HO-HO-HOLY GRINCHMAS...10 JOLLY HOLIDAY NIGHTS AT RPR..NOV/DEC 2018

I think you did a great job shopping. You can't be expected to really think about what others want until you've tried the new products and decided what is worthy of your friends and family :flower3: Much better to dispense with that shopping first, then go back later and really take your time after you have a sense of what will make everyone delighted :cutie:

I think I may need to stop in at the Cheesecake Factory. I'm slightly addicted to their brown bread, and peppermint cheesecake is calling my name!

I also have to say I am really loving these photos, gifs, etc. -- everything comes to life so vividly, it's like getting the best moments of your trip brought to life :cloud9:
 
Hope you’re all sorted for Christmas and the holiday season!
Oh yeah, we are in the homestretch. Listening to Christmas music and making treats for work tomorrow. Will have to get to the parks one year for the holidays. Last time was Christmas 1999. Hope you have a Merry Christmas.
 
I still have never eaten at Cheesecake Factory - your reports always make me want to try it!!!!! Kyle's chocolate cake looked so delicious! I too dislike peppermint by the way lol!!!

I can't believe you saw Baez!!! Not someone I would want to run in to.
 
I think you did a great job shopping. You can't be expected to really think about what others want until you've tried the new products and decided what is worthy of your friends and family :flower3: Much better to dispense with that shopping first, then go back later and really take your time after you have a sense of what will make everyone delighted :cutie:

I think I may need to stop in at the Cheesecake Factory. I'm slightly addicted to their brown bread, and peppermint cheesecake is calling my name!

I also have to say I am really loving these photos, gifs, etc. -- everything comes to life so vividly, it's like getting the best moments of your trip brought to life :cloud9:

Lol.....like your way of thinking with shopping........they did have some lovely Christmas themed products!

Another peppermint cheesecake fan! Joh will be pleased to hear........I didn’t know anyone that liked it up till then.....lol.......Kyle loved their brown bread too! It is hard to not eat too much of it.......

Thank you......I’m so glad you are enjoying the pictures........park pictures coming up soon........:D
 


Oh yeah, we are in the homestretch. Listening to Christmas music and making treats for work tomorrow. Will have to get to the parks one year for the holidays. Last time was Christmas 1999. Hope you have a Merry Christmas.

Oh glad to hear it! Christmas music and treats sound perfect.......I love this time of year so much!

Yes, the parks at this time of year are perfect.......we honestly loved seeing them decorated and although they’re a little understated than what many places offer, they’re still so festive and beautiful........

Merry Christmas to you and your family too Vicki......:santa:
 
I still have never eaten at Cheesecake Factory - your reports always make me want to try it!!!!! Kyle's chocolate cake looked so delicious! I too dislike peppermint by the way lol!!!

I can't believe you saw Baez!!! Not someone I would want to run in to.

Oh you have to try it!!! So many choices and all we’ve ever tried has been beautiful.........portions are extremely shareable!!!

That chocolate cake is his favourite chocolate cake anywhere.........maybe with the exception of my homemade flourless chocolate cake........it is so rich but strangely when we look at pictures from a few years ago, it is slightly smaller than it used to be.......not noticeable really as it’s still massive!!

Yes, I struggle with peppermint flavoured things........I didn’t realise when someone gave me a candy cane years ago.....I expected it to be fruity........what a disappointment!!!

Yes, not someone I’d choose to see if I was going to see someone famous........the sales lady thought Satan himself had walked in the store by my reaction, very quiet reaction though.......only Tom and apparently the sales lady heard my immediate reaction! I still haven’t got over that trial and the outcome I guess!!!

Glad you’re still reading along though.......always lovely to see you........::yes::
 
As we disappeared into relative safety of the electrical department we chuckled or more howled with laughter as several items were still rolling gently off the shelves that had been oh so carefully stocked neatly that morning I was sure...….

By now a lovely lady had appeared to help my woefully abandoned husband.....she was assuring him it was fine and nothing could break, but did tell him it wouldn't have mattered if they had all broke....accidents happen...…..we rather miraculously reappeared at this point still giggling at his obvious clumsiness...….he was less than thrilled we had disappeared like Exocet missiles...….which was even funnier now...….then we were admonished by the sales lady for running off like that and leaving this "lovely man" to face the music on his own......oh dear...this just got better and better!!!!


Ok......I couldn’t help but chuckle when I read this......poor Tom......LOL....I’am glad he forgave you both for leaving him as things rolled off the shelf and so funny the sales lady admonished you.........it’s times like that on vacation that will be a great memory you all will never forget.
 


Cake and cheesecake for lunch, okay by me, yummy!

The mall looks lovely with all the Christmas decorations

Fun to run into Dis board friends!
 
Ok......I couldn’t help but chuckle when I read this......poor Tom......LOL....I’am glad he forgave you both for leaving him as things rolled off the shelf and so funny the sales lady admonished you.........it’s times like that on vacation that will be a great memory you all will never forget.

Oh we were doubled over laughing Robbie.......we really were....and you know what it’s like when you try not to laugh at something!!! We got the glare which made us laugh even harder as we hid behind a display.........lol........

I know we won’t ever forget that! And Tom won’t ever let us anyway if we wanted to.........bless him!! He is very forgiving though.......much more so than me.......::yes::
 
Cake and cheesecake for lunch, okay by me, yummy!

The mall looks lovely with all the Christmas decorations

Fun to run into Dis board friends!

Isn’t that a great lunch!!! My mother always gets horrified when I tell her he had cake for lunch.......she has no clue the size or density of it!

Yes, the mall is beautifully decorated.....not over the top, just nice. And we love meeting folks whenever and wherever, and it was especially nice as we kind of knew each other but hadn’t ever met........and pure coincidence too.

We’ve always been lucky with folks we’ve met from the Dis and made some lifelong friends which is lovely.......:goodvibes
 
FRIDAY 30TH CONTINUED...……...






So, we left the mall and didn't go straight home, we headed to ABC Wines and Liquor.....not for us for a change, just part a gift for someone....but this store is so nice to wander around and we could show Kyle the places we talk about when he`s not here.....although a liquor store isn't going to be high on his places he`d like to visit, not being a drinker this was the last place he`d choose to see. But we weren't going to be long. We just picked up what we needed and left to drive back to the hotel...….

Once we were in the room we saw that the rollaway bed had indeed been delivered. It`s a fair old size so for a full size adult it wasn't going to be too small......and we could stick it out of the way when he wasn't using it....it felt very comfortable when he sat on it to try it......I thought this was going to be a success.

Once we freshened up a little we headed up to the Club Lounge to sit for a couple of hours. We don't usually eat meals here......although occasionally we will sample a little portion of some of the dishes like their chicken mac n cheese, Orange and lemon chicken dishes are nice too...….but tonight we were eating in StrongWater Bar, so we didn't want to be tempted.

As we went in two of the girls came up for a hug which was lovely......they are just adorable...….and a man who came in at the same time asked if I was Carole......I said yes I was...….his name was Bob and he said he had learned a lot from my trip reports......always lovely to hear. They usually stayed at PBH but wanted to give RP a try. Again, always nice to hear too. Him and his wife had enjoyed their stay I was so glad to hear, I think he said they`d be going back to PB next time, but it was nice to hear they had fun and it was so nice to meet him and his wife......I`m sorry to say I forget her name...….but she was a nice lady and Bob was a lovely man too. I don't think he posts, I think he is a reader...….so Hi Bob.....it was nice to meet you!!!

We sat down and were immediately handed a glass of wine...….now, that is good service!!!! We got what has become known now as our usual table...….so funny...….and we knew we`d be here for a while tonight......one of the good things about the lounge is it`s a lovely place to just sit any time of the day......of course it does get busy when food or drinks are being served......we always pass a lot of time here. But, we are very lucky in that we don't need to bash the parks all day every day...….this trip is slightly different of course, but usually we spend a couple of hours in the parks then go off and do something else and head back for a couple of hours of chat and relaxation......it won`t suit everyone`s way of vacationing...….but it suits us.

The food in the lounge is always lovely and well presented...…..as I mentioned previously, we don't use the lounge for meals...…..we do like to nibble at times on some cheese or salad......or have a little taste of the dishes I just mentioned..…….but we love the variety of restaurants that we have around us and take advantage of them as we don't have places like that at home...….and we prefer to eat later too......but the lounge for us is a very social place as we know everyone there so well.....and they know us too. So, it really does feel like home...….the Club manager told us it was like our sitting room at home and she`s right....she usually is!!!! She is a lovely lady!!

I wouldn't have been eating tonight anyway as it was the vegetarian option...….It was like a pesto rigatoni and not to our taste at all......but they always have a vegetarian option at least once a week....

Did I want to try the pasta dish was the question asked by one of the supervisors...………






To be fair, it was very popular...…..but...….we like meat and lots of it!!!!



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I think we may have had a little cheese...….just to go with our wine. Kyle didn't have anything but just enjoyed being back here again.....it was lovely he got to meet some of the newer staff we had talked about. He was happy sitting with an ipad and chatting...…..

Samuel, who is one of the Supervisors and we adore him too, knows a lot about Space and KSC things, we often chat about such things and of course he had met Kyle last year and they chatted about all things rocket or planet based. So, as we were visiting KSC this time, we picked Samuel`s brain as he had been many times and was an expert on it..…..so we asked if we needed to do any upgrades or addons for our first trip, he said he didn't think so and there should be enough with the regular entrance ticket. That was good enough for us, we trusted his opinion.....we didn't buy tickets online, we just paid on the day. But chatting to him was increasing our excitement for the day we would go, which we had decided it would be Thursday.

We had debated going on the launch day, but thought some the tour wouldn't be accessible, and of course in the end it was cancelled and postponed to the next day....so we were glad we had picked the Thursday.

We sat and chatted for ages, and after everyone was gone we thought we`d head over to Sapphire before the dessert hour started....we never make that. Not big dessert people really, although Kyle would like the cookies I was sure.

The walk over to Sapphire doesn't take long...…

There are plenty of trees laid out along the way.....and each one is so pretty...….some are large and some are kind of regular sized.




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This tall one is through in the business centre area……



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Of course, one of the highlights of Sapphire is it`s huge lobby area which is so light and airy and a great focal point for the hotel...….and the massive window calls for a huge tree to fill that space...…..and this one could never disappoint...……


You see folks relaxing and chilling out in this area all the time.....and it is an incredibly comfortable place to be pass some time at any time of the day. We love this lobby area....




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We got ourselves seated in Strong Water...…..over by our usual place was gone tonight, so we chose another table......and we had a man looking after us tonight we didn't know....well, I guess there had to be one, but he was very nice and we did get to chat to a few that we did know...…..and one rather comically asked "didn't you just leave from your last trip"......er, yeah we kinda did...…..it is nice to know them all so well though.....it is an incredibly friendly place and food and drinks are exceptional...…...definitely one of our favourite bars in Orlando...…..

Tom heads outside to take some pictures, it is a beautiful night and if it hadn't been for smokers, we would have sat out there...….the view is just beautiful.




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During the festive season the three deluxe hotels were offering something a little different in their main bars for a limited time......Cocktails were going to be served from their Bellhop Bar. The Bellhop Bar is a steamer style trunk full of cocktails in antique apothecary-style bottles. Guests will hear an opening bell to announce that the bar is open for the evening. This steamer-trunk bar will be in the bars through till mid January......and each of the hotels had their own themed cocktails. And looked impressive too.



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The drink on offer here was called Island Envy” cocktail with Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Fee Brothers orange bitters and Demerara syrup. Sadly we didn't get to try it, or any of them....but they did look good.....

Orchids Lounge in the RPR was offering a Royal Lycheetini” cocktail with Hangar One Vodka, raspberries, Lychee juice and lemon juice. It did sound lovely...….and quite an unusual talking point for the bars and quite unique...….I wish they would extend this and have as a permanent addition to the bars.

It`s not too busy tonight in here......but there is always a fabulous atmosphere with such friendly staff too.




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We order a Fountain of Youth for Tom and a Rum Revival for me.....Kyle ordered an orange juice.....and of course we had water...……



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We ordered more or less straight away as Kyle was quite hungry...….he rather simply ordered the chicken tenders with wedges, we first opted to enjoy the Caribbean ceviche which is one of our favourite dishes.....and Tom wanted to try one of their newer dishes, the Cuban Spring Rolls...….so order placed we chatted while we waited for food...…..we were just loving being here altogether again.

When the food arrived it was as always perfect...…….




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Kyle didn't touch the hot sauce that came with his chicken!!!! It is hot though, even for me......but I did taste a little with the spring roll...

The ceviche and chicken were perfect...….we loved every piece...….the Cuban spring rolls were a little different...….they were nice, Tom loved them actually.....but for me I didn't enjoy the cheese through it.....when I eat a spring roll I`ve never had cheese in them before so it was just different. Tom would get them again for him, but not for me. The ceviche was perfect and I think this one is our favourite of them all....with the added coconut flavours it really makes the dish come alive.

Tom then ordered the Tempest, which is a rum with a lager drink.....I think this one was Stella which he doesn't usually drink at home, but he enjoyed it for a change. I ordered a rum mule which is rum, ginger beer and loads of freshly squeezed lime.....beautiful.




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We fancied a little more to eat, so we ordered the choripapa which was potato confit, chicken chorizo, tomatoes, and salsa rosada…….we had enjoyed this before and knew we`d like it again.....the other dish was a beef one pinchos de carne asada…..seared beef, pineapple, red pepper, plantain and a green sauce that tasted too strongly of cilantro for us...….and you got some toasted garlic bread too which was lovely.




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Both dishes were beautiful...…..the choripapa has a slight tingle of spice to it which is actually perfect for the dish......and the beef is always incredibly tender and so tasty...…..

We were glad we had decided to visit tonight...…….

The manager Fernando had been around, but he had been busy, so we thought we`d wait till we were leaving to say hello to him....he is such a lovely man who we always enjoy chatting to. He runs a fabulous place and is incredibly proud of the place and his staff too...….

We give him a wave and he comes over to greet us with hugs and is delighted to finally meet Kyle as he has heard so much about him over the last couple of years...….he said he couldn't believe he hadn't see us while we were in, we did tell him he was so busy we didn't want to disturb him...….he said next time make sure we let him know when we arrive......as I said he really is a lovely man and we do enjoy chatting to him.

The walk back is always longer when you`ve had one or two cocktails ::yes:: ……but it is such a pretty walk and a little like a time change...….Sapphire is so modern and styled as such...…..and it is just as huge as RP is for conference space...…….




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Then once you cross the bridge over the road you are transported back to the 1950`s with the Polynesian South Pacific feel of RP...….love them both and honestly couldn't choose between them...….

I loved this tree below......and did wish I could take it home as it would fit perfectly in the corner of my dining room...……

You very rarely see anyone on this walk, occasionally there are guys setting up the ballrooms and conference rooms, but not many other folks are around.




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We finally reached our room and it was late by now...maybe 11.30pm...…..I just wanted to sleep now.....but I knew we had to put Kyle`s bed up in the sitting room area and although it wouldn't take long when you are sleepy everything seems like a challenge...…..

But, when we went in turndown had left the bed in front of the sofa and had moved the table out of the way in front of the window...…...and they had left extra blankets for him just in case...….we hadn't expected that to be done.....usually turn down leave water, prepare the bed and change any towels or toiletries that need replaced.....it`s a lovely little service.

So, once we all visit the bathroom, put the water in the fridge we then all climb into bed......and I was sure we would all sleep well tonight...…..



 
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So, that was the last day I`ll write about till after Christmas now.....

We head to Scotland tomorrow to spend it with my family up there. Will be back Thursday.

Internet is patchy up where we`re going, the hotel has free wifi but again, it`s not always reliable.

So, I hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful happy and blessed Christmas...…..I have loved all your comments so far, they mean an awful lot to me.

See you next week...…..and have fun :santa:
 
So, that was the last day I`ll write about till after Christmas now.....

We head to Scotland tomorrow to spend it with my family up there. Will be back Thursday.

Internet is patchy up where we`re going, the hotel has free wifi but again, it`s not always reliable.

So, I hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful happy and blessed Christmas...…..I have loved all your comments so far, they mean an awful lot to me.

See you next week...…..and have fun :santa:

Happy Holidays!!!
 

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