Trip Report "The Best Disney Trip EVER"

Hello, hello everyone!! A warm welcome to everyone reading--I'm so glad you're here!!

WHEN: Tuesday, November 5th - Tuesday, November 12th

WHERE: I think you know us well enough by now!!

WHO: I'm sure you know most of us(don't worry--I'm not going to confuse you all like I did in June;)). In case you don't though, there's me, my nephew J, & my sister E. Besides us usual 3 Musketeers, E's husband/J's dad/my BIL joined us for the fun!! To keep confusion to a minimum for this TR I will refer to him as JSR.
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You could also call us "The Red Family". When E asked J what color MB he wanted he said that he wanted red & that we should all get that color so we could be "The Red Family". I know you can't see E's but trust me, her's was red also.

Looking forward to reliving "The Best Disney Trip EVER" with you all!!

Tuesday, November 5th

The plan was to leave E & JSR's at 7:00. I went to work for 5:30 to get a few last minute things done--also so that I could say to my boss that I was only off for 7 days, not 8. He teases me that "vacations are 7 days not 8". After doing some work & him teasing me a bit I was off on my merry way!! I got to their house only to find out that JSR was still packing!!:jawdrop: E was not thrilled in the least. He must have been close to being done though b/c we were only delayed a few minutes.

Then came the next delay. It was Election Day and E & JSR wanted to due their civic duty. I sat in the car with J & we talked Disney while we waited.
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And, in typical Pittsburgh fashion, it was raining.
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Rush hour traffic + heavy rain = a slow commute to the airport. I don't know what it is with this town but it seems like no one can drive in the rain around here. Trust me, we get more than our fair share of it so you think people would be used to it.
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As we were waiting to check our luggage in the woman behind us noticed our luggage tags & said that she was going to Disney also and was staying at Caribbean Beach. She asked if this was our first time going which prompted JSR to throw in a few digs about us & the frequency of our trips. I think he's just jealous ;)
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The Southwest agent was slower than molasses but after 10 minutes or so it was our turn.
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JSR made fun of me all week b/c of this. I had two suitcases. The small one weighed 20 lbs & this one was 36.5. He kept saying, "How did you manage to bring 56 lbs. of clothes?" As it turned out, due to his last minute packing there were quite a few things that he forgot so I told him at least I didn't have that problem. He also told me not to tell E about what he had forgot b/c he didn't want to hear her say "I told you so".
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E went to park the car while the J's & I proceeded to security. But wait, I couldn't go just yet. For whatever reason the Southwest agent left one of the suitcases behind. After unsuccessfully trying to get his attention for about 5 minutes I finally interrupted him & asked him to please put it on the belt. I was getting nervous that it would somehow get forgotten. He looked at me with a surprised look on his face & said he didn't notice it there. Really??
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On the "monorail" we go!!
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH/WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH

So, I totally forgot to mention 2 things that unfortunately didn't happen on this trip but the possibility was there so I have to mention it. And, b/c they didn't happen I don't have any notes written down which is probably why I forgot.

About 4 years ago R & I were eating at Olive Garden. When I paid the bill I handed the bartender my Disney Visa card. Well, that opened the floodgates. He's a big Disney fan. He had waited on us many times prior to that & we always made small talk with him but that card took our friendship to a new level!! He was supposed to be in Disney late October & was leaving on the 6th so we planned to meet on the 5th for a drink in Disney Springs. Unfortunately, he ended up having to cancel his trip at the last minute due to an illness in the family so we didn't get to meet up like we planned. Lucky for him though he is there now!!

I received a message from @krause & @AKemily that their trip was going to overlap with mine. Unfortunately, none of our plans matched up. The possibility of meeting up for a YeHaa Bob show was discussed. But, that day @krause had a little one under the weather so that never happened either :cry: That would have been so much fun!! But, here's the way I'm looking at it. That's the 2nd time we were in Disney at the same time so I'm thinking the 3rd times the charm, right??🤞 And @AKemily I have to say that I'm still jealous that you met E but not me!!
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
I’m betting those amenities are just “for show.” I have never seen a Disney toothbrush as a standard amenity, even at the club level. The mouthwash has always been in our Deluxe rooms (and possibly at Gran Destino, can’t remember for sure.) I have spoken to two different resort duty managers over the last year who have confirmed the cutting back of soaps, lotion, etc. and replenishments are no longer left daily (as they used to be.)
The mouthwash has been at Coronado for a few years so probably was in Gran Destino, but what was missing was the lotion, notepad, pen the whole time in our room! I love that lotion. :(
(Mousekeeping as a whole was off for us last stay though)
 

susan lees

Well-Known Member
The mouthwash has been at Coronado for a few years so probably was in Gran Destino, but what was missing was the lotion, notepad, pen the whole time in our room! I love that lotion. :(
(Mousekeeping as a whole was off for us last stay though)
When we stayed in Gran Destino last month we didn't get mouthwash but there was a cooling gel which was also blue and in a similar bottle. Hope no one mistakes that as mouthwash 😱
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
When we stayed in Gran Destino last month we didn't get mouthwash but there was a cooling gel which was also blue and in a similar bottle. Hope no one mistakes that as mouthwash 😱

That would be bad!! I save it all and donate, minus the lotion, I love it. Just loaded up this years for Christmas boxes, but a pic of the cooling gel and mouthwash, from August and May. We had both, every day, just no lotion, in August. :(
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MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
The mouthwash has been at Coronado for a few years so probably was in Gran Destino, but what was missing was the lotion, notepad, pen the whole time in our room! I love that lotion. :(
(Mousekeeping as a whole was off for us last stay though)
When we stayed in Gran Destino last month we didn't get mouthwash but there was a cooling gel which was also blue and in a similar bottle. Hope no one mistakes that as mouthwash 😱
That would be bad!! I save it all and donate, minus the lotion, I love it. Just loaded up this years for Christmas boxes, but a pic of the cooling gel and mouthwash, from August and May. We had both, every day, just no lotion, in August. :( View attachment 430221
Ok ladies, what's the secret? I have stayed I don't know how many times and never got, mouthwash, gels, etc.!
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Ok ladies, what's the secret? I have stayed I don't know how many times and never got, mouthwash, gels, etc.!
Not sure what year, at Coronado, we started getting it, but it wasn’t at Old Key West in 2017, it was the grapefruit Tinkerbell. I had like 30 bottles just of the mouthwash and gel, that I just packed up to donate from the past year, though. Saved one of each, for my memory box.
 

AKemily

Well-Known Member
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH/WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH

So, I totally forgot to mention 2 things that unfortunately didn't happen on this trip but the possibility was there so I have to mention it. And, b/c they didn't happen I don't have any notes written down which is probably why I forgot.

About 4 years ago R & I were eating at Olive Garden. When I paid the bill I handed the bartender my Disney Visa card. Well, that opened the floodgates. He's a big Disney fan. He had waited on us many times prior to that & we always made small talk with him but that card took our friendship to a new level!! He was supposed to be in Disney late October & was leaving on the 6th so we planned to meet on the 5th for a drink in Disney Springs. Unfortunately, he ended up having to cancel his trip at the last minute due to an illness in the family so we didn't get to meet up like we planned. Lucky for him though he is there now!!

I received a message from @krause & @AKemily that their trip was going to overlap with mine. Unfortunately, none of our plans matched up. The possibility of meeting up for a YeHaa Bob show was discussed. But, that day @krause had a little one under the weather so that never happened either :cry: That would have been so much fun!! But, here's the way I'm looking at it. That's the 2nd time we were in Disney at the same time so I'm thinking the 3rd times the charm, right??🤞 And @AKemily I have to say that I'm still jealous that you met E but not me!!
We were super bummed to miss it too! But the little guy actually ended up being quite sick, and definitely needed his mom! He actually never made it to another park on our trip :cry: He was a lot better after a few days at home though.
Yes, third time’s the charm! Unfortunately, I do not foresee a trip in 2020:( But one day it will happen!
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We were super bummed to miss it too! But the little guy actually ended up being quite sick, and definitely needed his mom! He actually never made it to another park on our trip :cry: He was a lot better after a few days at home though.
Yes, third time’s the charm! Unfortunately, I do not foresee a trip in 2020:( But one day it will happen!
Aww--poor kid. That really stinks but I'm glad he's better.
Yes--it will definitely happen!!:)
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

E & I talked the night before & she said she wanted to sleep a bit later so she was going to skip the morning walk. I had every intention of still going but....I'm lazy. I have no problem getting up & going if somebody else is going to be with me. I definitely need the motivation of others. Since I didn't have it that particular day I chose to sleep in myself. When I think back on it I could kick myself. I enjoy the grounds of Riverside so much-esp. early in the morning.

So, here's a morning pic of Riverside(on my way to the bus stop).
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As usual the time for HS wasn't displayed. I swear it's been like that my last 3 trips:arghh:
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Soon enough we were at HS. I'm not going to lie-I took one look at these and immediately I could feel the anxiety building in me. Would I have the nerve to get on them when the time came? I like to try something at least once but my fear of heights is so strong I figured I would end up chickening out. Plus, it didn't help that it had to be evacuated the month before. Let me tell you, had I been on there when that happened I honestly don't know if I would have lived to tell about it.
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The security lines were as bad as I have ever seen them at HS. Totally unbelievable. We told the J's to go through the no bag line & we would meet them inside.
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We(I) did have quite the entertainment while we waited though & I'm so mad that I didn't act quick enough to get a picture. E's nemesis(the popcorn bucket) was hanging from the stroller. All of a sudden we heard a noise & looked down. The lid on the popcorn bucket popped off on it's own & landed on the ground. She immediately got irritated & was mumbling a few choice words. I, on the other hand, cracked up!!:hilarious: It's almost like the popcorn bucket was torturing her on purpose!! Then I was the one to feel like I was being tortured b/c I couldn't breathe since I was laughing so hard. Darn ribs!!
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The "no bag" lines were much more manageable.
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We found JSR on the phone with work & J in his usual position!!
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I could understand it this time b/c the stroller was with E & I. The other times though....
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Finally!!
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There was a conundrum at the AP entrance so we went to a different turnstile.
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

Even at this somewhat earlier hour HS was mobbed!! Funny, as I'm typing this I'm going back & forth between this & reading @Tuvalu's TR & we're both talking about how bad the crowds were at HS. The only difference is that we were there on different days!!(unfortunately)
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The decorations there are so cool!!
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None of us had breakfast(no biggie for me b/c I normally don't eat it) so we went to Starbucks first.
Holy line!!
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How cute!!
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Ham & Cheese Croissant for me.
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I still don't understand why it had to end:cry:
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While we ate this gentleman walked by & really startled me. His whole face was covered with some sort of mask. I'm sure it was due to a medical condition but it made me jump a bit inside. Last year(around Halloween) I was walking the trail & it was starting to get dark out. A guy came out of nowhere towards me on his bike & he was wearing that mask from the movie "Scream". He scared me to no end. What a jerk!! Anyhow, I always tense up when I see someone wearing something that is covering their face since then.
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Adorable!!
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

We headed to Toy Story Land to use our TSM FP.
Santa Buzz was out.
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It was very crowded.
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When we got to TSM we found that they had the standby line closed & were only accepting FP's. They were also announcing that the FP wait was 45 minutes!! No thank you!! We could also come back later to use it so that was our plan.
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We stopped for a minute to decide what we wanted to do next. We didn't include JSR in the decision making for that b/c he was still on the phone with work!
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We decided to go to Star Wars land & get it over with:p When we told J we were going to Star Wars land his response was, "Don't you mean Star Wars:Galaxy Edge?":hilarious::hilarious::hilarious: Sorry kid. I'll make sure I call it by it's proper name from now on.
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

For those of you that read my last TR you pretty much know what you're going to get from me along the lines of commentary for this....nothing.
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I think I was taking pictures just to take them.
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Now, this I meant to take. What in the world??
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I guess this is now the 2nd most famous thing in SW:GE now that ROTR is open?
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I don't know who my man is here but he looks mean.
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I do know who these guys are though.
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I wanted to explore something new. I told E that I was going to check out the bathrooms. I walked in, took a picture & left. E was surprised that I was out so quick. She thought I meant I actually needed to use them.
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JSR was still on the phone with work & was for our whole tour of SW:GE!! I'm glad I don't have his job!!
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The line for Smuggler's Run was insane!!
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

Again, the line for Smuggler's Run was insane.
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We couldn't believe how far it stretched back.
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Yeah.....I definitely have no words for this.
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After our 20 minute tour out we went!!
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Back to Earth!!
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J really wanted to go on A.S.S. so we got in line.
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He(and Fago) were very focused on staying in their spot.
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Of course E & I rode together.
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J wanted to ride with his dad, naturally.
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I commented to E how rough A.S.S. felt. Maybe b/c I probably shouldn't have been riding in the condition that I was in:banghead:

TSL was getting more crowded by the minute.
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

We went to TSM to use our FP.
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J & I resumed our "who could spot more crayons" contest from the last trip!
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My favorite is when I would spot one first his response would be, "No, I saw it first":rolleyes: Some people are just sore losers....
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There I was, creeping again!!
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J had his glasses on & was ready to go!!
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Of course, E & I rode together. She beat me pretty good!! Her comment, "Well your accuracy is better". Big deal.....
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But JSR had us all beat!! How does that happen when we're there way more than him??
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

We admired the tree on the way to our next destination.
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I don't know if I've seen this too many times but I just wasn't getting into it for some reason.
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Look who joins the sisters for the holiday ending!!
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Speaking of the holiday ending--I can sum it up in one word.....AWFUL!!
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It totally stunk in my opinion & those backdrops were hideous!!
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It was time for lunch. Would MDE cooperate this time??
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

Hooray!! It worked!!
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What?? They have Safari Amber there?? I thought it was only at AK. I made a mental note that I would have to get one later.
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If you're thinking that my sandwich looks lousy that's b/c it was. I would usually get the caprese sandwich from there but it is no longer on the menu.
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For as crowded as the park was Backlot Express sure wasn't.
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This meal just looks boring....
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Throughout the trip J & I would do the "I've got my eyes on you" thing with each other. When we sat down I sat across from him & he said he wanted me to sit next to him. I told him "No, b/c I've got my eyes on you". His response, "No, I've got mine on you".
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After lunch I went to the restroom. I wish there were FP's for it b/c the line was ridiculous!!
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