Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

[Sabres2006]

Well, I don't know how much interest there is, but I always love reading everyone's TR, so I took some photos during my trip with a TR in mind. Hopefully mine isn't too boring :blush:.

Let's start with day 1:

-Flew in to MCO from BUF on Southwest Airlines. My grandma had to be in a wheelchair at the airport (and an ECV - accident free ) at the parks, so it was nice that the SWA gate agent made sure to enforce the "people with special needs before families" rule for the pre-board.

-Waited the longest I've ever waited for DME bus to arrive. He showed the video, but honestly, it's getting a bit old for me (dare I say it). Time for something new (or even some old cartoons, which I saw once on the way back to OIA).

-Upon arriving at the hotel (at 11am) our room wasn't ready, but when we checked in, we had a great surprise (no, not a dream, but still, a great surprise!). We requested a handicapped-accessible room for my grandma (and her scooter), and because we had 4 people, plus the scooter, they gave us the adjoining room (with two more beds) FREE (yes, truly, honestly free). That was a very nice surprise, and they certainly didn't have to do that. Really nice, and it made my grandma's day.

I think that POFQ has the most beautiful grounds....I love this area in particular. Despite being between the lobby and the food court, it is very serene, IMO.



-Since our rooms weren't ready yet, we picked up my grandma's scooter at baggage services (and had her drive around to get used to it) and went to pick up a bus to MK. Despite the fact the parks were busier than ever, we rarely waited more than 5 minutes for a bus and only once was it standing room only (although my grandma was always fine because of the ECV - we were always one of the first people waiting for a bus so she didn't cut anyone).

-As many people have pointed out, the Halloween decorations look great!


I took pics all the way down Main Street, but here's one of my favorites (Don't know why...):


-We had been up since 3:30 in the morning so by this time (about noon) we were starving, so we had lunch at my favorite place to eat at MK, Casey's (mmmmm, sauerkraut and hot relish....):


Here's my aunt, grandma, and mom after eating our great meal:


-It started raining (at first a sprinkle, then a downpour) as we headed to HM (sorry, no pics because of the rain, but there's plenty more later!). I felt like a 5-year old going on HM for the first time...I was literally giddy. I mentioned in another thread that the attic portraits were recently functioning, which was a great surprise. The only thing was, because my grandma had a note from the doctor that anything she rode she either had to be in the ECV or transfer at load, we missed the stretch room initially (when my mom and I were on our own, we made sure to do mansion 6 more times, so not to worry ). Still, we really enjoyed HM, and we just missed some "dreams" at the exit.

-Next we went to HoP, and I enjoyed it as always (As long....as the dream...endures). I always stop in the store after, and I thought this was very cool (sorry it's a little blurry):


I know I totally had this toy when I was a kid (they also had an old Fisher Price telephone that my family had), and I hadn't seen it in years. I also thought it was cool because it says "Fisher Price, East Aurora, NY" on the box (East Aurora is a suburb of Buffalo, where I live). I thought it was kind of out of place in that store, but it was still neat.

-My mom had to stop at Sleepy Hollow for a chocolate chip cookie (she insists they're different there...whatever), and then for fries at The Village Frye (she didn't eat at Casey's). So we headed back to the hub by the Minute Maid stand (got a frozen lemonade) and got this terrible pic of my mom and I with the castle:


-By then we could check into the hotel, so we headed out of MK. In our room (my mom and I were in the "bonus" room), we found this neat towel doll:

Unfortunately, we did not have any other neat things in our room for the remainder of the trip (when my sister and I stayed at POFQ, we had something different every day). We're good tippers, too! Oh well...

Anyway, my grandma was tired, as were we all, so she stayed back at the hotel while my aunt, mom and I went to DTD for a little while before heading back and to bed (we love taking the boat down the Sassagoula River!).

That's it for Day 1...a little boring. Soon enough, I'll get to Day 2!

[DonDuck]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

Not boring at all. I think it was a fantastic start to your report. I cannot wait for more.

BTW, very cool that they gave you adjoining room for free.

[Sabres2006]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

Day 2

We spent the entire day at EPCOT and experienced a total of two (2) attractions. One of my beefs with traveling with my aunt and grandma is that they don't DO anything. That's what they like and it works for them, but I was grateful when they spent the fourth day visiting my cousin in JAX so my mom and I could actually do some attractions.

Anyway, to the pictures!
It's the little old lady from Tonawanda (the town she lives in outside of Buffalo, sung to the tune of "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena"):



-I couldn't even wait until we got into the park to take pictures of SSE:


-Me likes:


-I thought this looked rather cheap and distracting...oh, and they were playing "Ratatouille" music instead of the EPCOT Entrance Loop - boo, hiss!


-Group shot with the bald and beautiful SSE (I should have blow-dried my hair...it looks terrible!):


-Sadly, this was the only kind of sign for the 25th I found (and due to above mentioned issues with traveling with family, I didn't get to see the exhibit either - HUGE disappointment, as that was the one thing I asked that I get to do):


-I just realized that it sounds like I didn't have a good time. I did, but it was disappointing not to get to do some things (I'm glad I got to go again with my grandma...I don't know if she'll be going again soon, and I was glad to spend time with her).

-We went on Nemo and saw Turtle Talk (no pics, sorry!) Did lunch at the Electric Umbrella (miss the toppings but really like the refills), and eventually had a snack at Sunshine Seasons in the Land (not sure of the exact order there...sorry!):


-Did some shopping at Mouse Gear and such, and I found the new foliage around the fountain really beautiful:


-Started to rain again, so what better time to go into Club Cool (oh yes, I had this planned)?

I debated about whether to take a short movie on my camera or just pictures. I actually like the pictures better. It's almost like a flip book:

My mother (left) didn't trust me like my aunt and grandma did...she hesitated.


She defiantly asserts that she didn't trust me (while the other two suffer )).

After some gentle prodding, she went ahead and drank it (what a trooper - especially since I've never had Beverly myself ).


Off to World Showcase to experience the Food & Wine Festival.

-We stopped in Mexico and rode La Gran Fiesta, but after, it was just a trip around WS to pick and choose some food to try.

-First, I tried some chicken in South Africa (and gave up taking pics after this because it was one-handed and it was so crowded...too difficult). The chicken was good, but the polenta-like substance under I could have done without:


As I walked away after taking this pic, we ran into some cousins of ours who happened to be at WDW as well. We spent a good 30-40 minutes. It was weird seeing family that I wasn't close to in WDW.

-No more pics of food, but here's what I tried:
*Turkey - Pita with this really good dip that had eggplant in it (among other things), and what seemed like an olive-salsa, for lack of a better term. I should have saved the menu so I could say exactly what it was!
*Germany - Sausage on Pretzel roll with sauerkraut. This was absolutely delicious!
*Greece - Greek salad. I love greek food!
*My aunt bought some baklava in Morocco, which I also tried and loved.

- *Sigh* here's some more SSE pics - I couldn't stop taking them! (I really want to get a tripod!):



-I liked this angle while waiting for my aunt to get her baklava:


-Back at the hotel, my aunt and grandma were excited to see this (although that would be it for cool towel creations for them as well):


That's it for Day 2. Stay tuned, because things get better later in the week (we actually get to DO things ).

Day 3 coming soon!

[tayakaleb]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

We stayed at Carribean beach this past July and we never had any fun towel creations other than the one there when we arrived! We had out all the kids' toys etc. so I would have thought they would have done more?!?!?!

[RooBear]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

This is excellent, thanks for sharing!

Peace,
Roo

[TDLFAN]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

Great read so far, and love the crisp look of your photos... And wouldn't you know.. I think my mom gave me that same xylophone toy back when I was in cloth diapers.

I have TPs from Tokyo and Hong Kong DL parks as well if interested in reading those in those sections of MC.

[Jerren]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

We stayed at Carribean beach this past July and we never had any fun towel creations other than the one there when we arrived! We had out all the kids' toys etc. so I would have thought they would have done more?!?!?!

First question in my mind is did you remember to tip Mousekeeping every day? Quite a few people don't bother to anymore but I always leave a couple dollars on the pillow for them just like you should at any hotel. The service industry lives on tips, in some areas they do not even get minimum wage...

According to the CM we spoke to in Mousekeeping at the WL last fall, the newer CM's are on constant rotation every few weeks from resort to resort. The idea was to keep it fresh but the result according to her is the floaters do not seem to care as much and do not take the time to make the animals and all.

In comparison the "veteran" Mousekeeping staff is on permanent assignment to their resort and really seem to go the extra mile. We had animals every day she worked (except for the day she was off apparently is was a floater according to her) and on my daughter's birthday there was a bundle of balloons, card, and gift bag with a small plush and a WDW trivia game on the door. It was a wonderful surprise!

Oh she also tipped us off that the towel animals originally started at Disney at the Wilderness Lodge and then slowly migrated to the other hotels as guests started asking about them... In the 4-5 times we've been to the WL we've always had animals most nights, and not as many at the others. She also told us that yes you can take them home with you if you like, just ask!

[Sabres2006]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback! I'll be getting to days 3 and 4 shortly.

Jerren, my mom and I are always sure to tip, and we tipped $3 each day with a note stating "For Housekeeping - thank you!" and a couple pieces of candy (when I used to work in a hotel, the housekeepers thought sometimes that people were leaving tips, but if they weren't sure, they didn't take it)- we used to tip all at once at the end of our stay, until we realized that we had different mousekeepers each day. No complaints about the room being clean - my mom and I actually figured that it was what you mentioned...we probably never had the same mousekeeper who cleaned our room after the last person checked out (and made that cool doll).

[Sabres2006]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

Day 3 (10/8/07):


-We started off the day (briefly) at MGM/DHS:



-We immediately went to ToT and RnRC. Picked up some FastPasses for ToT (for my mom, aunt, and I...only about 45 minutes from when we picked them up at about 11am) and I hopped over to the Single Rider Line for RnRC (that's me next to some guy in the front) while they did some shopping. Yes, I'm one of those people who takes a digital pic, sorry :blush::


I met the rest of my group over at "the Villains Store" (that's what we've always called it...I know, I know), which sells one section of a wall worth of Villains merchandise now (grrrrrr). As most of you know, it's all NBC and Pirates now (double grrrrrrrr). I was ticked off, because that has always been my and my sister's favorite store. Ooh, in the candy store connected I finally found the red sour cherry balls I had been looking for (I love those things, despite their ridiculous $2.95 price tag). I ended up picking up another bag a few days later at AK!

-Anyway, time for ToT FastPasses! We left Grandma by the exit (why do all those people wait for their parties at the entrance to ToT? They clog it all up and there's nowhere to sit anyway, except in front of the restroom there). By the exit there's shade and several benches...whatever. Anyway, I took a quick pic of the three of them before getting in line:


And here's the ride pic (middle row, right side):


Took obligatory hat picture (I should be using a flash during some of these daytime shots....I really need 3 things - photoshop, an intermediate digital photography class, and a tripod):


-I thought this movie was just okay (for a normal film, bad for a Disney film), but I thought it was neat to meet Bowler Hat Guy (who of course, no one knew):


- My mom headed into the hat to buy pins (she loves her pins) and we stopped for some ice cream (none for me, thanks) on the way out (despite it being 2:30 and us having ADRs at 5...I felt like a mother scolding her children )Here's my aunt in line while I sit nearby on the curb (on the edge of Sunset and Hollywood...kind of near the pin cart there):


-That concludes a very short morning at MGM/DHS. We took the boat over to EPCOT (my grandma and aunt love EPCOT, even though they never experience any of the attractions - Hello, we didn't even get to do SOARIN' for pete's sake....okay, no more grumbling :blush. I have amusing pictures of the three of them sleeping on the boat, but I decided it would be too mean to post them here (especially after the Beverly incident).

-We stopped in the shop at the International Gateway entrance, and while waiting for my aunt to finish, sat on a bench. It was then that Dale came up to us and started interacting. Here's my mom trying to figure out what he's trying to tell her:


-We had ADRs for Restaurant Marrakesh at 5pm, so we headed to Morocco (by this point, after the boat ride and going into the store, it was after 4pm - my how time flies...and my, how the heck do I remember all this?).

-Here's my grandma outside the restaurant:


-I had the beef kabob w/rice (excellent!), and the other three had the lamb (which they also enjoyed). I took a short video on my camera of the belly dancer (I hope that's what she's called...I'm not sure!). I had never eaten there before and I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Great meal!

-We then took our time strolling through the "rest" of WS (heading back to Future World back toward the UK and Canada).

-*sigh* again. I just like all the elements in this picture, the pole, the light, the trees, the nearly perfect sky, and the boat...oh, and of course, SSE:


-A running joke in my family is how my grandma and aunt, on a 90 degree day, will stop to drink hot tea. So, of course, we went into the Twining Tea store, and who is there but Mr. Twining himself! I believe his first name was Stephen, and he told me he hadn't been to EPCOT in three or four years. I had to buy some tea and have it signed (and I had to tell my brother later, as we are the main people who pick on my aunt and grandma). Honestly, though, I like tea, and I thought that was one of those "Only at EPCOT" encounters. Pretty neat.

-We stopped on the way to Future World at the store which I believe used to be "open," but now is enclosed and air conditioned (do you guys know which store I mean?). It used to sell WS-themed merchandise, as well as general EPCOT merchandise. Now it sells High School Musical, Pirates, and the bleeping Cheetah Girls (I stopped going into most stores after this, as I was getting fed up). Oh, and there was some lady walking around the store in her bare feet (make yourselves at home, people). I sat outside on a bench and took this picture of dead flowers (apparently unless it's May, these are left to die. Perhaps there's some scientific reason for letting them die and look like they belong outside HM...if there is, let me know!):


At least some better sights soothed my eyes (tried not to catch any dead flowers in this pic):


Slowly, we made our way to the park exit and to the bus. I stopped to take some dusk shots of SSE, but alas, I really need a tripod, so they're all a bit blurry. This one was taken before it got too dark (while my family stopped at the restroom there on the left side, facing the exit):


So concludes another day....stay tuned for Day 4! Thanks for reading, guys .

[Alice's Wonderland]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

The pictures of your family trying the drinks is hilarious!! Thanks for sharing!

[Jerren]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

Nice report! And a tip: You might want to invest in a monopod rather than a tripod. I like them for the following reasons:

• They take up less space in your bag
• They are lighter
• They are faster to set up and move.
• Safety - People don't trip over them sending your camera to crash to the ground in pieces... (I lost my beloved Minolta Maxim that way...)
• You can use it as a walking stick.
• You can beat the crap out of the idiot who knocks over your tripod with your beloved Minolta Maxim with it.... err for self defense... :whistling

Find a good magnesium alloy one at a camera store, they usually are cheaper than the tripods as well, use the neck strap for tension and your legs form the other two points of the "tripod" and with a little practice you can take the same quality of pics with it as you would with a tripod with less fuss.

[Sabres2006]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

Find a good magnesium alloy one at a camera store, they usually are cheaper than the tripods as well, use the neck strap for tension and your legs form the other two points of the "tripod" and with a little practice you can take the same quality of pics with it as you would with a tripod with less fuss.

That's great advice, Jerren. Thanks very much! I would have cried if someone ruined my camera...so sorry to hear that happened to you. I'm definitely going to look into a monopod and check it out!

[Sabres2006]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

Day 4 (10/9/07):

On Day 4 (Tuesday), my grandma and aunt rented a car to visit my cousin in JAX. I hate to say this, because I do love my family, but it was great! My mom and I went to MK and actually got to DO things (I may gripe slightly during this TR, but I really enjoyed experiencing the World with my grandma and aunt. I wish we could have done more, but we had a really nice time).

My mom and I slept in a bit, then headed off to MK. Since I take way too many of the exact same shot of the castle, I thought I'd mess around with different perspectives. Oh, and as others have mentioned, I hate the criss-cross cheap pattern...looks terrible:

So, we skipped breakfast and for lunch, I finally tried Figaro Fries!! It was packed at Pinocchio's Village Haus; however, we wrangled a table. My mom had the cheesesteak (no fries, sandwich only), and of course, the cashier was from my hometown (I swear, if there was a CM from Buffalo or Rochester anywhere in WDW, I found them during my trip!). Here is a (terrible, just terrible) shot of me with my first-ever Figaro Fries (I never would have known they existed without MC!):


I had extra ranch (hey, it was fat free), and I must say, they were delicious! And surprisingly filling. We ate at about 11:30-12, and we weren't hungry for dinner until about 7:45, which is late for us (I ended up getting Figaro Fries one more time during the trip).

Exterior shot (after a few days of clouds, which provided some relief from the unseasonably hot days, the sky was blue again):


Got a FP for Peter Pan and went into Mickey's Philharmagic (I really love that show...favorite 3D movie in WDW).

Stopped in the old Smuckers store (what's the name of it again?) and found this delight (if you can't find why I took this picture, let me know!). I was assured the store would return to its proper theme (which has also slowly eroded from kitchen wares to mostly candy, then some kitchen stuff) after Halloween:


Okay, now it was time to experience HM with the stretch room (and without the rain so I could finally take some pictures). So, can we please put a bleeping tree here?:


It really does look great, though:


I tried to take some no-flash (always! I'm not going to ruin someone else's experience...plus, the pics won't even capture what it "really" feels like on the attraction anyway) pics, while also holding my hand over the LCD so no light escaped (again, I'm not going to ruin someone else's experience...especially on HM, of all attractions). There were mixed results, but it was worth a shot. Ever since my Lasik surgery a few years back, I see the colored bars when I first look at these guys. A minor inconvenience:


I thought this one looked pretty neat:


*MINI SPOILERS* For those who wish to know nothing about HM's rehab, please skip this paragraph:
The stretch room sounded and looked great! Also, some guests were straggling behind, and to preserve the show, they closed the doors with only about 10 of us in there, despite 20-30 minute wait times (Bravo!). The sound was amazing...the whoosh (so technical...and I have an English degree!) that followed the ghost host as he "traveled" around the room....chills. The creaking sounds as the room "stretched" were a great touch, and the bats were cool (would have liked that a bit louder). For the first time, I could see the face on the hanging body...I was just really excited after that! We deliberately lingered behind the throng of people to be the last ones out. Just taking it in (and avoiding the crush...my mom has neurofibromatosis, and when people push or slam into her, the tumors sitting on her nerves can be really painful).

Moving along...


My mom had to get another Sleepy Hollow cookie (again, she insists they're better there than anywhere else....whatever). So I took another castle shot to add to the ole iPhoto library. I really hate all that junk ruining the castle left over from Cinderellabration. Oh, and don't get me started on walking through the castle now with the absolutely horrid Bibbidi Bobbity Boutique (or however that is spelled):


Headed into Frontierland (why am I the only person who waits until the finale like the CM states before the show? Is it really that hard?):


Got a late FP for Splash (I think it was 7:50 to 8:50, or close to it) and took the train all the way around (then got off at Toontown). I like the railroad better in DL, but I do consider this a "must-do" at MK as well:


After the round-trip plus 1, we actually back-tracked into Fantasyland to use our Peter Pan FPs. My mom got some fries from The Village Frye on the way to Tomorrowland.

Made sure to see CoP (for about 3 years I keep telling myself it could be the last time....they really do need to show this attraction some love):


We were in the front row, so again I tried some no-flash, cover the LCD to block out light, pics. Here's one that turned out better:


My mom wanted to check out the (Too bad I didn't) Laugh Floor, and of course there was no queue, so we checked it out. I texted a joke I got off a Laffy Taffy wrapper (figuring it was so bad they'd use it), but again, nothing (last time I do that). The seats were way more uncomfortable than I remember (we were at the end of the row about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up. My mom is short and her feet weren't even close to the ground (I'm 5'7" and mine didn't even reach the ground). It was very uncomfortable, and I know my mom was in pain because it put a lot of pressure on her back and legs (where she has a lot of tumors).

I ripped this show apart after I saw it in April. I've been reading people's favorable reviews and was hoping to be surprised. The animation was slightly better (i.e. less jerky); however the "That Guy" shtick got real old, real fast. Also, the monster (Buddy?) chose a foreign woman to tell a knock knock joke. She said, "Sorry, no English" and there was silence (no emergency plan when that happens?). The audience laughed nervously. I could see how that lady may have felt laughed at, which I didn't think was very good at all. I could barely understand the monsters (especially Mike's nephew). They were talking way too fast (and I'm from New York State!). Literally, I couldn't understand the nephew at all. I chuckled a few times (maybe twice) total during the show, that's it. I'm sorry guys, I still have to rate this as a "skip." I don't want to mislead the bigwigs and visit it just for the A/C...they might think it's actually funny! I'm sorry to those who had favorable impressions of this attraction...I wanted to like it, but now it's 2/2 with the bad experiences.

Anyway, here's a photo of the doors as "evidence" I suffered through this again . For the record, my mom said she "didn't mind it," although she "didn't like it," either:


Now, off to TTA (I can't get enough of this attraction. I wish they'd spend some more money and effort with maintenance and cleaning, though):


My mom was cut off, she was sitting on the right (sorry, Mom!).

It was starting to get dark, and on the way back to Frontierland for dinner and Splash I took this shot (again, would have been better with a tripod or monopod):


Before heading over to Splash, we decided to eat (it was about 7:45pm) at Pecos Bill's. I love the toppings bar, and they had some newer selections on their menu (I hadn't eaten there in a few years...I usually end up at Columbia Harbor House). I had the pulled pork sandwich with baked beans (yummy!) and my mom, I believe, had a hamburger. So, why the heck did we eat before going on Splash? Oh well )

So, over to Splash to use our FPs. Waited about 5 minutes. Here's the not-so-good pic of a pic (we're in the back):


Spectro was coming through, so we used the shortcut from Frontierland to Liberty Square. Thankfully, there were very few people at all walking with us, so we could walk gingerly and appreciate the scenery (MK is so beautiful at night, IMO). I decided to try using ledges and the tops of garbage cans to try and steady my camera for pics taken in the special "nighttime" mode, with mixed results (far off you can see Spectro coming). I continued testing this out for the remainder of the trip:



We ended up getting a bit stuck at Sleepy Hollow, and we waited the end of Spectro out before leaving (Gepetto got pulled from the parade, lights off, and was escorted offstage by another CM right in front of us....Gepetto's head was hanging down, and don't ask me how we know this, but my mother and I both said, "He didn't look good" (how the heck would we know?!? )). My mom took this opportunity to get still another chocolate chip cookie (I give up!).

My mom stopped to ask a question at Guest Relations on the way out (I don't remember what), so I attempted more Night Mode pics (this time with the top of a garbage can....afterward, I realize it was extremely gross that I was leaning on garbage cans around the World, but you gotta do what you gotta do ). Here's the results:



Oh, and on the way out, I waited in a line of about 6 or 7 people for popcorn...and waited 20 minutes! Um, it's either 'popcorn' or 'popcorn' people (okay, drinks too). Is it so hard to ask your kids/wife/whoever what drink they want and determine either 'box' or 'bucket' on the popcorn before you get up there? Sorry, little rant there :blush:. The guy in front of me as well as behind me were cracking jokes about it the whole time, which was amusing. I know it wasn't the CMs fault, so thankfully no one went off on a tirade or anything (which I mention as a foreshadow...you'll see later).

Okay, there's the end of Day 4 (it was a long one!). Thanks to everyone who's reading my TR and also those who are commenting. I'll try and get to the last 3 days tomorrow or Thursday!

[jane2073]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

we went into the Twining Tea store, and who is there but Mr. Twining himself!

That is really cool!!

I love the picture of your mom and Dale!

[Sabres2006]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

I love the picture of your mom and Dale!

Thanks! A few years ago my sister and I started taking "random" shots...that is, pictures before the "real" poses, or when no one's looking at the camera. A lot of times, we've gotten some really good shots that capture what it was like to really experience things on the trip. I like that one, too .

It's been really fun re-living this trip through my TR - thanks again for the comments!

[Micoofy Duck]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

very fun trip report! thanks for sharing!

[jane2073]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

And your Figaro picture is priceless!!!

[Sabres2006]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

Okay, here comes Day 5 (10/10)....

**I felt very badly being in WDW on 10/10, as it was my sister's birthday (and she couldn't go). To make matters worse, she had just found out she had terrible back problems (the day before we left she started developing horrible pain in her back). So, to put it mildly, I felt terrible! I had told her before I left that I would get her really cool birthday presents in WDW, and luckily, I did . We called her later in the day to see how she was doing and to tell her happy birthday. I felt terrible...I wasn't originally going on this trip, but my grandma and mom asked me to go about a month before the trip...I can't turn down a free trip! Still, I felt terrible (I'll make it up to her next year).**

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled trip report...

Day 5 began by spending the morning at AK (oh, and for the record, we ate breakfast just about every day in the POFQ Food Court).

I need to stop taking pictures as I'm walking...they come out too blurry:


My grandma and aunt were taking longer and there were some attractions my mom and I wanted to do (that they wouldn't do), so we went off initially by ourselves.

Where to go first?!?


Of course, I immediately headed over to E:E and got in the Single Rider Line (ah, one of the great inventions of the world ). Neither the Yeti or the bird were in 'A' mode (disappointing). Here I am (first row in the pic):


Still no aunt and grandma, so my mom and I got in the queue for Kali River Rapids (wait time on sign: 30 minutes...we waited about 15, which was nice!). This queue is probably the most beautiful in WDW, IMO:


One more (I have a bunch on my iMac...really stunning, and a nice wait):


My grandma and aunt arrived while we were on Kali, and decided to go ahead and get in the queue for It's Tough to Be a Bug (we ended up in different shows...would it have hurt to wait 10 minutes? Oh well). I have not stood in any kind of a queue for this attraction since 2001 (seriously), and I've visited about 20-25 times since then. My mom and I waited in a full 25-minute queue. Couldn't believe it! Anyway, enjoyed the show as always (He refuses to come out of his cocoon!).

We finally got together for lunch at Flame Tree Barbeque (mmmmmm). Despite the fact I like corn muffins, it didn't really work with bbq chicken, at least in 90+ degree heat, so I substituted coleslaw, and had a nice chicken meal with baked beans and coleslaw (kept forgetting to take pics of the food....I'll remember next time). Oh, and I found the new paper straws to be particularly fascinating. Great idea, while maintaining eco-friendly status (for the environment as well as the animals). I think they should replace the straws across WDW with these paper straws (it took about 20 minutes for it to get even a little soggy). Great job on that one, AK!

We didn't have anything else on our ("Our," not "my," for the record. Next trip I'm going to take my time and do it all at AK) agenda at AK besides Finding Nemo: The Musical (my first time). The show started at 1:45, I believe, and we got over there about 1:15....we were one of the last groups to be seated together (craziness!). We sat on the left side (facing the stage) in the second tier of seats, first and second row (they were short rows which only sat 2 people). Worked out very well! Certainly, I think the buzz around this show is well deserved. The performers were excellent, and the songs were catchy - great job!

One no-flash (but blurry) pic of the stage prior to the show:


Next, my mom and I headed back to the hotel for a swim while my grandma and aunt headed to MK (they still had only been on HM and HoP that first day!). I'd like to say here that the pool at POFQ is the coolest WDW pool I have experienced! Yes, I got my big butt on the waterslide (waiting in line with little kids )) and I loved it! Too much fun...made sure to get in whenever I could.

Grabbed a sandwich in the food court before heading to MK (mom ate at MK).

Here's an obligatory castle shot (I like the balloons in there...that and the decorations make this one a keeper for me):


We didn't leave AK until about 3-3:30, so by this time it was about 6-6:30pm (MK closed at 9 that day).

Before we could call them, we bumped into my grandma and aunt on their way to get ice cream on Main Street....oh right, my mom went to the Village Frye to get her "dinner," and we decided to meet at CoP. After, my mom wanted to go to Auntie Gravity's for a hot fudge sundae (her favorite sundae in all of WDW....second favorite snack after...you guessed it, the chocolate chip cookie from Sleepy Hollow!).

We beat my grandma and aunt there, and my mom stopped at the "Buzz" cart to look at CMs pins. I sat down on a bench, and became thoroughly amused watching my mom wander around wondering where I was (I did tell her I was sitting on a bench, while pointing at the benches....*sigh*). I took a quick pic before switching to a movie of my mom wandering around lost (I'm such a loving child ):


After CoP, my grandma and aunt had FPs for Peter Pan for 8pm. It was 7:30, and I said we should ride TTA. "No time," was their response...."after all, the park closes at 9." I have no idea what that means, but we split again (I love my family, but when in WDW, my mom and I "get" each other...we work very well at getting things done, relaxing, and making sure everyone does what they want. I have not developed that skill with many others...just my brother and sister. It was better for us to split again at this point).

My mom got her sundae (no TTA, by the way...don't worry, I returned to do my favorite TL attraction again!), and I experimented with more "garbage can" shots (sounds lovely, no?).

I forgot to crop out the edge of the can on this one:


Here's another one:


Check out these before and after shots:



Found another garbage can....take another picture (gosh, what nicknames will result from this thread?):


I actually have this one as my desktop right now...I like how there's not one central focus...for me, it makes me feel like I'm really there (which doesn't always happen with a "typical" picture):


Went back over to HM. By this point, it was about 8:40 (it really was dark..especially if this is all the light the camera picked up in slow-shutter night mode):



There were about 5 other people in the stretch room with my mom and I. One of them was a guy in a Siemens-embroidered shirt, being led by a WDW employee in khakis and a button-down, plus one other WDW bigwig-type guy, who was pointing out things and whispering into the Siemens guy's ear. I found it interesting that they each rode in separate doom buggies (don't know why....).

Took another no-flash, hand over the LCD shot:



Check out this blurry pic of the pins being sold at Madame Leota's cart and tell me why I took this (I'll tell you, after a week in WDW, I have major beefs with merchandise):


We headed out as Wishes began, and I just took a couple more Night Mode shots on the way to the exit (while, yes, my mother stopped for another cookie at Sleepy Hollow...truthfully, she eats much better at home, but she just loves those cookies and she doesn't get to WDW too often ). I met her at the benches in front of Guest Relations and we headed out.

Here's the last Night Mode pics of the day, er, night:




If you see a railing or a garbage can...you know it's Sabres2006 !

Coming soon....Day 6!

[Esdeebee]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

>>Check out this blurry pic of the pins being sold at Madame Leota's cart and tell me why I took this (I'll tell you, after a week in WDW, I have major beefs with merchandise):<<

I couldn't see much from the picture, but we bought a few pins while there, and except for Epcot's Pin store and Pin Central in DTD, it seemed like I saw the same pins over and over and over. I'll be interested to see what your comment is.

Scott

[Sabres2006]

Re: Sabres2006's First Trip Report - POFQ 10/6-10/13

I'll be interested to see what your comment is.

It really bugged me to see an EPCOT pin sold in MK. Am I being a stickler? Probably, but it all starts with an innocent EPCOT pin being sold in Liberty Square (actually, I wish that was the least of my issues with merchandising). So, the Haunted Mansion cart sells about 2 (if that) HM items, the rest are either Nightmare Before Christmas, or completely unrelated to either (heck, why not put some AK items on the cart?!?).

I should have used a flash with that one, but I find that my flash blows out a lot of stuff when it's dark like that, so I'm thinking it wouldn't have been much better (I've tried messing with the flash setting, but there's minimal choices, and none of them seem to help).

Oh, and I agree about the pin choices. I'm not really into them, but my mom and sister are, and I was constantly looking for cool ones for my sister, and trying to help my mom find some good ones too (I have a few pins, ones that hold special meaning for me). There seemed to be a lot less of the "special" sets we enjoyed (like the Remember When pins and the ones for MKs 35th). The best pin series ever included DL's 50th, and I don't think this was officially a set (no special card backing), but the golden ride vehicle pins sold at DL for the 50th (I still regret not picking up the Mr. Toad Ride vehicle).