Snafus, Stupidities and So Many Firsts TR Dec 11- 19th - COMPLETED 1/25 About This Page:

[debrabrown]

Originally Posted by Lemap760

Great updates. The prince at 1900 PF was a cutie.

I'M SAYIN'! A little eye candy for the ladies!!!

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

Although you had a few bumps in the road you guys never let it get you down and had, I think, a great trip! Hope the last bit isn't any worse than what has happened so far. So -- on with the rest! (Please!)

Thanks for reading! I knew after declaring "I don't feel the magic!" after that first night of our KTTW card problems that it could only get better from there! Magic would find us.

Originally Posted by MattUGA

I'm a big fan of Park Fare and the characters too. One of our best trips ever was when we ate there for Lindsay's surprise bday trip last January. There's a trip report floating around from then somewhere.

Hmm.. I'll have to try and find it to know the details!

Originally Posted by floydfamily4

Oh Sweet Abby, I know, I know, and I too, believe

The magic never gets old!!

You know what's really kinda funny. It's our 4-year-old goofball of a son who questions the Disney characters and if they're real and it REALLY upsets Abby.

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Saturday, December 19th

Oh, the saddest part of the trip. The last, LAST day. I begged Ken to get some packing done the night before but doggone it, he’s gonna hold onto that vacation vibe for as long as possible.

We had a little figuring out to do since Southwest does not do resort check in. So, we got it settled that our bags would be picked up at 10 and stored while we explored DtD since we had not managed to make it there yet. Well, me, Ken and the kids hadn’t but our parents had.

Packing was a bit stressful. Can you get that I am not a last minute kind of person? It drives me nuts sometimes that Ken is. “It will be fine,” he tells me. Yeah, maybe so, but I hate the stress of the clock ticking and ticking it was. We literally zipped up our bags at 9:59 when someone from bell services came. I am not kidding!

A picture before leaving.

Whew. With that over we headed to the buses. Now one thing we figured out this trip as opposed to the last one is where to get off the DtD bus. Last year we got off more by pleasure island I think and had to hike it like FOREVER to get to Wolfgang Puck’s TS restaurant. This time we hopped off right by the shops. Ah…..much nicer.

We browsed a bit at pins but with a rumbly in our tumbly we decided to give Earl of Sandwich a try. OMG! Can you say GOOD? Really flippin’ good! Everyone just loved what they ate and it was great the manager herself made Abby’s sandwich since she has a nut allergy. Mmmm, mmmm. Mmmm. Good suggestion PPers! See – another first on our last day.

After that we headed for the Lego store and bought what we thought would fit in my dad’s suitcase. Some road ‘tracks” and an addition to Alex’s “city.” Great store.

(alex outside the store)

We headed to the bus to be back at CSR for our 3 pm bus back to Orlando. We grabbed our bags from bell services and it was great to have them weighed before being in the airport since we would have to check them ourselves. I get a little tired of having my underwear strewn about by a flustered husband in the check in line!

We hopped the bus, got to the airport, checked in and found out our flight would be delayed by an hour.

Once it was time to board and the airline guy looked at us and told us to board since we had a young child Ken looked at me and asked where our boarding passes where. Huh? I don’t have them, you have them. No, I don’t have them, I gave them to you. Ken, check your pockets. No. Deb, check your purse. No, Ken. I don’t have them. And on this went so we missed our chance to board after the “A” group, which was a big deal since we did not do online check in so we now we would be sitting in the back of the plane. Ken walked to a gate to ask them to provide boarding passes when voila, he finds them. And where were they? In his back pocket where he usually never puts them. I’m telling ya, he was just plain off this trip.

So we settled in for a somewhat bumpy ride at times when all of a sudden a woman from the front shouts, “OH NO, DON’T!” Um… not something you want to hear screamed on a plane. Ken’s thinking he has to go kick someone’s you-know-what. All the flight attendants rush to the front while we’re left trying to figure out what happened. Apparently a guy had a seizure. Serious, yes of course. That would be frightening to see, but thankfully not a someone trying to blow up his underwear. Can you imagine if that had happened AFTER the attempted Detroit bombing? We were freaked out. You could tell the crew never fully recovered and when the plane landed we were overjoyed.

sweet home!

Coming up: final thoughts – CSR, our new ADRs, our new touring style and the ever hot topic… to stroller or not to stroller!

[chezp]

Sorry to see this come to an end, but what a fun time you had!

[snoozin]

Awesome TR... can't wait for the final chapter... and more to come for your next trip, methinks!

[Colexis Mom]

Sorry for the scare on the plane, and misplacing the boarding passes! Sorry it's all over!

[islandgirl]

Sorry this TR has to come to an end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Final thoughts

Going in mid-December
Weekends at MK were insane. Same was true for Osborne Lights at DHS. Would have changed our plans but given somewhat last minute booking we planned around ADRs, not crowd expectations. During the week the crowds were extremely manageable. Doing the MVMCP during the week was a great PPer suggestion.

As for the weather, you really do need to pack and plan for everything in December!

CSR
This resort seems to get a bad rap. We were in 8b cabanas and were happy with that location, especially when it came to returning on the buses…but I could see how it could be a long walk back to some other rooms on the property. The pool is always fun. I would like to stay somewhere we wouldn’t mind eating next time. I avoid the food like the plague there. Eating cereal we had packed worked great in the mornings.

ADRs
Unlike previous trips we had just one breakfast ADR otherwise lunch or early dinner ADRs worked great and broke up the day nicely. All depends on your touring style.

1900 PF – loved the food and the characters
CP – lunch was new for us and just as lovely as breakfast
GG – food was very good and character interaction was the best
Jiko – lovely atmosphere and good food – I always do one TS so I can actually sit and not worry about photos and autograph books during the meal!
Sci –Fi – a no return for us for dinner…maybe lunch
TH – lunch is always delicious, will try for breakfast next time!
O’Hana – not a huge fan of this for breakfast…might try another meal next time

To stroller or not to stroller
This was as big a debate in our family as it always is on the boards. Our almost 7-year-old did just fine without it but then again we frequently take hikes in the fall and have been to museums where there’s a lot of walking etc. She did sit in it for very short periods from time to time. Our 4-year-old was in it a lot and I’m glad we had it for him. Since they did not nap the stroller was the perfect resting spot at the end of a long day when he had had it. You know your child so do what is best for him/her

Touring Style
This was the first year we did not return to the resort for the kids to nap. Well, we did once and that was a bust so we didn’t do it again. We had gone previous years in September which is always so hot and humid. While we enjoyed warm weather this trip it did not compare to September so we didn’t feel the need to take a pool break. We took our time getting out in the morning and once at the parks we hit the most popular rides for FPs first then did what we could in whatever order we wanted or they came up. I thought we took it slow and easy this trip compared to the other two but Ken felt like we should slow it up more. Huh?? Anyway, maybe staying longer would work next time (stayed 7 full days compared to 10 the other trips).

Since we will not be going to Disney this year I will be living vicariously through all of you!

I'm so glad I found this board with so many wonderful people. Your suggestions and advice help make my family trips what they are. Even though we won't be going to Disney this year, ya can't get rid of me. I will be hanging around and offering advice where I can.

Thanks for following along on our adventure! It was so nice to read all of your comments.

[MGW]

I loved your TR! Thanks so much for writing it!

[islandgirl]

I your TR! Thanks for sharing it w/us! Also, thank you for following my PTR & for all the great advice & encouragement you gave along the way! I can hardly wait to get there!! (and share my TR once we get back!)

[Colexis Mom]

Great finish!! Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us!

[a&as mama]

Loved your trip report! It sounds like you had so much fun!

[B.M.]

Great wrap up! I really enjoyed reading your TR! Thanks for sharing.......

[Cam22]

so much for taking all of us along with you for the trip! So enjoyable to read and wonderful pictures, too. Your family and ours seem to enjoy so many of the same Disney attractions and restaurants, etc. Stefanie is so excited about getting to see Chip and Dale at GG again because as she says, they are just so fun there.

[chezp]

Great final thoughts!

[KMB733]

I'm finally all caught up. I can't believe I got so far behind. Sounds like you had a great last day in the park. So sad to see this come to an end. Thank you for sharing your trip with us!