"I'm With Sneezy!" A Mom-&-Me/Solo October Trip! Upd 12/16

[ZehnJahren]

Hello!

And to my newest trip report! This was my 7th trip since 2010, but is my 5th trip report; this is the longest trip my mom and I have taken together (she and I were together for 8 days offsite - I spent the last three day solo at Pop!). We traveled together briefly in 2011 (3 days, staying at Pop and the CR), 2012 (3 days, staying at ASSp and YC), and one MVMCP night only in 2013 (staying at BWV!).

This trip, my mom's allergies went INSANE, and I'm sure everyone around us thought she was sick, sick, sick, but it was all allergies - prompting me to say on more than one occasion "I'm with Sneezy!" By the end of the trip, she was starting to worry me, but I can say now that she's back to 100% - she just needed to get away from those high pollen counts in sunny Florida and back to the dampened midwest!

Here are the players!

Me, Zehn:



My Ma:



Me and my ma!:



We live near the St. Louis Cardinals, so you'll probably see me sporting my Cards gear from time to time! Also, I got my AP MB in red so I could wear them when we made it to the post-season - and now that we're IN, I'll be wearing it for sure! At the end of the trip I switched to my blue band; that's probably been my favorite color so far, but I'm glad I'll get more use out of the red band in my "back home" life!

This trip was planned almost a year in advance and BOY was it LONG (both the planning AND the trip!)!! If you'd like to see my PTR, click HERE. If not, I won't hold it against you.

So here's a sampling of what we did: used Memory Maker, stayed offsite at Sheraton Vistana Resort (I stayed onsite at Pop), went to all four parks (and in one day!), went to US/IOA to see Harry Potter, did the Ultimate Day of Thrills tour, visited DTD, ate at 1900 Park Fare (first character meal!), went to MNSSHP, rushed to beat the crowds at the Haunted Mansion Dooney purse release, and drank (somewhat!) around the world. Oh, and did my first character meets as an adult!

So join me (if you dare) as I recount our/my longest trip yet, and look forward to the next one!

Here we gooooooooooo.....

 

[ZehnJahren]

Chapters:
1) Day 1: Traveled to WDW!
2) Day 1: Checked into SVR!
3) Day 1: Magic Kingdom and a Balloon!!!
4) Day 2: Epcot!
5) Day 2: HS!
6) Day 3: Ultimate Day of Thrills Tour - Arrival
7) Day 3: Ultimate Day of Thrills Tour - The Tour Continues!
8) Day 3: Ultimate Day of Thrills Tour - HS and Lunch!
9) Day 3: Ultimate Day of Thrills Tour Conclusion - AK / Epcot / 4th Park of the Day / A Drink!
10) Day 4: A Visit to Diagon Alley and More of US!
11) Day 4: IOA and DTD!
12) Day 5: MNSSHP and an Abrupt Ending!
13) Day 6: Brief Trip to HS!
14) Day 7: AK, 1900 PF, and Wishes FP+!
15) Day 8: Hoppin' in to Pop! Solo Trip Starts!
16) Day 9: The Running of the Bulls.

Stats:
Sunday 9/28 - Travel Day, MK - 17,072 steps taken, 6.95 miles walked
Monday 9/29 - Epcot, HS - 19,080 steps, 7.72 mi
Tuesday 9/30 - Ultimate Day of Thrills tour, Epcot, SVR - 24,095 steps, 9.76 mi
Wednesday 10/1 - US/IOA/DTD - 23,085 steps, 9.33 miles
Thursday 10/2 - MNSSHP - 15,756 steps, 6.36 miles
Friday 10/3 - HS only - 9,788 steps, 3.98 miles
Saturday 10/4 - AK, 1900, and MK - 22,341 steps, 9.02 miles
Sunday 10/5 - Pop, HS - 18,513 steps, 7.52 miles

Total:
149,730 steps, 60.64 miles

 

[ZehnJahren]

OK, I'm back. Had some errands to run this afternoon but I'm ready for my first installment, which is always ...

TRAVEL DAY!

We had the first plane heading out of STL this morning on Southwest, so we were up and at it bright and early.

We got to the airport with about 2 1/2 hours to spare, and got in line to check our bags; a big one for both of us, plus we each had a carryon and a "personal item" (purse) as well.



None of those people are us.

We found our gate, and decided to ask our gate agent about a sign we'd seen that said we might be able to upgrade our seating. We could do so, improving our seating from A55 and A56 to A6 and A7 (if you don't know what this means, more on that later), but it would cost each of us $40! I immediately said no, and we walked away. But Mom really wanted to do it, and my ticket had been free on SW points, so I gave in and we purchased the upgraded seating - it ended up being a good choice for us.

Mom got up to go get some coffee while I stayed put with all of our stuff. She was also hungry, so she was in search of a breakfast sandwich of some sort. Here was my view:



For those of you who are not familiar with Southwest, here's how they board:



Each of those metal things is a stand with numbers in increments of 5 (1-5, 6-10, etc.). The side on the right goes to 30, and the side on the left is 31-60. This is the order in which you board (A goes first, then family seating, then B and C). We had A6 and A7 because we upgraded, so when they called us for boarding, we were way up in front behind the Business Class people. Southwest doesn't have Business Class seating per se, but they do let those members get the early A's, so we had 5 people in front of us.

Mom was unable to get a breakfast sandwich (she'd waited too long and all the breakfast places had super long lines) so we just sat and chatted while waiting for the boarding call. I listened to all the people in the families around us who were heading to WDW; there was a big family behind us that were heading to Caribbean Beach. We would be staying offsite for the first week, so I was still a little nervous about that.

Finally we were called to be boarded, and took our place in line. It was so nice getting in first, and we took the second row on the right.



I loved this plane and the open front area; it really helped me not to feel claustrophobic at all. We boarded quickly, but couldn't leave yet because we were missing one passenger . He finally showed up right before our regular takeoff time, so we were able to get in the air but right on time instead of early. The crew told us he was coming so "be prepared to boo him when he steps on the plane".



There's a nice view up my nose for ya.

The flight was very very uneventful and fun; we had a great crew who were joking with everyone the whole time, and all the kids on the plane were super well-behaved. It was just one of those enjoyable flights that make you excited to get where you're going.

We touched down in Orlando (as I've gotten older, the touch down has gotten a little more anxiety-producing for me - exactly HOW does this huge plane land on three tiny little wheels??), and jumped off the plane quickly since we were so close to the front. First stop?



Starbucks! We both needed some coffee - I didn't drink any before we left and was getting a bit of a headache. Mom got an iced mocha, but my coffee was so hot that we just sat for awhile before I could drink it. It was 11:40 at this time, and lunchtime was calling our name, but we decided to tough it out and make it to the timeshare before worrying about lunch.



Then, we headed for the faux-no-rail to get our luggage and our car and head out to our first adventure of the trip - checking into SVR and seeing our digs for the next week! How fast could we get out of the airport and get checked in? We had FP+ in MK that day; would we make it to our first one?

 

[teekathepony]

You know I'm in!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[ZehnJahren]

You know I'm in!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Hi Wendy! Thanks for joining me! As long as I have one reader, I'll continue!

 

[ZehnJahren]

We walked downstairs to find the Alamo counter. We had a rental car through Costco which also got me as a free second driver.

After a car accident back in March, I've been very slow to get back on the highways. I am just too scared to get hit again. But Mom and I had a deal that she'd drive the highways (back and forth from the airport; to US/IOA) and I'd drive the secondary roads (back and forth to the parks from SVR). We picked up our car (I chose a bright red Chevy Cruze that I thought would be easy to spot in a parking lot - and I was VERY right about that), and I plugged in SVR on my GPS and away we went!



It was a VERY quick drive south and then to 417. Soon, we saw this:



Eeeeek!

It was still a quarter til one, so we figured our villa wouldn't be ready. We pulled into SVR right before 1 p.m. and parked and headed in. It was the day before they were moving check in to another building, so we weren't sure we were in the right place.

We were.



We had a very short wait for our check-in, and I was prepared to be given the "sorry, your room isn't ready" spiel.



We stepped up and the guy was super friendly and very welcoming. I had made a couple of requests the week before (I had asked to be in Fountains, on an upper floor, and away from the highway noise) and was informed all of my requests were met! We were in Fountains, right by the pool!



The X was the check-in desk, and the little circle was our room. You can see the pool was just a little "north" on the map (by the bigger circle). It was a short jaunt from the check-in desk to our (ALREADY READY!) villa, so we excitedly jumped back in the car (I was driving this time) and headed to our room.

We LOVED the villa. We went up first with only our carryons, as I insist on a bedbug check before I move into a room. We searched all three of the beds and they were clean as a whistle! The beds looked almost NEW, they were so clean! And we were moving on in!



Here's Mom's room:



And my room!:



Master bath (the soaker/jacuzzi tub was to the right):



A picture of me in the mirror in my room:



Overall, we loved the place. It was so neat and clean and bright and comfortable, and we had SO MUCH ROOM. Seriously, Mom was up early every morning and never bothered me a bit. We even sat on the screened-in balcony a few times and just enjoyed the heat and humidity and Florida weather. It was marvelous. We had everything moved in and had mostly unpacked, and it was around 2:30.

Now, however, it was time to see how close to a park it was! We talked about it and decided to go ahead and go to MK, and go to Wal-Mart for groceries after we got home, so we changed for the park and headed out the door. We were going to Walt Disney World!

*We would be timing this drive so we'd be ready for our tour later in the week.*
*Also interestingly enough, the SVR was right next to one of the employee housing complexes, so we saw a ton of employees and their buses while we were there.*

 

[IheartDDuck]

I'm here! I can't wait to hear all about everything. I'm dying for a Haunted Mansion Dooney, but I know they'll be gone by the time I get there.

 

[ZehnJahren]

I'm here! I can't wait to hear all about everything. I'm dying for a Haunted Mansion Dooney, but I know they'll be gone by the time I get there.

Hey! Thanks so much for joining! Glad to have you.

We had quite a time this trip, that's for sure.

Those Dooneys sold out on the same day. If you really want one, they're being released online on Monday the 13th at 2:30 a.m. central time (yes, I'm serious!). But you might want to do a little research first - lots of reports of defective bags flaking and seams ripping (or not being sewn together at all), as well as one bag I saw that just came apart at the strap. Mine is in great shape, but I've been using my other ones - I wish I would have known you wanted one, I could have picked one up for you and mailed it when I got home!!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I'm here!

Your room looks so big! Having that much space for two people totally is awesome. (I have a feeling that the 3 nights I"m sharing a studio with my mother is going to be rough)

Can't wait to read all about your trip.

 

[ZehnJahren]

I'm here!

Your room looks so big! Having that much space for two people totally is awesome. (I have a feeling that the 3 nights I"m sharing a studio with my mother is going to be rough)

Can't wait to read all about your trip.

Hey there, thanks so much for joining in!

I have shared just the regular rooms with my Mom and did fine for the three days - but this was much, much better! We didn't even have to share a bathroom, which was great.

 

[ZehnJahren]

When I left off, we decided to head to MK, so we left SVR at 2:54. At 3:15, we had parked at the TTC and were out of the car at Hook 86 - pretty far back, but I guess it was pretty late in the day at this point!

I love the tram!



We took the ferry, at my insistence. I just don't trust the monorail!



More ferry love:



At 3:35, we were scanned and in the park!





We had a 4 p.m. PP FP+, so we needed to kill a little time - and decided to do so with TLM! I'm kind of surprised this was the first ride of the trip, since I'm really not a fan, but this trip we did get a visitor...



Aw! SEBASTIAN showed up on our MM! We weren't sure what Mom was holding until we looked at MM later that night.

After a visit from the only crab you want as a surprise, it was time to walk on in.



I like TLM more the more I ride it, but it's definitely one of my least favorites.



I will admit that the animatronics are top notch, though they don't match the AMAZING animatronics on 7DMT!!!



By the time we left, it was time for our PP FP+, so we headed over there at the very minute the time frame was open.



After PP, we were starving, so we decided to go to CHH, one of our very favorite CS places. Mom got the chicken pot pie with broccoli, which didn't look awesome but she said it was super tasty.



I got the kids chicken nuggets with broccoli and french fries. Sadly, I got this same meal 5 times during my trip. Yes, seriously. I love that broccoli; I got it every time I was in MK.



We now had a HM FP+ burning a hole in our pockets, and it was RIGHT THERE.





We got stopped under Little Leota for awhile, which wasn't surprising because the ride was stopped right before we got on to accommodate a handicapped rider. We enjoyed watching Little Leota and listening to her lifelike entreaties to "Hurry BAAAACK"; soon we were moving again.

We came out to RAIN (sadly, this was recurring during our trip). We put on our ponchos and headed toward PoTC, but it was (also not surprising for this trip) closed, so I just took a photo while we hid in the dump shop.



We decided to head over and get mom's HM MB; she really wanted it so we were going to find it, and we did! It was in Frontierland at the Trading Post.



The rain passed pretty quickly, and we just so happened to catch Splash right when it was re-opening from the storm, so we walked right on!





We did, however, take off our ponchos.



After a trip through the briar patch (and it was a bit wet....), we headed to our last FP+ at BTMRR. HM was mom's pick, but BTMRR was mine.





That ride just never gets old to me.

We decided to leave now as it was not too long until 7 p.m., when they were closing for the MNSSHP!

However, we were VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE ANYWAY.



Finally, we headed out. We stopped at POTC to see if they were open, but no. So we headed to Aloha Isle and got a Dole Whip to share. We sat and enjoyed the atmosphere; there weren't many people in the park, and we were just happy to have finally made the trip with so much fun ahead of us.

Once we finished the Dole Whip, we started towards the front. Right in front of the Emporium, we were stopped by our first survery taker, who asked me a few questions and then took my email address so I could do a survey later. Hey, why not, right? Ok, done with that, let's head to the condo.

There is one thing you should know about me - I'm a big, big kid. Especially at Disney; I lose all awareness of my age and become 10. So it was no surprise that when I walked around the corner and saw the balloons out and floating in the sky that it took me a moment to suddenly realize that while I felt like I was 10, I had the budget of a full-grown adult who is a major saver and budgeter and had been planning this trip for a year.... and there's one thing I have wanted for years. Since I was a kid, really, and I learned there was such a thing and that we couldn't afford it. And I planned on having it right here and right now.

...





...





...





...





...



A LIGHT UP BALLOON!!! IT'S A BALLOON THAT LIGHTS UP! And get this - you can TURN THE LIGHT ON AND OFF AND IT LIGHTS UP AND IT FLOATS IN THE AIR AND I ALWAYS WANTED ONE AND I GOT ONE AND I LOVED IT SO VERY MUCH!!!

Whew. I was DELIGHTED with my purchase (you can see the guy I bought it from in the background, with the orange and white Mickey head balloons), and we finally were right at the exit....

When we were stopped by our second survery taker. These guys were everywhere. But this time, mom took the survey in the building next to Guest Services while I chatted with the friendly CM. Turns out our talk turned to HM Dooneys; she wanted one too. Hm, I wonder if she knows when they'll be released? "No," she said. "But I can't wait for them to come out!" Oh man. Oh well, I heard the 6th and I'm going to stick to that.

FINALLY Mom was done with the survey and we left. Back on the ferry, we met an adorable family with two cute daughters who wanted to know why I had a balloon.

"Because I've always wanted one since I was your age," I said. "And now that I'm a grown up, I can have whatever I want."

That was a good enough answer for them. We all chatted until we got across Bay Lake and said our goodbyes. Then we were off to Wal-Mart for supplies for the week, and heading back to the condo.

We stopped at Wal-Mart.



Let me just say, I thought I knew how to get back to the villa and I did NOT. I ended up back on the tollway in the rental car, and not only do I not do highways, but we didn't have any change for the toll. In the rental car. Where each missed toll is about 30$. So I stopped. On the tollway. And hollered until Mom found the $1.00 to get us through the toll. The guy who pulled up behind us saw us stopped, and instead of passing us, they BACKED UP THE WHOLE WAY DOWN THE TOLLWAY ENTRANCE and went another way.

Smart.

We finally made it back. And after getting everything put away, it was time to go to bed. I first admired my much-beloved balloon floating peacefully and happily in my room...



... and then drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was the full first of many busy, busy days!

 

[SarahDisney]

I'm here!
I see your first stop at the Orlando airport is the same as mine (Starbucks).

SVR room looks nice ... and I'm so happy it was ready when you got there.

I love that you're so excited about the light-up balloon.

Sounds like a good first day. I can't wait to read more!

By the way - I saw that you're counting steps/miles - what do you use for counting? I used a fitbit last time I was there (and will be using it again on my next trip), and I'm always interested to hear what other people use and how much of a difference there is in step counts.

 

[Angeejoe]

Joining in! Great start to your TR. I love that you bought a balloon!

 

[ZehnJahren]

I'm here!
I see your first stop at the Orlando airport is the same as mine (Starbucks).

SVR room looks nice ... and I'm so happy it was ready when you got there.

I love that you're so excited about the light-up balloon.

Sounds like a good first day. I can't wait to read more!

By the way - I saw that you're counting steps/miles - what do you use for counting? I used a fitbit last time I was there (and will be using it again on my next trip), and I'm always interested to hear what other people use and how much of a difference there is in step counts.

Hey there! Thanks for joining in too!

I was so happy the room was ready too. I couldn't believe it, since it was not your traditional hotel room - but we did notice that our entire row of buildings had very few cars all week. We had a parking space we went to every night! I just think they could check us in because they simply weren't busy.

I was THRILLED about the balloon. It's the little things!

I used my fitbit; I've found it to be pretty spot-on and matched up to satellite tracking and other methods of tracking (like, I'll go on a mile trail and it will count a mile when I'm done). So I feel pretty good about its abilities!

Joining in! Great start to your TR. I love that you bought a balloon!

Thank you for joining in! Glad to have you! I loved that thing - I would bring it in to "add ambiance" to our dinners throughout the week, and would crack mom up. I admit I turned it on in my room for most of my time in there, just to watch it and smile. I think I will buy one every trip that I stay for 5 nights or more. Then, it's only $3 a night! It was just a little over a dollar a night this trip to make me happy, so it was a good purchase.

I have wanted one of those light up balloons as long as I could remember. I'm so glad they were out before the halloween party started.

 

[vleeth]

Joining!

 

[ZehnJahren]

While I listen to the sounds of the Cardinals/Giants game 2 on the TV, here's another update!

We got up bright and early, very excited at the beginning of our trip. Today was a two-park day: Epcot and HS! We also had an ADR at San Angel Inn Restaurante in the Mexico pavilion that we were very excited about! We'd always wanted to eat here just for the ambiance; today, we were!

We drove in and parked. It took about 13 minutes from our door to parked and ready to go.

It was already raining this morning, but we'd both worn hats and it seemed like that was keeping the worst of the mist away.





We stopped and got some coffee while waiting for the turnstiles to open. While under the overhang for the coffee, the rain picked up a little.



We did marvel at how when I was a kid, these ticket counters were PACKED. I remember standing in them for a long time while we waited to get our tickets. These days?



I wouldn't be surprised if these were mostly taken out in the next couple of years.

We didn't have FP+ this morning for Epcot; we were using our FP+ at HS that afternoon. So we decided to take it slow, and we first headed to Mouse Gears to look for my Dooney letter carrier. I had looked at MK the day before, but didn't like the placement they had on any of the purses and wondered if I'd find one I liked.

First, let me tell you a little story. A few years ago, my Grandpa unexpectedly gave me $50 for Christmas. He hadn't given presents for many years, so getting it from him was a surprise and I didn't NEED the money, so I just kept it in the envelope in my drawer.

He passed away earlier this year, and it really made me think of that $50 he had given me that I was just holding on to for no reason. I knew he'd want me to use it on something I would love, so I decided then to put it towards a purse so that he could "help me" buy one that I would use and love every day, and think of him every time I did. I decided if I didn't use it to buy a purse because I didn't find placement I liked, I would figure out something else that I could put it toward that would be well-used and well-loved.

I walked into Mouse Gears, and the very first of 5 letter carriers they had was my PERFECT placement! I snagged it and looked at it over and over - my other sketch DDB items all have castles as they are my favorite, and this one was right on!



Mom found a Vera wallet that she just had to have (no picture but it is very cool!) and I made our purchases and had them sent to the front (I didn't want to carry the purse too much just in case the rain got to it).

After this, we headed over to the Festival Center.



There was some neat stuff this year!



I wanted to just get a look at the F&W Dooneys to decide if I wanted one. I had budgeted for a new Sketch letter carrier and a HM bag, but if I liked the F&W bag, I might switch things up.



Eh, I didn't love them. But I DID want an AP pin, so I went and got in line at the counter in the Festival store. The woman in front of me was buying a LOT of Dooneys - it turns out, she was in my Dooney and Bourke facebook group! We found out later when she posted about all her bags and I recognized her.

More cool merch.



I got my AP pin...



... and we headed out. I thought we should ride TT, since we were here, and we decided on the single rider line.



We ended up in the same car! My hair went a little crazy here.



We went to WS, but EVERYTHING was still closed, even the stores. We were so hungry, and decided as soon as the Mexico QS opened we'd get some nachos. But it wasn't open yet, so we trekked over to JII.



Made me a little sad to see Robin Williams.



There was NO ONE behind us in line at all.



We went to Mexico and had our nachos. I took a very unappetizing picture of it, and as such I'm excluding it here.

Next, we went to Maelstrom but the line was over 20 minutes already, even though WS had just opened. We wandered to Germany, where I spoke some (bad) German with the CMs there. They always tell me my German is good, but I know better! Ha! I told mom we should go back to Mexico and ride the boat ride, then try to check in early for our meal.



I love this pavilion and always have! I visited Mexico as a child and I really loved it; those memories have stuck with me my whole life.

We traveled to Mexico with Donald ...



..then went to San Angel Inn.



They were able to get us in early (and we were STARVING), so we were seated and I took some awful camera phone pictures.



Still can't figure out why the lights stretch out like that in my dark photos.

The server came to talk to me about my almond allergy, and I decided on a VERY simple meal of grilled chicken and spanish rice. Mom had the enchiladas, and she loved them! She ate until she was about to bust. I could NOT believe how flavorful the meal was! Even though my chicken and rice were very simple, they had so much flavor that I couldn't stop eating either, and before we knew it, we were both stuffed. I would absolutely eat there again. If it hadn't been so dark, I'd have pictures of the food for you, but my camera just wouldn't capture it and I didn't want to use my flash.

Mom decided she wanted a F&W pin, so we headed BACK to the Festival center and bought her the pin with Mickey on it that had the breakfast casserole recipe on it. She's going to make that recipe! Then we decided to pick up our package, and since we were so close to the condo we decided to run back, drop off our purchases, and grab a drink. It had been raining on and off, so we figured we'd get our ponchos and be ready.

We got our bag and wallet at package pick up and headed out; it was raining again! How would it affect the rest of our day? We were heading for our favorite ride, ToT!

 

[ZehnJahren]

Joining!

Thanks for joining! I see you went in October of last year; was it rainy for you too? Or did you have dry weather? I guess I could just go read your TR and find out!

 

[vleeth]

Thanks for joining! I see you went in October of last year; was it rainy for you too? Or did you have dry weather? I guess I could just go read your TR and find out!

The only day we had rain was the day we went home.

 

[stacy~**]

I've made it here! I read last night but was too tired to comment so lets see what I remember!

Your place looks very nice and spacious! Oh, how I long to have two bathrooms on vacation. You probably mentioned this in your PTR but I can't remember....did you use timeshare points for your stay? Just curious of the cost (although I don't think we would ever stay offsite. Honestly, the no navigating thing is what hooked DH to Disney trips in the first place).

I LOVE the CHH broccoli! 5 times? Jealous!

I think the balloon obsession is legitimate. Olivia, my 19 year old is obsessed with getting one too. She hasn't YET but now that she has her own money I am sure it is just a matter of time.

Yay for finding your perfect D&B placement and what a great story about the $50 from your grandpa! I am sure that will make your bag extra special for you.

 

[Aimros]

Subbing! Loving your TR so far. You and your mom look like you have so much fun together!