UD11/4 TR WDW/NYC/TX'11 fort worth and the long trip home

[Melbourne5]

Loving your TR so far

Great to be upgraded to PE! 2X

Yes makes up for all that traveling for work during the year and the nights away from the family. Nice to get recognized by the airline for all those trips with them

I so know that feeling of arriving to no luggage at DFW even when it's not there fault.

It was quite a sickening feeling especially so far from anywhere close to home

Wow, you have a real gift for trip report writing and I'm really enjoying it so far. Thanks so much

I hope you are enjoying

Loving the trip report so far. I agree, you tell a great yarn so I'm looking forward to more laughs along your journey.

Thank you. I am trying to keep it real ( the good and the not so good)

Bummer about the delays and luggage. Seems like everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I wonder if you kept that sunny disposition throughout it all or if you are giving us the "hallmark" version of events .

Hope I have been giving the real version . Sometimes it's easier to coat things in honey not tar....makes the world go around a bit easier

I don't mind flight delays but the luggage thing is annoying beyond words. This is why I always pack a little bit of everyone's clothing into each suitcase. My husband thinks I am anal but I'm going to share your story with him and I think he will see I am actually rather sensible

Good move

I had never thought of a little of everything in each bag but that is so logical. That is a must do for the next trip.

Good idea

Great trip report,
C

Thank you. I hope you are enjoying

loving the trip report......thats so good that you got up graded to PE! Wow and with so many of u as well thats great!

It's a nice reward , I think for loyalty , on all those work trips

Great TR so far So eventful!! After reading so many TR's with flight delays and luggage issues this is what I was expecting! We had no problems. All our flights were on time luggage arrived intact and all transfers ran smoothly. An upgrade to PE would have been nice but you cant have it all

Had never happened to us in over 12 years of traveling ( overseas each year, the USA the last 3 ) except a stroller in Fiji that arrived the next day. Interesting thing about that was the air pacific people said to me at the airport come into this room. I did . It was a treasure trove of everything ...golf, fishing, suitcases, strollers ..they said take what you want . I did. A better version of the Mclaren we had . When the original showed up the next day we donated the one we got to the local preschool in savu savu. Nice happy ending

 

[Melbourne5]

How funny re the flat tyre on the plane. I've never heard of such a thing either .
I hope I never do again either....I expect in a cab not a plane
I adore your description of GF. WE went there for breakfast at 1900 Park Fare and thought it was most definitely fancy and very lovely. Club level is a great perk and it sounds like you were making the most of it right away.
We certainly believe we exceeded the break even point of the extra charged for club vs std. Especially when a beer at the 24 hr shop on site was $7 and wine $9. That's before you even add breakfast and food snacks too...! Plus makes for great bragging rights....
Can't wait for a further update.

Just wanted to say great start to your trip report. I am really enjoying your writing style. It is so entertaining to read.

Thanks

Another great update so thanks very much!

enjoying your trip report

 

[Melbourne5]

Loving the updates.

You were so calm about the Splash Mountain delays. That is just ridiculously frustrating. I think there should be a better way. Disney shouldn't hold people "hostage" for so long, especially at a special paid event like that.

Glad you enjoyed yourself still though.

I think they went straight into text book mode. There were all sorts of coded messages on the loudspeaker which meant something to someone except for the guests. We didn't actually see any human until about 1 hr into the delay. I am amazed we stayed so calm. The MNSSHP fireworks helped pass the time though and I could think of worse places in the world to be stuck. Plus the kids spent more times telling their friends about what's out the back of the rides which only a few can lay claim too.

Yeah I would have expected a little more pixie dust than that - at least some open ended fast passes so you could ride SM again later in your trip.

I would have been really angry at spending $300 on MNSSHP and spending most of it stuck on a broken ride.

You are right but I guess we thought there could be worse things happen.
At least you got your luggage!!

yes

Wow, I can't believe you were stuck for so long. I'm glad you guys still had a good night at MNSSHP.

Thanks. The kids were awesome but i don't think they would have held out much longer without a meltdown.

Just caught up on your TR (haven't read for ages!)

So glad you got the luggage eventually, but that was a few days without them, I wouldn't have coped! LOL. Funny, I was wondering as I was reading. Thinking I would have to go back because I can't remember seeing you mention your luggage, then all of a sudden you say it arrived. You were very patient waiting that long, mind you, I guess you really didn't have much choice. We have had lost bags before (at WDW), but they arrived late at night thank goodness, we didn't have such a long time like your family did.

We have never had a good meal at Chef Mickeys, I don't know why we keep going back. I think it's because it has so much potential and I wonder if it was just us that had a dud meal, but it seems to be a pattern and it's the same for breakfast and dinner. There are so many awesome character meals with great food, if we have less time next trip it will be one that we skip.

Glad you loved Coral Reef too, my DS loves it there (so do I), it is great sitting looking into that big tank.

Great TR so far

Thanks

Hindsight is a wonderful. I guess if it were me, and if I had known that I was going to have a day like yours, I would have stopped at "We all had another good sleep in".

That thought crossed my mind once or twice during the day

 

[Melbourne5]

Wow I am amazed that you can remember so much detail -6months on, or is it 5?

We too, love American soda refills - glad to see I am not the only Mum that orders one soft drink each and a jug of water - Although its probably a healthier option....

Thanks keeps me sane and ensures the grey matter doesnt turn to mush by keeping an active mind. I find it extremely good therapy and by the time I finish I will be closer to the next trip ( well that's a pipe dream right now)

I use a combination of the spreadsheet I did with all our big events planned, park maps and photos ( we took about 2800 for the whole trip - they are all time and date stamped so I usually have a look at all this before I submit a post) its amazing how it all comes flooding back....

Agree re the drink. Kids took a couple of goes at home when we got back to realize reality had arrived again.

 

[5ofus]

We gave carousel of progress a miss a we assumed it was the same as the one at DL *which we didn't enjoy as it seemed like a big ad . ( if I am wrong let me know.....)

I think you might be mixing up Innoventions at Disneyland with the Carousel of Progress? Disneyland hasn't had the CoP since the early 70s and the building it use to be in now houses Innoventions - which indeed is like a gigantic ad.

The Carousel of Progress is a little show where you sit in a theatre and the seats move you around to three different shows of animatronics. It's a bit outdated, but I think it's still cute. The song It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow comes from that show... and gets stuck in your head for days and days...

 

[5ofus]

By the way, I'm loving your report. The details are making it so easy to imagine

 

[kyl]

Is crystal palace the same as the one in disneyland or better? Thinking of adding to our dining reservations in November

 

[5ofus]

Also wanted to ask how you found the single Deluxe room with three boys? We're still umming and ahhhing about whether we should go a Family Suite, get a Deluxe or stay at POR. Our boys will be younger than yours at 4, 6 and 8.

 

[Melbourne5]

I think you might be mixing up Innoventions at Disneyland with the Carousel of Progress? Disneyland hasn't had the CoP since the early 70s and the building it use to be in now houses Innoventions - which indeed is like a gigantic ad.

The Carousel of Progress is a little show where you sit in a theatre and the seats move you around to three different shows of animatronics. It's a bit outdated, but I think it's still cute. The song It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow comes from that show... and gets stuck in your head for days and days...

Thank you for clarifying . I assumed wrongly. I am glad we didn't miss a marquee attraction though via your description although it would have been good to see to mark it off the list.

By the way, I'm loving your report. The details are making it so easy to imagine

I am glad you are enjoying

Is crystal palace the same as the one in disneyland or better? Thinking of adding to our dining reservations in November

I think you may mean the DLR plaza inn v WDW crystal palace. I *can't compare the 2 as I haven't done the DLR version. I have done goofys kitchen and storytellers cafe though and they are all about the same. The attraction to CP is its in park and in a very prominent location close to the magic castle . Its such a visual feast of a night time all lit up and to look at a virtually unimpeded view of the castle. It also has air con and is well placed to take advantage of parades and fireworks ( although you do have to be outside to see it)

Also wanted to ask how you found the single Deluxe room with three boys? We're still umming and ahhhing about whether we should go a Family Suite, get a Deluxe or stay at POR. Our boys will be younger than yours at 4, 6 and 8.

I think it's a very personal choice. We are gluttons for punishment and have stayed on site at WDW and DLR. it's expensive, indulgent and even with a 40% discount still at the top end. I know there are better rooms off site with ample room ( doubletree , residence inn etc that are bigger) but they are off site. Whilst I could live with an offsite venue at DLR as everything is reasonably compact you just can't beat the coordinated approach of an on site hotel at WDW. Getting from one place to the other is made assure when a monorail, boat or bus is moments away from all the disney attractions.*

As for the room itself at the GF it had 2 queen beds and a day bed ( not the pull out sofa variety. This was good as it didn't clog up the room. It simply slid from sofa to bed in one go. Bed is slightly narrower but ds 1 didn't complain). *Whilst the room can handle 5 it is coming to a point where we will probably run out of ' personal space' in rooms like this in the future as our kids are nown13,11&5. However you should take into account that you spend a lot of time in the parks, pool , outdoor movies and for us this time around the *club lounge and the tv area set up for the kids( as the kids are a bit older we were happy to give them some latitude on site to explore) *so we literally slept there and had to coordinate bathroom times ie: 4 of us boys took collectively the same time as DW ! We all lived to tell the tale though!!!! Good luck with your deliberations.....

 

[Melbourne5]

Sept 25 (sun) marked the start of our second round of park vists whilst at wdw in Orlando.*

We started with a sleep in and relax / swim at the GF waterside pool. A pizza and soda for lunch at gasparillas at the GF later we got changed for our afternoon and evening at EPCOT.

We caught the monorail up to the transport interchange and within a few minutes the Epcot monorail arrived. All up in nice air conditioned comfort about 20-25m ride.

As I take you through the next few days of second round visits I will try and stick to descriptions of new things we did. Our view on these visits was to take the time to smell the roses and try and have a good look and not rush too much.

Upon arriving at Epcot it was time to take in the front entrance area where people were able to ( at some stage) have their names written into massive ( stone/ steel? ) rows of honor boards. Of course it's also where you get some of the best photos of the Epcot icon - spaceship earth. There was almost no lineup so we walked straight up to ride. This one is a trolley train , low impact , informative ride . It's a real nostalgia trip with lots of historic facts ( with a heavy American influence) and is a mix of video, animatronics ( not quite west world though) and had us all enjoying ride. Team avge ( 3/5).

We headed off after a quick Mickey sandwich ( biscuit ice cream ...yum.nearly as nice as a dole whip...) to the nemo and friends ride. It's a fun conveyor type ride ( think haunted mansion) telling the story of nemo. It's fun, very modern in computer graphics and is beautifully presented inside and out. After the ride there two further attractions. The first are some photo pops with the sharks ( you can get a pic in Bruce the sharks mouth for example) and was worth the wait for some classic kids pics. We were also sending back regular mms messages back home to family to let them know just how good a time we were having ) the second attraction is turtle talk with crush and ds3 really like this one. Big screen with crush on screen answering questions from the kids in the audience. It was really well done and you can only imagine how it's all set up when crush answers a live question in the exact voice used in the movie ( well it sounded like it to me...I was convinced). The older boys thought this pavilion was a bit to young so family avge 3/5. Ds 3 gave it 5/5.

We then moved on to the 'imagination' area and it's ride ' journey into imagination with figment'. - tired,old boring ride . Only redeeming factor was that its host was one of the pythons from Monty python. Forgettable . Scored 1/5.

After the ride there was a breakout are a called image works. Not bad stuff int there ( a bit like a very mini version of science works, powerhouse museum,questacon *etc for those from melb/syd/cbr) 2.5/5

We doubled back for a ride on Soarin which we all really enjoyed. I know some people say its getting a little tired. The projection and screens were a little blurry but we are suckers for this ride and the kids rate it up their in the top rides 4.5/5.

It was time now for our big walk - circumnavigating the world showcase and hopefully ending up at our ADR venue for dinner bier garten restaurant !

We really didn't know what to expect , nor how long the dk's attention span would lastin the world showcase but it was a great surprise for all.

Lots of looking, learning, photos and all those food choices....wow. *All very interesting including canada,France & America ( where we stopped for some fresh pretzels and too put on our rain jackets as it had started to rain.) we missed the show so headed past china and Germany. We arrived at Norway and rode maelstrom which was a great little water/ flume ride and a hit with the kids.... It was also the first time they had sat down for a while so maybe that's why they enjoyed it. It was all themed on Nordic gods and history with a bit of water action too. Well worth the line up. 3/5.

We still had time to spare prior to dinner so we kept moving to mexico which is the end of the world showcase. Mexico was a fun pavilion. We bumped into some characters ( rare in Epcot ) Mexican version of Donald duck so we got some great pics. They have a really unique indoor restaurant and a shop selling lots of reasonable knicks knacks. There is also an indoor ride ( very very calm boat ride) featuring Donald duck and some opera singer in a musical boat ride. It was a good ride and passed the time. 2.5/5

It was time to double back to Germany for our dinner at bier garten *and we waited just a few minutes for our table. There was a huge line up for this venue, most likely a lot of walk ups due to the wet weather I guess, so it certainly felt good to have had an ADR. The tables of 8 ( gasp gasp yes you sometimes share with table with others) are set on 3 tiers in a traditional German beer hall atmosphere. I was really blown away with the presentation and the atmosphere with a dance floor and oompa band playing about every 20-30 m.

The food was Buffett style German and the kids got about adventurous as bread rolls and schnitzels ( bless those Germans )... There was a great array of German food and it was all good fare. Dessert was even better with strudel and hot custard....yummy

The beer came in one size and whilst I don't drink a lot at the best of times and on tour with the kids am happy with soda I did have a big stein and it was delicious...

The entertainment was really good. The band very engaging and welcomed the kids up to dance the whole time. The place really had a great atmosphere and everyone ( staff and guests) all seemed to be enjoying themselves. This one rated 5/5 from us.

We literally rolled out the doors and mercifully the rain had stopped , for now, so we headed off to try and cover off the 2 marquee rides of test track and mission space before taking in the illuminations fireworks show.

Mission space had a very short wait in the green line ( the real ride) so with the ability to ride quickly everyone decided to have ago , including ds2 who went on the pedestrian orange version on our first trip. As we got closer, and perhaps showing signs of old age, I realized that a stein of Germany's best and half a cow worth of snitchzel may not be the best recipe for this ride so I gracefully bowed out at the gate to a loud round of laughter and payback from the family , especially ds2, who reminded me how brave he was to go on the Greene version this time. I really think I made the right decision and this also allowed me to get organized for fast passes into test track.*

All the family emerged from mission space in one piece and it was off to tat track for a night version of the ride. It's a great ride and moving from inside to outside in the dark is worth the price of admission. We all enjoyed and this one rated a 5/5. Don't miss it. ( I understand cars land ride in DLR is based on the *same ride...this we are looking forward too...big time.)

As I write this watching old dogs on tv , a Disneyland ad just came on, how spooky is that???

Anyhow with little time to spare we rushed over to the showcase plaza to grab a spot to watch the 'illuminations' fireworks show. My goodness.....I thought as we arrived....where did all these people come from??? It was packed...we never even got close to the edge of the plaza closest to the water but instead stuck to an area just to the right of the plaza near the path that takes you all the way back to the entrance. Seemed elevated and we ended up with a good view as we were in front of a garden and the next people were about 20 feet closer . Kids all got a view and the rain had cleared and left it a really steamy hot night.

Words can't do the show justice.....for those that have been you know, for those that haven't go!! Or google it and watch version in hd if you want to get an appreciation. The show involves fireworks , lasers, fire, water, the world showcase buildings and the centre piece in the middle of the lake....

It's breath taking.

For such a big crowd *the walk back to the entrance and station *and monorail trip back to the GF was quick and not overly crowded.*

It was still late by the time we got back but the boys snuck in a quick swim before bed.*

Next up AK revisited plus a dinner to remember by the water with some fireworks thrown In for dessert !

 

[Melbourne5]

26 sept. todays plan was animal kingdom reloaded and with more time hopefully a better look around this really pretty park.

Another *bus trip direct from the GF to AK ( via one of the water parks) and about 30 m later we were at the front entrance. We decided to try some of the animal themed attractions so headed straight up the hill to tackle kilaminjaro safari. This is a truck ride , themed story about nasty poachers and a trip around the animal enclosures. Lots of hippos, giraffes, lions and zebras to name a few. It's a good attraction, cheesy ( reminded a little of the jungle cruise) and it takes up around 25m. This one is worth doing 3/5 rating

The one thing you notice about the Africa and Asia section of ak is just how well themed the buildings and surrounds are. There has been so much thought put into the design and it looks great . I reckon it's some of the best in any of the disney parks I have visited.

Next up was a trip on the wildlife express train up to rafiki's planet watch pavilion. The station called harambe is Themed as a real old fashioned African railway station. It was nice and warm in the lineup but it was worth waiting for. The ride takes you on an authentic steam train past some enclosures. Once at the other end there are a few things to do including a kids petting zoo and a conservation station ( I think included a sick bay for some of the animals too). The walk to these exhibits from the station is a bit of hike and given we had done so much walking so far this trip, I did get a rare ' this is too far dad' from the kids. The return back was uneventful with not much to look at.

We headed next to dinoland for lunch and rides. This was an area we didn't see on our first day at ak. I have to admit I felt a little underwhelmed and wondering how this part of the park fitted in with the overall theme of things. It just looked out of place. It looked old and tired and reminded me a little of the pier area at DCA with all the arcade games . Anyhow we did a few of the rides like triceratops spin ( think dumbo ride) and primeval whirl ( which against my better judgement I went on and ended up feeling unwell due to the spinning). This ride had only just reopened in recent days after a month or two shutdown due to a cast member being killed ( they fell off the loading area ) so everyone was super cautious and You could tell it in the lack of atmosphere. These rides were a 2.5/5 each. We had lunch at restorauntoasaurus for burgers which were ok and then headed off to the ' dinosaur' ride. I hadn't heard much about this one and although fast pass ride showed a 10 m wait only. It's funny because it wasn't well sign posted and the name leaves a lot of latitude as to what it might be. To be honest dinoland was really nocturnal cup of tea and we nearly walked away . However we weren't coming back any time soon so decided to ride. Well what a surprise it was.... As I mentioned reasonably obscure and out of the way to get to and once inside not much better than a few Dino bones etc... Then once you get into the ride area and loading area and *the penny dropped. It was actually the same ride as one of our favorite DL rids- Indiana jones adventure. The vehicle ride , all inside and lots of dinosaurs instead of Indy !! Ride was great, scared the kids senseless and enjoyed by all. *I just can't figure out why a ride that good wasn't themed up some better way....oh well.

We were getting close to the nemo musical show so headed to the theatre to line up. There was a cool steel drum band playing the nemo music and it helped pass the time. The theatre was huge and as we had arrived reasonably late we sat right up the back. None the less the view was great from any position and once the show started it didn't make a lot of difference. The costumes, props and cast were bright and vibrant. The condensed version of the movie - all live on stage was around 40 m and was fantastic. These disney guys really know how to do live shows and reminded a lot of the lion king stage show we saw in vegas the year before. ( cost a lot less though). The cast with their attached sea life moved in and around the audience and some of props like Bruce the shark were huge. It was a pleasure to watch. *( disappointingly after trying on day 1 and also this day we didn't plan well and missed the ak version of the lion king show).*

Someone please tell me I didn't miss anything by not going or else I will have to use it as leverage for the next discussion about why we just have to go back to WDW !!!

As we left the theatre and moved outside there had been a huge storm and rain. All the strollers were soaked, they were everywhere as some had blown away and we counted our blessings that we missed it and stayed dry.

It was time to hit the two big rides before leaving so headed up first to expedition everest. Due to the weather and light crowd it was a 5 lineup and I think we rode it 6 times in a row. I kept telling the kids we had to perfect the picture we just had to buy as a reminder of the ride. The ride keptmgetting better and better each time we rode so we took full advantage of the 5m wait time. 5/5 rating x 6..... *

Off after some refreshements of a big coke icee ( not good I know but this was a special place) and one trip down kali river rapids. Good fun had by all.

On the way out we grabbed a seat at the bugs life 4d attraction and throughly enjoyed it. It's identical to the one at DCA but in much prettier surroundings. 4/5 rating ( I can not get the song....' were the pollinators' out of my head to this day..

A bit of rain as we got to the bus depot, a bit of a wait then off home to the GF .

A big swim was planned but alas some lightning was about so an announcement was made that the pools were shut until the weather had passed. This did not sit well with the kids , who saw this as a it bit heavy handed, and the word ' bored' was used for the first time this trip. Somformthe first time on the trip I allowed them to have some iPad/iPod time and they also got some net time as there was free wifi in the club lounge rooms. Pre dinner nibbles were also on at the club lunge so they got a bit of food and drink and picked up a few DVDs (so I am told free Disney DVD rentals to club lounge rooms) like toy story 1,2&3!!!! *( how did they know we were off to Hollywood studios the next day?)

Time passed quickly and dinner beckoned. It was the ADR we had to travel the least too. In fact just a 150m or so to the oddly ( for an Aussie) named narcoossees!*

This restaurant is right on the water next to the boat pier at the grand Floridian . It's a 2 meal plan credit place ( classy stuff and very expensive) but like all good things Disney kids were welcomed without a blink of an eye. We arrived right on dusk and the view over to the magic kingdom , contemporary resort and boat piers was sensational. As the lights started taking over the castle at MK really stood out.*

The food was superb without being too formal. We really lashed out and had a champagne at the bar( kids had mock tails) * *We also shared some calamari with tomato salsa and guacamole as a starter. *Thye had breads on the tablemof different varities and *they kept reloading everytime it emptied. ( kids now had two of these tricks...soda and bread now) Kids meals were bigger than normal with fish and chicken. Dw and i splurged and had Maine lobster and steak for mains.*

Now it's not just the food and surroundings which were great at narcoossees ....it's also a premier spot to view two great attractions. The first was the electrical water pageant. Lots of lights, music and characters on pontoons that get moved around the seven seas lagoon resorts ( GF, poly, contemporary etc). Kids got a birds eye view and our server encouraged us to go out on the pr.ivate balcony to watch. Very quirky and lots of flashing American flags .

But just after dessert ( sorry can't remember ) the lights went down and the music changed to kick in to the main magic kingdom wishes fireworks show. So we assembled on the balcony to watch ( the music from the show at the MK is piped into the restaurant) and it was a terrific way to watch *the fireworks show. A fantastic way to end the evening. The best part for us was walking back the 150 m to our room and not lining up for a boat or monorail with the hoardes.......!

Next up Hollywood studios revisited and dinner in a car...a what?

 

[5ofus]

That Pollinators song always gets stuck in my head too!

So your boys enjoyed the World Showcase at Epcot? Your DS3 is about as old as my DS1 will be when we go and I'm wondering how they'll cope with the massive hike around there. There was enough to keep him interested?

 

[Melbourne5]

That Pollinators song always gets stuck in my head too!

So your boys enjoyed the World Showcase at Epcot? Your DS3 is about as old as my DS1 will be when we go and I'm wondering how they'll cope with the massive hike around there. There was enough to keep him interested?

Hi 5ofus

The boys enjoyed it but we certainly did the quick version. I guess it's different things for all but where there was something to do like eat , ride it was fine but just looking at buildings / shops didn't hold them that long. The exercise was good for us all considering how much 'disney fare' we had been consuming. One thing we would do was pick up a trinket here or there eg: glowing optic fibre Mohawk for ds 2, a Mexican musical rattle for ds3 . Kept them occupied

 

[Melbourne5]

27 sept - two days left of our WDW experience and we were starting to get a little tired and weary off all that Florida heat. We started with a long sleep in, breakfast in the lounge and a swim before hopping on the disney transportation system *for the the bus ride to hollywood studios.

We arrived just in time for lunch so headed to the studio catering co for a quick lunch of wraps, cookies and some soda. (the kids did get quite a taste for the pomegranate lemonade !!!)

We then lined up for the studio back lot tour ,which was closed on our first visit.
It was a long ride with a couple of stages including watching a war movie being made ( with audience participation), a trip through the props area and then onto the people movers ( think universal studios california ride) to go through a series of scenes . The most dramatic was the earthquake, flood, fire sequence and the kids all giggled at this one. A good ride 3/5 rating.

We moved back to star tours for another ride. It really is a big improvement on the previous version and ds2 was lucky enough to become the 'spy' on the ride which he thought was great.

Afterwards he used some of his spending money to get a ridiculously priced digital picture of him as young an akin sky walker ( yes before darth put on the black garb). It's a good picture but at $40 he certainly used up a big chunk of cash. Ds3 did his picture as an 'incredible' from the movie. Of course me thinking what a rip off these pictures were said no. He to this day still asks me where his picture is !!!!! This is the source of much amusement to his mum and brothers.

We next went to the Walt Disney - one mans dream theatre and I have to say we all sat there in amazement at this simple but effective video story of the man himself. It was a really surreal moment and enjoyed by all.

Next up was toy story mania in the Pixar place section of the park. This one is a real favorite and loads of things to do and participate in. This was probably the longest we waited in the whole time at WDW, nearly an hour, as the fast pass machine was broken , DOH!! We all improved our scores from the previous year at DCA . Whilst the ride is the same the surrounding area doesn't seem to have the presence as where the ride sits at DCA. Seemed a little pokey and boxed in. Anyhow a 4/5 rating.

We had intended to do both the little mermaids and beauty and the beast show before dinner but the popular vote was more rides.....( sometimes the best plans do go astray but the kids drove the choice so off we went ) we wandered over to the area that houses Aerosmiths roller coaster and the Hollywood tower of terror. *We had one turn on the roller coaster and two turns of towers of terror ( only a 10m wait for this ride). The kids all spent some money and grabbed a tshirts from both attractions. The tower of terror tshirt had the Disney characters in the elevator and it glows in the dark so they all looked pretty cool.

Dinner time was around the corner and it was time to head off to the sci fi cafe. I had heard a lot about this place but it has to be seen to be believed and in my opinion a must do if you have kids. The outside building looks like a movie sound stage and entry foyer nothing flash. Even as we were walking in with our server you are taken through the ' backstage area' and then you arrive....wow!!!*

It's a replica 'drive in ' complete with a big screen projecting very old style *( the very b grade and dodgy b&w sci fi movies) movies and filled with cars that double up as your table. It's a bit different to dine at as you are 2 to a row and a car has three rows. It went down a treat with the kids and we all scoffed down burgers and shakes which were delicious. No room for dessert though which was a pity as the looked great but in a Disney way our server subbed dessert for some take away cookies and a bottle of water for us all. *I kept thinking that meal plan got better and better.

The atmosphere and surroundings were fantastic and it was probably one of the best we have ever done. It's very unique!

As we rolled out the door we took a vote to see if everyone wanted to see the 830pm session of fantasmic which we had planned to do. I think a combination of the heat and activity to date swayed the decision to depart *and go back to the GF for a swim and a movie!

I really liked Hollywood studios. It has great rides and shows. I am disappointed we didn't do fantasmic ( we have seen the DLR version thankfully) and the little mermaid/ beauty & beast shows but I think ambitious plans versus tired kids and family sanity have to prevail.

A good swim back at the GF and then bed for all.

Next up our final day at WDW , magic kingdom finale and dinner with royalty....

 

[Melbourne5]

28 sept - our final day at WDW !
It was hard to imagine that our time at WDW was almost at an end. Our decision to do Each park twice had paid off. We had covered a lot of ground and got to see a good deal of all the parks. There were plans that went astray , good things that just happened because we were in the right place at the right time. We felt concentrating on the parks only whilst at WDW was the right one and enabled us to be fully immersed in all Disney had to offer.

A good breakfast ( kids had fruit loops whilst watching cars in the kids club lounge area- how good is that !!) including some of those bagels with cream cheese and grape jelly ( mmmmm!) *and it was time to hit the magic kingdom for the final time.

We caught the monorail across as we wanted to visit the 2 shops in the GF main building ( mickeys mercantile) for some tshirts we hadn't seen anywhere else and according to DW - a beautiful soap shop called 'basin white' sort of like a Lush shop in oz. they had some presents to buy, some with Disney and some Xmas themes. They smelt great and were appreciated by all back home.

We arrived at the main gate to a terrific humid sunny day. We would concentrate our efforts to day in fantasyland so headed straight up to the castle and beyond. We were just in time to watch a mini version of the 'celebrate' parade which was really enjoyable as it had buzz and woody involved.

Once the parade was over we then covered off mickeys philharmonic ( not bad but the kids were after some action) rating 2.5/5
Snow white - enjoyable, if not a little frightening, 2.5/5 ( a big hit with ds3 the 5yo)
Peter pan via fast pass - this is a really underrated ride and it's very very good. You get to ride in a boat and fly through the story and see all th classic characters. Probably the most popular for all of us 4/5 rating
It's a small world - seemed different from Dlr ( can't put my finger on what) but just didn't seem to have the same atmosphere as dlr ( maybe the outside presentation at dlr??). Ok 3/5 rating.
A quick ride on dumbo ( a classic ride with controls for the dk's to control their dumbo up and down. I avoided due to the spinning and my lame attitude to riding on spinning rides!). 3.5/5 rating
Prince charming carousel - always fun ,yes I braved this one, nostalgic and a must do Disney experience 4/5 rating. *We skipped the mad tea party and instead rode the many adventures of winnie the pooh. This is fun, kid friendly moving carriage ride. Very enjoyable for all( (4/5 rating).*
Our dk3 really had a good time with all we did at fantasyland. The others were ok to tag along.*
In amongst all these rides we did make the fatal mistake of getting some lunch at the 'friars nook' food outlet. It was here we experienced the worst food and worst service of our entire trip ( well maybe a meal in new York I will get to soon went close). The food offered was standard takeaway fare. Nuggets, chips, hot dogs etc.....we took the nuggets and hot dogs for the kids and chicken teriyaki strips for the grown ups. The adult chicken turned out to be nuggets with the worst sauce I have ever taste with deep fried wasabi balls ontop. It was in edible! The kids meal was fine but that gets me to the service experience. All the time we had been dining at lunch time we had normally grabbed a bottled drink and cookie ( as part of the meal plan offer). Hadn't been a problem doing this all week and allowed us to store a few bottles of water or the kids took a nesquik back to the room *( cookies were sealed so could've eaten anytime). Anyhow I got the server from hell who flat out said no to my request of nesquik and cookies. I got the very un disney 'you can have soda in a cup and apples or cheesecake ' when I pointed out to the ' nice server' that there were cookies and nesquik on display I got another un Disney ' not part of the meal plan' with a big roll of the eyes. I thought about looking to the ground behind me looking for the dog she must have been talking too but instead , disappointingly asked her to find the supervisor. Once I asked she said ' ok you can have them' . I said thank you but still asked her to call the supervisor. She did, never apologized , even after I spokemtomthe supervisor to give some feedback and felt the daggers in my back as I went to sit back down. A really unpleasant experience and to this day I do not know how this occurred or this person slipping through the Disney cracks .....

We headed over to finish our WDW adventure with our 3 big rides, splash mountain , big thunder railway and potc. They were worth the wait , enjoyed by all and I did get all sentimental leaving the area, looking back *every few steps to burn the images in forever. I imagine it will be a long time before we return to this part of the world.

A leisurely walk down main st USA with stops for pics along the way ( we got some beauty's as it was nice and sunny) . I must say I was a bit emotional at the end as we walked under the railway bridge and out of view of main st USA.

We caught the boat back to the GF which was fun. I took a spot down the back to grab some pics as we set sail....

A quick swim later at the GF waterside pool and it was time for a dinner with royalty. We had our last ADR at 1900 park fare and whilst the boys were a bit skeptical , DW was really looking forward to it. The benefit was that the venue was in the GF hotel main building , so just a quick walk away .*

We were seated promptly and within moments savoy ring the surroundings. All very fancy and fine ( regal looking). Before long we were paid a visit from the ugly step sisters who really hammed it up with the boys. Service was great. Food Buffett style and plenty of variety for all. ( even sushi which I hadn't seen at any of our other Buffetts..yummy !) we were seated right next to the Buffett which had the added benefit of being the impromptu setting for the mini shows which happened every 20m or so. We had prince charming and Cinderella dancing at our table and the evil step mother ( who really looked the part) telling our kids to eat there dinner or else. Lots of great footage and pics for the home movie of our travels . It was a real sense of occasion and whilst not ideally for boys was enjoyed by all...

We made our way back down to the boat pier after dinner to watch the 'wishes' fireworks,one last time. *It was really fun to watch and reflect on our WDW adventure.

For once it was going robe a reasonably early night s tomorrow it was checkout day and a morning flight to the city that never sleeps......New York ...

 

[Melbourne5]

29 sept New York !
Up early today as our magical express bus pickup was due at 930am to take us back to Orlando airport. First though it was time to finish packing and deliver the luggage to the *resort airline checkin service @730am. I was very impressed with this service. Deliver your bags to a special counter in the port-cochere at the GF and in return bags tagged to new York and some boarding passes pronto. *Fantastic stuff. Back to room for a final look around for anything important , like kids for example, and then a a final club lounge breakfast. Lots of bagels, juice and coffee with some fruit for morning tea.
With not much time left we checked at gasparillas (the cafe/24 hr shop at the GF ) we found we had 8 snacks left on our Disney dining plan....wow. After all the eating we had done I was surprised we still had some surplus!! None the less we were able to grab some bottles of water , chips and cookies for the road. Very handy and I think overall great value for money on the dd plan!!!

I think the saddest ride at Disney is the magical express bus trip back to MCO. Well second saddest ride really if you count the monorail ride to the airport gates at MCO!!

Our bus trip was direct, took 35 m or so and delivered us right to the American airlines part of the terminal. The terminal was not busy and as we had our boarding passes ,and the bags check through, we emerged into the real world again after all that WDW hospitality.*

Lots of fun going through the TSA line ( they are so so serious !!) when our smartly acquired water was allowed. So out went half our stash from the shop this morning...DOH...not much to see once you are airside at MCO and the AA plane was on time and didn't have a flat tire....

Flight up to JFK was around 2 *1/4 hrs and we got to see some coastline and I am sure Washington dc *as well. *We landed and taxied forever before we reached the AA terminal. All good that was u til all the bags came out, well almost all came out. For those who have read this TR from the start, yes no bags... In fact there were around 8 groups of people on our flight with no luggage. The common thread was we all used the hotel checkin service ......not checking in at the airport. Fortunately two things were close by our baggage gate.....a dunkin donuts and the lost luggage counter.......

DW and the kids went dunkin.....I pulled the short straw and went to luggage services. The lady was really nice, checked our tags and was confused because she said they were definitely on the plane!!! A few minutes of calls again confirmed this to be the case, so she said give it another 10-15 m .......so I meet back up with the family, enjoy a donut ( well ok 2) and out of the corner of my eye ( the other firmly planted on the luggage belt) see what looked like our bags merrily doing a lap of the next luggage belt.....i nearly fell over the table in my hot pursuit of said bags, ( black with fluro green material around the handles) *and we were all reunited again ( just 40m after everyone else had left the airport from our flight) . The other missing bags of the people flying with us all came out on the belt soon after.

We had booked a SUV transfer through execucar online and had to call a number for them to collect us. I had heard mixed stories but I was pleasantly surprised. The dispatcher told me about 5-10m , the make and ID number and that he had spoken to the driver . Well 5 m later along came e biggest SUV I have ever seen ( one of those ones the presidents men sit in.....the big black Chevy suburban.) come cruising past with our name printed out on the window. The driver, David, was a young guy, very friendly and very helpful. Got a great run down of NY on the way in ( took around an hour as we got caught in a huge storm and it poured so much nobody was doing more than 20km an hour for 20m or so). We really did get a much better appreciation of just how big new York is on this ride in and once we reached Manhattan ( I do think we took the holland tunnel) *with the rain stopped there were people everywhere.

With a ' 5 m ' to go we all started getting pretty excited and once we turned the final corner onto broadway we had reached our home for the next 4 nights....the doubletree guest suites hotel on broadway......our bags were unloaded in double quick time and whisked away by the friendly bell staff and we had enough time for a thank you to our driver who was great and then a glimpse of all the surroundings ......wow.......a sea of humanity!!

We took the internal lift up to reception where we were greated with a big smile and warm cookies for all whilst we checked in to our suite. We were lucky enough to get a room on the 30th floor with a great view of times square and broadway looking down town. *Bags arrived and a 3rd round of tips in an hour ( gotta love tipping) and we all settled in to the new home. We had a 1 bedroom suite which had 2 doubles ( not queen which made it a bit of a squeeze) plus a sofa bed in the lounge room. We really loved our room at the GF but it was a room only so this suite with a separate bedroom and room to move was a real luxury space wise. Sufficiently rested it was time to explore and have dinner.

As soon as we left the front doors of the hotel we were truly immersed in the new York hustle and bustle. For those who have been , you know how close everything is, for those who haven't , you are in the middle of the big apple and one of the most densely populated parts of the planet. The kids were a little awestruck but given they have done a lot of travel in their young little lives simply said ' what's for dinner ?" ....we wandered around and took it all in. The billboards, the neon, the broadway theaters , the shops and the people. My goodness it was a sensory overload. There was only one thing to do........eat.

We hadn't wandered to far up the road but the choice was pretty simple....Bubba Gumps for dinner. This place has a lot of character and a great atmosphere. We both loved the movie and despite the kids being a bit vague as soon as they saw the menu they were set. Lots of fried everything. *We had some celebration mock tails and some stronger stuff for mum and dad.*

Lots of stuff to eat.....I had the ' bucket of trash' which included a massive crab claw....the kids enjoyed and were welcomed and suitably fed and watered we departed Bubba's for a walk around the block.*

We took a look through the gigantic toys r us. 4 floors of toys hop goodness with a 60 ft ferris wheel inside......and as the kids remind me an ice cream shop too. We spent about an hour inside. Got a few things like a 'perry' hat from phineas and ferb, some wonka candy and a little bit of Lego too....

DS 1&3 were pretty tired now and wanted to head back ( it was about 9pm and we had been on the go since 730 am from Orlando) however DS 2 had money that was burning a hole in his pocket and he thought all the bikes in new York were being sold and there would be nothing left by the morning to buy.......so..........DW and the 2 DS went back to the hotel and I took DS2 shopping for nikes.*

Wasn't long before we lobbed up at the foot locker. Now I read all of you do wonderful shopping at outlets and the like but we just didn't want to subject the kids to that and we took the risk we would pickup some good buys along the way ( we have always done exceptionally well at Macy's for example). So we went into foot locker and at 10 pm the place was packed. Probably 3 x the size of your typical Westfield version. The sales guys would talk to you , use a two way to a runner, who would dutifully deliver the shoes , for said sales guy to help fit. Honestly it was so busy I couldn't remember who served us, but they did, as they must be on commission, ensure their name and code number was on the box. We choose some hip/ rad/ sick nikes and the lad was happy. In'n'out for $95 aud. I priced them at the footlocker at my local Westfield in Melbourne and they were $199rrp.....

So happy was DS 2 he wore the new ones and we went for a bit more of a walk before finishing up with a pretzel and iced tea for supper on the corner opposite our hotel.

We headed up to find everyone settling down for the night joined the club!

Next up......riding the big blue bus......something sad, something bright and 2 hrs in another city....stay tuned.

 

[periwinkle20]

Loving your trip report Melbourne5

We are heading to DL and New York in 44 days and I am trying to keep a lid on my excitement! Reading your posts is making me feel like I'm almost there!

Can't wait for more NYC

 

[battymum]

29 sept New York !


DS 1&3 were pretty tired now and wanted to head back ( it was about 9pm and we had been on the go since 730 am from Orlando) however DS 2 had money that was burning a hole in his pocket and he thought all the bikes in new York were being sold and there would be nothing left by the morning to buy.......so..........DW and the 2 DS went back to the hotel and I took DS2 shopping for nikes.*

I read this and thought "you bought a bike in New York,yikes"

But we must have mirrored each others trips - we were at the Doubletree for 4 nights - Oct 2 - 5, before heading back to Orlando and the Hard Rock Hotel ! My DH also had the bucket of trash at Bubba Gumps!

Love that place!!

 

[Melbourne5]

Loving your trip report Melbourne5

We are heading to DL and New York in 44 days and I am trying to keep a lid on my excitement! Reading your posts is making me feel like I'm almost there!

Can't wait for more NYC

thank you ! there is more NYC coming.

 

[Melbourne5]

I read this and thought "you bought a bike in New York,yikes"

But we must have mirrored each others trips - we were at the Doubletree for 4 nights - Oct 2 - 5, before heading back to Orlando and the Hard Rock Hotel ! My DH also had the bucket of trash at Bubba Gumps!

Love that place!!

Gosh- i just dont know how we would have gone trying to carry a bike around with us....but NIke Shoes ...you can wear....

Its a small world isnt it.....we headed back to Hard Rock too after NYC for our dose of universal studios before returning back via texas to melbourne. just a few days apart.