Sun,Fun and Mickey Mouse Our 2 week vacation About This Page:

[ProChristo]

Love the service you got at Mexico. It is one of my most favorite places in the World. We saw lots of kiddies with the masks on our trip. What a nifty keepsake. Sorry to hear about your trip coming to an end, I have really enjoyed reading your report.

[TINKN]

Just catching up on your report! Great! Sorry to see it coming to an end.

And talk about service at San Angel Inn!

[goofy4goofy]

I love the report!! I wish it wasn't coming to the end soon!!! I also love your pictures..you guys look like you are having a blast. And your daughter is just too precious!!!

I can't believe how great the service was for you in Mexico. We definately did not get the same service there (poor food, poor service). But, I'm glad you had such a good time there!

Thanks for all the good ideas and tips!!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[angelina]

Here are some pictures to go along with the last post

DD helps us plan out our last day by reading the guide map.


Here is the Kidcot Fun Station in France

[angelina]

More Day 8
After our fabulous lunch at the San Angel Inn we headed to France to meet Belle and The Beast. As I've mentioned before this is DD's favorite movie and she loved seeing "Beast" (as she calls him) so much in all the parades and shows that we knew we had to see him up close. I also knew there was a good chance she would be scared of him because he is so big. Sulley from Monsters Inc, who is another favorite, scared her because of his size. So I feared it would be the same with the Beast. But, we had to try [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] We learned when visiting France earlier in the week that Belle and the Beast appear in a library adjacent to the perfume shop in France. They would be appearing at 1:30 which was about 20 minutes away. We walked very quickly, but made some stops along the way at the Kidcot Stations to get more charms for DD's mask. We also stoppped for a photo with Snow White in Germany.
Incidentally, we have always seen Snow White in Germany, but today she had no line. There was no one else but us waiting to take a picture with her, isn't that crazy? The crowds were just non-exsistant. Also, it was the same Snow White we had seen at PSB in Norway and ran into again at MK. She again remembered DD's name and said, "it's the little princess who brought me a Valentine. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I'm telling you, giving out those Valentine's was one of the best ideas I've ever had, if I do say so myself [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
We reached France just in time to see Belle and The Beast coming out from backstage. Once again there was no one waiting to see them. So we walked with them into the library where they did their greetings. DD was scared of the Beast. She burried her face in my shoulder and wouldn't look at him. Belle came over to talk to her and try and get her into a photo, but DD was not interested. So DH took a picture with them.

They did have a Disney photographer available to take pictures to purchase, but we opted not too. We thanked Belle and the Beast and left the library. Outside, there were two or three families waiting to take a picture. There was a large window you could watch Belle and the Beast through so we did and DD loved seeing the Beast from here. Belle and the Beast waved to DD from inside and blew her kisses. She got so excited that we decided to give the Beast one more try. But, once inside she was again afraid of the Beast. Oh well, maybe next year.
We did some final shopping and eating (including some very yummy French pasteries) and visited more Kidcot Fun Stations. These were the only places in WS that were crowded. In the UK we ran into Pooh and Eeyore (or Oreo to DD) They were tucked away in the back of the toy store and they too had no one waiting to see them

On our way out we rode Spaceship Earth. Again, there was no line. DD really enjoyed it, saying, "wheeeee" the whole time our car climbed upwards. This is such a wonderful ride, the attention to detail that only Disney provides is so amazing. I've heard rumors they're going to compelely redo this ride. I hope not.
We had crammed so much into our last day already and we still had a lot more to go. So we said our goodbyes to EP and headed out to our car.
Up Next: Wide World of Sports, Cirque du Soleil and one last visit to MK

[tikibird]

Wow, what great character interaction in Epcot! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Where is the library in France? Would love to get a picture with the Beast!

Enjoyed this segment, and anxious to hear about the MK! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[angelina]

The library is attached to the perfume store in France which is across the walkway from Chefs de France. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[goofy4goofy]

Hello there. [img]graemlins/wavin.gif[/img] My son (who is 2) loves some of the characters, but I think that he may be afraid of some of the bigger characters like you daughter when it comes time to meet them. Heck, I'm sometimes frightened by the Beast's large size!! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] lol
Anyway, just wanted to say that I love the report and pics!!!! Keep it coming..although we are getting towards the end..how sad!!!! [img]graemlins/cry2.gif[/img]

Kelly

[Mauimouse]

Just got caught up in reading your TR, love all those pictures. I really like the picture of your daughter eating the popcorn on the TTA. Great shot. Thanks for sharing. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[angelina]

A Review of Port Orleans
Before I finish up Day Eight of my TR I wanted to include some pictures of POFQ and POR and some general thoughts on the resort.
First of all, we love this resort. We spent one week of our two week honeymoon here in 2000. It's a very picturesque and peaceful resort with lots of fun activities. All the CMs at the resort were very friendly and helpful. They weren't always the most knowledgable, but oh well. We like the general location of this resort. It's close to basically everything. When you arrive at POFQ you check-in at The Mint. A beautiful building with glass ceilings and Mardi Gras themeing. These murals are on the walls where you check-in.



The check-in area of The Mint resembles an old bank. In this area there is a DVC information desk and also a children's area. Complete with little rocking chairs and a TV playing Disney cartoons. Attached to the check-in area is the gift shop. Which has a great selection of souvenirs and also necessities, food and beverages (alcoholic and non). On the other side of The Mint is Scat Cat's Club, a nice quiet little bar. Then there's Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory, or as we simply say, the food court. There is a nice variety of food and the quality is good. The decorations here are large Mardi Gras style. The seating area is large and there is a TV playing Disney Movies. If you exit through the glass doors of the food court you can view the back entrance of The Mint.




As you can see from this picture the sidewalks are all brick and lined with palm trees and black wrought iron lamps and also black wrought iron horses (which DD just loved). As you walk away from The Mint down the path that leads to the pool you pass the playground, children's pool and the hot tub.




In the pool area is Mardi Grogs pool bar, a nice quiet little place to have a yummy frozen drink. The Doubloon Lagoon pool is really fun. There are a lot of lounge chairs available both in the sun and in the shade. And there are some nice outdoor tables, for dining or just relaxing.



We were in building five, which is right next to the pool. We faxed over our room requests four days before our arrival and we were given everything we asked for. Here's the view of our room, 5342.



This building is a little bit of a walk to the parking lot but we like it because of it's proximity to the food court, pool and the river. Our room was very nice inside. None of the furnishings showed any wear and tear, and we had plenty of room for the three of us.



When we arrived I called housekepping to ask for a hairdryer and an ironing board. Both were brought up within 15 minutes, and we had them for the remainder of our stay. We had a wonderful view of the courtyard below us. At night the horse-drawn carriage would drive through this courtyard. One night we sat outside and listened to the clip-clop, clip-clop of the horse. Here's the view from our room.



More pictures coming up...

[angelina]

From our room we could walk through the courtyard and down to the river.



We were very close to the boat landing for the shuttle to DD. We didn't take the boat this trip, but have in the past and it's absolutely wonderful. It's such a great way to travel to DD, because you don't have to worry about parking and if you have a few drinks, you don't have to worry about driving. Also, it's very romantic. There is a path along the whole river that leads to POR. We walked it frequently. It's a wonderful way to explore and get some exersize and once again, very romantic. Once you reach POR there are footbridges across the river to take you to the various buildings. Here's a building in Magnolia Bend.



These building were just beautiful, we've already decided this is going to be the place we stay on our next trip. There were beautiful, secluded pools all over. The landscaping was also incredible, I'm sure even more so when all the flowers are in bloom.
From here you can walk to Alligator Bayou where things are a little more rustic looking and the landscaping is more natural and wild. The name is definitely accurate. I'll admit, being right on the river in this wild area everytime I heard a rustle in the trees I'd look to make sure it wasn't an alligator.



From there you can cross back over the river to the Ol' Man Island pool. We didn't swim here but it really looks like a lot of fun.



We did stop at Muddy Rivers pool bar to order a beer to take with us on our walk back to POFQ and the bartenders here were hilarious and so friendly. Then you can head to Sassagoula Steamboat Company (the main building at POR) and Boatwright's Dining Hall (the food court) We visited both the food court and gift shop here and found both to have a much better selection than ours at POFQ. The food here was also better.



Don't get me wrong we liked our food court and everything about POFQ. Both sections of this resort are just beautiful. I don't think you could go wrong staying anywhere here. The Disney attention to detail is everywhere. A walk around this resort is such a treat, there are so many hidden courtyards and pathways, and of course the river itself is very beautiful. Like I've said before, this resort is even better when all the flowers and the magnolia trees are in bloom. You trully are transported to another place when you stay at this resort. We would highly recommend POFQ to anyone.
Up Next: More Day 8

[tikibird]

Wow, thanks for the great pictures of POFQ and POR - I'm even more excited to be staying there in December now! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[angelina]

More Day 8
So after we left EP we headed to Wide World of Sports. We hadn't been driving two minutes before DD fell asleep. We always visit WWS (not sure if that's the right abbreveation, but it's what I'll use) and it's fun to see. In the past we've seen a baseball game, but we were too early this year. We were hoping to catch some of the Braves practice, but we missed it by about one hour. There were no crowds at WWS, I think there were only two other families in the whole place. We put DD in her stroller and she slept the whole time. We made our way through the various fields and down to where they had some activites. The last time we were here it was only the NFL experience. But now they also had baseball, baseketball and soccer.
DH ran the football obstacle course (he used to play) and got a pretty decent time [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

He also tried to kick a field goal (so close but no bananas) and then hit the baseball a little. There was an entire family playing soccer so we skipped that and DH played some hoops instead (which he also used to play) WWS is a great place for kids (or husbands [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ) to burn off some energy. We headed to the gift shop and DH picked up some cool sports souvenirs. Since we could now check-in at the Downtown Disney Best Western we headed out of WWS and to our new hotel.
We had stayed here last year and found that it was just fine for the price of one night. The lobby had been completely remodeled and a new restaurant and deli had been added. A Disney gift shop had also been added. The lobby was very nice, as were the hotel employees. There was a large pool and playground outside. It wasn't Diney, but it would do. We were able to check-in right away and our room was on the sixth floor. One of the things I liked about this hotel last time was we had a great view of DD and we watched the PI fireworks from the balcony of our room. But the room we had this time faced the highway and the rest of Hotel Plaza Blvd so we were unable to see DD. We didn't feel like going back to the lobby with all of our suitcases, getting another room, and then lugging it all back up. So we just kept our room, it was only for one night. We were really disappointed in the condition of the sixth floor. I know they're remodeling, but the hallway was a mess! The wallpaper was peeling (and in some cases hanging) off the walls. The molding was missing around all the doors. It just did not look nice. The inside of the room however was fine. I love having a balcony, especially one with a table and chairs on it. DD was still sleeping and we were starving, so we headed to DD. We had tickets for the 6:00 Cirque du Soleil performance.
Since it was already 4:45 we needed to eat quickly. We parked right outside of the theatre and headed to the House of Blues. We decide to sit outside in the Voodoo Garden. For one it's really beautiful out there, it's right on the lake overlooking all of DD. And for another reason, we knew our days of warm weather were numbered. We were told there would be no wait service outside, we would have to order from the bar. I thought this was really odd. Why do you have tables outside and no one to wait on them? When we had eaten here in the past there was always a server for outside. But there was a wait to sit inside, and besides, we really did want to sit outside. So we went up to the bar ordered two beers and an order of jambalaya to share and told the bartender we would be sitting outside and would come back to the bar for our food. The bartender was very sweet, she said she would bring our food out to us when it was ready. DD was still asleep in her stroller so we found a nice table by the water and enjoyed the beautiful night. Our food arrived very quickly and we were glad we decide to share it. It was a huge portion, even splitting it we didn't finish it all. The food was very good, really spicy. DH headed over to the box office to get our tickets. After he returned DD finally woke up from her nap refreshed and ready to go. We used one magical wish to pay for our meal and we headed over to the theatre.
DH and I were both skeptical about this show. But I heard so many fabulous things about it, I really wanted to see it. I'm very glad we did. We used two magical wishes (a piece) to pay for the tickets. We had great seats in section 102 row G seats 14 & 15 (DD sat on my lap.) We knew she would enjoy the show, she loves any live performance. She's been to four plays, two Disney on Ice shows, Seasame Street Live and a Harry Connick, Jr. children's concert and she's sat through all of them. The preshow was already going on when we took our seats ten minutes before show time. The clowns were amusing. DD thought they were hilarious (but DH didn't like them- he's afraid of clowns [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ) The show started and DD was wide-eyed from start til finish. The opening act of the two men rolling around inside the giant wheels was amazing! I couldn't believe what I was seeing, how did they do that? That seemed to be the question we kept asking througout the whole show. DH really liked the bikers (not my favorite) I loved the little Chinese girls, they were incredible. Except sadly, right at the end one of them dropped her ring. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] The whole audience gasped, but she just kept on going. The trapeze artists were also unbelievable. Unfortunately, they seemed to be having an off night as twice they missed their manuevers and landed in the safety net. Another favorite of ours were the trampoline performers. Finally the "strong man" had something to do besides just creep me out. The way that guy walked up the wall in mid-air was unbelievable! I could have done without the clowns between every act. For me they just slowed things down. However, DD and all the other kids in the audience, thought they were hilarious. Overall, the show was truly amazing. I would love to be a fly on the wall while these people rehearse, it would be a sight to see. When the show was over we kept asking each other, "How did they do that?" I would definitely recommend this show to anyone. DD loved every minute of it and was very disappointed when it was over. [img]graemlins/cry2.gif[/img] But we had places to go! We had to see MK one last time.
Up next: One last visit to MK

[tikibird]

I stayed at the Best Western in 2000, and thought it was a great value - gotta love those balconies! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Glad you enjoyed Cirque - looking forward to more! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[luvnwdwgal]

Wonderful trip report! Too bad it's coming to an end! [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] You are a beautiful family! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]