Trip Report When can we do this again? A Fractal family Odyssey. *COMPLETED*

Definition of odyssey:

• : a long journey full of adventures
  
  
• : a series of experiences that give knowledge or understanding to someone

Not too long ago I had a lot of doubt this trip would ever happen. The financial cost of higher education, the fact my wife Val wanted to go anywhere BUT Disney, the crazy and conflicting schedules of the kids, made the odds of keeping our 2-year WDW trip tradition a large long-shot. But maybe things do happen for a reason...

A great deal came our way and before we knew it we were on our way back to the World. Not without a major sacrifice however as my eldest daughter Alexandra had to miss the trip due to her schooling ( she graduates this Friday as an Registered Nurse!). She is a bit of a kindred spirit to me with a personality closer to mine than the other two, so I knew I would miss her dearly on the trip.

Here she is at Christmas with my Mom (Yia-Yia).

Speaking of Yia-yia; she will join us again at WDW! We had a great time with her on our 2013 trip at the Poly. We would meet up with her, my Sister Marina (here with me)...

and my two nieces; Courtney...

and Mia...

at the Yacht Club on the second leg of our journey. The first part of our trip took us to my in-law's (Al & Sue) who moved to Florida (Tampa - St. Pete area) last year. They would also join us at WDW!

Here they are from a 50th anniversary party we had for them last Winter...

It was early evening Thursday July 20th when we began our Odyssey. My good friend Wally picked us up to take us to the Baltimore (BWI) airport.

Excitement was building for our trip but the real Disney excitement would come later.

Sterg and Toni occupied the back seat. They were almost late for the pickup as they decided a last second Starbucks run was in order. Sterg ended up paying for that about an hour later as his bladder protested strongly.

Val was next to me and could barely contain her enthusiasm.

Not only was she not fully in favor of another Disney trip, she was (rightfully) concerned with the potential problems, complications, and stress of merging these 3 parts of the family together in the already chaotic environment of managing reservations, room assignments, getting to the parks, fastpasses and dinner plans. I had much of the same worries, which were also amplified by the fact Yia-Yia and Al would be using electric scooters during our time at the World. But hey, it's Disney, what could go wrong?

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Thank you for sharing your awesome family trip with us! I haven’t been able to be on the site much lately but when I do, I most look forward to updates in trip reports. Love living through them! This one as been a treat. Until next time. Thanks again!

 

[rshell68]

the "doom and gloom" forums

That is why I don't venture out from the Trip Report board. It's mean and scary out there LOL I feel a camaraderie in here.
Thanks again for sharing your trip with us! It was a delightful respite during work hours did I say that out loud?!

 

[fractal]

Thank you so much for sharing your vacation with a bunch of people with the same passion. You do such a great job of story telling and your photos...OMG! Just outstanding!

Thanks @mousefreak !

Love your detailed "final thoughts!" Sad to see your report come to an end.. is it too early to start a countdown till the next one?

Maybe soon??? thanks @blgauger !

Thanks for your final thoughts! We loved Yacht Club too. It was more cozy than I expected.

One thing that stood out was that you got no bug bites. I'm jealous This will be in my report, but my ankles/feet got DESTROYED on the patio at the Poly. I should have known with it being right there on the water. I deserve my punishment

Looking forward to more instagram posts and your videos!

Sorry about the bug bites! thanks for following and I'm enjoying your instagram.

New to the forums here and this was my first trip report to follow. Absolutely loved following along! I will definitely have to check out your IG account and YouTube channel. Thanks again for posting a great report!

Thank you @NeilHoytPA !

It's hard to find better.....check out all his camera help...INVALUABLE! (and fun)

thanks @WallyWorld ! I'm working on a review of my camera in WDW and some recommendations on what cameras to use.

Loved reading your report and I LOVED the pictures!! Just amazing!!

Thank you @MegRuss626 !

You had a nice balance of positives and (a few) negatives in your recap comments. You and your family are park veterans, and know what is expected for your money. You also adapt to reasonable compromises, when occasional, unforeseen situations arise during your vacation.

Any one of your paragraphs could spark a great discussion, but I don't want to hog space here in your TR. I'll just sum it all up--a Fractal family TR is absolutely the best recreational read on the forums! Thank you, Fractal, Fractal Jr., and Fractal family (especially my favorite--Yia Yia!!)

Thanks again @MinnieM123 !

Thanks for your final thoughts! Sad your trip report is coming to an end!!
Maybe now yours is over I can finish mine << that’s me laughing at my own lame excuses as to why I haven’t finished

Thanks and yes, please finish!

I've been reading TRs for a few months but this is my first time commenting. Thank you so much for your report! It was so fun to read and your pictures are beautiful!! I almost felt like I was on the trip! I hope you get to go to WDW again soon so that *I* can go back to WDW It also made me wish I had any photographer skills whatsoever.

Your pictures of Pandora were also fantastic. I have not been there and I haven't seen the movie but your pictures and review make it look so great!!


Thanks for your recap! I'm sad about Wishes being gone (though I'm not mourning it nearly so much as the old Welcome Show!) and your recap has made me more excited for HEA

Thanks @AKemily ! I think you'll love HEA.

Thank you for the final thoughts! I look forward to your next report, but in the meantime, will keep an eye out for your Instagram pics!

Thank you @MeeskaMooska0714 !

I think that we all need to chip in and send Fractal back so we can see some more pics and enjoy some more story. Of course, we'd have to convince Val.......

sounds good to me!

Maybe Fractal can take a mother/son trip? Yia Yia and Fractal's adventures at the World, funny stories and beautiful photos would make an amazing trip report.

I think Yia-Yia would be up for that!

I truly enjoyed reading your trip report and viewing your photos. I am sad to see it end but thank you for your "final thoughts"

thanks @Cetta !

Great recap!! You have a lovely family, thanks for letting us follow along! So glad you all had a wonderful time!

thank you @Courtney6682 !

Great Report!! Loved the stories (all but the lens one - SORRY) and the pictures are AMAZING. Thanks so much for sharing!!

Thanks for following along @WildcatDen !

I totally grammed you from my personal IG and from the joint IG that hubby and I have together

thank you @Lyssa ! Good luck with the new camera!

Wow....I've fallen way behind because of real life. This calls for some ketchup.
I missed that entire fire performer's bit. I fell asleep somewhere during the tumble monkeys...now I can see what I missed! Thank you!

Lol!

Aw....so sorry about the lens. On the one hand, I'm sad the TR is over, but on the other, I am SO far behind on so many others. I'm glad I caught up on ONE. Thanks for the amazing pictures and videos!

Thanks for following and reading @Songbird76 !

Amazing video. Amazing trip report.

thanks @TheDude23 !

 

[fractal]

Thank you for sharing your awesome family trip with us! I haven’t been able to be on the site much lately but when I do, I most look forward to updates in trip reports. Love living through them! This one as been a treat. Until next time. Thanks again!

Thank you @DisneyPrincess5 !

That is why I don't venture out from the Trip Report board. It's mean and scary out there LOL I feel a camaraderie in here.
Thanks again for sharing your trip with us! It was a delightful respite during work hours did I say that out loud?!

There's a lot of trolling out there - not that Disney's perfect, but man people need to get a grip. Thanks for following @rshell68 ! hope you didn't get in trouble.

 

[38053WDW]

Definition of odyssey:

• : a long journey full of adventures
  
  
• : a series of experiences that give knowledge or understanding to someone

Not too long ago I had a lot of doubt this trip would ever happen. The financial cost of higher education, the fact my wife Val wanted to go anywhere BUT Disney, the crazy and conflicting schedules of the kids, made the odds of keeping our 2-year WDW trip tradition a large long-shot. But maybe things do happen for a reason...

A great deal came our way and before we knew it we were on our way back to the World. Not without a major sacrifice however as my eldest daughter Alexandra had to miss the trip due to her schooling ( she graduates this Friday as an Registered Nurse!). She is a bit of a kindred spirit to me with a personality closer to mine than the other two, so I knew I would miss her dearly on the trip.

Her she is at Christmas with my Mom (Yia-Yia).

Speaking of Yia-yia; she will join us again at WDW! We had a great time with her on our 2013 trip at the Poly. We would meet up with her, my Sister Marina (here with me)...

and my two nieces; Courtney...

and Mia...

at the Yacht Club on the second leg of our journey. The first part of our trip took us to my in-law's (Al & Sue) who moved to Florida (Tampa - St. Pete area) last year. They would also join us at WDW!

Here they are from a 50th anniversary party we had for them last Winter...

It was early evening Thursday July 20th when we began our Odyssey. My good friend Wally picked us up to take us to the Baltimore (BWI) airport.

Excitement was building for our trip but the real Disney excitement would come later.

Sterg and Toni occupied the back seat. They were almost late for the pickup as they decided a last second Starbucks run was in order. Sterg ended up paying for that about an hour later as his bladder protested strongly.

Val was next to me and could barely contain her enthusiasm.

Not only was she not fully in favor of another Disney trip, she was (rightfully) concerned with the potential problems, complications, and stress of merging these 3 parts of the family together in the already chaotic environment of managing reservations, room assignments, getting to the parks, fastpasses and dinner plans. I had much of the same worries, which were also amplified by the fact Yia-Yia and Al would be using electric scooters during our time at the World. But hey, it's Disney, what could go wrong?

My daughter be like "Dad, I need a Disney fix bad" but she just started college (Pre admitted to Nursing Program) and "I hear ya" ... trying to find the time between her schooling (she cannot miss any) and our sons high schooling leaves us with early summer, which we've never been on purpose! ... Just getting started on the plans for 2018... wish us luck!

 

[38053WDW]

The next evening we had dinner at The Pub, a restaurant/bar on the inter-coastal near Clearwater. The food was fine, the threatening weather cooperated and I took the opportunity to bring my camera and flash.

I was using a wide angle 18mm lens which allowed me to take the dreaded selfie. The big problem with wide angle lenses is the distortions it creates. The objects closest to the lens appear much larger while the objects further much smaller. I'm no George Clooney, but my nose is not that big compared to my head...

I was enjoying my Modelo and Val her wine...

It's Hawaiian shirt day! I have many.. Love Tommy Bahama but man they are not cheap!

 

[38053WDW]

With everyone all dressed up and smelling good, we gathered in the lobby. It was time for our group shot. The CM that greeted us on the first day was more than willing to take our photos. I gathered everyone together and posed our group on the steps to the best of my ability considering how impatient some were. OK, everyone here? I then made sure the camera settings were good and took my place. After a few photos I checked on the results.

"Looks good, this one is good...oh! I like this one." I said out loud for all to hear. This was the best.

"Wait a minute! We're missing someone..."

We may have all said it at the same time; "MIA!"

Mia became preoccupied with watching the cartoons on tv. In this case Mia stood for Missing In Action.

With Mia now part of the group we got this keeper.

Now that we eliminated any possibility of a Home Alone sequel we exited YC and started towards Epcot.

I got to about here when I realized I forgot my phone in the room.

"Keep going, I'll catch up." I said for the 10th time of the trip. The only thing I missed was Yia-Yia drag racing up the strip on her ECV.

Sterg was waiting for me at the International Gateway.

Sterg and Mia, the only two that genuinely wanted to pose for me.

Someday I'll get to the real France. I wonder if I'll say angrily "Hey, this looks nothing like Epcot!"

A new Disney Dinning Experience for all of us. I heard some mixed reviews for "Chef's" but I liked that it was different and within walking distance.

UP Next - how did Les Chef's de France rate with a tough crew?

 

[38053WDW]

What ! No Yacht Club Steak house dinner .... $50+ x ... carry the 4 .. add tip... oh I see

 

[38053WDW]

Remember when you were a little kid, when your imagination was at it's peak and you played "make-believe"? I have fond memories of sitting on a swinging bench on my friend's porch and we and his brother would pretend it was a boat and we were on the hunt for great white sharks. The next day the bench was the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon and after arguing over who was going to be Han Solo we would go off and fight the Empire. Tom Sawyer Island was built for that little kid. The pathways, the caves, the bridges, the mills, the fort, all create a stage where an endless number of imaginary adventures can play out. Adventures created in one's mind in contrast to modern attractions like Flight of Passage that are already created for you. This was what I thought about as I explored the many little nooks, crevices and hideouts.

Unfortunately as we age our imagination fades away and is discolored by our time and experiences in the "real world", but I couldn't help but feel the tug of a younger me. Being alone and not in "Dad mode", certainly helped fuel this.

Two rocking chairs or a command center for a starship?


Nah .. never to young .... Some people just don't get it and never will .. Walt's life is imagination ... most of these rides you can find at other parks but not like Disney .. they take you in the ride... they take your mind to may places... I would love to be an imagineer !!

Are we looking at Big Thunder or an alien planet?

here's passage to the villain's lair or entrance to our secret hideout.

A windmill or is this the power generator of our enemy that we need to take down?

More props to feed imaginary tales.

I found the warp-drive engine.

Are there pirates on this boat? Is it a ghost ship? Is it sinking and we have to save the passengers from the shark infested water? Is it an Imperial Star-destroyer? Yes to all the above.

The caves! I was blown away first of all just how dark they are, forcing you to respect them. It's not just a "walk through", these caves challenge you physically and psychologically. They are dark, twisty and cramped and it's not long before you forget about "what's next after this", replaced by "how do I get out of here?". After "escaping" from my first cave I looked back at it in amazement and greatly appreciated the fact the Disney, in today's litigious society, keeps them open.

A bridge over quicksand, a fiery pit, a dragon's lair or, most likely, hot lava.

 

[38053WDW]

Can't believe you had never done the WDW Railroad before. That's a ride that's always on my list. But then, besides the great views, I'm a fan of trains. In fact, on my last trip out to Disneyland, I took the train. It was the Southwest Chief out of Chicago. It was more expensive than a flight; but it was very much worth it to me. The views were absolutely amazing, some stuff I think @fractal would love to capture. If you have the extra money on a trip across a fair amount of our country, I highly recommend doing it at least once.

Also, I love the shots of Main Street USA. For me, walking through those tunnels through Town Square and then looking down Main Street at that castle is the first thing I do after dropping my stuff off at the hotel. It lets me know I'm back at Walt Disney World.

When we stay at Contemporary ... it was my wake-up call .. The train whistle!

 

[38053WDW]

A few more photos from Discover Cove.

Val said she really enjoyed herself. The unlimited wine and drinks didn't hurt.

Toni flat out loved it. As I said before she always wanted to do this so she was thrilled and lucky to have such a nice Aunt!

This was the second time for Marina and Courtney and Mia's first. They also had a blast. Yia-yia enjoyed herself but not without some drama. Her hearing is not the best as she suffers from Otosclerosis which effects the little bones in your ear (Unfortunately I suffer from the same thing). There is a surgery to help with this (which she had about 25 years ago and I had recently) but is still a progressive condition. You can see her hearing aids in this photo.

I'm not at the point of needing hearing aids but I can tell my hearing is not what it used to be. The many years of blasting music in my car and headphones probably doesn't help.

This dolphin took a liking to Yia-Yia (which ended up being a very good thing).

When taking the group shot, everyone was told not to touch the dolphins dorsal fin. Yia-Yia didn't hear that, even though it was repeated to her by Marina and Val.

She was "scolded" a bit by the trainer. They were a bit surprised the dolphin remained so calm. Maybe it really did like her.

The whole experience looked and sounded great, but as I said before it comes at a cost. There was an even higher level you could purchase that included more "top-shelf" liquor. I'm not quite sure an all you can drink booze fest goes too well with a dolphin interaction but nevertheless it was a great time by all!

The Discovery Cove ticket also got you into Seaworld which at this point I have no photos of as none of the photo takers from the day have responded to my repeated request for pictures.

The general consensus was that it was fun and the coasters were "cool" however the phrase "but it's just not Disney" was uttered many times.

>> "but it's just not Disney" - Yep .. did a Disney trip one time and decided to go to Universal one day at a cost of over $700.00 for tickets.... many down rides and my kids still say .. it's not Disney ...

 

[38053WDW]

Whew! Just finished the trip .. Amazing as always.... This will be our first "summer" trip and I'm not sure how I will like it.. we are Fall trips because wife's favorite time of year plus "fall costs + MNSSHP" .. I can only imagine your pictures of that parade! We are fans of Park hopper too... You talk convention rates.. were you at a convention ?

 

[senor_jorge]

When we stay at Contemporary ... it was my wake-up call .. The train whistle!

We choose the Bay Lake view, and if I'm not up and having coffee on the balcony the boats are my alarm.... or lil' Johnny whipping his parents to get going to get down to meet Chef Mickey.

 

[38053WDW]

We choose the Bay Lake view, and if I'm not up and having coffee on the balcony the boats are my alarm.... or lil' Johnny whipping his parents to get going to get down to meet Chef Mickey.

We've rented DVC points 2bdrm MKV at Bay Lake and LOVED IT but this may be out of our price range this time... We took the sofa couch just to watch the castle change colors as we faded off into sleep... I loved the early mornings to people watch from the balcony...

 

[fractal]

What ! No Yacht Club Steak house dinner .... $50+ x ... carry the 4 .. add tip... oh I see

I should have gone to Yachtman's vs. Flying Fish.

When we stay at Contemporary ... it was my wake-up call .. The train whistle!

That's pretty cool!

>> "but it's just not Disney" - Yep .. did a Disney trip one time and decided to go to Universal one day at a cost of over $700.00 for tickets.... many down rides and my kids still say .. it's not Disney ...

I do believe there is a Disney difference.

Whew! Just finished the trip .. Amazing as always.... This will be our first "summer" trip and I'm not sure how I will like it.. we are Fall trips because wife's favorite time of year plus "fall costs + MNSSHP" .. I can only imagine your pictures of that parade! We are fans of Park hopper too... You talk convention rates.. were you at a convention ?

thanks for reading and commenting @38053WDW ! The crowd in late July/early August are manageable. I don't remember seeing a tour group this time. The heat is the biggest issue. Yes, I was at a convention for a portion of the trip.

 

[senor_jorge]

I should have gone to Yachtman's vs. Flying Fish.

It's hard for us to go wrong with Yachtsman. Like any restaurant we've had some visits that were better then others. Flying a little more under the radar for some of the best filets I've had on property would be Narcoossee's.

 

[Tiggerish]

It's hard for us to go wrong with Yachtsman. Like any restaurant we've had some visits that were better then others. Flying a little more under the radar for some of the best filets I've had on property would be Narcoossee's.

We agree on Yachtsman, dine there almost every trip. I recently ate at Narcoossee's for the first time, split the lobster tail and the special mashed potatoes with my friend. Our tablemates had the filet, and it looked very thin and rather overcooked. The lobster poached in butter was very, very good.

 

[amjt660]

Great report at Fractal
I hope you and your family continue to enjoy Disney together
I am still going with my 22 and 20 year old DD's
It is tough scheduling but worth

And in true Greek fashion I give you the line I always get from my inlaws

All the best!

Max

 

[gdisneyfans]

Not sure I can add anything else that hasn't been said yet Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us, especially your stunning
photos

 

[Bullseye1967]

I decided to make my way around World Showcase. Since I couldn't go right I made a left.

I see people.

Passage to Norway was open so I ventured.

This was my reward. 15 minute wait! Boy is Toni going to mad she missed this.

Frozen Ever After was not at the top of my list of things to do, but despite felling a little awkward going in alone I figured "why not?"

The queue line was filled with little details.

Is this supposed to be Arendale or a modern Norwegian fishing village?

Here's something I never thought I see in a Disney ride queue (not that I gave it any thought); pickled fish in a jar.

Before too long, I was in my boat sitting uneasily along with two families with children. "I'm not a creeper" I wanted to say out loud but only thought.

Time to get to the task at hand. Taking photos for my Trip Report!

I found these new Audio Animation figures with the "projected" faces a bit challenging to photograph. If you get the face at a certain angle it just doesn't look convincing - and since the "face" is now "lit up" you have to be more careful with your exposure.

I liked the troll scene in the movie and now in the ride.

Here's an example of how the projection makes Anna's face look off - like she's wearing a mask.

Here's Elsa!

Let it go, let it go.

Really, just let it go already!

Then we rushed backwards into the next scene.

From the look of how many little snowpeople here, looks like this guy's been busy since the movie.

Well, you've got a lot of kids to take to DisneyWorld - I would suggest saving up!

The grande finale!

Goodbye princesses!

I found FEA to be worthwhile. I don't know if I'd wait more than 20 or 30 minutes for it - especially if I were alone.

Soon I was back outside.

Your pics are are unbelievable as ever...Disney needs to hire you!