW – this one blew me away, even though the Headless Horseman didn’t ride, since it was so wet. We headed back over to Tomorrowland to trick or treat some more, doing the path from Toontown to Tommorrowland as well. The CMs put huge handfuls of candy in Nicholas’s bag, even though he was sleeping. At about 11:50, we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel.





Even though the majority of our night was rained out, causing us to pretty much miss the fireworks and miss a lot of events like meet and greets, shows, and dance parties, we still LOVED the party. We intend to attend next year when we return for bounceback free dining – hopefully it won’t rain next time, at least not as bad!!

Up next. . .some fine dining!