TigrLvsPooh
Travel Channel's Ultimate Disney Fan
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2001
Trip Report
Day 1
We arrived at the Grand Floridian via Tiffany Town Car. The driver was very friendly and met us on time. We checked in to the GF and got a room right away, Sago Cay, lodge tower room #5513. At first we loved the high ceilings but then we noticed that there was NO balcony!! (That answers one of your questions Cali-D!) We called down to the front desk and switched to room #5413 (same room down one level) which was perfect!! The room was very large, 2 queen beds, octagonal sitting room, lots of windows, 2 TVs, couch, and a large balcony!! We had a great view of Space Mountain, the Marina, and the Lagoon. This was much better than any of the other buildings because they ALL overlooked the construction of the courtyard pool. We were very happy. Minutes after we got to the room housekeeping came up with the crib, a bedrail for the couch (where our 2 year old slept), fridge, and microwave. We werent charged extra for any of these items. After unpacking a little we grabbed a quick lunch at Gasparilla and headed over to the Magic Kingdom. It was a Sunday and the crowds seemed normal. We did Its a Small World, the train around the park, Pooh ride, Country Bear Jamboree, and the Lion King. None of the rides had long waits. As we left the park we saw the Flag Retreat Ceremony, which was very touching. We headed back to our room and then down to 1900 Park Fare for the Pooh and Friends character dinner. To our surprise it was Poohs 75th birthday and they were having a party. Dinner was very good, they had lots of selections for kids and I especially enjoyed the desserts! Our 2 year old was in heaven with the characters, which made the meal worth every penny! After dinner my Mother-in-law took care of the kids while dh and I went to Pleasure Island with his brother. We hopped around to the different clubs and saw the comedy show. There werent very many people around, but it was still fun. I liked the dancers they had at midnight and the New Years Eve celebration.
Day 2
Breakfast at Gasparilla, we were pretty disappointed with the food, even though we ate there everyday. I thought the counter service places in the park were much better . Heck even the food court at All Star would have been better! We headed back to the Magic Kingdom . The park was EMPTY!! We rode Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, etc, all with no wait. It was very strange almost scary. I never thought Id be able to walk on all those rides in one morning. We had lunch at Cosmic Rays the wait time for food was ridiculous. There were only about 5 people in line, but it took forever to get our food. After lunch we rode all the other rides we wanted and we were done at 3:00 pm!!! We headed back to the hotel for swimming. I love the new pool!! It was really fun and nobody was there. Luckily we had beautiful weather. I decided to take our youngest son (4 months old) back to the room. We had stopped by the front desk and requested an extra key. When we got back to the room the key didnt work. I walked down to the end of the hall and called the front desk the guy who answered put me on hold and never came back!!!!! I was very mad, so I called back. The lady who answered apologized and said that the guy was new (bad excuse) and that they would be right over to let us in the room. We waited and waited and waited finally dh came back from the pool and was very surprised to see ds and I sitting in the hall. Finally the lady came and let us in. Come to find out, the key they had given us wasnt a key, it was a childs ID card. They apologized again for the mix up. I hurried as fast as I could to get ready for our dinner at Rose and Crown. Somehow we managed to make it there on time. We had a PS for 7:10 and didnt get a table until almost 9:00!!! I would never go to this restaurant again! It was a nightmare. We had no idea that getting a table would be so difficult. Basically, the people who had eaten dinner there at 5:00 and 6:00 were just sitting and waiting for Illuminations. They wouldnt get up and they werent even eating or drinking. DH was furious. There was an empty table on the patio but they refused to give it to us because it had wheelchair access. After crying, yelling, and begging, we finally got a table right before Illuminations started. The view was GREAT but the food and service were terrible. I definitely wont be going back there again (even though I LOVE the snakebite). After dinner we headed back to the GF. We were surprised to see the fireworks display over the Magic Kingdom around midnight. I guess they were having a special park night for the PGA event. We were happy that the loud fireworks didnt wake up the kids. It was nice to sit down at the marina and watch the show its a perfect view, even better than Narcoosees.
Day 3
We started the day at Epcot. Rode the Universe of Energy and Test Track before heading over to the World Showcase. We ate lunch in China (very good!) and had a good time. Later that afternoon we stopped at Beaches n Crème for a snack. YUMMMMMM!!!! After that we headed over to MGM/Disney Studios. We had to do the Playhouse Disney show first (our 2 year olds favorite). The park was pretty empty. No wait for Tower of Terror or Rock n Roller Coaster. We had dinner at 50s Prime Time Café. I had the meatloaf dinner, the food was good as usual, and our server was friendly. I was glad we didnt get an overly obnoxious person. We managed to make it out of the park before Fantasmic was over, which was great. I hate that bus ride back to the GF though. You have to stop at WL and Poly first it seems so long. DH and I could tell we were coming down with colds, our throats were sore and we were congested. Sandy Cove was closed so I called the front desk. They said Id have to call Turner Drugs I called and called but got no answer. I called the front desk again and found out that Turner Drugs was closed. I asked if there was anyway to get something from Sandy Cove and they said no. I was surprised by this, I thought they would have done something. After lying in bed unable to breath for hours I called the front desk again around 2:00 am. They said that they had several different medicines available at the front desk!! WHY DIDNT THEY TELL ME THAT BEFORE???? I cant believe I suffered all night when they had cold medicine the whole time!! ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGG!!!!!! A very nice and apologetic man brought me some Nyquil around 3:00 am and I finally got some sleep.
Day 4
Gasparilla for breakfast again and then we headed to Animal Kingdom. We did the safari, walked some of the trails, went to Dinoland, and then had to leave. All 4 of us had come down with colds and we were just miserable. I was bummed, but I knew we needed to rest. After we all took a nap we went to Ohanas for dinner. This was a first for us. The Poly was beautiful and the people were very friendly. The food was GREAT!!! I loved the shrimp wontons and the chicken wings. The castle view was nice too, but our server was a JERK!! He would have been much better suited for 50s Prime Time with his attitude. He asked where we were from and I said Indiana, he said, If I were from Indiana I wouldnt admit it. Can you believe that??? He hung around our table and flapped his jaws all night! I completely ignored him, but he still wouldnt go away. He really ruined what could have been one of our best meals. After dinner we went to Downtown Disney. We did some shopping and ate at Ghiardellis. YUMMMM!!!! After that, another long bus ride back to the GF. It seems to me that if you are paying that much for a room then you should have your own bus??
Day 5
Packed up and checked out of the GF. I happened to notice that they were taking down the wall around the courtyard pool so it should be open soon. We headed to the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal. When I walked into the lobby of the PBH I knew I was going to enjoy my stay. Nessum Dorma playing softly in the background, the architecture, the fountains, this hotel far exceeds any Disney property with its luxury. It reminded me of our vacation at the Bellagio last summer. We received a complimentary upgrade to a deluxe villa with concierge service. Not bad for $129 a night, huh?? The room was fabulous! We had a king bed, sleeper sofa, TV, VCR, CD player, tape deck, radio, great speaker system, fax machine, mini bar, lots of drawers and a pantry with coffee maker and wine glasses. The bathroom was huge!! Glass shower, double sinks, large tub with shutters separating it from the bedroom, robes, great selection of body products, a real hairdryer, phone in bathroom, speakers for the stereo system in the bathroom with volume control, iron and ironing board. I took tons of digital pics that I will post soon. It seemed to have even more amenities than our room in the RPC at the GF. After settling in we headed off to Islands of Adventure (we had never been there before). I liked this park but it lacked a baby care center. As you know all Disney Parks have a center but this park had nothing!! No changing tables, feeding areas, baby supplies, nothing!!! I couldnt figure out why, but then after spending the day at the park I realized that its not the type of place you go with small children. Suess Land was really cute and our 2 year old loved it, but that was the only thing he could do. They didnt have any family rides that we could all go on together. It was a bummer. DH and I ended up taking turns riding the rides. I would compare this park to Six Flags, definitely no Disney magic. Front of the Line access is great though!! Just walking right up to any ride and showing your room key it makes you feel important. That night we went to City Walk and had dinner at Pastamore Ristorante. It was expensive and the food wasnt good.
Day 6
Universal Studios a fun park but still no family rides that we could all do together. DH and I took turns riding rides (they offer baby swap on almost everything) and we took our 2 year old to see Barney 3 times!! He loved it. Later that afternoon we headed over to the Hard Rock Hotel (mother-in-law was staying there). I LOVE this hotel!!! I was surprised how nice it was. The décor is awesome!!!!!! I definitely want to stay there the next time we go down. Its such a fun hotel great music tons of people. The water taxi driver told us that it had been at 100% occupancy that week. People were very laid back, lots of Harley guys and people decked out in the club gear. The pool was very nice with a great bar called the Beach Club. MILs room was very nice I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone (old, young, with or without kids) its really great. We ate dinner at the Sunset Grill. It was a great meal. BBQ ribs and chicken, all you can eat buffet, for only $13.95!
Day 7
Spent the day at the Beach Pool and Villa Pool at our hotel. Nice relaxing day, good weather, and very few people. My overall opinion of PB changed throughout our trip. At first I thought it was just perfect (especially with our awesome room) but then I found things I didnt like about it. It really isnt a family resort. Its better suited for adults. There is no guest laundry! I had to take all our dirty clothes of to the HRH to wash them (big pain in the butt). Food options are limited here (3 Italian restaurants). The overall feel of the hotel is more luxurious and tasteful perfect for a romantic get away. There conference facilities were beautiful it would be great for a wedding reception. Many of the shops around the piazza have been closed. The ice cream shop was closed the whole 5 days we were there, the coffee shop was only open on Sat and Sun for a few hours, the deli was closed, some other stores were closed we started getting the impression that this hotel was struggling to stay open. Its really a shame because it is very beautiful. Later that night we went back to City Walk. This would be a great place to go without the kids; its just like Pleasure Island except BETTER! Happy Hour is from 3-7 and the drink specials were great. DH and I couldnt really enjoy that area much because of the kids. We had dinner at NBA City, which was pretty good. We wanted to eat at Emerils but it was booked.
Day 8
Back to Islands of Adventure rode Spiderman again, Jurassic Park, Hulk, Dueling Dragons, and back to Suess Land for our 2 year old. Then over to Universal for Barney again, and some other rides. Stopped by Finnigans for Happy Hour and then back to the hotel. We ate dinner at the hotel at Tratorria del Porto. What a great meal!!!! It was an all you can eat Italian buffet . 4 or 5 different salads, antipasta, fruit, bread, lots of kids offerings, and made to order pasta dishes. They had all the ingredients out on the counter and you just tell them what you want. I had chicken, broccoli, tomato, garlic, penne, alfredo!! YUMM!!!! I think it was our best meal. It was a nice restaurant for families and the buffet was only $20.
Day 9
Going home day. Had lunch at Margaritaville . Dh and I walked down memory lane and talked about the good ole days, a perfect ending to our trip. We waited back at the hotel for Tiffany Town Car, they were right on time again. The airport was a ghost town and we made it home very easily. It was a bit strange to see all the M-16s at the airport, and I did get patted down but it was fine. We are glad to be home and are already planning our next trip back to Disney! We really want to do the Land and Sea package next maybe in the Spring.
If anyone has any questions about the GF, PBH, HRH, or any of the restaurants we went to feel free to ask!!
Day 1
We arrived at the Grand Floridian via Tiffany Town Car. The driver was very friendly and met us on time. We checked in to the GF and got a room right away, Sago Cay, lodge tower room #5513. At first we loved the high ceilings but then we noticed that there was NO balcony!! (That answers one of your questions Cali-D!) We called down to the front desk and switched to room #5413 (same room down one level) which was perfect!! The room was very large, 2 queen beds, octagonal sitting room, lots of windows, 2 TVs, couch, and a large balcony!! We had a great view of Space Mountain, the Marina, and the Lagoon. This was much better than any of the other buildings because they ALL overlooked the construction of the courtyard pool. We were very happy. Minutes after we got to the room housekeeping came up with the crib, a bedrail for the couch (where our 2 year old slept), fridge, and microwave. We werent charged extra for any of these items. After unpacking a little we grabbed a quick lunch at Gasparilla and headed over to the Magic Kingdom. It was a Sunday and the crowds seemed normal. We did Its a Small World, the train around the park, Pooh ride, Country Bear Jamboree, and the Lion King. None of the rides had long waits. As we left the park we saw the Flag Retreat Ceremony, which was very touching. We headed back to our room and then down to 1900 Park Fare for the Pooh and Friends character dinner. To our surprise it was Poohs 75th birthday and they were having a party. Dinner was very good, they had lots of selections for kids and I especially enjoyed the desserts! Our 2 year old was in heaven with the characters, which made the meal worth every penny! After dinner my Mother-in-law took care of the kids while dh and I went to Pleasure Island with his brother. We hopped around to the different clubs and saw the comedy show. There werent very many people around, but it was still fun. I liked the dancers they had at midnight and the New Years Eve celebration.
Day 2
Breakfast at Gasparilla, we were pretty disappointed with the food, even though we ate there everyday. I thought the counter service places in the park were much better . Heck even the food court at All Star would have been better! We headed back to the Magic Kingdom . The park was EMPTY!! We rode Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, etc, all with no wait. It was very strange almost scary. I never thought Id be able to walk on all those rides in one morning. We had lunch at Cosmic Rays the wait time for food was ridiculous. There were only about 5 people in line, but it took forever to get our food. After lunch we rode all the other rides we wanted and we were done at 3:00 pm!!! We headed back to the hotel for swimming. I love the new pool!! It was really fun and nobody was there. Luckily we had beautiful weather. I decided to take our youngest son (4 months old) back to the room. We had stopped by the front desk and requested an extra key. When we got back to the room the key didnt work. I walked down to the end of the hall and called the front desk the guy who answered put me on hold and never came back!!!!! I was very mad, so I called back. The lady who answered apologized and said that the guy was new (bad excuse) and that they would be right over to let us in the room. We waited and waited and waited finally dh came back from the pool and was very surprised to see ds and I sitting in the hall. Finally the lady came and let us in. Come to find out, the key they had given us wasnt a key, it was a childs ID card. They apologized again for the mix up. I hurried as fast as I could to get ready for our dinner at Rose and Crown. Somehow we managed to make it there on time. We had a PS for 7:10 and didnt get a table until almost 9:00!!! I would never go to this restaurant again! It was a nightmare. We had no idea that getting a table would be so difficult. Basically, the people who had eaten dinner there at 5:00 and 6:00 were just sitting and waiting for Illuminations. They wouldnt get up and they werent even eating or drinking. DH was furious. There was an empty table on the patio but they refused to give it to us because it had wheelchair access. After crying, yelling, and begging, we finally got a table right before Illuminations started. The view was GREAT but the food and service were terrible. I definitely wont be going back there again (even though I LOVE the snakebite). After dinner we headed back to the GF. We were surprised to see the fireworks display over the Magic Kingdom around midnight. I guess they were having a special park night for the PGA event. We were happy that the loud fireworks didnt wake up the kids. It was nice to sit down at the marina and watch the show its a perfect view, even better than Narcoosees.
Day 3
We started the day at Epcot. Rode the Universe of Energy and Test Track before heading over to the World Showcase. We ate lunch in China (very good!) and had a good time. Later that afternoon we stopped at Beaches n Crème for a snack. YUMMMMMM!!!! After that we headed over to MGM/Disney Studios. We had to do the Playhouse Disney show first (our 2 year olds favorite). The park was pretty empty. No wait for Tower of Terror or Rock n Roller Coaster. We had dinner at 50s Prime Time Café. I had the meatloaf dinner, the food was good as usual, and our server was friendly. I was glad we didnt get an overly obnoxious person. We managed to make it out of the park before Fantasmic was over, which was great. I hate that bus ride back to the GF though. You have to stop at WL and Poly first it seems so long. DH and I could tell we were coming down with colds, our throats were sore and we were congested. Sandy Cove was closed so I called the front desk. They said Id have to call Turner Drugs I called and called but got no answer. I called the front desk again and found out that Turner Drugs was closed. I asked if there was anyway to get something from Sandy Cove and they said no. I was surprised by this, I thought they would have done something. After lying in bed unable to breath for hours I called the front desk again around 2:00 am. They said that they had several different medicines available at the front desk!! WHY DIDNT THEY TELL ME THAT BEFORE???? I cant believe I suffered all night when they had cold medicine the whole time!! ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGG!!!!!! A very nice and apologetic man brought me some Nyquil around 3:00 am and I finally got some sleep.
Day 4
Gasparilla for breakfast again and then we headed to Animal Kingdom. We did the safari, walked some of the trails, went to Dinoland, and then had to leave. All 4 of us had come down with colds and we were just miserable. I was bummed, but I knew we needed to rest. After we all took a nap we went to Ohanas for dinner. This was a first for us. The Poly was beautiful and the people were very friendly. The food was GREAT!!! I loved the shrimp wontons and the chicken wings. The castle view was nice too, but our server was a JERK!! He would have been much better suited for 50s Prime Time with his attitude. He asked where we were from and I said Indiana, he said, If I were from Indiana I wouldnt admit it. Can you believe that??? He hung around our table and flapped his jaws all night! I completely ignored him, but he still wouldnt go away. He really ruined what could have been one of our best meals. After dinner we went to Downtown Disney. We did some shopping and ate at Ghiardellis. YUMMMM!!!! After that, another long bus ride back to the GF. It seems to me that if you are paying that much for a room then you should have your own bus??
Day 5
Packed up and checked out of the GF. I happened to notice that they were taking down the wall around the courtyard pool so it should be open soon. We headed to the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal. When I walked into the lobby of the PBH I knew I was going to enjoy my stay. Nessum Dorma playing softly in the background, the architecture, the fountains, this hotel far exceeds any Disney property with its luxury. It reminded me of our vacation at the Bellagio last summer. We received a complimentary upgrade to a deluxe villa with concierge service. Not bad for $129 a night, huh?? The room was fabulous! We had a king bed, sleeper sofa, TV, VCR, CD player, tape deck, radio, great speaker system, fax machine, mini bar, lots of drawers and a pantry with coffee maker and wine glasses. The bathroom was huge!! Glass shower, double sinks, large tub with shutters separating it from the bedroom, robes, great selection of body products, a real hairdryer, phone in bathroom, speakers for the stereo system in the bathroom with volume control, iron and ironing board. I took tons of digital pics that I will post soon. It seemed to have even more amenities than our room in the RPC at the GF. After settling in we headed off to Islands of Adventure (we had never been there before). I liked this park but it lacked a baby care center. As you know all Disney Parks have a center but this park had nothing!! No changing tables, feeding areas, baby supplies, nothing!!! I couldnt figure out why, but then after spending the day at the park I realized that its not the type of place you go with small children. Suess Land was really cute and our 2 year old loved it, but that was the only thing he could do. They didnt have any family rides that we could all go on together. It was a bummer. DH and I ended up taking turns riding the rides. I would compare this park to Six Flags, definitely no Disney magic. Front of the Line access is great though!! Just walking right up to any ride and showing your room key it makes you feel important. That night we went to City Walk and had dinner at Pastamore Ristorante. It was expensive and the food wasnt good.
Day 6
Universal Studios a fun park but still no family rides that we could all do together. DH and I took turns riding rides (they offer baby swap on almost everything) and we took our 2 year old to see Barney 3 times!! He loved it. Later that afternoon we headed over to the Hard Rock Hotel (mother-in-law was staying there). I LOVE this hotel!!! I was surprised how nice it was. The décor is awesome!!!!!! I definitely want to stay there the next time we go down. Its such a fun hotel great music tons of people. The water taxi driver told us that it had been at 100% occupancy that week. People were very laid back, lots of Harley guys and people decked out in the club gear. The pool was very nice with a great bar called the Beach Club. MILs room was very nice I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone (old, young, with or without kids) its really great. We ate dinner at the Sunset Grill. It was a great meal. BBQ ribs and chicken, all you can eat buffet, for only $13.95!
Day 7
Spent the day at the Beach Pool and Villa Pool at our hotel. Nice relaxing day, good weather, and very few people. My overall opinion of PB changed throughout our trip. At first I thought it was just perfect (especially with our awesome room) but then I found things I didnt like about it. It really isnt a family resort. Its better suited for adults. There is no guest laundry! I had to take all our dirty clothes of to the HRH to wash them (big pain in the butt). Food options are limited here (3 Italian restaurants). The overall feel of the hotel is more luxurious and tasteful perfect for a romantic get away. There conference facilities were beautiful it would be great for a wedding reception. Many of the shops around the piazza have been closed. The ice cream shop was closed the whole 5 days we were there, the coffee shop was only open on Sat and Sun for a few hours, the deli was closed, some other stores were closed we started getting the impression that this hotel was struggling to stay open. Its really a shame because it is very beautiful. Later that night we went back to City Walk. This would be a great place to go without the kids; its just like Pleasure Island except BETTER! Happy Hour is from 3-7 and the drink specials were great. DH and I couldnt really enjoy that area much because of the kids. We had dinner at NBA City, which was pretty good. We wanted to eat at Emerils but it was booked.
Day 8
Back to Islands of Adventure rode Spiderman again, Jurassic Park, Hulk, Dueling Dragons, and back to Suess Land for our 2 year old. Then over to Universal for Barney again, and some other rides. Stopped by Finnigans for Happy Hour and then back to the hotel. We ate dinner at the hotel at Tratorria del Porto. What a great meal!!!! It was an all you can eat Italian buffet . 4 or 5 different salads, antipasta, fruit, bread, lots of kids offerings, and made to order pasta dishes. They had all the ingredients out on the counter and you just tell them what you want. I had chicken, broccoli, tomato, garlic, penne, alfredo!! YUMM!!!! I think it was our best meal. It was a nice restaurant for families and the buffet was only $20.
Day 9
Going home day. Had lunch at Margaritaville . Dh and I walked down memory lane and talked about the good ole days, a perfect ending to our trip. We waited back at the hotel for Tiffany Town Car, they were right on time again. The airport was a ghost town and we made it home very easily. It was a bit strange to see all the M-16s at the airport, and I did get patted down but it was fine. We are glad to be home and are already planning our next trip back to Disney! We really want to do the Land and Sea package next maybe in the Spring.
If anyone has any questions about the GF, PBH, HRH, or any of the restaurants we went to feel free to ask!!
