5, 4, 3, 2, FUN! 02/28 - 03/04 Disneyland Trip Report *Completed 4/18*

[mindylee847]

Day 5 - Part 1: The Shadow Man

We woke up, early again even though it was after a night of drinking, and headed down to our favorite breakfast spot. Steakhouse 55! We were seriously addicted. Again, the place wasn't packed at all and we ended up sitting in the same booth as we did two of the other mornings. This was OUR booth!

I was clearly tired. This picture came out blurry and I looked so asleep still.

Mike ordered the Huevos Rancheros again. This time I needed something to help my stomach sort of settle and get ready for the day. I ordered the pancakes with the banana's foster. Apparently I could have ordered a "short stack" option, but I was like "Nah, I got this."

Buttermilk Stack - steaming buttermilk pancakes piled high, served with whipped butter and warm Bananas Foster or warm berries

I forgot to take a picture!! I already had taken it mostly apart and poured the sauce all over it when I remembered. So I'm sorry guys, but know that it looked gorgeous! I made myself eat four out of the five pancakes since I had refused the smaller option. I couldn't pour too much of the sauce on it since it was very sweet, but it was SO good! I definitely recommend it.

After that, we made our way to Disneyland!

On the way out of the hotel, I picked up some shades. I was trying to make it the whole week with my glasses so that I wouldn't get a headache, but I decided that the squinting all day was just as bad. I got the cutest Minnie Mouse pair! They even have her signature on the side - you'll see me wearing them in the pics.

We got there for the park opening and headed straight for Fantasyland since we had yet to ride Peter Pan! This clearly was everyone's same thought process and the line was already at an hour long wait. We decided to get in the line anyways since I did not want to wait when the sun was at it's highest (most of the queue is outside directly in the sun) and I didn't want to risk getting their too late that it would be closed for the nighttime events.

It didn't feel like a full hour since I had such great company.

In no time, we were boarding our vessel!

WOW!!! This ride blew my mind. I'm used to the one in WDW and this one was far superior. There's a part that seems like you're literally flying through the stars. I was in awe. This was always one of my favorite rides, but seriously. I don't even care if I go on the one in WDW again because this one is just so much better! I mean, for those that don't really care for the dark rides... it's still a dark ride. By no means do I suggest waiting an hour if you just aren't into those kind of rides. But I really am, so I definitely loved it. To me, it can't be missed!

After that, we walked around Fantasyland some more.

We went on Pinocchio with less than a five minute wait.

Then we headed over to Alice! I was super stoked about this one. I was obsessed with Alice in Wonderland when I was little and I was excited to see the updates.

The updates didn't blow my mind like Peter Pan, but I definitely still loved this ride!

I wanted to go on Nemo, but the line was always a bit too long for us to go in and the ride really messes me up with my claustrophobia.

We decided to see if Indiana Jones was open. At the Skipper Skool, we were told by one of the guys that he heard a rumor that it would be up and running today... and guess what?!?!

It was! We hopped in line since it appeared to be moving a lot faster than 25 minutes.

Sooooooooo, this ride is great! But it's no Dinosaur. We did grab fastpasses to ride again later in the day, though. Mike loved it!

After we were leaving, Mike was like "Okay, I've done everything I wanted to while we were here EXCEPT see Dr. Facilier." And I was like "lol, OKAY! Let's just go meander by the boat and check it out."

My dad must have heard his wish... because PIXIE DUST!

There was only one person in line before us to meet the Shadow Man.

I was pretty confused at this point, then I found myself in a Thumb War!

He cheated and used his finger to push down my thumb.

He asked if there were any potions he could work up for us and I asked him if he could help me see my dad again since I know he's got friends on the other side. I realized how awkward I had made it, but he was really cool about it and said he's got just the potion for me and to swing by the Bayou later to pick it up.

This guy. He was amazing. It was such a good meet and greet. Probably one of the best we've ever had - if you couldn't tell by how much we were laughing and smiling.

After that, we picked up some fastpasses for my new favorite ride.

Since you are allowed to get more fastpasses with an Astro Blaster pass, Mike wanted to see if we could get more for it... I told him no, but he was determined to try... and I was right.

THIS is when he went to get Hyperspace Mountain fastpasses (for much later in the day at this point) and he ended up finding one for Star Tours!

I believe it was time to ride Astro Blasters at this point so we did that. Mike went on Star Tours. I went around the shops over there. I also sat and people watched and there were Storm Troopers that would come out and interact with guests. It was really cool! Not a bad time to people watch.

After that, it was time for our dining reservation. I'll leave you with that for now! And again, sorry guys for the delay! Thanks for waiting. ​

 

[missangelalexis]

What a fun morning! I'm glad you go to do some FL rides, especially Peter Pan.

The meet with Dr. Facilier sounds awesome! I love that he greets on the boat.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Glad you enjoyed breakfast again - the banana foster stuff is pretty darn good (my wife got it with a Mickey waffle)

It is crazy how long the line gets for Peter Pan so quick ... we just couldn't justify it knowing we had been on the WDW version - but perhaps we should have based on your review!

Looks like a great meet with the Dr!

 

[disneyguy4life]

I forgot to take a picture!! I already had taken it mostly apart and poured the sauce all over it when I remembered. So I'm sorry guys

How DARE you!!! LOL!!! You are to funny. You already have a great TR. One food pic missing is not going to ruin anything LOL!.

WOW!!! This ride blew my mind. I'm used to the one in WDW and this one was far superior. There's a part that seems like you're literally flying through the stars. I was in awe.

I LOVE PETER PAN!!! I haven't seen it with the improvements but I loved it before and I can't wait to ride it in Nov. An hour... maybe not. But if we managed to get in early... HECK YEAH!! Your TR is really fueling the desire to go! 216 more days to go.

 

[cheshiregoofy22]

Yay! You made my Monday so much better! Love your meet and greet pixie dust! And everything else! Dinosaur is pretty low on my wdw list so maybe Indiana Jones will be just what the Dr. ordered for us? Ha!

 

[Belle83]

Loving your TR! Sorry to hear about the rough bits

 

[mindylee847]

What a fun morning! I'm glad you go to do some FL rides, especially Peter Pan.

The meet with Dr. Facilier sounds awesome! I love that he greets on the boat.

Yes! I didn't want to miss out on any rides, even if they are "repeats" of WDW because there always seems to be some sort of difference.

Dr. Facilier was so cool! I loved that they were still utilizing the boat with M&Gs. Princess Tiana was there the whole time too, but we had met her before in WDW and she always had a good sized lined.

Glad you enjoyed breakfast again - the banana foster stuff is pretty darn good (my wife got it with a Mickey waffle)

It is crazy how long the line gets for Peter Pan so quick ... we just couldn't justify it knowing we had been on the WDW version - but perhaps we should have based on your review!

Looks like a great meet with the Dr!

I could really go for that banana's foster again right now! It was perfect.

I usually couldn't justify a wait for an hour either, but since we had already accomplished so much it didn't seem to really be an issue.

How DARE you!!! LOL!!! You are to funny. You already have a great TR. One food pic missing is not going to ruin anything LOL!.

I LOVE PETER PAN!!! I haven't seen it with the improvements but I loved it before and I can't wait to ride it in Nov. An hour... maybe not. But if we managed to get in early... HECK YEAH!! Your TR is really fueling the desire to go! 216 more days to go.

Thank you! You should have just heard my husband's reaction when I started picking it apart and my freaked out face over missing this food pic. It was probably one of the funniest things now that I look back at it!

Definitely check out Peter Pan! Seriously, I loved it so much. It was perfect!

Yay! You made my Monday so much better! Love your meet and greet pixie dust! And everything else! Dinosaur is pretty low on my wdw list so maybe Indiana Jones will be just what the Dr. ordered for us? Ha!

Thank you!

I'm always surprised when I find people not super into Dinosaur! Haha, Idk but I'm obsessed with it. I guess I'm glad not too many people are because it always allows me to repeat ride! Hopefully you enjoy Indy! I was never really into those movies so maybe that's just why. It was still really fun.

Loving your TR! Sorry to hear about the rough bits

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm trying to make it as upbeat, but real as I can.

 

[mindylee847]

Day 5 - Part 2: One Last Magical Night

So I'm going to be honest, not a lot more pictures happen for the rest of our day. But you've seen pictures of the things we do for the most part since we basically used the rest of the time after our late lunch reservation to do our favorite things.

We headed over to the Carnation Cafe, no more than 10 minutes early. I had learned my lesson from previous experience this trip.

On the way over, we snapped a quick pic of the last egg we had yet to get a picture of.

We checked in and received a buzzer. This place was PACKED, but we managed to snag a space on a bench while we waited.

So this is one place I really recommend getting a reservation for. I believe our reservation was for 1... or 1:20... or something in that time period between 1 and 2. There were tons of groups of people ranging from 2 to 9 that asked how long the wait was and it was up to 45 to 50 minutes.

When the group of 9 came in without a reservation I about died laughing on the inside wondering how on Earth anyone with that large of a party can walk into a place expecting to be seated within 20 minutes. Maybe that's just the WDW in me.

I was hoping and wishing to be seated outside near Main Street... my dad must have heard me again!

Perfect seat! Nice, in the shade, and I could hear the music from Main Street AND people watch. It was absolutely perfect. I didn't even care how the food or service was going to be because I just loved sitting here SO much.

I believe we both ordered water and I had a lemonade.

Now, one of the reasons I chose to book this place was specifically for the deep fried pickles. I'm obsessed with pickles and potatoes. I will try them anywhere and judge them harshly.

Fried Pickles with Dipping Sauce - dill pickle spears dipped in Parmesan and panko, fried golden brown and served with a house sauce

They came out in the cutest mini frying basket with faux newspaper.

And PS, I love pickles so much that my husband was worried he wouldn't get any... so we ordered two!

The verdict: THESE WERE AMAZING!! They were crispy throughout and that's exactly how they should be. When you bit into them, the pickle didn't slide out and leave you with the breading. It's a good thing we ordered two! I was not going to share.

We both ordered the vegan burger.

Chef's Vegan Burger - house-made bean and vegetable patty, tomato, lettuce, pickled red onions, and vegan chipotle-mayonnaise on a multigrain roll

I asked for extra pickle dipping sauce for my fries. These were good... but the burger was pretty meh. I expected to not really be in love as I wasn't sure about the vegan bun. I definitely missed having cheese and it was noticeable that no egg was used in the patty. If I were vegan, I feel like I definitely would have enjoyed this meal overall and it's great to see options like this showing up on actual menus. Maybe I should have asked for cheese... (but that's just the Wisconsin talking.)

After our main entrees, I wanted to get some ice cream from this classic spot so I asked for a hot fudge sundae with chocolate ice cream...

Out came this:

Hmm... Not what I expected...

This was still tasty and I made sure to take an EXTRA Lactaid pill to not die.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Carnation Cafe. Our server was friendly and sweet and the Main Street atmosphere is literally my favorite thing in the world. I would go back here in a heart beat. It will be my first dining reservation I make when I head back to Disneyland. Plus, had we had had a later reservation, we could watched the parade from our table! So that's something to keep in mind for next time.

After that, we made our way back over to one of my absolute favorites.

There was about a 20 minute wait so we got in line and sorted our fastpasses.

It was going to be a great afternoon!!

After Pirates, it was time to get blasted off into space - again! Of course, we chose a time where we had to run and cut through the parade... so we did catch a small portion of Soundsational and Mike was like "Why didn't we watch this?!?" And I was like "I don't knowwwww!!!" The small bit we saw was amazing and the music was obviously on point.

This time on Hyperspace I was able to snag our picture since Mike took a picture and I could tell what the numbers were.

I was literally wiping the tears off of my face.

I'd also like to note that we ruined a perfectly great picture for the other four people in our car. They were all so photogenic... and we were so not.

I believe we meandered around and looked through some shops and then made our way back across the park again. See... we really had no plan. It's a good thing our feet weren't killing us too much this trip.

After that we rode Indiana Jones... and then I know we headed back over to Fantasyland after that. The wait for Storybook Canal was still pretty long so we skipped that entirely.

We did ride it in 2008 and that time we had our own private boat. It was during the Year of a Million Dreams and a CM noticed our "Just Engaged" buttons. She took us on Pinocchio and Mr. Toads by going to the front of the line and then took us on our own cruise on Storybook Canal - each time she saw people she'd yell "They just got engaged!!!"

So needless to say, no ride on there will ever compare so I didn't feel bad missing out on it.

We went on Alice again and just walked around enjoying the atmosphere and then slowly walked out of the park while shopping on Main Street for any last minute purchases. We needed to figure out how we were going to fit everything into our luggage!

The process of getting back to the room probably took a good two hours (since we stopped in a lot of the stores in Downtown Disney) and packing took another hour... so it was already just about 8 when we decided we needed to have some sort of dinner since no snacking happened that afternoon.

We made our way to Tangaroa Terrace and the only vegetarian option was a salad. I was really disappointed by this prospect but ordered it anyways. I didn't need anything too filling.

Tangaroa Terrace Salad - blend of fresh lettuces, cabbage, black kale, caramelized pineapple, grape tomatoes, and crispy marinated tofu, lightly tossed in a Tropical vinaigrette. Topped with toasted macadamia nuts; substitute sauteed shrimp or crispy marinated tofu

We ordered it with the tofu, of course.

The salad was actually better than I was expecting and the tofu was perfectly well done and crispy. Mike actually saved all of his for last and put some hot sauce all over it as a "main course".

There was no one else there, so we had our pick of tables. I chose right by the pool and the tiki torches for some warmth... and then two last amazing pixie dust experiences.

First, Mike found some Disneyland cats!!

After that, right around 8:15 the fireworks started. We could actually see a portion of them from the table I selected!!

Such a perfect end to our last full day in the parks. I couldn't believe it.

Coming up - our last morning at the resort (and I'm sure you know exactly where we have breakfast) and I'll be posting my final thoughts and pictures of our souvenirs! ​

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

The fried pickles look good. I am a sucker for fried pickles.

Love the Hyperspace Mountain picture, especially of the kid in the back. He looks less than thrilled. Just meh.

You got to see some of the cats. That is cool. I am going to have to look a bit harder next time.

 

[missangelalexis]

You're definitely making me regret not eating at Carnation Cafe! I wanted to but unfortunately didn't. Next time! The pickles look really yummy. I'm glad you got a seat outside to enjoy the atmosphere, sounds perfect!

What a great night re-riding some favorites, soaking up your last moments in the park, and enjoying a nice dinner!

 

[mindylee847]

The fried pickles look good. I am a sucker for fried pickles.

Love the Hyperspace Mountain picture, especially of the kid in the back. He looks less than thrilled. Just meh.

You got to see some of the cats. That is cool. I am going to have to look a bit harder next time.

I was worried the fried pickles wouldn't live up to my standard, but they definitely did!

Haha, I'm so glad we at least got that one ride photo secured! It's one of the best from the trip.

Definitely look out for the kitties! We were trying to find them the whole time. They can be so sneaky!

You're definitely making me regret not eating at Carnation Cafe! I wanted to but unfortunately didn't. Next time! The pickles look really yummy. I'm glad you got a seat outside to enjoy the atmosphere, sounds perfect!

What a great night re-riding some favorites, soaking up your last moments in the park, and enjoying a nice dinner!

Next time you definitely MUST eat there!! It's definitely on my Must Do list for every time now.

 

[mindylee847]

Day 6: Our Last Morning

Well, this was it. The end to our amazing vacation.

We got ready and went downstairs for our last breakfast at Steakhouse 55. By now, the hostesses knew us and we got our booth again. I believe we made our reservations for 7 AM this day was a little bit earlier than we had had all week. We wanted to make sure we were out on the curb by 8:15 for our 8:25 - 8:35 Super Shuttle ride.

We both ordered the Huevos Rancheros this morning. I believe we drank even more coffee than normal because it was so good here and we weren't going to get to have it anymore!! Service was great. Food was great. Everything there was great.

We went back up to the room and finished up the last minute packing we needed to do. We checked, double checked, and tripled checked the room to make sure we weren't leaving anything behind.

We headed to the elevator and this was the first time we had any issues getting on one. Every time one came down there were too many people on it. The struggle is real when you are getting out with the normal park crowd. We were always beating this rush downstairs with our breakfast reservations.

Luckily, another woman who was obviously seasoned came by and saw the mess and told us to come with her to the other elevators down the way. Other elevators?? Sure enough, there they were down the hall and we were on board and down to the main floor in no time.

We went out to the pick up spot and I looked up the GPS map that Super Shuttle had sent me via text to track our van. They were still a bit aways but I figured they'd still be there within our window. I checked again after a few minutes and another stop was added to their route... and they ended up being about 20 minutes late past their window. I was a little stressed but it was still almost a full three hours before our flight.

While we were waiting for the shuttle, I went in to the bathroom and had to take pictures... of course.

I loved the walls in here. When you walked out you saw these classic posters.

I snuck into the gift shop to pick up something Mike had wanted and kept picking up and putting back. It was a secret.

Once the shuttle was there, the ride was smooth and pretty quick. We had plenty of time to check in and drop off our luggage. The flight was smooth... we didn't land early this time on the way home, but that was alright. My mom picked us up... and that was that. We were home.

In my next post I'll tell you all my final thoughts and posts pictures of our souvenirs! Sorry this one was a short one... but it's too sad anyways so it's good to be done with quick. ​

 

[missangelalexis]

Glad you guys got to enjoy one last breakfast at your favorite place!

It's stressful when transportation isn't one time, but glad it all worked out.

It's always sad when a trip is over I look forward to your recap!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I know I lot of talk about the great weather for Disneyland compared to WDW goes to the fact that more ride lines are outside - but the benefit that has for outside seating for the restaurants is definitely a plus as well - I love that setting you had at Carnation cafe!

I must say I've never had fried pickles where they are cut in spears - always as circular "chips" - glad you enjoyed them though!

You so didn't ruin that ride photo for those people! Ride photos are supposed to be fun - not where you are smiling and all put together and what not!

That's a great picture of you two! (not to mention two other greats in Walt and Mickey)

I too loved the wallpaper in the bathrooms. I must say, that poster for Storybook land makes it seem quite scary and dramatic!

Always sad to leave, but glad the trip home was smooth!

 

[disneyguy4life]

The end of a Disney trip is never an easy thing get past. My last trip to DLR was so hard to get over we booked a WDW trip a month later. It is really sappy, but when I finished reading your TR I felt sad. I guess I am getting over emotional in my old age. Still thank you for the journey. I look forward to your final thoughts and seeing all the awesome souvenirs. Hmmmmm, maybe I'll write up a TR of my DLR trip in November. I guess we shall see. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[wehrengrizz]

So, is there an "opening show" at DLR? Or anything to be sure to see at rope drop? I'm not going to be able to get MM/EMH because I'll only have a 2 day PH (Delta changed my flights so I won't have time for park time on the first day ), but I can get to the parks as early as necessary. Thanks for any tips on this stuff, I've LOVED this TR and it's made a lot of plans for me already

 

[mindylee847]

General Life Update: So it's busy at work and I've had a very hard weekend. I apologize for the delays in posting again. I donated my dad's collection of Spooky Town Halloween stuff to the MPTV Auction. My dad loved Halloween a lot and he had worked on this collection for years. I kept a few of my favorite pieces, but I know that I can't possibly ever set up the whole thing especially with our cats. I was able to sell a few pieces over Facebook to some friends. All of the purchases are going as donations to the AFSP since I'm doing a walk in October. I'm exhausted and worried about my family.

Now more than ever am I glad I have a quick getaway planned for the end of May. Mike and I already need it again. Enough of that though...

Souvenirs!

One of my favorite things is Disney related shopping. I went a bit crazy on this trip since it was our last big blow out before trying to start a family... little did I know my husband would agree to a short get away to WDW at the end of May, but oh well! I always like to see what people have bought on their trips to give me an idea of what I'm going to be spending, so here is what I got to help out you lovely folks!

First off is our collection of glow cubes. Three standard cubes, the Millennium Falcon, Death Star, and the special diamond cube were all saved and cleaned up!

Along with my Oswald hoodie that you've seen in the trip report, I purchased this plush Oswald. I had been eyeing him up on our trip back at the end of November and had regretted not buying him then. He is knitted and adorable! These were both bought at Oswald's in DCA.

One thing I always seem to pick up now are sweatpants/pajama pants to wear when I get back home to remind me of my trip. I thought these ones were adorable. I picked these up at the Disneyland Hotel gift shop.

Since it's cold for basically 75% of the time here in Wisconsin, I splurged and got three sweaters. The red one was also purchased in the gift shop, but the other two were purchased at the store in DCA in Paradise Pier near the awful "Fun" Wheel. The Disneyland one is significantly thicker than the other two.

We are tsum tsum collectors so while we were there we picked up the Pirates tsums! Most of the set was purchased at World of Disney... the parrot was purchased in the Gag Factory store in Toon Town. He was sold out initially everywhere. But we found him later in the week.

One of my most used purchases is the Diamond Celebration cup from Starbucks.

The straw is glittery and the inside is super shiny.

My husband and I both purchased Haunted Mansion shirts to commemorate the Hat Box Ghost. His shirt can be seen in the trip report. It's really cool, looks like a skull but it's really the Hat Box Ghost entering the Haunted Mansion. Mine does glow in the dark though. We got these at the shops in New Orleans Square.

I also couldn't resist the 60th anniversary tshirt. I did also buy the one with the stripes on the sleeves which can be seen in my report. I got the tshirt from the hotel gift shop and the other shirt from Paradise Pier.

Front

Back

Here are all of our souvenir eggs from the Easter Egg hunt!

We purchased these two mugs as well. The Oswald's mug from Oswald's and the Orange Bird mug from World of Disney. Mike has gotten extremely obsessed with the bird so we were really excited to see it!

I'm also a big pin collector so we had to add some to our collection...

These were purchased at multiple locations throughout our trip.

The boys enjoyed their gift of paper.

We purchased some postcards from Wonderground Gallery to hang up in our cubes at work. Robin Hood and Belle for me and the Hat Box Ghost and Jungle Cruise for Mike.

We also purchased magnets from Wonderground Gallery as well.

I always get one ornament to commemorate the trip so we picked up a special 60th one. This was purchased from the Emporium I believe.

Couldn't resist the Starbucks mugs either... How many mugs did I need? 20?? But who cares, amiright? No big deal!

You Are Here mugs.

So, I did but two sets of all three of these Starbucks mugs... unfortunately one of the Disneyland YAHs broke in travel. He contacted Disneyland and they sent us a new one for free. They are so amazing!

I forgot to take a picture of Mike's surprise gift... but it was also a mug! I got him the really cool Kylo Ren one. He had been picking it up and putting it back down all week. Because obviously we needed more mugs!!

I also didn't take a picture of the gift we purchased for my mom. It was a plush Flower with the really long tail. She loves skunks and penguins so it was perfect.

Mike also got his Adventureland shirt which could be seen in the trip report.

I think that's it?? I also have our souvenir cups and bowl from Trader Sam's as well.

I'm pretty busy at work today so I just wanted to share that with you guys for now, but I will be back later in the week to give you my final thoughts and thank yous for following me along!
​

 

[mindylee847]

The end of a Disney trip is never an easy thing get past. My last trip to DLR was so hard to get over we booked a WDW trip a month later. It is really sappy, but when I finished reading your TR I felt sad. I guess I am getting over emotional in my old age. Still thank you for the journey. I look forward to your final thoughts and seeing all the awesome souvenirs. Hmmmmm, maybe I'll write up a TR of my DLR trip in November. I guess we shall see. Thanks for the inspiration.

Thank you!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I have one more post coming up once I have a bit more free time to fully reflect on the trip. I think you should definitely write up a report. I'd love to see what the parks are like around the holidays and your point of view.

So, is there an "opening show" at DLR? Or anything to be sure to see at rope drop? I'm not going to be able to get MM/EMH because I'll only have a 2 day PH (Delta changed my flights so I won't have time for park time on the first day ), but I can get to the parks as early as necessary. Thanks for any tips on this stuff, I've LOVED this TR and it's made a lot of plans for me already

You know, I never saw an opening show on the mornings I went to Disneyland. Perhaps it's because of the Morning Hours?? Hopefully someone else can answer for you. I've seen the show in WDW, but that doesn't help you here. We were pretty go with the flow as far as rope drop was concerned.

I'm so glad you enjoyed my TR! I'm so glad you found it helpful!

 

[missangelalexis]

So many awesome souvenirs! I love the white Disneyland sweatshirt, I never saw that and kinda wish I did! And the egg prizes from the egg hunt are so adorable! Those magnets are really awesome too.

I don't have any, but I love those Starbucks You Are Here Mugs! That's awesome that they sent you a new one to replace the broken one!

 

[cheshiregoofy22]

Loved it all! Ups, downs and in-betweens! The ends are never fun - always thought the on site hotels ought to have a separate "way out" for us sad folks departing so we didn't have to drag our feet (and our suitcases) past all those happy folks just getting in (at least at WDW). But these trip reports sure keep the memories going - and we get to ride along! BTW, you are the SOUVENIR queen! THANK YOU! (and congratulations on your upcoming mini-trip!)