morninglemon
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2015
It's been about 24 hours and I am going through some serious MagicBand withdrawal. Cannot understand why my wrist doesn't open my apartment door or why I have to take out my wallet to buy things?! Also trying to find hidden Mickeys everywhere and seeing animal shapes in every shape/wrinkle/crease.
This was my 9th trip to WDW. 1987 (first time ever!), 2006 (celebrating end of grad school life/first adult job), 2007 (birthday), 2008 (first time to Disneyland Hong Kong) 2009 (New Year's Eve), 2010 (day trip to MK while on a 3-day Harry Potter adventure), 2011 (cousin was visiting Fla), 2014 (birthday in Disneyland Hong Kong).
Per usual for me, it was an adults-only trip. We stayed at All Star Music, Calypso 1. Would definitely stay again for the value (super deal on Orbitz) - we were on the parking lot side so it was quiet; ground floor so no lugging luggage up/down stairs, super close to the buses and commissary. We never once used the pool.
4-Day WDW park hopper + 1-day park hopper at Universal:
First day - Animal Kingdom. The curries at Tamu Tamu were perfect in proportion and taste. Had my first pineapple soft-serve of the trip with lunch. It was hot, sunny and humid. We went on nearly every ride/saw every show and I had a veggie samosa snack. This is the best park if you are vegetarian! So many options. We got birthday/celebrating pins on our way out. We hightailed it to MK, thinking we were just going to get dinner and a Citrus Swirl and head back to the hotel but..
Magic Kingdom: We ate at Columbia Harbor House - that seafood mac+cheese is delicious BUT SO RICH! Best to share with someone else. On our way to Sunshine Tree Terrace for the citrus swirl, we passed by so many rides with low standby wait times, so we ended up going to Haunted Mansion, Journey of the Little Mermaid, Space Ranger Spin, Carousel of Progress, Swiss Family, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, all before 930 pm.We got out of Philharmagic just in time to be in front of Belle's castle when Wishes started, and it was so much fun in that viewing area! You don't get the magical front view of everything going off from the back of Cinderella's castle and you don't get the narration, but the fireworks come from both sides (behind Cinderella and behind Belle's) so it's like being inside exploding stars! I loved it; perfect for someone who's seen Wishes and wants a different perspective.
Second day - Hollywood Studios. The salmon w/ quinoa+ arugula salad at ABC Commissary is perfect. It's a huge portion and you will be full for hours. The Writers' Stop is my new favorite store in HS. Just like a cute tucked-away cafe/bookstore, with sofa chairs to sit and read. Frozen Sing-Along: LOVELOVELOVE the historian-hosts! So funny! It poured in the afternoon so we ducked into the Animation studios and took a drawing class - learned how to draw Goofy. It was my first time there and I think my second favorite thing at HS (1st is always Toy Story). We waited til late to go on ToT to avoid the line and rode it twice. We met family friends for dinner at Downtown Disney hoping to try the Disney food trucks but it poured and all the trucks closed. Around midnight back at the hotel (very weak wifi), I was on MDE app to change some MK fastpasses since we went on so many rides the previous day, and I managed to get FPs for Seven Dwarves (none were available before!) and my friend got a breakfast ADR for BOG for herself and her boyf. We also almost managed to get an ADR for BOG dinner but lost it because the wifi was so weak that we lost internet connection during the crucial last part of the process! But it's worth checking the ADRs in the app constantly. Seven Dwarves is like a gentle baby version of Big Thunder, and I loved the end in the mine - don't forget to check out the witch outside the cottage!
Third day - Magic Kingdom on my actual birthday! Another first time activity at MK: I fully explored Tom Sawyer's island rather than just circle it once around - that barrel bridge is a ton of fun. I was disappointed that the Dole Whip at Aloha no longer has crushed pineapple, so I opted for the pineapple float (pineapple soft-serve on top of pineapple juice), but it's not the same.
Also, the pork shank at Gaston's Tavern is my new favorite everything. The meat falls off the bone, the roasted fat keeps it juicy (and its delicious - though super fattening), and I wanted to gnaw on the bone all day. The four of us split two, but it's better for three person to share. Le Fou's Brew is also fantastic - I was worried it would be very sweet, but the apple juice is tart and the mango topping is not too sugary. We also loved the BLT waffle fries at Golden Oak in Frontierland - very messy but very delicious. I am going to try homemade versions of that! The Monsters Inc Laugh Floor is hilarious and my new favorite thing at MK: my friends got picked on and we were all hysterical. The show is different every time you go in based on the audience (like Turtle Talk at Epcot), and I could have sat in there all day. For Wishes, we ended up on the bridge to Tomorrowland, which was a good view considering we had just come out of Laugh Floor and barely had time to get to a viewing spot.
Fourth day - Universal: Been to both parks before but not since the Simpsons + HP expansions, so I was psyched. Was disappointed by the food quality at Simpsons (spoiled by WDW!) but the full immersion in both parts of WWOHP was amazing. We took the Hogwarts Express back and forth twice, Forbidden Journey twice, and the Gringotts ride twice (going late in the day really helps - the wait time was nearly the same as going single rider). Loved the flavors at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor, and all the new magical wand enchantments - you don't need to pay extra $$ for the interactive wand to see them - just ask a nearby cast member to show you! Or stand there a bit and a kid with the wand will come by and try to cast a spell. At the end of the day though, we were happy to be back on Disney property because Universal cast members seem dour and miserable compared to Disney's - we joked that they must be the Disney tryout rejects.
Last day - Epcot: The extra food booths during the Flower and Garden Expo are AMAZING. I highly recommend the Urban Farms quinoa patties (vegetarian!), and the shrimp and grits at Florida Fresh (my favorite). The duck confit in France's booth was good but super greasy and buttery. We had dinner ADR at Tokyo Dining and waited for a window table so we had a great view of Illuminations. They sang and brought me a piece of the chocolate ginger cake as my Bday cake, and service overall was super attentive and courteous. We closed out the park and took photos of the topiaries at night - some are well lit (like Anna and Elsa).
It was a great trip and we are already planning another for next year to coincide with the high school graduation of a family friend in Orlando! I got a massage a few hours after my flight home to ease all the leg pain from being on my feet all day for days.
This was my 9th trip to WDW. 1987 (first time ever!), 2006 (celebrating end of grad school life/first adult job), 2007 (birthday), 2008 (first time to Disneyland Hong Kong) 2009 (New Year's Eve), 2010 (day trip to MK while on a 3-day Harry Potter adventure), 2011 (cousin was visiting Fla), 2014 (birthday in Disneyland Hong Kong).
Per usual for me, it was an adults-only trip. We stayed at All Star Music, Calypso 1. Would definitely stay again for the value (super deal on Orbitz) - we were on the parking lot side so it was quiet; ground floor so no lugging luggage up/down stairs, super close to the buses and commissary. We never once used the pool.
4-Day WDW park hopper + 1-day park hopper at Universal:
First day - Animal Kingdom. The curries at Tamu Tamu were perfect in proportion and taste. Had my first pineapple soft-serve of the trip with lunch. It was hot, sunny and humid. We went on nearly every ride/saw every show and I had a veggie samosa snack. This is the best park if you are vegetarian! So many options. We got birthday/celebrating pins on our way out. We hightailed it to MK, thinking we were just going to get dinner and a Citrus Swirl and head back to the hotel but..
Magic Kingdom: We ate at Columbia Harbor House - that seafood mac+cheese is delicious BUT SO RICH! Best to share with someone else. On our way to Sunshine Tree Terrace for the citrus swirl, we passed by so many rides with low standby wait times, so we ended up going to Haunted Mansion, Journey of the Little Mermaid, Space Ranger Spin, Carousel of Progress, Swiss Family, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, all before 930 pm.We got out of Philharmagic just in time to be in front of Belle's castle when Wishes started, and it was so much fun in that viewing area! You don't get the magical front view of everything going off from the back of Cinderella's castle and you don't get the narration, but the fireworks come from both sides (behind Cinderella and behind Belle's) so it's like being inside exploding stars! I loved it; perfect for someone who's seen Wishes and wants a different perspective.
Second day - Hollywood Studios. The salmon w/ quinoa+ arugula salad at ABC Commissary is perfect. It's a huge portion and you will be full for hours. The Writers' Stop is my new favorite store in HS. Just like a cute tucked-away cafe/bookstore, with sofa chairs to sit and read. Frozen Sing-Along: LOVELOVELOVE the historian-hosts! So funny! It poured in the afternoon so we ducked into the Animation studios and took a drawing class - learned how to draw Goofy. It was my first time there and I think my second favorite thing at HS (1st is always Toy Story). We waited til late to go on ToT to avoid the line and rode it twice. We met family friends for dinner at Downtown Disney hoping to try the Disney food trucks but it poured and all the trucks closed. Around midnight back at the hotel (very weak wifi), I was on MDE app to change some MK fastpasses since we went on so many rides the previous day, and I managed to get FPs for Seven Dwarves (none were available before!) and my friend got a breakfast ADR for BOG for herself and her boyf. We also almost managed to get an ADR for BOG dinner but lost it because the wifi was so weak that we lost internet connection during the crucial last part of the process! But it's worth checking the ADRs in the app constantly. Seven Dwarves is like a gentle baby version of Big Thunder, and I loved the end in the mine - don't forget to check out the witch outside the cottage!
Third day - Magic Kingdom on my actual birthday! Another first time activity at MK: I fully explored Tom Sawyer's island rather than just circle it once around - that barrel bridge is a ton of fun. I was disappointed that the Dole Whip at Aloha no longer has crushed pineapple, so I opted for the pineapple float (pineapple soft-serve on top of pineapple juice), but it's not the same.
Also, the pork shank at Gaston's Tavern is my new favorite everything. The meat falls off the bone, the roasted fat keeps it juicy (and its delicious - though super fattening), and I wanted to gnaw on the bone all day. The four of us split two, but it's better for three person to share. Le Fou's Brew is also fantastic - I was worried it would be very sweet, but the apple juice is tart and the mango topping is not too sugary. We also loved the BLT waffle fries at Golden Oak in Frontierland - very messy but very delicious. I am going to try homemade versions of that! The Monsters Inc Laugh Floor is hilarious and my new favorite thing at MK: my friends got picked on and we were all hysterical. The show is different every time you go in based on the audience (like Turtle Talk at Epcot), and I could have sat in there all day. For Wishes, we ended up on the bridge to Tomorrowland, which was a good view considering we had just come out of Laugh Floor and barely had time to get to a viewing spot.
Fourth day - Universal: Been to both parks before but not since the Simpsons + HP expansions, so I was psyched. Was disappointed by the food quality at Simpsons (spoiled by WDW!) but the full immersion in both parts of WWOHP was amazing. We took the Hogwarts Express back and forth twice, Forbidden Journey twice, and the Gringotts ride twice (going late in the day really helps - the wait time was nearly the same as going single rider). Loved the flavors at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor, and all the new magical wand enchantments - you don't need to pay extra $$ for the interactive wand to see them - just ask a nearby cast member to show you! Or stand there a bit and a kid with the wand will come by and try to cast a spell. At the end of the day though, we were happy to be back on Disney property because Universal cast members seem dour and miserable compared to Disney's - we joked that they must be the Disney tryout rejects.
Last day - Epcot: The extra food booths during the Flower and Garden Expo are AMAZING. I highly recommend the Urban Farms quinoa patties (vegetarian!), and the shrimp and grits at Florida Fresh (my favorite). The duck confit in France's booth was good but super greasy and buttery. We had dinner ADR at Tokyo Dining and waited for a window table so we had a great view of Illuminations. They sang and brought me a piece of the chocolate ginger cake as my Bday cake, and service overall was super attentive and courteous. We closed out the park and took photos of the topiaries at night - some are well lit (like Anna and Elsa).
It was a great trip and we are already planning another for next year to coincide with the high school graduation of a family friend in Orlando! I got a massage a few hours after my flight home to ease all the leg pain from being on my feet all day for days.
