/Cruising on a Dream Full of Frights and Friends: 10/12/13-10/19/13 TR completed 4/21/2014 - Page 32 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Day Eight: Saturday, October 19th
Staying For as Long as We Can
We had breakfast an ADR at 1900 Park Fair this morning, so we couldn’t sleep in or hang around in our room for very long. We quickly got ready, packed up and made our way over to the GF for our last breakfast in Disney. We checked in a few minutes early, but still had close to a 15 minute wait before we were seated.
Once inside the restaurant, we were greeted by a very friendly waitress, who ended up being another wonderful CM we had the pleasure of meeting on this trip. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to remember her name either. Anyway, she asked us why we thought that Pooh, Tigger, Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter and Mary Poppins would all be together for this breakfast, and when we couldn’t come up with anything, she told us it was because they were all British.
Then she went over the buffet and took our drink orders. I stuck with my tried and true routine of getting Hope and Chad taken care of first, and then moving onto my plate. By the time I had come back, our drinks were finally there and Hope was busy helping Chad with his cream and sugar.
Then the characters started making their way over to us. Somehow I don’t know how I missed getting a picture with her and Pooh, but it wasn’t anywhere on my camera, even though he was the first to come over. Next up was Tigger.
And then the rest just followed…
There were so many things I liked about this breakfast. We never felt rushed or overwhelmed by the characters, and their interaction was outstanding. Between Alice and the Mad Hatter, they both had us laughing so hard. Each one kept making fun of the other one, and it all started with the Mad Hatter writing a silly message to Alice in Hope’s autograph book. Plus, the food was delicious and the service was fantastic. We will definitely make our way back here in the future.
It actually took us a pretty long time to leave the restaurant, and we didn’t end up walking out until close to noon. I had still wanted to look around a bit before hitting the road…can you tell I wasn’t in any rush to leave? We hit up a few stores where I ended up buying a few Christmas gifts, and a thank you gift for Dawn at Basin for lending me those unused costumes. This is also where Hope ended up helping a nice couple from Delaware make a decision by smelling all of the soaps for them, then giving them her opinion on which one they should buy.
Next we walked around outside for a bit, getting some photos along the way before we couldn’t postpone our departure any longer.
I couldn’t believe what time it was when we actually pulled off the parking lot. It was close to 1:30pm, which was a lot later than I had planned on leaving, but all we could do now was cross our fingers for an easy drive home. About 30 minutes into our drive we hit traffic…so much for easy. I did a little research on the traffic app I had on my phone, and realized there was no getting around the mess, so we stopped off for gas and talked to a few locals who also confirmed it was better to just stay on the highway. It would save time in the long run.
Pretty soon we were free, and by 5pm we were crossing into Georgia. Kelly and I were texting each other back and forth about our adventures on the road. Apparently Lukas wasn’t being very cooperative, which I honestly couldn’t believe because that little boy is the sweetest thing ever. I, on the other hand, was nauseous from watching a movie with Hope in the backseat of the car. Another sign that I’m getting old because I never had that problem before.
Around 6:45pm we had crossed over into South Carolina, and Hope had already fallen asleep.
We ended up waking her when we stopped to grab some dinner and fill up on gas again. By now she had started to get stuffy, so I guess she was starting to come down with a little cold. I felt bad because she couldn’t lie down to sleep, and it was now getting into the late hours of our trip where she would actually be in her own bed if we were home. I eventually woke her up to put her in her pjs. Anything to make her more comfortable. Then I started getting sleepy a little after 10pm, so Chad told me to close my eyes and get some rest. So far he had done all of the driving, and I felt bad, but he insisted he was fine, and would wake me the minute he felt his eyes getting heavy.
That time came around 1am. I hadn’t been sleeping that entire time, but I had gotten a pretty good amount, so I felt okay taking over. I drove us into Virginia, and after about 90 minutes behind the wheel, I had to pull over for gas one last time. That woke Chad up, and I was grateful for that because the gas station I picked had a very strange attendant working there. I couldn’t pay at the pump, so Chad had to go inside. While he was in there Hope woke up saying she needed to go to the bathroom. When he came back out, I went inside with her, which is when the attendant decided to make several comments on my attire, or lack thereof. I was wearing shorts, which he seemed concerned about since it was cold outside. Then he kept telling me how much he liked each part of my outfit…the shirt, the shoes, and of course the shorts that I shouldn’t have been wearing at that time of year in the first place.
Thank goodness the bathroom had a lock! Although I was a bit nervous when it came time to open the door. I wasn’t sure if he’d be standing right there waiting for me. Instead, he was outside bothering Chad. Of course Chad, being the friendly person he is, was trying to have a friendly conversation with him while trying to avoid be too friendly, but once I got outside and got Hope and I settled back into the car, I kept reminding him that it was really late and we needed to get home. Hope thought it was hilarious when I started muttering stuff under my breath, and that started her in a fit of giggles. I think she was starting to get stir crazy. Anyway, that’s when the attendant started making off the wall comments about her, and that’s also about the time when I lost it. I yelled at Chad to stop being nice and to get back in the car, which he finally and thankfully did, and then I said a few things to the guy (all edited for Hope’s ears) before we drove far far away from that place.
I told Chad that that guy is probably the type of person who still lives with his parents and has people locked up in the basement. We all laughed, but boy did that man give me the heeby jeebies.
This was also around the time I got a text from Kelly saying that they were finally safe and sound at home. To say that I was jealous is a huge understatement because we were still about 2 hours away from home. Hope fell back to sleep, and because Chad wanted to drive again, so did I. I hate driving. Maybe it’s because of my daily commute, but Chad loves it, and he really stepped up to the plate on the drive home. He was seriously the hero of this part of the trip.
I woke up just as we were getting off on our exit, and at 4:32am I sent Kelly a text saying that we were finally home too. As much as I missed being in Disney, all I could think about was falling asleep in my own bed. So after carrying Hope up to her room and putting her to bed, we quickly unloaded the car, put away what we absolutely had too, and then left everything else for the morning…the very late morning.
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Ugh....sweetest thing ever - yeah right! It's luck that little boy is so darn cute. He's a stinker! And yes he was quite difficult on the way home which is why I believe we shaved off at least an hour & a half on the way home from on the way down.
You guys had a great breakfast that morning! We did too, but that will have to wait (a while) for my TR!
Oh wow, that was quite the story from the gas station... At least you made it home Ok.
Sorry to see this come to an end, but what a great way to finish it. Oddly enough, I knew immediately why all those characters were together... can't think why? However, I want to know why Eeyore's not there, as he's just as British as the others!
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If I had that drive ahead of me I'd milk all the time at GF I could manage too! Love that breakfast and great pics that almost make you forget you are in a restaurant (I hate when the messy plates sneak in!) Glad you made it home safe and sound but I'm sad to see this trip ending! Thanks so much for sharing it with us
OK, 2:30 am is not a good time to encounter creepy people at out of the way gas stations. The movie Vacancy comes to mind.
Glad Hope was so good on the ride home! I wouldn't be caught in the car that long with my boys, even if I was paid. We can't even get to the mall without them fighting in the back seat.
What a lovely last morning at the GF. The photos of Hope helping Daddy with his coffee are very sweet! Welcome to the club, not being able to watch a video in the car! I used to have no problem with this, but now can't do that or read even just a line or two in the car. Makes car or bus trips very unpleasant! Oh, that gas station attendant sounds WAY too creepy for comfort! Glad you made Chad stop making small talk and get on the road!
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OK, great breakfast, creepy guy at the gas station, and Hope is so sweet helping her dad get his coffee all fixed up. Totally sympathize about the drive - we just got back from a quick weekend trip to U of Vermont and UMass, so drove from Amherst all the way home today in the pouring rain. Yuck!
Ugh....sweetest thing ever - yeah right! It's luck that little boy is so darn cute. He's a stinker! And yes he was quite difficult on the way home which is why I believe we shaved off at least an hour & a half on the way home from on the way down.
You guys had a great breakfast that morning! We did too, but that will have to wait (a while) for my TR!
It must be the dimples. He just melts your heart as soon as you look at him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Oh wow, that was quite the story from the gas station... At least you made it home Ok.
Sorry to see this come to an end, but what a great way to finish it. Oddly enough, I knew immediately why all those characters were together... can't think why? However, I want to know why Eeyore's not there, as he's just as British as the others!
You know, I was thinking the same thing. Everyone was there except Eeyore. It's a donkey conspiracy I tell you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwewhisper
If I had that drive ahead of me I'd milk all the time at GF I could manage too! Love that breakfast and great pics that almost make you forget you are in a restaurant (I hate when the messy plates sneak in!) Glad you made it home safe and sound but I'm sad to see this trip ending! Thanks so much for sharing it with us
I hate messy plates in my pics too! Haha! Sometimes they find their way in though, but if I can crop their messy butts out I will. Thanks again for following along.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
OK, 2:30 am is not a good time to encounter creepy people at out of the way gas stations. The movie Vacancy comes to mind.
Glad Hope was so good on the ride home! I wouldn't be caught in the car that long with my boys, even if I was paid. We can't even get to the mall without them fighting in the back seat.
I've never seen that movie, and maybe that's now a good thing. He sort of had a "Lennie" quality of him (from Of Mice and Men), but on a much creepier level. You know the cartoon version of the character... "I'm gonna love him, and pet him, and squeeze him".
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
What a lovely last morning at the GF. The photos of Hope helping Daddy with his coffee are very sweet! Welcome to the club, not being able to watch a video in the car! I used to have no problem with this, but now can't do that or read even just a line or two in the car. Makes car or bus trips very unpleasant! Oh, that gas station attendant sounds WAY too creepy for comfort! Glad you made Chad stop making small talk and get on the road!
Every morning on the way to daycare Chad stops at Wawa for coffee, and Hope loves to help add his cream and sugar. She feels like a big girl helping daddy out, plus I think she likes the attention that all the customers and employees give her because they think it's pretty cute too.
I just hope I can ride the teacups with Hope in May. Not sure what is going on with me, but I definitely don't like it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
OK, great breakfast, creepy guy at the gas station, and Hope is so sweet helping her dad get his coffee all fixed up. Totally sympathize about the drive - we just got back from a quick weekend trip to U of Vermont and UMass, so drove from Amherst all the way home today in the pouring rain. Yuck!
Thankfully we didn't have to deal with any rain because that would have made the whole situation 100% worse. It was bad enough just dealing with that drive, but then you add rain....forget it. Sorry you had to go through it though.
OK, great breakfast, creepy guy at the gas station, and Hope is so sweet helping her dad get his coffee all fixed up. Totally sympathize about the drive - we just got back from a quick weekend trip to U of Vermont and UMass, so drove from Amherst all the way home today in the pouring rain. Yuck!
The breakfast sounded like a great way to end this vacation. Sorry you had to deal with that creepy attendant at the gas station. Glad you guys made it home safe after that long drive.
Well, I just found and read all of this today after reading Kelly's TR yesterday! Sounds like you had the best time. Both yours and Kelly's TRs make me want to do a land/sea trip! And I've already made a note for myself about the hotel with the 40% off parking voucher!
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Great pictures from breakfast and around the GF! I would have been totally freaked out by that gas station attendant .
Thanks! Here's a tip, only stop at gas stations that have other people pumping gas. Safety in numbers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iwonathomas
The breakfast sounded like a great way to end this vacation. Sorry you had to deal with that creepy attendant at the gas station. Glad you guys made it home safe after that long drive.
I could have kissed my garage floor when I got out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Soarin829
Well, I just found and read all of this today after reading Kelly's TR yesterday! Sounds like you had the best time. Both yours and Kelly's TRs make me want to do a land/sea trip! And I've already made a note for myself about the hotel with the 40% off parking voucher!
Thanks for reading this! I HIGHLY recommend a Disney cruise. I've been on 4 now, but this last one was by far the best of the bunch. I'm thinking it was our travel mates, but I could be wrong....most likely I'm not though. And definitely look into the hotel we stayed at. It was so nice and you can't be that discount for parking at the port. Why take a shuttle bus if you don't have too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Glad you had a wonderful breakfast to finish up your trip! The attendant at the gas station certainly was creepy. Glad you made it home safely!
Last day with breakfast was a great way end a trip. Love the pictures with Hope and the charactes. Also love your signature picture. What a creepy guy. Glad that you guys made it home safe and sound. Sorry to see this trip come to an end.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
About This Page: 
We quickly got ready, packed up and made our way over to the GF for our last breakfast in Disney. We checked in a few minutes early, but still had close to a 15 minute wait before we were seated. 
Anyway, she asked us why we thought that Pooh, Tigger, Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter and Mary Poppins would all be together for this breakfast, and when we couldn’t come up with anything, she told us it was because they were all British. 
Next up was Tigger.
I had still wanted to look around a bit before hitting the road…can you tell I wasn’t in any rush to leave? We hit up a few stores where I ended up buying a few Christmas gifts, and a thank you gift for Dawn at Basin for lending me those unused costumes. 
This is also where Hope ended up helping a nice couple from Delaware make a decision by smelling all of the soaps for them, then giving them her opinion on which one they should buy. 
which was a lot later than I had planned on leaving, but all we could do now was cross our fingers for an easy drive home. About 30 minutes into our drive we hit traffic…so much for easy. 
I, on the other hand, was nauseous from watching a movie with Hope in the backseat of the car. 
Another sign that I’m getting old because I never had that problem before. 
I felt bad because she couldn’t lie down to sleep, and it was now getting into the late hours of our trip where she would actually be in her own bed if we were home. I eventually woke her up to put her in her pjs. Anything to make her more comfortable. Then I started getting sleepy a little after 10pm, so Chad told me to close my eyes and get some rest. 
So far he had done all of the driving, and I felt bad, but he insisted he was fine, and would wake me the minute he felt his eyes getting heavy. 
I drove us into Virginia, and after about 90 minutes behind the wheel, I had to pull over for gas one last time. That woke Chad up, and I was grateful for that because the gas station I picked had a very strange attendant working there. 
I couldn’t pay at the pump, so Chad had to go inside. While he was in there Hope woke up saying she needed to go to the bathroom. When he came back out, I went inside with her, which is when the attendant decided to make several comments on my attire, or lack thereof. 
I was wearing shorts, which he seemed concerned about since it was cold outside. Then he kept telling me how much he liked each part of my outfit…the shirt, the shoes, and of course the shorts that I shouldn’t have been wearing at that time of year in the first place. 
I wasn’t sure if he’d be standing right there waiting for me. Instead, he was outside bothering Chad. 
Of course Chad, being the friendly person he is, was trying to have a friendly conversation with him while trying to avoid be too friendly, but once I got outside and got Hope and I settled back into the car, I kept reminding him that it was really late and we needed to get home. 
Hope thought it was hilarious when I started muttering stuff under my breath, and that started her in a fit of giggles. 
I think she was starting to get stir crazy. Anyway, that’s when the attendant started making off the wall comments about her, and that’s also about the time when I lost it. 
I yelled at Chad to stop being nice and to get back in the car, which he finally and thankfully did, and then I said a few things to the guy (all edited for Hope’s ears) before we drove far far away from that place. 
We all laughed, but boy did that man give me the heeby jeebies.
Hope fell back to sleep, and because Chad wanted to drive again, so did I. I hate driving. Maybe it’s because of my daily commute, but Chad loves it, and he really stepped up to the plate on the drive home. He was seriously the hero of this part of the trip. 
As much as I missed being in Disney, all I could think about was falling asleep in my own bed. So after carrying Hope up to her room and putting her to bed, we quickly unloaded the car, put away what we absolutely had too, and then left everything else for the morning…the very late morning. 
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Pixie Dust
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
PassPorter Guide Author
At least you made it home Ok. 
However, I want to know why Eeyore's not there, as he's just as British as the others! 
Deb
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