Trip Report JenniferS was live! 9/6/17 - 9/16/17

This will be my fourth live trip report in a year, and after NYC last week, I thought Hubby had reached his limit, but he says, "No, go ahead, do a live trip report. It lets me control the tv while you talk to your friends." (As we meet more of my WDWDisney friends, he uses finger quotes around "friends" less and less.)

So, here we go, another live trip report. I really don't have the will to do a post trip report, so it's "live" or nothing. Once I'm out of the bubble, I'm out.

Introductions.

That would be me, Jennifer, on the left. Big Disney fan, big Blue Jays fan, big Hubby fan. Ace, in the middle - although he will always be BJ Birdie to me. Hubby, Mike, on the right. Although Mike is the one who first introduced me to Disney in 1991, it's not really his thing. He goes with me most years to make me happy. And also for the food.

As with our past three trips, we will be spending 11 days, 10 nights at Coronado Springs Resort. We booked a BounceBack offer before checking out last year, before knowing how much construction would be going on. Oh well, it is what it is. And what it is, is my favourite resort in my Happy Place; so it's all good.

We have a Preferred King room booked, which means Casitas 1, 2, or 3. Nonetheless, I think I will be sending in a room preference fax tomorrow asking for a refurbed King room in either 7A or 8A. I'll be happy either way. I am ridiculously easy to please whilst in WDW.

Yes, I am one of those Free Dining parasites. By booking the BB offer last year, we are actually getting the full DDP for free, instead of having to upgrade from QDP. I put great thought and effort into our ADR's. Mike is a big guy and eats a lot. The heat and humidity really kills my appetite, so Mike eats at least half of my meals too. (I've recently packed on 20 pounds, so that may be a good thing.)

Next up, our somewhat loosey goosey itinerary.

 

[JenniferS]

Sometimes I love Fastpass Plus. Sometimes I hate it. Either way, it's here, and I use it. It has certainly changed the way we tour the parks, that's for sure.

Our plane arrives at MCO just after 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, 9/6. As always, we've rented a car, so should be at the resort before noon. Last year, our Preferred King room was ready and we checked in and unpacked before hitting the parks. Last year's room ended up being an accessible room. Won't do that again. The bed was very low. I have a bad hip, and had trouble getting out of it. Mike is all of 6' 8" and felt like he was sleeping in a toddler bed.

We have three FP's booked for Epcot in the early afternoon. MS: Green, Spaceship Earth, and Frozenstrom. We're planning on having lunch at Sunshine Seasons. Magic 8-Ball says pork chops and strawberry shortcake, times two.

I am thrilled that they've eliminated the QSR dessert, as so few of them are worth eating. Sunshine Seasons and Kringla are notable exceptions for me. I loves me some School Bread. These guys, not so much:

After Epcot, we will head to MK, or back to CSR, if our room had not been ready.

Dinner for tonight is at Skipper's Canteen. This is new for both of us. If anyone has eaten here, we are definitely looking for recommendations. Mike eats pretty much anything. I've been known to be a little picky, but not obnoxiously so.

Tonight is definitely our night to see Happily Ever After. I am so excited for this. While I loved Wishes (we made a special trip to the Poly in March to see it from the beach one last time), it was definitely time for a change. We ate at 'Ohana that night, so I left it off of our list for this trip; something I am still regretting.

 

[JenniferS]

Quick breakdown of Days 2-6

9/7 - MK to start. Lunch at BOG
FP's for Space, 7 Dwarfs, and Big Thunder.
Evening at Epcot. Dinner at Garden Grill.

9/8 - Looks like DHS for the whole day.
FP's for TSMM, ToT, and the Frozen Singalong.
Mike will be at the Tune in Lounge while I visit Arendelle. Be sure to seek him out. My 50-year old pathetic, middle aged self LOVES the Singalong. I will sing. I will have a good time. I will embarrass myself. I will not care.

The closing of GMR so close to our trip is sad, but it just means we'll visit Indy for the first time in a few years. We will also stroll over to the Boardwalk so Mike can get some Ample Hills ice cream. He ONLY got to go there four times! last year, poor baby.
Lunch MAY be at PizzeRizzo. Dinner ADR is at Cape May. Should be done in time to make it back to see Star Wars fireworks.

9/9 - The day that should have been my Daddy's 70th birthday. Smoking is bad, people. Don't do it.
Today we are sleeping in. First FP's aren't until 3:00, so we'll probably have a late breakfast and hang out at the pool - weather permitting. Tonight is our Tusker House/ROL dining package. Eating at 4:45. Ugh! FP's are for Dinosaur, FOP, and KS.

9/10 - Back to MK.
FP's for 7DMT, PPF, and Space Mountain. We love Space Mountain. It ain't Disney if you're not crippled by the end of the trip.
Evening ADR's at Chef Art's Homecoming in Disney Springs. During our Spring Training trip in March, we spent the better part of two days at Disney Springs, so less time will be spent here as compared to last year.

9/11 - It's an early morning for us. We are doing the Wild Africa Trek at 8:45. This is a first for us. Mike doesn't like heights, but I just got him up to the top of One World Observatory and Top of the Rock last week, so he should be fine. REMIND ME TO PACK RUNNING SHOES!
FP's are for FoP, Dinosaur, and Expedition Everest.
I have a rest planned for the afternoon. Rest is code for nap. After our rest, we are headed to DHS. ADR's are for Sci Fi Diner. The food is pedestrian, but the atmosphere is fun, and boy oh boy, I do like milkshakes.
Maybe done in time for Fantasmic!; if not we'll watch the SW fireworks again.

 

[JenniferS]

Days 7-11:

9/12 - Headed to MK for the first part of the day. No FP's booked, but by hook or by crook, this is the day we will watch the 3:00 parade. (At 2:00, of course.)
I am ashamed to say that we have yet to see the Festival of Fantasy parade. Mostly because we're not daytime parade people, but partly because our timing is always off. My calendar says Geyser Point for lunch, but the smart money says we'll probably eat at Columbia Harbour House.
Mid afternoon FP's at Epcot for Frozenstrom, Character Spot, and SSE. Last year, Soarin' waits were 5-10 minutes generally, so I have not used any FP's for it. TT has single rider, so no Tier 1 FP's wasted here either. Besides, I love Frozen. Have I mentioned that? And Mike loves me, so Frozenstrom it is.
Dinner tonight is at our favourite/second favourite restaurant (depends on the year), Yachtsman Steakhouse. Can you say onion pull aparts?

9/13 - Looks like another resort morning. Lunch at Pepper Market. Some swimming if Mother Nature cooperates.
Mid afternoon FP's at MK for 7DMT, Space Mountain, and PPF. Dinner is at BOG - a first for Mike. I haven't had dinner here since dress rehearsals the year they opened. I just want to see Beast, quite frankly. Should be out in time for a lousy viewing location of HEA.

9/14 - My calendar says MK with no FP's in the morning. Consider this to be flexible.
Lunch at Kringla Bakery or Sunshine Seasons.
FP's for Frozenstrom (duh), SSE, and LwtL.
Dinner will be at Via Napoli with @Eric1955; although I'm sure this will not be our first time meeting up with him.

9/15 - Calendar says DHS in the morning. Time will tell. MK mid-afternoon FP's for 7DMT, Space Mountain and BTMR.
Dinner is Mike's favourite, my second favourite, Narcoossee's. This has become our go-to last evening meal. Expect Mike to have steak and 2/3 of my lobster.

9/16 - Sadly, this is it. Up early to pack up the car, book our BounceBack if we haven't done it already, and drive over to the Poly. Might as well end on a high note. Brekkie at Kona with @Eric1955. He has never eaten there before. I will get the macadamia nut pancakes (with bacon NOT sausage), and Mikey will have to get something other than the discontinued Big Kahuna.
There should be enough time to head to DS, maybe pick up a Dooney, and spend the last of our Snack Credits on stuff for the kids.
We finally bought the Big Stitchie during our Spring Training road trip, so I can stuff the duffel bag with whatever I want.

Last year's live trip report:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/jennifers-is-live-9-7-16-9-17-16.918342/

That's it for now. I'll be live in less than 10 days!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

It will be fun to follow your adventures again!

 

[Zipadeelady]

Count me in!

 

[Songbird76]

Quick breakdown of Days 2-6


9/8 - Looks like DHS for the whole day.
FP's for TSMM, ToT, and the Frozen Singalong.
Mike will be at the Tune in Lounge while I visit Arendelle. Be sure to seek him out. My 50-year old pathetic, middle aged self LOVES the Singalong. I will sing. I will have a good time. I will embarrass myself. I will not care.

We did this last Summer and I think my husband loved it for the sole fact he loves watching me and my DD totally geek out. I think he watched us more than he watched the show. We both love singing and we know most of the words. DS enjoyed it, but I don't think he sang along much, but then, he doesn't know the words.

9/9 - The day that should have been my Daddy's 70th birthday. Smoking is bad, people. Don't do it.

Sorry about your father. How long ago did he pass?

Evening ADR's at Chef Art's Homecoming in Disney Springs.

Ever since @ajrwdwgirl 's TRs I have been dying to go here! I'll be interested to hear your opinion...everyone seems to love it. It will be a while before we can make a trip, but this is now at the top of my wishlist to try!!

 

[JenniferS]

We did this last Summer and I think my husband loved it for the sole fact he loves watching me and my DD totally geek out. I think he watched us more than he watched the show. We both love singing and we know most of the words. DS enjoyed it, but I don't think he sang along much, but then, he doesn't know the words.


Sorry about your father. How long ago did he pass?



Ever since @ajrwdwgirl 's TRs I have been dying to go here! I'll be interested to hear your opinion...everyone seems to love it. It will be a while before we can make a trip, but this is now at the top of my wishlist to try!!

My dad passed away 7+ years ago, at the age of 62. Lung cancer. My mom, 18 months later, also at the age of 62, also from a smoking related condition.

We ate at Chef Art's last year.
Looks like I deleted the rest of the pics.

I think this was Mike's favourite non-Signature meal.
He had the pulled pork, and I had the chicken, but had zero appetite that day, so Mike had the pulled pork AND the chicken. That was the only night that he admits to having over-eaten. We got dessert to go. I ate my donuts later that night. He had his for breakfast the next morning.
ETA - link to last year's review, assuming I've done it right. http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/jennifers-is-live-9-7-16-9-17-16.918342/page-35#post-7403170

 

[JenniferS]

I am absolutely regretting not booking 'Ohana for dinner. My brother and family ate there last week and texted me pictures all meal long.

On a whim, I checked to see if there was ANYTHING available during our upcoming trip. There isn't.

Mike says not to worry, we'll just go again during our Spring Training Road Trip - part deux. So yay! looks like we're going back to Florida in March. (Pretty sure that had already been decided on the way home this trip.)

Unfortunately, the Jays don't traditionally release their Spring Training schedule until mid-November; well into the 180-day ADR booking window.

I'll keep checking for the next two weeks anyway. You never know.

 

[Trisha Lynn]

You'll be leaving the day before I get there, so of course I'm following!

 

[JenniferS]

This is a trick I learned from my MIL. Saves fumbling around every morning for a bunch of singles. When the boys were little, they used to love to decorate the envelopes with Dollar Store Disney themed stickers.

For some reason, they won't do it anymore. I'm not sure if it's because they're not invited along on this trip, or because they're now in their 20's.

 

[susan lees]

Looking forward to your report

 

[JenniferS]

So close! Our Magicbands are actually purple (mine) and blue (Mike).

As you may or may not know, Disney does not ship Magicbands internationally, so we have to go to the resort to get them. Luckily, our rooms have always been ready early. Fingers crossed our luck holds out again this year.

I faxed in a specific room location request on Wednesday, so I'm really hoping that pans out as well.

 

[JenniferS]

I sent Mike the WDWMagic link to all of the F&WF kiosks and menus, as well as reviews and pics from some bloggers we're not allowed to name here.

He just texted me back, saying he wants one of everything. With the changes to the DDP this year, we have 40! Snack Credits. I need two - one for a Dole Whip float, one for a School Bread. That leaves 38 for him. Have at it, buddy.

And oh yeah, given that we have to leave for the airport by 3:30 am (which is my usual bedtime), we are down to TWO MORE SLEEPS!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I sent Mike the WDWMagic link to all of the F&WF kiosks and menus, as well as reviews and pics from some bloggers we're not allowed to name here.

He just texted me back, saying he wants one of everything. With the changes to the DDP this year, we have 40! Snack Credits. I need two - one for a Dole Whip float, one for a School Bread. That leaves 38 for him. Have at it, buddy.

And oh yeah, given that we have to leave for the airport by 3:30 am (which is my usual bedtime), we are down to TWO MORE SLEEPS!

I can't wait to read about your adventures and see what Mike eats! I love Food and Wine but I doubt I'll be able to go this year, so I can't wait to "eat" along calorie free!

 

[JenniferS]

Ha! I did it. I was patient. I was diligent. I was blessed. (Actually not patient, but let's not quibble.)

I got 'Ohana. On arrival day. At 8:00.

This means no front row MSUSA viewing of HEA that night, but we've still got our BoG dinner night.

Mike loves 'Ohana! And my word, we have never eaten here so early. We're usually booked in for what I refer to as the 9:45 "cattle call".

I fear he is going to like it less without his "girlfriend". I'm going to like it more.

 

[JenniferS]

I am happy to report that Mike is more into this trip than he has been for years. He's been checking wait times on MDE, scouring F&WF menus, and investigating POR, which is where we're thinking of booking our BounceBack for next year.

He also wants to drive over to check out Bahama Bay in Lake Davenport. We've been looking at condos on Zillow for about a year, and this is where we've sort of decided we want to be. In a perfect world, we were planning to have purchased by early Summer 2018. Unfortunately, there's been a decided downturn in the new home market up here, and with both of us being 100% commission paid, we need to move cautiously; in case things don't pick up in a timely fashion.

I'm thinking 'Ohana, girlfriend or no, has ticked his final box. One more sleep.

 

[JenniferS]

This is how I normally look and feel 12 hours before boarding our flight to MCO:

For obvious reasons, I'm a little less excited this trip.

Spoiler

I'm hoping, praying actually, that we haven't made a huge mistake.

I have a friend in Orlando who is trying to pick up some bottled water for us, but just in case, we're packing 12 bottles.

Again, praying that these don't leak in our luggage.

In an abundance of caution, I've cancelled our Wild Africa Trek for the 11th.

This has the potential to be the most exciting trip report I've ever done, or the most boring - depending on how many pics of gin rummy hands you're willing to look at. If I had my druthers, it will just be a "regular" trip report. Some sun, some rain, some good food, some great rides, and no massive hurricane destruction.

As is our custom, we always say a word of prayer in the driveway, asking the Lord to bless our trip, keep us safe, and back in the day ... for the boys to get along. I'll be praying extra hard this morning. I'm Pentecostal. Trust me, I know how to pray.

Catch y'all on our way out the door at 3:30 this morning.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Have a great time and stay safe!

 

[NYwdwfan]

This is how I normally look and feel 12 hours before boarding our flight to MCO:
View attachment 226815

For obvious reasons, I'm a little less excited this trip.

Spoiler

View attachment 226816

I'm hoping, praying actually, that we haven't made a huge mistake.

I have a friend in Orlando who is trying to pick up some bottled water for us, but just in case, we're packing 12 bottles.
View attachment 226817

Again, praying that these don't leak in our luggage.

In an abundance of caution, I've cancelled our Wild Africa Trek for the 11th.

This has the potential to be the most exciting trip report I've ever done, or the most boring - depending on how many pics of gin rummy hands you're willing to look at. If I had my druthers, it will just be a "regular" trip report. Some sun, some rain, some good food, some great rides, and no massive hurricane destruction.

As is our custom, we always say a word of prayer in the driveway, asking the Lord to bless our trip, keep us safe, and back in the day ... for the boys to get along. I'll be praying extra hard this morning. I'm Pentecostal. Trust me, I know how to pray.

Catch y'all on our way out the door at 3:30 this morning.

Whatever happens, you and Mike will make memories like you always do. Safe travels and as always, keep us posted.