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
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH

We had a FP for the wildest ride in the wilderness!! There was no way we were convincing J to ride so E stayed off with him.
Check out this FP line....
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While in line I mobile ordered my lunch 🤞
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I never noticed this picture before.
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I love this ride!!
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As we were approaching CHH I got this message. I'm glad mobile ordering was working but....creepy!!
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It worked flawlessly!!
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This was the first time I had the shrimp skewers--they were really good!!
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During lunch J & I were doing the "I'm watching you" thing again. Playing instead of eating our food...shame on us!!
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH

After lunch we headed to Philharmagic. I love this show but was excited to escape the crowds for a bit. Everyone else must have thought the same thing b/c it was packed!!
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I can't remember why I took this but this picture is making a liar out of me b/c it doesn't look that crowded but trust me, it was.
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We had a FP for Space Mountain then Peter Pan. It wasn't looking good
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I told E & JSR to go on & I would stay with J. I was still having breathing/pain issues & didn't think a ride on Space Mountain would be the wisest thing for me to do anyways. I asked J what he wanted to ride while they went on that. His response, "I want to go in a store", which I think translates to, "I want Aunt Patti to get out her wallet!!" Seriously, how many 4 year old boys would want to look around in a store rather than ride something?? He knows I'm a pushover!!
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Merchant of Venus it was!! Much to my surprise he didn't see anything that he wanted though!! Had we been at The Confectionary I'm sure the jelly beans would have been calling his name!!
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Meanwhile, E & JSR had fun in space.
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We met back up & Peter Pan was still down so we used our FP on one of J's favs--Tomorrowland Speedway!!
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E wanted to check out a few stores so she shopped while the J's & I rode. Of course, J rode with his dad.
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After that we took a spin on CoP. This attraction never gets old!!
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH

We headed out of Tomorrowland.
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Peter Pan was back up but now BTMR was down. Wait times were getting higher & we were getting annoyed.
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We decided to cut our visit to MK short. People were lined up for the parade so we decided to wait for that then head out. In the meantime we looked around in the stores.
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We actually ended up with a pretty good spot!!
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My favorite part!!
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And that concludes our day at MK....or does it??
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH

We headed to the monorail.
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J had a bit of a meltdown while we were on there. He got a key chain when we were in The Emporium(still don't understand why he wanted one so bad--it's not like he has keys). It was a Minnie key chain. No sooner did we get on the monorail the bow fell off of her. He was devastated. We promised him that we would look for it at a different store & get him another one.
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We found the perfect place to escape the crowds!!
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We were a little hungry so we went to Capt. Cooks since Tambu Lounge wasn't serving food yet.
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E had a Lapu Lapu & I had an Island Sunset(I love those!!). I'm not sure what that other drink is in the background.
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Then the food.....oh my word!! First of all, we got way too much but was it ever good!!
Thai Coconut Meatballs & Pulled Pork Nachos!!
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And a Hawaiian Flatbread!!
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We were thoroughly stuffed but everything was so darn good!! We checked out the shops to see if we could find the key chain for J but we did not have any luck.
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J & Fago don't look too thrilled here!!
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amjt660

Well-Known Member
and in answer to your question about our health care system everything is free.
you just show up to any walk in clinic, urgent care, emergency, etc and you don’t pay a cent so the patient never knows what it all actually costs the system it’s all just “free” :rolleyes:
So most employers pay for the majority of the benefits which would be your prescriptions and dental.

Just to clarify a few things for my non Canadian cousins

Krause said it best when she put "free" in quotation marks

My family has a running joke that few things are "free"- they are actually "included"

Our Health Care system is very good and very expensive to run
While we do not have to pull out our credit card to pay we actually do pay for it
From high income tax, sales tax, property tax, licence fees, liquor tax, gas tax, lotteries, etc - WE PAY FOR HEALTH CARE!!

And while working for larger/established companies like Toyota does get you a good benefit plan to cover costs like prescription drugs, Physio, Chiro, Massage Therapy etc - WE PAY FOR THAT TOO!!

Sure my company pays/provides the benefits - but essentially I get paid less than my US counterparts - so it works out in the end.

Saying all this I would not trade our system for the US one

Max
 

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
I'm not surprised there was an issue & wait until you hear how they blamed me & said it was my fault!!😤

Ahhhh, MAN! You should not be blamed for the lack of a Tragical Express notice! I hope they make it up to you in a great way! :banghead:

After lunch we headed to Philharmagic. I love this show but was excited to escape the crowds for a bit. Everyone else must have thought the same thing b/c it was packed!!

One of our favorites, but when it's crowded; the waiting area can be rough.

His response, "I want to go in a store", which I think translates to, "I want Aunt Patti to get out her wallet!!" Seriously, how many 4 year old boys would want to look around in a store rather than ride something?? He knows I'm a pushover!!

I bet your wallet is relieved he didn't find anything amazing, like a car at the Pittsburgh airport! ;)

We actually ended up with a pretty good spot!

Awesome shot! Happy to see the Dragon back in it's rightful place!
 

Darstarr

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Just to clarify a few things for my non Canadian cousins

Krause said it best when she put "free" in quotation marks

My family has a running joke that few things are "free"- they are actually "included"

Our Health Care system is very good and very expensive to run
While we do not have to pull out our credit card to pay we actually do pay for it
From high income tax, sales tax, property tax, licence fees, liquor tax, gas tax, lotteries, etc - WE PAY FOR HEALTH CARE!!

And while working for larger/established companies like Toyota does get you a good benefit plan to cover costs like prescription drugs, Physio, Chiro, Massage Therapy etc - WE PAY FOR THAT TOO!!

Sure my company pays/provides the benefits - but essentially I get paid less than my US counterparts - so it works out in the end.

Saying all this I would not trade our system for the US one

Max
Well said.
That is all.
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
I had signed up for both GoodRX & the dexilant patient assistance program prior to going to Target. I asked the pharmacist how these worked & what would be the most beneficial for me. The patient assistance program works in conjunction with your insurance. Since my insurance doesn't cover it she told me it would cost me $247.00 if that was applied. With GoodRX my cost was $202.46!! I asked her to explain GoodRX to me b/c it didn't make sense to me how it worked. She said the price can change at any given point. So, what I paid the other day I may not be paying next month. They make their money from advertisers so that's how the consumer gets the savings. The only downside in her opinion is that they sell your info(obviously not the medical portion of it) which means the potential for telemarketer calls etc. That part kind of stinks & is a pain but for $100.00 savings a month I guess I'll take the good with the bad!!

Finally, a clear explanation of how this (new-ish) GoodRX really works to lower prices -- advertisers. Like you said, it may be a bit of trade-off with possible follow up from vendors or marketers, but again, you' saved $100.

Thanks for the update, I looked up the price around here with goodRX and it was $202 around here... so I'm glad you were able to get that. The only drawback, that I can see for some is that the $202 would not go against your deductible on your insurance.

Rista, this is also an excellent point about the yearly deductible (for many people). It is something to keep in mind. Guess it would depend upon whether the prescription is an expensive monthly refill, or if it's just a one-time fill only.

I asked J what he wanted to ride while they went on that. His response, "I want to go in a store", which I think translates to, "I want Aunt Patti to get out her wallet!!" Seriously, how many 4 year old boys would want to look around in a store rather than ride something??

O.k. This kid absolutely cracks me up!! :hilarious:
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just to clarify a few things for my non Canadian cousins

Krause said it best when she put "free" in quotation marks

My family has a running joke that few things are "free"- they are actually "included"

Our Health Care system is very good and very expensive to run
While we do not have to pull out our credit card to pay we actually do pay for it
From high income tax, sales tax, property tax, licence fees, liquor tax, gas tax, lotteries, etc - WE PAY FOR HEALTH CARE!!

And while working for larger/established companies like Toyota does get you a good benefit plan to cover costs like prescription drugs, Physio, Chiro, Massage Therapy etc - WE PAY FOR THAT TOO!!

Sure my company pays/provides the benefits - but essentially I get paid less than my US counterparts - so it works out in the end.

Saying all this I would not trade our system for the US one

Max
I get it---I know it's not "free"(nothing in life is. Period.)

I know you're paying for it in other ways & I feel for you b/c if you're taxes are anything like PA's it's sickening. I've mentioned before but our gas taxes are about the worst in the US. A few years ago the county put an extra 10% tax on liquor to fund the counties mass transit system:rolleyes:Things like that really drive me crazy. I don't use it but I'm paying for it. How about raise the fare to cover your expenses? Let those using it pay for it. No one pays for my car insurance, gas, car repairs etc. My favorite it when they implement a tax & claim it's only going to be temporary--when have you ever seen that?

Would I be correct in assuming that you can go to any hospital/doctor you want then? Not like here where you're restricted based on what kind of insurance you have?
You're killing me with the picture of the Island Sunset! I literally was just thinking how much I would love one right now, and then I saw your picture and my mouth started watering!! Continuing to enjoy following along on your adventure!
That drink is delicious!! Not too sweet--it's perfect!! Thank you for following along!!
Finally, a clear explanation of how this (new-ish) GoodRX really works to lower prices -- advertisers. Like you said, it may be a bit of trade-off with possible follow up from vendors or marketers, but again, you' saved $100.
I am happy & agree with you until.......
Yesterday morning-New Year's Day-at 6:10 I received a telemarketing text message!! I was up b/c I had to work early but still--that was a bit much!! I am used to getting telemarketing calls but never at the hour. I guess my info is already out there!!:banghead:
O.k. This kid absolutely cracks me up!! :hilarious:
He is something else that's for sure!!
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH

Next stop-The Grand Floridian.
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We checked out the store to see if they had the key chain & that was a negative. The gingerbread house was now done so we headed downstairs to check it out.
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It really is pretty but I still think I liked watching it get assembled more!!
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There was a PP photographer there so we stopped for some pictures.
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH

J was bummed that we weren't able to replace the key chain. We were heading to The Contemporary for dinner & still had some time before our reservation. I suggested that I would get off at MK & get another one then I would meet them. E agreed but JSR said that we all should go. I could tell E really didn't want to & I didn't blame her esp. after seeing this. It was a MVMCP night & the lines to get in were absolutely insane. Had I been by myself it would have been a lot easier to navigate. The good news though was once we got through this section we were inside in no time. Not too many going into MK around 5 when a party is staring in an hour or so.
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They may have went to a different store b/c I was the one to get the key chain. When I got to the register & showed the CM what had happened she let me get another one.
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We joined back up on Main Street.
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We were going to head out but the flag retreat ceremony was getting ready to start. I enjoy this to begin with & since it was Veteran's Day we definitely wanted to stick around for it.
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No matter which way I turned though I swear the lady in front of me blocked my view.
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Probably b/c it was Veteran's Day but the crowd was much bigger for the flag retreat than it normally is.
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We got out of the madness in MK & headed to The Contemporary.
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First I found a restroom to change my clothes for dinner. Then we checked out the shops while we waited. J & I were playing games through the glass with each other.
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I was excited to see the S'Mores square that I love so much so I bought one. I didn't end up eating it & I took it home. I ate it about 3 days later--not good at all.
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riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH

Our reservation was for 6:00.
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We pondered over the menu.
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We had a window table which was nice. J sat down & got all excited. His comment, "Oh wow, look!! There's Disney World!"
He knows which park is which so I don't know why he calls MK Disney World. My best guess is that he's calling the castle "Disney World." After seeing that at the start of how many shows/movies I think little ones get it in their mind that the castle is Disney World.
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I wanted a glass of Pinot Grigio. I thought it was bizarre that it was listed under "Interesting Wines". What makes it so interesting?? Also, fun fact--our waiter told us that is the only variety of Pinot Grigio that they have at California Grill. I was very shocked--all that wine they have there & that's the only one??
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Our view.
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Oh look!! There's Disney World!!:hilarious:
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This might sound bizarre but I love the bus terminals at MK-esp. at night. I love them all lit up. To me they are quaint & charming. I was excited to have an aerial view of them.
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All that wine & only one variety....I just didn't get it!!
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Back!Elbow!Shoulders!

Omnia mutantur, nihil interit
Premium Member
I am not a big breakfast person to say the least. I looked around & noticed this salad in the grab & go section. I decided to give it a whirl. It was absolutely amazing!! So, so good!! I took a picture of the ingredients so that the master chef that I am could find a recipe to see if I could duplicate it. Yeah--I tried but didn't come close. I'm not surprised though....
View attachment 437022

I love tabbouleh but I haven’t attempted to make it yet myself. A coworker who makes it often recommended curly parsley not “the other kind”.

Didn’t know there were multiple types of parsley 🤷🏻‍♀️ but hopefully that will help you in any future tabbouleh making endeavors.

Also I scoured all of your 11/11 pics and didn’t see myself. I think I was at MK while you were at Poly. 😞
 

riverside

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I love tabbouleh but I haven’t attempted to make it yet myself. A coworker who makes it often recommended curly parsley not “the other kind”.

Didn’t know there were multiple types of parsley 🤷🏻‍♀️ but hopefully that will help you in any future tabbouleh making endeavors.

Also I scoured all of your 11/11 pics and didn’t see myself. I think I was at MK while you were at Poly. 😞
It is so good!! I did use the curly parsley. Everything I read said that you should use the curly & not the flat. I didn't know there were multiple types either--& I manage a grocery store:oops: I appreciate the advice. I just think the problem lies with me & my (lack of)cooking abilities!!

Oh darn!! What did you think of the crowds?? They were really getting to us!!
 

Back!Elbow!Shoulders!

Omnia mutantur, nihil interit
Premium Member
It is so good!! I did use the curly parsley. Everything I read said that you should use the curly & not the flat. I didn't know there were multiple types either--& I manage a grocery store:oops: I appreciate the advice. I just think the problem lies with me & my (lack of)cooking abilities!!

Oh darn!! What did you think of the crowds?? They were really getting to us!!

Per my notes it looks like it was busier than I expected. I don’t think it bothered me too much because I was just in and out for a few hours before the party.
 

Nunu

Wanderluster
Premium Member
I was excited to see the S'Mores square that I love so much so I bought one. I didn't end up eating it & I took it home. I ate it about 3 days later--not good at all.
I did that once with a giant chocolate chip cookie... oops.. it was not great.
Remember how I was saving my precious last Coconut Macaroon from Boardwalk? I ate it about a week after buying it, and... Not that great either, it was dry and hard! 😭
 

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