Ughhh Post Trip Depression

Hi,

I stayed at the beach club May 21-28 (over MDW obviously). Fantastic time, as always. We were a little worried about the star wars crowds, but everything worked out fine. Additionally before the trip, they were calling for storms all week, which was worrisome, but in typical Florida fashion it was short showers at most.

This is my first time reading the forums since I returned home, as I've finally began coming out of my post trip shell. I can't help but wonder if I'm in a small minority of 22 year old males who enjoy visiting on a relatively regular basis haha.

At any rate, how does everyone deal with the post trip blues? I guess returning back home to colder, dreary weather does NOT help the cause.

Apologies if I posted in the wrong section, as this has likely been discussed many times before but I'm in the familiar post trip funk!

Side note: If by chance any of you ARE the cute red read head from the Adirondaks that was sitting at the storm along bay table next to my family, please feel free to message me. I was embarrassingly shy ha!

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

Hi,

I stayed at the beach club May 21-28 (over MDW obviously). Fantastic time, as always. We were a little worried about the star wars crowds, but everything worked out fine. Additionally before the trip, they were calling for storms all week, which was worrisome, but in typical Florida fashion it was short showers at most.

This is my first time reading the forums since I returned home, as I've finally coming out of my post trip shell. I can't help but wonder if I'm in a small minority of 22 year old males who enjoy visiting on a relatively regular basis haha.

At any rate, how does everyone deal with the post trip blues? I guess returning back home to colder, dreary weather does NOT help the cause.

Apologies if I posted in the wrong section, as this has likely been discussed many times before but I'm in the familiar post trip funk!

Side note: If by chance any of you ARE the cute red read head from the Adirondaks that was sitting at the storm along bay table next to my family, please feel free to message me. I was embarrassingly shy ha!

We went the first week of April, and I'm still in a post trip funk. I usually have another trip coming up within a few months, but with my daughter starting college, it may be Christmas before we can go back. I just get on this site to help with the funk.

 

[Pooh Lover]

Glad you had a good trip! Ah yes, the post trip blues. I'm sure we all suffer from it but the remedies probably will differ. I find it hard to come back to these boards so soon after a trip. Too many people talking about their upcoming trips....ugh. I know everyone can't do this but, since I go in September, I'm usually able to book a bounce back offer for the following year....makes it a little easier to unclaw myself from Disney and come back home. Welcome back and know that this too shall pass...LOL.

 

[NoWayJose]

Excellent posts. I completely agree. It's difficult to get back on track after the trip. Especially when it comes to visiting these forums. Too many excited people about to embark on their trips!

We actually flew home on an earlier flight this year than normal. I was opposed leading up to the trip, but i think it's better. In previous years, the last day kind of hung over our head and made the day even more depressing. I guess you could make arguments either way.

This was our first trip in May, which was a nice change of pace. I thought it was going to be irrationally warm, but it worked out. We usually go sometime between November- March, which I like. Fortunately were aiming to return early December, which is my favorite time to be down.

 

[fractal]

Write a trip report.

 

[NoWayJose]

I was going to, but everyone here has super intricate pictures and itineraries that I could never come close to matching. I have a FEW, but nothing great like everyone else does. I should've planned this out better I suppose. At any rate, here I go:

Day 1: There are 7 of us on this trip. It's my parents 25th anniversary, so it's us 3 ( I'm a rare only child), my aunt and uncle, and their 2 kids aged 19 and 16. We have an early flight out and arrive in Orlando around 8:45 AM. My mother is the biggest Disney junkie out of all of us, and must arrive as soon as possible in the morning. (I would get her on here, but she has no idea how to work a computer. She's still using her same AOL email from like 1996.) I'm not a morning person by any stretch, but exceptions can be made haha. On the ride down we try to estimate how many times we've been to Disney. We put it somewhere around 15 for my dad and I, and my mothers somewhere in 30s. Hotels I've stayed at: Beach club, yacht club, boardwalk, swan, dolphin, contemporary, Port Orleans, Tree houses pre renovations, and wilderness lodge. (Foolishly we are not members of the DVC, but that's another story)

For this trip, we're staying at the beach club. This is the third year in a row we're staying at the BC. I'd have to say its my favorite resort because of A) Stormalong Bay B) The dining options and C) Its location. I also enjoy the new England cottage theming. (Can you tell I'm from the northeast yet?) I estimate that we've stayed at the beach club roughly 5-7 times. I could give tours around the place blindfolded. As most people probably know, when you arrive early, your room typically isn't prepared. No worries. Obviously this isn't our first time. We packed our bathing suits in the carry on and arrive ready to spend the day at the pool.

As we begin to make our way out to the pool, it begins to downpour. We're camped under an umbrella until it passes. Not a great start by any means, but it beats anything else. Eventually, the storm passes and we get into the pool (which felt chilly, but it was the only time that week). I'm guessing it was a result of the rain Florida had been having. We have lunch at Hurricane Hannahs, which I personally felt was below average for the price. I had a burger that was ehhhh. I used to like it more as a kid, but maybe i'm just too picky now. Also, when did they add the bar seating? Had to have been very recent or maybe I'm only noticing it now that i'm over 21 ... OR maybe the food at Hannah's improves after a few margaritas????


As we continue on with the day, we eventually gain access to our room. We're scheduled to stay on the concierge floor, but its so booked that we end up on the third floor. Not a huge concern, as we still have access to the amenities. We have an internal debate as to whether the concierge is worth it. I personally say no, but everyone else in the family disagrees. I think its nice for breakfast, but lacking with everything else. I say we could buy cereal/bowls from the marketplace, basically have the same breakfast and save the $$$. It's still up for debate. I'd love to hear your opinions.

Room pic

We wind up eating a quiet dinner at crews cup, one of our personal favorites, and a hidden dining gem in DW in my opinion. I'm a HUGE fan of their clam chowder. (I see everyone reading this nodding along and thinking "yeah, definitely from the northeast"). I really enjoy the quiet, relaxed atmosphere as well. Its a great option for a first day meal I feel.

After dinner, we wind up watching illuminations, and grabbing ice cream at Beaches and Cream. This will become a common theme. You can probably guess what I ordered from my avi haha. (Side note: I had NO idea they used Edys ice cream. At home, I usually avoid buying it. I was shocked when I found this out. Something about it tastes different. I figured they made their own, seeing as how they go through about 50 kitchen sinks a day)

At any rate, if anyone is still reading my ramblings, Day 1 draws to a close as we prepare for an early day 2 at typhoon lagoon. I'll post again tomorrow if anyone is interested. Hopefully I can figure out a way to add a few pictures by then.

 

[englanddg]

Write a trip report.

I can't state this more. Trip reports help (I see you already started). I also make videos of my trips, etc...

And yeah, I know that funk. Due to geography, work and school schedules, I don't get to see my kid face to face so much anymore, and our annual trips (which have been Disney since 2010 in one form or another) are the highlight of my year.

The videos and trip reports, and lurking on forums like this...helps...at least for me. Plus, it's great to be able to go back and read and watch previous trips and remember how much fun it was...and helps to get excited for future trips!

 

[englanddg]

Nice start! I knew about the Edy's Ice Cream, however, I've never had the Kitchen Sink! I think me kid would love that!

Also, concierge, never done it at Disney, but did do "club level" at Universal, and will be "Atrium level" at Contemporary in August. I don't think it's worth it either (outside of maybe the free beer!)...

Only reason I booked Atrium at Contemporary is that we are only staying one night, and I wanted to ensure a good high level Theme Park view for Wishes!

 

[foreverbelle]

The post trip blues are always the worst. We were there just about the same time, I returned on the 29th, and had to start back at work on the 30, it was sooo soo hard to get back in the swing of things. Even a week and a half later I am still trying to get back in the mood of things. Usually I try to stay away from sites for a couple of days, especially if I know I will not be returning for a good while. Its just hard to see everyone get in the excitement mode. I agree with you there.

I do however also do trip reports, and try to start thinking about our next trip. I go as far as fantasy book, where I go on the site and plan as if I am going to book. Its kind of dorky, but fun at the same time and gets me away.

Other than that, its hard very very very hard..Hang in there.

 

[foreverbelle]

Nice start to your TR, which I just read.

We have stayed at the concierge level just once, it was nice, I do not know if we would do it all the time, and we only got it as an upgrade since they mistakenly did away with our reservations. So we felt spoiled. But as for paying extra? I do not know, we at the time weren't in the room, or on the floor all that much to actually really take advantage of the amenities. Yes, this is probably our fault.

Good start, looking forward to more of it.

 

[NoWayJose]

I appreciate everyone's comments. It's been said plenty of times, but you really need a vacation from a Disney vacation. At any rate, I'll continue on with Day 2, which brings the family to Typhoon Lagoon.

Day 2: Believe it or not, this is only our second time at TL in all of our years visiting. The weather reports had been calling for thunderstorms, so we were hesitant to visit, but once again ran into zero problems. We lucked out. We typically visit when TL is closed, so it's nice to get over to visit when we can. We've always enjoyed spending time at blizzard beach, especially with 14 story drop summit plummet, but I'm beginning to think that given the option, I like TL more. I like the sandy beach environment, coupled with the incredible wave pool. Seeing unsuspecting people get knocked off their behind when the wave eventually crashes is a guilty pleasure. It seems most people don't realize that the wave actually crashes further back.

So after an enjoyable day at TL, we begin to head back to the BC to prepare for dinner reservations at the Yachtsman. Ideally I would've like to have eaten at the California Grille tonight, but it's closed for renovation, as we all know. Not a problem, as the Yachtsman is also a family favorite, and its inside the hotel, which is an easy travel for all of us. As we arrive, the staff is acutely aware that it is my parents 25th anniversary, and even make note of it at the head of the dinner menu. It was a very nice touch. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the menus.

Overall, it was a great meal. I had a filet w/ mashed potatoes and a side of their incredible macaroni. Also I had a very feminine fruity margarita with it that my friends would relentlessly mock me for if they knew haha.

After a dinner like that at the Yachtsman, we were all out of commission for a bit. Beaches and Cream will not be in the works tonight. No room. I'm scared that if I breathe too deeply I may explode on the spot. We decide to spend the rest of the evening at the pool, as its open until 11, which I can never recall being the case in our previous visits. I suppose its the summer schedule. I'm sure everyone's seen a million pictures of the pool, so i'll only leave you with this one as we prepare for day 3 at the parks.

 

[fractal]

One can never see enough pictures of Disney World. Don't be shy!

Storm-along-bay is such an awesome pool!

 

[Mrsdonaldduck]

Can't wait to read about day 3! I am loving your report. AND I hope you find your cute red head!!!!

 

[NoWayJose]

Thank you so much... And yes, I hope so too haha! I think I could probably recite the 500th digit of Pi before I could have coherently approached her with both families around. Sigh... And on that charming note, Day 3 begins!

Day 3: EPCOT is our first park. Like everyone else in Disney history, we attempt to get onto Test track and Soarin' immediately. Naturally Test track is broken down, so every single person in EPCOT seemed to have funneled over to Soarin'. We are not a family that has even 1 ounce of patience to wait 140+ minutes, so we quickly snag fast passes to return later.

In the mean time, we will visit the different countries, and pick out gifts for the relatives. This is really my mothers time to thrive and shine. My Dad and I will focus our efforts on getting drinks at the different countries, however there are a few items that catch my eye. If the mystery red head IS reading this, I think I found something you left behind??? Hmm. Let me know if its your size.

Continuing on with the shopping, this was our major gift for my grandmother we found in Germany:

Only kidding of course! I haven't won the Powerball yet. Do you see the price tag on that thing?!?! After some ACTUAL light shopping and rides throughout the countries, we return to ride Soarin'. Is everyone interested in seeing my feet hang out over the golden gate bridge? I didn't think so, so I'll pass on the Soarin' photos haha.




Eventually, we leave and return to the pool for a mid day swim/relax. Now that we're all basically adults (I'm still actively avoiding it), we enjoy spending more time at the parks at night more than any other time. Especially at MK, where we will head tonight. This is my mothers favorite park, which I think has wore off on me. There's something about being in there at night that has a completely different feel. Hard to articulate, but the lights, sounds, smells, etc are on another level. We don't have a dinner scheduled, so we're going to find a place to eat as we go. We end up choosing Cosmic Rays, where you can never really go wrong. Plus the price is pretty reasonable for Disney standards. After that we hit most of the rides, with our main family competition being Buzz Lightyear. It gets pretty heated, as it perennially has been known to. I managed to blow everyone else out of the water, as you would expect any 22 year old who spends too much time on Xbox. Overall, we had surprisingly short waits. Thank you, EasyWDW.com... If we're allowed to say that on here.

One small note: We had a hilarious skipper on jungle cruise named Milton. He had the funniest material out of all the skippers I can recall. I know there's a generic script most of them follow, but he seemed to add a bit of his own stuff. Perhaps it was because we were his last cruise of the night and he was probably ending a 16 hour shift or something. I should've taped it for YouTube. Unfortunately I don't have many great pictures on my phone from the night, but I will post what I have as day 4 at MGM errr Hollywood Studios is on the horizon for tomorrow.

It was only slightly crowded that night, right?

 

[HouCuseChickie]

So glad you decided to post a trip report! I think it really is a big key to getting over the post trip blues. Many of us LOVE looking at the WDW pics others take. Plus, each trip has its own unique elements, making it even more fun.

I agree with you totally about not waiting 140+...and Soarin' always feels like a longer wait than many others. Your food from Yachtsman also looks super YUM!

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

This is the first TR that I've read. I am obsessed!!! I feel like I am there living YOUR vacation!!! haha... I hope that's not creepy. I am definitely going to do this next time we go! Thanks for sharing your wonderful memories

 

[NoWayJose]

Thanks so much for the kind words. You'll quickly see that there are much more spectacular, in depth reports on here that I could never match. My "report" is very JV in comparison! I should've planned ahead and figured it would be a good idea to write a report, but I will have to do that for next trip. On to day 4!

Day 4: We really wanted to get over to Hollywood Studios before the Star Wars Weekend kicked into high gear and the lines became outrageous. Up first was my favorite ride on property:

RnRR! There it is! The posted wait time was only 30 minutes. We figured we really caught a break, right? How wrong we were. The line, which was rather small, never moved for close to an hour. The only way it moved was when people got tired of waiting and left. There was never any announcement or anything from the CMs. Very disappointing. However, we figured we better wait it out because, as mentioned, HS was only to get more crowded as we got closer to the weekend. Total wait time: roughly 75 minutes. It wasn't completely awful, but it was absolutely the hottest day of the week, which did not help at all. Kind of dampened our mood for the rest of HS. However, we still managed to do everything we wanted, so we left relatively satisfied.

Next, we hopped on a bus over to the Animal Kindgom. We had a lunch scheduled at Rainforest, which is always a quality meal. You always know what you're in for. (Can anyone say volcano?) Suprisingly it wasn't too crowded. If you have little kids, this is always a great spot for them to be entertained during a meal.

After lunch, we focused our attention on the rides. We figured we better let our food settle in first before climbing Everest, so safari was up first. Managed to get pretty up close and personal with some guys like this:

And more:

After a relaxing safari ride (read: food recovery time), we made the trek up over to the only menacing mountain in central Florida:

What an incredible ride. The views you get of the surrounding areas as you head up the mountain are really something else. I know most people still have issues with the yeti, but regardless its still a great ride. After this ride ends, we attempted to get on dinosaur, but naturally it wasn't working. 2/3 isn't bad hah.


So, after a day of the parks, we returned back to the Beach Club for dinner at the Cape May Café. Overall, I think its a very average meal, and at $37 a person, I think there are much better options. However, it was in a good location for us, and most of the family are big into the sea food they offer, so it worked out ok.

Side note: I think if I could have any job in Disney it might be a waiter at the Cape May Café. They have to make pretty decent bank off the tips alone. Plus, they don't even take your orders. Their only real jobs are to A) Bring drinks and B) Clear the table. This would be an ideal job, in my opinion. I would love to know their salaries.

The night, per tradition, ends with some swimming and beaches and cream.

That's all for now, until Day 5's all day EPCOT extravaganza. After all, I wont be satisfied until I ride the new test track... As always, thanks to everyone reading. I was skeptical at first, but these trip reports really do help you get over the post trip blues.

 

[englanddg]

Nice installment. Can't wait to hear about your next day's adventures!

 

[ShookieJones]

Nice job, I'm glad you decided to try your hand at a TR.

As far as all the jerks around here with upcoming vacations!!???? ignore them! They're just pompous idiots that want to flaunt their good fortune in your face.

There are plenty of other very cool humble people who have either just returned from trips or don't have anything currently planned.



PS - Until October 6th 2013 -- I am going to be one of those pompous idiotic jerks, so I will just read along silently without commenting as to not to incur your well deserved wrath!

 

[sgtmgd]

Nice job, I'm glad you decided to try your hand at a TR.

As far as all the jerks around here with upcoming vacations!!???? ignore them! They're just pompous idiots that want to flaunt their good fortune in your face.

There are plenty of other very cool humble people who have either just returned from trips or don't have anything currently planned.



PS - Until October 6th 2013 -- I am going to be one of those pompous idiotic jerks, so I will just read along silently without commenting as to not to incur your well deserved wrath!

Shookie..Im going in September (Im typing this in the most non pompous way possible)