"When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over"-Our May 2012 Trip Report

Hello, Everyone! Welcome to our 2012 Walt Disney World Trip Report. For those of you who haven't followed along in one of our trip reports before, here is the link to the one I wrote from our last vacation in March of 2011.

This year our vacation was from Thursday, May 10th through Friday, May 18th and we stayed at Pop Century. It was just me (Lesley) and my husband (Andrew-aka Andy) on this trip. Also along for this trip was my new NIKON D3100 DSLR camera and two lenses I got as a graduation gift from my dad. We have "named" several of our gadgets (for example, the GPS we used on this trip is named Cornelia) so I thought it would be fitting to name my new camera Walter.


I started going on Disney vacations when I was a child in the early '90s, and have gone to the parks about 10 times now. Andy's first trip was with my family in September of 2008 and he has now gone a total of 4 times with me.

After returning from our vacation last year, we immediately began talking about going in 2012, but this time we wanted the trip to just be the two of us-sort of a 2nd Honeymoon for us. We've always gone with other family members to Disney, and although we've been married for almost 6 years and dated 5 years before that, we've never been on a vacation just the two of us. Even on our honeymoon we stayed with family in Mexico to save money.
I also went back to college in August of 2011 and I realized I would graduate in May of 2012, so we decided we'd take our vacation immediately following my graduation, as a celebration.

I graduated Tuesday, May 8th with a degree in Early Childcare and Education. Wednesday night we dropped our son, Connor (5) off with my mom for the night. While we were away he was going to spend the night with her, a few nights with Andy's parents and then about a week with my dad at the mountains in Tennessee. Before dropping Connor off we went out to dinner with my sister and her boyfriend, then Andy and I went home, threw some last minute things in our suitcase and went to bed early.

At 2:30 a.m. our alarm went off. When we drive to WDW (we live in S.C. so the drive is about 8 hours) we like to leave in the very early morning hours, that way we get to our hotel early and we prefer it to driving late at night. We brushed our teeth, got dressed and loaded up the truck. My dad loaned us his truck to use during our vacation because it is new and under warranty whereas Andy's car and my Jeep are less dependable.


Too early

We pulled out of our driveway at 3:03 a.m. We filled up the tank the night before-bless you, Bi-Lo Fuel Perks, you lowered our gas to $2.90 a gallon! Believe it or not, we got great milage using my dad's truck and we didn't have to spend too much on gas throughout the trip. We rolled out of the neighborhood blasting "Good Life" by One Republic in the stereo. We do have a good life and we were on our way to make it even better!


On the road

Around 5:20 a.m. we made our way onto I-95. At 6:00 we stopped for gas at a BP near Beaufort. As a graduation gift my dad's girlfriend gave me a BP gas card knowing I'd need it for our vacation-it was an excellent gift that went to great use! I was getting hungry but because of the strange hours we had been awake I wasn't sure what I wanted. I settled on Pringles and a Pepsi while Andy got a Red Bull. Probably not the best meal to have at 6 in the morning.

Around 6:30 we made it into Georgia. We drove into some serious fog that lasted for a good distance. We didn't realize quite how foggy it was until after looking at the picture.


Horrible fog

I kept busy writing thank you notes to my friends and family for their generous graduation gifts or either napping.


Keeping busy

Around 8 a.m. we finally crossed the state line into Florida. We walked around the Welcome Center to use the restroom, stretch our legs and to try some good old Florida orange juice.


Welcome Center


Yummy!


Stretching our legs


I dozed for a bit and soon after I woke up we were in Jacksonville.


Jacksonville

A bit later we saw this sign…


So close

 

[Southern_Tink]

At 11 o'clock we were near Holiday Inn Main Gate East where we would be staying a few days before heading to Pop Century and to the parks. We were pretty sure our room wouldn't be ready and we were hungry so we decided to grab some lunch. I was craving Italian and Olive Garden was nearby so off we went.


Olive Garden

Our lunch was good-typical Olive Garden fare. It was obvious to both of us though that we were both tired and we decided to stop by the hotel with hopes that our room would be ready. As soon as we were done with lunch we went to the hotel and luckily for us, it was and we were in our room by 12. When we were in the parking lot unloading our bags from the truck a pretty strung out looking couple asked Andy if he could spare some change. Andy politely told them we couldn't and the woman offered us a flower and told us to "have a blessed day." Andy and I gave each other a look and got our luggage out quickly. On our way toward the hotel doors, Andy heard the woman say "G-- D---, I need some weed!"

When we checked in, Andy nicely informed the receptionist about the couple who needed money to buy weed out in the parking lot. He didn't tell them to complain, he did it so they were aware in case the couple scared off potential guests. Right away the receptionist called security to let them know to have a look around the parking lot. We appreciated this because we liked that they took our concern seriously and tried to immediately handle the situation.

We then took the elevator to our room and I started taking pictures.


Our view

We could just barely see Downtown Disney from our balcony.


Bedroom

The beds were very comfy and we had a tendency to fall asleep as soon as we laid down. We were surprised to have a mini-fridge and the bathroom was pretty spacious.


Bathroom


After taking photos I put the camera down so we could take a nap. Andy started to doze off before me. I like to turn the t.v. on to help me fall asleep and Stacy was on with her "Must-Do" Disney spiel. As I started to drift off Andy jumped out of his sleep and mumbled ", that girl is crazy!" Apparently , he was semi-awake and he caught the part where Stacy rides Star Tours, makes Mickey ears with her hands and says "May the mouse be with you." The timing was hilarious and this line became a running joke throughout the rest of our vacation and even now that we are home. We had enough of Stacy and finally went to sleep around 1.

We both woke up around 3. The power nap was what we needed because we woke up ready for some fun and adventure. I suggested Downtown Disney. We last went there in 2008. We had a park ticket on the day that we went there in '08 and we felt like it was a waste of park time. And for whatever reason we weren't all that impressed with it. Since we didn't have tickets this day, I figured we should give it another go and grab something to eat. I thought it would be fun to take our time and just take in the atmosphere.

We left our hotel room at 4 and we soon drove under this beauty:


We made it!

Before going downtown we took a small detour. First we drove by the new Art of Animation resort and then did the same with Pop Century. They were both close by to Downtown so we figured it was worth driving by.


Next resort stay


POP

When we got Downtown we parked at Marketplace. We went to several stores and took some cute pictures.


Downtown


My stud


Silly Drew

 

[Southern_Tink]

I found a cup that is perfect for me, as I am not a morning person.


I need this

I didn't buy it, but I'm somewhat regretting not making that purchase, it is 100% me.


Scary


Cute store


Having fun

We went to Basin. I had never been to this store before and I really liked looking around. I especially liked the bath bombs and I tried out a salt scrub. It felt wonderful.


Basin

Up next, we checked out the Lego store.


Lego buzz


Lego woody

We then watched a guy stitch a Major League Baseball. I have been to the Louisville Slugger museum before, so it was interesting to now know how a baseball bat and ball are made.


Interesting


Neat


Andy with his iPHONE

 

[Southern_Tink]

Goofing off

We were getting hungry and at 6:45 we went to Earl of Sandwich. We had never eaten there before but we love sandwiches and after reading all of the great reviews of the place, it was on my list of places to try. It was a bit packed, but the line was moving fast. I told Andy what I wanted and I found a table while he placed our order.


Hawaiian

I ordered the Hawaiian BBQ Sandwich. If you've never had it before it comes with roasted ham, grilled chicken, Hawaiian BBQ sauce, swiss cheese, fresh pineapple and a fresh bun. The sandwiches are all warmed and all of the toppings are melted together. I got it with no ham or pineapple. I know that sounds funny to have that removed on a "hawaiian style" sandwich, but I love the taste of pineapple JUICE not the actual fruit pieces and having ham and chicken together didn't sound appealing to me. I also had chips and water. It was fantastic, the best sandwich I've had for sure. I did not like the chips at all. I thought they'd be kettle chips but instead they were dull flavorless crisps. I ate 2 then gave the bag to Andy.


Original

Andy ordered the Original 1762 and a water. It came with roast beef, cheddar and creamy horseradish sauce. Andy thought it was very good, although it could have used a little bit more horseradish.

After our dinner we decided to call it a night and head back to our hotel. On our way out I noticed Babycakes. I've read about it on the discussion boards and I love the taste of gluten free cookies (I don't have an allergy, I just actually like the taste). I ordered a chocolate chip cookie and a mini brownie cupcake.


Babycakes

Both desserts were good. I was surprised by how good the icing on the cupcake was. I am usually not a fan of Disney cupcakes. I think they are pretty flavorless and the icing usually lacks depth, most icings at Disney just taste like sugar with no added flavor. However, this was great. And the perfect size too.

We left downtown a little after 7. When we got back to the hotel Andy got in the hot tub for awhile while I went to our room and took a shower. We were in bed at 10.

 

[Southern_Tink]

Friday, May 11th

We didn't set an alarm this morning but we still only slept in until 8. I think my body was still used to my school schedule where I had to wake up at 6:30 and Andy is usually up by 7:30 with Connor.

We wanted to take it easy today and spend some time at the pool. I have always wanted to go to Beaches and Cream and we planned on going there for lunch one of the days we were at Epcot. But, we decided to give it a try on this day instead.

We left at 9:30 to go to Downtown Disney so we could park our car for free and we caught a bus to the Yacht Club.


Tower of Terror background

We could see the back of Tower of Terror on the way.


Bus stop


Yacht Club


yacht club

We thought the Yacht Club looked nice but not somewhere that we would probably ever have the desire to stay. After walking around, there we went toward the Beach Club. We've always agreed that staying at a Value resort makes the most financial sense for our family. We've also said that if we had the money to stay at a Moderate or Deluxe we'd still stay at a Value and use the extra money for additional things such as tours, extra parks days, etc. However, once I walked into the Beach Club I had a change of heart and I saw that look on Andy's face and knew he did too. We absolutely fell in love with the resort. It is very much our style. We loved seeing children and families everywhere, yet it wasn't loud or overcrowded. And the beach…it was stunning! We've visited the Polynesian before for different dinners and while we definitely see the appeal to staying there, we actually preferred the feel of the Beach Club more.


Pool 2


Pool


View


Loved the view


Pretty pics


Beach

 

[Southern_Tink]

Beach club

One day we hope to make an exception to our Value Resort only rule and stay at Beach Club, but since we couldn't splurge on it this year we spent some time taking it all in. We walked on the beach, looked at the Boardwalk, checked out the arcade and then we made our way to Beaches and Cream for lunch.


Soda Shop


Menu

I'm not a huge fan of hamburgers. They are often a hit or miss for me, and they usually upset my stomach, so we decided to split one and order individual desserts. Andy wanted his half loaded and I wanted mine with just cheese, mustard and ketchup. Our server was great and she brought our order out on two plates and split the fries up for us. We appreciated this because we figured we'd share off of one plate.


Menu


My burger


Drew's burger

We both ordered waters to drink. Time to discuss Florida water…does it taste funny to anyone else, or is it just me? The day before at Earl I thought it tasted a little off but didn't think too much of it. Then at Beaches and Cream it tasted flat, if water can even be flat? I noticed this throughout our vacation. I tried water from different restaurants, Pop's food court and even water from the hotel faucet and it all had an off-putting taste to it.

Anyway, I didn't eat much of my half of the burger and wound up giving Andy most of it-he liked it a lot. For dessert Andy ordered at Vanilla Malt and I ordered a chocolate hot fudge sundae with toasted almonds.


Chocolate sundae


Malt

Andy loved his malt and they gave him a lot of it too. My sundae was wonderful! If you read my Pre-Trip Report you'll know that Andy and I got on a major health kick about 2 months before this trip and we both lost about 15 pounds each. I still have a long way to go to get into the shape I want to be in, but for the week that we were in Florida we threw our diets out the window and enjoyed our food. The great news is now that I'm home and I've weighed myself, my weight only went up a pound while I was gone-I won't complain about that, that extra pound was worth 8 days of cheating! That sundae was probably the most unhealthy thing I had eaten in two months (besides my graduation cake) and it was AWESOME!


Beaches n cream


More goodness

 

[Southern_Tink]

We were both very happy with our experience at Beaches and Cream. The location and view are great. I love the theme. It wasn't too over the top or tacky like Johnny Rockets or Steak and Shake restaurants can be. We went around 11 and it wasn't packed at all. Also, the portions were good, probably even too big. We didn't think the price was bad either, $9.50 for a burger and fries that we split, $4.99 for Andy's malt and $5.99 for my sundae-that's about what we'd pay anywhere else I think.

After lunch I wanted so bad to bribe someone for their pool access wrist band so we could swim at the Beach Club pool, but we were faced with the reality of going back to the Holiday Inn if we wanted to get in the pool and get a tan. Truth be told, the pool at the Holiday Inn was actually nice. It has a large 3 to 8 foot pool, a shallow 1 foot pool for the kiddos and a hot tub…still not a Disney pool though.


On bus

We took a bus from the Yacht Club back to Downtown Disney to get the truck. On the way back we stopped by Publix and grabbed a few snacks-some Pringles for me (I craved those salty things the whole week, I think it was because it had been ages since I had last had them), and some yummy bananas and cantaloupe. Andy got a six pack of beer and I grabbed a 4 pack of small bottles of moscato wine so we could get our "drinky drink" on by the pool.

By 2 o'clock we were back in our room. We got our bathing suits on, poured a drink each in a plastic cup and put the rest of the bottles in the mini fridge. We went down to the pool for a couple of hours and napped while we laid out.


After the pool we took showers then we both fell asleep again. We discussed why we thought we were so tired because we actually got a good bit of rest the day before. Looking back we realized how busy our lives were leading up to this trip and just how bad we really needed this vacation. I am in my mid-20s and I have worked since I was 15 years old. I quit working last year to go back to school full time and I went back with a vengeance. I took extra classes so I could graduate sooner than I should have and I doubled and tripled up on labs. I was able to graduate with honors and made the President's and Dean's list. It was hard financially on us for me to not work and for my ego a bit (we got plenty of looks when we told people I wouldn't be working for a year). Then before our trip I had finals, graduation and a graduation dinner Andy had for me. Then throw in Andy's unpredictable work schedule (he is an editor/reporter for Patch.com, it is part of AOL and Huffington Post)-he gets to work from home but he works all hours), the fact that we are parents to a 5 year old boy and the fact that we worked out multiple times a day 6 days a week for 2 months and we were too exhausted kiddos! I think it hit us that day like a ton of bricks because it was the first time we weren't go, go, go in at least a month.

We were hungry for dinner after we woke up but we weren't sure where to go. Andy was in the mood for Asian so we got in the truck and went one direction down the road and didn't see anything. Andy made a U-TURN and we tried the other way. We couldn't find any Asian food. So, then we decided we should go somewhere we don't have back home and I saw a Perkins. We've never eaten at one before so we figured why not? We walked in and we felt like we were interrupting dinner at a retirement home-we were the youngest people there by a long shot and we felt a bit uncomfortable so we jumped back in the truck.

I looked around and saw Cracker Barrel. I told Andy I wanted to eat there. He drove toward it and started laughing at me. He thought it was hilarious that I wanted to eat somewhere that we don't have back at home and Cracker Barrel can be found almost anywhere in South Carolina.


Cracker Barrel

I didn't care, I knew the cornbread would be good, the tea would be sweet and the chicken and dumplings would be yummy-and none of it disappointed.

Across the street from the Cracker Barrel was a huge souvenir store that was in the shape of an orange. I asked if we could stop by there to have a look around and Andy didn't mind. He tried some of the oranges and I looked around at different knick knacks. We didn't want anything so we went back to the hotel to watch a little t.v. and call it a night.

 

[olinecoach61]

Great report, I'm enjoying it!

 

[nick90991]

Im really enjoying your trip report. It looks like you had a great time in the first few days!!

 

[fractal]

Following along and yes, Beach Club rules!

 

[Southern_Tink]

Great report, I'm enjoying it!

Thank you! I hope to have more up tonight or tomorrow. I will have park days coming up soon!

Im really enjoying your trip report. It looks like you had a great time in the first few days!!

We had a great time the whole trip. The first few days were nice because we got to do things we normally don't. Thanks for reading!

Following along and yes, Beach Club rules!

Yay, I'm so glad Fractal is reading along! Beach Club blew us away! We are going to do all we can to make it happen soon for us. And, we did eat at Sanaa and we LOVED it! But, I don't want to give away too much, that will come in the Trip Report soon so please keep reading!

 

[Raven66]

Enjoying the trip report and pictures. Looking forward to reading more. Congrats on your graduation!! Sounds like your worked your booty off to finish sooner rather then later. I don't know you at all but I'm proud of you!!!:sohappy: Good luck with your future career!!

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

Count me in!! I really should writing my own TR but I just can't see a TR and not read it!!

Love the pics so far! I brought along my D3100 for the first trip a few weeks ago. So much better than a point and shoot!!

Earl of Sandwich is so yummy! I don't think I've ever gotten the chips but I'm making a mental note now not to! lol

Beaches N Cream is really good as well. We got the No Way Jose sundae (I LOVE peanut butter!!!) and it did not dissapoint. 3 of us shared it and couldn't finish it after our meal!

Moscato is my FAVORITE wine! So good choice there!!

And ummm, super weird about the lady who needed to find herself some weed! I'd be super sketched to stay anywhere near her!!! lol

Can't wait to read more!!!

 

[monkeysammich]

Awesome. Keep it coming!

(And congrats on graduating!)

 

[Southern_Tink]

Enjoying the trip report and pictures. Looking forward to reading more. Congrats on your graduation!! Sounds like your worked your booty off to finish sooner rather then later. I don't know you at all but I'm proud of you!!!:sohappy: Good luck with your future career!!

Thanks for reading and thanks for the congrats! I worked pretty hard but the degree and the vacation were totally worth it!

Count me in!! I really should writing my own TR but I just can't see a TR and not read it!!

Love the pics so far! I brought along my D3100 for the first trip a few weeks ago. So much better than a point and shoot!!

Earl of Sandwich is so yummy! I don't think I've ever gotten the chips but I'm making a mental note now not to! lol

Beaches N Cream is really good as well. We got the No Way Jose sundae (I LOVE peanut butter!!!) and it did not dissapoint. 3 of us shared it and couldn't finish it after our meal!

Moscato is my FAVORITE wine! So good choice there!!

And ummm, super weird about the lady who needed to find herself some weed! I'd be super sketched to stay anywhere near her!!! lol

Can't wait to read more!!!

I hope you write a TR as well, I am addicted to reading them and I'll for sure read yours! The D3100 was great to use for unique Disney pics, and yes it is WAY better than a point and shoot. Earl of Sandwich was fantastic but believe me when I say those chips were strange tasting to me, especially when I expected kettle chips when bit into one. I think that is what made them more disappointing. Beaches & Cream was great and we will for sure go there again. I think the only reason I was able to finish my ice cream is because I hardly touched the burger and I was enjoying not being on a diet! Chilled Moscato was great to have by the pool. I'm not a huge alcohol fan (it sours my stomach) but Moscato doesn't make me sick and it is so sweet and yummy! And yes, the weed lady....the only good thing about it was that we got a good laugh at the start of our vacation...:shrug:

Awesome. Keep it coming!

(And congrats on graduating!)

Thanks for reading, I'm about to post the next day now! And thanks for the congrats!

 

[Southern_Tink]

Saturday, May 12th

This morning we didn't set an alarm and we slept soundly. I don't think either of us tossed or turned at all during our sleep. Andy got up before me and I asked him what time it was. He looked at his watch and couldn't believe what time it was, we had slept in until 10 o'clock! I don't recall ever sleeping in until 10 as an adult!

After getting out of bed we freshened up and got on our bathing suits. It was pool time!


pool time


hotel


One of our favorite spots at the pool was the hot tub.


drew hot tub


And of course we brought a cup of beer and a cup of wine for me to sip on.


drinky drink

After a few hours of pool time we headed back up to our room to shower off and get ready for lunch.

I noticed this "Let the Memories Begin" poster on the way to our room…


sign

And I took a picture of our room number, because I kept forgetting what it was.


room number

For lunch we decided to head back to Downtown Disney to try out T-Rex for the first time. We walked past it the day before (I actually made reservations the night before from our hotel) and we thought the theme was really neat and I in particular really wanted to try it out.


trex sign


little dino

Our reservation was for 1:15 and we were seated in the Fern Forest section as soon as we walked in.


fern forest

 

[plaz10]

Already loving this TR. Awesome start!

I totally understand how you think in terms of resorts and money. For years my fiance and I were like "value all the way - if we have enough leftover money to upgrade - we'll eat at nicer places or stay longer"

Yeah that finally came to an end on our last trip. Pop was just very crowded and had lots of unsupervised kids. I was still OK with it as we usually just use it to sleep and shower. But my fiance was like "ok we're not in college anymore and we're working...it's time to upgrade." So we are trying out POFQ this trip as it is said to be more intimate, relaxing and adult. So we'll see if this is a new thing or if we'll be back to values after this. But I can totally see changing the value/money view when you see a place like the Beach Club. Definitely on our "must do" for when we have lots of money. Hahaha. If that ever happens...

 

[Southern_Tink]

I had read on the discussion boards that the portions were huge so we knew we wanted to split something. After looking at the menu the nachos stood ou to us so we decided to give them a try.


trex menu


nachos

The nachos were tri-colored chips, taco seasoned ground beef, black beans and cheddar cheese. They were delicious and we cleaned our plate.


empty plate

After the nachos we took a look around and took some more photos.


fire


more trex

On the way out I stopped by Babycakes to get 2 more chocolate chip cookies to eat later.


cookie


It was a quick drive back to our hotel. When we got back we got back into our bathing suits and went back to the pool for a little bit. At 4:15 we went back to the room to shower. Andy had to do something for work on his laptop, so I napped.

Around 7, Andy wanted to take a break from work and I was awake from my nap so we decided to get out of the room and get dinner.. Andy was still craving Asian from the day before, so he checked out google and found a Japanese steakhouse for us to go to. Unfortunately, when we walked into the place it was slammed and the wait was too long for us. Plus, we have a similar restaurant here in S.C. and when we compared the prices on the menu we couldn't bring ourselves to pay double what we could pay at our favorite Japanese restaurant back home. So, we decided to walk around to check out nearby restaurants and I found this little place within walking distance.


littleitaly2

The restaurant was dimly lit and smelled incredible. We are HUGE fans of Italian food, so we decided this was the place for us! We were sat in a nice open booth that overlooked the whole restaurant. Our server introduced himself and let us know that everything was fresh and handmade. We decided to split an appetizer of fried mozzarella and marinara sauce.


fried mozz

We expected to get those typical fired cheese sticks you can get at most Italian or pizza restaurants. Instead, we were given to big triangles of fresh mozzarella and fresh marinara sauce-not something out of a jar. It had a great, fresh taste and was not dripping with grease like most other fried cheese.

For our entree we split the spaghetti with meat sauce. Again, this was also very fresh and honestly the best spaghetti I've ever had. We were also given a fresh loaf of bread with olive oil and garlic pesto.


getti2

For dessert we shared the cannoli. It was pretty good, but not the best I've had. I had lemon zest in it and while I love lemon, I thought it was a bit overpowering.


italy dessert

 

[Southern_Tink]

After dinner we went back to our room and Andy finessed up work while I packed up our suitcase. We watched a little t.v. in bed and then went to sleep soon after. We were planning on waking up early the next morning because we would be checking into Pop Century and going to Magic Kingdom and Epcot the next morning!

 

[Southern_Tink]

Already loving this TR. Awesome start!

I totally understand how you think in terms of resorts and money. For years my fiance and I were like "value all the way - if we have enough leftover money to upgrade - we'll eat at nicer places or stay longer"

Yeah that finally came to an end on our last trip. Pop was just very crowded and had lots of unsupervised kids. I was still OK with it as we usually just use it to sleep and shower. But my fiance was like "ok we're not in college anymore and we're working...it's time to upgrade." So we are trying out POFQ this trip as it is said to be more intimate, relaxing and adult. So we'll see if this is a new thing or if we'll be back to values after this. But I can totally see changing the value/money view when you see a place like the Beach Club. Definitely on our "must do" for when we have lots of money. Hahaha. If that ever happens...

Glad we are not the only ones that think that way in terms of value resorts. We have primarily only used the rooms to shower and sleep in, especially when we have gone with groups. But after going on a trip that was just for us, we realized that we spent more time at the hotel than we usually do and if that continues we'd rather be somewhere nicer. Staying at the Beach Club is a dream...maybe when we retire we'll be able to afford it! Thanks for reading!