MagicBands + Margaritas + Muggles + Minions = TRP. New TR link is up! 10/31
- Thread starter eandesmom
- Start date
Poolrat
I am alive, sometimes I wonder too.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2008
I will have a Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum right after my Uh Oa!!!!!
The plan is to dump and run. Park is open until 8 that night so the Uh Oa! may be after that.
It was a free day on our tickets so a couple of hours is fine. No dinner reservations or anything just a dash to get some rides in.
I am loving the look back, great memories even the rain..
GoofyFan1515
DIS Dad #174
- Joined
- May 23, 2012
Great recap. ...... loved the updates! So many firsts. .... so many memories. Hope you were able to remember them all! 
MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
I had to scroll through all your pictures this morning! You know I am a big fan of that! Love all the great highlights from your trip. What a truly memorable trip with your family! Love it!
But the take home message for me is I want one of those Merry Berry Ritas. I mean, come on - green salt!
Love it!
But the take home message for me is I want one of those Merry Berry Ritas. I mean, come on - green salt!
Love it!
Mndisneygirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2008
Love your recap!!
I hope my family's Christmas/NY trip is as awesome (but not as wet) as yours!!!
I hope my family's Christmas/NY trip is as awesome (but not as wet) as yours!!!
eandesmom
I'm with Beast
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
There was more indeed! What a magical trip during the holidays with so many loved ones
It really was!
I hope so! We obviously have a weekend next weekend but after that? I honestly have no idea.
thanks, it was!!!!!!!!!
Just wait till you see the marching band pics! I shrunk!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will have a Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum right after my Uh Oa!!!!!
The plan is to dump and run. Park is open until 8 that night so the Uh Oa! may be after that.
It was a free day on our tickets so a couple of hours is fine. No dinner reservations or anything just a dash to get some rides in.
I am loving the look back, great memories even the rain..
YAY for a free day on the tickets, TS has a killer burger, works well with the Uh Oa or Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum!
Great recap. ...... loved the updates! So many firsts. .... so many memories. Hope you were able to remember them all!
Oh I'm sure there were some I forgot
Or left out
I had to scroll through all your pictures this morning! You know I am a big fan of that! Love all the great highlights from your trip. What a truly memorable trip with your family! Love it!
But the take home message for me is I want one of those Merry Berry Ritas. I mean, come on - green salt!
Exactly! Green salt, everyone needs it!
It's actually a sugar rim I think but it really worked with the drink. You would like it.Isn't it amazing?
Love your recap!!
I hope my family's Christmas/NY trip is as awesome (but not as wet) as yours!!!
I hope yours isn't as wet either! Are you still planning on MK for actual NYE?
MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
Came back to look at your pics again and I have to say these are my favs! Great family pics.
I just thought of something scrolling through you pictures again. Denny found a knock off Margaritaville T when we were shopping this weekend and he bought it thinking we were going to Universal. Oops. Maybe we still need to head over there for dinner.
GoofyFan1515
DIS Dad #174
- Joined
- May 23, 2012
Oh I'm sure there were some I forgot
Or left out
I guess it is a given that with time stories evolve, change, and details just plain fade away............
It's always great to have pictures to help with the memories! You posted lots of great pictures, great memories! 
natebenma
Beach Club Dee
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2008
This!
I had that exact same thought as I was looking/reading through this update.
Disney (and Universal) have so many excellent experiences that you want to do again and again, as well as new things to try.
I will have a Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum right after my Uh Oa!!!!!
Wait! What?!?
A Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum????
OMG that is hilarious and I am sure delicious.
I really wanted to eat at Trader Sam's but we never made it over there during our trip
Have a blast, Pat!
GoofyFan1515
DIS Dad #174
- Joined
- May 23, 2012
Agree, hope you have an AMAZING trip Pat!!!Wait! What?!?
A Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum????
OMG that is hilarious and I am sure delicious.
I really wanted to eat at Trader Sam's but we never made it over there during our trip
Have a blast, Pat!
eandesmom
I'm with Beast
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
Came back to look at your pics again and I have to say these are my favs! Great family pics.
I just thought of something scrolling through you pictures again. Denny found a knock off Margaritaville T when we were shopping this weekend and he bought it thinking we were going to Universal. Oops. Maybe we still need to head over there for dinner.
Hey if you go on a Sunday after 8 it's only $5 parking and there is no traffic.
I guess it is a given that with time stories evolve, change, and details just plain fade away............
Or my brain is a colander
This!
I had that exact same thought as I was looking/reading through this update.
Disney (and Universal) have so many excellent experiences that you want to do again and again, as well as new things to try.
It really is cool!
Wait! What?!?
A Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum????
OMG that is hilarious and I am sure delicious.
I really wanted to eat at Trader Sam's but we never made it over there during our trip
Oh that is sad and wrong Dee. You need a redo.
Loved looking through your all your pics of 'firsts'! Yay for souvie pics! I always take pictures of everything I bought or received on trips to always have record of the cool things I got
I try to take souvie pics, with the kids it is not always as easy as they tend to take and use their things immediately!
eandesmom
I'm with Beast
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
Well rats. I had most of a recap written and shut down without saving my work. I hate it when that happens!
Final thoughts
Traveling to the world during the Holidays.
I would do it again, however it is not for the faint of heart or for one who truly has crowd issues. FP+ was a godsend, as was staying at BWV. I am glad we chose Epcot for NYE and would do it again. It really was magical and I am so grateful to have done it with my family.
That said.
I would NOT do Universal again during the holidays unless I was staying on property and we will stay on property our next visit. It really did make a huge difference, and not in a good way for me. The kids did ok and thats largely what matters.
BWV 2 bedroom, Boardwalk view.
This was our first time in a 2B and 1st time with Boardwalk view. We loved it. I do wish those balconies were a bit bigger and that it had better seating for actual dining but you truly can't beat the location and we still love the Boardwalk. Feeding 4 of us for dinner would have been ok but more than that, not the kind of family meal we want on a vacation. Perfect for breakfast or lunch though, that counter did help. Very grateful to own there and to have been able to book that view for our stay. It was worth the early mornings spent walking the reservation. The only issues we experienced during the entire stay was the hideously long check in and a limping along dryer. I can live with that!
THV
I could move into a treehouse. I loved it THAT much. Although interestingly enough from a cooking perspective, the THV had far more dinnerware, glasses and cutlery, the BWV kitchen was much better supplied in actual pots and pans. The THV was outstanding for family meals, both inside and outside, with ample space and seating. Yes, it is a bit more difficult to get to and I can see where the bus would be a bit of a time suck but even without a car I would do it again. It was the perfect place to recover after the crazy holiday crowds, truly an oasis.
Dining
Overall I couldnt have been happier with our dining choices. Trails End in particular was a highlight, especially with a group and I am not a buffet person! Margaritaville was a disaster but they did make good on it for which I am grateful.
That said
2 of our favorite meals were in the Treehouse, our late night taco bar and the brunch on the deck.
Random Acts of Kindness
We could not have had those magical meals were it not for Pat and Marv. THANK you from the bottom of my heart for the very long grocery run and unending patience as they manually weighed produce on another register!
Memory Maker
Our first time with the ride photos included and I have to say, I loved this! I did NOT love how not easy it was to really share and edit photos post trip with friends and family members.
Traveling with a large group
Overall this went well and was largely drama free. What drama there was probably should have been anticipated on my end and I could have communicated my expectations better. Ultimately nothing that held over or really impacted a thing in the big picture, just a couple blips.
That said
Im going to stay out of others reservations entirely next time. While my sister and mom felt the Swan was the right choice, my Dad is still a bit cranky over the price. He cant seem to reconcile the fact that their day at the parks after the rest of us had left, where they were offsite, had nowhere near the crowd levels of NYE and that trying to get in on NYE from offsite would have been a VERY different experience than what he had. Oh well.
The end of an era
Its scary to see my kids, and my nephews growing up. It is very possible, probable even, that this is the last family trip like this we will see before the kids go off to college. Even more frightening to me is that it is likely there will be only ONE more WDW trip before Evan graduates HS. That made part of this trip quite bittersweet for me but also made me realize that we HAVE to have at least one more before he leaves the nest.
With that I think we are almost done here and ready to go march down Main Street, west coast style, with the band!
I will leave you with this.
Souvenirs
For me
Emergency lip gloss
Thank you gifts from my mom and sisters for the planning, a mug and a tank, both of which I love
Another pillow so I have a set
For Jeff
Emergency rain jacket
And an ornament
Eric
A special pin
Room décor
The Ravenclaw tee, same one I had to re-buy for Kolby when it was eaten by the great bedding change
Evan
A Hogwarts tee that I didn't get a good picture of
A "relationship status" gaston tee, that I didn't get a good picture of
And of course we can't forget the Florida Sweaters
Both boys also got the special blanket with purchase that they were selling (acutally all 4 boys did). Those blankets get a lot of use! Obviously Eric got a bit more than Evan, he used Christmas money of his own on some things.
A few more favorite moments and pictures from the trip (as not all were "firsts")
Haircuts at the Harmony Barber Shop
A forgotten first, getting their first set of Sorcerers cards (as they just took off and I didn't really see them ever actually play).
Adults only in the MK
Knowing we had a dryer back in the room!
Stolen moments on the balcony
Enjoying the walk from BWV to DHS
FINALLY finding Jeff some fries
Continued in next post
Final thoughts
Traveling to the world during the Holidays.
I would do it again, however it is not for the faint of heart or for one who truly has crowd issues. FP+ was a godsend, as was staying at BWV. I am glad we chose Epcot for NYE and would do it again. It really was magical and I am so grateful to have done it with my family.
That said.
I would NOT do Universal again during the holidays unless I was staying on property and we will stay on property our next visit. It really did make a huge difference, and not in a good way for me. The kids did ok and thats largely what matters.
BWV 2 bedroom, Boardwalk view.
This was our first time in a 2B and 1st time with Boardwalk view. We loved it. I do wish those balconies were a bit bigger and that it had better seating for actual dining but you truly can't beat the location and we still love the Boardwalk. Feeding 4 of us for dinner would have been ok but more than that, not the kind of family meal we want on a vacation. Perfect for breakfast or lunch though, that counter did help. Very grateful to own there and to have been able to book that view for our stay. It was worth the early mornings spent walking the reservation. The only issues we experienced during the entire stay was the hideously long check in and a limping along dryer. I can live with that!
THV
I could move into a treehouse. I loved it THAT much. Although interestingly enough from a cooking perspective, the THV had far more dinnerware, glasses and cutlery, the BWV kitchen was much better supplied in actual pots and pans. The THV was outstanding for family meals, both inside and outside, with ample space and seating. Yes, it is a bit more difficult to get to and I can see where the bus would be a bit of a time suck but even without a car I would do it again. It was the perfect place to recover after the crazy holiday crowds, truly an oasis.
Dining
Overall I couldnt have been happier with our dining choices. Trails End in particular was a highlight, especially with a group and I am not a buffet person! Margaritaville was a disaster but they did make good on it for which I am grateful.
That said
2 of our favorite meals were in the Treehouse, our late night taco bar and the brunch on the deck.
Random Acts of Kindness
We could not have had those magical meals were it not for Pat and Marv. THANK you from the bottom of my heart for the very long grocery run and unending patience as they manually weighed produce on another register!
Memory Maker
Our first time with the ride photos included and I have to say, I loved this! I did NOT love how not easy it was to really share and edit photos post trip with friends and family members.
Traveling with a large group
Overall this went well and was largely drama free. What drama there was probably should have been anticipated on my end and I could have communicated my expectations better. Ultimately nothing that held over or really impacted a thing in the big picture, just a couple blips.
That said
Im going to stay out of others reservations entirely next time. While my sister and mom felt the Swan was the right choice, my Dad is still a bit cranky over the price. He cant seem to reconcile the fact that their day at the parks after the rest of us had left, where they were offsite, had nowhere near the crowd levels of NYE and that trying to get in on NYE from offsite would have been a VERY different experience than what he had. Oh well.
The end of an era
Its scary to see my kids, and my nephews growing up. It is very possible, probable even, that this is the last family trip like this we will see before the kids go off to college. Even more frightening to me is that it is likely there will be only ONE more WDW trip before Evan graduates HS. That made part of this trip quite bittersweet for me but also made me realize that we HAVE to have at least one more before he leaves the nest.
With that I think we are almost done here and ready to go march down Main Street, west coast style, with the band!
I will leave you with this.
Souvenirs
For me
Emergency lip gloss
Thank you gifts from my mom and sisters for the planning, a mug and a tank, both of which I love
Another pillow so I have a set
For Jeff
Emergency rain jacket
And an ornament
Eric
A special pin
Room décor
The Ravenclaw tee, same one I had to re-buy for Kolby when it was eaten by the great bedding change
Evan
A Hogwarts tee that I didn't get a good picture of
A "relationship status" gaston tee, that I didn't get a good picture of
And of course we can't forget the Florida Sweaters
Both boys also got the special blanket with purchase that they were selling (acutally all 4 boys did). Those blankets get a lot of use! Obviously Eric got a bit more than Evan, he used Christmas money of his own on some things.
A few more favorite moments and pictures from the trip (as not all were "firsts")
Haircuts at the Harmony Barber Shop
A forgotten first, getting their first set of Sorcerers cards (as they just took off and I didn't really see them ever actually play).
Adults only in the MK
Knowing we had a dryer back in the room!
Stolen moments on the balcony
Enjoying the walk from BWV to DHS
FINALLY finding Jeff some fries
Continued in next post
eandesmom
I'm with Beast
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
Continued from previous
Unexpected rides, with predictable photo journalism
One boy who isn't too cool to take a picture with mom
Cousins having fun
Family
Having fun even if it is wet!
Osborn Lights
The peace of the treehouse
Lazy morning at the treehouse
A special morning for just mom and boys
A special morning for Jeff
A favorite dinner (and drink)
And a couple favorite pictures
AND as a bonus episode, a quick snapshot of my folks last day in the parks. Their trip extended several days after we went home. They had friends in the area and then came back to the parks for one day on their actual anniversary.
They got a lot done!
Apparently the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
Thank you for coming along on our journey, I know it's been slow going at times. I appreciate everyone who has hung in there, I'm looking forward to a lot of catching up all around on your threads!
Stay tuned for our next adventure, coming to a DISboard near you soon.
Unexpected rides, with predictable photo journalism
One boy who isn't too cool to take a picture with mom
Cousins having fun
Family
Having fun even if it is wet!
Osborn Lights
The peace of the treehouse
Lazy morning at the treehouse
A special morning for just mom and boys
A special morning for Jeff
A favorite dinner (and drink)
And a couple favorite pictures
AND as a bonus episode, a quick snapshot of my folks last day in the parks. Their trip extended several days after we went home. They had friends in the area and then came back to the parks for one day on their actual anniversary.
They got a lot done!
Apparently the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
Thank you for coming along on our journey, I know it's been slow going at times. I appreciate everyone who has hung in there, I'm looking forward to a lot of catching up all around on your threads!
Stay tuned for our next adventure, coming to a DISboard near you soon.
GoofyFan1515
DIS Dad #174
- Joined
- May 23, 2012
Great wrap up, and lots of wonderful memories! So many special pictures, but I have to say the ones of your parents are some of my favorites! 
So many special pictures, but I have to say the ones of your parents are some of my favorites! 
Backstage_Gal
<font color=darkorchid>Let me rephrase the dog ste
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
Thank you so much from a lurker who has followed all your reports. Love them!
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