Trip Report THE ONE FOR THE SALTY 16 (and Thanksgiving🍕)*COMPLETE*

Hello again.
It’s me, Darstarr
This latest episode stars the family!
My husband-Ant
Oldest son-X
Middle son and bday boy-AJ
And the youngest son-Dre

November 26-December 1
At.....wait for it...
All Star Sports!

Collective gasp
“But Darstarr, you’re DVC.”
Yes I am DVC and we (I) have made good use out of it this year. However, when I went to book this trip there was nothing available. Nothing!!! OK, nothing in my point range. My boys are big and they hate sharing beds and someone always ends up on the floor. One time my youngest slept on the dining table banquet rather than share the pullout with his brother. It’s vacation, no one should have to sleep on the floor. We didn’t have enough points left for a two bedroom so I began looking around for a room. I found a room at Riverside that slept 5 for about $250/night. We have done the 5 in a room thing there when the kids were smaller and it was cramped. I was not looking forward to that. Then passholder discounts came out and I got two rooms (TWO) at the original A.S.S. for less than the one room at Riverside. 4 beds and 2 bathrooms!!! SOLD!!!


Lets get to it!

Day one- November 26th
The day started like every other school day except it was AJ’s 16th birthday so he opened presents before leaving for school.

“Mom will you pack my new shirt?”

I was suppose to work this day but I had worked the previous Friday, which is usually my day off, so my boss told me to take the day off. Yay! More time to clean the house.

The five of us were flying down on jet blue from JFK. Four of us were returning to ISP on Southwest. Ant took the dog to his father’s then took his car to ISP so it would be there when we landed on the 2nd. (we have a free resident parking sticker).

We debated taking the train to JFK but it was way cheaper to hire a car. The kids got gome from school about 2:15, “the car is here!”
What???
The car wasn't suppose to come until 3:00. Ant was like “lets go”. I was like “dont rush me because if you rush me and I forget something you will be sorry besides he is 45 minutes early so he can wait”. And yes, I said it just like that, as one long run on sentence.
We left at 2:30. I didnt forget a thing.

 

[Darstarr]

November 29 cont

Dre left his glasses on Buzz so he and Ant had to wait an entire cycle for his vehicle to come back. AJ, X and I got in line for the people mover. Ant and Dre met up with us just as the people mover went down, again. The good news? They had given Ant and Dre FP’s for all of us at Buzz because they had to wait. What?!? It was Dre’s fault he left his glasses not Disney’s. I thought that was so nice. Our day was looking up. We went from a late start with three FP’s to a leisurely start, yummy breakfast and 5 FP’s.

And paper to boot

When we were given the bonus FP at breakfast X made the comment about how smart that is. Disney doesn't lose any money and we walk away happy. It costs nothing.
We all know that, but it was nice to see X figure that out.

We headed to Space Mountain as we had a FP for that. It was disappointing. I mentioned the People Mover was down. Well it was down down. As in evacuated, lights on. See where I am going? The portion of the people mover that hugs SM was lit causing SM to be lit. It just isn't the same with the lights on

 

[Darstarr]

November 29 cont


Then we used one of our bonus FP’s for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

I took a bunch of pictures on this ride, which I wont show you because they are beyond blurry. IRL the extended fam went to the city to play tourist yesterday. While waiting for our lunch I sent a bunch of pictures I took to the family group chat. On the train ride home my 16yo nephew asked who sent the pictures. “Why?” “Because they were all kinda blurry!!!”
It’s not just here. I guess my pictures stink everywhere!!!

 

[Darstarr]

The Plaza Restaurant is definitely a place where you very rarely get to eat earlier than your reservation time! I bet it felt good to sleep in a bit later this morning. Hope you enjoyed the breakfast.

Breakfast was good. Normally when we have our DVC rooms we will make a big breakfast so we have never had the need to go to a sit down. It all worked out nicely I must say.

 

[Darstarr]

They did a real nice job with those Safari photos!

"we used to be open until 8:00" Really? That was the excuse? Makes my head hurt thinking about it.

The safari pictures were so nice. And they were taken by our guides. I wonder if they had to go through PP training? They were better than Calhan, that is for sure!
(@Tuvalu how did he spell his name. I am all confused!)

As for the dinner excuse, that was unacceptable!

 

[senor_jorge]

View attachment 437397

Cowboys? Did he lose a bet? That choice was imposed on me at birth, but he had choices that could have offered so much more joy within his lifetime

 

[lindawdw]

I'm glad Dre got his glasses back from Buzz and how magical that they gave you all a FP for Buzz for waiting (sometimes Disney gets it right and it's so nice to hear these stories)!!! Love your pictures from SDMT and SM. You're right about it not being the same when the lights are on while riding SM!

 

[Tuvalu]

View attachment 437451
I never knew this ladies room was here tucked behind the Plaza. Another first

SERIOUSLY??!!

This is my go-to ladies room. Pun intended.

They were better than Calhan, that is for sure!
(@Tuvalu how did he spell his name. I am all confused!

Callan.

 

[amjt660]

Way off centre
Shadows blocking out @Darstarr

Are you sure the passerby was not Callan on his day off??

Max

 

[Loco_driver]

@Loco_driver I started my morning with the nectar of the gods...

Dr. Pepper for breakfast? X wearing a cowboys hat in NYC? Are you secretly from Texas? Did you have tacos with that Dr. Pepper? Because that is probably what I had for breakfast today(but without Dr. Pepper because I try not to drink sodas out here in the real world)! Also, I too got stuck with the Luck(see what I did there) on my fantasy football team.

 

[MickeyCB]

November 29 cont


Then we used one of our bonus FP’s for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train❤
View attachment 437482

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I took a bunch of pictures on this ride, which I wont show you because they are beyond blurry. IRL the extended fam went to the city to play tourist yesterday. While waiting for our lunch I sent a bunch of pictures I took to the family group chat. On the train ride home my 16yo nephew asked who sent the pictures. “Why?” “Because they were all kinda blurry!!!”
It’s not just here. I guess my pictures stink everywhere!!!

I do love me some 7DMT!!!! And as I commented to @Tuvalu you guys are super brave and/or coordinated to be able to use your phone on these rides and not drop it overboard like I did!

 

[Loco_driver]

SERIOUSLY??!!

This is my go-to ladies room. Pun intended.

Me too! But you know, the men’s room, not the ladies. Because I’m a man.

 

[Spash007]

Sorry for the like overload. Back to work causes that

I'm afraid to write this, because I don't want to hijack your TR about food. But... the cannolis reminded me. Especially because we said "Leave the insert anything take the cannolis" multiple times on Christmas. Anywho, being on LI, you've heard of the 7 fishes right, for Christmas Eve? That's become our tradition, and now being in VA, nobody around here knows it as a thing! When we were up in NJ, the fish counter was mobbed on the 23rd and 24th. Here - nada! I literally walked right up while the rest of the store was mobbed. It made my shopping trip easy, but was so weird. And to circle back - we had cannolis and tiramisu for dessert

 

[Darstarr]

Cowboys? Did he lose a bet? That choice was imposed on me at birth, but he had choices that could have offered so much more joy within his lifetime

Ha ha ha ha
Do you feel my pain???
My husband is a cowboy fan and roped him in. (Get it?)
Another son likes the Jets and another likes the Giants. I am west coast. Go niners. Sundays are cray cray!!!

 

[Darstarr]

I'm glad Dre got his glasses back from Buzz and how magical that they gave you all a FP for Buzz for waiting (sometimes Disney gets it right and it's so nice to hear these stories)!!! Love your pictures from SDMT and SM. You're right about it not being the same when the lights are on while riding SM!

That was pretty nice of them to give us a FP but it was totally Dre’s fault for forgetting his glasses and not necessary at all!

 

[Darstarr]

SERIOUSLY??!!

This is my go-to ladies room. Pun intended.



Callan.

Yes. Him.
And

 

[Darstarr]

View attachment 437593

Way off centre
Shadows blocking out @Darstarr

Are you sure the passerby was not Callan on his day off??

Max

If Callan is now a middle aged portly hispanic woman than YES!!!

 

[Darstarr]

Dr. Pepper for breakfast? X wearing a cowboys hat in NYC? Are you secretly from Texas? Did you have tacos with that Dr. Pepper? Because that is probably what I had for breakfast today(but without Dr. Pepper because I try not to drink sodas out here in the real world)! Also, I too got stuck with the Luck(see what I did there) on my fantasy football team.

Maybe we were separated at birth...
Except I am NOT a cowboy fan.
I am pro taco however!!!

 

[Darstarr]

I do love me some 7DMT!!!! And as I commented to @Tuvalu you guys are super brave and/or coordinated to be able to use your phone on these rides and not drop it overboard like I did!

I don't consider myself brave or coordinated. Maybe dense???

 

[Darstarr]

Sorry for the like overload. Back to work causes that

I'm afraid to write this, because I don't want to hijack your TR about food. But... the cannolis reminded me. Especially because we said "Leave the insert anything take the cannolis" multiple times on Christmas. Anywho, being on LI, you've heard of the 7 fishes right, for Christmas Eve? That's become our tradition, and now being in VA, nobody around here knows it as a thing! When we were up in NJ, the fish counter was mobbed on the 23rd and 24th. Here - nada! I literally walked right up while the rest of the store was mobbed. It made my shopping trip easy, but was so weird. And to circle back - we had cannolis and tiramisu for dessert

We do the seven fishes as well.
This year Instead of cannolis I made fresh zeppoles. They were eating them faster than I could fry them.

 

[fractal]

November 29 cont


Then we used one of our bonus FP’s for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train❤
View attachment 437482

View attachment 437483
View attachment 437484
View attachment 437485
View attachment 437486
View attachment 437487
View attachment 437488
View attachment 437489
View attachment 437490
View attachment 437491

I took a bunch of pictures on this ride, which I wont show you because they are beyond blurry. IRL the extended fam went to the city to play tourist yesterday. While waiting for our lunch I sent a bunch of pictures I took to the family group chat. On the train ride home my 16yo nephew asked who sent the pictures. “Why?” “Because they were all kinda blurry!!!”
It’s not just here. I guess my pictures stink everywhere!!!

Abstract is art.