Trip Report The Big Fat Liars Thanksgiving Report!

Happy (belated) New Year to all! We've been back for two months and I am FINALLY getting started on this TR. December was an absolutely crazy (in a good way!) month for me professionally and after a short Christmas/New Years break January was nuts too! I am back to having some free evenings (instead of getting home from the Bronx after 1:00am night after night during tech week...) so I've been uploading my photos to a third party site so they're easy to post here.

Speaking of photos, I've decided to do a different kind of TR this time. Instead of writing huge paragraphs with pictures in between, I'm going to be mostly posting photos with captions as necessary. I took SOOOOO many photos this time (looking through them two months later I'm really not sure why I felt the need to document some of these things. And before you ask, I didn't even drink that much on this trip so it's not that!) so that's what I want to focus on.

Here is the PTR: The "we're big fat liars who couldn't stay away for even six months" pre-trip report

And finally, here is a huge block of tags. I tried to put them in alphabetical order so I didn't tag anyone twice so I'm sorry if I meant to tag you and the computer ate the tag! You're still welcome to follow of course! As usual, if you don't want to read I'm not offended and please feel free to ignore.

@21stamps @ajrwdwgirl @Beastly74 @betty rose @BuddyThomas @C.FERNIE @Ciara @Courtney6682 @dclfan @DimpledDevil18 @disneypearl @DisneyShe @Doc Disney @docdebbi @DonnaOnTheRocks @epcotisbest @figmentfan423 @FlaggNL @fractal @Gabe1 @geebee721 @jrogue @LisaBelle @littleroo @lostpro9het @maelstrom98 @mcstensrud @Mickey2422 @Mindy16 @minnie2000 @MinnieM123 @prfctlyximprct @samantha788 @ScarletBegonias @sheriffwoody @TheMouseFan @Tiggerish @Tom @Tony the Tigger @Tuvalu @wdisney9000 @WDWDarling @WDW74

 

[bee]

Day 2: Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving!)

There won't be much Disney in the next several posts since we spent the next two nights in Jacksonville. If you want to skip ahead to the next Disney day, click here. But if you want to see kitties, keep reading!

We set an alarm for something like 10:00 since checkout wasn't until 11:00 and we had told M's family we wouldn't be rushing to Jacksonville for Thanksgiving lunch/dinner (they traditionally eat around 2:00).

My body alarm had other plans, however.

Remember how we were in bed around 7:00 and I passed out around 8:00? My body figured that 5:00 was a good time to be fully awake and alert!

Being awake in bed when I "should" be asleep makes me extremely anxious and there was no way I was falling back asleep. I didn't want to wake M (not her fault my body decided to wake up early on vacation). If our room had been an actual suite I could have gone to the living room area, but alas the only place to be behind a closed door was...the bathroom. So, in attempt to be a nice wife and not wake up my wife I hung out in the bathroom for about an hour before deciding I should just get dressed and go get us some breakfast for the room.

When I gathered the courage to come out of the bathroom M was already awake because the door to the bathroom was a big opaque glass sliding door and had let plenty of light out.

I offered to go down to get breakfast but since she was awake she got dressed and we went together. We were some of the first ones there and arrived before the staff even opened the buffet room!

Food

Sadly, there are JUST orange juice and coffee.

WHAT???

Even better!!!

The coffee setup

Buffet and waffle setup

What we took back to the room after breakfast

This was a pretty nice breakfast setup. There were more choices than you'd typically expect from a free hotel breakfast (unless, of course, you stay at Embassy Suites haha). The staff were are smiles even though it was a holiday morning, and I sincerely hope they got the evening off to have dinner with their families since they were there in the morning! Seating was abundant, which led us to be super annoyed at one point: we had picked a small table for two in a corner so we could enjoy a quiet breakfast together, and shortly after we sat down a huge LOUD family of park-goers came and sat at the table right next to us, even though nearly the entire, HUGE breakfast area was empty.

After we ate we went back up to the room and prepared to leave.

 

[bee]

We checked out around 9:00 and headed to I-4. Some photos and gifs from the drive to Jville...

We're baaaaaaack!

A driver was earning their ears!

Construction!

That was quick

Characters in Flight from I-4!

New hotel?

Um...what is this??

Seriously, does anyone know what this mountain thing is??

The Holy Land Experience. Fun fact: my parents are super religious Christians and made me go to the HLE a few times as a kid. I found it super boring. No offence if you like it but I guess if you're a kid and you know Disney and Universal are nearby and instead your parents take you HERE...you're not gonna be thrilled.

It had been awhile since we'd seen downtown Orlando.

IT'S THE EYE SORE ON I-4!!!

I really went crazy with gif-making, didn't I?

Somebody needed a rest stop on the way. Okay it was me. I had a lot of coffee at breakfast.

Getting closer...

So much has changed in Jacksonville since we left in 2011. It makes sense because the city is so huge and there is a TON of empty/undeveloped land.

This golf...THING...is new to us. We kept making fun of it the whole time we were there, every time we passed it.

We stopped at a grocery store than was open to get some cheese (M's parents are wonderful but they don't quite get the concept of "vegetarians need protein" so we always bring our own just in case) and wine. We also got the ingredients for an appetizer I like to make...

Penguins! And their fallen comrades in the front because we accidentally bought one jar of olives with pits.

If you ever wonder how our Disney obsession came about, this is the bed M's mom made up for us to sleep in.

ETA: I totally forgot to mention this, but on Thanksgiving we all five went to see Moana and M and I LOVED it!!!! She may be my new favorite Disney Princess (but I don't know if Mulan will ever lose that spot for me). I was a huge fan of the music and I hope Lin-Manuel Miranda gets the Oscar so he can get the EGOT. Though I know he will eventually, even if not this year.

That's it for Day 2. Stay tuned for kitties! I'm guessing there will be two (maybe three?) more non-Disney posts and then we'll be back to Disney!

 

[Figgy1]

That was quite a nice spread for breakfast. Comfort Inn and suites over by UNI had a similar one minus the Mickey touch but considering the location........ and it wasn't a resort but was a full suite As for the I-4 ride I rather enjoyed doing it on quite a few days of my last trip because it meant going to the outlets, UNI or DTD and we didn't use it for going home

 

[bee]

Day 3: Friday, November 25

This was a chill day for the family. M and I do NOT do Black Friday. After working in retail and customer service I just can't be a part of the shopping scene on crazy days like that. We spent the morning playing with Frisky, M's cat that she rescued as a child. I don't know Frisky's exact age but she must be getting close to 20.

We caught her sleeping! M's dad is from Wisconsin and is a huge Packers fan, hence the blanket.

PRECIOUS BABYYYYY

For lunch we met our friend S who is one of the few non-family people still in our lives who has known M longer than I have! She is getting married next month in Jacksonville so obviously we've planned a weekend trip! Will there be Disney involved? You can guess the answer but I'll post specific details at the end of this TR.

We treated S to lunch in honor of her engagement and she suggested an all-you-can-eat sushi place she likes. The sushi was SO. GOOD. Each roll was made to order and they were so fresh and delicious. I think I ended up eating about seven rolls. My favorite was the sweet potato tempura roll and I also enjoyed avocado, cucumber, and mixed veggie rolls.

Sweet potato and mixed veggie

Sweet potato closeup

We DEFINITELY got our money's worth.

It was time for some caffeination and the nearest choice was a Starbucks sooo...

...we tried the then-new holiday cold brew. I normally don't like the coffee at Starbucks and only go there for a floofy drink like a flavored latte or Frappuccino but this cold brew was really tasty. It was strong and flavorful and very low on acidity.

We took a walk around the neighborhood to burn off some of that sushi and soon said our goodbyes and headed back to M's parents' house.

BONUS KITTY!!! We picked up and dropped off S at her apartment and her roommate's VERY FRIENDLY kitty was there:

Hidden Mickey!!!

 

[Tiggerish]

Yay! Love the gifs.

You got an excellent Jiko wine tasting experience! W00t for bonus Chenin Blanc. I do like SA wines, and will add this to my list of things to do next trip, because I likely will not have park tickets.

An Il Mulino dinner is always a winner! Great that you had time to explore YC Xmas lobby. I think the nicest sunset views are on that pathway from Crescent Lake to DHS.

How cool that the hotel had Mickey Waffles!

Love those penguins! What a cute hors d'oeuvre idea, and they look really easy to make. I assume that's goat cheese?

Kitty photos are perfectly acceptable when Disney photos are unavailable.

 

[bee]

That was quite a nice spread for breakfast. Comfort Inn and suites over by UNI had a similar one minus the Mickey touch but considering the location........ and it wasn't a resort but was a full suite As for the I-4 ride I rather enjoyed doing it on quite a few days of my last trip because it meant going to the outlets, UNI or DTD and we didn't use it for going home

Good to know about the Comfort Inn and Suites!

Yay! Love the gifs.

You got an excellent Jiko wine tasting experience! W00t for bonus Chenin Blanc. I do like SA wines, and will add this to my list of things to do next trip, because I likely will not have park tickets.

An Il Mulino dinner is always a winner! Great that you had time to explore YC Xmas lobby. I think the nicest sunset views are on that pathway from Crescent Lake to DHS.

How cool that the hotel had Mickey Waffles!

Love those penguins! What a cute hors d'oeuvre idea, and they look really easy to make. I assume that's goat cheese?

Kitty photos are perfectly acceptable when Disney photos are unavailable.

Glad you like my gifs! I think this is a recent Tumblr feature so I had a lot of fun with it this time.

Yes, do the wine tasting!!! FYI they only do it on Wednesdays at 3:00 and space is limited so book well in advance if possible. We have tried to do it on past trips but haven't been able to get a reservation so I consider us lucky to have gotten this one, especially the day of.

I can't wait to stay in the Epcot area again, whether we one day splurge and stay Boardwalk/BC/YC or (more likely) get a great deal at the Swolphin.

The penguins are quite easy to make once you get used to how to cut everything. I've always used cream cheese but goat cheese would work as well (and might taste better actually).

There will be more kitty photos!

 

[Figgy1]

Comfort was basic, very clean, friendly, they also had had park shuttles, sans pool but close to a cheap liquor store on I Drive It was in the $75 per night range high summer season. Do you remember the name of the sushi place? Sounds like a place I'd love up/down ride. THNX

 

[bee]

Comfort was basic, very clean, friendly, they also had had park shuttles, sans pool but close to a cheap liquor store on I Drive It was in the $75 per night range high summer season. Do you remember the name of the sushi place? Sounds like a place I'd love up/down ride. THNX

It was Fuji Sushi in San Marco. I think there is also one on Beach Blvd. I'm not sure how allergy-friendly it is because I don't know what the kitchen is like. https://www.yelp.com/biz/fuji-sushi-jacksonville-6

 

[Figgy1]

THNX! That is going in my Florida folder. Most sushi places are ok as long as I ask them to skip the soy sauce(gluten)

 

[bee]

Day 3, cont.

After we dropped off S we met BIL at the parents' house. He lives nearby and we hadn't seen his house (although it's been so long since then that he's actually moved again to ANOTHER house we haven't seen, haha) so the three of us drove over and he gave us a tour. Then we drove to Nocatee (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocatee,_St._Johns_County,_Florida) and spent some time in the community park.

It was a beautiful evening!

Vader!

We stopped at a Publix for...something??

On the way home we saw a gorgeous sunset and I tried to capture it.

Soon BIL was dropping us off at the parents' house. We had lots to do: wash dirty laundry, repack for the next morning, and spend time with Frisky, who will be prominently featured in the next post! We are looking at one or two more non-Disney posts next.

 

[TheMouseFan]

I believe the mountain thing is the new Volcano Bay waterpark at Universal.

 

[bee]

I believe the mountain thing is the new Volcano Bay waterpark at Universal.

Thanks, @TheMouseFan! That Walt sure was savvy to buy so much land that you can't see anything from the parks from outside the property!

 

[TheMouseFan]

Thanks, @TheMouseFan! That Walt sure was savvy to buy so much land that you can't see anything from the parks from outside the property!

I agree. Pictures from Volcano Bay look like they have slides that actually come out over the road. That's why we won't be doing Volcan Bay when we visit Universal in June. I want a nice relaxing environment at a waterpark, not to hear road noise! By the way, I'm enjoying your report!

 

[mcstensrud]

Love love love any Kitty pictures!
Frisky wasn't looking too frisky LOL!
Awesome Hidden Mickey kitty and Trip Report so far.

 

[bee]

I agree. Pictures from Volcano Bay look like they have slides that actually come out over the road. That's why we won't be doing Volcan Bay when we visit Universal in June. I want a nice relaxing environment at a waterpark, not to hear road noise! By the way, I'm enjoying your report!

Glad you're enjoying it! Yeah, I've been too spoiled by the Disney bubble to want to go anywhere where I can see the interstate highway!

Love love love any Kitty pictures!
Frisky wasn't looking too frisky LOL!
Awesome Hidden Mickey kitty and Trip Report so far.

Thank you! Haha, Frisky isn't quite as Frisky as she used to be of course, but once in awhile the kitten inside comes out and she has a hyper moment.

 

[bee]

Day 3, cont. (MORE KITTY PICS!!!)

She's a moving target!

PRECIOUS BABY

Day 4 (because it starts with kitty pics!!)

[/cat photos]

 

[bee]

Day 4, cont.

We departed M's parents' house around 9:00am and began the drive back to Orlando.

On the way we stopped for...

COFFEEE

Since we had just seen Moana we wanted to listen to the soundtrack in the car...

YAY

We kept seeing so many farm animals along the way and I kept missing photo opportunities. This was the best I got.

We were getting closer!

And closer!!

And even closer!!!

Ugh, there's that thing again!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Moana is sooooo good! I hope Miranda gets the Oscar too, but I'm not banking on it. I'd be willing to bet it'll be City of Stars.

Still enjoying the report! Il Mulino looked amazing!

 

[bee]

Moana is sooooo good! I hope Miranda gets the Oscar too, but I'm not banking on it. I'd be willing to bet it'll be City of Stars.

Still enjoying the report! Il Mulino looked amazing!

Yeah, there is serious competition this year! But he'll get it eventually, if not now. Is there a special acronym for those who also have a Pulitzer and a MacArthur grant? PEMGOT? GEMPOT? TOPGEM?

Glad you're enjoying! You should definitely try to work in an Il Mulino dinner on a future trip, especially since you guys are fond of staying in the Boardwalk area.

 

[bee]

Day 4, cont.

Soon we were arriving at MCO and returning the rental car. It was a quick easy process and we were on our way to the terminal and the DME!

B side, lower level, here we come!

I liked this wreath.

It wasn't long before we ran into THIS:

That's just the line to check in to get in another line!!

We were taken aback but not dismayed, because we had...

PURPLE MAGIC BANDS!!!

Okay, we were a little dismayed because it just seemed to be getting worse and not better.

Sorry, person whose butt ended up in my photo of the Mickey hand pointing...

At least we can see the checkin CMs from this point!

Once we checked in, we entered the POFQ/PORS line which was nearly empty compared to those around us. We thought maybe a bus had just left and prepared to wait awhile. I was taking notes in my phone throughout the trip and my note for the DME waiting time says:

So hot
So many crying babies
29 minutes back of line to bus​

So it wasn't all that bad and soon we were here:

...to wait in another line!

Almost there!!!

Soon we were on our way!

Goodbye for now, MCO!

Time for DMETV!

The bus ride went smoothly until...

...this. And we were so close!!!

Luckily we had DMETV to entertain us!

It looked like we had some gorgeous weather ahead of us!