The Surviving Deployment Trip Report, Updated 10/18 COMPLETE!! - Page 41 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I'm really enjoying this last day you and Victoria are having together -even though you have that bad headache. You two are really making me wish I could do a mother/daughter trip with my oldest (19) (sigh.)
I cannot believe that woman who has her little schemes to jump the lines. I believe I would probably not be able to control myself and say something. Although I'll give her this - she is creative.
So sorry your head hurt so bad. Glad you had the excederin with you.
We were at DHS at the same time. I think we got there about 4. We had ADRs at Mama Melrose at 5:50. We might have even been on TOT around the same time.
We hopped on a bus headed for the MK. We didn't have to wait at all. Yay! We got the MK in no time and went through the turnstiles for the very last time on this trip. I finally got a picture of the theme.
And other pictures along the way....
We hadn't done Mike's Laugh Floor yet and had to try it out. On the way over to Tomorrowland, we grabbed a popcorn and two smart waters to snack on before we went to MLF. We enjoyed that popcorn. There is just something about Disney's popcorn that is so good. I don't know what it is, but we love it.
We went into MLF, and we both texted a joke. Mine was: What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear!
Victoria's was: Why did Captain Nemo's submarine sink to the bottom of the sea? Because of the 20,000 leaks.
I like both of those, so we had our fingers crossed that one of our would be picked. We walked in and got seated. It was so cute! I think Michael will love it. I finally understand when people talk about "that guy." We thought that was so funny.
When it came time to tell the jokes, mine was the first one told! Unfortunately, they didn't choose Victoria's. But, there is always next time.
We left there and knew we had to see Ariel, so we went to FL. I took pictures along the way.
We got in line and were told it would take about an hour. We got out of line and rode some rides. I haven't a clue what because I didn't take pictures or notes. We went back to Ariel's Grotto a little while later and got back in line. The line was just a tad bit shorter. Victoria wanted to wait. So, we waited. This was the longest line we stood in our entire trip. At least we were able to sit on the wall along the way. I think we waited about 45 minutes or so. I don't know why the line completely stopped moving for a while and why the line took so incredibly long. Oh well. I got a neat shot during our wait.
We finally were able to meet Ariel. She was very cute and really liked her picture. I had the PP guy take our picture so I don't have one right now.
We had a dinner ressie at Kona for 9:10 p.m., so we made our way to the front of the park. Spectro was taking place, and we got held up by the parade right in front of the train station on Main Street. The CMs finally dropped the rope, and we made a mad dash for the exit. We decided to take the boat to the Poly. It was a very pleasant ride over.
Once at the Poly, we checked in at Kona and had a bit of a wait.
Our pager went off, and we were finally escorted to our table. Victoria took a picture of me while we waited for our server. I was really, really tired and still not feeling well. I think it shows.
Our server finally arrived and told us about their specialties. I had really been wanting the Tuna Oscar, but she said it was best when served rare or cooked no more than medium because it was sushi quality tuna. I don't eat sushi, so I became hesitant about the Tuna Oscar. So, I ordered what Victoria ordered - Teriyaki-style New York Strip (sirloin strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried broccolini). We also got virgin Pina Coladas.
Our server brought out our drinks and the fabulous bread.
We had quite a wait before we got our food. I'm not sure what the hold up was. Victoria ordered hers with rice...
Victoria cut into her steak, and it was not cooked medium-well at all! We sent it back to be cooked more. I, on the other hand, like my steak medium-rare. Mine was just right.
I got the potatoes...
The potatoes were to die for. Victoria agreed. She shared mine. For dessert, Victoria got the Kilauea Torte...
and I got the fondue. I loved it!
Our server finally got around to bringing the check. There was something about her that I just didn't like. She almost seemed arrogant. I can't put my finger on it. She was very slow, too. We enjoyed our meal and would go back but would hope we didn't get her again. When she came by to bring my receipt to me, she practically begged me for a tip. I was tipping with cash, not a debit card, so I hadn't written a tip on the receipt. She kept saying how she could put the tip on a card. I thought it was highly improper to be asking me for her tip. It was strange and the only time it happened during our entire trip.
We left the Poly stuffed to the gills. We waited for a bus and took it to DTD. On this, our final day at WDW, DTD closed the bus stop at the entrance to the Marketplace. I don't know why. I hope it isn't a permanent thing. So, we had to get off at Pleasure Island and wait there for a bus to Pop. Weird.
Anyway, a bus to Pop came pretty quickly and we walked to our room. We found another party going on!
UP NEXT: Our final trip to DTD and then back home again....
I can't believe I forgot to mention this. I guess I forgot because the picture was taken by the PP guy and not with my camera, so I didn't have a record of it.
On one of our trips to Epcot, we toured FW and went to WS when it opened. We were so thrilled to see Donald dressed in his sombrero at Mexico because we had never seen him in this costume before. So, we got in line. There was a group of young adults in front of us visiting Donald. They had to be in their early to mid-twenties. There were about six of them. It seemed like they had been drinking. I'm not sure but they were saying highly inappropriate things to Donald and being very crude with the behavior and gestures. They were taking their sweet time with Donald and each posing for separate pictures. It seemed to me like they were making fun of Donald. Finally, the CM reminded them that there were other people in line to see Donald. A young man told them all to pose with Donald, and he would get a group shot. When they posed, one of the women in the group "groped" Donald and held her hand where a man's privates would generally be. I was so disgusted, I almost threw up. It was so tasteless and tacky. There were families with young children behind us. The CM, bless her heart, was really soft-spoken and seemed a little ill-at-ease with this group of tacky tourists, but she finally spoke up and said, "That is really not the Disney way." The woman who was acting so disgusting "apologized" and removed her hand. I kept saying rather loudly how inappropriate their behavior was especially at Disney. If they heard me, they ignored me.
I realize I have a teenager, but I am very protective, and that was something I really didn't want my DD seeing. If she had been a little girl, I think the Mama Bear would have come out in me, and I would have chewed those rude, obnoxious, disgusting people out.
I felt so bad for the person in the Donald suit. Oh my goodness! What do you do, ya know? Needless to say, when we went to see Donald, we loved on him and let him know how much we loved him. Victoria showed him the picture she had drawn of him and "reminded" him he had signed it at the MK. I just felt horrible for the way he had been treated.
Anyway, I had to share this tasteless act we witnessed. It just made me sick.
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just got all caught up,
come to think of it, I may have seen the cowboy one on GMR
but back to your TR, love it, sorry you got sick but your a trooper, and you'd never know by the pics.
Victoria is so sweet!! and I do have to say she does awesome drawings, I am very impressed.
I cant believe the tacky tour group doing that to Donald that is uncalled for.
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Wow, you have been busy while I've been away. Great updates and so many wonderful photos. So sorry you were sick. I can't get over how many characters you saw and how wonderfully talented Victoria is - her drawings are just absolutely stunning. I never cease to be amazed by them.
I can't believe the nerve of some people. That was just disgusting.
About the bus stop at DTD, when we went on the 25th they said it was under refurb. You had to go to the other end to catch the bus. Luckily we were staying at OKW and could take the boat.
We packed most of our stuff last night so we had very little to do this morning. When we came, we checked one suitcase. Going home, we were checking two. Oh well.
I called the DME folks and they sent someone to get our bags.
We checked out at 11 a.m., and checked our luggage and carry-ons. We were supposed to catch a DME bus to MCO at 3:15 p.m.
We were both hungry, so we caught a bus to DTD for lunch. We went to Earl of Sandwich, a first for us. Can I just say, YUMMY! I ordered The Full Montagu (roast beef and turkey with cheddar and Swiss cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato and Earl's mustard) with a brownie (I think.).
Victoria got The Earl's Club (roast turkey, smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato) and pudding.
We both loved our sandwiches. Victoria ate half of hers and saved the rest. I ate all of mine. I was hungry and couldn't get enough of it. I ordered another Montagu to take on the plane with me.
We piddled around DTD, but I was still not feeling well. The one stop we had to make was the Christmas Shop so Victoria could purchase The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. After the purchase, we went to Goofy's Candy Kitchen to use up the rest of our snack credits. We got some fudge and rice krispie treats. We walked back to Pleasure Island to wait for a bus. It was another hot day. I was glad I was leaving. I needed the cooler and less humid weather of Texas.
We got back to Pop, and we went ahead and gathered our carry ons. Victoria wanted me to put her new cd on her iPod, so I pulled out my Mac laptop and uploaded the cd. I put it on my iPod, too. It is so much fun to listen to. Needless to say, I was glad to be able to sit in the air conditioned lobby of Pop. That's what we did. I played around on the computer while we waited for 3:15 to come.
During our wait, there was a HUGE downpour. We were glad we were inside. It didn't last long though.
We saw people gathering outside for the DME, so we went outside with our stuff to join them. It was about 3 p.m., and a bus pulled up. Yay! It was early. The driver got off and said he was there for the 2:45 passengers. No one there was a 2:45 passenger. He asked around and made sure, but he wouldn't let anyone else load the bus because we were all 3:15 passengers. That was the craziest thing to me. One man was pretty upset about it. But, the driver said he would only load passengers for the 2:45 bus. He was late to pick them up. The driver, seeing that no one there was for 2:45, got on his empty bus and LEFT! He left all of us standing around waiting for a DME bus! I was pretty aggravated. Remember, this is my first experience with DME.
Finally, a DME bus pulled up, but he didn't pull up to the bus stop where we were waiting. He pulled up on a curve behind the bus stop, parked, and the driver just sat there. We were so confused. The man who was so irritated finally walked over to that bus to find out what was going on. He came back and informed us that the driver said that he was simply a backup bus in case there were too many people for the 3:15 bus. Are you kidding me? Why can't we go ahead and load the bus that is here??? This is getting ridiculous.
Another DME bus pulls up filled with people. He dropped them off at the front door AND LEFT! Once again, another empty bus left without us. It was now about 3:25. We were hot. We were frustrated. Not to mention that I was sick. There was no where to sit because there were so many of us waiting. Finally, a DME bus pulled up to the bus stop. We didn't get our hopes up. Lo and behold, it was our bus. It was about time! Victoria and I got in line really fast. As we walked up to our driver, I handed him our DME voucher, and we got on the bus. Phew! I was beginning to think we were in an episode of the Twilight Zone and DME buses would continue to come and go but no one would ever pick us up, and we'd be stuck at the Pop bus stop for eternity.
Everyone got loaded onto the bus. (Why we couldn't have loaded the "standby" bus, I will never understand.) And, we made it safely to MCO.
Victoria and I found out where we needed to go and didn't stop until we made it to our gate. We were both pretty tired. We pulled out our iPods and chilled.
Unfortunately, there was a huge, long downpour at airport, and it lasted a while longer. Our flight was delayed. At first it was going to be delayed just 10 minutes. Then 20 minutes. Then 40 minutes. The seconds kept on ticking. We finally got to board our plane an hour past our original boarding time. It stunk because we had a connecting flight in Houston, and with the original take-off, we only had an hour layover. Now we were cutting it even closer.
On the flight, we were served miniature Jenny-O turkey sandwiches with chips, soda and a Kit Kat. They were so good and just right! We didn't know we would get a sandwich.
Once we landed in Houston, they made an announcement to please allow anyone with close connections to exit the plane first. Did anyone listen? NO! Good grief people! Victoria and I had 40 minutes to find our next gate and board. We had to wait for all of the people in front of us to exit because no one listened to the announcement. Once off the plane, we found out where our gate was and booked it. Unfortunately, we had a long way to go. I wish they had been side by side.
No sooner had we gotten to our gate, it was time to board. I made a quick potty break, and we boarded. I hate feeling so rushed.
Our flight to San Antonio was a quick, 30-minute flight. We got to San Antonio around 10:30 p.m. By the time we got our luggage and took the bus to our car, it was 11. I was so glad to see Michael's little car. We loaded the car and left.
We were both pretty loopy on the drive home. I made Victoria stay up with me so I wouldn't go to sleep. I was so tired, and we got so silly. We laughed a lot. Around midnight, we got some drinks and ate our Earl sandwiches. They were yummy good. We pulled into the driveway around 1 a.m. It was good to be home.
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just got all caught up,
come to think of it, I may have seen the cowboy one on GMR
but back to your TR, love it, sorry you got sick but your a trooper, and you'd never know by the pics.
Victoria is so sweet!! and I do have to say she does awesome drawings, I am very impressed.
I cant believe the tacky tour group doing that to Donald that is uncalled for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Glad you had a great last night! Love the pics! Sorry about the rude tour group!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
I can't believe the nerve of some people. That was just disgusting.
About the bus stop at DTD, when we went on the 25th they said it was under refurb. You had to go to the other end to catch the bus. Luckily we were staying at OKW and could take the boat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by B.M.
Man, those people with Donald Duck sound aweful! I would have been very upset if that was going on in front of my kids (especially at WDW)!
Quote:
Originally Posted by a_bernard
That is awful about that rude group. They really didn't belong at a family centered place like Disney.
It was quite shocking, y'all, and I'm sad we had to see it. I really felt for Donald, though. He was being molested right there in public. Horrible!
Wow, you have been busy while I've been away. Great updates and so many wonderful photos. So sorry you were sick. I can't get over how many characters you saw and how wonderfully talented Victoria is - her drawings are just absolutely stunning. I never cease to be amazed by them.
We had a goal to see a lot of characters. I'm so glad we managed to do so. I will pass on your compliments to Victoria. She amazes me, too. Thanks!
Sorry for all the plane delays! Glad you made it home safely! Sounds like a great trip, even if you did get sick the last few days; hope you stay healthy for your upcoming trip......
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Although I'll give her this - she is creative. 
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We thought that was so funny. 
Unfortunately, they didn't choose Victoria's. 
But, there is always next time.
We got out of line 
When she came by to bring my receipt to me, she practically begged me for a tip. I was tipping with cash, not a debit card, so I hadn't written a tip on the receipt. She kept saying how she could put the tip on a card. I thought it was highly improper to be asking me for her tip. It was strange and the only time it happened during our entire trip.
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Great updates and so many wonderful photos. So sorry you were sick. 
That was the craziest thing to me. One man was pretty upset about it. But, the driver said he would only load passengers for the 2:45 bus. He was late to pick them up. The driver, seeing that no one there was for 2:45, got on his empty bus and LEFT! He left all of us standing around waiting for a DME bus! I was pretty aggravated. Remember, this is my first experience with DME.
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