Did I seriously just run 10 miles??? A Tower of Terror 10-miler Trip Report!

The cast: Me (Jess) and @LuvsTheMouse (Diane/mom) Avid Disney travellers always having a good time together!

From our last trip

The When: September 26-September 30th

The Where: Port Orleans Riverside

WARNING: We took a lot of pictures, but I know everyone likes looking at pictures so there will be a lot of them here that me and my mom took! I used manual mode the whole trip until…well you’ll have to see what happens why I had to stop using manual mode…..

And here we goooo!.....

September 26th

We were up bright and early at 430 am for our 7 am flight!! We figured we had plenty of time to get to the airport and have breakfast before we had to leave..well boy we were wrong! We got there right after 530 and didn’t get out of the security line until 625! And as soon as we got to our gate they were getting ready to board our flight!!!! We will definitely need some Southwest coffee on this flight!

A beautiful sunrise from the airport

Waiting to board!

Ready for takeoff!

Clouds and a beautiful sky

So might I say Southwest has some of the best coffee I have ever had..it could give Dunkin a run for their money. And they have THE CUTEST coffee cup EVER

Some stowaways!

To pass the time during the flight I started listening to my iPad and coloring in this gem my mom gave me for Christmas last year!

Seriously, coloring was the best way to pass the time, and very relaxing I suggest it!!!

After arriving 10 minutes early and getting our luggage it was off to DME!!!

Isn’t this Mickey on the floor just adorable??? There were many leading the way for us!

Port Orleans Riverside here we come!

What a glorious sight! (When you’re arriving at least!)

On our way!

Had to get a picture of the nasty lovebug on the window haha

It’s close!

 

[LuvsTheMouse]

I'm highjacking your tr to show the good people of the magic this little beauty

Great job!!! Love it!!!

 

[jesemeca]

Great job on the pictures! Can't wait to see more! Including me!

 

[mamamouse]

Great job!!! Love it!!!

AGGGGHHHHH I miss you!!!!!!!!

 

[Kristia]

Just started your report! Love the pics from Alligator Bayou. We stayed in the Mansion section years ago and were just kind of meh about it. I might have to give PORS another try and stay in the Bayou section! Wow! you hooked up with a lot of people this trip! Can't wait to read the rest.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

Oh yay another runDisney TR! Woot!!

I have to ask... when did they refurb the POR rooms like that? That is so not what we had in AB last year!! I had no idea! And oh I am so totally requesting a corner room at any possible resort next time. LOL!

 

[plaz10]

OK between you and Courtney starting your TRs from trips that started AFTER mine - I guess I should start mine

Loving all the Riverside pics. After French Quarter we didn't know if we would ever go to Riverside because of the buses...but they seem on par w/the other resorts. And I surprisingly like the AB rooms - I really thought I'd be a Mansion girl if I ever did go Riverside. I guess I'll just have to do both! Can't wait for more!

 

[tink65]

Great TR so far! I love all your pics of Alligator Bayou! We stayed at POR for the first time last year and were in the mansion section. The alligator bayou rooms look awesome!

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

AGGGHHHHH so excited that you started!!!!!
OMg really? a luis bed I have to sleep on one!!!!
awe my daddy used to play the washboard.
Your room was super cute.
Look at you on the train HOLY GORGEOUS JESS !!!
Awe darolyn<3
YAY Shelley
I love momma in the pic with Shelley and jason ,she's so awesome!!!
Okay I wanna rewind n be back there with all of you.

Awwwww thanks to all the above!!! And I looooove the Mermaid picture you posted!!! It's sooo adorable!!! I have to save it on my computer!

I wish I could rewind and go back to! I miss Walt Disney World and everyone

Awesome start and love the pics! Love how you are using manual setting. Your pics of PORS have me missing that beautiful resort and i really like the new room furniture and decor.

Thank you very much!!!! I can't wait to use it more on something I'm going to pick up tomorrow....you'll find out what it is soon enough! hehe.

The new room and decor was just simply beautiful. I say a trip back there is in order for you!

I love the rooms at PORS, we have stayed there, but in the Magnolia section. Your trip report is great so far, can't wait to read more. I want to hear about your race, I am doing the Wine and Dine next month, so I want to hear about yours.

Race will be coming soon I promise!!!! Good luck on the Wine and Dine! I wish I could do the Princess in February! Plane prices are outrageous though from here..

Yaaaay so excited to see this!! L-O-V-E the Port Orleans pictures, the new rooms are adorable!! One day I will actually stay there lol! So great you got to see Shelley again, HI SHELLEY!!

It's looking like I may be down there for your birthday trip, the entire thing LOL If we go in the spring, those are the dates we will be going. Our next trips overlap on the 25th and 26th!!

Keep it coming lovey!

THank you Thank you Thank you!!!!! You MUST stay here its so worth it we got great rates with a bounceback offer back in Feb when we went and seriously I don't know if I could ever go back to the All-Stars or Pop....

We definitely need to meet up for one of those days!!!!!

Love your pics!

Thank you!!

Loving the report!!! And yay for pictures!!! Phenomenal pics around PORS...everything just looks so lush. Love the idea of coloring on the plane, I have a feeling my girls would steal the coloring books and crayons from me, but just in case- I'm going to have to borrow that idea at some point. Funny- I had a similar opinion of dessert at Boma...still makes me kind of sad. Nice tripod shots! I was debating about leaving mine home in Nov, but I'm now having a change of heart. Can't wait to read more!!!

Thank you!!!! You will definitely have to! It's so relaxing and the time flies!!!! Glad to hear we weren't the only ones eh about Boma dessert. Maybe I need to give it another shot. Take yours definitely! I know I will be! When are you going in November? I'll be back there from the 25th through Dec 2.

So jealous! I booked for next September for Riverside and there were no Alligator Bayou rooms available. Love your pictures! Makes me want to stay there even more!

Awww keep trying if you want to get in. Maybe something will come up. They are beautiful!

YOU STARTED YOUR TR?!?!??!? HOW DID I MISS THIS?!?!?!?! (PS, I'm gonna be IN this! Do you know how exciting that is? lol)


I love youu, and I'm so excited to read all about the parts I wasn't in, and see all the pictures from before.... well, you know what I'm talking about

<3 <3 twins forever

SURPRISE!!!! hehe I actually totally forgot to tell you. I meant to post it on twitter that I posted but that apparently slipped my mind too lol. hahaha I know we're going to be in a few trip reports!!! SO EXCITING.

And I looove yoouuu toooo!!! <3 BTF (Best Twins forever) LMAO lame I know

Stunning TR, love the pictures. I've never been to any resort and this makes me want to visit the AKL.

Thank you!! It's beautiful I would love to stay at AKL sometime too!!

It's so fun to see people from other trip reports pop up in yours!

Love the detailed pictures of your room at PORS. Totally want to stay there on my next trip.

There will be quite a few pop ups!

Thank you! You definitely should I love it there!!!

Why did you not tell me that you started your trip report? Now I need to go back and read it!

hahaha SURPRISE!!!! And thanks for the love on the pictures!!!

Just started your report! Love the pics from Alligator Bayou. We stayed in the Mansion section years ago and were just kind of meh about it. I might have to give PORS another try and stay in the Bayou section! Wow! you hooked up with a lot of people this trip! Can't wait to read the rest.

Thank you!!! I would definitely give it another try and stay in the Bayou section! We loved it!!!!

Oh yay another runDisney TR! Woot!!

I have to ask... when did they refurb the POR rooms like that? That is so not what we had in AB last year!! I had no idea! And oh I am so totally requesting a corner room at any possible resort next time. LOL!

I believe they refurbed them over the course of last year into the beginning of this year? I could be wrong, but I believe that's what it was. Definitely request a corner room! We got lucky we didn't request everything but it definitely lets so much more light in. I love it! And overall it just makes the room that much more beautiful!

OK between you and Courtney starting your TRs from trips that started AFTER mine - I guess I should start mine

Loving all the Riverside pics. After French Quarter we didn't know if we would ever go to Riverside because of the buses...but they seem on par w/the other resorts. And I surprisingly like the AB rooms - I really thought I'd be a Mansion girl if I ever did go Riverside. I guess I'll just have to do both! Can't wait for more!

YES I've been waiiiting!!!! Even though since I've posted mine I haven't read any others. lol. I'm soo behind on everyone else's.

Thank you!!! The buses honestly weren't that bad. We only went around the resort a few times, and it took an extra 5ish minutes. Not bad. You'll just have to go to Riverside!

Great TR so far! I love all your pics of Alligator Bayou! We stayed at POR for the first time last year and were in the mansion section. The alligator bayou rooms look awesome!

Thank you!!!!!!!

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

September 27th

Thursday morning started out with getting up at 6 am for my last run before the big race. I ran around both Port Orleans resorts, it was so beautiful running in Disney..so much better than at home! Unfortunately, even at 6 in the morning it was so hot and humid out…great…I couldn’t imagine what Saturday night was going to be like! (But we’ll find out more on that later) All in all I did a 1.97 mile run around POR and POFQ. Then it was time for breakfast!

But first we needed some coffee

Foggy lens!

For breakfast it was a Mickey Waffle with fruit and bacon for me and a Bounty Platter for mum

Sans Disney napkins…..

We sat right next to all the gears that gets that water wheel goin…right up my alley! So of course I had to get pictures.

Then it was off to the Studios!!! On an empty bus!!! (hah ya right…this was before we picked up at the other stops..)

We arrived at MGM and headed straight to TSM where we grabbed some fastpasses! It just felt so great to be here and I couldn’t believe that in two days’ time I would be running through!

We made our way over to Sunset Blvd after and saw these on the way in front of the Brown Derby. I just might have taken one that was on the ground

My tower!!!

One of my favorites that I took this trip

While I went into the queue Mom got this great shot

With my new found love for manual mode I went a little picture happy!

(Side note: I watched the Tower of Terror movie for the first time the night before we left with the fiancée and it was a super cheesy movie but I loved it!!!! Especially since it shows my beloved Tower! I thought it was a really cute twist on the story line of the ride)

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

While waiting in line the second time on the Tower of Terror I met someone who was from New Zealand! (his name escapes me right now I’m sorry! I think it was Peter?) We got talking about how it was his first trip here and was here until the end of October (lucky!) Then I asked him about The Lord of the Rings being filmed there and how it’s my favorite movie and I would love to go visit where they filmed and he said it was right in his backyard! He also mentioned that he was a security guard during filming..how cool is that???

After two rides on my beloved Tower we headed over to RnRC to meet Aerosmith! (hah I wish close enough though)

My Jonas Brothers <3 (They are so much older now!!)

After finishing up with Sunset we wanted to go see The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, but a show had just started and it would be another 25 minutes until the next one. So instead of waiting we headed on into One Man’s Dream.

It’s like I was there! Hi Walt!

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

The awesome New Fantasyland model!

I am so excited for the Little Mermaid ride!!! I’ve been waiting for this forever!!!!!

We had just enough time to get in line for The Voyage of the Little Mermaid! This girl that sang in this show was probably the best I’ve seen. Now I know there is always arguments on this board as to whether Ariel is lip singing or not, but I can tell you for sure there was no way this girl was lip singing. You could tell. She held that last note on Part of Your World for a reeeeallly long time.

Mom caught this pic just at the right time!

Time to use our TSMM fastpasses!!

We were in Jessie’s car..how fitting

I won as usual, not my best score but I still won!

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

We walked towards the streets of America just taking some pictures and making our way around to the front of the park.

Osborne lights were starting to come together! I can’t wait to see them for the first time in 10 years come November!

Once billboard! Unfortunately, I was not impressed with the Season 2 premiere…it’s like wait we can’t get into fairytale world because it doesn’t exist anymore…but apparently a corner of it does…outta no where…really?? Come on you can do a little better than that…(and now as of this writing we know what I said above isn't true..but I still think it's lost its lackluster. oh well)

Anyone care for some free advice??

If I could only get a picture with Beau….

After watching some Citizens we went off in search of my new Retro Dooney and Burke purse. Which I found!!! But unfortunately, I no longer own it because when I got home I discovered a rip right where the seam of the inside zippered pocket meets the fabric. You can definitely tell it wasn’t sewn properly. So I called Disney and they were nice enough to pay me to ship it back and give me a refund! Since I’m very picky with my patterns I opted to take my chances and buy it when we come back next month. I was super upset but grateful that Disney Merch could help me out!

Until Saturday night Tower!

We hopped on a bus over to the TTC so we could take the ferry over for our last time in the Magic Kingdom this trip (we weren’t worried because we’ll be spending a lot of time here next month)

Ugly Grand Floridian DVC construction

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

Shelley for you!

Ugh what an eyesore

Getting closer!

Cool Halloween display in the Emporium

We were starving again and today it was lunch at Columbia Harbor House!!!!

Mum had the fish while I had the chicken nuggets..for some reason I think the chicken nuggets are the best here. Why I don’t know, but this is the only place I like to eat them from just something about it.

We sat in that brideway that connects Fantasyland to Liberty Square that was really cool! We could see the construction going on over at the new bathrooms.

Me and my former Dooney :’(

After lunch we stopped for some pictures at the Haunted Mansion that we didn’t get yesterday

And made our way over to Frontierland for some fastpasses for BTMRR and Splash Mountain!

We had about an hour to kill before it was time for my ride and we headed on over into my favorite land in the park:

We walked over to the bridge to see if Ariel and Eric were out, but we had just missed them and wouldn’t be back until 4:00. We tried to go see them then as well, but the line was already cut off before they even came back out! Oh well.

A ride on Pirates it was!

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

Hey look! They knew I was coming!

Next up was a stop at…

Orange Bird

This was the first time we ever tried a citrus swirl! OMG it was soooo good. Definitely gives a Dole Whip Float a run for its money. The Mocha Iced Coffee Float was really really good too! Nice and refreshing on a hot Fall’s day!

Well this guy must have had a rough day..

Aladdin and Jasmine we’re out! Wish the line wasn’t so long

We headed back towards Frontierland to cash in my fastpasses!

These are so cute!

Get ready for the “Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!”

Back row!!!!

After not losing my hats and glasses, we headed over to Splash Mountain where…..dun dun dun..it had just broken down!!! And I was not hanging around waiting for it to come back up. We thought about taking the Walt Disney World railroad but the line was insane!! So we walked over towards Tomorrowland instead.

A broken Splash…

Here we are!

We decided to head on over to the Peoplemover…now with a line like this you know it’s a busy day in the Kingdom…

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

The sky was getting eerie looking…

At this point my handy dandy My Disney Experience app told me Splash Mountain was back up and running again. They told us our fastpass would be good all day after it broke so off we headed to catch the train over…will I ever get on Splash Mountain?? We might end up encountering another kind of “splash” instead….

We got right under the fantasyland station overhang just when it started to do this:

We were under the overhang for a looong time. I texted Darolyn and she was over at EPCOT where it wasn’t raining at the time. Then about 10 minutes later she texted me again to say it started downpouring. The train continued to run until it started thundering and lightning. Unfortunately, they had to get everyone off the train and push everyone back from the tracks. As everyone was trying to make room they just kept pushing the line back. The thundering had subsided a little bit and we threw on our ponchos and braved the rain!!!

We headed into Tomorrowland only to see this:

And because of the bad storm they took the crane down from the castle..SCORE!

One can never have enough castle pictures

We started making our way towards Main Street and the exit because we had a date with Yeehaw Bob back at the resort!! (and @mamamouse too!) So we never made it over to Splash Mountain…

We headed over to get another pack of Sorcerer cards and mom had an issue with her annual pass so she had to get a new one and while she did I took a lot of pictures…

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

Yes I know..I had to get a picture of my engagement ring in Disney World!!!

The light on the castle from the setting sun was just beautiful and I couldn’t pass it up!

Bye Magic Kingdom L Until November!

Back at the resort…

Little presents!

Headed back down to the lobby and saw this!!!!!

Time for some yummy drinks!

This was Pimm’s Punch….soooo good.

Mom had the Superfruit Magarita…in which was not the drink she wanted…I had ordered her the wrong one lol

We also had some Nachos!!!! Yummmm

And now it was time for the show!!!

Me leading the way to “When the Saint’s Go Marching In”

Look who came to join us for Bob’s second set!!! @mamamouse!!!!!!!

In the Conga Line…I think lol

The best bartender in the world! I <3 John! If you’re out there reading this I just want to thank you for making our time so memorable at the River Roost! Can’t wait to see you again in November (hopefully!)

Teaching us what to do when he blows the horn

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Thank you!!!! You will definitely have to! It's so relaxing and the time flies!!!! Glad to hear we weren't the only ones eh about Boma dessert. Maybe I need to give it another shot. Take yours definitely! I know I will be! When are you going in November? I'll be back there from the 25th through Dec 2.

It's always tough when things like zebra domes are so hyped. You go in with such high expectations that the product can't meet. I probably will bring the tripod just b/c it folds up nicely and we should have plenty of space. The worst it will do is just sit there. We are going to miss you guys by a few days. We're going to WDW from Nov 15-21st. We have the next few days in south FL and then I'm hoping to be back home by Nov 25th.

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

Love Bob and Carrie!!!!!

Our drinkys!

It was so great to meet @mamamouse tonight! She is the sweetest person ever and here’s to the beginning of a looooong friendship!!! Unfortunately she had to leave after his second set and head to bed because they had an early breakfast in the morning but we would see her again!

We stayed for Bob’s third set

After his show ended we called it a night and headed back to the room. If anyone hasn’t seen Yeehaw Bob you must!!! What a way to wind down at the end of a long day at the parks. It has become a Must-Do everytrip!

Next day coming your way soon Thanks for reading!

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

It's always tough when things like zebra domes are so hyped. You go in with such high expectations that the product can't meet. I probably will bring the tripod just b/c it folds up nicely and we should have plenty of space. The worst it will do is just sit there. We are going to miss you guys by a few days. We're going to WDW from Nov 15-21st. We have the next few days in south FL and then I'm hoping to be back home by Nov 25th.

Awwww too bad our trips didn't overlap Maybe sometime in the future!

 

[mamamouse]

OMG jess what do u mean FORMER dooney?what happened to it?
and that table by the gears n stuff is my fave one in PORS.