HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
Welcome and thank you!
365 Days of Disney?! Right now?! I'm Going to Need More Coffee.
- Thread starter HoliPoli
- Start date
Welcome and thank you!
HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
Day 7, Saturday (July 29)
Saturday, Sean and I went to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon by ourselves! It's always nice to get out and have some alone time (with a few thousand strangers!). It had been raining and was cool today, so we thought, "Why not?" We get to the TTC and ride the ferry over. The crowds were non-existent- probably because the tropical depression dumped rain on us all day. We decided to forgo any bags because bag check is always a pain, crowds, or not. We use the passholder entrance again, because is there any other entrance, anymore? Walking into the park was extremely surreal. There was nobody. They had to be there, right? I figured they were all convened around the carousel in Fantasyland, because that's usually where the gelatinous mob of people are (and why I avoid that area like the plague).
Still in shock, we made our way over to Haunted Mansion for our first ride (always!) It was an extremely interesting ride this time because the ride kept stopping! I did not mind because it gave us time to really look at the set. Every 10 or 15 feet we'd stop and, for the first time, we really got to examine the different sections of the ride, like the graveyard. It's full of stuff, and they way we're all shuttled through, there's no time to take it all in. I really didn't see this as a hassle, at all. After HM, we made our way to Liberty Tree Tavern, once again. Sean's obsessed with the dessert. That's all I can say. I refused to eat as much this time, but he is a garbage disposal. I don't know where he puts it.
Normally, the ice cream is on top of the cookie. I have to ask for it separate because of my dairy allergy.
After we filled our bellies at LTT, we (slowly) headed over to our next fast pass, which was Jungle Cruise. Still, the walk there was wonderfully uncrowded. The FP line for JC was non-existent, and we hopped aboard Skipper Lauren's boat. As a ride we usually experience at Disney World, I've never taken a Jungle Cruise excursion so outlandishly fun! Skipper Lauren threw everything she had into her performance, and had us doubled over in laughter. She told the old jokes with so much enthusiasm, and threw in some new "groaners" we've never heard before. Guys, be on the lookout for her, especially if you've never been on JC before! I promise that no other ride will compare! Now I didn't get any photos because I forgot my phone at home, and because it was dark out.
Leaving the ride, I got extremely dizzy and had to stop for a minute to gather myself. I assume it was because I just ate and then took a boat ride. I felt better after a minute and we headed to Pirates of the Caribbean. We scanned our FP's, but it was a walk-on. I love, love, love this ride, but I don't quite understand the ride photos, yet. Because we have the AP's, we're supposed to get all our Photopass photos for free. This one never shows up on our account. I bet with some Google searching, I'll come up with an answer as to why, but it would be nice to actually see the ride photos.
After PotC, we headed to Tomorrowland to hop on Carousel of Progress. I believe this experience is greatly underestimated, and before I met Sean, I never bothered with it. Now it's a must nearly every visit, and I'm looking forward to when Disney modernizes it.
I want to back up to our experience at Liberty Tree Tavern, and say that our service was amazing. I'm happy that our unlucky streak at Disney Dining is over. Chuong, was our server, and he was exceptionally attentive. Pleasant, talkative, he refilled our drinks (lol). I would be thrilled if he was ever our server again.
Moving forward, after CoP, we headed out of the park. Happily Ever After fireworks were in full-swing, and we found where all the people were hiding. I navigated us through the crowd rather quickly, because I'm good like that (lol), no really. Poor Sean, held my hand and quickly trailed behind me as I blazed a path through strollers, and scooters, and families walking 6 or 7 wide (really, people?!). I got us out and we made the bad decision to head for the ferry. The crowd to the ferry was already four boats deep, and we got out early! Remember this was a Saturday night! I walked by a leader loudly, and publicly, reprimanding a CM about why there was only one ferry running on a Saturday night. This should have been our first and only clue needed to go back, but we stayed. Why did we stay?! It took about another half hour for the second ferry to get up and running. We painfully waited. We considered leaving at this point, but once the fireworks were over the monorail line looked just as miserable. At one point, we had an older gentleman politely push his way through, flag down a security guard, and proceed to tell them that someone had passed out from the heat. It wasn't a hot day, but with the humidity and all us people smothered together, I can see how someone fainted. I had my little mister fan on, and Sean and I were sharing it between the both of us. After standing in line for over an hour, we boarded a ferry and headed back to the TTC. We were exhausted by the time we walked to Ursula (all the way in the back). The tram lines were ridiculous, and people were fighting over seats. Really, Disney? We weren't going to deal with it, so we walked. I'm glad Sean drove, because I was falling asleep on the ride home. We didn't get home until after midnight!
I wish I could say we learned our lesson, but later in the week we had another interesting experience leaving the park after fireworks, but this one had a much less stressful ending.
Day 8, Sunday, was short and sweet. We headed to Disney Springs and Earl of Sandwich for Dinner. It was the second-to-the-last day of the Christmas in July event, which we discovered wasn't much of an event. There were no Christmas decorations, like I had hoped. Only a few banners and signs promoting special foods and drinks in the restaurants. I snapped a few photos of the signage, and we left for home.
Day 9, Monday, was another Magical Kingdom day. We decided to grab some fastpasses for Dumbo (I love this ride), Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and Haunted Mansion (seriously, always!). I felt good today, even as we walked back and forth all over the park. We rode the train, the People Mover, I hit up Starbucks for another Mocha. The weather was amazingly pleasant, and the crowds were low. Some ride and weather photos from today are posted below. The rain really kept the weather nice!
Once again, we had to stealthily maneuver our way out of the park because the fireworks show brings everyone out of the cracks. We were some of the first people out of the parks after fireworks, and the lines were already horrendous, so we sat on a park bench for about 40 minutes and waited for the crowds to clear. They never cleared. Even for a Monday! Stress was high so I didn't argue with Sean when he suggested we walk to the Contemporary and ride the resort monorail to the TTC. We took the 10 minute walk over, boarded a crammed monorail carriage, and made it to the TTC in about 20 minutes. Had we not done so, who knows how long we would have been waiting for the ferry or express monorail? Once at the TTC, I boldly made my way to a tram line, and we hopped on a tram in no time. I made a lot of eye contact in the tram line, sort of daring someone to jump in front of my lane when a tram stopped, lol! It's happened all too many times, and I was not having it if it happened again. Luckily, it didn't!
Day 10 involves Hollywood Studios, and a shocking surprise that changes our lives forever.
To be continued.
Saturday, Sean and I went to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon by ourselves! It's always nice to get out and have some alone time (with a few thousand strangers!). It had been raining and was cool today, so we thought, "Why not?" We get to the TTC and ride the ferry over. The crowds were non-existent- probably because the tropical depression dumped rain on us all day. We decided to forgo any bags because bag check is always a pain, crowds, or not. We use the passholder entrance again, because is there any other entrance, anymore? Walking into the park was extremely surreal. There was nobody. They had to be there, right? I figured they were all convened around the carousel in Fantasyland, because that's usually where the gelatinous mob of people are (and why I avoid that area like the plague).
Still in shock, we made our way over to Haunted Mansion for our first ride (always!) It was an extremely interesting ride this time because the ride kept stopping! I did not mind because it gave us time to really look at the set. Every 10 or 15 feet we'd stop and, for the first time, we really got to examine the different sections of the ride, like the graveyard. It's full of stuff, and they way we're all shuttled through, there's no time to take it all in. I really didn't see this as a hassle, at all. After HM, we made our way to Liberty Tree Tavern, once again. Sean's obsessed with the dessert. That's all I can say. I refused to eat as much this time, but he is a garbage disposal. I don't know where he puts it.
Normally, the ice cream is on top of the cookie. I have to ask for it separate because of my dairy allergy.
After we filled our bellies at LTT, we (slowly) headed over to our next fast pass, which was Jungle Cruise. Still, the walk there was wonderfully uncrowded. The FP line for JC was non-existent, and we hopped aboard Skipper Lauren's boat. As a ride we usually experience at Disney World, I've never taken a Jungle Cruise excursion so outlandishly fun! Skipper Lauren threw everything she had into her performance, and had us doubled over in laughter. She told the old jokes with so much enthusiasm, and threw in some new "groaners" we've never heard before. Guys, be on the lookout for her, especially if you've never been on JC before! I promise that no other ride will compare! Now I didn't get any photos because I forgot my phone at home, and because it was dark out.
Leaving the ride, I got extremely dizzy and had to stop for a minute to gather myself. I assume it was because I just ate and then took a boat ride. I felt better after a minute and we headed to Pirates of the Caribbean. We scanned our FP's, but it was a walk-on. I love, love, love this ride, but I don't quite understand the ride photos, yet. Because we have the AP's, we're supposed to get all our Photopass photos for free. This one never shows up on our account. I bet with some Google searching, I'll come up with an answer as to why, but it would be nice to actually see the ride photos.
After PotC, we headed to Tomorrowland to hop on Carousel of Progress. I believe this experience is greatly underestimated, and before I met Sean, I never bothered with it. Now it's a must nearly every visit, and I'm looking forward to when Disney modernizes it.
I want to back up to our experience at Liberty Tree Tavern, and say that our service was amazing. I'm happy that our unlucky streak at Disney Dining is over. Chuong, was our server, and he was exceptionally attentive. Pleasant, talkative, he refilled our drinks (lol). I would be thrilled if he was ever our server again.
Moving forward, after CoP, we headed out of the park. Happily Ever After fireworks were in full-swing, and we found where all the people were hiding. I navigated us through the crowd rather quickly, because I'm good like that (lol), no really. Poor Sean, held my hand and quickly trailed behind me as I blazed a path through strollers, and scooters, and families walking 6 or 7 wide (really, people?!). I got us out and we made the bad decision to head for the ferry. The crowd to the ferry was already four boats deep, and we got out early! Remember this was a Saturday night! I walked by a leader loudly, and publicly, reprimanding a CM about why there was only one ferry running on a Saturday night. This should have been our first and only clue needed to go back, but we stayed. Why did we stay?! It took about another half hour for the second ferry to get up and running. We painfully waited. We considered leaving at this point, but once the fireworks were over the monorail line looked just as miserable. At one point, we had an older gentleman politely push his way through, flag down a security guard, and proceed to tell them that someone had passed out from the heat. It wasn't a hot day, but with the humidity and all us people smothered together, I can see how someone fainted. I had my little mister fan on, and Sean and I were sharing it between the both of us. After standing in line for over an hour, we boarded a ferry and headed back to the TTC. We were exhausted by the time we walked to Ursula (all the way in the back). The tram lines were ridiculous, and people were fighting over seats. Really, Disney? We weren't going to deal with it, so we walked. I'm glad Sean drove, because I was falling asleep on the ride home. We didn't get home until after midnight!
I wish I could say we learned our lesson, but later in the week we had another interesting experience leaving the park after fireworks, but this one had a much less stressful ending.
Day 8, Sunday, was short and sweet. We headed to Disney Springs and Earl of Sandwich for Dinner. It was the second-to-the-last day of the Christmas in July event, which we discovered wasn't much of an event. There were no Christmas decorations, like I had hoped. Only a few banners and signs promoting special foods and drinks in the restaurants. I snapped a few photos of the signage, and we left for home.
Day 9, Monday, was another Magical Kingdom day. We decided to grab some fastpasses for Dumbo (I love this ride), Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and Haunted Mansion (seriously, always!). I felt good today, even as we walked back and forth all over the park. We rode the train, the People Mover, I hit up Starbucks for another Mocha. The weather was amazingly pleasant, and the crowds were low. Some ride and weather photos from today are posted below. The rain really kept the weather nice!
Once again, we had to stealthily maneuver our way out of the park because the fireworks show brings everyone out of the cracks. We were some of the first people out of the parks after fireworks, and the lines were already horrendous, so we sat on a park bench for about 40 minutes and waited for the crowds to clear. They never cleared. Even for a Monday! Stress was high so I didn't argue with Sean when he suggested we walk to the Contemporary and ride the resort monorail to the TTC. We took the 10 minute walk over, boarded a crammed monorail carriage, and made it to the TTC in about 20 minutes. Had we not done so, who knows how long we would have been waiting for the ferry or express monorail? Once at the TTC, I boldly made my way to a tram line, and we hopped on a tram in no time. I made a lot of eye contact in the tram line, sort of daring someone to jump in front of my lane when a tram stopped, lol! It's happened all too many times, and I was not having it if it happened again. Luckily, it didn't!
Day 10 involves Hollywood Studios, and a shocking surprise that changes our lives forever.
To be continued.
heaven2dc
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 26, 2003
Welcome! Thank you for joining us!
I did move from Tennessee, so it wasn't a full cross country move. I just wasn't sure what to call a north/south move. The humidity wasn't ever bad in Tennessee, I think it was the altitude. Moving from over 3,000 ft above sea level to under 300 is a change.
Disney every day DOES seem exciting! I can't agree more. However, I'm discovering that it's going to take some iron-clad commitment- especially when I know my family won't be feeling it every single day. I plan on editing my introduction to sort of apply some parameters to my quest to accommodate those days happening. I'll hopefully get to that today, or tomorrow.
Sean just made reservations for Liberty Tree Tavern AGAIN tonight because of that heavenly toffee-topped cookie dessert. I was like, "OK, but you know I want to spend this year trying out restaurants I've never experienced, right?"
I'm sorry - I didn't mean to imply moving from Tennessee isn't cross country because it is! It's definitely a change from Tennessee and Florida - weather wise and everything!
How cool that you are not officially a Floridian! Love your daily trips - the pulled pork sandwich you got at Flame Tree was definitely better than the one I had a lunch at work today
cinderaimee
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2016
FrozenOne16
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2014
That's awesome that your bad luck dining streak finally came to an end!! We have never tried LTT before, but I have always wanted to. The dessert looks amazing
HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
I'm sorry - I didn't mean to imply moving from Tennessee isn't cross country because it is! It's definitely a change from Tennessee and Florida - weather wise and everything!
How cool that you are not officially a Floridian! Love your daily trips - the pulled pork sandwich you got at Flame Tree was definitely better than the one I had a lunch at work today
No worries! I didn't take it badly.
heaven2dc
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 26, 2003
No worries! I didn't take it badly.
Congrats on becoming a Floridian! (I goofed and said that you are not a Floridian earlier lol). I need to drink more coffee before I reply next time! lol
HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
The suspense is killing me!
Sorry to make you wait so long! I've been having issues with both of my laptops, leading to a complete recovery of both. It's been a headache! I just got oe up and running, so I will address the surprise by tonight!
HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
That's awesome that your bad luck dining streak finally came to an end!! We have never tried LTT before, but I have always wanted to. The dessert looks amazing
Thank you! Lately, we've had really good service!
HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
Thank you!
HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
Day 10, Tuesday, Hollywood Studios
I hadn't been feeling well lately, and Tuesday, I woke up at 5:30 am and made my way into the bathroom. On a complete whim, I opened the vanity drawer, and pulled out a test. Yep, you all know what kind without going into much detail. And no, it wasn't algebra! Within a minute I saw TWO PINK LINES, and just sort of laughed to myself. Well, THIS was completely unexpected. Test in my hand, I left the bathroom light on and walked back into the bedroom and just kind of sat on the bed in a dazed stupor. This, of course, woke Sean up, who promptly asked if I was OK. I handed him the test and turned my phone's flashlight feature. His words, "There is a secondary line." I really think we were both in shock. The signs were there though. The dizziness, the car sickness, the exhaustion, and my emotions being all over the place. We've had a week to let it sink in, and I'm happy to announce that we will (hopefully, if all goes well) be having a Disney baby! No wonder why Pecos Bill's tasted sooooo good!
We aren't going to tell family yet, except for B, who we figured needed to understand why mommy cant ride the roller coasters, and why I have to stop at every bathroom on Disney property. He's excited. We'll tell our parents in 4 weeks, and the rest of the family soon after that. But all of you, you get to know right now, lol.
This news hasn't deterred me from 365, however, I do have to change my plans somewhat! Bumpy rides are off limits for the next almost 8 months! It's definitely going to be a challenge, especially when I'm farther along. Luckily, we're active people so it won't deter me from hitting up the parks most days.
Regardless of the news, Sean went to work, and the kid and I headed to Hollywood Studios for a day of shows. I had planned for Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones, and the Music of Pixar, but my mood was less that pretty, so we saw BatB and IJ, and left for the day. I guess my mood was from the fact that I was still processing the baby news, the heat was unbearable and I was sweating like a dripping faucet (ew, right?), B had a mickey pretzel and spilled cheese all over his white Storm Trooper shirt, which ruined plans for character photos, and I had to visit the restroom every 30 minutes. I didn't want to have a pregnant woman melt down, so we headed to the car, blasted the AC, and hit up Taco Bell on the way home. All was well again!
Day 11, Wednesday, Epcot
Sean and I needed some Disney alone time, so we left B at home and headed to Epcot for a relaxing evening. On the way, we made reservations at La Hacienda de San Angel- one of my new favorite places! We'd never eaten there before, but have experienced the San Angel Inn during a March visit. For me, the San Angel Inn was dark, stuffy, and loud. The menu didn't offer much that I felt was appetizing, and when I got my food, I could barely see it. The Hacienda was much more pleasant, and beautifully decorated! Our server Villa was absolutely wonderful!
Sean and I both ordered the Taquiza, and both of us substituted the fish taco for chicken. Villa was great when it came to my dairy allergy, and the only reason I brought it up was because we'd never eaten there before, and I wasn't sure what sauces had raw dairy, or not. The real winner of the night was the chips and salsa I fell in love with at San Angel Inn. I can't get enough of the salsa verde!
Of course, I forgot to get a photo of the Taquiza! But here's what it looked like. (Not my photo.)
Dinner was absolutely amazing. I can't wait to eat at Hacienda again!
We left Mexico and headed to our Frozen fast pass. The line for fast pass was really long, and we heard some people talking about how the ride was having difficulties. Just then, the line started moving and soon we scanned our fast passes at the entrance. Four feet inside the door, the ride broke down again. It was 8:15, and we had fast passes for Spaceship Earth, again, so we didn't want to wait. I didn't see Disney being too worried about fixing a ride 45 minutes before park close. However, upon leaving the ride, we got complimentary paper fast passes good for the month of August for any ride at Epcot, AND we got another email from Disney saying we had comp fast passes that night and the next full day for any ride in any park! (ALWAYS scan your fast passes!) We left the queue and headed to the front of the park, and to Spaceship Earth.
It was so late by the time we got there that they were just funneling people on through the standby line, but I insisted on scanning my fast pass. Lol, you never know when a ride will break down! I wanted to ride this ride again because, as with any new ride, there was tons I didn't get to focus on the first time. Of course it was great, and being the historian that I am, I enjoy it.
We left the park and walked to the car. Because we got there so late we were parked pretty close to the front in preferred parking.
Day 12, Thursday, Animal Kingdom
With Sean at work, B and I headed to AK. Our fast passes were Na'vi River Journey, Finding Nemo the Musical, and Festival of the Lion King. Today was HOT HOT HOT. We entered the park and headed straight for Pandora. I hadn't been before, and at first glance, it was beautiful. To be honest, it was beautiful at every glance! We soon scanned our fast passes and were ushered into the queue. After just a few minutes we were placed into row 1 (I was excited about me and B having the first row completely to ourselves!), but then a single rider popped on. Oh well, we had plenty of room! The ride was nice, and accurate as far as I can remember from the movies. But that's just it. I have no want to ever see the movie again as I felt it was just OK. B, who has never seen the movie, said, "It's nice, but what's the point?" My reply was that I wasn't sure. It doesn't really matter though because the two new rides are grossly popular. I don't mean that in a bad way, unless you consider the mile long (People, I AM NOT KIDDING!) standby queue for Flight of Passage. B and I walked this queue on the way to Africa, as we were heading to Nemo. Hundreds, possibly more, of people standing in a (almost) single file line from Pandora to Africa. Disney even implemented their own traffic control and had CM's roadblocking just to control the crowds. It was ordered chaos, and really wasn't that bad. Jut wow, though. Kudos to those of you who can stand in 99 degree weather in the full sun for a ride. You got guts! I got one photo from Pandora, and it's not that great. But the live music was!
We were dying from the heat as we approached Nemo. I bought B a Mickey ice cream, and I got a strawberry fruit bar, which was the most amazing thing I'd eaten all day. Yay, hormones! Nemo was lovely, as always. I'm amazed at the guy who plays Marlin. I've never seen a show without him. He IS Marlin, and so good at playing his character.
After Nemo, we decided to forgo the Lion King because of the heat, plus we were starving. I had plans to hit up Flame Tree BBQ, but B wanted Pizzafari, so that's where we went instead. It was CROWDED! After taking about 20 minutes to order and receive our food, we found a seat with some difficulty, and sat down to eat. If you've been to Animal Kingdom before, and ate at Pizzafari years ago, you hopefully remember the round pizzas they used to serve. I need Pizzafari to go back to those pizzas. This need is desperate because the pizza now is so gross. Maybe it's the pregnancy, but from what I remember in March, the pizza as gross then, as well. I just can't when it comes to that tomato and cucumber salad. Nope. I doubt I'll eat at Pizzafari again. Kind of stinks that they also don't offer an AP discount, either.
This pizza was bad in so many ways, lol. But we ate, and our bellies were full, and we're thankful for that. Interestingly, as we were finishing our meal, we were approached by a woman who was going to offer us two FP's for Flight of Passage! I didn't take them because we were heat exhausted and just anted to go home after lunch. Hopefully, someone else got to enjoy them! The luck, though! Considering thee was a mile-long standby queue...to just be handed tickets is like winning the Animal Kingdom lottery!
Day 13, Friday
We had plans to head to the parks tonight, but after a day of back to school shopping, and grocery shopping, we were worn out. Plus, I had some pregnancy exhaustion and we decided to skip the parks and rest and hydrate and hit them hard again on Saturday.
Saturday we went park hopping, and Sunday was Epcot and a new restaurant first for us! To be continued!
I hadn't been feeling well lately, and Tuesday, I woke up at 5:30 am and made my way into the bathroom. On a complete whim, I opened the vanity drawer, and pulled out a test. Yep, you all know what kind without going into much detail. And no, it wasn't algebra! Within a minute I saw TWO PINK LINES, and just sort of laughed to myself. Well, THIS was completely unexpected. Test in my hand, I left the bathroom light on and walked back into the bedroom and just kind of sat on the bed in a dazed stupor. This, of course, woke Sean up, who promptly asked if I was OK. I handed him the test and turned my phone's flashlight feature. His words, "There is a secondary line." I really think we were both in shock. The signs were there though. The dizziness, the car sickness, the exhaustion, and my emotions being all over the place. We've had a week to let it sink in, and I'm happy to announce that we will (hopefully, if all goes well) be having a Disney baby! No wonder why Pecos Bill's tasted sooooo good!
We aren't going to tell family yet, except for B, who we figured needed to understand why mommy cant ride the roller coasters, and why I have to stop at every bathroom on Disney property. He's excited. We'll tell our parents in 4 weeks, and the rest of the family soon after that. But all of you, you get to know right now, lol.
This news hasn't deterred me from 365, however, I do have to change my plans somewhat! Bumpy rides are off limits for the next almost 8 months! It's definitely going to be a challenge, especially when I'm farther along. Luckily, we're active people so it won't deter me from hitting up the parks most days.
Regardless of the news, Sean went to work, and the kid and I headed to Hollywood Studios for a day of shows. I had planned for Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones, and the Music of Pixar, but my mood was less that pretty, so we saw BatB and IJ, and left for the day. I guess my mood was from the fact that I was still processing the baby news, the heat was unbearable and I was sweating like a dripping faucet (ew, right?), B had a mickey pretzel and spilled cheese all over his white Storm Trooper shirt, which ruined plans for character photos, and I had to visit the restroom every 30 minutes. I didn't want to have a pregnant woman melt down, so we headed to the car, blasted the AC, and hit up Taco Bell on the way home. All was well again!
Day 11, Wednesday, Epcot
Sean and I needed some Disney alone time, so we left B at home and headed to Epcot for a relaxing evening. On the way, we made reservations at La Hacienda de San Angel- one of my new favorite places! We'd never eaten there before, but have experienced the San Angel Inn during a March visit. For me, the San Angel Inn was dark, stuffy, and loud. The menu didn't offer much that I felt was appetizing, and when I got my food, I could barely see it. The Hacienda was much more pleasant, and beautifully decorated! Our server Villa was absolutely wonderful!
Sean and I both ordered the Taquiza, and both of us substituted the fish taco for chicken. Villa was great when it came to my dairy allergy, and the only reason I brought it up was because we'd never eaten there before, and I wasn't sure what sauces had raw dairy, or not. The real winner of the night was the chips and salsa I fell in love with at San Angel Inn. I can't get enough of the salsa verde!
Of course, I forgot to get a photo of the Taquiza! But here's what it looked like. (Not my photo.)
Dinner was absolutely amazing. I can't wait to eat at Hacienda again!
We left Mexico and headed to our Frozen fast pass. The line for fast pass was really long, and we heard some people talking about how the ride was having difficulties. Just then, the line started moving and soon we scanned our fast passes at the entrance. Four feet inside the door, the ride broke down again. It was 8:15, and we had fast passes for Spaceship Earth, again, so we didn't want to wait. I didn't see Disney being too worried about fixing a ride 45 minutes before park close. However, upon leaving the ride, we got complimentary paper fast passes good for the month of August for any ride at Epcot, AND we got another email from Disney saying we had comp fast passes that night and the next full day for any ride in any park! (ALWAYS scan your fast passes!) We left the queue and headed to the front of the park, and to Spaceship Earth.
It was so late by the time we got there that they were just funneling people on through the standby line, but I insisted on scanning my fast pass. Lol, you never know when a ride will break down! I wanted to ride this ride again because, as with any new ride, there was tons I didn't get to focus on the first time. Of course it was great, and being the historian that I am, I enjoy it.
We left the park and walked to the car. Because we got there so late we were parked pretty close to the front in preferred parking.
Day 12, Thursday, Animal Kingdom
With Sean at work, B and I headed to AK. Our fast passes were Na'vi River Journey, Finding Nemo the Musical, and Festival of the Lion King. Today was HOT HOT HOT. We entered the park and headed straight for Pandora. I hadn't been before, and at first glance, it was beautiful. To be honest, it was beautiful at every glance! We soon scanned our fast passes and were ushered into the queue. After just a few minutes we were placed into row 1 (I was excited about me and B having the first row completely to ourselves!), but then a single rider popped on. Oh well, we had plenty of room! The ride was nice, and accurate as far as I can remember from the movies. But that's just it. I have no want to ever see the movie again as I felt it was just OK. B, who has never seen the movie, said, "It's nice, but what's the point?" My reply was that I wasn't sure. It doesn't really matter though because the two new rides are grossly popular. I don't mean that in a bad way, unless you consider the mile long (People, I AM NOT KIDDING!) standby queue for Flight of Passage. B and I walked this queue on the way to Africa, as we were heading to Nemo. Hundreds, possibly more, of people standing in a (almost) single file line from Pandora to Africa. Disney even implemented their own traffic control and had CM's roadblocking just to control the crowds. It was ordered chaos, and really wasn't that bad. Jut wow, though. Kudos to those of you who can stand in 99 degree weather in the full sun for a ride. You got guts! I got one photo from Pandora, and it's not that great. But the live music was!
We were dying from the heat as we approached Nemo. I bought B a Mickey ice cream, and I got a strawberry fruit bar, which was the most amazing thing I'd eaten all day. Yay, hormones! Nemo was lovely, as always. I'm amazed at the guy who plays Marlin. I've never seen a show without him. He IS Marlin, and so good at playing his character.
After Nemo, we decided to forgo the Lion King because of the heat, plus we were starving. I had plans to hit up Flame Tree BBQ, but B wanted Pizzafari, so that's where we went instead. It was CROWDED! After taking about 20 minutes to order and receive our food, we found a seat with some difficulty, and sat down to eat. If you've been to Animal Kingdom before, and ate at Pizzafari years ago, you hopefully remember the round pizzas they used to serve. I need Pizzafari to go back to those pizzas. This need is desperate because the pizza now is so gross. Maybe it's the pregnancy, but from what I remember in March, the pizza as gross then, as well. I just can't when it comes to that tomato and cucumber salad. Nope. I doubt I'll eat at Pizzafari again. Kind of stinks that they also don't offer an AP discount, either.
This pizza was bad in so many ways, lol. But we ate, and our bellies were full, and we're thankful for that. Interestingly, as we were finishing our meal, we were approached by a woman who was going to offer us two FP's for Flight of Passage! I didn't take them because we were heat exhausted and just anted to go home after lunch. Hopefully, someone else got to enjoy them! The luck, though! Considering thee was a mile-long standby queue...to just be handed tickets is like winning the Animal Kingdom lottery!
Day 13, Friday
We had plans to head to the parks tonight, but after a day of back to school shopping, and grocery shopping, we were worn out. Plus, I had some pregnancy exhaustion and we decided to skip the parks and rest and hydrate and hit them hard again on Saturday.
Saturday we went park hopping, and Sunday was Epcot and a new restaurant first for us! To be continued!
Attachments
bhardy
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2013
Thank you! I'm 7 weeks as of last Saturday. It's a little nerve-wracking with it being so early, but I'm hoping everything goes well. Thank you for the advice!
Smoothies from the place in tomorrowland (forget the name- little place next to gift shop) we helpful too.
HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
I've been noticing I have a much warmer core temp this time around. I struggle with finding dairy-free options to help me cool down. Finding a dairy-free smoothie sounds like it would help so much!
HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
Thank you!
What I'm interested to see is if I feel the same way about Disney after almost going for a year non-stop. I haven't made any predictions, but am definitely curious.
FrozenOne16
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2014
Congrats! That's exciting!
HoliPoli
Disney Addict
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
Thank you!
cinderaimee
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2016
So exciting!! Congratulations!
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