[llama]

We were scheduled to fly out on Jan. 1. Jan 1 is a great day to fly. Everyone else is recovering from the night before or watching football. Everything was set, I was packed, I was pumped, I was ready. So, of course, something had to go wrong. Blizzard. Now, we haven't had a blizzard in 15 years - so of course we had to have one 2 days before we left. There wasn't much to do except moan, rant, rave, whine, etc. So I did plenty of that. Fortunately it cleared the day before we left and if there's one thing we REALLY, REALLY GOOD AT, it's clearing snow. However, as more snow was on the way, we (myself, dh and dd No. 1) decided to get to the airport early and try to catch the earlier flight to Chicago. Miracle of miracles, we did, with no trouble at all. We arrived in Chicago in plenty of time to make the earlier flight to Orlando, but they wouldn't let us on the plane without our luggage. It was no biggy. We had to wait another hour and a half. But, of course, when we got to Orlando, there was our luggage waiting for us. It had made the trip on the earlier flight all by itself Let's hear it for airport security. Anyway. the upside was that we got out of the airport in record time. Got the rental car. And headed for OKW! My happy place. Nothing had changed. They welcomed us home, even though it was midnight and I fell asleep with visions of the MK dancing in my head. Yay! Next morning we were up bright and early. Now, here I should say something about our accomodations for this trip. They were kind of convoluted. I'm use to checking into OKW, plopping down and staying. This time we had some moving around to do. We had agreed to spend the first week with some friends at the Marriott Grande Vista Resort. DH wanted to golf, wanted to see friends, and Interval did not come through for us on Disney accomodations So, we had one night (first one) at OKW, because we had a couple of extra points and we wanted to use Disney transportation to get to the MK. Then we moved to Grande Vista for a week, then Saratoga Springs (one night) OKW again (4 nights) and Boardwalk Villas (2 nights) - whew.

So, we were off to the MK. The weather was beautiful. Warm and sunny. I sort of expect cooler weather in January, but this was gorgeous. Being Jan 2, the park was quite crowded, but the band was playing on Main Street, the Castle was gleaming and that wonderful WDW feeling was everywhere. We got some breakfast quickly at the Bakery. Just muffins & juice. We were anxious to get started, so we ate while we walked. We headed to Stitch's Great Escape first. The line was about 15 minutes and moved quickly. My impressions: Well, it's certainly cuter than it's predecessor. And slightly gross, which, of course, all the little boys (and dh) loved. Skippy puts in a mini appearance, but doesn't have any real role. And I still hate that shoulder harness thing. At least little children weren't screaming with terror. No one seemed upset by the darkness, and there was lots of laughter. Everyone loves Stitch, so, a good improvement, but still not a great fav of mine, simply because of the claustrophobic feeling. We headed for Buzz Lightyear, where dh smoked us (dd No. 1 and me) and continued to annoy us with how great he was all the way to Space Mountain. The wait was about 40 minutes so we got FP and went on to the Carousel of Progress, and then on the People Mover - it will always be the People Mover to me. By the time we finished at SM, it was lunchtime, so we headed over to Cosmic Ray's for lunch. We had promised ourselves to try to at least eat healthier this trip. This was a real advantage at CR's. The lineups at the burgers & chicken lines were huge, but there was hardly anyone at the salads. DH and I shared a chicken caesar and a turkey wrap and dd got a veggie burger. All the food was quite good and I felt very smug about not giving into the temptation of french fries, etc. After lunch we headed to Fantasyland. Surprisingly, it was quite quiet there. We got a FP for Winnie the Pooh, and then were able to see Mickey's Philharmagic (I love it SO MUCH). It's my new favourite in Fantasy Land. We did Snow White and went back to Winnie the Pooh. Then got a FP for PeterPan. IASW is closed. So we had to take some time to comfort my dh - lol. We watched King Arthur pull the sword from the stone, then went to PP, which I still love so much. After flying with PP, we headed to the Haunted Mansion, and when we were finished there, we realized how tired we were. It was about 3 pm. We had to head to Publix for groceries and then find the Grande Vista, so we headed out of the Park. By now it was very crowded. We browsed a bit on Main Street. Not a full WDW day, but we enjoyed what we had done, weren't too tired and were looking forward to six more days with DD No. 1.

Now a word about off-site vs. on-site accomodations. We got our groceries and found the Grande Vista with no problem. The resort was beautiful. The grounds & golf course were gorgeous. The one-bedroom suite we had could easily rival any Disney suite. It was quiet, sparkling clean, had it's own entertainment area and shopping. But - it wasn't Disney. I know that many of you know just what I mean. It's so hard to describe that missing magic. But, I really couldn't complain. DH was happy to golf, we saw our good friends, we had a car, so transportation wasn't a problem. We settled in and I have to admit that the screened porch off the bedroom was a beautiful, quiet place to relax. The next morning our dd chose MGM - her favourite park. It didn't seem as busy as the day before and as the week went on the crowds got less and less. We headed right over to ToT and RnRC. And while we were at RnRC we witnessed one of those "I can't believe I just saw that" moments. 3 boys, about 12 or 13, were headed for the ride. As they walked, one of them pulled their FP out of his pocket and they fell on the ground. A middle-aged, well-dressed woman actually swooped down and grabbed them! And wouldn't give them back to the boys!!! She and her husband & kid just headed for the FP line. The boys were shouting at her, and she just ignored them. I just stood there with my mouth open. I was SO MAD! Another family beside us saw it too. We all marched over to the CM at the FP lane and told him what had happened. The family had disappeared into the RnR building, so he let the boys go in the FP lane, and also let us and the other family in too, which was really nice of him. These poor kids. They were just so upset and couldn't believe an adult would do something like that. As luck would have it, at the loading area, we were in the line next to these thieves. And the other family were behind them. The mother of the other family & I just stared daggers at that woman. I am happy to say, she was squirming. I've seen plenty at WDW, but never anything like that. I hope, wherever she is today, she's proud of herself. How can we asked children to behave themselves when they're victims of that sort of thing? It just put a small cloud over the rest of my day. After RnR and ToT we headed to the Muppets. Then did Sounds Dangerous. Then Star Wars. We took a break and I highly recommend the cookies at the little shop just by the Muppets ride. We were lucky enough to get in at the tailend of the line going into the Little Mermaid. I just love that show and watching all the little kids trying to catch the bubbles. A little girl beside us was so excited. She told us Ariel was her "very most favourite". When Ariel appeared she said, "Oh Mommy, she's ALIVE". She was so sweet and that's why, even though my girls are all grown up, I still can feel the magic of WDW. We just grabbed a hotdog for lunch on Sunset Blvd. We then headed to One Man's Dream, which nobody should miss. I think it's the most under-rated attraction at the park. It's so nice to see and hear Walt again and relive all our memories. The Wonderful World of Color, etc. We did Who Want's to be a Millionaire, where we made it into the top ten, but not the hotseat. DH & DD did the Backstage Tour. For some reason I find that Tour incredibly boring, so I chose to shop for a while and then watched a skit some street actors did. It was just one of those little unexpected spots of magic. They were so funny. I really enjoyed myself. I met up with DH and DD and we went on the GMR. And once again got the gangster. We ALWAYS get the gangster. This is one ride that I think needs a little updating, but DD loves it. She wouldn't change a thing about it. As DH had a golf date, we headed out. We had been able to complete the whole park - except for the Beauty and the Beast and Raiders of the Lost Ark, which we only do every second year or so, anyway. I can't quite remember, but I think we simply ate at the suite that night.

Animal Kingdom was our dd's choice for the next day. Now, I know some people aren't too enamoured of AK, but we love it. We arrived early and the park was very uncrowded. We didn't need a fastpass for anything, or for the rest of the week, come to think of it. Got right onto the Safari which I love. The male lion was actually pacing all over and at the female was laying on the very top of Pride Rock. Disney couldn't have planned it better. We went on to the Festival of the Lion King. This is a show I never get tired of. I could see it a million times. Strolled onto Dinosaur and we forced dh on to the Primeval Whirl, which he hates and which we love, because he hates it so much - lol. We watched the Bird show and enjoyed it (we're kind of nerdy that way). And then on to It's Tough to be a Bug. And that was just the morning. The crowds were really disappearing fast. As we had the whole park done by 1 p.m we decided to take a break, rest for a while and then go to DTD to shop and eat at the Rainforest Cafe. Now - I'm not the greatest fan of this place. But my kids like it, so it seems we go every year. Last year dh took advantage of some offer they had (he's such a sucker) and bought a Rainforest Membership. I thought he was dumb to do it and told him so. I am now eating my words. One thing I hated about this place was the lonnnnng waits to be seated. With a membership you show your pass and are seated right away. 10% discount on all food and merchandise. The meal was actually quite good. I had a steak and ribs combo plate. DH just got a pizza, so he ate my ribs, and dd got a vegetable pasta. We still took food home. I will never get use to the portions in the States. We basically order 2 meals for three people and usually have leftovers. Our next couple of days were spent at "that other park" and Seaworld. DD loves the rides at "that other park", but admits there is no magic. I will admit that I love Seaworld. I think being deprived of greenery, and flowers for 4 months of the year really makes me appreciate all the beautiful landscaping at this park. We all enjoy it's slower pace, and it really has some excellent restaurants now.

Now I was ready for my favourite park: Epcot. I love Epcot. No apologies. Love the World Showcase, love Future World, love the restaurants and all the shops. After Spaceship Earth, which I MUST do first and I NEVER get tired of, we headed to Mission:Space. No line, just walked on. It was great. What a rush. DD and I wanted to do it again, right away, but DH said no way - he's such a baby. We headed to TestTrack, no line. By this time the parks were almost empty. Then did the "Beverly" thing. I still don't think it tastes that bad, if you sip it. We headed over to the Living Seas. The addition of Nemo and friends is an improvement and don't miss the Interaction Show with Crush. Cha, dudes. Headed to Imagination. The little ride is better than the last, but not as good as the original. Why did they mess with it? Now I may be thrown out of DC for this but I refuse to ever go to Honey I Shrunk the Audience again. I am so bored with this. The pre-show is too long and I'm tired of CM's ranting on about not sitting on the floor, I know, I know, it's for safety reasons, blah, blah, blah. The show is dated, I hate the mice and I don't think it's funny. I'm done, finished! I'm telling you how I REALLY feel. lol As both the Wonders of Life and the Land are closed, except for Ellen's Energy Experience, we were done Future World, so we decided to head over to MK on the monorail. We were able to do SM and BTM without FP at 2 in the afternoon, so that tells you something about the crowds. Did POTC and Tiki Birds, which dh's loves - go figure. We wandered back over to Tomorrowland and had some icecream, just watching the people go by. It was so peaceful and quiet. Did SM and Buzz again, and then headed back to Epcot. We strolled around the different lands, doing the Mexican ride, which is a sentimental favourite of dd's. It was the first ride we ever let her go on by herself. She was so proud! I'm glad we did it, because it was closed the rest of the week. We went "Over the Falls" in Norway. Browsed Germany, Italy, etc. on our way to Morrocco for dinner. DD chose the Restaurant Marakesh, because she loves the vegetable couscous. I had a salmon in a tomatoy-fruity sauce. It was very good. DH had the sampler platter with beef, lamb & chicken shishkabob. We all enjoyed it and the sampler plate of desserts. All kind of versions of baklava and really good. The belly dancer was excellent. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all and we really enjoyed it. On our way out we did Ellen's Energy Adventure. We left before Illuminations, because we were very tired and headed back. On her last day with us DD No.1 decided to do a roundup of all the parks, doing her favourites again. She finished with a Sushi lunch in Japan. DD No. 2 was flying in that night and DD No. 1 was leaving the next morning.

We had a great week with her. I've realized that she's now an adult (but still has her child moments), and we enjoyed WDW on a different level. Browsing through the shops, watching the excitement of little kids, trying different foods (and drinks )yet still excited to do all the rides. Maybe my little girl is gone, but the young lady I have now is a great gift. DD No 2 arrived that night. She was so excited to start her holiday and DD No 1 pouted that she was leaving, they squabbled a bit about each one being the spoiled one, so some things never change.

DH drove DD No 1 to the airport for her 8:20 flight, so was back before 9. DD No. 2 - our drama queen, our clown, our airhead - was ready to go!

As I've reported on all the parks, I won't reiterate. Let's just say EMPTY! The weather was fabulous! Still 80 everyday and no rain. We had a great time with DD No. 2, doing all her favourite things. I'll just report on what I haven't covered.

I was excited as she was her first day, because that was the day we were moving over to WDW!!!! Now I really felt like I was at WDW! We had one night at Saratoga Springs. I was really anxious to see it. It's still not complete, but what I saw was nice. We had a studio for the one night we were there and it was comfortable, but seemed small to me. After completing AK in the am (ate at Tusker House for the first time, the chicken dinner was good) we relaxed around one of the quiet pools all afternoon. It was warm enough to swim. It was great. We really like this resort. It had the feel of OKW. Quiet, laidback and a break away from the parks. It was great to be able to walk to the Marketplace, where DD No 2 immediately had to have a whole new wardrobe from Summer Sands (I'll pay you back, mum). She wanted to eat at Rainforest - a place I didn't want to go back to, but oh well. It was ok. We did check out the Earl of Sandwich, and ate there later on that week. It was great!! I had the original - roast beef, cheddar cheese & horseradish sauce and enjoyed every bite. This has definitely become one of dh's favourites. The next day we were back at OKW. I know not many of you are too familiar with OKW. But we love it. When our kids were small we wanted, naturally, to be where the action was with the excitement of the characters, etc. Now that our kids are grown, we love the laid-back quietness of OKW and you cannot beat the suites. They were built before Disney realized you can squeeze a family into a suite half the size. It's our home. It's our part of Disney. We ate at Olivia's. A great filet. Later that week we spoke to a CM who told us that all the CM's head to Olivia's to eat. It's just one of those unknown gems. I don't think too many people realize just how good it is. At this point, I have to say something about LeCellier. We ate there one evening. My husband is a connoiseur of steak. He loves his steak. He had the Filet with Mushroom Risotto and swears it is the best steak he's ever eaten, anywhere. DD No. 2 and I both had the steak and lobster and it was fabulous too. It really was our best meal of the trip, and judging by the comments we heard around us, everyone else agreed. The guy next to us ordered TWO bowls of cheese soup. For our last 2 nights we moved to Boardwalk Villas. If I couldn't stay at OKW, Boardwalk would be my next choice. It really is beautiful and being able to walk to Epcot is wonderful. We had a studio there and it was very large and comfortable. We ate a Spoodles and really enjoyed it. We had the paella, 2 four-cheese flatbreads, and because it was a chilly, rainy night, I had a bowl of spicy lentil soup that was really delicious. After 12 perfect days, the weather changed for the last 2 days we were there. Also, a convention of 100,000 builders, plus the MLK weekend pushed the park crowds way, way up. One highlight of those last 2 days was the taping of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". We were lucky enough to be in the audience - front row - right behind Meredith! The episode will be shown on June 1. Being in an audience is hard work. We had so many instructions on how and when to clap, laugh, sigh, sit up straight, don't cross your arm, legs, etc. that I was exhausted when it was over. But it was a lot of fun.

Our flight home was at 8:20 a.m., so we left Boardwalk by 6:30. It was pouring rain, but I felt kind of glad that it was. I don't think I could have beared leaving if it had been one of those beautiful mornings that we had become accustomed to. Our flights were uneventful and we were home by 2 p.m. - to the coldest day we have ever recorded. -32. Since I've been back all we've had is snow, blowing snow and cold. It doesn't seem quite fair that places like Florida exist.... I'm already dreaming about going back and my little mind is scheming. I bought an annual pass this time, so who knows.

I apologize for the length of this and I'm sure I've forgotten some stuff. Sorry, no pictures. Cameras are my nemisis. We didn't even take one with us. Is this grounds for getting tossed off of DC? Have a super time on your vacation Dana. I know how excited you are to get there. Say hello to everything for me. I miss it so much already....

[dznygrl]

Oh llama, thank you for the trip report--I enjoyed every single word!! (I'm glad you're back, too!)

My favorite part of your trip report is the fact that you state your opinions...with no apologies...you like what you like, and that's that! I think that's very refreshing!!

Wow, you guys sure jumped around a lot in your accommodations...was that a big pain, changing resorts a lot?

[Willbegone]

Great TR! I was in need of a TR fix. I still have sooooo long to wait. We will definetly have to give Le Cellier a try, I've heard so many wonderful things about it.

[roxie]

Originally Posted by llama

But - it wasn't Disney. I know that many of you know just what I mean. It's so hard to describe that missing magic.

I know exactly what you mean!!

Thanks for the unpressured Trip Report.

[lisalovesmickey]

Thank yo sooooo much for the TR. I needed it!

I can't believe a woman did that to the young boy! I am glad the CM let them through anyway. You are a better person than me b/c I would have said something politely in the line.

I am glad you had a magical trip!

Lisa

[PrincessJill]

wow great TR!! I'm so jealous you were there for so long! It sounds like you had a really great time & I'm happy for you! :)

[sandanv1]

Great report. I don't know if I could have handled the resort hopping, but you seemed to manage it well.

[Leigh]

Wow sounds like you had a wonderful trip. I hate to hear that that woman did that to some children. Glad you had a wonderful trip. And i like that you state your opinions. It's refreshing.

[Dana]

Janice -
It sounds like a perect trip. Nice weather, good friends, family and mickey. I am glad you all had a great time and am sorry for Neil for missing IASM. Sara will be moping as well next week for missing her fav. I will tell everyone you miss them and that you said hi. Maybe that AP will find you in Orlando in October...say around Halloween? Thanks for the report. I loved it.

[mickaholic4077]

That was a very nice report,Janice. You were nicer than I would have been to that person who stole the fast passes!!

[llama]

Originally Posted by mickaholic4077

That was a very nice report,Janice. You were nicer than I would have been to that person who stole the fast passes!!

Well, I'm not so nice. Neil just didn't want to waste valuable park time bailing me out of the Orlando jail, so he held me back. lol Resort hopping was a bit of a pain, but we didn't have too much of a choice. That convention had everything booked up, so we were lucky to get anything at all. I was glad I got a chance to see Saratoga Springs. And I think I've convinced Neil that on-site is the only way to go. He hated all the driving back and forth.

Oh dear, I know I'm too opinionated. I should be more tactful, cause everyone likes different things. Oh well, something to work on during this long, cold winter. October, hmmm? Can you find a babysitter, Dana? Maybe we could make a break for it by ourselves.

[Pooh Fan]

I really enjoyed reading your trip report. It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation.

[iluvwdw2]

Your trip report was great. I live for these. It's the only thing that gets me through the waiting, until our next vacation. It sounds like you had a wonderful time at Disney, with your family.

[disneyguy]

WOW!!!! Where is Olivia's BTW?? Is it at OKW, and what type of food does it serve??

OK I am a HUGE fan of Epcot, and understand about HISTA I do it everytime, but despise the pre-show (show your true colors... I just want to burst out in laughter). I just have seen it too many times to enjoy it. I also understand about doing SSE FIRST! I despise when I am with someone that read the guidebook and it tells them to skip it first and come back. That is SOOOOOOOOOOO not true in the off-season.

BTW: Glad to hear that the teens wern't the source of the problem. I hear that all too often, and I hate it because it gives a bad name to all of us.

[Pooh Fan]

Janice, I have a question for you about my upcoming trip. Right now we aer booked for 15 nights at Disney and then 3 nights at Universal. DH worries that he is going to get bored and be ready to go. Since you were there for 2 weeks, do you have any suggestions? I have planned 10 days in the 4 major parks and then 5 days to either go to a waterpark, Disney Quest, resort hop, relax, etc. We have gone for 11 days before but never almost 3 weeks.