Joy to the World: an offsite Christmas extravaganza at Disney, Universal & SeaWorld – Dec. 2016 TR

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hey all . I had hoped to get another entry all typed out over the course of the weekend, but my good intentions didn't get me anywhere . The weather was just so spectacular yesterday and today that it just seemed criminal to spend any more time than necessary inside. Shockingly, Steve didn't have to spend TOO much time at work this weekend (just a few hours Saturday morning.....that's something to celebrate all on its own!) so we tried to make the most of our time together.

Once we were all settled in after our move, we started making a conscious effort to take Sundays and use them for exploring. So far, we've been to Frankenmuth, the Detroit Zoo, the Toledo Zoo, the Henry Ford, Greenfield Village, Sea Life Michigan, The Museum of Natural History in Ann Arbor, and Downtown Plymouth (just off the top of my head). Today, we ventured to Kensington Metropark and spent the day soaking up the sunshine and these beautiful views:

We walked the trails for miles. We figured it was a good warm-up for when we arrive in Orlando next weekend.

I hope to get back to the report by late tomorrow, assuming nothing unexpected crops up. Monday mornings are devoted to housecleaning and laundry, but hopefully my afternoon remains free. I would have worked on one tonight, but the Leafs were playing. Sad to say they lost in overtime, but what a fight those young players put up against the #1 team.

 

[Vestmama4]

Hi there, looking forward to reading about your trip around Christmas time. After spending the last 2 Christmas weeks in Orlando I very much agree that nothing beats that area during that time of the year. So beautiful and all wonderfully decorated. Especially Seaworld. We are going back this Christmas and I can't wait.

 

[eyehartdisney]

Seems my links didn't go through on here, let me try again:

http://imgur.com/gallery/e4joA

I'll just make it a link.

Also, now that you live in the states, have you tried Culver's yet? It's a burger and ice cream joint. The burgers are good, but not fabulous, but their other offerings, the pot roast especially, is wonderful, and the ice cream is to die for.

 

[jacksdadcan]

Someone travelling south from my neck of the woods? Nice!

Have you flown from Buffalo a lot? Ive looked into flights down from there before. We're pretty smack dab between Buffalo, Detroit, and Toronto. I've flown down from London too but with WestJet it gets pricey in a hurry. Although living 10 minutes from the airport does have its benefits...

Great report so far!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi there, looking forward to reading about your trip around Christmas time. After spending the last 2 Christmas weeks in Orlando I very much agree that nothing beats that area during that time of the year. So beautiful and all wonderfully decorated. Especially Seaworld. We are going back this Christmas and I can't wait.

People always think we're crazy heading south for the holidays, because they have this belief that it "doesn't feel Christmassy" in Orlando. Its hard for many northerners to visualize the holiday season being celebrated in warm weather. I always tell them that Florida often feels more festive than Christmas in the north because our southern neighbours seem to put so much more effort into it. The decorations always blow us away......it seems like every inch of the tourist areas are decked out in their holiday finery. There may not be snow, but there are more lights and trees and special festive events than anywhere else on earth!

Seems my links didn't go through on here, let me try again:

http://imgur.com/gallery/e4joA

I'll just make it a link.

Also, now that you live in the states, have you tried Culver's yet? It's a burger and ice cream joint. The burgers are good, but not fabulous, but their other offerings, the pot roast especially, is wonderful, and the ice cream is to die for.

OH MY WORD.....your babies are so unbelievably cute!!! You have your own little zoo!!! Do they all get along with each other?

And oh yes, we have tried Culvers........we were actually overjoyed to find one just a few minutes from where we now live. We fell in love with Culvers back in 2010 when we took a family trip to Wisconsin Dells: it was our first Culvers experience and we have remembered it fondly for years. To have one within 10 minutes of our front door is sooooo dangerous, though. I can't say I have much willpower where their frozen custard is concerned . Thank goodness our Clubhouse here has a 24 hour gym .

Someone travelling south from my neck of the woods? Nice!

Have you flown from Buffalo a lot? Ive looked into flights down from there before. We're pretty smack dab between Buffalo, Detroit, and Toronto. I've flown down from London too but with WestJet it gets pricey in a hurry. Although living 10 minutes from the airport does have its benefits...

Great report so far!

Out of 12 trips, we've probably flown from Buffalo about 6 times. Once (and only once) we flew from Toronto, and the rest have been from Syracuse. We loved both the Syracuse and Buffalo airports: they are SO super easy to navigate. It was a long drive for us no matter which airport option we chose.....one of the pitfalls of living in a small Canadian town.....so the extra drive to the border cities was really a non-issue. We were in the car anyway, so what's another hour or two?

A big to the thread, by the way! Glad to have you along!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Friday, December 16th (the conclusion)


Driving from Friendly’s, we made our way up International Drive and to the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express. Steve dropped me at the door while he found a spot to park the SUV. I had hoped that I would have us all checked in by the time he wandered into the foyer, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case .


I approached the desk and told a very disinterested looking clerk that we wished to book a room for one night using our IHG reward points. She promptly points to a desk in the corner of the lobby and tells me that I would have to book the room on the computer. Really? I question her on that but she steadfastly refused to budge: if I wanted to pay cash, credit or debit she would be happy to process my reservation, but if it was to be paid for with points, it was computer or bust. I was more than a little annoyed ……she almost seemed happy that she wouldn’t have to help me out…..but I was beyond tired (not to mention EXCEPTIONALLY full ) and more than a little desperate to just get up to our room and stretch out on the bed. So, I trudged over to the computer and attempted to book our reservation using the kiosk in the lobby .


Steve shuffles inside the doors, doesn’t seem me tucked away in the corner, and asks the bored clerk (who is now texting on her phone) which room we were assigned to. I call over to him, and he looks confused ….I beckon him over, and tell him what has transpired so far. He, too, is less than impressed and hides his irritation far less than I do. He sports a frowny face as he stands next to me while I try multiple times without success to log into IHG on their computer . I return to the front desk for assistance, another clerk tells me that the system has been giving them trouble today. I want to scream THEN WHY DIDN’T SOMEONE TELL ME THAT WHEN THEY SENT ME OVER HERE? But, that didn’t seem like it would be very festive or Christmassy of me so I bite my tongue and return to give it another try. Fa la la la la la la la laaahhhh .


As I’m fiddling with the computer and waiting for the pages to slowly load, I scan the lobby and note the Blues Brothers theme.

Honestly, the lobby felt more tired and worn than it did grand and welcoming. I suppose fans of the Blues Brothers might feel differently, and perhaps my opinion was just coloured by the fact that we were so weary we could hardly see straight. The lobby and check-in area certainly didn’t look like it had been updated in many moons, which surprised us a little as most Holiday Inn Express properties are generally pretty fresh and modern. It was clean enough, but it just felt……out of date.

We tried several more times to use the computer but eventually gave up and called IHG rewards from our cell phone. Our patience was gone and Steve was looking more and more like the Grinch as this seemly swift process is taking far too long. Thankfully the phone rep was much easier to deal with than either the front desk staff or the lobby computer, and we had a reservation number in short order. Steve was muttering “Thank God we’re not paying for this dog’s breakfast of a reservation” as we made our way back to the front desk again.


We eventually, mercifully get our keys and head to the elevator: our king room was on the 7th floor, so about half way up the tower-style building. Stepping off the elevator and into the hallway, we note that we are on the Clark Gable floor.

We found our room easily enough, and opened the door. While I didn’t expect to be “wowed” (after all, it was the Holiday Inn and not the Ritz Carleton) I was completely underwhelmed by the décor. Like the lobby, the room was clean (and it smelled clean……giving credit where credit is due) but it was dark and worn. Tired, even. We laughed that we FELT like the room LOOKED.

On a positive note, we did have lots of room : a king sized bed, a work desk, a flat screen TV, a small sofa (which I assume was a pull out, though we didn’t check), and a table with two chairs. The main part of the room was spacious, and as I mentioned before, very clean.

The bathroom, however, was truly odd : it was narrow (like your elbows could touch the walls when sitting on the loo kind of narrow) and made me feel like I was in a coffin when the pocket door was slid closed . The fixtures all appeared original to the construction and were dated, though they all functioned fine. The sink was outside the bathroom and part of the main living area. If we were hoping for a spa-like bathroom, this wasn’t it . However, it was spotlessly clean and the water was nice and hot, so I happily hopped in for a refreshing shower in the tiny stall before sinking into the bed. Steve did the same, though he feared I might need a shoe horn to get him out of that small space. If I was feeling claustrophobic, I can only imagine how he found that compact bathroom .

I am pretty sure we fell asleep within 5 minutes of our heads hitting the pillows . Thankfully, our floor was quiet and we managed to get a very rejuvenating rest. We awoke in the morning in much better moods……I think we could have even been described as Merry & Jolly .


We peered out the window and noticed that the day had dawned all warm, bright and sunny: it felt like a million miles away from snowy Buffalo, which by all reports was still in the grips of Winter Storm Decima.

We decided to make the most of this bonus time. With surprising efficiency, we showered and dressed before heading down to the lobby to take advantage of the complimentary breakfast buffet. It was super busy in the breakfast room (there appeared to be a high school group or two who had beat us to the tables), so we made up our plates and took them back to the room to eat in peace. The breakfast offerings were the standard HIE fare (including their signature cinnamon buns, my personal favourite) and all items were being promptly restocked by the hard-working and friendly breakfast staff (the only staff to really impress us at this property).

Steve said he wanted to go back down to the first floor to grab another plate of food, so I went with him to check out the pool area. While I had no intention of swimming, I was interested to see what recreation options were offered. It was small but nicely maintained.

I also took note of the Christmas tree in the lobby. In the annoyances of the check-in process, I hadn’t even bothered to pay it any attention the night before.

After breakfast, we packed up our belongings and reloaded our luggage into the SUV. We decided to head to Universal for the first portion of the day, until such time as we were able to check in to our timeshare rental at the Marriott Grande Vista. The MGV staff weren’t expecting us until 5 pm that afternoon (based on our original flight day and time) and we figured it was easiest to not try and change that. I checked out at the front desk and obtained a final copy of our zero-balance bill. Heading out into the surprisingly warm morning air……in fact, we almost would have gone as far to say as it was feeling “hot”, even at that early hour…..we bid the Holiday Inn Express Closest to Universal adieu.

Next: Christmas is Universal! And we track down some VERY special friends.

 

[pepperandchips]

Wow. I can't believe the desk staff all but refused to help you! Hoping MGV wasn't anything like this...

 

[eyehartdisney]

OH MY WORD.....your babies are so unbelievably cute!!! You have your own little zoo!!! Do they all get along with each other?

And oh yes, we have tried Culvers........we were actually overjoyed to find one just a few minutes from where we now live. We fell in love with Culvers back in 2010 when we took a family trip to Wisconsin Dells: it was our first Culvers experience and we have remembered it fondly for years. To have one within 10 minutes of our front door is sooooo dangerous, though. I can't say I have much willpower where their frozen custard is concerned . Thank goodness our Clubhouse here has a 24 hour gym .

They are adorable, aren't they? We're working on homesteading, we have an acre of food forest and all those wee critters running around. Nothing's boring around here, especially with goats. Which are due any moment now... don't breathe too heavy on em, they're ready to pop. As far as getting along, most do. The cats and dogs are all good together, but out of precaution I keep them from the chickens, goats and quails, though a certain naughty puppy managed to dig INTO the goat barn today, and I found them all curled up and sleeping when I went out to do chores. Also, I would die if I had Culver's that close. The two things I miss from living up north are Culver's and Arby's within easy driving distance.

 

[iona]

Wow - customer service was not their strong point! I'm glad that you were able to get a good night's sleep though and I'm looking forward to hearing about your first day at Universal.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Well as you said at least it was clean. I think the unwelcome from reception, your tiredness and then not being able to use the computer soured your stay somewhat! It did the job and you woke up to a beautiful morning

 

[NH-to-FL]

Just catching up on your story. What a ride so far. The part about sitting on the plane with the snow covering your window had me sure you were headed for a delay. How wonderful that the storm paused to let you go!

Likewise the hotel check in story. I was sure you were going to be told that by the time you got through to make the reservation that the room was gone. Your description of the room pretty much describes my Holiday Inn Express visits: clean but tired.

I love your story telling and look forward to the next chapter.

 

[Ruthie5671]

we decided to celebrate with ice cream

Did you really need a reason to celebrate with ice cream? Because we all know that anything is a reason to celebrate with ice cream. My socks are matching today - ice cream! I didn't have road rage on the way to work - ice cream! I went to work - even more ice cream!!!

I scan the lobby and note the Blues Brothers theme

I cannot even put into words the oddity that is the décor at this Holiday Inn Express.

 

[KsGiGi]

I went to work - even more ice cream!!!

My thoughts exactly!!!

 

[Heluvsme]

I'm so glad I found this! Coming over from your Double Double report!

Dawn

 

[chiamarie]

Usually just simple things like "the baby/calf " or "takaras calf". It generally takes a few months to find out if its male or female (unless they get a good sample, which they usually dont, from the placenta) typically they will learn more quickly if its a male, because thye start showing off their boy parts.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Glad you finally got your room at the hotel, were they going for old Hollywood or something?? The weather looks so beautiful on your first day out to US!

Here is a picture of my little guy "Buddy". He follows me everywhere lol!

 

[dancin Disney style]

How sweet of Patty to help you out . Our Disboards peeps are just the BEST. (In fact, Steve and I enjoyed the most lovely evening out with @DontRushMe and her DH tonight......dinner and ice cream in the cutest little town!)

We've returned to Buffalo to one of those buried vehicles, too, and its a real bummer [especially after leaving the pleasant temperatures of the Sunshine State]. Thank goodness there's a Tim Horton's adjacent to the Days Hotel.

I can't remember if I told the story or not??? It was a lulu of a storm. They got about 3ft of snow. You would figure that the third week of March you are fairly safe to travel without winter coats and boots.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Wow. I can't believe the desk staff all but refused to help you! Hoping MGV wasn't anything like this...

The staff were very young and we completely got the feeling that we were interrupting their social (and social media) hour. After two decades of working in a customer service capacity, it truly irritates me when a business comes across as not giving a darn.

And I just re-read that comment, and realize it makes me sound like an old poop . Whoops.

They are adorable, aren't they? We're working on homesteading, we have an acre of food forest and all those wee critters running around. Nothing's boring around here, especially with goats. Which are due any moment now... don't breathe too heavy on em, they're ready to pop. As far as getting along, most do. The cats and dogs are all good together, but out of precaution I keep them from the chickens, goats and quails, though a certain naughty puppy managed to dig INTO the goat barn today, and I found them all curled up and sleeping when I went out to do chores. Also, I would die if I had Culver's that close. The two things I miss from living up north are Culver's and Arby's within easy driving distance.

Aw, baby goats . What an exciting time of year for you!! Please post a picture or two when the new arrivals make their debut.

Wow - customer service was not their strong point! I'm glad that you were able to get a good night's sleep though and I'm looking forward to hearing about your first day at Universal.

I am actually surprised, given the hecticness of the breakfast room the next morning (and the large number of teens at the hotel) that we enjoyed such a quiet night. Either those highschoolers were exceptionally well mannered and behaved, or they were on a different floor.

Well as you said at least it was clean. I think the unwelcome from reception, your tiredness and then not being able to use the computer soured your stay somewhat! It did the job and you woke up to a beautiful morning

Yes, my patience was most certainly slim by that time of night!! I'm generally a fairly delightful person but I wasn't winning any personality awards at that point in the day .

Just catching up on your story. What a ride so far. The part about sitting on the plane with the snow covering your window had me sure you were headed for a delay. How wonderful that the storm paused to let you go!

Likewise the hotel check in story. I was sure you were going to be told that by the time you got through to make the reservation that the room was gone. Your description of the room pretty much describes my Holiday Inn Express visits: clean but tired.

I love your story telling and look forward to the next chapter.

Thank you so much for the kind compliments. You made me blush!

All in all, the issues that plagued us were small indeed. At least we got there safely. At least there was a room available. We really had so much to be grateful for .

Did you really need a reason to celebrate with ice cream? Because we all know that anything is a reason to celebrate with ice cream. My socks are matching today - ice cream! I didn't have road rage on the way to work - ice cream! I went to work - even more ice cream!!!

I cannot even put into words the oddity that is the décor at this Holiday Inn Express.

See, this is why I love you . You totally need to move closer to Michigan. We could be fast friends. I can see us solving all the world's problems over a couple of hot fudge sundaes.

You found the decor to be less-than-desirable too? I'm glad. Steve found nothing at all wrong with it, so I thought maybe I was the weird one [which admittedly, I might be.....but still].

My thoughts exactly!!!

Ice cream lovers unite!

I'm so glad I found this! Coming over from your Double Double report!

Dawn

Glad you found us!! aboard!

Usually just simple things like "the baby/calf " or "takaras calf". It generally takes a few months to find out if its male or female (unless they get a good sample, which they usually dont, from the placenta) typically they will learn more quickly if its a male, because thye start showing off their boy parts.

Well, there you go. Shows how much I know about baby whales . I just assumed that it would be......obvious, if you know what I mean. That the animal care staff would yell "It's a Girl!" or "It's a Boy!" as soon as the baby made its grand splash into the world. I'm an idiot .

Glad you finally got your room at the hotel, were they going for old Hollywood or something?? The weather looks so beautiful on your first day out to US!

Here is a picture of my little guy "Buddy". He follows me everywhere lol!
View attachment 233184

Oh, he is PRECIOUS. Such a tiny little fella! And a face that just makes you say "AWWW!!!".

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I can't remember if I told the story or not??? It was a lulu of a storm. They got about 3ft of snow. You would figure that the third week of March you are fairly safe to travel without winter coats and boots.

And if you had taken the winter coats and boots, you would have come home to record high temperatures . Guaranteed.

 

[Inhislove]

FYI, Marriott's app allows you to check in online. You can even change the time of arrival on the day of arrival, although I think they ask for a two hour notice?

Of course, even they had advance notice of our 11am arrival, Grande Vista didn't have our room ready until check-in time (4pm).