Trip Report: Extended Version

Still putting a few things away here at home, but I finally finished my last load of laundry from the trip--woot! Here's the general overview of what we did each day. More details to come on specific events/restaurants.

We started our trip on Friday afternoon. My parents traveled with us this time, so we waited for them to arrive from Indiana that morning. In the mean time, my girls and I had a callback for a Christmas show (we all got in!) that we had to work in before we left town. When my parents arrived, we had just a few minutes to repack their van with all our luggage and theirs. Fortunately, we were only going to Atlanta--a four-hour trip--so it was OK that we were a little tight. I think everyone had something at their feet, but we squeezed everything in. We had a brief stop-over for our callback and then were on our way to my brother's house where we spent the night before heading for Florida on Saturday.

The trip in to FL was also pretty smooth. We stopped at the Welcome Center and snagged a free cup of OJ before arriving at Pop Century around 4 p.m. on Saturday. [A side note: I actually turned down free passes to the Sea World Halloween party for that evening. I was offered an opportunity to review it for Trekaroo, a family travel site, but knowing that our arrival time was unlikely to be early in the day, I let those go to another family. It hurt a little, but it was the right decision.] Our check-in at Pop went pretty smoothly. We had done online check in, and this saved some time. Still, I had to wait for an actual desk clerk Cast Member, since I was paying with gift cards and not the credit card on file. My mom, on the other hand, was able to check in with a roaming CM who had a handheld device, charging their room to her card. It took all of about 30 seconds.



We had only stayed at Pop one other time, back in 2005 soon after it opened. Our reactions were largely the same: this resort is fine, not great. The theming throughout the resort is fun, but the rooms are somewhat bland. In addition, because it is so large, it always feels crowded. That said, our room assignments were precisely what we had asked for, so we really have no complaints...we just like some of the others better than Pop. This was also our first opportunity to use our Magic Bands. We were all very excited to see that they indeed worked in opening our doors. That is, perhaps, the single best use of them--so convenient to simply tap your band to the censor, especially when you have your hands full.

That Saturday evening, we had our traditional dinner at Sweet Tomatoes (we don't have these in Nashville). We love to fill up on healthy food (soup and salad) before diving in to all Disney has to offer. I found an online discount that gave us 15% off with my Visa card, so that was a bonus.

Since we had two different types of tickets--Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Homeschool Days Parkhopper Tickets--we were told by my CM cousin that it would be a good idea to have plastic tickets to enter the Parks, particularly for the Halloween party, to ensure that the system didn't take away one of our Parkhopper days instead. (This is one of the quirks of the system--it can't prioritize tickets at the gate.)In addition, we knew that plastic tickets would be our only opportunity to acquire Fastpasses while in the Parks (though we had scheduled 3 FP per day on our Magic Bands through FP+). So, since we had no evening activities planned, we headed to the Magic Kingdom Guest Relations to have our tickets "fixed."

The process did take some time--it's clear there are still some kinks in the system and quite a learning curve for CMs--but we were rewarded well for our trouble. Since we were arriving near closing, we were given passes to head into the MK in time to see the evening fireworks. (This "Magical Moment" was courtesy of our daughter who kept begging us to go into the park then...followed by our explaining that we didn't want to waste a whole park ticket day for just an hour or so in the MK. The CM overheard all this and granted her wish!) Along with that, we were given two FastPasses good for any ride--we were able to ride Under the Sea (which we'd never been on) and Buzz Lightyear. We also got free ice cream bars from a cart! All-in-all a pretty sweet deal!

Because of our surprise trip into the MK, most of us didn't have great walking shoes on (the girls and I were wearing flip flops) and we also got to bed later than planned. But sore feet and a little less sleep were a small price to pay for Extra Magic!



Sunday, we tried to sleep late and ate a light breakfast in our room before heading to Whispering Canyon Café for lunch. I'll write more on this experience, but I'll just mention that what could have been a terrible lunch turned out well for us again because of the way Disney handles their own mistakes.

After an hour or so of rest, we donned our Halloween costumes and headed to the party. I'll do a separate post on this as well...overall, we enjoyed the whole night, but it's not something we feel we have to do often or again anytime soon.



Monday was a "rest day" after our late night. We have brunch at Kona Café (always a favorite) and did a little shopping for last-minute necessities like milk. We had planned to walk over to Art of Animation for dinner, but a downpour of rain nixed that idea. We settled for the Everything Pop food court. It was fine, and we were able to mostly dodge the rain.



Tuesday was a full day in Epcot. We had FP+ for Soarin', Character Spot (we've actually NEVER done this), and Test Track. We tried to change our selection for the Character Spot, since there was no line and we didn't really need to use it, but neither the app nor the kiosk nearby would allow us to make another FP+ selection (something it should allow you to do). As I said, still a few kinks in this system. As for Test Track, we really enjoyed the new "design-your-own-car" aspect of the ride, but we otherwise prefer the old version. It loses something with all the dayglow and darkness. For example, because it's so dark inside, you can actually see the daylight outside as the car in front of you breaks through the wall to outdoors, so there's no element of surprise. Sure, we knew it was coming, but it was more exciting when you used to crash through those doors than it is now. Also, it's hard to tell what the semi that heads toward your car is, so it's not as exciting/scary either.



We had lunch at Sunshine Seasons. We also visited the Chase Visa lounge in the American Adventure for free drinks and a nice little rest. In the evening, we took in some of the Food & Wine festival and had some tasty dishes, but we found that our old favorites (particularly the bakery in France) are a better deal and we are never disappointed in them. While we didn't stop to sit down, we stood and listened to Sugar Ray perform the one or two songs of theirs that we actually know. Took us back a few years. Scott and I finished the evening with dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel--alone. (My parents and cousin took the girls for us!) A rare treat for us!



Wednesday was our Homeschool Program at Disney's Hollywood Studios (more on that later). We hit all our favorites (Toy Story, Great Movie Ride, Tower of Terror, Star Tours) and tried a new dessert favorite: the Butterfinger Cupcake from Staring Rolls Cafe. (So very delicious!!!) But lines were rather long at even the marginal attractions, which we are just not used to. (I've come to the conclusion that balanced school calendars are screwing up Disney in the fall for all us homeschool families!) We saw Minnie Mouse in her new meet-n-greet and waited 45 minutes for my youngest to get her photo with Wreck-It Ralph and Venelope (never again). After getting frustrated at wait times, we decided to head over to Epcot to finish out our day at EMH. Even with F&W crowds, we were able to hit Soarin' again and several other less popular attractions. And we ate at the French bakery. Again.



Thursday had us back at the MK, our favorite park, and the one we are most comfortable navigating--which, in turn, allows us to do and see more in a day. We did two "new" things: First, we ALL rode Space Mountain together! It's a new era for our family! The other new event was eating at Be Our Guest. I'll do an entire post on that, but our overall impressions were VERY favorable. I'd put it on my "must do" list for sure. We left a bit before the MK closed to stop by Captain Cooks (Polynesian) and have a late dinner. Loved the pork nachos! And, of course, we got our self serve Dole Whip!



Despite it being our least favorite park, we decided to give Animal Kingdom a half day on this trip--if for no other reason than to eat at Flame Tree BBQ! And for the first time, our girls (and I) rode Expedition Everest! Our oldest didn't want to do it again (youngest went again with Daddy), but at least she got on it! Very proud of this brave move (if you knew her, you'd appreciate how hard this was for her). We got soaked twice on Kali River Rapids, and we saw my friend Claire flying as Squirt in Finding Nemo. That was really all we cared to do at AK, so we hopped back to the Studios for the end of the day. Again, the Studios was rather crowded, so we mostly attended shows and minor rides. (My parents weren't with us on Wednesday, so we mostly went back to DHS for their benefit.) We weren't able to ride Toy Story (out of FP), but we hit most everything.



Our last event before leaving town was breakfast with one of my old theatre friends at Olivia's (Old Key West Resort). We had a lovely visit, a good meal, and a bonus of 40% off with her CM discount (she is a seasonal Disney employee). We had another uneventful trip back to Atlanta, where we stopped over for my sister-in-law's birthday and to see my nephew who has been away at college. After a great night with them, we drove across town to my aunt's house so that my Dad could do a few quick repairs for her while we visited. She made us a yummy lunch, and by early afternoon we were on our way back to Nashville.

That's the long version of the whole week, but there will be several posts coming on specific events, activities, and restaurants. Oh, one other thing: although the crowds were greater than we expected, we couldn't have asked for better weather! Other than the brief shower on Monday, and one tiny shower while we were inside the American Adventure at Epcot, we had clear skies and mild temps!

 

Trip Report in Brief

We are home and trying to re-establish some sort of order. Between the mound of laundry, getting back to our homeschool routine, and not having much to eat in the house, I haven't really been able to decompress enough to think about writing about some of our experiences at Walt Disney World this week. So...here's a preview of some of the posts I hope you will see in the next couple of weeks:

• A general trip report, overviewing everything we saw, ate, and did!


• Review of Be Our Guest--we used Direct to Table.


• A post on Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party--what we loved, and what we didn't.


• Whispering Canyon Café review--and how Disney makes up for their mistakes.


• Magic Bands--how they work, what they'll do, and hopes for what they can become.


• Off the beaten path: dining at a DVC resort.


• Disney's Homeschool Days--what we learned and why we love this program.

While we were away, there were some developments too. Of course, we saw the concept art that was released for Avatarland--did you? There was also the rumor that Lord of the Rings may be coming to the Disney Parks in the future. And, of course, more talk that Star Wars Land may prevail over Cars Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. And while none of us were paying attention, Disney quietly decided to do away with their paper stock certificates that are so popular among fans. (You can still grab one until October 16.) There were also a variety of Limited Time Magic announcements.

I'll do my best to catch everyone up on what's going on around Walt Disney World in the coming days. In the mean time, suffice it to say we had a lovely trip (if a bit more crowded than we expected)--and the weather was nearly perfect!

 

Trip Report: The Budget

While I specialize in planning affordable WDW vacations, our most recent trip was an exception to my generally-frugal rule. It was my 40th birthday--I did not intend to skimp. Still, I can't stray too far from my frugal ways, so I set our budget at a reasonable $2680. (I like to over-budget, so that I can be happy when we come in under!)

Let me start by saying that had we paid full price for everything on our vacation, it would have cost us over $3625! But, of course, we never pay full price. We used food coupons, gift cards, Disney Rewards Visa dollars, and even bought merchandise on clearance. When it was all said and done, our out-of-pocket cost for the trip was right at $1750--a savings of nearly $2000, and about $900 under budget!

Subtracting what we had already put down as a deposit on our resort stay and the amount of the tickets we purchased several months ago (adding up to around $1050), as well as the nearly $300 in cash that we had saved specifically for the trip, we took only about a $400 hit to our bank account...barely noticeable in the scheme of things.

All in all, despite making a few splurges, we still managed to save a lot and keep it pretty frugal. We're already beginning to collect spare change for our next trip in our Disney Fund.

The Best Thing I Ever Ate...@WDW

One of the things I enjoy most at Walt Disney World is having my favorite treats...and seeking out new favorites! On this trip, I had several new experiences. Out of these, I found one restaurant that now makes my "never miss" list, and one that falls into the "don't bother" category. Here's the basic run-down of our food adventures, starting with snacks and treats:

• You still can't beat the classic Mickey Ice Cream Bar for a cool, creamy afternoon snack. Current price is $3.50, which isn't terrible by theme park standards. (Of course, you can get a whole box of frozen treats at your local grocery store for that price. Kind of puts things into perspective and might help you resist having one every day.)


• I was slightly less enamored by the School Bread at Norway's Kringla Bakeri than I had been in years past. Perhaps the pastry isn't quite as attractive because it has gone up in price to $2.87 (with tax included), but mine was a little dry, even with the creamy custard center. Just didn't quite do it for me this time.


• The bakery in France, however, did not disappoint. Where else in the World can you get a filling ham and cheese croissant for a mere $3.25? Seriously, this could be a meal! And the chocolate mousse is as good as ever--and only $3.35! Note to self: never, NEVER skip this yummy eatery!


• The carrot cake cookie at Writer's Stop (Disney's Hollywood Studios) was as yummy as I remembered it, but at $3.95 it's a bit pricey--especially if you're not sharing it. Oh, it's definitely big enough to share! But I'm really the only one in my family who likes carrot cake (and all the bakery treats at WDW are off limits for my oldest daughter because of her tree nut allergy and the possibility of cross-contamination--boo). So spending nearly $4 and eating the whole cookie myself was a bit extreme--and, yet, I did. Twice. Yep, it's that alluring...irresistible, even. I just couldn't help myself. On the bright side, the coffee at Writer's Stop is excellent (fresh-brewed--not that Sanka junk) and inexpensive at $1.99.

Now, on to more substantial fare:

• We ate at our favorite Animal Kingdom counter service restaurant, Flame Tree BBQ, and were completely satisfied. It was just as we had remembered--a lot of tasty food, and the prices had not increased much since our last visit. The four of us shared two adult entrees, a half chicken meal ($9.69) and a rib meal ($10.69), and all of us were full when finished.


• Another favorite that did not disappoint was Tortuga Tavern (formerly El Pirata Y El Perico) in the Magic Kingdom. When you receive your tray, you might think, "This cost me how much?" Basically, you get a taco shell (or taco salad shell...or burrito...you get the picture) with only meat inside. But, don't panic! You will get your money's worth at the elaborate condiment bar. Pile that $8.19 taco salad as high as you can and enjoy! Beef nachos run $7.29, and the kids meals are $5.49. Our girls shared one meal (it comes with 2 sides!), and we drank water--allowing us all to eat our fill for around $22.


• On a different day at the MK, we tried out the new dogs at Casey's Corner. (By the way, if you arrive at opening, as we did, you might be chosen to throw out the "first pitch" to Casey. And even if you're not chosen, everyone gets to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and the Cast Members throw Cracker Jacks to waiting guests!) We were actually planning to just have a snack here (mostly to spend time with a CM friend who was on her lunch break), as we had late lunch reservations for my birthday in Epcot. Thinking of one of Casey's hot dogs as a snack was a mistake! They are HUGE! My husband and I should have shared one...but we didn't. He had the Chicago Dog and I had the Chili Cheese Dog. We had a party of 6 (our family of 4, plus my cousin Camille who is in the College Program at Disney, plus our CM friend Conny), and we all ate here for under $40. And, again, we were full. Here's the price list for a few items: $8.59 for specialty dogs (fries or apple slices included); $6.49 for an order of corn dog nuggets; $2 for an order of fries; and $5.19 for a plain hot dog. If you like typical American fare that is filling, Casey's Corner is a great choice.


• Our family has yet to find a favorite eatery at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We fare OK at Studio Catering Company (the turkey club and fries are pretty good at $9.99)   and ABC Commissary (the Asian salad isn't bad for $6.89), but there's no restaurant in the Studios that makes it to our favorites list.


• At Epcot, Sunshine Seasons has consistently been our favorite counter service eatery because of its many choices, especially in the grab-n-go sections. However, this trip was a bit disappointing. The side salad remains a bargain $2.99--but it has decreased in size by at least 1/3! And the selection of grab-n-go items has decreased significantly.  The freshness, flavor, and quality of the food, however, was still top notch. All-in-all, this is still a great eatery...just not as great as it once was.

Finally, let's talk table service. These fall into the categories of Not Worth the Hype, Consistently Delightful Experience, and New Favorite. Here are my assessments:

• Les Chefs de France. This one has received pretty mixed reviews on fan sites, and I can see why. I, myself, am conflicted. This is where I chose to have my birthday meal, partially because I wanted a new experience with rich food, and partially because I knew the girls would enjoy seeing the animatronic Remy. The service was more than adequate (I had read about snotty servers, and we encountered none of that), and we were seated quickly. As for food, we were not very hungry (see above mention re: Casey's Corner), so we decided to have an appetizer for the table and order one round of the pre-fixe menu ($23.99) and share it. (Two of the items we were considering were on the pre-fixe menu, and added up to around $22, so we would be getting dessert for $2--a great deal, right?) Knowing it was my 40th b-day, and that I had noted this on my reservation (and I was wearing a ridiculous b-day hat as well--not subtle at all!), I fully expected an additional free dessert, which would be more than enough for our entire party to enjoy. We were seved baguettes in a paper bag--cute presentation--which were warm and yummy. We took the plunge and ordered the escargot--I can't resist the opportunity to try something new! At $12.99 for 6 small snails, this was a splurge. I choose to think of it as buying an experience, because...well...they just weren't good (mostly a texture thing). But I was very proud of my picky husband and children for at least trying them (the girls left about $4 worth of chewed up snails in their napkins). The French onion soup was tasty, but not especially rich in flavor. There was a LOT of cheese, but it was not quite as hot as I would have liked (a common problem at Les Chefs de France, if guest reviews are to be trusted). My husband enjoyed the quiche Lorainne and salad. Again, the word adequate comes to mind. Finally, it was time for dessert. I was happy to be serenaded by half a dozen French men. What didn't make me happy is that I was served, as my birthday dessert, the dessert that I had already paid for. No free b-day dessert. Seriously disappointing. I mean, crushing. (Have I mentioned that I love free food?) This might have colored my whole experience. We were nearly finished with our meal and dessert when Remy made a very brief appearance at our table. He was adorable, but it was clear that his "handler" was in a hurry. Definitely not worth the expensive meal simply to experience Remy. Lesson learned.


• The day before my birthday, my girls and I had tea at the Garden View Tea Lounge (Grand Floridian Resort & Spa). This has become a tradition for me--first with my dear friend Nori, then with my oldest daughter, and this time with both daughters. Tea at the Grand Floridian is a consistently charming exercise in tradition and grandeur. The atmosphere is quaint, the food scrumptious, and the entire experience delightful! It's affordable, although not cheap. But this time, it was especially affordable and delightful. My friend, Nori, although not able to join us on this trip, called ahead and paid for our tea as a birthday gift! What a fun surprise! In addition, I received a yummy birthday cupcake and a rose from the tea room. This was a much better birthday celebration than my actual birthday meal at Les Chefs de France!


• Finally, our new favorite: Kona Cafe. We visited Kona on a day we weren't going into the Parks, so that we wouldn't feel rushed. Having visited Hawaii in my twenties, I was eager to try their version my favorites--Kona coffee and macadamia pancakes. I had also read rave reviews about the Tonga Toast. Our server confirmed that two adult entrees would likely feed our family of 4, so we ordered Tonga Toast with ham and Pineapple Macadamia Pancakes with bacon. 

  I am the lone coffee drinker in the family, so I wasn't able to order the French pressed pot for two. Still the carafe of Kona/Columbian blend was pretty awesome. Can't imagine it being any better! And the food...oh, the food. The pancakes were heavenly! And the Tonga Toast is over 3 inches thick! So very good...and filling...I'd even say fulfilling! Add in a coke for my husband, and we spent around $35 including a tip. Worth. Every. Penny! Add this one to the "must do" list.

Resort Review: All-Star Sports

OK, I'm going to be honest here: I'm a bit of a Value Resort snob. It's not that I think the Value Resorts are not adequate hotels--they are! But we tend to visit WDW in during the Value season, and we have never made a resort reservation without some sort of discount (pin code, advertised discount, Cast Member discount, etc.). So, in most cases, we can get a Moderate Resort at a rate that many people pay for a Value. Why wouldn't we enjoy the extra space and amenities the Moderates have to offer?

That said, even among the Value Resorts, the All-Star Sports Resort is my least favorite. It could be because I'm not a sports fan...but I don't think that's it. (My husband is a huge sports fan, and he wasn't impressed either.) The amenities are pretty much the same at all the Value Resorts--small spaces with basic amenities. The differences lie in the areas of theming, pools, Mousekeeping, and transportation options. Most of them are a matter of opinion, while others--such as bus service--have notable differences. Here is a run-down of why I would not recommend the All-Star Sports Resort:

• Noise. These walls must be paper-thin, because we heard guests returning from the Parks (or wherever else) well into the night. I'm not sure I ever got fully to sleep on our first night. Fortunately, on subsequent evenings, my tiredness took over and I was able to sleep through the ruckus.

• Mousekeeping. Other than the traditional Mickey outline in towels upon arrival, we didn't see a single towel creation for our entire trip. (We might be spoiled in this regard. On our trip to Port Orleans French Quarter, one eager Mousekeeper gave us dozens of these little critters and even made a display in our window, using our daughters' princess costumes--amazing!) There were visible stains on our carpet (something sticky--maybe a gummy candy?), and we didn't get the traditional note from Mousekeeping with the name of our Mousekeeper. One night, I had to remove a live (well, he had been alive...RIP, little guy!) lizard from our room.


• Lack of Disney theming. Sure, there was a "Mighty Ducks" section, but most of the theming at Sports is focused on actual sports--not on Disney-related sports. I guess you could say the same for some sections of the All-Star Music or All-Star Movies, but in both those cases, the Disney theming seems to tie in seamlessly. At the All-Star Sports, it felt like the Disney themes were awkwardly sprinkled throughout the sports accouterments.


• General wear and tear. This resort is a favorite among sports teams (duh!) and other youth groups, because of the affordability of Value Resorts. (And Disney seems to want to put its groups in this resort and save the Movies and Music for families.) Dare I make the correlation? Teenagers aren't especially known for taking good care of things. This resort sees a lot of traffic...and it shows.


• Transportation. We tend to drive to the Parks more often than not. But on Tuesday morning, while my oldest daughter and I were attending a Youth Education Series program in Animal Kingdom, my husband and youngest daughter decided to head to the Magic Kingdom for a few hours. Since they would be meeting us later at AK, we drove our car and they took a bus to the MK. My husband called me after we were already entering AK, fuming, as he waited for a bus that seemed as if it would never come. Several buses for other Parks had come and gone, but he waited over 30 minutes for a MK bus. Since Sports shares buses with Music and Movies--at least in the off-season--transportation is erratic at best at this resort.


• Faulty wake-up calls. As it turns out, this might have been a problem for all the Disney Resorts, because we encountered it (gasp!) at the Grand Floridian as well. The wake-up call would only play for about 10 seconds, and then would cut off suddenly. Kind of a bummer, when you're hoping to start your day with a little message from your Disney pals.

I can't really comment on the pools or food, as we had not time to enjoy either at the All-Star Sports. We spent any free time away from the Parks eating and shopping off-site. Check-in here was fine, especially since I had completed on-line check-in before our arrival. The few Cast Members we encountered on our stay were friendly enough and helpful, but we didn't interact with any to a great extent. If I had to categorize our experience, I would say it was adequate. But is adequate what you're looking for when you visit Walt Disney World? I think not!

Anyone out there care to offer their own opinion of the All-Star Sports Resort? Sound off in the comments section.

We're Back!

Truly, I have never been so sad to leave Walt Disney World as I was for this visit. I had a pretty fabulous 40th birthday extravaganza, and it was especially hard to leave our room at the Grand Floridian Resort. Still, I'm glad to  be back home, and I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed--although, the beds at the GF are a pretty good substitution for the Bowles Mattress I am accustomed to sleeping on (my dad worked for the company for many years until his retirement last year...I'm pretty spoiled when it comes to mattresses).

It's nearly impossible for me to put our entire trip report into one post, so over the next few days, I will be posting on various aspects of the trip. Below, I offer a general outline of our schedule for the week, simply to put things into context. I hope to have a budget update up soon, as well as posts on food, resort comparisons, and the general ups and downs (yes, there were a few) of the trip. Right now, I am sooo tired, and all I can think about is rest.

Schedule

• Fri., 9/16, left Nashville for Atlanta, where we spent the night with family


• Sat.. 9/17, drove in to Lake Buena Vista, arriving around 3:00 p.m.; picked up our park tickets at Downtown Disney and met my cousin Camille there (she's in the College Program at WDW); had dinner at Sweet Tomatoes, did a little shopping/prep, and then checked into the All-Star Sports Resort


• Sun., 9/18, spent the day at the Magic Kingdom; ate at Tortuga Tavern


• Mon., 9/19, spent the day at Epcot; ate at Sunshine Seasons and snacked in the World Showcase


• Tues., 9/20, Reagan and I spent the morning at Animal Kingdom (YES program) while Presley and Daddy went back to the MK; we met up at Flame Tree BBQ for lunch and stayed at AK until around 4, then headed to the Studios for the rest of the day


• Wed., 9/21, spent the day at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and got to see my friend Claire perform in Disney Junior show; ate at ABC Commissary and Studio Catering Co., as well as snacks from the Writer's Stop


• Thurs., 9/22, slept in a bit, packed up our room, and headed to the Grand Floridian; had brunch at Kona Cafe and tea at the Garden View Tea Lounge; had dinner off-site and did some shopping (including the Cast Connection store with my cousin); thoroughly enjoyed our first night at the Grand Floridian


• Fri., 9/23, my 40th birthday; spent the morning at MK and had lunch with my CM friend Conny at Casey's Corner; Dapper Dans sang "Happy Birthday" to me; hopped to Epcot for afternoon/evening; celebrated b-day at Les Chefs de France, where the French waitstaff sang "Happy Birthday" to me in French; stayed for a bit of EMH and had to take a bus back to the GF--bummer


• Sat., 9/24, reluctantly packed up and left WDW for Georgia, arriving at our destination by around 5:30 p.m.


• Sun., 9/25, left our family as they departed for church, arriving back home in Nashville by 2:00 p.m.

There you have it--the skeleton of our trip. I'll "flesh it out" in future posts. Goodnight for now!

Mid-Trip Report

I haven't had much time for posting thus far throughout our trip (and the media/technology gods have not aligned for me either--internet access on the iPad but photo storage on the laptop is making things a bit inconvenient), but I wanted to make a point to get something up mid-way through our trip.

For starters, things are going pretty well, with a few exceptions. We had a great drive with minimal traffic. Check-in was a breeze. Park crowds are pretty light. There have, however, been a few bumps in the road. My youngest got sick in the middle of the night before our first day of touring. We were cautiously optimistic that it was a fluke--not a virus that would wreck our entire trip--and, fortunately, that turned out to be the case. We've also had a few disappointments with Disney that I'll address more completely in another post--things like smaller food portions for higher prices, ridiculous bus lines, and a serious lake of towel/washcloth creations in our resort room. I'm not trying to take down the Mouse, but it seems like we're being offered less and less, yet expected to pay more for it these days.

But let's stick with the happy stuff for now. Here are a few highlights thus far:

• Meeting Rapunzel first thing on our first day in the Parks!


• My 5-year-old daughter screaming (in a happy way) on any thrill ride.


• Eating through my Top 5 favorite sweet treats in the first 3 days.


• Hanging out with our cousin Camille who is in the College Program at Disney. (We're learning some fun behind-the-scenes trivia from her.)


• Getting 2 of the more than 50 scenarios from Star Tours under my belt!


• My husband being the Rebel Spy on our first ride of the new version.

That's just a start. You may not hear from me much this week, but I assure you I'll have several rounds of trip updates next week. Thanks for reading!