Mr & Mrs. R Live & Unleashed From SSR

[MrRomance]

We made it!!

I'm running a TR in the Trip Report Section already but I know already it's going to be on a delay so I figured I'd offer some quick little updates here too!

Yesterday was travel day. We arrived on time on the BA flight and as much as it pains me to say it, I think Virgin offer the better Premium Economy product overall. BA wasn't bad, I have no complaints (which I did have with Virgin PE last year) but as a product, I think Virgin offer more.

Flight landed on time... we were off the plane and through immigration in record time. From gate to baggage claim in less than 5 minutes. All was going well but baggage took forever to come through and by the time it did and 40 minute line had developed for customs who were clearly on some sort of go slow! Through customs on over to the other terminal without a hitch, but Avis were clearly on the same go slow! No hard upsell but I think that's probably because I'm a grumpy sod and made it clear not to bother! We have a 4 door Kia Rio, plenty big enough and a half decent ride.

Arrived at SSR about 8.10pm and met with friends who flew home to OH today. Finally went to bed after 11pm and managed to avoid the first day crack of dawn wake up today.

Busy first day and got everything we wanted to do and more done. Loving the FP+. Picked up the free gift card at World of Disney, quick and painless, it's at the information desk to the left of the jewellery. Picked up our photopass + and got slightly confusing information. Went to Target for room supplies and then over to Epcot at 1pm.

We did Test Track, Captain EO, Character Spot (all on FP+) and we also did Imagination with Figment & Nemo and walked around the World Showcase stopping at Belgium for some waffles and Italy for a Cannoli. We left at 4.30 for our Dinner reservation at the Yachtsman which was absolutely outstanding. I have to say of all of the restaurants we've been to on-site, we absolutely love Yachtsman. Truffle Mac & Cheese was new for us, it was divine as was the entire meal. Thank you, Kathy our excellent server, we'll be back!

After dinner we went back to SSR and I am updating this sitting by the pool watching the world go by over at Downtown Disney! Amazing first day and we'll be heading off to watch the movie by the pool with a couple of adult beverages in a few minutes.

Other highlights so far...

Love the refurb at SSR
Love the AAA Diamond Parking
Love being back at our happy place!

 

[2Tiggies]

Sounds like a good start

It seems that the one disadvantage of getting through customs quickly is you are aware of the wait for the luggage. It always seems to take longer when we breeze out of the plane and straight through!

I'd be interested to hear about the confusing info about PP+

Are you scanning your pics onto your Magic Bands or using the card? Please check your photos every day. There have been streams of complaints about missing pictures, many of which have never been recovered recently and some CM's have been reportedly recommending that guests scan the card not the band to reduce issues.

What's on the list for tomorrow's activities?

 

[MrRomance]

Sounds like a good start

It seems that the one disadvantage of getting through customs quickly is you are aware of the wait for the luggage. It always seems to take longer when we breeze out of the plane and straight through!

I'd be interested to hear about the confusing info about PP+

Are you scanning your pics onto your Magic Bands or using the card? Please check your photos every day. There have been streams of complaints about missing pictures, many of which have never been recovered recently and some CM's have been reportedly recommending that guests scan the card not the band to reduce issues.

What's on the list for tomorrow's activities?

Normally, it's immigration that has the long lines but yesterday it was customs. Ridiculous but it's over now

We're putting all of pictures on the photopass card not our bands, I'm not confident enough in the bands just yet The confusing information was about the attraction pictures. When we picked up the photopass + she told us that we should just pick up the hard copies at the time or we might forget one. When we did Test Track today, they just put the picture onto our PP+ using the card, we didn't get a hard copy. I'll get to the bottom of it tomorrow.

Tomorrow in the morning we're at MK with EMH and then breakfast at Crystal Palace. We'll be picking up the LE pin that comes out and will probably head out of MK by about 2pm. We've got plans to meet a friend who moved to FL about 6 months ago in the evening to go real trick or treating around his neighbourhood with his kids. DD is super excited about that! Then later in the evening SSR has halloween trick or treating and activities around the resort so we'll hit that up!

Just watched (most of) Tangled by the pool, which was kinda cool. DW & DD filled their refillable mugs with hot chocolate and we relaxed our tired legs for a while

 

[2Tiggies]

Family movies by the pool with hot choc .... Those are the kind of memories that often stick forever aren't they?! The understated special times

Real trick or treating? No wonder your DD is excited! That will be a whole new experience for her. UK doesn't really do Halloween, when you compare it to the activities in the US. Let us know how she enjoys it. Will she be joining some other children too?

Photopass ..... This sounds like a classic case of not all the CM's being on the same page. Supposedly they were incorrectly refusing hard copies of photos for a while because some had been told this was the new policy; regular photopass guests were getting dining photos added to their cards despite not having purchased the Plus version. This seems to have been cleared up and now there's a new issue where by the sounds of it, some CM's have been told that there are hard copy photos for attractions ...... aaarrrgh!

Enjoy your day at MK tomorrow. CP is a must do for us and we skipped it last year, but will definitely be returning next trip. Say hi to Tigger for me

 

[foxxxy83]

Awwwww! Sounds like you're all having a FAB time! :jealous Can't wait to get back there! Can't believe we never went before this year... still, all that discovering I still have to do!! Are you doing any other character meals?? Just wondered if you had any particular faves?? We liked CP for lunch because our server was really chilled out (hated the half hr it took to get seated even with an ADR but guess that's just Disney) and LOVED Tusker House and 1900 Park Fare for breakfast.

Hope you have THE most SPLENDIFEROUS time and keep us all updated with your travels!!

 

[BudgieMama]

Following!

Love the sound of Tangled by the pool with a hot choc- bliss!

 

[Cumbley]

Where are you in SSR? Not been before - going in Jan. Very excited!!

 

[Tony Bush]

What's AAA diamond parking ?

 

[Vickyrowe]

Where are you in SSR? Not been before - going in Jan. Very excited!!

Was just going to ask the same thing We are staying there in September and I have requested The Paddock or Congress Park , but I'm stressing about being stuck out in The Carousel , ( we need a Roll in-shower room so have less chance of getting our request due to the number of rooms )


Does it seem as massive as it looks or is it pretty easy to get around, to the main pool / Artist palette ?


Thanks Vicky x

 

[sammie1884]

Reading along! Hope DD has a fab time trick or treating!

 

[MrRomance]

Family movies by the pool with hot choc .... Those are the kind of memories that often stick forever aren't they?! The understated special times

Real trick or treating? No wonder your DD is excited! That will be a whole new experience for her. UK doesn't really do Halloween, when you compare it to the activities in the US. Let us know how she enjoys it. Will she be joining some other children too?

Photopass ..... This sounds like a classic case of not all the CM's being on the same page. Supposedly they were incorrectly refusing hard copies of photos for a while because some had been told this was the new policy; regular photopass guests were getting dining photos added to their cards despite not having purchased the Plus version. This seems to have been cleared up and now there's a new issue where by the sounds of it, some CM's have been told that there are hard copy photos for attractions ...... aaarrrgh!

Enjoy your day at MK tomorrow. CP is a must do for us and we skipped it last year, but will definitely be returning next trip. Say hi to Tigger for me

We are going to Winter Park for the trick or treating, should be fun!

Awwwww! Sounds like you're all having a FAB time! :jealous Can't wait to get back there! Can't believe we never went before this year... still, all that discovering I still have to do!! Are you doing any other character meals?? Just wondered if you had any particular faves?? We liked CP for lunch because our server was really chilled out (hated the half hr it took to get seated even with an ADR but guess that's just Disney) and LOVED Tusker House and 1900 Park Fare for breakfast.

Hope you have THE most SPLENDIFEROUS time and keep us all updated with your travels!!

We have done CP both dinner and breakfast and we're doing both this time. We also have Tusker House, Ohana, CRT and H & V for character meals booked!

Following!

Love the sound of Tangled by the pool with a hot choc- bliss!

Where are you in SSR? Not been before - going in Jan. Very excited!!

We were in the Carousel last time, this time we're in Congress Park. We like it here much better!

What's AAA diamond parking ?

Our friend is a member of AAA (like the UK AA) and they get preferred parking passes which they gave to us. Take us to the front of the parking lot at all parks!

Was just going to ask the same thing We are staying there in September and I have requested The Paddock or Congress Park , but I'm stressing about being stuck out in The Carousel , ( we need a Roll in-shower room so have less chance of getting our request due to the number of rooms )


Does it seem as massive as it looks or is it pretty easy to get around, to the main pool / Artist palette ?




Thanks Vicky x

Congress Park is cool or the Springs is also close the the Carriage House. We have a lovely view of DTD which I'll post a pic of later

 

[pampat]

Love Winter Park. I hope you had a good time there and I'm following along for the rest of your holiday!

Pam

 

[Linda67]

I shall be following along - sounds like a great trip so far

 

[SilentK]

Joining in too.

I shall be interested in SSR as we may stay there in 2015.

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

Sounds like a wonderful start. Interesting to know about putting PP+ photos on the card and not the band I'll have to remember to see if that's sorted out by next year as I'd have automatically used the band.

What's the LE pin you're getting ?

Hope tomorrow is just as good a day

 

[foxxxy83]

Thanks for the post about which character meals you're doing... any chance you could do me a favour and post up a quick review once you've done them?? My DS is VERY big on character M&Gs so that's going to be MAJOR part of our holiday each time we go Can't wait til hear more of your trip!

 

[MrRomance]

Thanks for the post about which character meals you're doing... any chance you could do me a favour and post up a quick review once you've done them?? My DS is VERY big on character M&Gs so that's going to be MAJOR part of our holiday each time we go Can't wait til hear more of your trip!

I am planning on doing a more detailed day by day full trip report in the trip report section with pictures and all that good stuff. But if you have any questions, shoot me a PM and I'll do my best to answer them. We have done most of the character meals over the years, just a couple we haven't got to yet

So we taking some down time before we head over to meet friends in Winter Park for the T or T extravaganza so I thought I'd fill in on our day 2 so far.

It was EMH at MK this morning and we got there at 8am. We went over to Tomorrowland and rode Buzz, Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Speedway, the People Mover and Carousel of progress.

Just so anyone going in the next few days with Magic Bands is aware, you can still double dip with regular FP too. They told us when we checked in we could do it and we tested it today and it works.

We headed over for breakfast at Crystal Palace for our 9.50 ADR and had about a 10 minute wait. Managed to see 3 of the 4 characters and fill our bellies! We were out of there at around 11.15 and headed to BTMR and Splash. We rode BTMR standby with a 5 minute wait (which wasn't really a wait, just the time it takes to walk through the line ) and then used our KTTW cards at Splash to check if we could indeed double dip with regular FP. Popped the cards in and boom 3 paper FP for Splash for 12.05 - 1.05.

We had FP+ for Mickey at Toon Town Hall. Met a lovely lady with 2 little girls on a Make a Wish Trip. We played high five and peekaboo with the girls and chatted about their experience. Yesterday, someone was mean to them when they skipped a line (these are terminally ill kids!) and the CM ejected the person from the park! I honestly do not understand people some times. They were adorable kids and without wishing to ignite a GAC/DAS debate because I've had my say on that already I was disgusted to hear how these poor people were treated. Before I go I want to take or send some gifts over to Give Kids The World so they can continue their work and when we move we'll be volunteering there regularly!

After picking up our Sorcerer cards, we headed back to ride Splash and then hit up New Fantasyland for a while. Our other 2 FP+ selections were Princess Fairytale Hall (both sides) have to say Rapunzel was absolutely awesome and took her own sweet time with each and every child.

Then it was time for Gaston's Tavern for a frosty beverage and a look around the Storybook Circus. We didn't do much in New Fantasyland but look around but we're looking forward to exploring more later in the trip when we eat at BOG.

Tonight is T or T at Winter Park and then back at the resort. We have really got a lot done. Crowds are good, on a par with when I used to come at this time of year back in the late 90's and early '00's. All the complaining I've been hearing is really quite ridiculous in my opinion because we haven't waited more than a few minutes for anything. We'll see how things go but I honestly think some people aren't happy unless they're moaning

More tomorrow....

 

[tinks_1989]

Following along I don't normally read live TR but SSR in your title and caught my eye. I love your first few updates already!

I cant wait to hear about the Trick or Treating and the Disney updates of course

 

[foxxxy83]

Awesome, thanks! Don't worry though, won't bug you when you're on hol! Sounds like you're all having a whale of a time already! Shame on the person who was ignorant enough to say ANYTHING bad about the terminally ill children... I mean, seriously! What's the world coming to?!?! :shocked

 

[tinks_1989]

Awesome, thanks! Don't worry though, won't bug you when you're on hol! Sounds like you're all having a whale of a time already! Shame on the person who was ignorant enough to say ANYTHING bad about the terminally ill children... I mean, seriously! What's the world coming to?!?! :shocked

We heard about it AK when we queued to meet Donald then chip and dale. A father with his son must have been 3 at the oldest queued in line just like the rest of us. The CMs with the characters said to him he didn't have to he could come right up he refused he said he had some choice words from another gentleman in the queue for king Louie and it upset his son. I felt awful that some one could be so rude. The only thing I can think it that some people may not now what a wish child for example is. They may not know this child is terminally ill. Just feel it's some one cutting in. But still either way doesn't make it right.