Trip Report Magic, Mayhem, and a Mass Evacuation! An 8/31-9-7 trip report

The cast-
Me, Disneyshe 11th trip
Hubby, Disney B 11th trip
DS, Jack 10th trip
DL, Tink 2nd trip
Grandson, Tow Mater 2nd trip
Grandson, Lil Eli (1st trip)

Where- Old Key West, 1 Br Vila

This was our first stay at a Deluxe and I will go ahead and say there is no way, even for a couple of days I think that I could stay even at a moderate again. I loved the space, I loved the atmosphere. Even if we were not DVC, we treated like we were. I cried, when they told us Welcome Home, more than once actually.

We had driven down on 8/30 and stayed at Jekyll Island. We got up at 4:00 am in hopes to get there pretty early and take the kids to Magic Kingdom. Traffic, which is now my worst enemy, did not allow for that. It was miserable and flat out scary! By the time we made it to the resort I was a nervous wreck and could have had 2 breakfast Bloody Mary's or a sedative. This is probably why my husband likes to drive at night. In my defense, now that my son drives, I worry like crazy about him too.

I missed the sunrise going through the gate, I love that, but the good news was we got the text our room was ready!

Volcano Bay right on the side of the road on I-4 was crazy! At least I am assuming that is what this was. Never been to Universal and don't keep up much with news on it.

Arrival

Welcome Home

Loving the Old Key West room!

(Not sure of the photo posts, so continuing)

 

[DisneyGigi]

Miles walked, at Epcot. Now this was my kinda day, go til you drop! We went all the way back through Epcot where we had parked. I am a go-goer, this day felt like a Disney trip. When the kids were teens, it was nothing for us to walk 15 miles a day. I used to always say I can rest and sleep at home lol.

Cape May, DS, enjoying all you can eat crab legs for the last time. We all ate til we were almost sick.

Back to the resort for an early day at DHS and AK before seeing Happily Ever After and last dinner at 'Ohana!

 

[DisneyGigi]

Our last full day and I finally got to spend some time just with my baby boy. I love my little grandbaby to the moon and back and our older Grandson my son adopted. I love my big boy though and missed our Disney time just the two of us. We have always, except for a few bumps during the teenage years, been extremely close. I am blessed beyond belief in that I never go a day without him calling me. Even if he is busy, he will text. I am so grateful for him, words cannot ever express how much I love him. He is literally my world.
As much as I looked forward to the baby's first trip, I also needed to go back with my original baby! I got that special Disney time going to DHS, where just he and I rode RnRC and ToT. We have a thing for certain pictures and we did our selfie right before entering the building at RnRC. We also, knew what face to make, without a word to each other. The top is he and I 2014, the bottom this year. My Disney trip was now a Disney trip!

I think DH and Tow Mater rode Toy Story Mania while we had our mom/son time. We headed out to go to AK, because he also had not been on EE yet. On the way out we caught a few stormtroopers.

Selfie 2017,

2009 selfie, granted I was scrunching my face up, in the 2017 selfie, but I really miss my 36 year old face. :-/ And I am thinking I am going back to my own color, even if it does a have a little gray, He was just 14! Lord, time flies!

Our RnRc pics -

ToT pic-

Stormtroopers!!

Then we moved on to AK, for EE, Kali, and Flame Tree BBQ!

 

[susan lees]

Love the 2009 photo. Your son must be about the same age as my son and I remember that awkward age in 2009 lol. My son also loves everything Disney and is just back from working a year in epcot but he always comes along with us if he can which I love

 

[DisneyGigi]

Love the 2009 photo. Your son must be about the same age as my son and I remember that awkward age in 2009 lol. My son also loves everything Disney and is just back from working a year in epcot but he always comes along with us if he can which I love

I bet that was awesome for him being Epcot! They grow up way too fast!

 

[susan lees]

I bet that was awesome for him being Epcot! They geow up way too fast!

Way to fast. He loved it. He was on the cultural program as we're from the UK and he's hoping to go back next year. It was great for us as we just had to visit him twice during his stay lol

 

[DisneyGigi]

I had worried so much about making sure everybody got to have fun, and I was totally stressed that DS had not got to ride EE yet. We went in, headed straight to EE and he and I rode twice. Tow Mater and DH watched us ride and he even spotted us coming down. The skies opened up and it poured, we headed to Flame Tree BBQ, because we always, always eat here, still pouring like crazy. I took Tow Mater to try to find a seat under the sheds, all full! The bad part was it was not people eating for the most part, just sitting to get out of the rain. We finally got a table, right when the boys brought our food out. We were drenched, from head to toe. I did manage one pic of the food, but we all got the combo anyway.

It stopped raining for the most part while we ate, on the way out, I saw my beloved birds. Gorgeous creatures!

I am a total animal nut. I have a turkey that has been here for a year, we thought she was a he, I named him Joseph, until he disappeared in spring and came back a few months later, with a baby. Jospehine it is and we think, the baby may be a Jake... but who knows lol. Point being, whether it be birds, rabbits, chipmunks, or deer, I love them all.

As we walked on through, I saw from the corner of my eye, King Louie, all alone with Baloo, and photopass photographers. He was motioning for us to come up and see them. I guess maybe they got stuck in the rain, because it wasn't at their spot. Tow Mater, did actually give him 5 but would not get any closer. I wish he would let loose with the characters and not be afraid. This was an improvement though!

I could not pass up and opportunity to have a quick picture with DH. I edited it, to crop out my hanging shirt, and sopping shorts. :-/

So, what to do, when already soaked? Time to ride Kali, Tow Mater had been wanting to ride!

When did they take the storage area out?? I remember reading about it but thought it was only a test. A very special thank you to the lady riding with a poncho, that saw me stressing over my Haunted Mansion Dooney getting soaked, she held it for me under her poncho.
Tow Mater loved this ride! The only person willing to ride it again with him was me. So off, we went, while the boys rode EE again. I was his most favorite person for doing it again.. lol

The boys on EE,

We took Tow Mater to Dinorama, is it still Chester & Hester's? Anyway DH rode Tricera Top spin thingie twice with Tow Mater, while DS and I sat on a bench remembering when he and his sister used to play those games forever, a good 8-10 years ago. <3
Crazy, I can close my eyes, and be right back there, good to know, he remembers it with the same fondness that I do.

We headed out to go back and change, DS and wife, were going to have an evening, while we kept the boys. We were going to try to go to MK, but Tow Mater, was tired and a shot ill, so instead we let them chill and watch tv at the resort, before heading to the Poly, for our last 'Ohana meal.

DS and DiL went to DHS, rode RnRC and ToT,

I do have to point out that, if Disney can add a magic shot... can they not crop out shorty shorts, in the photo?? I do not have a thing against short, shorts. I wear them. (Not that short!) But... if your hiney cheek is visible, that is way more offensive than some on RnRC, making a hand gesture.. just sayin'

Her face on RnRC cracks me up!

Happily Ever After from the beach at Poly coming up, and 'Ohana!!

 

[DisneyGigi]

We checked in at the Poly, then walked outside to catch the fireworks. Tow Mater, was still fussy, but I don't think that really made a difference for me with the show. If we had taken it in, where we could have seen the projections on the castle, maybe, I would have felt different. I don't think so, though. It was pretty, the fireworks great. It just doesn't have the Wishes emotions. As a child, my mom showed me the first star, told me the wish to make, I always wished to go to Disney World. We traveled all over Florida, but my dad wanted to visit all the beaches, I am grateful for those experiences, but wish he would have taken us, when were there, so close twice a year. The first time, our 3rd trip, when Fantasy in the Sky changed to Wishes, I flat bawled. Wishes was personal, for me at least. This show was pretty, but nothing can top Wishes for me. Long story short, pretty, but it didn't make me cry.

The amount of happiness I had when, Cousin Roy was our server again! He is flat out awesome. Always so fun to talk to and just like last year he teased DH about the shrimp, his favorite, giving us plenty, and him just one. He got his fill, but have to say, having a server this great, makes an already amazing meal even better. Thank you Roy, again for making such a fun meal.

 

[DisneyGigi]

Plans were to go back to MK, since we spent no time there, Irma, kept us from that. Photos from Old Key West and random photos before we left, and the horror that was driving home.. I actually saw people on the side of I-95, playing guitar and singing on the side of the road, which was not much more than a parking lot.. on a 15 hour drive... even though we are 8, maybe 8 1/2 hours from WDW.

 

[DisneyGigi]

We didn't decide until listening to the weather to skip MK. We went and had breakfast at Old Key West after loading everything.

 

[DisneyGigi]

Time to say goodbye to Walt Disney World, I had one last stop, I had to make. I do not shop that much while at Disney, actually did not spend a dime, except on drinks, and tips, besides toys for the kids.. hurricaine, or not, nothing was stopping me from 10 dollar Yankee Candles! Been obsessed with them since the mid - late 80s when I was a teen and we had to get them sent to us from Massachusetts.
My stash!

After that it was non stop, backed up traffic, until we got past Columbia SC. I have never seen anything like it, people driving like maniacs, thank God we got gas, somewhere in SC. I hate riding, and crazy traffic scares me to death. I finally went to sleep near Columbia and woke up when we were almost home. We have done the whole hurricane season thing since 2007. I am done, not going back again this time of the year. It was the longest 15 hours of my life, and with the way people were driving, the scariest.

Final thoughts and pics that did not fit in report up next.

 

[amjt660]

Glad you got home safe
We did 1 August trip and that was it for us
No Humid August or Hurricane season for this group

Great report
Love the post about your son and your amazing relationship with him

And would most of us want our 36 year old face and body back??

Max

 

[DisneyGigi]

Glad you got home safe
We did 1 August trip and that was it for us
No Humid August or Hurricane season for this group

Great report
Love the post about your son and your amazing relationship with him

And would most of us want our 36 year old face and body back??

Max

Thanks Max. I never minded the heat in years past but it was pretty toasty this time. The traffic and ride back was a deal breaker for me. I think we are going to stick with early May and maybe late Feb/March from now on.
And yes, I guess we all would take our younger face back!

 

[DisneyGigi]

Final thoughts.. It is not as easy for a family within a family to have as much fun as you did, when everybody was on the same page. It, even with the bumps, was still a good trip. I can say, going into it, the only thing I cared about was going again with my son and his little boy. The baby had the best attitude, so much like his daddy! I think he gets it? Maybe it is genetic? I was stressed more on this trip than I ever have been. Life lesson learned, each trip is different, it can't, and won't be a carbon copy - of yesterday. At the end of the day, I slept under the same roof, and walked on Disney ground with my boy, and introduced his boy to the Wonderful World of Disney. Nothing else was needed to make it perfect. ;-)

 

[fractal]

We checked in at the Poly, then walked outside to catch the fireworks. Tow Mater, was still fussy, but I don't think that really made a difference for me with the show. If we had taken it in, where we could have seen the projections on the castle, maybe, I would have felt different. I don't think so, though. It was pretty, the fireworks great. It just doesn't have the Wishes emotions. As a child, my mom showed me the first star, told me the wish to make, I always wished to go to Disney World. We traveled all over Florida, but my dad wanted to visit all the beaches, I am grateful for those experiences, but wish he would have taken us, when were there, so close twice a year. The first time, our 3rd trip, when Fantasy in the Sky changed to Wishes, I flat bawled. Wishes was personal, for me at least. This show was pretty, but nothing can top Wishes for me. Long story short, pretty, but it didn't make me cry.
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The amount of happiness I had when, Cousin Roy was our server again! He is flat out awesome. Always so fun to talk to and just like last year he teased DH about the shrimp, his favorite, giving us plenty, and him just one. He got his fill, but have to say, having a server this great, makes an already amazing meal even better. Thank you Roy, again for making such a fun meal.
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Something very magical about watching Fireworks from the Poly beach! Wishes was great, but save your final opinion on HEA until you see it in MK. It really is a worthy successor IMO.

 

[amjt660]

At the end of the day, I slept under the same roof, and walked on Disney ground with my boy, and introduced his boy to the Wonderful World of Disney. Nothing else was needed to make it perfect. ;-)

For the win!!

Great wrap up of a great report

Next trip is.....?????

Max

 

[DisneyGigi]

Something very magical about watching Fireworks from the Poly beach! Wishes was great, but save your final opinion on HEA until you see it in MK. It really is a worthy successor IMO.

I think, had I not been stressed, trying to entertain Tow Mater, and if I saw the projections, it would have been better.

 

[DisneyGigi]

For the win!!

Great wrap up of a great report

Next trip is.....?????

Max

Looking like May. Flower and Garden, just us two.

 

[rshell68]

Thanks for sharing! So sorry about the MNSSHP cancellation...you worked so hard on those awesome costumes!! Glad you can use them for Halloween though.

 

[DisneyGigi]

Thanks for sharing! So sorry about the MNSSHP cancellation...you worked so hard on those awesome costumes!! Glad you can use them for Halloween though.

Thank you! It was still a great trip just a little stressful at times.

 

[LowesChevy]

I love that you got to spend some solo time with your son! I will be sure to make sure my mom gets that opportunity on our upcoming trip. I jockeyed our FP+ around pretty good to keep the grand kids occupied while the adults trade off riding the e-tickets.

I totally know what it feels like to have it all planned and then you know what hits the fan. We have had some interesting things happen to us over the years. One advantage to having meals, parks and restaurants planned 30 or more days out is that all you have to do is show up and enjoy! No need to figure out what you are doing each morning, what park, where to eat, what to ride first.However the downside of course is when you get pitched a curve ball! People fall ill, they break bones or teeth, it pours rain one day, all day or just when the parade comes or rains out the party, maybe someone throws a tantrum, kids and adults alike. It is tough with little ones, especially since they can't tell you what is wrong or what they want all of the time. There isn't a lot of flexibility if you missed a favorite restaurant, FP time, miss out on the MNSSHP or hurricanes eating into your vacation.

The great news for me is that my brother left all of the planning up to me for our upcoming trip. He had no input and he won't complain. I know we will have a wonderful time. If things get crinkled up, yeah I will get upset, but I did my best. I am sure you did as well.

I hope you all get to go again real soon!