Who's in the clan;
Me/DF age-[Mid-thirtyish to still not 40].
MRS's/DM age-[I can't say or I won't see Disney again, but she's older].
DD age-8
DD age-6
Other guests arriving on January 2. We'll tell you about them at that time [I mean, come on you can't be board of us just yet. We've Only Just Begun].
So on to the long long long story that was our vacation...
December 30, 2004.
Our trip didn't start exactly as planned. It started out better! We were originally planning on leaving for Burlington Vermont from our home in Montréal, on December 29 for an early morning flight on the 30th out of Burlington, but I noticed that the Delta Airlines had set us up with the connections on Comair [I've been specifically avoiding anything to do with US airlines for the past few months]. When I realized this connections error and called Delta about it they set me up with a direct flight out of Montréal to Atlanta at no extra charge. Way to go Delta!
So now mom and me have more time to get things ready to take off. But of course, the kids are a little upset about the fact that they'll only be leaving tomorrow.
We've been watching the weather in Orlando and although we were very sympathetic to the people traveling to Orlando the week before our planned trip, we really hoped that they would take the cold weather with them when they left. AND THEY DID! THE WEATHER WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!! We had two or three days over 80° and not one single drop of rain any day. [My apologies to those of you reading this that travelled the week before us. But thanks again for taking the cold weather with you]. Sorry about that I'm getting ahead of myself here.
This was our fifth trip to the world as a family [okay okay my sixth trip and our fifth trip in 18 months as well, but that's a discussion for me and my shrink] and with the exception of only one of those trips we've always chosen to take a town car service and maybe it's just been our bad luck so far, but really, they haven't been great experiences. This time, though, it was a whole heck of a lot different we called Tiffany town car [again, this wasn't the first time], and lucky enough to be assigned Max as our driver [if you have an opportunity to have Max as your driver take it! He's a nice guy and will give you a smooth ride]. We found him to be very pleasant and super courteous so much so that we specifically requested him for our return drive to the airport at 4 a.m. on the seventh and we also requested he pick up our guests on January 2. [They liked him so much that they asked for him for their drive to Port Canaveral on January 7]. Way to go Max!! And thanks again Tiffany town car!
I think another reason that I liked the town car service this time more than all of the other times put together is because we opted for NO grocery stop!! We used wego shop [but alas, I'm getting ahead of myself once again.] THIS REALLY IS THE COMBINATION TO USE
So even though we officially only bought into DVC in August of 2004 at Saratoga Springs. And even though our phase isn't officially complete and even though this particular stay would be made up of a variety of rented DVC reservations and even though we have never stayed at this particular DVC resort, my wife and I knew it was our home the moment we got out the car and saw the smiling face of a CM who said "Welcome Home", they took our bags and the kids ran off towards the pool. [Remember when we left home, throwing a bucket of water outside could get you arrested as it is considered assault with a deadly weapon.] So needless to say, they were pretty enchanted with the whole scene having never seen it before. [We ditched them having ice cream, while we took the tour in August.] Our children are water rats up here in Canada, the three months of the year where sledding is not our national pastime.
We were checked into our studio number 2223 in Congress Park without any problem all. The room was ready when we arrived, and the studios are just as we remember them from the tour. [Very nice, but not the reason you buy at Saratoga Springs.] And honestly in my opinion it does seem that the boardwalk studios are little larger [the Vero Beach ones certainly are!]. Anyway, we had a superb view over the water of pleasure Island [looking right across over the quiet pool.]--- later on in the trip report I'll give you more of my family's impressions of their new DVC home at Saratoga Springs. [On January 2, we'll move into a two bedroom lock off with a couple of other family members that will be arriving. Then we can say let the happy times begin!].
So by now it's about 1:15 p.m. or so and exactly as scheduled, we get a call from Wego shop telling us that they are in the parking lot. A few moments after that Becca brings up the groceries. Everything exactly as requested, and only a small fee tacked on for delivery PERFECT!
Getting groceries put away the room unpacked and allowing the girls some time to travel around the resort with mom chews up just enough time to get us ready for our PS at San Angel Inn at 4:30 p.m. and our Candlelight Processional at 6:45 p.m. [I didn't know tonight was going to be LaVar Burton-hey. I remember him from ROOTS, yeah. I am that old]
So we get on over to Epcot about 3:45 p.m. we pick up our tickets for the CP and pass on through the Epcot gates listening to the Christmas music, while basking in the 75° air. [WOW, you guys aren't kidding about these holiday crowds]
We had told the kids ahead of time that the first few days of this trip, would most likely have very few rides in the picture and this being their fifth trip, I knew they would be understanding. We were able to get to Mexico without too much problem for our PS.
Well, my wife and I love Mexican food, and we'd heard a lot a good things about this place. We had eaten at the Cantina outside many times and both of our opinions, not only just for value sake, but also for actual taste, the Cantina does a better job of doing what they try to do. Anyway, I hope that make sense. I just mean to say that next time we want Mexican in Walt Disney World we'll go over to the Cantina and enjoy a Margarita and a mediocre meal outside in the sun for a more reasonable dollar. Just our opinion don't you know!, of course YMMV.
One good thing did come of our meal at the San angel Inn in Mexico we noticed that the line for El Rio Del Tiempo was empty and being a smart, DIS trained family we went right for the walk on [Thanks DIS!] Now, we leave the temple bound for the theater.
Well, ain't that a line for the candlelight processional! This is what were thinking as we look at the crowd lined up against the fence. After what seems to be an eternity of walking by more and more and more of these people I finally ask a CM is this the line for the candlelight processional. She told me not to worry as she looks at my card she tells me that this was the line for those without reserved seating. WHEW. Thank goodness that's not our line. So we walk on past the theater and we come upon another line I ask another CM located close by, if this is the line for those with reserved seating for the candlelight processional. She happily confirms for me that this is it and directs me up along the fence. Well, holy Toledo it might've been because it I weak and knees from all of that fantastic Mexican food. Or what I thought was in awe inspiring walk by those standing waiting to be granted access without reserved seating. But it really did seem to me to that the lineup for those with reserved seating was a whole heck of a lot longer than almost any other line, we'd be seeing in Walt Disney World for the rest of our vacation.
The orchestra, the choir, the atmosphere all were all inspiring. Our babes have had a long day they begin to fall sleepy on our laps. The music draws to a close as the "snoap?" begins to fall and crowd starts to disperse. Pulling the vast wealth of knowledge that you people here in DIS board have left us, we head for the back gates of Epcot, around to the boardwalk and we order up a taxi. We're back at Saratoga Springs within about 25 minutes of leaving the theater.
It's great to be back here. We love this place. It's never failed to provide us with smiles and fun with each other or at least what seems like endless opportunities to create them. And it didn't disappoint us this time. [BIG SURPRISE!!!].
I'll be sure to post more soon... [unless enough of you PM me and beg me not... You know the address]
Me/DF age-[Mid-thirtyish to still not 40].
MRS's/DM age-[I can't say or I won't see Disney again, but she's older].
DD age-8
DD age-6
Other guests arriving on January 2. We'll tell you about them at that time [I mean, come on you can't be board of us just yet. We've Only Just Begun].
So on to the long long long story that was our vacation...
December 30, 2004.
Our trip didn't start exactly as planned. It started out better! We were originally planning on leaving for Burlington Vermont from our home in Montréal, on December 29 for an early morning flight on the 30th out of Burlington, but I noticed that the Delta Airlines had set us up with the connections on Comair [I've been specifically avoiding anything to do with US airlines for the past few months]. When I realized this connections error and called Delta about it they set me up with a direct flight out of Montréal to Atlanta at no extra charge. Way to go Delta!
So now mom and me have more time to get things ready to take off. But of course, the kids are a little upset about the fact that they'll only be leaving tomorrow.
We've been watching the weather in Orlando and although we were very sympathetic to the people traveling to Orlando the week before our planned trip, we really hoped that they would take the cold weather with them when they left. AND THEY DID! THE WEATHER WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!! We had two or three days over 80° and not one single drop of rain any day. [My apologies to those of you reading this that travelled the week before us. But thanks again for taking the cold weather with you]. Sorry about that I'm getting ahead of myself here.
This was our fifth trip to the world as a family [okay okay my sixth trip and our fifth trip in 18 months as well, but that's a discussion for me and my shrink] and with the exception of only one of those trips we've always chosen to take a town car service and maybe it's just been our bad luck so far, but really, they haven't been great experiences. This time, though, it was a whole heck of a lot different we called Tiffany town car [again, this wasn't the first time], and lucky enough to be assigned Max as our driver [if you have an opportunity to have Max as your driver take it! He's a nice guy and will give you a smooth ride]. We found him to be very pleasant and super courteous so much so that we specifically requested him for our return drive to the airport at 4 a.m. on the seventh and we also requested he pick up our guests on January 2. [They liked him so much that they asked for him for their drive to Port Canaveral on January 7]. Way to go Max!! And thanks again Tiffany town car!
I think another reason that I liked the town car service this time more than all of the other times put together is because we opted for NO grocery stop!! We used wego shop [but alas, I'm getting ahead of myself once again.] THIS REALLY IS THE COMBINATION TO USE
So even though we officially only bought into DVC in August of 2004 at Saratoga Springs. And even though our phase isn't officially complete and even though this particular stay would be made up of a variety of rented DVC reservations and even though we have never stayed at this particular DVC resort, my wife and I knew it was our home the moment we got out the car and saw the smiling face of a CM who said "Welcome Home", they took our bags and the kids ran off towards the pool. [Remember when we left home, throwing a bucket of water outside could get you arrested as it is considered assault with a deadly weapon.] So needless to say, they were pretty enchanted with the whole scene having never seen it before. [We ditched them having ice cream, while we took the tour in August.] Our children are water rats up here in Canada, the three months of the year where sledding is not our national pastime.
We were checked into our studio number 2223 in Congress Park without any problem all. The room was ready when we arrived, and the studios are just as we remember them from the tour. [Very nice, but not the reason you buy at Saratoga Springs.] And honestly in my opinion it does seem that the boardwalk studios are little larger [the Vero Beach ones certainly are!]. Anyway, we had a superb view over the water of pleasure Island [looking right across over the quiet pool.]--- later on in the trip report I'll give you more of my family's impressions of their new DVC home at Saratoga Springs. [On January 2, we'll move into a two bedroom lock off with a couple of other family members that will be arriving. Then we can say let the happy times begin!].
So by now it's about 1:15 p.m. or so and exactly as scheduled, we get a call from Wego shop telling us that they are in the parking lot. A few moments after that Becca brings up the groceries. Everything exactly as requested, and only a small fee tacked on for delivery PERFECT!
Getting groceries put away the room unpacked and allowing the girls some time to travel around the resort with mom chews up just enough time to get us ready for our PS at San Angel Inn at 4:30 p.m. and our Candlelight Processional at 6:45 p.m. [I didn't know tonight was going to be LaVar Burton-hey. I remember him from ROOTS, yeah. I am that old]
So we get on over to Epcot about 3:45 p.m. we pick up our tickets for the CP and pass on through the Epcot gates listening to the Christmas music, while basking in the 75° air. [WOW, you guys aren't kidding about these holiday crowds]
We had told the kids ahead of time that the first few days of this trip, would most likely have very few rides in the picture and this being their fifth trip, I knew they would be understanding. We were able to get to Mexico without too much problem for our PS.
Well, my wife and I love Mexican food, and we'd heard a lot a good things about this place. We had eaten at the Cantina outside many times and both of our opinions, not only just for value sake, but also for actual taste, the Cantina does a better job of doing what they try to do. Anyway, I hope that make sense. I just mean to say that next time we want Mexican in Walt Disney World we'll go over to the Cantina and enjoy a Margarita and a mediocre meal outside in the sun for a more reasonable dollar. Just our opinion don't you know!, of course YMMV.
One good thing did come of our meal at the San angel Inn in Mexico we noticed that the line for El Rio Del Tiempo was empty and being a smart, DIS trained family we went right for the walk on [Thanks DIS!] Now, we leave the temple bound for the theater.
Well, ain't that a line for the candlelight processional! This is what were thinking as we look at the crowd lined up against the fence. After what seems to be an eternity of walking by more and more and more of these people I finally ask a CM is this the line for the candlelight processional. She told me not to worry as she looks at my card she tells me that this was the line for those without reserved seating. WHEW. Thank goodness that's not our line. So we walk on past the theater and we come upon another line I ask another CM located close by, if this is the line for those with reserved seating for the candlelight processional. She happily confirms for me that this is it and directs me up along the fence. Well, holy Toledo it might've been because it I weak and knees from all of that fantastic Mexican food. Or what I thought was in awe inspiring walk by those standing waiting to be granted access without reserved seating. But it really did seem to me to that the lineup for those with reserved seating was a whole heck of a lot longer than almost any other line, we'd be seeing in Walt Disney World for the rest of our vacation.
The orchestra, the choir, the atmosphere all were all inspiring. Our babes have had a long day they begin to fall sleepy on our laps. The music draws to a close as the "snoap?" begins to fall and crowd starts to disperse. Pulling the vast wealth of knowledge that you people here in DIS board have left us, we head for the back gates of Epcot, around to the boardwalk and we order up a taxi. We're back at Saratoga Springs within about 25 minutes of leaving the theater.
It's great to be back here. We love this place. It's never failed to provide us with smiles and fun with each other or at least what seems like endless opportunities to create them. And it didn't disappoint us this time. [BIG SURPRISE!!!].
I'll be sure to post more soon... [unless enough of you PM me and beg me not... You know the address]
