Trip Report 4,225 miles and all I got was this ring ;-)

Hey everyone I thought i would get started on my first ever Trip Report whilst it's all still fresh in my head, and before i get crazy busy with uni work( i start teacher training for post compulsory education on Wednesday, eeek!)
I suppose i should start with a whose who this trip is slightly different than usual for me, I usually come with my family but its just me (Mel) and my fiance (Matty) (I can't get used to typing that yet!) this is my 5th trip and Matty's second. Believe it or not this is my first trip actually staying on site . I have been dying to do it for years and have been counting down since we booked last November.
Our trip dates were 06/09/14-20/09/14 and we stayed at the Art of Animation resort in the little mermaid section, i was far too excited about this the little mermaid was one of my favourites when i was a kid. we also decided to go with the dining plan. Being from the UK we are lucky to be able to get the 14 day ultimate tickets for quite a reasonable price, so naturally we had to have two of those.
so I think that's all the background info, hope you all enjoy my TR

day one
We were up at 6AM to get to Manchester Airport, luckily it's only like a 20 min trip from where we live, don't ask me how, but I actually slept well that NEVER happens the night before I go on holiday. It must have been all the rushing around getting everything ready for both the holiday and going back to University. We had a pretty uneventful time getting through security, as there have been some issues with increased wait times with the new security measures in place in the UK (my folks were at the same airport heading to Greece the same day, and they queued outside the Airport it was that bad)
We flew with Thomas Cook this year it worked out like £400 cheaper than flying with virgin so it was a no brainer really, plus we have noticed a drop in standards with virgin atlantic since we first flew with them. overall we were glad we did, their new planes actually have legroom! Matty is pretty tall so he usually takes my legroom as well as his own!
The only problem is there was very little to watch or listen to and if you wanted the premium channels you had to pay, that was kind of stingy but not the end of the world.
a big bonus for me was the food was actually edible! being a vegetarian/ pescatarian for well over 10 years now i have been served some dreadful and actually unidentifiable options on planes.

after a pretty decent but tiring 9 hour flight we just wanted to get to the hotel to shower and get a change of clothes. we cleared customs/ immigration in record time, those little machine / kiosk things they have installed at MCO have really helped speed things up. Next up was the part that I was a little nervous about. Thomas Cook didn't seem to have a clue about how to get on the magical express from the airport, first we were told we needed to see our rep and get coupons, then we were told we didn't need Coupons but to see them anyway, then a third employee told us to just get straight on the bus, so helpful
turns out we just had to present them with the paperwork and the disney magical express peeps did the rest. I wish we had a picture of us when it was our turn to get on the bus we were just so excited! we loved that officer peabody does the safety announcements on the bus, I literally yelled at the screen when i saw it was him.

when we pulled up at our resort we were just blown away with the look and scale of the place, literally i still can't describe stepping in to the reception for the first time. i just had to pinch myself to check it was real! we picked up our bands( you don't get them posted to you on the UK, or get a choice of color) I was praying mine wasn't pink, i hate pink and always have done, so the thought of having to wear it for two weeks didn't appeal! luckily we both just got grey. we picked up our resort mugs and headed out to find our room.
we were like kids at christmas looking at all the decoration along the way, the lion king section is really cute

When I got to the little mermaid section i was pretty much beside myself. it's so well done. my fiance was worried the resort may look a little too garish or childlike, but it exceeded both our expectations, and mine were pretty high! the garden areas are immaculate.
we were actually in the Ariel section, yay!

and this was the view from our room

It may sound weird, but we preferred this to looking out over the pool it was much more peaceful and private. we also requested the top floor, we live in a middle floor apartment so it was nice to have a break from hearing people above you, or them and their home gym in our neighbours case
we found our room with little difficulty, it was amazing opening the door for the first time, the details in the little mermaid rooms were so cool! i wanted to take home most of it, matty did threaten to check my bags on the way out just in case. like this
or this
It was safe to say i loved the room, and i think i had matty converted. I just couldn't believe we were there! its been kind of a long year with waiting to go back to university, then in February i had a very nasty accident at work which i'm still recovering from, so counting down to this trip has been keeping me sane!
so we had a quick shower and let the folks back home know we had got there safely, then it was time for downtown disney

we headed straight for splitsville, we were starving after the long flight so we got cracking on those dining credits . we ate there last year on our last day and loved it. We had been talking about eating there for ages and it didn't disappoint. I had the margherita pizza and matty had the pulled pork burger, we shared a side of loaded fries( with no bacon) sorry we took no pics of this one, our hunger pangs were just too strong! we also had brownies for dessert. we forgot how large american portions are, so were basically in a food coma by this point.
we had started to look round the shops and then jetlag kicked in big time, so we caught the bus back to the hotel and turned in for the night.
stay tuned for day 2....

 

[melmel89]

Right sorry for the delay guys and dolls, had no internet for 10 days thanks to Talk Talk. We have had 6 engineers out and spent 4 hours on the phone trying to sort it. they seriously need to take some tips from Disney when it comes to customer service! we had to complain about one engineer because his attitude was sucky and he damaged our property, his response was to ring us up shout down the phone, then hang up! classy!
Sorry rant over, back to the task in hand....
Day 8
This was my designated shopping day I love American shops they are just so much better than at home. we had arranged a shuttle to Florida Mall (one of my all time faves) with Mears, luckily we didn't have to be up to early so we had a nice lie in and a yummy breakfast at landscape of flavours then made our way out to meet the shuttle. Our driver was lovely and took us through the back roads of Disney on the way to the mall and was telling us about all the wildlife she has seen there over the years, it's always nice to learn something new about your favourite place on earth! we had a good few hours before pick up so we could look at everything without hurrying, I may have made a purchase or two. We were waiting outside for our shuttle when an unmarked taxi pulled up trying to pretend he was our ride, yeah right! he looked like he had slept in his clothes and couldn't name what company he was from. he was fuming when we wouldn't fall for it and just kept circling the block shouting abuse at us! mall security eventually saw him on his way, but it was just so unnecessary and a little frightening to be honest, especially when you are in a foreign country. Thankfully our actual real driver soon showed up to take us home, was kinda glad to step back on to Disney property to be honest!
I decided to spend a little time snapping the reception area, its just so pretty at AoA.(its not playing nice so I cant put pics up atm)

we had a little time by the pool as our dinner reservation wasn't till 8, it was kind of nice just having such a relaxing day our energy levels had been dipping a little after a week of non stop action. Our evening started with trying to figure out the best way to get to yacht and beach club for dinner at beaches and cream. In the end we got the bus to DHS, and the boat the rest of the way, I have to say all the resorts in that area look beautiful from the water. We had a little time to kill so we explored the resort It's totally stunning. We were eventually called back and we got a booth seat yay! the little jukeboxes are so cute! we went for burger and the grilled cheese with tomato bisque, OMG it was the best grilled cheese ever! im kind of an addict and it was so satisfying, the soup was awesome. Matty loved his burger and rated it the best yet. for dessert we went for no way jose but with mint choc chip instead of choc ice cream and a banana split. Loved the no way jose, just thinking about it now makes me hungry! (Again it wont let me upload pics)

Bellies fit to burst we decided it would be a great idea to go and ride ToT, as you do! we managed to get a couple of rides in and kept our dinner down hurray! I love riding ToT at night its so cool. We caught some of the frozen fireworks, then made our way to MK they had emh till 1am woo!
As we got there Wishes was about to start we snagged an ok spot by tomorrowland, we were part way through when a massive cockroach decided to join us! yuck! after wishes with our uninvited guest we did Stitches great escape, then headed to fantasyland to see what the wait time was like for 7dmt, it was still a no go! The mr was very kind and waited with me whilst I met some princesses I went for Rapunzel and Cinderella. Rapunzel was great she was telling me Flynn had been drawing the princesses as turkeys for fall!
we explored the rest of FL we had to ride Goofy's coaster, it was the first thing I rode at Disney. we also did Dumbo like a pair of big kids. If memory serves we also did HM. we made buzz and SM our last rides for the day. we had a look for pins on our way out and I found a Halloween lilo pin yay! I love her. so there we go another day done

 

[melmel89]

The dessert I was asking about looks like a brownie with M&M's with hot fudge and marsh mellows. But you are right, you do have many dessert pictures and all look perfect to fill anybodys tummy

ah that would be the everything brownie from landscape of flavours, my other half loved them.

 

[melmel89]

DAY 9
Day 9 for us was our first full day at MK, shocking I know. we had planned to spend most of day 2 there but the weather was just too bad. we arrived just in time for the little opening ceremony, literally we could not have timed it any better! We hit tomorrowland first, then grabbed breakfast at starbucks. the queue in there is crazy and I have to say I preferred it before Starbucks took over but that's just me. After breakfast we finally got over to POTC we had hardly done it at this point and I LOVE POTC, counting down to the trip it was one of the things we were looking forward to. It didn't disappoint though I swear you get splashed more with every year. after POTC we realised it had gotten soo hot in the time we had been in there, it was the warmest day by far which was great we love the heat and we don't get much at home! we had a little look at the glass decoration stand, we wanted one of the little glass stitch's sooo bad! we were too worried about getting it home in one piece so we had to leave it there .
We cut through from Adventureland to frontierland and did a little pin trading, then hit HM. we seem to love that ride more with every trip, when I first went to WDW could take it or leave it but now its a must do.
after HM I finally got to use the tangled bathrooms! sad to be excited by that I know but its Disney!

by some miracle both peter pan and the Winnie the Pooh rides were quiet so we just had to do it, especially as matty had never been on them . I forgot just how cute they both are, the new additions to the winnie the Pooh queue are a nice touch too. I had to look in the gift shop too my mum loves eeyore so it was a no brainer where to get her present. I got the eeyore with piglet attatched its adorable I wanted to keep it!

We did a little more pin trading in big top souvenirs (that store is so cute) and then rode the little mermaid. it was really starting to get hot out and our energy was running out so we decided to stay in the shade until our lunch reservations. We chose the carousel of progress, another first for both of us! It was kind of corny but we liked it, love the song it's still in my head now! lunch was at the Liberty Tree Tavern we hadn't tried it before and we will be back for sure! they were running a little late but we were in no hurry. We both went for the fish and chip special it was delish! I loved the addition of coleslaw we don't do that in the UK but I loved it. For dessert we took the ooey gooey toffee cake, that thing is amazing!

We had FP'S for BTMR and Splash Mountain after lunch, we stayed mighty dry on SM we wouldn't have minded on that day to be honest. Everything was working really well in there too which was nice to see after some comments we had seen. after conquering the mountains we decided to get a good spot for the parade, we settled in the main street station so that I wouldn't burn. It was great to see the new parade it's just beautiful.

After the parade we were beat so we headed home for a snooze
next up day 9 part 2.....

 

[melmel89]

Day 9 Part Two

After a nice relaxing break we decided to head back out and enjoy our evening at MK ( I could really go for that right about now!) We headed straight for dinner at Columbia Harbour House, they have such a nice variety of QS options there and it's a bonus that it's very pescatarian friendly. We both went for the tuna sandwiches those things are huge! it came with a side of kettle chips ( we really miss them) and we both went for chocolate cake for dessert. The whole meal was yummy, and after being spoilt rotten with such rich and extravagant food for over a week, it was lovely to have something so simple. I went for a change from my default setting of diet coke ( i'm an addict!) and had a Fanta, I can't believe the colour of it in the US, I have seen it before but I can never get over it! i'm surprised it doesn't give you glow in the dark pee!
Bodily fluids aside after a delish dinner we headed towards fantasyland we had been neglecting the stores in that area so we had a good look around. We went into sir Mickey's and it was frozen paradise! I saw a kids t-shirt I just had to have, I was worried it would be way too tight, so I asked the cashier and she said I could return it, if need be. That was it for me I just had to buy it, I dashed to the Rapunzel restrooms to try it, and it fit I was practically skipping out of the bathroom lol. After my little spending spree we rode 7DMT, we got right at the back, its so cool that you can actually make it rock! Next up we did stitch and buzz, then TTA. We were going to try and get a place for the electrical parade, but it was a bit of a disaster. It had been drizzling so we presumed it would not be on, so when we saw it start up we tried to tuck in to a space and watch, we kept getting moved along, the lighting was really bad and traffic management seemed really haphazard for some reason. all in all it was pretty stressful! we ended up getting stuck in the emporium, so we thought we might as well look around. We got some gifts for Matty's many little sisters, and they were on sale (SSSH! don't tell on us!) so at least we achieved something. When the crowds thinned out we went to stake out a decent spot for wishes. We managed to catch the pre show (the name has escaped me ) The MR had never seen it so that was another great first. Wishes was awesome as ever

Our feet were killing after Wishes so we had a slow hobble to the bus, Pluss we wanted to get an earlyish start for TL in the morning. Stay tuned guys....

 

[Mom@disney]

I have never tried Columbis Harbour House. It sounds so yummy!
We're you being pushed by other people or were the CM's moving you? Too bad you couldn't enjoy the parade
You must be so tiny to fit into the children's clothes! Good for you!

 

[melmel89]

It's lovely and more peaceful than some QS places. well it was a combo really, people were pushing to get in because a lot of people hadn't expected it to still be on, and CM's were being pretty stern more so than I have ever seen during parades actually. I think its luck more than being health conscious with the t shirt lol with being so short the fabric has more room to stretch width wise! It saves me a fortune too .

 

[Mom@disney]

It's lovely and more peaceful than some QS places. well it was a combo really, people were pushing to get in because a lot of people hadn't expected it to still be on, and CM's were being pretty stern more so than I have ever seen during parades actually. I think its luck more than being health conscious with the t shirt lol with being so short the fabric has more room to stretch width wise! It saves me a fortune too .

That sounds like a not very good scenario.
And I find that the kids Ts are so cute and there is more variety...I'm still trying to find a Merida one that will fit me lol

 

[melmel89]

yes same here, they are always nicer colours too all the ToT ones I liked were for kids this year ooh I love Merida she told me I was her hair twin and it made my day lol.

 

[melmel89]

right lets see if I can't get this TR wrapped up this week, im off uni it's reading week yay!
DAY 10
We started the day with a quick brekkie from the grab n go cabinets in landscape of flavours, and ate en route to the bus stop, we wanted to get to TL as early as possible so we could get everything done before it got too hot and I ended up looking like a lobster! We got there pretty quick, I love how efficient the transport is from AOA. we went straight for crush n gusher when we got there, we love that ride! the queues seemed way smaller than at BB we rode it 3 times back to back in under half an hour. Once again I was so glad I had bought some water shoes when we were walking between rides walking on leaves and in puddles of standing water barefoot makes me feel all wrong inside! Next up we spent a good while going round shark reef, it's one of our favourites I have been snorkling since I was very young and Matty loves sharks so it's the perfect combo for us
we tackled most of the other slides, we didn't bother with the raft ride, its never worth the wait with it being so short. we had a little time in the wave pool I didn't go in very deep with being so petite and not that strong I always get pulled under, then struggle to surface and it makes me a little panicky. It was starting to get a little too warm, so we decided to head back and grab some lunch. We saw another snake on the way back I'll never get used to that!
We had planned to go to Cookes in DTD (we can't resist a good chippy) and we were looking forward to it, but after having fish and chips at MK the day before we just weren't feeling it so we ate at the hotel, I went for my new fave thing ever

I really miss these!
we were still pretty damp after TL so we just put our suits back on and headed to the pool for a couple of hours. after our day of splashing around dinner was at Chefs De france. We went via Beach club, I soooo want to stay there its really cool that they can just walk to EPCOT and its so pretty.

We had a little time to kill so we had a look around france and Morocco they are two of the prettiest countries in World showcase IMO

We were seated promptly and as someone with a French surname it was lovely to hear it said properly! We decided on the 3 Course set menu we started with the lobster bisque and the French onion soup. The lobster was way too strong for me, I tried the onion it was nice but it would just not cool down! I hate my food too hot I always eat things when they are "lukewarm" I just think piping hot food hasn't got as much taste. It doesn't help how easily I burn my mouth either!
for mains matty had the chicken and I had the mac and cheese. I had been dying to try this for two years... I didn't like it! the sauce was lovely and thick but it was stuffed full of nutmeg and I can't stand nutmeg! I got sick from an egg-custard tart once and it was garnished with nutmeg so any association with it makes me
On the plus side matty really enjoyed his. for dessert we both had the chocolate mousse.

I had wanted to try Chefs for years but it was just way too rich for us, the surroundings were lovely and the staff were very professional on the plus side. We walked our dinner off round the boardwalk, we may have made a purchase in the bakery we finished up our evening at fantasia gardens, we love it there it's so chilled out compared with an evening at the parks. The was a really funny little boy playing the hole behind us and he just decided to make up his own rules he was such a little character. so that's another day done ...

 

[melmel89]

DAY 11
We had reserved the wed to go to NASA, as matty had never been, I had been on previous trips but not for a good while, sadly the shuttle and the tickets were a little too steep so close to the end of the holiday, so we said we would set it aside and make it a top priority for the next trip. I did feel very guilty we would have stuck it on the plastic but with it being a foreign transaction for us, our bank charges crazy fees so it just wasn't to be for this trip, I swear I will try and fit it in next trip!
anyhoo we had a spare day so we decided to spend it in DHS, no shocks there by now. We decided to focus on catching as much of the performers as we could, with our holiday nearing its end . Citizens are always something we really miss and talk about all the time when we go home. we hit the usual (ToT, RNRC) first thing and then we assumed the position on sunset waiting for the citizens to come out to play. Paige turner finally came out! she is a family fave and we hadn't seen her yet so we were scared she had left. she was a hoot as ever and came out with our new expression, "holy shipwreck" it just cracked us up!

And betty shambles made what was a rare appearance on this trip, I love her expressions.

After watching the ladies at work in the Hollywood matchmaker game, we went off for what transpired to be our last ride on the backlot tour . I still can't believe how much DHS is changing, I just hope more star wars stuff comes out of it, with the exception of mater who cracks me up, i'm not that fussed on Cars so the talk of getting a Carsland does nothing for me.

I'm extra glad me, my dad and matty got to take part in this last year.

Through sheer luck we were going through the tour while the stunt drivers were warming up for lights motors action, we had never seen that before, so I guess in retrospect it was an awesome way to say farewell to the attraction.

Bye Bye herbie
It was a shame not getting to see the area that had the props in by the gift shop one last time, but what can you do. We went for lunch next, I just couldn't resist getting this in, I love rodger rabbit
After lunch we hit TSMM. It wasn't too hot out so we decided to wait around for the citizens, we caught the public works, we love those guys.
It wasn't too long a wait for the funniest citizen of Hollywood, A.K.A "99 Somethings" so we stuck around. I got picked to select an item I am literally the only person in my family who hadn't been picked so it made my day. Dorma Nesmond won in the end, I felt for her some bratty kid kept heckling her, encouraged by her family who thought she was the best thing since sliced bread, give me strength! I wouldn't have minded if it was funny but it was all about attention seeking .
After our Citizens binge we were flagging so we went back for a snooze.

Our evening started at EPCOT, We had a good look for presents for home in mouse gears, then we took a leisurely stroll around the world showcase we had reservations at via Napoli. We spent a while in the Germany section, the wurthers shop is heavenly! I love the glass shop I could spend hours looking in there, my gran collects little glass figures so it just reminds me of being a kid and looking at her collection.
We got to via Napoli and that's when the fun began! we checked in and waited aaaages, turns out they had lost our slip, they weren't bothered either a sign of things too come! we were seated an it took just under 15 mins to get a drink! our reservation wasn't till 8:30 so it wasn't that busy even. we ordered pasta and pizza we were told that there may be a little wait in between them arriving, no sweat we expected 10 mins tops, well my pizza arrived 15 mins AFTER matty finished eating. it ruined the mood us both eating alone. I had been dying to try their pizza, it was cold, and for me to say that about food it really must be! the cheese had started to harden it was that bad, and honestly it tasted no better than my mums cheese on toast. Matty was offered no cheese with his pasta, we didn't get a single refill on our drinks our waiter was too busy oogling a young lady in a bodycon dress, it was so obvious and totally inappropriate. I have never seen anything like it at Disney.
The dessert menu was also thrust in my face whilst I was still eating. matty's dessert was the best part of the meal, I went for the tiramisu it was sooo bland, like a sponge with shaving foam on it! after waiting an eternity to get our bands scanned, we went straight to the manager to complain. she was furious with her staff and instantly returned our tip and credits. we were so sad we had been really excited about dining here and one of our last evenings had been ruined. there were EMH but we were still hungry and a little ticked off so we headed back to the hotel for some better food and to book dining with our extra credits. the CM who booked us in had a best friend in the UK who lived where we went to uni, small world or what! we chose brekkie at Boma. they had lots of spaces but we chose an early seating so we could go straight to AK afterwards. as we were home early we took a walk around the resort, we had gotten so attatched to it. We hit the hay earlyish as we had to be up for 6:30. so that's another one done!

 

[melmel89]

DAY 12
We were starting to get really aware by this point that the end was nigh and we would be headed home soon . It's the worst feeling ever as it gradually sinks in during the second week, however it made us determined to squeeze the most out of our precious last days. With that in mind we sprung out of bed for our early ADR for Boma we had no trouble getting there early and it was really nice having the bus to ourselves for a change! I had been looking for an excuse to visit AKL for years so I was pretty giddy by the time we got there, it surpassed my expectations which were pretty high! its stunning. We were seated immediately all we had to wait for was the chef to walk me through the buffet to check what I couldn't have with my allergies, the chef was lovely and insisted on cutting some fruit fresh for me to ensure it had not touched any pineapple/Kiwi. It was lovely for my allergies not to be a problem we found Disney to be fantastic in their attitudes and the extra effort they go to in accommodating guests with allergies/intollerances.
We were only going to have a light meal with having a lunch ADR but that went straight out of the window! the food there is delightful! even for a breakfast swerver like me! its nice and quiet there too, which helps too.

safe to say we will be eating there again. we pretty much had to waddle to the bus to AK. our first stop when we got there was EE, possibly not the best idea but we did it none the less. I love the effect of feeling like your going upside down but I have noticed the older i'm getting the more its putting me through the ringer (and that's without the massive breakfast at Boma) We rode it until I couldn't cope anymore.
on our way to our next ride we stumbled across these fellows

King Louie was checking out the bling . The CM was telling us that king louie was still being taught how to sign his name by baloo so he couldn't sign our books. I love how they find cute ways of telling you something is broken or can't be done.
Next up we hit Festival of the Lion king again, I love that show so much the performers are amazing, if I could sing like that I would literally sing everything I said!
We did a little pin hunting and checked out some of the animal trails then it was time for lunch at yak and yeti.
We were kind of dreading it we were still stuffed! mains were really bland compared to the Chinese food we have at home. the NY cheesecake was yummy though, it was light and refreshing which was needed after what we had eaten so far! The MR went for the choc cake. it was nice but way too rich for me by that point!

We wouldn't return but it wasn't the worst thing we ate by any means.
After lunch we did a little more shopping, we got a nhala to keep our samba we have at home company. we were stuffed and tired so we decided to say goodbye to AK for another year I hate saying goodbye to each park it's grim!
coming up day 12 part two AKA noah strikes back!

 

[mitch-fishguard]

You give great detail. Love it

 

[mrdrift]

Love the desert pictures, keep them coming. I am really going to miss the back lot tour, it's one of my kids favorites at Hollywood studios. Following along.

 

[melmel89]

You give great detail. Love it

thank you

 

[melmel89]

Love the desert pictures, keep them coming. I am really going to miss the back lot tour, it's one of my kids favorites at Hollywood studios. Following along.

thanks i'm a bit of a sugar fiend so I have plenty! I always thought it was under-rated I wish I had known I wasn't going to see it again, I would have done it a few more times. I really need to finish this TR!