Trip Report "the Good, the Bad and the Sleepy"

Has it really been two weeks since we got back?! I debated about doing a trip report but like all of you I can't seem to stay away. This may end up being a short condensed report but then again maybe not since I'm so indecisive. No notes were taken and everything is kind of a blur, I'm just giving you warning ahead of time. Also a lot of my pictures were taken on my phone so some of the quality may not be the best. We purchased the Memory Maker and so glad we did. I never am able to get pic's of all of us on any vacations so this really helped and the ride photos were fantastic, the kids loved posing for them. Now on to the report!!

Here we are!!

We're:
Katie
Terrie
Jake
Emma
Zack

Katie brought a friend along who will show up in future pictures. We will call her Friend.

We left Indiana July 21st at 3:00am . This worked out perfect since Joe is usually up at this time for work. Due to construction and breaks we didn't arrive to Orlando until 9pm. We had 2 full days planned and stayed at Hilton Embassy Suites.

Large Connect Four anyone?

We also ate at Giordano's!! Thanks @lostpro9het and @imahistorygeek !

Had some elevator dancing

And some serious games of Ping Pong

Although we had a great time Disney was calling so off we headed to Beach Club for some Dinner . We were having The Kitchen Sink for dinner!! We only could get a reservation for 4 but had 6 in our party. When we checked in we let them know what we did and Joe and I offered to sit out if it was an inconvenience. With smiles and not fake ones they said "no problem but it may take longer". We waited about 20 minutes and were called to our table. As soon as Katie asked if they still make an announcement for the Kitchen Sink the lights went off and the waitress started her routine!! It was a great new experience for us and would recommend it!!

We headed to the Board Walk to see what was going on over there!

Because we didn't want to leave Disney Property yet we took a boat to HS to watch the Star Wars fireworks from outside the gates.

It was nice but none of us are Star Wars fan and I'm sure it was much better from inside the park. When the flames went off we felt the heat from where we were!

We decided to head back to Hilton. We weren't to sad, we knew we'd be back very very soon.

 

[Zipadeelady]

Yeah, I say that every time too!! It never happens unless I am there with no park tickets!

It's hard to be there and relax. I just want to go, go, go. To many things to see.

Loved the report! videos are great!

Thank you very much! Aren't you due for another trip soon. I love the ride video's. I hope they incorporate more rides with the video's.

 

[Zipadeelady]

I have two more posts I wanted to add even though my report is finished

Souvenirs!! I always get a mug and a photo frame. I don't know why but that's what I'm drawn too. I made a pact with my husband that I wouldn't get a mug because my cabinet is bursting with them.

Yep, I got one. I read a trip report on here and she showed a picture of this mug and I told myself not to get it but when I saw it in person I just had too!! And wouldn't you know it after getting home I realized I forgot to get a frame. I have a frame from every vacation with a picture from that vacation in our home. So I had to go to the Disney Store and buy one.

My surprise souvenir is my Disney Pins. I never traded pins before but my birthday was right before our trip and my girls got me pins for my birthday. They got a few of my favorite characters then a few to trade. I wasn't sure if I would like trading but I really enjoyed going up to the CM's and talking with them about the pins. I was really happy to find the Mad Hatter black and white one on a CM's lanyard. I saw the set in the stores but was to cheap to buy it. I'm now on a mission to find the rest in the set.

 

[LeighM]

I've never loaded a video so I can't help
I do want to say- in your top post you apologized for the quality of your pictures. Not necessary. They look great (only the one was a little dark) and your trip report is so far an enjoyable read. I give you lots of credit for taking pictures at all. I never seem to get around to it. In fact, after my trip last month I was going to do a trip report but I had so few photos that I decided no one would want to read it.

During the first trip my husband and I took in 2012, we only took about 20 pictures of the entire week. It was only after we got home that we realized I wasn't in one picture. I couldn't even prove that I was actually there LOL. Now I make sure to take pictures of everything. And I do mean everything

 

[coachwnh]

Thats for the great trip report!

 

[fractal]

[
[QUOTE="


Thank you very much! Aren't you due for another trip soon. I love the ride video's. I hope they incorporate more rides with the video's.[/QUOTE]

Quite overdue in fact. But I'm working on that.

 

[Zipadeelady]

After reading about @Tuvalu and her trip from the 70's I remembered I have 5 photos from a trip in 1983. None are very interesting and 2 of them I'm not sure if they are even from Disney so I'm hoping that I can get a little help. @epcotisbest and @Tiggerish I'm hoping you may know also. Sadly I don't remember this trip at all.

I feel like I don't know this view. It seems like I'm looking at Small World, Peter Pan and the Carousel but then Space Mountain is there in the background so that doesn't seem right. Does anyone know where this is, or what is in it's place now? Or am i right in my guess?

Castle Picture

I though maybe this was something to do with Pirates. Any guesses?

Did Disney have ski shows in the 80's? My momma told me that we also went to Sea World on this 1983 trip so maybe it was at Sea world. I think it says the Hatfields & McCoys on that gold sign.

I'm trying to figure out where we are in this picture? The pole in the background looks like the same pole in the ski show picture. That's me in the middle. How's my hat @Tuvalu ? Does it give your hat a run for your money?

 

[Tuvalu]

The first picture was taken from the Skyway which had left the Fantasyland station en route to the Tomorrowland station. You are correct in that Small World and Pinocchio Village Haus are on the left and Peter Pan on the right. The perspective is off a bit which is why seeing Space Mountain confused you.

The castle pic was taken from onboard the Skyway as well.

The next 3 pictures are from Sea World. If you look closely at the Pirate ship in the first picture, you can see the word World near the girl in the pink shorts. The big pole is the Sea Wold pole .

I like my hat better.

 

[Zipadeelady]

The first picture was taken from the Skyway which had left the Fantasyland station en route to the Tomorrowland station. You are correct in that Small World and Pinocchio Village Haus are on the left and Peter Pan on the right. The perspective is off a bit which is why seeing Space Mountain confused you.

The castle pic was taken from onboard the Skyway as well.

The next 3 pictures are from Sea World. If you look closely at the Pirate ship in the first picture, you can see the word World near the girl in the pink shorts. The big pole is the Sea Wold pole .

I like my hat better.

I knew I could count on you for the answers. thank yo so much. The funny thing is I'm the girl in those pink shorts and I've been thinking that ship was from Disney for years and the answer was right by my derrière the whole time. And I hate to say it but your hat was a bit better than mine.

 

[Zipadeelady]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to read my report. I always hope that everyone enjoys it but I do it just as much for myself. I love to back to my reports and relive our family vacation.

 

[epcotisbest]

Yes, as usual @Tuvalu is spot on. The first pic is from the Skyway during the ride over from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland. The second is taken from the Skyway cab looking to the right toward the castle.
The rope climbing area pic is SeaWorld. If I remember correctly, that area was over near the back of Shamu Stadium. And yes, part of the SeaWorld logo is visible just beneath the pink shorts.
The Hatfield and McCoy's water ski show was kinda corny, but later versions of the ski show after they abandoned the feud part and it was more straightforward skiing and boating skills, were very well done and quite entertaining.
That blue pole in the pics, if you look closely, you can see the angles on the pole where the ride part goes up and down the pole.
I found a link to a youtube video of the water ski show from 1980 or so. Not my video, but it might bring back some memories:

 

[epcotisbest]

OK, so as I was typing my reply I see you posted a reply to @Tuvalu.
So that is you on the rope climb. Well, we used you as a reference to point to the logo. You can only see part of it though and if Tuvalu had not pointed it out, I would have probably missed it too.
Good trip report. Looks like you had a great time despite the heat.

 

[epcotisbest]

As for the stylish hat debate, I'm gonna be diplomatic and call it a draw.

 

[Zipadeelady]

@epcotisbest the video was a great find!! Thank you! I'm going to show it to my mom to see if she remembers the show. As for the hat debate the winner has been chosen.

 

[epcotisbest]

OK, I finally got around to finishing your wonderful trip report. I have been saving it until I could sit down and finish it with one reading.
Lot's of great photos that include even greater smiles. What a photogenic family.
We too enjoy Giordano's especially that stuffed crust pizza, but it is just too big for us, so we usually get a regular. The time we did try the stuffed crust, we had leftovers for days, but with a fridge and oven in the room, that was OK. Thank you for a very enjoyable trip report.

 

[epcotisbest]

This is a great moment captured in time, with only you looking directly into the camera.

 

[epcotisbest]

Love this light up hat you are wearing, but where do you keep the batteries?

 

[epcotisbest]

This is one of those keepsake pictures. We use one like this, or something similar every trip to print and frame. A little less knee and a bit more castle and that photographer would have nailed it.

 

[epcotisbest]

Pull my finger?

 

[Zipadeelady]

OK, I finally got around to finishing your wonderful trip report. I have been saving it until I could sit down and finish it with one reading.
Lot's of great photos that include even greater smiles. What a photogenic family.
We too enjoy Giordano's especially that stuffed crust pizza, but it is just too big for us, so we usually get a regular. The time we did try the stuffed crust, we had leftovers for days, but with a fridge and oven in the room, that was OK. Thank you for a very enjoyable trip report.

You are very kind. Thank you for the nice words about my family and I'm very happy you like my report. I love your comments on my pictures. I really had no idea where the camera was going to go off on the Minetrain and I was being quite goofy when I saw a quick flash as the train came to that spot. And the pull my finger picture is one of my favorites. That photographer was great. I was trying to get my family to take a picture and they were dilly dallying so I said fine I'll take them by myself. I did get quite a few by myself before they finally made it over. I just recently made that photo my avatar so now every time you see me post something you can think of the pull my finger joke.

 

[blreinsel]

Loved your report! I want to go when the Fall decorations are up SO BADLY. Hopefully I have a full time teaching job by this time next year and can afford such luxuries.