rm0530

Ooo, you'll be gold for the next trip! What was the gift in your room? We had a backpack, key chain, and 2 snacks during our May Fantasy trip.

I'm glad you were able to take the girls before they turned too old to experience the teen areas. I hope you include their reviews!

Obviously I need to visit the Cruise boards more--I didn't know this thread was here!

I'm so glad you and Gail had a wonderful trip. The room looks great and that balcony, wow!

I'm still waiting on the photoshopped report

Ok, let's finish this up. Our last full day was a Friday. We had breakfast ADRs at Kona Cafe. This was a new restaurant for us and we give it an A!

The Poly was a host resort for the Princess Half Marathon. I'm staying at All Star Sports for my host resort in May At least I can always visit!

The french press Kona coffee was very smooth.

And now the main event...I blame Dave for setting me up with this idea!

Afterwards we headed towards the outlets on I-Drive. 11am wasn't too bad crowd wise and we stayed for about 2 hours before coming back to grill hotdogs. Luckily our local outlets are getting a Columbia and Under Armour store this spring and it's only an hour away.

We hung around the Fort for the afternoon. I tried to kayak but the Bike Barn said they were missing plugs and would fill up with water?!? I'm not coordinated enough to solo canoe so once again I could not cross that off the list.

In the evening we went to Epcot for evening magic hours. We actually took the bus this time--I don't know what got into us, haha. The strong winds had closed the MK boats and many people were at the Outpost trying to figure out how to get to MK. The bus drivers told them no MK bus was coming and they would have to take a bus to the Settlement and transfer to the WL bus to catch a MK bus. I'm glad we had gotten our fill of MK this trip.

We mainly just wandered around Epcot. Visited the Seas for a little, the water was mildly cloudy. We saw the Circle of Life movie for the first time inside of The Land. It wasn't too bad, a little dated though. We rode Living with the Land. They have a new sponsor with new product placement signs.

They weren't allowing strollers to park here--it was nice to actually see the art designs.

A lot of areas in these rooms were sparse.

We hadn't watched the fireworks in a while--I'm not too wowed by this show, to tell you the truth

We did Test Track and SSE before leaving at 11pm. We had a good bus experience for this visit---we may rely on them more on future trips.

The next morning was time to go I took the Jeep to fill up at the MK Hess station and we were all finished by 11:30. Not yet ready to leave, we drove to the WL for lunch.

For the full effect of our trip, this is what I worked on during the drive home. Sadly I've not had much time to pick it up since. It will eventually become a blanket

And that's it! We have no plans for another trip at this time. I'll be down in May for the Everest 5k (with a friend, not DH) and our cruise on the Fantasy at the end of May. I'm looking into doing a race in Sept or Nov--we'll see.

Thanks for reading!!

Great pic of the GF with the orange sky, palm trees and even the moon. Very nice!!

I forgot to mention that the nutella waffle is kind of messy. I found that if you cut it into fourths it's a bit more manageable. I still had nutella all over my hands and face but it was well worth it....both times!

Haha yes, I was messy! Was also sitting on the ground for a parade spot. Not a good seating arrangment but I'd do it all over again!

Great report!

I just got caught up, I guess we just missed ya'll we left on the Monday when you checked-in.

It looks like ya'll had a great time!

Oh by the way the same thing happens to us at the parks, we get the heat and hunger grumps and then we can't decide where to eat, for some reason we always thing walking to the next place will be better. lol

Looking forward to more!

WBI

Thanks for reading--let's see if we can finish up tonight!

What's with all you trip report writers posting pictures of waffles lately?? Don't you know you are making me hungry?!?

I'm hungry myself looking back at it. Maybe a new favorite WDW snack!

Great pics!! Sorry it was a frustrating day for you!!

The rest of the evening was much better. We got the heat grumps during the day (and the snacks didn't hurt!)

Great update. Love your pop-up!

I too get impatient in the "no wake zone" while riding the boat. Don't they understand I just wanna get to the Magic Kingdom?!? :jumpforjoy

I know! Silly saftey rules and water bridges.

Sorry you were disappointed with LTT! I had lunch there a couple weeks ago, and it was exceptional. Great service and wonderful food.

Our service was quick and great. I'm sure the food would have tasted much better on a dining plan where I didn't think about the cost haha

Cool report so far. I am enjoying the pictures (dreaming of our future trip).

Thanksgiving? Wonderful, I hope it works out! Fall really is the best time to visit.

Great updates!

I didn't realize how much is under construction at the MK. What the heck are they doing to the bakery anyway? That faux wall has been up for a long time.

So, how was it camping in the camper after all of your tent trips?

TCD

I think repainting everything? I remember the Confectionary was under wraps last fall and had a nice touch up.

The camper was more comfortable and quicker for packing but feels cramped. We could leave our bags in the car and go back and forth--it'll take some time to get a good flow going, if that makes sense.

DH went back to the camper to nap and I drove over to DTD for a few hours of retail therapy, picked up some Earl to take back for dinner, and..

I could really go for another one right NOW! The waffle cones are so fresh and wonderful.

We headed back to MK around 7 and stayed till midnight.

We did Splash 3 times in a row--that's a bit much in one sitting. For some reason DH wanted to do Stitch. Marriage is about compromise so there we were. It wasn't as bad as I remembered; I still hate the shoulder restraints though.

We went on the People Mover and the lights were on, meaning Space Mountain is broken.

Some quality control is missing in Tomorrowland---it's February!

We watched Wishes from the Tomorrowland bridge, rode the carrousel and Small World before heading over to Liberty Square to find a spot for the 11pm parade and get my hands on one of these babies

I would blame Stef for planting the idea but I have to thank her because it was wonderful. Difficult to eat but worth it!

Here was our parade spot. I snapped each float but I'll spare you. I don't know when I'll see this parade again.

Two floats were missing--Tink opening the parade and the patriotic ending.

I found this beauty while uploading the pictures. "No pictures of my woman"

We didn't accomplish a lot during this MK visit. After my line ordeal, I was stressed. We rode the train, something we rarely experience.

A lot of construction happening throughout

We couldn't decide what to eat and just started walking. Not the best idea in the heat of the day!

We decided to try Liberty Tree Tavern. We had about a 15min wait

Overall our experience wasn't awful. Skip the water and splurge for a soda. I had the turkey and DH had the roast. Our meals tasted like the Hormel boxed dinners from therefrigerated meat section of a grocery store. Not horrible but not worth $40. Disney dining at its best, am I right??

Next door we completed our last attraction to do in MK.

I guess our trips to the local gun range have paid off---DH let me try a shot and you'll be proud to know I was 1/1!

It was hot, crowded, and we just felt run down. So after the train, fine dining, and shooting, we headed back to the Fort.

The dirt pile behind the palm tree is where the new GF DVC will go.

Just like WBI, I don't know why they were clearing.

Let's get started on Day 3. This was our first solo day. The in-laws left around 11am and we went to MK shortly after.

It must be nice to be a Disney bird.

Some island clearing. Will have more pictures later.

I get impatient during this stretch

So the boat docks, we wait for bag check, find an empty turnstile, and...

I left my ticket in my shorts from the day before. I don't usually keep it there and I've never made this mistake before. Grrr :banghead: I think we could have returned to the site and gotten back before I made it through this line.

This group of girls walked by. Their matching shirts said "so-and-so's Sweet 16" Wow, let's see MTV beat that!

Here are some pictures of our site and inside the pop-up.

We have a 2012 Flagstaff 227. We tend to over-pack and it sure looks cluttered to me looking back at these.

This is our king bed

Queen bed

I have to share what I did today---I booked our third anniversary trip on the Disney Fantasy! We will be doing a 7 night Western Caribbean itinerary.

On some dates they are offering the restricted room categories and you can save a lot this way! The fare is non-refundable and you cannot select your room number, you are just guaranteed a room in whatever category you pick.

So if you're on the fence about a Disney cruise, look into this offer. Imagine going on a 7 night trip on a new ship (it doesn't launch till the end of this month) for less $$ than some of the rates for 4/5 nights on the Dream.

It should be a fun report to write :)

The giant group in 1500 set up a day before we left. They all had matching tshirts and hundreds of non-supervised kids who broke some tree branches and screamed all the time.

I'm glad you had some wondeful family time and a great anniversary!

The pictures from your room are beautiful. I agree about preferring the lake view rather than the parking lot. It looks very peaceful other than the bill!

The pictures of the Memories show are excellent. I'm always trying to capture the different scenes and mine look horrible. Does twin #1 use a tripod or really know how to use the manual options?

I'm thinking it's a water feature like they have on the main walkway between SSE and the Showcase entrance.

I can't see the pictures It says you've exceeded bandwidth and should go pro.

Now I don't have to visit the festival now that I see they reused mostly everything!

Admit it, you had to try school bread after the picture in my report. Just so curious it hurts!

I like the girls with their hair up, the first time in a TCD report that I remember.

Tink looks 12. I bet she is a cheerleader at her middle school.

I love pictures of the bins and wall of Mickeys from the Emporium. I'm glad you're writing us a report!

Our second day was not as productive--no alarm was set and we slowly made our way to Epcot around 11am. We did the travel trio--bus, boat, and monorail. For some reason this visit we didn't feel like driving to the parks. Taking the monorail to Epcot really makes you aware of how much land is actually available for development. If they'd stop building DVC, we could possibly see a 5th park!

Some clearing was taking place on some of the lake & lagoon islands. I'll have closer pictures later.

I'm really curious how that Dasani bottle ended up on the roof...

Our main goal in Epcot was to finish the rest of the showcase. We had arrived too late for any practical fastpasses. We started in Mexico and shared nachos from the new counter service place. I would recommend them! The mariachi band came out while we were dining and it was great.

We waited too long (20min) for the Norway boat and walked around to Germany. We rode the friendship boat across the lagoon for the first time and then decided to go back to the Fort. The in-laws stayed because it was their last park day. We made a trip to Walgreens and came back to go swimming. We had just parked back at our site and changed when Lou arrived! I had told TCD our travel dates and he asked Lou to come and spike us. It was wonderful to meet him. He's great and gives so much of his time and support for the Fiends...thanks Lou! Now I just have to decide how to display my new piece of history.

I loved being right across from the Meadows for easy access to the pool, store, and Mickey bars! We stayed out for maybe an hour before the weather started changing. I know Carol mentioned this storm in her WWW report. We decided to stay put for the rest of the night. Our gourmet dinner was Easy Mac. Bleh.

Still Day 1!---We visited about half of the countries and had to take the boat back to HS to get our car. That's a long trek in the afternoon after a full day! We made it back to the Fort and took a 3 hour nap. Our dinner? Our first ever GAG! We've had the single meals before but I'm still amazed how great of a value it is! The biscuits were not good unfortunately; cornbread next time.

MK was our evening park. We arrived around 8 and here's the atmosphere

We visited a few attractions before joining the horde in the hub: Pirates (NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED...thanks CM, I know), Tiki room (first time since the fire and remodel, much better), Jungle Cruise (I try to avoid this but always manage to visit with people who LOVE it...at least our skipper made some humorous pop culture jokes).

Afterwards we tried to run through the exit crowd to Splash (tried to travel light this visit and had to endure wet butt in jeans ) and the Haunted Mansion. DH had us go through the new interactive queue--I wasn't too impressed with it. Maybe there were some elements I missed though.

Somehow we ended up in Tomorrowland for the People Mover and Buzz. Bed time was 1am and all in all, a very long first day.

Wonderful trip! I wish I could have been there. Too bad I already used my personal days for our Dream trip---I think I got the better end of the deal though

I know I have been MIA lately with this report--all with good reason! I have a second job two nights a week and I've started training for some 5ks. I've never been a runner but it's always something I've wanted to do. WDW was setting up for the Princess Marathon while we were visiting and something just clicked; I want to be involved with runDisney. I came home, asked a co-worker to be my training partner, and we signed up for the Expedition Everest Challenge in May. Go big or go home, right??

Awesome pictures!!! You scored a GREAT site. 1503 is my favorite site in that loop!!

You are off to a great start!

I am also a fan of site 1503- I would take that one every time if they gave it to me. I love all of the room between that site and the comfort station.

I looks like you did get to see a lot of the flowers for the garden festival. But, they have definitely added and moved things since then. For example, the Lady and the Tramp topiaries that you took a photo of have been moved across the walkway and set up in front of the Italy pavilion and a bunch of flowers have been added all around those.

TCD

The site turned out to be very nice with no neighbors on the right. We had 1501 one time and it seemed too noisy. The bus noises are starting to grow on me though. And it's nice to look down the road at the 1600-1900 stop and see the bus coming so I can yell for my slow family to hurry up

Here you go!

I love all your fort pictures, and the pop-up looks great!

Thanks for completing the set! I'll have interior shots later.

Love all the pictures and I really like the way your awning works on the pop up, not like ours did where you had to wrestle with the polls.

One of the polls broke so my DH got to play MacGyver again.

Luv the pics sounds like you had a magical time!!

This is one of the prettiest pictures I've seen of the Fort pool. The color is awesome!

Fun TR -- love the pic of the flowers and Spaceship Earth.

Great TR!! I love the pictures.

The pictures you took are beautiful!

I'm glad you're enjoying the pictures. It's either auto mode & no-flash mode--I can't wait till I actually learn how to use it

I've found the first morning is always the easiest to wake up early and get going. It was SIL&BIL's last day and we let them decide our park. Studios rope drop for Toy Story was their first choice.

I had to stop by the front desk for new key cards (two separate reservations, a bit annoying) and we were parked by 7:50. I had read that Studios was starting to open unadvertised at 8:30 and our family confirmed that based on an earlier day. However on that morning, they opened the gates at 8:45 and let the mad rush to Toy Story begin.

We ended up being able to do Toy Story three times that morning. We also did RnRC, ToT, and Star Tours (the kid they picked for rebel spy wasn't even looking at the camera when it was snapped. All we saw was the top of a hat)

Studios is a half day park for us so we took a friendship boat to Epcot.

I was hurrying to the boat and couldn't get the front of this display...

We didn't have an agenda in Epcot and wondered around the Showcase.

We saw the candy art show for the first time. I'm against candy that's not edible.

However, I am not against school bread for Norway. It was awesome!

Things were already mostly set up for the Flower and Garden Festival. This was on February 21

I won't be visiting the festival this year so I'm eagerly awaiting a report for those who are going!

We had planned on Ohana for dinner. Back in December I made an ADR for the upcoming Friday. Some plans got changed and we had to cancel it and I wasn't able to get another. We were going to drive to the Poly and be in the standby line when they opened at 5pm. I remembered sometimes they close the parking lot on holidays. I didn't know if President's Day warranted a reservation only policy but I didn't want to take any chances. I used my beloved Iphone and made a Kona reservation. The guard didn't give us any trouble and I canceled the ADR. Don't worry--we'll come back later in the week!

This is where you line up for stand-by. We got into line at 4:45 and were the third group. They came out and did their thing about how we weren't guaranteed anything, they were all booked up, and we could be waiting for hours for nothing. 5:30 comes and we had a window table.

Ohana was great as usual other than the price tag.

We stayed at the Poly for a few hours and then visited the pool

It was windy and chilly. This is what I did while my DH alternated between the pool and hot tub. The area music was on (and you could hear it without the afternoon party music...) and set the mood for our relaxing Fort week to begin. We turned in at 10 and rested up for our early morning the next day.

It's taken me longer than expected to sit down and get this report started. We've been home for two full weeks but it seems much longer. It's amazing how non-WDW time drags and miraculously speeds up when you're there!

This trip was planned during Christmas. The military ticket offer had reset and this was the third time we've taken advantage of this promotion. It also means we have to travel with my DH's family. Traveling with family vs. the two of us means very different trips and experiences but both are fun!

My in-laws and sister & brother-in-law drove down Friday afternoon and stayed through Thursday. We came on Monday and left on Saturday. This trip would be extra special because it was our first time camping with the new pop-up.

Here's me in the car. I got the camera for Christmas and finally sat down and read the book during the drive. You also see my fleece tie pillow I made with my 7th graders in Home Ec class.

I had sent a request for the 1500 loop, near the comfort station but not too close to the bus station.

Here we are set up in 1503. Better than 1501 I guess

I went with my MIL to show her the Meadows area

Lucky twins! I would have loved to done this. I really need to get another AP...

Does anyone else from their school get to visit WDW as much?

Our Jungle Cruise skipper was really good last time too--incorporated some pop culture with a Lady Gaga and Twilight joke.

Hopefully you can edit out the man and baby in the train station pic. It's great!