The Thomas Fam
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 11, 2008
How completely jealous I am of you!! I love Steven Curtis Chapman. He has such a wonderful family.
I am really enjoying your TR but sad that its coming to an end.
DaveInTN's Lame Attempt at a Trip Report - NOW COMPLETE
- Thread starter DaveInTN
- Start date
How completely jealous I am of you!! I love Steven Curtis Chapman. He has such a wonderful family.
I am really enjoying your TR but sad that its coming to an end.
DaveInTN
I'm Not The Castle Guy
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
After the excitement of the Candlelight Processional on Thursday evening, we had another exciting day lined up for Friday, our last day at the Fort. We originally had no real plans for daytime on Friday, and had a character dinner planned for the evening before heading home. However, early in our trip I received a surprise visitor at our campsite....none other than TCD himself! 
I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew in person during our last trip in March, and was happy to see him drive up in his GC while I was out decorating the site. And he had a surprise for us!
TCD offered us passes to the MK Christmas Parade taping to be held Thursday-Saturday! He had tickets to all three days, and I opted for Friday. Enough passes for the 6 of us! I was blown away by his thoughtfulness!! Thank you again, Andrew, for thinking of us!
Unfortunately, Friday arrived and it was raining. POURING in fact. We didn't have high hopes for the parade taping, but decided to brave the rain and head over to the MK anyways. So, we hopped the boat and went.
The MK was fairly quiet. That was actually quite nice, even with the rain coming down hard. We were told at the gate that taping was postponed until Sunday.
Not surprising, but unfortunately we were leaving Saturday! That was a shame, but what can you do. We walked around a bit and rode BTM in the rain. That was actually kind of fun. Like Big Thunder Splash Mountain. But DD3 was tired, and we didn't want to be soaked, so we decided to leave. But not before making a stop at the Main St Bakery.
We had heard about those cinnamon roles before, but hadn't tried. So I stopped in and bought one, along with a Caprese Sandwich and a Chocolate Chip muffin. We took them back to the RV to eat....devour in fact. It was all so good! The Main St Bakery will be a usual stop for us now!
So, what to do during a cold and rainy afternoon at the Fort? Well, besides napping, we caught up on laundry. Lots of laundry. And we waited until it was time for our trip over to the Grand Floridian for the Cinderella's Dreams Come True Dinner at 1900 Park Fare!
So the question was, how to get to the GF in a cold, pouring rain, with getting completely cold and wet? I had already loaded up our toad with bikes and stuff for the trip home, so driving was out of the question. We could play hop the bus, which could take forever, or we could boat it. We boated it.
We took the MK boat as its indoors. That was fine. But when we arrived at the MK, the monorail line was HUGE, so we decided to hop the GF/Poly launch. That was ok, although the seats were soaked. But then, upon arriving at the GF dock, we had a long walk up to the lobby. So, we ended up WET and COLD. Oh well.
We checked in for dinner, and it took about 30 minutes to be seated. They wanted to take our picture before getting our table, but we politely declined. At this point we looked like something the cat dragged in, so what was the sense?
So, we got our table. Almost immediately, we were visited by Lady Tremaine.
Soon thereafter, we saw Drizella.
And Anastasia.
The three of them were the highlight of the dinner. They were HILARIOUS! The way Lady Tremaine spoke to DD9 was priceless! It was a great memory.
If only the food was half as good. Donnie had mentioned GF food in an earlier post:
...and I promised some details based upon our experiences here. Let me just say...not good. I understand this was a character buffet, but being in the GF I expected something a bit different. The food just stunk! There were a couple of tasty items, but overall everything was a mushy, bland piece of crap. And oily. Yeah, not very appetizing. Don't get me wrong, I ate it. I eat almost anything. But it wasn't good. Had I had a few beers...or 4 or 8, it might have tasted better.
But the character interaction was great. And worth the expense and effort for us. DD3 was SO excited! And, according to DW and my daughters, Prince Charming was a "dish".
And Cindy arrived.
DD3 was in awe.
And that was it.
We headed back to the Fort, and finished packing up for our morning departure.
Coming Up....The Final Post, including Rubber and Bricks Don't Mix.
I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew in person during our last trip in March, and was happy to see him drive up in his GC while I was out decorating the site. And he had a surprise for us! TCD offered us passes to the MK Christmas Parade taping to be held Thursday-Saturday! He had tickets to all three days, and I opted for Friday. Enough passes for the 6 of us! I was blown away by his thoughtfulness!! Thank you again, Andrew, for thinking of us!
Unfortunately, Friday arrived and it was raining. POURING in fact. We didn't have high hopes for the parade taping, but decided to brave the rain and head over to the MK anyways. So, we hopped the boat and went.
The MK was fairly quiet. That was actually quite nice, even with the rain coming down hard. We were told at the gate that taping was postponed until Sunday.
Not surprising, but unfortunately we were leaving Saturday! That was a shame, but what can you do. We walked around a bit and rode BTM in the rain. That was actually kind of fun. Like Big Thunder Splash Mountain. But DD3 was tired, and we didn't want to be soaked, so we decided to leave. But not before making a stop at the Main St Bakery. We had heard about those cinnamon roles before, but hadn't tried. So I stopped in and bought one, along with a Caprese Sandwich and a Chocolate Chip muffin. We took them back to the RV to eat....devour in fact. It was all so good! The Main St Bakery will be a usual stop for us now!
So, what to do during a cold and rainy afternoon at the Fort? Well, besides napping, we caught up on laundry. Lots of laundry. And we waited until it was time for our trip over to the Grand Floridian for the Cinderella's Dreams Come True Dinner at 1900 Park Fare!
So the question was, how to get to the GF in a cold, pouring rain, with getting completely cold and wet? I had already loaded up our toad with bikes and stuff for the trip home, so driving was out of the question. We could play hop the bus, which could take forever, or we could boat it. We boated it.
We took the MK boat as its indoors. That was fine. But when we arrived at the MK, the monorail line was HUGE, so we decided to hop the GF/Poly launch. That was ok, although the seats were soaked. But then, upon arriving at the GF dock, we had a long walk up to the lobby. So, we ended up WET and COLD. Oh well.
We checked in for dinner, and it took about 30 minutes to be seated. They wanted to take our picture before getting our table, but we politely declined. At this point we looked like something the cat dragged in, so what was the sense?
So, we got our table. Almost immediately, we were visited by Lady Tremaine.
Soon thereafter, we saw Drizella.
And Anastasia.
The three of them were the highlight of the dinner. They were HILARIOUS! The way Lady Tremaine spoke to DD9 was priceless! It was a great memory.
If only the food was half as good. Donnie had mentioned GF food in an earlier post:
...and I promised some details based upon our experiences here. Let me just say...not good. I understand this was a character buffet, but being in the GF I expected something a bit different. The food just stunk! There were a couple of tasty items, but overall everything was a mushy, bland piece of crap. And oily. Yeah, not very appetizing. Don't get me wrong, I ate it. I eat almost anything. But it wasn't good. Had I had a few beers...or 4 or 8, it might have tasted better.
But the character interaction was great. And worth the expense and effort for us. DD3 was SO excited! And, according to DW and my daughters, Prince Charming was a "dish".
And Cindy arrived.
DD3 was in awe.
And that was it.
We headed back to the Fort, and finished packing up for our morning departure.
Coming Up....The Final Post, including Rubber and Bricks Don't Mix.
nat1234
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2007
I'm loving your trip report. We were at the world at the same time as you were. We did manage to find Snow White and get our picture with her, so sorry about your luck. In fact we were at 1900 Park Fare the same night as you. You're right, the character interaction was good, even though we had to wait forever for Lady Tremaine and Anastasia to come over to our table in that little side room; but the food was really so so. I'm so glad that all of you had such a good time.
gmflanigan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2008
We really enjoyed our dinner @ 1900. Anastasia got engaged during our meal. Our entire group enjoyed the interaction. It was one of the best during our trip.
DaveInTN
I'm Not The Castle Guy
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
Glad you had a good time as well! And congratulations on finding Ms. White!
That's good to hear. Maybe we just had an off night. I'm not at all a picky eater, so I'm guessing we just hit it at an off time. But yes, the characters were awesome!
DaveInTN
I'm Not The Castle Guy
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
Well, this trip report is coming to an end. On Saturday 12/5, we pulled out of site 729 and started the long trek north in cool, rainy weather. Due to the SEC Championship game that afternoon in Atlanta, and the forecast which called for the chance of snow on Monteagle in TN, I opted to take the route up 231 through Alabama. We overnighted (in the COLD!) south of Birmingham, and then made it home on Sunday around noon.
Something remarkable happened to us on that Sunday morning that I wanted to share. After our overnight in Pelham, we headed up I-65 and stopped for breakfast at a Waffle House north of Birmingham. The six of us can't usually enter a Waffle House in a small town unnoticed. We are unfamilar faces...and lots of them. We took one booth and three counter stools, and proceeded to order and eat our breakfast. (Yummy as usual).
After we finished up, I waited a few minutes for the check. Finally, our waitress came by and said "you're free to go, it's been taken care of". I must have looked shocked, because she repeated herself. I didn't know what to say...the first thing that came out was "Thank you!". She said "not me". I looked around the restaurant, and she said that he was gone. Someone anonymously paid for our breakfast!
That simple and gracious act gave us so much food for thought for the final 3 hours of our drive. We are so blessed as it is, and still someone bought our breakfast. But the really amazing thing is the gift he gave us beyond breakfast. That act reminded us that the simple things we can do for others, family, friends and strangers alike, can make all the difference. We explained to our kids the idea of paying it forward. These days it is so easy to just dismiss every stranger you encounter and focus on your small circle of family and friends, but this reminded us that the vast majority of people in this world do have good hearts, and they are no different than any of us.
Ok, after that final deep thought, this report is finished...well, except for one last headline to wrap up. After getting home, unloading the motorhome, cleaning it, winterizing it, getting laundry squared away, packing away food for the winter, etc etc, it was time to put it into storage for the winter. It was dark, rainy and I was exhausted, but I wanted it done. So, I pulled it out of the driveway like I have dozens of times before, only this time I cut it too close and hit the brick headwall at the edge of my driveway. And those bricks are sharp! I sliced open the sidewall of my rear, outer tire like a hot knife going through butter. So, back in the driveway the MH went. And out came my checkbook.
Coach Net paid for the mobile repair service to swap out the spare, but I ended up putting two new tires on the front and rotating those to the rear. I now have an extra spare in case I ever get stoooopid again. So, our Disney vacation cost $800 more than I had anticipated. But, I didn't pay for my breakfast. I'm ok with that.
Well, that's it. I tend to get longwinded at times, so hope I didn't bore you too much. Thanks for reading!
Something remarkable happened to us on that Sunday morning that I wanted to share. After our overnight in Pelham, we headed up I-65 and stopped for breakfast at a Waffle House north of Birmingham. The six of us can't usually enter a Waffle House in a small town unnoticed. We are unfamilar faces...and lots of them. We took one booth and three counter stools, and proceeded to order and eat our breakfast. (Yummy as usual).
After we finished up, I waited a few minutes for the check. Finally, our waitress came by and said "you're free to go, it's been taken care of". I must have looked shocked, because she repeated herself. I didn't know what to say...the first thing that came out was "Thank you!". She said "not me". I looked around the restaurant, and she said that he was gone. Someone anonymously paid for our breakfast!
That simple and gracious act gave us so much food for thought for the final 3 hours of our drive. We are so blessed as it is, and still someone bought our breakfast. But the really amazing thing is the gift he gave us beyond breakfast. That act reminded us that the simple things we can do for others, family, friends and strangers alike, can make all the difference. We explained to our kids the idea of paying it forward. These days it is so easy to just dismiss every stranger you encounter and focus on your small circle of family and friends, but this reminded us that the vast majority of people in this world do have good hearts, and they are no different than any of us.
Ok, after that final deep thought, this report is finished...well, except for one last headline to wrap up. After getting home, unloading the motorhome, cleaning it, winterizing it, getting laundry squared away, packing away food for the winter, etc etc, it was time to put it into storage for the winter. It was dark, rainy and I was exhausted, but I wanted it done. So, I pulled it out of the driveway like I have dozens of times before, only this time I cut it too close and hit the brick headwall at the edge of my driveway. And those bricks are sharp! I sliced open the sidewall of my rear, outer tire like a hot knife going through butter. So, back in the driveway the MH went. And out came my checkbook.
Coach Net paid for the mobile repair service to swap out the spare, but I ended up putting two new tires on the front and rotating those to the rear. I now have an extra spare in case I ever get stoooopid again. So, our Disney vacation cost $800 more than I had anticipated. But, I didn't pay for my breakfast. I'm ok with that.
Well, that's it.
I tend to get longwinded at times, so hope I didn't bore you too much. Thanks for reading!
BradyBz12
1340.63 miles too far from the Fort
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Thanks for a really terrific trip report, Dave! I'm sorry about the expensive end to your trip, but really appreciate you sharing your little breakfast miracle. It's the perfect time of year to remind people of the message behind that.
Glad your family is home safe and sound.
Glad your family is home safe and sound.
DaveInTN
I'm Not The Castle Guy
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
Thanks Monique! It was a great trip, and was so fun reliving it as I wrote the report.Thanks for a really terrific trip report, Dave! I'm sorry about the expensive end to your trip, but really appreciate you sharing your little breakfast miracle. It's the perfect time of year to remind people of the message behind that.
Glad your family is home safe and sound.
stacktester
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2007
What a great attitude you have Dave. It's tough when you mess something up. Glad you had a good trip home.
Minnie&Mickey
I want to live at the Fort!
- Joined
- May 15, 2000
Great trip report, Dave. I loved the ending!
Born 2 Fish
I'D RATHER BE FISHING.
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2008
Dave, I really enjoy'd your trip report.
I think it would be great if you just posted some random pics and made up a trip report just for our enjoyment.
I think it would be great if you just posted some random pics and made up a trip report just for our enjoyment
.
DaveInTN
I'm Not The Castle Guy
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
Thanks Everyone! Glad you all read along. If I get bored after Christmas maybe I'll throw a quick TR together for our fictitous Christmas week at the Fort. But, I'd rather read some REAL trip reports from those of you who will actually be at the Fort over the holidays!
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2008
Loved the TR, not lame at all, the kind stranger paying for breakfast does remind me there are still some good people out there.
I totally agree on the food at 1900, yuck, too bad, it use to be our favorite buffet in years gone by.
I totally agree on the food at 1900, yuck, too bad, it use to be our favorite buffet in years gone by.
FansoftheMouse
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2009
What a great report! Thanks so much for letting us "tag along."
What a wonderful way to end your trip. Well, not the ending ending, but your breakfast. How wonderful to know that people can still be so kind and generous to those they don't know.
Really sorry about your tires though. Yuk.
Thanks again!
What a wonderful way to end your trip. Well, not the ending ending, but your breakfast. How wonderful to know that people can still be so kind and generous to those they don't know.
Really sorry about your tires though. Yuk.
Thanks again!
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