DonnaBeeGood
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It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Needs An Eyepatch - A Dec TR Complete 8/31
- Thread starter Lifelong_Dreamer
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Lifelong_Dreamer
DIS Veteran
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- Jan 10, 2007
Yes, one of the reasons I booked with Butterfly Balloons is their safety ratings.
Yes, hard to imagine what it would have been like painting on those cave walls. It is amazing to me that the painting is still intact minus some human interference (graffiti).
tazdev3225
<font color=darkorchid>I sucked my thumb up with t
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2008
The pictures are amazing. I would have been more worried about my camera too. What kind of camera did you use. I have a Nikon that is less than a year old but thankfully under warranty as it began acting up on my trip to Scotland. I have a trip to Disney in 5 weeks so I am not sure I have the time to have it sent out to be looked at.
I give you a lot of credit for even attempting the Hot Air Balloon ride. I have a few phobias and height is one of them. I will climb a lighthouse to say I did it and to take pictures and then I realize how high I am and panic sets in. Same thing happened climbing the castles. A panic attack high in the air with no way down might not be a good thing.
I give you a lot of credit for even attempting the Hot Air Balloon ride. I have a few phobias and height is one of them. I will climb a lighthouse to say I did it and to take pictures and then I realize how high I am and panic sets in. Same thing happened climbing the castles. A panic attack high in the air with no way down might not be a good thing.
GoofyFan1515
DIS Dad #174
- Joined
- May 23, 2012
Sorry I haven't been around much lately.........life has been crazy! 
All caught up. Turkey is such a beautiful and interesting country. Loved looking at all your pictures. Too bad about the balloon ride, but those things can be a little dangerous even in the best of conditions. There was a recent accident/tragedy in Texas (I think it was) where they launched in conditions that a lot of people said they would never go up in, and they ended up getting caught in power lines. Not a happy ending. 
And since I missed it, Happy Belated Birthday!
All caught up. Turkey is such a beautiful and interesting country. Loved looking at all your pictures. Too bad about the balloon ride, but those things can be a little dangerous even in the best of conditions. There was a recent accident/tragedy in Texas (I think it was) where they launched in conditions that a lot of people said they would never go up in, and they ended up getting caught in power lines. Not a happy ending. And since I missed it, Happy Belated Birthday!
Steppesister
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2013
Cappadocia looks like a very stunning place! The formations are incredible, but to have actual dwellings carved into them is over-the-top cool.
So happy your camera and all of your beautiful photos were saved, but sorry you got banged up a bit. Glad it wasn't worse so that it cut your day trip short. I'm also bummed for you that your balloon ride didn't work out, but clearly there was a lot to see anyway.
So happy your camera and all of your beautiful photos were saved, but sorry you got banged up a bit. Glad it wasn't worse so that it cut your day trip short. I'm also bummed for you that your balloon ride didn't work out, but clearly there was a lot to see anyway.
Lifelong_Dreamer
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
I purchased a Nikon P610 on Boxing Day and so this Turkey trip was my first time really using it and I loved it. Worked like a dream. Sorry to hear about your camera troubles while on vacation! Photos are my favourite souvenir so I understand how frustrating it would be to have a new camera start acting up while on vacation.
I had my heart set on it. I knew I would be nervous but that I would be in safe hands.
That happened to me! When Mom and I went to PEI in June I went to the top of a lighthouse and got a bit of vertigo.
That's okay! I have been pretty slow moving over here.
There was a recent accident/tragedy in Texas (I think it was) where they launched in conditions that a lot of people said they would never go up in, and they ended up getting caught in power lines. Not a happy ending.
Oh dear...
As bummed out as I was about the balloon ride I would not have wanted to go up if it wasn't safe and that is why I booked with the company I did. I did a ton of research into the various companies that fly in Cappadocia and Butterfly Balloons was top rated for safety and customer satisfaction. I knew that we would be in good hands and that they would not take us up if there was any doubt as to the conditions being safe.
I loved Cappadocia. It was so unique and an interesting area to visit and I am so glad that I convinced Dad that it should be on our itinerary. I loved visiting all the ancient ruins but there is more to Turkey than ancient Greek and Roman ruins!
I am so grateful as well. I would have been devastated to lose all our photos especially as I was the only one taking photos as Alek didn't bring a camera and Dad's went kaput a few days into the trip.
I'm used to it. I trip, slide and fall frequently. It is considered a miracle by my Dad if he can get through a hike with me without my falling. I have fallen into glacier fed lakes, mud puddles, down slopes on the side of hiking trails, into mud puddles and even on a flat gravel path leading back to the parking lot after making it through a hike in the mountains fall free. Those are just hiking falls. I also have a bad habit of tripping and bumping into things at home as well.
Yes there was a lot to see and maybe missing out on the balloon ride means I am destined to go back someday!
Steppesister
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Lifelong_Dreamer
DIS Veteran
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- Jan 10, 2007
Let me know if you do...
Will do! Considering all the terrible events that have happened since we were there I can't imagine it will be anytime soon though... Plus, I have so many other places I want to visit!
Lifelong_Dreamer
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
I am at about the limit on my photo bucket account so I had to make the pictures smaller to get them all in.
Turkey - April 26-28
After our active day of hiking, and falling into mud puddles, we fell asleep fairly early and easily. Before going to sleep I decided to open the window next to my cot as there was a nice breeze outside and it was lovely to fall asleep to. Well, sometime in the middle of the night I was woken up by something heavy jumping onto me. I screamed bloody murder and jumped out of my bed. Dad and Alek were startled awake by my commotion. I was screaming that something was in the room and had landed on me in my sleep. Dad and Alek turned the lights on to find out what had happened to reveal an adorable black cat sitting in the middle of the room looking up at us wondering what the commotion was all about. Poor cat, it had started raining outside and the kitty must have been trying to find a warm and dry place to spend the night and saw the window that I had opened. The cat decided the tension was too high in the room and departed through the window again. Here is the culprit in the morning resting on the couch on the covered porch outside our room.
Morning arrived and we were greeted by grey skies and drizzle. This was not good as we had a full day of outdoor activities booked with Middle Earth Travel. The company verified that our trip was still going forward as the weather should not impact us and that where we were travelling has its own micro-climate.
Just to be safe we donned our rain jackets. Well, except for Alek who didn't pack one! Instead he had to wear my purple winter jacket that I had inadvertently brought on the trip (remember all the way back to the beginning of this Turkey report)?
When I was looking around for things to do this day I read about Ihlara Valley which is a lovely green and lush valley about an hour away from where we were staying in Goreme. This valley has cave churches and monasteries carved into the walls of the valley. I was also interested in visiting an underground city which is one of the top things to see when visiting Cappadocia. There were a couple tour operators that visited both sites but they only included a short walk of the valley, we wanted to hike the whole thing. That is when I found Middle Earth Travel which specializes in outdoorsy adventure travel. They offered a tour that involved a guided hike of all 14km of the valley, a visit to the monastery at the end of the valley and an optional stop at an underground city. Sounded perfect to me!
Our guide Hami picked us up from our hotel and then we made two more stops to pick up three other members of our group for the day. Luckily this group tour was MUCH better than the one we had taken a few days beforehand. I account for that as only a select type of tourist would book a tour like we were on and so we were all likeminded in our approach to the day.
On our way to the underground city Hami gave us some history of the area and got to know all of us. Another difference between this tour and our previous one. Hami directly engaged us and tried to get to know us all on a personal level whereas the other guide did not.
We were visiting Derinkuyu Underground City. This city runs 200ft underground and could house up to 20,000 people plus their supplies and livestock. These underground cities were used as places for protection during invasions. They were very difficult to locate from aboveground as they were very well concealed.
Hami warned us that if anybody had problems with claustrophobia that they should not go into the city with us as we would be travelling far underground with no quick exit and that it would be fairly dark.
I found this underground city fascinating and it was fun crawling around and crouching to get through all the stairways and passages.
Ventilation shaft that extended down through all levels of the city.
There were several types of rooms in the city:stables, dining rooms, storage rooms, chapels, and rooms that were presumed to be used for everyday living.
We spent about an hour exploring the city and then we were off to the main attraction of the day: our 14km hike of Ihlara Valley. On the way Hami had the driver stop at a store where he bought us all chocolate bars. He said his rule is that after a hike everybody gets to get chocolate!
The valley was lovely and very different from the rest of Cappadocia as it is very lush and green. Hami took us into several of the cave churches. The paintings here were similar to what we had seen the day before in the Goreme Open-Air Museum but not as well preserved as there was a lot of graffiti here.
After about 6km we stopped for a break at a tea shop that had been set up by the river that runs through the valley.
Moving on we continued with our hike and visited a couple more churches. At about the halfway mark we reached the only part of the valley that is accessible to vehicles. A small village exists here and this is where we stopped for lunch. The weather was starting to look ominous and the wind was really picking up. Hami stated "Winter is coming". Alek and I started laughing and then had a good conversation with him about Game of Thrones. Some things are universal and GoT is one of them.
Lunch was delicious but I was nervous the whole time that it was going to start pouring on us.
Luckily the rain never did come and eventually the skies cleared.
After lunch the adventure really began. I had no idea the following activities would be included on the tour so it was a surprise to me but I wasn't terribly surprised as we were with an ADVENTURE tour group.
Hami took us into a cave church and told us that this was our first test to see if we could handle what he had planned for later on. In this church there was a sketchy looking staircase that involved careful maneuvering as some of the steps were missing or partly missing. I took one look at it and said no way. Hami tried to convince me but I told him that I am klutz and a nurse and I could not afford to break my arm on vacation and miss a chunk of work when I got back. So he said it was good I stayed behind as my nursing skills might be needed!! Flashback to the start of the day when we all had to sign waivers stating that any injury we suffered would not be the fault of the company...
We moved furthur down the valley and climbed up a bit to a monastery that was carved into the cliff walls of the valley. When we entered we had to crawl over a large round stone that Hami stated would have been used to block off the entrance as a defensive measure. We then went furthur into the monastery and ham showed us where he wanted us to go. Once again I said "No way!". There were foot holds carved into the sides of a vertical shaft to make a staircase. Nobody else backed out so I retreated and sat by a window looking out at the valley while they all risked their lives!!! I gave my camera to Dad and Alek to take pictures of their adventure.
Here are the pictures that Dad took. He chickened out before Alek and then even Alek would not go all the way to the top like Hami did.
My view as as waited for them with no clue as to the crazy things that they were doing. Alek said it was a good thing i couldn't see it as I would have freaked out watching them do it.
Here are two videos of them coming back down. As you can see they were descending in pitch black with only the aid of a cell phone light.
After that we completed the hike of the valley which gradually widened into farm land.
We saw this lovely grouping of fairy chimneys in the distance.
We then arrived at the Selime Monastery which was large and impressive. Hami gave us 20 minutes of free time to explore.
On the way back to Goreme we were all pretty tuckered out and almost everybody fell asleep.
We were the first to be dropped off and we waved goodbye to our new friends. We had had a great day! Hami was a fantastic guide and was very friendly and informative and encouraged us to test our limits but was not pushy when I backed out. The other three on our tour were great we all clicked. The underground city was interesting and fun and the valley hike was beautiful. The highlight of the day for Dad and Alek were the adventures that Hami took them on and I didn't mind sitting back and waiting for them as they had this unique experience.
After dinner that night we packed up our bags as we were getting picked up early for our flight back to Istanbul.
Continued in next post
Turkey - April 26-28
After our active day of hiking, and falling into mud puddles, we fell asleep fairly early and easily. Before going to sleep I decided to open the window next to my cot as there was a nice breeze outside and it was lovely to fall asleep to. Well, sometime in the middle of the night I was woken up by something heavy jumping onto me. I screamed bloody murder and jumped out of my bed. Dad and Alek were startled awake by my commotion. I was screaming that something was in the room and had landed on me in my sleep. Dad and Alek turned the lights on to find out what had happened to reveal an adorable black cat sitting in the middle of the room looking up at us wondering what the commotion was all about. Poor cat, it had started raining outside and the kitty must have been trying to find a warm and dry place to spend the night and saw the window that I had opened. The cat decided the tension was too high in the room and departed through the window again. Here is the culprit in the morning resting on the couch on the covered porch outside our room.
Morning arrived and we were greeted by grey skies and drizzle. This was not good as we had a full day of outdoor activities booked with Middle Earth Travel. The company verified that our trip was still going forward as the weather should not impact us and that where we were travelling has its own micro-climate.
Just to be safe we donned our rain jackets. Well, except for Alek who didn't pack one! Instead he had to wear my purple winter jacket that I had inadvertently brought on the trip (remember all the way back to the beginning of this Turkey report)?
When I was looking around for things to do this day I read about Ihlara Valley which is a lovely green and lush valley about an hour away from where we were staying in Goreme. This valley has cave churches and monasteries carved into the walls of the valley. I was also interested in visiting an underground city which is one of the top things to see when visiting Cappadocia. There were a couple tour operators that visited both sites but they only included a short walk of the valley, we wanted to hike the whole thing. That is when I found Middle Earth Travel which specializes in outdoorsy adventure travel. They offered a tour that involved a guided hike of all 14km of the valley, a visit to the monastery at the end of the valley and an optional stop at an underground city. Sounded perfect to me!
Our guide Hami picked us up from our hotel and then we made two more stops to pick up three other members of our group for the day. Luckily this group tour was MUCH better than the one we had taken a few days beforehand. I account for that as only a select type of tourist would book a tour like we were on and so we were all likeminded in our approach to the day.
On our way to the underground city Hami gave us some history of the area and got to know all of us. Another difference between this tour and our previous one. Hami directly engaged us and tried to get to know us all on a personal level whereas the other guide did not.
We were visiting Derinkuyu Underground City. This city runs 200ft underground and could house up to 20,000 people plus their supplies and livestock. These underground cities were used as places for protection during invasions. They were very difficult to locate from aboveground as they were very well concealed.
Hami warned us that if anybody had problems with claustrophobia that they should not go into the city with us as we would be travelling far underground with no quick exit and that it would be fairly dark.
I found this underground city fascinating and it was fun crawling around and crouching to get through all the stairways and passages.
Ventilation shaft that extended down through all levels of the city.
There were several types of rooms in the city:stables, dining rooms, storage rooms, chapels, and rooms that were presumed to be used for everyday living.
We spent about an hour exploring the city and then we were off to the main attraction of the day: our 14km hike of Ihlara Valley. On the way Hami had the driver stop at a store where he bought us all chocolate bars. He said his rule is that after a hike everybody gets to get chocolate!
The valley was lovely and very different from the rest of Cappadocia as it is very lush and green. Hami took us into several of the cave churches. The paintings here were similar to what we had seen the day before in the Goreme Open-Air Museum but not as well preserved as there was a lot of graffiti here.
After about 6km we stopped for a break at a tea shop that had been set up by the river that runs through the valley.
Moving on we continued with our hike and visited a couple more churches. At about the halfway mark we reached the only part of the valley that is accessible to vehicles. A small village exists here and this is where we stopped for lunch. The weather was starting to look ominous and the wind was really picking up. Hami stated "Winter is coming". Alek and I started laughing and then had a good conversation with him about Game of Thrones. Some things are universal and GoT is one of them.
Lunch was delicious but I was nervous the whole time that it was going to start pouring on us.
Luckily the rain never did come and eventually the skies cleared.
After lunch the adventure really began. I had no idea the following activities would be included on the tour so it was a surprise to me but I wasn't terribly surprised as we were with an ADVENTURE tour group.
Hami took us into a cave church and told us that this was our first test to see if we could handle what he had planned for later on. In this church there was a sketchy looking staircase that involved careful maneuvering as some of the steps were missing or partly missing. I took one look at it and said no way. Hami tried to convince me but I told him that I am klutz and a nurse and I could not afford to break my arm on vacation and miss a chunk of work when I got back. So he said it was good I stayed behind as my nursing skills might be needed!! Flashback to the start of the day when we all had to sign waivers stating that any injury we suffered would not be the fault of the company...
We moved furthur down the valley and climbed up a bit to a monastery that was carved into the cliff walls of the valley. When we entered we had to crawl over a large round stone that Hami stated would have been used to block off the entrance as a defensive measure. We then went furthur into the monastery and ham showed us where he wanted us to go. Once again I said "No way!". There were foot holds carved into the sides of a vertical shaft to make a staircase. Nobody else backed out so I retreated and sat by a window looking out at the valley while they all risked their lives!!! I gave my camera to Dad and Alek to take pictures of their adventure.
Here are the pictures that Dad took. He chickened out before Alek and then even Alek would not go all the way to the top like Hami did.
My view as as waited for them with no clue as to the crazy things that they were doing. Alek said it was a good thing i couldn't see it as I would have freaked out watching them do it.
Here are two videos of them coming back down. As you can see they were descending in pitch black with only the aid of a cell phone light.
After that we completed the hike of the valley which gradually widened into farm land.
We saw this lovely grouping of fairy chimneys in the distance.
We then arrived at the Selime Monastery which was large and impressive. Hami gave us 20 minutes of free time to explore.
On the way back to Goreme we were all pretty tuckered out and almost everybody fell asleep.
We were the first to be dropped off and we waved goodbye to our new friends. We had had a great day! Hami was a fantastic guide and was very friendly and informative and encouraged us to test our limits but was not pushy when I backed out. The other three on our tour were great we all clicked. The underground city was interesting and fun and the valley hike was beautiful. The highlight of the day for Dad and Alek were the adventures that Hami took them on and I didn't mind sitting back and waiting for them as they had this unique experience.
After dinner that night we packed up our bags as we were getting picked up early for our flight back to Istanbul.
Continued in next post
Lifelong_Dreamer
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
We woke up literally at the crack of dawn for our transfer to the airport. As we waited I saw balloons start to float up into the sky. I wanted to cry. If only we had one more day I would have been on one of those balloons! At least I got to see them go up as we drove to the airport...
Back in Istanbul we found our driver and made our way back to the Empress Zoe where we would be spending the night before we flew home the next day. We were assigned the same room as before but one floor up. After dropping off our bags we went and wandered around a bit. We did not have any set plans and would not wander far as Alek had hurt his ankle the day before while clambering around in Ihlara Valley.
We decided to check out the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum as it was near our hotel and we could get in with our museum pass.
We saw many beautiful copies of the Koran as well as beautiful vases and carpets.
We then visited our favourite sweet shop for one last indulgence of baklava.
We stopped in Gulhane Park to find that all of the tulips disappeared while we were gone. I did notice something that I hadn't before, a really cool book fountain!
Alek's ankle was really starting to bother him so we went back to the hotel and enjoyed some time on the rooftop terrace of our hotel. It was a lovely day and it was nice to just relax and soak in the view and the sounds of the city while we reflected on our trip.
Here is a video of the view from our rooftop with the Call to Prayer
Once it was an acceptable hour for dinner we went back to our favourite restaurant from our first stay in Istanbul. Unfortunately, this restaurant has since closed which is something we sadly foresaw due to the dramatic drop in tourism. It was especially sad as our waiter remembered us from our first visit and he spoke of how they were struggling to stay open but they were fighting as they had faith that their regulars would return...
The next morning Dad and I went for an early morning walk by the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia for one last view.
We ate our fill at breakfast and then up to our room to make sure everything was packed and in order. We waited in the lobby for our prearranged car to the airport and said goodbye to the wonderful staff of the hotel.
I was sad to be leaving as I had such a wonderful time. I absolutely loved Turkey and I dearly hope to return someday once things have calmed down.
At the airport we went through about 6 different security checkpoints. We had to take a shuttle bus out to our plane which was surprising as it was a massive jumbo jet. It took forever to take off as nobody seemed to want to comply when the flight attendants asked people to remain seated. What a headache. No word of a lie, the flight attendants were strapped in to take off and somebody got up to go to the bathroom... Idiots!
It was an interesting flight home. Alek got kicked up to premium economy so that another passenger could take his seat and sit with his family. Alek had a much nicer flight. Dad and I were surrounded by crazy kids running all over the place and grabbing things. One pulled my ear buds out of the jack and wouldn't give them back. I had to get his mother's attention to get them returned. Dad's sweater which had been under his seat ended up a couple rows down the aisle. Needless to say we didn't get any sleep. To stretch my legs and get my blood circulating I went up to visit Alek in his "luxury". He said it was nice and quiet and calm up where he was sitting...
Back in Toronto we cleared through customs, collected our bags and found our hotel for the night. Dad's flight home was in the morning and I didn't think it would be wise to drive the three hours home that night as I was exhausted. I nearly fell asleep at dinner so turned out I made a wise decision.
The next morning we dropped Dad back off at the airport and Alek and I made our way home.
And that is the end of the Turkey trip report! Stay tuned for the conclusion of the Disney trip report.
tazdev3225
<font color=darkorchid>I sucked my thumb up with t
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2008
Thank you for the Turkey report. What a beautiful country. What is going on there is so sad. The underground cities look really interesting but I am severely claustrophobic. I was stuck in an elevator for 2 hours when I was younger and the effects linger. I think I would have pushed myself for that though. The architecture in all the buildings is amazing and the churches are just beautiful. It looks like you had a wonderful adventure and so nice that you could go on it with your father and your brother.
Loved reading about your trip to Turkey, thanks for taking the time to share so much. I've been to Istanbul a couple of times for work and loved it, but didn't get to travel around like you did. I'm impressed with all the research you did! It really helps you discover things a lot of tourists don't see if you do a little homework. Gorgeous country!
DonnaBeeGood
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2014
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Lifelong_Dreamer
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
I bet that could leave a lasting impression. Apparently people freak out all the time when they start to go deep underground in these cities and I think it would be so easy to get turned around without a guide which would lead to even more panic! I don't think I would go down without a guide! lol
i enjoyed writing about it as it will preserve my memories and I also enjoy sharing my experiences of this great country that not many people know about.
Yes, you are so right. I don't think i could ever travel somewhere without doing a ton of research beforehand. I like spontaneity to a degree but i just feel more comfortable and confident in a foreign city/country if I know a lot about it before i go. That comfort can then allow me to relax and go off the beaten path a bit.
Yes, no kidding, knowing the suckers for animals that we are.I agree! In the case of these caves it is a lot of people carving initials or scratching out the faces of the paintings.
Lifelong_Dreamer
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
Disney 2015 - The Trip Wraps Up
After lunch at Beaches and Cream we made our way into Epcot to finish up seeing the Holiday Storytellers and just spend our last few hours wandering around World Showcase. I was also in touch with a friend I had made on the Dis, Tanya. She and her family had relocated to Tampa that year and were going to come up to visit with us for a few hours this day.
We looked at the showtimes and decided to go check out Joyful! which is a gospel group performing by the Fountain of Nations.
We stopped briefly in Canada and one of the shops at the entrance to World Showcase to purchase some souvenirs/Christmas gifts.
We only stayed for a few minutes of Joyful! It was super hot that day and so we made our way to shelter.
We hadn't visited Mexico yet on this trip so that is where we headed.
I love this pavilion and if I liked Mexican food I would love to eat here, so pretty!
We wandered around the stalls looking at all the merchandise.
I was sneaky and bought a Christmas present for Erich once the boys wandered away from me.
Sneaky purchases in hand I went and found Mom and then once we were all back together our wandering continued.
In Germany I stopped to try on some of the tiaras on display. If it hadn't been our last day I totally would have bought one and worn it around. Where else but Disney can you walk around wearing a tiara and not look a little strange?
In Japan we spent lots of time browsing the store, there is so much there that I love! I did end up buying some really pretty dinner plates which I use all the time at home. They were heavy so I was kinda glad our day was coming to an end as I wouldn't have to cart them around all day.
Our next stop was Morocco where we had to kill some time while we waited for the last Holiday Storyteller we needed to see. We browsed around the shops and I got myself an adult beverage from the little stand nearby.
I enjoyed the Morocco storyteller. I found the topic they chose interesting. The storyteller talked about several different festivals that are celebrated throughout the year including a matchmaking festival. There was also a very small mention of Ramadan.
I did adore her beautiful and colourful costume!
After the show was over we were almost ready to leave Epcot. I texted my friend and she said they were stuck in traffic...
Before leaving Epcot we stopped in England so that Alek and Erich could buy some English chocolate for one of their friends.
I texted my friend and said we were now leaving Epcot but that we would hang out at Beach Club for a bit as it was too early to leave for the airport. She said that she would meet us there.
At the Beach Club I left my mom and the boys in the Solarium while I took my purchases out to the car and moved things around in our luggage to squeeze them in.
I then joined them back in the Solarium and waited and waited and waited.
I would text back and forth with my friend periodically and she said traffic was barely moving. It was really unfortunate as it got to the point where we had to leave for the airport and so we never got to see her. I felt really badly that we missed her and her family as they had driven up specifically to see us but we couldn't risk missing our flight! Turns out they finally made it onto Disney property about 10 minutes after we left.
When we got to the airport there was nobody at the Air Canada desk to check us in but there was a long line of people waiting. So typical of Air Canada! It made me mad as the time we spent waiting for service could have been spent meeting up with my friend back at Disney!
Finally somebody showed up and started checking people in. Then it was upstairs and through Security.
The flight to Toronto was uneventful and we got back late at night. I was still dressed in my sundress from the hot day at Epcot and I nearly died when I had to step outside to put gas in the car. Brrrr!!!
And that is the end of this Disney trip report!
Thanks to those of you who have stuck around through this long and drawn out trip report! I enjoyed sharing me memories of the trip!
When is our next Disney trip? Probably not for a few years. There is talk of a cousins trip with our two cousins from Ohio in two years time but that is not definite. If that doesn't happen we probably won't go back for 5 years or so.
In the meantime there are other places to travel to! In two weeks I'll be flying out to the West Coast to visit my Dad and Erich and then in June Mom and I are booked on a Baltic cruise!!! We will be visiting Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Finland and Sweden. Here's a sneak peek on what we will get to see!
After lunch at Beaches and Cream we made our way into Epcot to finish up seeing the Holiday Storytellers and just spend our last few hours wandering around World Showcase. I was also in touch with a friend I had made on the Dis, Tanya. She and her family had relocated to Tampa that year and were going to come up to visit with us for a few hours this day.
We looked at the showtimes and decided to go check out Joyful! which is a gospel group performing by the Fountain of Nations.
We stopped briefly in Canada and one of the shops at the entrance to World Showcase to purchase some souvenirs/Christmas gifts.
We only stayed for a few minutes of Joyful! It was super hot that day and so we made our way to shelter.
We hadn't visited Mexico yet on this trip so that is where we headed.
I love this pavilion and if I liked Mexican food I would love to eat here, so pretty!
We wandered around the stalls looking at all the merchandise.
I was sneaky and bought a Christmas present for Erich once the boys wandered away from me.
Sneaky purchases in hand I went and found Mom and then once we were all back together our wandering continued.
In Germany I stopped to try on some of the tiaras on display. If it hadn't been our last day I totally would have bought one and worn it around. Where else but Disney can you walk around wearing a tiara and not look a little strange?
In Japan we spent lots of time browsing the store, there is so much there that I love! I did end up buying some really pretty dinner plates which I use all the time at home. They were heavy so I was kinda glad our day was coming to an end as I wouldn't have to cart them around all day.
Our next stop was Morocco where we had to kill some time while we waited for the last Holiday Storyteller we needed to see. We browsed around the shops and I got myself an adult beverage from the little stand nearby.
I enjoyed the Morocco storyteller. I found the topic they chose interesting. The storyteller talked about several different festivals that are celebrated throughout the year including a matchmaking festival. There was also a very small mention of Ramadan.
I did adore her beautiful and colourful costume!
After the show was over we were almost ready to leave Epcot. I texted my friend and she said they were stuck in traffic...
Before leaving Epcot we stopped in England so that Alek and Erich could buy some English chocolate for one of their friends.
I texted my friend and said we were now leaving Epcot but that we would hang out at Beach Club for a bit as it was too early to leave for the airport. She said that she would meet us there.
At the Beach Club I left my mom and the boys in the Solarium while I took my purchases out to the car and moved things around in our luggage to squeeze them in.
I then joined them back in the Solarium and waited and waited and waited.
I would text back and forth with my friend periodically and she said traffic was barely moving. It was really unfortunate as it got to the point where we had to leave for the airport and so we never got to see her. I felt really badly that we missed her and her family as they had driven up specifically to see us but we couldn't risk missing our flight! Turns out they finally made it onto Disney property about 10 minutes after we left.
When we got to the airport there was nobody at the Air Canada desk to check us in but there was a long line of people waiting. So typical of Air Canada! It made me mad as the time we spent waiting for service could have been spent meeting up with my friend back at Disney!
Finally somebody showed up and started checking people in. Then it was upstairs and through Security.
The flight to Toronto was uneventful and we got back late at night. I was still dressed in my sundress from the hot day at Epcot and I nearly died when I had to step outside to put gas in the car. Brrrr!!!
And that is the end of this Disney trip report!
Thanks to those of you who have stuck around through this long and drawn out trip report! I enjoyed sharing me memories of the trip!
When is our next Disney trip? Probably not for a few years. There is talk of a cousins trip with our two cousins from Ohio in two years time but that is not definite. If that doesn't happen we probably won't go back for 5 years or so.
In the meantime there are other places to travel to! In two weeks I'll be flying out to the West Coast to visit my Dad and Erich and then in June Mom and I are booked on a Baltic cruise!!! We will be visiting Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Finland and Sweden. Here's a sneak peek on what we will get to see!
disneyAndi14
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2014
Loved your report, I Really enjoyed the Turkey portion as well. Wonderful descriptions, pictures, and trip narrative. Thanks for the great report. Enjoy your cruise in June!
tazdev3225
<font color=darkorchid>I sucked my thumb up with t
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2008
Looks like a fun last day. Too bad you didn't get to meet your friend. I really enjoyed both of your trips. The cruise in June sounds amazing. The best man at my wedding was Latvian. His family escaped before the communists took over. His mother always wished she could have gone back to visit and said it was a beautiful country.
You inspired me to do a trip report of my 3 trips this year. I am busy working on getting it ready now.
You inspired me to do a trip report of my 3 trips this year. I am busy working on getting it ready now.
DonnaBeeGood
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2014
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Steppesister
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2013
I need to finish reading your fabulous report, Lessa. Will be here over the weekend to enjoy it!
jelloarms
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 10, 2009
I really enjoyed both of your TRs, so much so that I went back and re-read them over again. You need to go on another trip so I have new reading material!
There might be a way to get back to Disney sooner than 5 years from now...plan a trip to one of the countries that had non U.S. Disney parks! That way, you can explore a new place but still get your Disney fix. I am going to Japan in October for about a week and a half and have scheduled a few days to visit Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea. I am excited as this is going to be my first time visiting an international Disney park!
There might be a way to get back to Disney sooner than 5 years from now...plan a trip to one of the countries that had non U.S. Disney parks! That way, you can explore a new place but still get your Disney fix. I am going to Japan in October for about a week and a half and have scheduled a few days to visit Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea. I am excited as this is going to be my first time visiting an international Disney park!
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