10 days of Magic, Mickey, and Memories

Hi all!

And so it has come to an end. All the months of planning and preparing resulted in the best 10 days for my husband and I! Here are the basics:

Who: My DH and I
What: 10 days of Memories and Magic at Walt Disney World
Where: Port Orleans Riverside
When: September 13 to the 22
Why: A trip for resting and relaxing after a very long and hard year and in preparation of starting another personal journey.

Some background: My DH and I have traveled to Disney every year since we were married. So this marked our 8th trip in a row. Now the last two trips, I went solo. I went to Disneyland in 2010 and went for a girls getaway with my mom in May 2011. Since we started going to WDW together, a lot has happened. We moved twice, went through some very hard times, and have struggled with infertility. So this trip was focused on reconnecting and putting all of that "stuff" behind us. In the past, we have stayed either offsite (in 2005 and 2006) and then onsite at Deluxe Resorts. Since 2007, we have been able to drive to WDW since we lived only 4 1/2 hours away from the World. Okay, we are pretty much up to speed so now, on with the show! Or as Peter Pan would say...Here we go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was the first time we stayed at POR as well as using DME. I will say to both, I would definitely recommend and stay/use again. We left very early on Thursday, September 13 and flew AirTran. It was a great flight and we got exceptional prices! We will definitely fly with AirTran again! The flight was smooth and on time so we arrived around 10 am at MCO and DME was ready and waiting for us! We did not have the fancy blue and cream DME bus which I was a tad disappointed about as I had never ridden on one! But we had a Mears bus and we were just ready to get to WDW!

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Excited to get to WDW!

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Super happy!

We arrived!
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Arriving at POR!
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We went ahead and did the online check in which didn't seem to make a difference. It was not busy, we still had questions, and we still talked to an agent. I will do it again, but didn't really notice that it made that much of a difference. We had called and requested a corner room on a higher floor and paid for garden view Royal Room. We got everything we asked for, except, our corner room faced a parking lot and was as far from everything as possible. So immediately called the front desk and I explained that I paid for garden view and would like garden view. We were moved to another room, that was near the pool, and a good location. It was not a corner room. The reason for the request for the corner is that I understand that the rooms can be quite dark so a corner room would let in more natural light. It would have been nice for that corner room but it didn't really bother us much at all.

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View from the room

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We first ate lunch since we were starved! We headed down to Riverside Mill. The DH tried to the pasta bar with cheese cake and I the burger and red velvet cake! All were delicious!!!!

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The Royal Rooms were so nice! We really liked them a lot! They were beautiful!!

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Yep, that's Stacy! The Must-Do's! Unt Beer???

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disneygirl76

Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
Original Poster
nope..we would need 2 rooms there..max is 4 per room.. and 2 rooms as pop is way more than 1 at PORs... especially when you consider the cost to upgrade the free dining..

Got it. I had no idea it was a 4 room min but makes sense. The rooms are small. Mom and I stayed there in a pinch when we decided to add an extra night to our trip last year.
 

Alison1975

Well-Known Member
Got it. I had no idea it was a 4 room min but makes sense. The rooms are small. Mom and I stayed there in a pinch when we decided to add an extra night to our trip last year.

We fit 5 in there last year..but we had 2 rooms with 8 people..just ended up Declan slept with us.. didn't find the rooms too small honestly. In fact foudn them more useable than the one at the boardwalk..lol
 

disneygirl76

Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
Original Poster
We fit 5 in there last year..but we had 2 rooms with 8 people..just ended up Declan slept with us.. didn't find the rooms too small honestly. In fact foudn them more useable than the one at the boardwalk..lol

Interesting! I have no idea about traveling with little ones and fitting into hotel rooms. Hopefully I get to learn soon! :)
 

disneygirl76

Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
Original Poster
Just a quick update to all those following:

We had the next step in our IVF journey yesterday. In the midst of Hurricane Sandy! But we got to the doctors and home again safely. The transfer is completed and now we wait. Thank you all for all the pixie dust and well wishes!!! Hopefully we will have something to be very thankful for this Thanksgiving!!! Again, thank you so much for all the support!
 

ShookieJones

We need time for things to happen.
Just catching up on this epic TR.
I got so caught up with chronicling my measly tale that I could barely think straight.

Let me say 2 things -

First - you guys sure know how to party: Eat, drink and be merry x20! That's my kind of good time.
Second - Your TR reminded me all the things WE didn't get to on our trip!

Great job all the way around!!

PS -- Good luck and Well wishes on the whole IVF process!
 

Alison1975

Well-Known Member
Just a quick update to all those following:

We had the next step in our IVF journey yesterday. In the midst of Hurricane Sandy! But we got to the doctors and home again safely. The transfer is completed and now we wait. Thank you all for all the pixie dust and well wishes!!! Hopefully we will have something to be very thankful for this Thanksgiving!!! Again, thank you so much for all the support!

So many good vibes, thoughts,prayers and everything is crossed for you hun!
 

disneygirl76

Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
Original Poster
Just catching up on this epic TR.
I got so caught up with chronicling my measly tale that I could barely think straight.

Let me say 2 things -

First - you guys sure know how to party: Eat, drink and be merry x20! That's my kind of good time.
Second - Your TR reminded me all the things WE didn't get to on our trip!

Great job all the way around!!

PS -- Good luck and Well wishes on the whole IVF process!

Thanks Shookie!!! It was lots of fun! We were tipsy and full! All and all - a good time! :) And thank you for the well wishes! We are so anxious to have our own Disney Princess or Pirate!
 

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
Some additions to the day 2 trip report:

I wore my sneakers - the ones I have worn for a year and half. I am not sure what happened but seriously - my tootsie toes were in pain! After 16 hours on your feet, nothing feels good on your feet but I ended up with blisters on my baby toes and that started the downward spiral of my tootsie toes. It got worse! Just when it would get better - it got worse. So my question - what shoes do you wear? Later, the rain and wet shoes made things impossible for my tootsies. So i'm curious on what everyone does in regards to this.

oh the dreaded feet question.. WDW forced me to buy crocs for flip flops and the ugliest teva hybrid/sandal/shoe looking thing in the world and a good pair of walking tennis shoes... and I am promising myself I am not wasting the suitcase room this time to pack any shoes except those 3 pair...I been hauling 6 pairs of shoes for a year now and it was last visit those were the main 3 I wore, my heals and regular flip flops just were too painful.
 

disneygirl76

Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
Original Poster
oh the dreaded feet question.. WDW forced me to buy crocs for flip flops and the ugliest teva hybrid/sandal/shoe looking thing in the world and a good pair of walking tennis shoes... and I am promising myself I am not wasting the suitcase room this time to pack any shoes except those 3 pair...I been hauling 6 pairs of shoes for a year now and it was last visit those were the main 3 I wore, my heals and regular flip flops just were too painful.

Do you believe they are still recovering! Oh they were ugly! I will have to plan WAY better next time! :)
 

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
Do you believe they are still recovering! Oh they were ugly! I will have to plan WAY better next time! :)

I have to admit that my heels have never recovered..to this day I have bottom of feet pain in the heel area and it is not spurs or knots. I googled it last summer and there is a long name for it and there is no cure, just wear better shoes...so I suffer because so far there is nothing that will make me miss out of a trip to WDW!
 

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
One thing I have heard about parking at the Poly when you are not staying at the Poly is that it could get your car towed. Depending on the Poly crowd level. Parking lots at resorts are reserved for resort guest. If you are eating there they do allow you to park there but not for a full day. I used to park at the Poly and visit the MK after bfast at Ohana until I read about this. I dont gamble with it anymore.
hmm.. I never knew that either, we parked at the POLY all the time over the 4th of July holiday on 2011 since we drove and were staying at POP and the only park we did was MK. I thought if you put your parking thing on the window they left you alone.. now I knew the GF was particular about cars from other resorts or outsiders using their parking lot for anything but dining but I had no idea the POLY was the same way..:(
 

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
Really like your TR but I am having a hard time with your above comment. o_O

LOL. JK. However I would have stayed for Illuminations. I just cant help myself.
haha me too, if I am there that late, I care less about the crowds, but I CARE about Illuminations.. I think it is my favorite firework display
 

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
Excellent photopass pics! I am on page 11, but the grandkids have noticed and all they want to do is have me talk to them now about our upcoming trip to the world so I will have to continue later. I am so glad I found your trip report! Love it!
 

disneygirl76

Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
Original Poster
I have to admit that my heels have never recovered..to this day I have bottom of feet pain in the heel area and it is not spurs or knots. I googled it last summer and there is a long name for it and there is no cure, just wear better shoes...so I suffer because so far there is nothing that will make me miss out of a trip to WDW!

Is it planters factitious? That is a common foot problem. I hear ya! Nothing will stop me at WDW!
 

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