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.
562449274.jpeg

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.
IMG_3046.JPEG


And, in typical Pittsburgh fashion, it was raining.
IMG_3048.JPEG


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.
IMG_3050.JPEG


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 ;)
IMG_3051.JPEG


The Southwest agent was slower than molasses but after 10 minutes or so it was our turn.
IMG_3052.JPEG


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".
IMG_3053.JPEG


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??
IMG_3054.JPEG


On the "monorail" we go!!
IMG_3055.JPEG
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
[/QUOTE]
This made me laugh, my son is a Jack and
I feel too fancy when I say soda. :happy:
I find it crazy when I hear pop or soda. In the south it is Coke. Period, for cola. Coke, Pepsi, or RC. Sprite if it is Sprite, Dr. Pepper, can be swapped with Pibb Extra. Cheerwine of course, and Mt. Dew. (Mello Yellow, Sun Drop included) or Sweet Tea. Which best be Southern style. Lol aka, not Florida’s style, sweeten at the table.
 

MickeyCB

Well-Known Member
he told her to leave it--bucket & all!! One of the women that was standing near it scooped up the bucket & put it in her stroller like it was hers all along!!
There are so many layers of wrong here! Bad dad park goer! (But as @Darstarr said regarding the lady picking it up, it is a form of recycling)!

BTW-they aren't the same pants I was wearing the day before. I have many pairs of them!!
Same here, have about 25 of the same ones, it's like a uniform at this point! 🤣

We met up on Hollywood Blvd. to get some pictures before we went our separate ways.
IMG_4734.JPG
R was getting a balloon photo bomb! Or a balloon halo maybe?!
 

Zipadeelady

Well-Known Member
I find it crazy when I hear pop or soda. In the south it is Coke. Period, for cola. Coke, Pepsi, or RC. Sprite if it is Sprite, Dr. Pepper, can be swapped with Pibb Extra. Cheerwine of course, and Mt. Dew. (Mello Yellow, Sun Drop included) or Sweet Tea. Which best be Southern style. Lol aka, not Florida’s style, sweeten at the table.
I'm so confused!! :hilarious:
 
Last edited:

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
This made me laugh, my son is a Jack and

I find it crazy when I hear pop or soda. In the south it is Coke. Period, for cola. Coke, Pepsi, or RC. Sprite if it is Sprite, Dr. Pepper, can be swapped with Pibb Extra. Cheerwine of course, and Mt. Dew. (Mello Yellow, Sun Drop included) or Sweet Tea. Which best be Southern style. Lol aka, not Florida’s style, sweeten at the table.
I'm so confused!! :hilarious:
[/QUOTE]
My computer froze and died when in process of trying to quote! Sorry. 😂

My reply was about your comment feeling fancy about saying soda- nobody in the south says soda or pop, it is all Coke, like a Jack and Coke. ;) Dark soda mixed with Jack Daniels is a Jack and Coke no matter what type of Cola is mixed with it. ;) Cola works but you never hear soda or pop. Lol
 
Last edited:

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
Catching up after not being near a computer for fun this week.


Unfortunately, not this time around. The flights were actually pretty pricey(Martin Luther King weekend). I do use points quite a bit for flights though & I have a lot of them. Here's how I do it: Southwest rapid rewards. They have a ton of retailers. When I buy things I go through the Southwest site. A lot of times you can get 4 points for every dollar spent. Then there are bonus points when you spend so much in a certain time frame. I rack up quite a few points for buying things that I need for everyday use & I don't have to go to the mall!! It's a win all the way around!!

I'm big on the RR shopping points, too! I use them a lot for larger purchases but if I started using them for everyday items, my points would really add up quickly!

I made a comment about having no clue what was going on. J turned to me & said, "Don't you know? We're playing rock, paper, scissors"
That caused Chip 'N Dale to start pointing at me & laughing:banghead:
Looks like you two had a fun day! I am not sure I'd be able to figure out Rock, Paper, Scissors with my furry friends, either!

J got his usual also-salmon, corn & fruit.
ThAT salmon looks amazing!

When it's time for reservations he always says, "Why can't we go to new places? We always have to go to 50's!" He says that he gets tired of eating at the same places all the time. E shakes her head & says it's not like you eat there once a month, it's more like once every couple years so deal with it!!

Yes, this is what my family goes through every time! We love trying new places but we love our favorite places, too and are reluctant to give them up!


E is a big fan of the Pina Colava. She says the only problem with them is that they are so filling.

I'd love to try one! I try to limit my sugar intake so I'd probably end up with a sugar coma, but it almost looks worth it! 🤩 🤩

I think he was quite shocked to see him!! Mission accomplished!!

Here's some pictures that I took.

AWESOME! I love the video and the look of surprise on JSR's face!


Whose bright idea was it to go to Epcot on a Saturday with Food & Wine going on

This is why I will never go back on a weekend for Food and Wine. Did it once and regretted it immediately. Also,I'm just a Christmas decoration person so I'll probably not go for Food and Wine for a long time because I need to see my decorations!

I wanted out of there so bad that I would have done almost anything. So, what do I suggest? I hope you're sitting down for this one!!
A ride on the Skyliner!!:jawdrop: Yes, "Miss I'm Deathly Afraid of Heights" thought I would have less anxiety on that than dealing with the sea of humanity that was in Epcot that day. It was that bad there....

Hopefully, with more trips, you'll feel better about the Skyliner. As much as I would hate getting stuck up there; no way would the Disney Company build ANYTHING that wasn't as SAFE AS POSSIBLE.

I'd like to try this restaurant
Tim Tracker tried it and recommended it!

The same reason he now won't ride FEA or PotC. He says he doesn't like the feeling in his stomach when he goes down a hill! Understandable!!

I hope J gets over that fear soon and realizes that the rides are just fun! Though, I still don't love the feeling I get when I plunge down Splash Mountain, so I feel ya, J!

Tell R that my county was in school on Veteran’s Day as well :( Also, I totally agree with him about missing work during the school year for only illness and tragedy. However, I also include Disney;)

We were in school for Veteran's Day, too! I try not to miss too much work, unless it's illness or tragedy but I always take a few vacation days a year for something that makes me very happy! Disney and/or the PAC12 Women's Basketball Tournament!!
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Is this a limited time thing or an all the time thing? 🤔 I’m not thrilled with the current beignets but I feel DH needs to try them. I would gladly get a drink (if able) if I have to you know for “free” beignets. 😂
I believe it was a limited time thing but I could be wrong. It's limited in more ways than one--only available after 4😞 In a way it's kind of silly b/c the drink was probably $15--a lot more than the beignets cost!!
I just adore J, and I am amazed that he had not lost FAygo! We also love Riverside and thank you for all the pictures!
Because of health reasons, we had to change to POFQ. But we still manage to visit POR a few times. We eat at the Mill, and I always find something to buy at Fultons'. I think Fulton's is the best resort gift shop in WDW! BTW, we say "pop" too. When we were in Tennnessee, we started calling anything cold, "a cold drink", which meant a coke, sprite, etc. Enjoying your report immensely:) It helps me with my Disney fix until we arrive end of February!
Thank you & I must say he is pretty good at keeping track of what's important(to him)!!

I love taking pictures of Riverside. I can only imagine how many I have!! R really wants to stay at FQ for something different. As he says, "you'll still be close to Riverside." I actually enjoy FQ's food court more(maybe b/c I don't eat there as much as Riverside) & E likes Jackson Square better than Fulton's. I like Fulton's b/c it's so big!!

Another one for pop!! Yay!!

Thank you so much & I hope you have a wonderful time. It will be here before you know it!!
You are not suppose to cry over spilled milk or shout about spilled popcorn at Disney!!!
As for the lady who picked up the bucket....I have mixed feelings.
Better to recycle I guess???

Also, here is a hint on how to carry the popcorn bucket without a stroller and hands free.
Exactly!! I felt bad for the girl but was embarrassed for dad b/c of the way he was acting. It did make for some laughs though!! But, we actually laughed harder at the woman who picked up the bucket!! That was really ugh....weird!!

I will so do that!! I keep thinking is it worth buying it for just 2 park days but it's more for the entertainment factor than anything!!
There are so many layers of wrong here! Bad dad park goer! (But as @Darstarr said regarding the lady picking it up, it is a form of recycling)!
It was something else--that's for sure!!
Same here, have about 25 of the same ones, it's like a uniform at this point! 🤣
Most of mine are a uniform!! We have to wear black pants at work so I have a ton of them!!
R was getting a balloon photo bomb! Or a balloon halo maybe?!
Haha!! I didn't notice that until you pointed it out!! I'll have to show that to him!!
Tell R that my county was in school on Veteran’s Day as well :( Also, I totally agree with him about missing work during the school year for only illness and tragedy. However, I also include Disney;)
Wow--maybe it's more common to have school than not?? I thought most schools were off that day. Since he's at a private school & makes the school calendar I thought he may have just screwed up & forgot to schedule it as a day off!!🤣

He understands that teachers are entitled to days & all but his thoughts are that it's not good for the consistency of the students & classroom & it's not fair to them. I agree with him but I agree with you about Disney--there's exceptions for everything, right??😉
I'm so confused!! :hilarious:
My computer froze and died when in process of trying to quote! Sorry. 😂

My reply was about your comment feeling fancy about saying soda- nobody in the south says soda or pop, it is all Coke, like a Jack and Coke. ;) Dark soda mixed with Jack Daniels is a Jack and Coke no matter what type of Cola is mixed with it. ;) Cola works but you never hear soda or pop. Lol
[/QUOTE]
Again, I think it is so interesting to hear how every area calls it something different.

Just a little tidbit here--
I've worked in a grocery store for 27 years. Way back when pop was huge but not so much anymore. Due to people being a bit more health conscious pop/soda/coke/cola/pepsi/whatever doesn't have the market share that it used to. Anyhow, when talking about the 2 biggest players in the market(Coke & Pepsi) Coke hands down has always had the lions share except for a handful of regions--with Pittsburgh being one of them. Pepsi controls the market around here.
Ah, now I remember that. Thanks for clarifying.
No problem!! I'm sure it can get quite confusing!!
 

Loco_driver

Well-Known Member
Just a little tidbit here--
I've worked in a grocery store for 27 years. Way back when pop was huge but not so much anymore. Due to people being a bit more health conscious pop/soda/coke/cola/pepsi/whatever doesn't have the market share that it used to. Anyhow, when talking about the 2 biggest players in the market(Coke & Pepsi) Coke hands down has always had the lions share except for a handful of regions--with Pittsburgh being one of them. Pepsi controls the market around here.
I actually prefer Pepsi to Coke, but I am in the very large minority for my area. I also only drink soda when I’m on vacation, and occasionally at holiday gatherings.
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I actually prefer Pepsi to Coke, but I am in the very large minority for my area. I also only drink soda when I’m on vacation, and occasionally at holiday gatherings.
R prefers Pepsi also but being from this area I can see why. If(and that's a big IF) I drink pop the only kind I like is Mt. Dew. But, I can count on one hand how many times I drink it in a year. Of course, I would pick the pop that has the most caffeine & sugar!! And I will only drink it from a can or a fountain. It doesn't taste the same in a bottle.
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH

Jambo everyone!!
IMG_4189.JPEG


I had left POR about 4:15 & was at AKL by 4:35 or so. My original plan was to take a bus to AK then transfer to AKL but we had a 6:00 dinner reservation & I wanted to give myself enough time to get my luggage, change & get familiar with the resort so that's why I decided on the Minnie Van.
IMG_4191.JPEG


This was a first for me. I have been to Kidani before but not Jambo House.
IMG_4193.JPEG


IMG_4194.JPEG


I thought their gift shop was pretty nice. I also enjoyed watching the gentleman doing wood carvings.
IMG_4195.JPEG


The lobby is quite impressive. For as big as it is it has a homey, welcoming vibe to it.
IMG_4196.JPEG


I spent a few minutes walking around & taking pictures.
IMG_4198.JPEG


IMG_4199.JPEG


IMG_4200.JPEG


A little backstory on how we ended up at AKL. Originally our whole stay was booked for POR. JSR(kind of like he is w/the restaurants) wanted to know why we couldn't stay somewhere new & suggested the Yacht Club. E & I talked about it & decided we would stay a few nights there. Well, this was brought up about a month or so before the trip. The Yacht Club(along with pretty much all the other resorts) was full & the only one that was available was AKL. E put a hold on 2 rooms then called me to see if I was ok with it. Of course, I knew with this last minute switching around that Disney would get something fouled up & I was right!!
IMG_4201.JPEG
 

KellBelle

Well-Known Member
Quick question about the popcorn buckets.... can you keep bringing the same one year after year, or do you need to buy a new one each trip? Excuse the ignorance lol, I have never bought one before. :eek:
 

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
He understands that teachers are entitled to days & all but his thoughts are that it's not good for the consistency of the students & classroom & it's not fair to them. I agree with him but I agree with you about Disney--there's exceptions for everything, right??😉
He's smart about the consistency piece, especially for the image to his staff. But, he deserves a Thurs-Mon trip in the middle of the year one year! A break is good for all!


I thought their gift shop was pretty nice. I also enjoyed watching the gentleman doing wood carvings.

The lobby is amazing! It's amazing how big these resorts are but how at home they make you feel! The little touches, like the wood carvings or the authentic decorations really add to the charm! :jawdrop: :jawdrop: :joyfull:
 

Darstarr

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Quick question about the popcorn buckets.... can you keep bringing the same one year after year, or do you need to buy a new one each trip? Excuse the ignorance lol, I have never bought one before. :eek:
I will field this, if I may. The popcorn bucket is good for the length of your stay.
The designs change so a CM could call you out if you showed up with last years model. (Not sure if they would though. Hmmmm....who wants to test that out and report back?)
 

Oh bother!

Well-Known Member
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH

Our last FP was for LwtL.
View attachment 432593

View attachment 432594

I was interested in trying this.
View attachment 432595

View attachment 432596

Prior to the trip E & I talked about wanting to try this.
View attachment 432597

Wait times were crazy so we figured we would head to WS to try some things for lunch. I was excited for R b/c he's never been there during Food & Wine so this would be something new for him.
View attachment 432598

The amount of walls is almost depressing.
View attachment 432599

There's the popcorn bucket!!
View attachment 432600

And there's the crowds!!
View attachment 432601

And it was only 11:40!!
View attachment 432602
The amount of walls was just ridiculous! A few times it took me a while to work out what way I needed to head or what was missing as I couldn’t navigate the walls after walls lol
 

KellBelle

Well-Known Member
I will field this, if I may. The popcorn bucket is good for the length of your stay.
The designs change so a CM could call you out if you showed up with last years model. (Not sure if they would though. Hmmmm....who wants to test that out and report back?)
Thanks! I figured as much, but still had to ask. lol
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
@slipperalwaysfits
I'm big on the RR shopping points, too! I use them a lot for larger purchases but if I started using them for everyday items, my points would really add up quickly!
They really start to add up!! I always love when I get the email that shows how many points I earned that quarter!!
Looks like you two had a fun day! I am not sure I'd be able to figure out Rock, Paper, Scissors with my furry friends, either!
I did have a lot of fun & I'm pretty sure he did also. I don't understand Rock, Paper Scissors to begin with so seeing 2 creatures with furry paws doing it really threw me for a loop!!
ThAT salmon looks amazing!
He gets it almost every time we go there & eats it all so it must be pretty good!
Yes, this is what my family goes through every time! We love trying new places but we love our favorite places, too and are reluctant to give them up!
The struggle is real....
I'd love to try one! I try to limit my sugar intake so I'd probably end up with a sugar coma, but it almost looks worth it! 🤩 🤩
She says they are so filling that she can only have one.
AWESOME! I love the video and the look of surprise on JSR's face!
Funny, E didn't think he seemed to be surprised & that he might have known. I didn't think so though!!
This is why I will never go back on a weekend for Food and Wine. Did it once and regretted it immediately. Also,I'm just a Christmas decoration person so I'll probably not go for Food and Wine for a long time because I need to see my decorations!
That was an absolute nightmare. Had R not picked Epcot as one of the parks he wanted to go to we definitely would not have gone on the weekend.
Hopefully, with more trips, you'll feel better about the Skyliner. As much as I would hate getting stuck up there; no way would the Disney Company build ANYTHING that wasn't as SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
I know that & I try to tell myself that but as soon as I got on there the fear took over!!
Tim Tracker tried it and recommended it!
I'll have to check it out soon!!
I hope J gets over that fear soon and realizes that the rides are just fun! Though, I still don't love the feeling I get when I plunge down Splash Mountain, so I feel ya, J!
I was on Splash Mountain once(20some years ago) & haven't been back on. That hill terrifies me. So, I guess to a 4 year old the "hill" on Pirates would be traumatizing!! 🤣
We were in school for Veteran's Day, too! I try not to miss too much work, unless it's illness or tragedy but I always take a few vacation days a year for something that makes me very happy! Disney and/or the PAC12 Women's Basketball Tournament!!
I just asked him about going in April on a particular weekend which would mean he would have to miss one day of school & he told me no!! I can understand that he wants to set an example for his teachers. But, they seem to take a lot of their days plus they're off all summer where he's not so I don't see it to be a big deal but he does & I'm not going to change his mind so....
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Quick question about the popcorn buckets.... can you keep bringing the same one year after year, or do you need to buy a new one each trip? Excuse the ignorance lol, I have never bought one before. :eek:
I will field this, if I may. The popcorn bucket is good for the length of your stay.
The designs change so a CM could call you out if you showed up with last years model. (Not sure if they would though. Hmmmm....who wants to test that out and report back?)
Thanks! I figured as much, but still had to ask. lol
So, JSR had got a Christmas one. I know if I asked him to sneak it out of their house & I would smuggle it down & attempt to use it he would be all for it but.....I wonder how a CM would handle that!! We're going mid-January so I'm sure the Christmas ones won't be around anymore!!
Now you are staying in MY favorite hotel ... so I hope you liked it as much as we do, because that will mean we’ll be happy at POR at the end of the month, right? 😉
I did enjoy it but it's just not Riverside. I promise you that you'll absolutely ❤ Riverside!!
He's smart about the consistency piece, especially for the image to his staff. But, he deserves a Thurs-Mon trip in the middle of the year one year! A break is good for all!
His staff surely hasn't followed his example unfortunately(gosh, I hope none of them know about this site:oops:)
The lobby is amazing! It's amazing how big these resorts are but how at home they make you feel! The little touches, like the wood carvings or the authentic decorations really add to the charm! :jawdrop: :jawdrop: :joyfull:
The lobby is beautiful!! I wish the Christmas decorations would have been up while we were there!!
The amount of walls was just ridiculous! A few times it took me a while to work out what way I needed to head or what was missing as I couldn’t navigate the walls after walls lol
It was absolutely ridiculous & just plain sad.... It really was depressing.
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sorry for not posting much this week. This little thing called "Christmas" is really getting in the way!! I will be back at it soon though.

Speaking of Christmas I thought I would share our Christmas card with all my friends here. Ready for this.....it was all my idea!! R was quite impressed with me!! And no, he hasn't converted me or anything but I did give in & say I would see the new movie with him. I told him I could use a good nap!!;)
IMG_4745.JPEG

Merry Christmas to all my wdwmagic friends!!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom