We Just Got Back (Sorta): January Trip Report
Gentle reader, thank you for your patience. The holidays, travel and work have been throwing up productivity roadblocks the size of an Animatronic Yeti here at the Mouse House.
Not that late January has brought me *that* much more free time, but I realize the importance of sharing trip reports with all of you that will help inform your own travel plans. So here goes.
In early January, our little family traveled to Walt Disney World specifically to take part in the 5K and 10K during the 25th Anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon weekend.
Where did you stay? We had a one-bedroom DVC villa at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, secured for a discounted rate through David’s Vacation Club Rentals. The room was OK, but let’s face it, a king-sized bed is wasted on a toddler who would rather sleep on the floor while his parents are relegated to the tiny pull-out sofa in the living room.
Transportation: If you have your own car, this is a great resort. It’s just FAR from the Parks. Never ONCE did we even attempt the bus ride, we used our own car.
Activities: The Paddock Pool, nearest to our villa, was great. Had a children’s splash area with a water slide as well as a zero-entry pool and hot tub. The kiddo and yours truly spent a happy Friday afternoon just hanging poolside.
Food: One evening, when the kiddo went to bed early, hubby grabbed us some takeout from the Artist’s Palette (onsite quick service restaurant). I had a very tasty salad. We had picked up a few items and also brought food from home, but at the end of the day had only 1-2 meals in our room.
How were the crowds? You know how I said it was crowded in November? Child’s play compared to the crowds during this trip. One morning, we waited 20 minutes just to get through security at the Magic Kingdom. Lines were long, restaurants full to bursting. Best day we had in terms of rides was the last day when it rained. The chilly, wet weather kept most folks well clear and we enjoyed all of our favorite rides with almost no wait.
What made the trip special? Lots of things. The little mouse is tall enough to enjoy Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Star Tours and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Heck, we may have a thrill ride junkie on our hands! And the kid was selected as the Rebel Spy on one of our Star Tours rides – he had NO idea what was going on, but his parents did and we had an appropriate flip out. The best part was on our last night, staying out and up way past bedtime to see Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular fireworks at Hollywood Studios. SO FREAKING COOL.
How was the race? I only did the 5K and once I stopped complaining and my muscles warmed up (which didn’t happen until I was 85% done running), it was fine. We had a good time, minus the ridiculously early wake up call. Course was boring, same as nearly every other race we’ve done in the last two years and the lines for character greetings were too long. If kiddo wasn’t with a babysitter, maybe we would have stopped. But given that there are PhotoPass Photographer all along the course and also for post-race photos, I didn’t feel too bad about not stopping.
Any restaurants that totally rocked? Or not so much? Is it bad that I’m having a really hard time remembering where we ate? Probably. We went to PizzeRizzo, which replaced Pizza Planet at Hollywood Studios. The pizza was pretty good, but the atmosphere was much better. Just like a legit NYC pizzeria (if it was clean!). I will admit to being disappointed in Kona Café for breakfast after the 10K. We waited more than 20 minutes past our ADR time and there were no egg-free waffle or pancake options for the kiddo. We ended up paying for a gigantic fruit plate that didn’t really go over too well.
All in all, for a very short trip, it was a good trip. Some photos below. Enjoy!
