Complete!! Muggles and Magic: Rain, rain go away 2014

[LowesChevy]

Hello all- we just got back and I am spilling the beans about our trip of course!
If you missed my Pre Trip you can catch it here to get caught up.

Welcome to Muggles & Magic: Rain, rain go away 2014. I knew that traveling in September could bring lots of rain our way, but with the way our AP was dated we needed to get the trip in before the expiration date. So last year, we skipped Universal and with the opening of Diagon Alley it was a must do this year. Combined with our DVC points and few extra nights at the Beach Club we were off for a much needed vacation.

Here is what to expect
Pre Trip 2014
Check in at Universal Royal Pacific Resort- Post #2 September 18-21st
Universal-Sept 18th Post #4 & 19th
Islands of Adventure Post #7 & Uni Sept 20th
Royal Pacific Resort Review Post #8

Bay Lake September 21st-26th
Check In at BLT and the Magic Kingdom Post #11
Review
Beach Club September 26th-29th Review Post #38

Magic Kingdom Day 2 Post #15
Continued Post #17
Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride! Post #19
Last Day At the MK! Post #30

Epcot
Day 3 Post #20
Last Day at Epcot Post #45

Hollywood Studios
Day 4 Post #24
Day 6 Post #34

Animal Kingdom Post #33

Restaurant Reviews
California Grill
The Wave
The Plaza
Wolfgang Puck Cafe Post #18
Via Napoli Post #21
Citricos Post #23
Mama Melrose's Post #25
House of Blues Post #28
Kona Cafe Post #29
Tony's Town Square Post #31
Artist Point Post #32
Wolfgang Puck Express Post #34
Tutto Italia Post #37
Brown Derby Post #40
Teppan Edo Post #44
Via Napoli-again! Post #46
Les Chefs De France post #47
Captain's Grill post #48

The Trip Home/Overall/Notes Post #49

Are you all ready? Let's do this

 

[LowesChevy]

Flight from CLE to MCO

September 18th

The wake up call went off at 5:00 AM and the 3 of us managed to be ready to hop on the airport shuttle in under an hour. CLE was bustling for this time of time, but with all of the business travelers it can be buzzing at this hour.

The trip was smooth sailing-beautiful weather and no delays.
The flight arrived in Orlando a little after 10, we grabbed the bags then debated about which rental car to take. A red mini van seemed to have the most space for our suitcases and the captain’s style chairs in the back seat, which are more comfortable than your typical bench style seat. After packing her up we were off to I-Drive.

A bagel doesn’t hold your appetite too long, so we stopped at IHOP for some breakfast. Not an experience I’d like to repeat ha ha, just very crowded and so so prepared food. We usually have pretty good luck at IHOP, but nothing grosses me out more than runny egg white and hair on my toast plate!

We arrived at the Royal Pacific Resort a little after 11 and just parking the car to pre check in was a pain. There isn’t a lot of space for leaving your car a few moments, but you can’t even self park your car unless you had a ticket from the front desk. So how the heck can I go check on my room quick if there is no place to leave my car. Then they want your keys, which I understand if they need to move your car, but flagging someone down after check in was another pain in the bottom. They always want to unload your car and take your luggage to storage-we aren’t really sold on that idea ever. I like to have my things where I can get them when I need them, not locked up out of my sight.

So check in was a long painful process. I didn’t expect our room to be ready at that time, but I thought we could have used the gift cards at that time. Nope, so now we have to carry them around at the park. Ok so they will text you when the room is ready, that’s fine.

My DF had purchased tickets on line to save $20 as they advertised. Well he couldn’t print them out off the PDF, not that wasn’t something we could have remedied at home-like say- how about I take care of it? So printing out the park tickets took forever. Then you have to take your room key and get the express pass ticket with your picture on it. So, you have to have your room key, your park ticket, and your express pass with you to and fro. I couldn’t wait to get a Magic Band! OMG it is so much easier than having to pull out your park ticket, tuck it back in your wallet or pull out your lanyard that has the express pass safely stored.

That afternoon we managed to get over to Universal Studios and hit a few favorites like Men In Black, Minion Mayhem and explore most of Diagon Alley. The line for Gringott’s was over 40 minutes and I figured we would hit it first thing in the morning Friday.

After a few hours of fun I got the text notification that our room was ready. After unloading the car our luggage was handed off to bell services, which grinds my gears, but for a resort of that size I can see the need to have different staff handle outside and inside bagged carts. The gentleman that brought the bags to the room was awesome-friendly and courteous.

We took the boat back over to City Walk for dinner and it had started to rain, much like everything other day on the trip. We all voted for Antojitos since we love Mexican food. There was a bit of a line, but we check in and gave our number so they could text us when the table was ready. After waiting about 20 minutes and seeing a huge line get smaller and smaller, DM went to check on our table. We they had been seating people! Like why did you bother taking our number and what did you think I gave it to you for?! So finally we were seated and we waited. And we waited so more. Finally one of the hosts happened to catch DM’s evil eye and a server came running over to help us.

He was a great server and our food was very good. The mariachi band did a mix of traditional and cover songs like Call Me Maybe and Rude. They were entertaining for sure! The food could have been hotter, but everything was delicious. I just can’t figure out why the service is so lacking.

 

[vleeth]

joining!

 

[LowesChevy]

September 19th Universal & IOA

The plan was to get right to Universal and head for Diagon Alley after breakfast in the lounge. Some lovely items out for the guests like cereal, lunch meats, yogurt and pastries. Enough to keep us full till lunch certainly.

The park was open early, but we arrived right around regular park opening time and made way to the back of the park. By the time we rented a locker and hopped in line, we ended up waiting about 30 minutes. The queues at Universal are so deceiving because they are always wrapped around the outside of the back of the building lol.

Escape from Gringott's by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The queue is full of whimsy and wonder. Really dark and hard to take good photos without flash, but with a phone it wasn’t too bad. Eventually you get to a dual line that comes together and you need to grab your 3D glasses. So two single lines converge and your are supposed to police yourselves. Families get split up and others pushed out of the way. People from way behind you in line pushing and shoving up front because they fail to recognize that it is a line or they choose not to be kind. Disney does the same thing and it is very frustrating!

After climbing a spiral staircase you get to the actual ride. It was fun, but I think Forbidden Journey is better IMHO. We strolled around Diagon Alley and grabbed a cider at the barely marked bar across the way. I know they are trying to fit in with the theme, but the stores are awfully small and cramped. With how busy they are there isn’t much room to move around or get by people. Some cool items as I bought some shorts and boxer type shorts.
Scribbulus by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Diagon Alley by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We tooled around a bit them rode Transformers before lunch. That was a decent experience. I like the uniforms on the employees and the action of the ride. A similar ride to Spiderman, but with more action. Overall a well done ride with a lot of thrill factor.

We just happened to end up at our favorite lunch spot Mel’s Drive In. It was early, but we were surprised the place wasn’t jammed packed with guests. The wait for the food took forever and in the meantime my shake melted all over the counter and I demanded another one. Don’t pour the drinks if the food isn’t going to be ready for 15 minutes goofballs. The burgers are about the equivalent to a Whopper-they have grown thinner over the years, but still a tasty sandwich if you ask me. The fries and onion rings are also good and the shakes-yum city.

After lunch we walked over to King’s Cross Station and took the train to Hogsmeade. The experience was about what I expected –very awesome even for the non Potter fan. We explored Hogsmeade and then headed towards Jurassic Park. Knowing we would be back the next morning, we hopped around to the different shops and lands and eventually trickled out back to City Walk to head back to the resort.

DM needed her nap, so DF and I went to the pool bar and enjoyed a couple of cocktails and the people watching. By late afternoon it was pouring rain with not much chance of letting up. We decided to eat at Jake’s Bar for dinner rather than taking the soggy journey to City Walk.

We arrived to check in and the hostess seemed way overwhelmed about something she was muttering. We waited for about 10 minutes to be seated, nothing out of the ordinary for a wait. It took a long time for a waitress to appear and when she did you could have sworn it was her first day. I opted for a buffalo chicken pizza, which I love. Unfortunately I did not love this version-there was some sweet taste that was overpowering. I could not figure out what it was. The pizza itself wasn’t bad, but that taste rendered it inedible unfortunately. DF had loaded fries, which were warm at best and DM had kiddie grilled cheese, which she enjoyed. I guess the place is ok for a drink and a bite to eat, but don’t go out of your way to dine here.

Early to bed-another fun one tomorrow.

 

[vleeth]

These are the first pictures I've seen of the new HP expansion. We went to WWOHP last year and we enjoyed it, but I don't see us going back to see the new stuff anytime soon.

Thanks for giving me a peak!

 

[LowesChevy]

You betcha! Yes honestly there isn't enough for me to do at Universal every year. Some of the thrill rides are too wild and too few dark rides and minor amusements. It is kind of in the Hollywood Studios boat for me

 

[LowesChevy]

September 20th Islands of Adventure & Universal

We stopped for breakfast at the Islands Dining Room because we knew the next day there was going to be a character breakfast there and we wanted no part of that lol. I had pineapple coconut pancakes-they were on the decadent side, but a little dry and I never received the ham I ordered on the side. Still burns haha. My parents had eggs and toast, which was fine. Server was friendly and the food was good, but nothing special.

It was raining pretty hard for a while, but the resort is easy to stay dry since everything is built off the main lobby. September was really rainy this year, normally the afternoons were soakers, but this rain was still lingering from the night before.

We got back to the Forbidden Journey and DM opted out of this one this morning. It made getting in line easier since we didn’t need a locker. I have known a lot of people who have gotten sick on the ride! It doesn’t seem to bother me, although Mission Space does! Pop and I waited for about 15 minutes and with so much new stuff to admire in the queue it wasn’t a bad wait. Absolutely perfect ride, minus the spiders! Still my top dog at Universal.
Hogwarts Castle by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Forbidden Journey by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Forbidden Journey by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Afterwards we bought a few souvenirs and wandered back through The Lost Continent, but there wasn’t much going on really. The show didn’t start till noon, so we walked through to Suess Landing and did the Suess Trolly Train-this was actually really fun and it gives you a nice view of the park. Then on to the Caro-Suess-el, which was incredible awkward and uncomfortable for DM and I lol. The strangely shaped critters made it difficult to get steady seating.

Now it was time to head over the Superhero Island for Spiderman. Would have walked right on, but they insist on taking your photo. Really annoying, especially since we have no interest whatsoever in purchasing over priced novelty photos. Still a great ride and you can tell Transformers is about the same style of technology.

We played around in the stores and DF grabbed a beer. Port of Entry has some lovely shops to explore. We decided to try the new pizza place for lunch at City Walk. We tend to like table service meals, but the concept didn’t really bother us for lunch and the servers were pretty good about checking on you. The pizza was great and the salads were big enough to share for at least 3-4 people as a side dish. On the bright side the rain stopped.

We were planning to ride the Hogwarts Express back of Universal, so we walked back through Superhero Islands and at the one shop and the Green Goblin came out of one of the stores and scared the poo out of DM. It wasn’t planned, but he just popped right out of the store as he was heading to a meet and greet area. It was hysterical to my DF and I of course.

More stairs at the Hogsmeade Station, but at least no one was in front of me stopping in line to take a photo every two seconds. I know it’s new and exciting, but you do not need a photo of every prop in the queue do you? I took over 1,500 photos this trip, but I made sure I didn’t hold up any lines or get in other folks’ way. I definitely recommend the park to park pass so you can experience both experiences.
IMG_1075 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Hogwart's Express by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Hogwart's Express by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

After leaving Diagon Alley, it was one more ride at MIB and then we had coffee at the pastry shop near Disaster. We did the Twister walk through, which is still pretty cool, but it is getting rather tired and old. Time for an update though! I needed to ride Minion Mayhem one last time too. Always a great time.
Me and the Minions by liverpoollover8, on Flickr


We took a rain check on Mummy and The Simpsons because they are pretty rough on the body and being so early in the trip, I didn’t want to agitate my back or have DM experience any vertigo. They are both great experiences, but jerky and twisty. We also do not opt ride the soaker rides. I have no desire to walk around with wet clothes and squishy shoes! People seem to love them, but they are not for me.

Saturday night was a nightmare for dinner. The park closed early for HHN, but all other guests of course wanted to eat dinner at the same time. We should have left earlier from the room, but someone need to nap! NASCAR Café was closed for a party and by the way totally crushed they are closing it! It has a menu with a bit of everything to please any picky person. I hope they find a good replacement and not something generic. Bubba Gump’s was way loaded and up to an hour wait just about. We ended up at Margaritaville, which normally we would avoid the one down in Key West, but the menu is a lot larger at this location. The wait was much shorter, so we settled for dining here.

It happened to be homecoming night so the place was full of teenagers, which I kind of cringed at. First of all I think having unaccompanied teenagers at an establishment that heavily promotes drinking isn’t a great combination, but that is just IMHO. The whole place was very loud and noisy, but luckily then left around when our food arrived. I was laughing my butt off because one teen was screaming the supporting the support lyrics during “Margaritaville”—Salt, Salt, Salt. Why do you know these lyrics so well? lol. The food was good and we had a great server, just a little too loud for us oldsters

A fun three days, but I don’t think we will be back till 2016.

 

[LowesChevy]

Royal Pacific Resort Review

If you haven’t guessed already we are quite displeased with the check in and parking situation while checking into the resort. Other than that it is a beautiful resort and is decorated tastefully. The lobby alone is lovely, I would have liked to have visited the sushi lounge, but ran out of belly room. The walk from the drop off to the lobby is over a bridge and below is a pond with lily pads and tropical plants and flowers.

The resort is cleverly structured in 3 towers each with 3 wings. We were in the 3rd tower, which is right off the main lobby. The club level prices are competitive and less than that of most of the Disney rates, so if you enjoy snacking or continental breakfast it is a great deal. This wing is also very close to the boat launch, Tchoup Choup, the fitness center,
the Islands Dining Room, and arcade. The pool is easily accessible at many points as well.

The Islands Dining Room is large and spacious. We grabbed breakfast there Saturday morning. They offer character
breakfast on Sundays and in addition to the large a la carte menu, there is a breakfast buffet.

We had a deluxe room right near the lounge very convenient. The staff is super friendly and informative as they tended to make an effort to talk to all of the guests. The room furnishings are good quality and comfortable as well. It was nice to have a plethora of channels including NBCSports so I could at least catch a a soccer or two match early Saturday and
Sunday mornings.

On the other hand the rooms are on the small side. The hallways and elevator lobby areas are narrow and small. Though there are plenty of drawers for clothing there is not much space for storing suitcases. The television unit with drawers is long, but there are many items on top like the coffee maker and ice bucket accessories. DF loves to sit out on the patio or balcony, but there aren’t any at the resort. The rates are fair for what the hotel offers, but I wouldn’t want to spend more than 2-3 nights here. It’s nice, but it is not Disney.

Royal Pacific Resort: Boat Dock by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The Good: Diagon Alley, Hogwarts Express, Hogsmeade, Minion Mayhem
Wait times with Express Pass
Club Level staff was excellent

The Bad: Check in-slow process
Jake’s food so-so, service lackluster
City Walk is a zoo after parks close (Not that DTD isn’t)
Bell services

The Ugly: 3 passes to hold on to vs. 1 Magic Band
Tricky queues-inside-outside hot behind rides

 

[vleeth]

We have yet to stay on property at Universal. Would you recommend it?

 

[LowesChevy]

We have yet to stay on property at Universal. Would you recommend it?

Totally, this was our second time staying there. If you enjoy the south seas flair or the Polynesian this is a good sub. Plus it is slightly less expensive than the other two choices. Club level is way worth it too!

Last time we tried the Hard Rock and it was the same type of hospitality, but loud music and rock n roll type of atmosphere wasn't our thing. I am not afraid to admit I am getting older

The Portofino Bay is beautiful, but it is very mega hotelish. The hallways are long and winding. The resort is broken up and you have to walk up and down stairs to get to different places on property. It is not good if any one in the party has mobility issues or if you need a stroller most of the time. There are elevators, but at times they take you out of the way. Mama Della's is amazing if you do have time for a special dinner!

 

[LowesChevy]

Bay Lake Tower

September 21st Sunday –checking out of Royal Pacific Resort

Sunday we woke up, packed up the bags and headed to the lounge for breakfast. Did the final sweep of the room to make sure we had everything and called for the bellman. The weather was finally decent and clear as we could pack those ponchos away till later. We drove over to Bay Lake Tower and checked in, no problems, the cast members were super nice as always. After getting the text number straightened out, we made our way for the Magic Kingdom.

I had made FP+ selections about a week ago for this day and after getting a feel for how the day was turning out time wise, I was able to slightly adjust the ride times for earlier in the day. The Haunted Mansion is always one of my first stops and unfortunately since FP began, the stand by line is long and slow moving. I feel like HM and POC have been victims of FP+ because the stand by lines used to move rather smoothly and it never really felt like a long wait for either ride. Awesome as usual, although my biggest complaint is that getting a clear photograph of the outer building is tough. For the best photos I have found that hopping on the Liberty Belle and grabbing a seat towards the back of the boat works well. Then you just snap a few while you are coming into dock.

Cinderella Castle by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0986 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The crowds were low and practically empty around Liberty Square and the Frontierland area. We walked right on Big Thunder and the CMs even let us pick where we would like to sit. Splash had a short wait time as well, but we didn’t want to get wet! We walked back through Adventureland and rode Pirates of the Caribbean then Jungle Cruise-we had a great captain and he used a lot of jokes I have not heard before.

Splash Mountain by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Tomorrowland was next on the agenda so DM could ride her favorite Buzz Lightyear. Only a 5 minute wait if it was even that. Hopped on TTA and felt a rumble in the tummy, so we went back over to Liberty Square and dined at CHH. My preferred counter service meal, although my DF received a lighthouse sandwich rather than the anchors away tuna salad sandwich he ordered. My fish and chicken nuggets were good and DM enjoyed her Uncrustable lol.

We walked back down popping in the shops to preview the merchandise. I went ahead and bought myself new Vera purse of course. For a beautiful shot down Main Street, we climbed up for a spin around the park on the railroad. After poking around a little more on Main Street, we thought we would have heard from the resort by now considering it was 3:30 PM. Magic Kingdom was on the agenda tomorrow too, so we decided to head back to the resort and see what was going on with our room.
Main Street U.S.A. by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

By the time we got back it was 10 minutes to 4 and we inquired at the front desk why we had not heard anything. Well apparently their “system” had been down since 9:30 AM and a few more excuses as well. We noticed some other guests who had not been able to check into their rooms as well. The lobby seemed to be full of unhappy guests and I think the BLT management reacted poorly. It was 4:30 and the front desk staff still had no idea or answers about the rooms, like really?! Not sure why a manager never arrived to take guests questions, I actually felt bad for the front desk staff, but they also could have called for reinforcements.

We started chatting with another family who was experiencing the same problem and eventually a gentleman that checks people in for the lounge started making calls for us about the rooms. Long, painful story short, Stephen found out that our room was finally ready after 5:00 PM. He did give both of our families at $100 room credit for our trouble, which was nice, but still really frustrating. We were there at 10:30 AM and they knew we were there on property. I do not expect to get into my room at that time, but check in is at 4:00 PM and I expect my room to be ready especially since we are paying for the night! Anything else is unacceptable.

To top it off, a member of bell services helped us unload our baggage then did the hand off. We were waiting for our luggage now and at 5:35 PM it finally showed up. DM had to go to the lobby and say “where the heck is our luggage” and the CM looked at her like she had 3 heads.
“What do you mean” CM
“Well you have my luggage” Mom
“Oh well we can’t get it if it’s in storage” CM
“Well when will it get to my room, I’m waiting” Mom
“Well we only have one person doing luggage” CM
“It better be in my room in 10 minutes or I will be back” Mom
Luggage arrives a few minutes later.

It may sound like we were rude, but after that fiasco we had no sympathy. If they had a big problem, they could have been more accommodating and forth coming with information. If the computer system was down at 9:30, why did they take my phone number and everything all cheery at 10:30 AM? I am sure they didn’t use a computer system back in the day to clean rooms and I would have to believe that they have a paper backup!

We had little time to clean up and get ready for California Grill, which in the past has been a time eater! Let’s see how they do.

 

[LowesChevy]

California Grill

So as I mentioned in the last post, we have had some negative experiences at California Grill. Food was always good, but service and waiting for a table have been atrocious before. Twice we had waited over an hour to be seated, with party of 3, 4 or 5 people, not big parties by all means. Just greedy…just booking too many people for the night and not being able to turn tables efficiently.

Lucky I had made the ressie at Cali Grill so we didn’t have to travel far! We checked in on floor two and took the elevator up and as soon as we received the pager it went off. Woah! I am impressed already. The hostess explained all of the changes the restaurant had undergone and the fireworks policy. Our table was on the other side past the sushi bar area and right by the expediting station. This is the perfect spot for me-so excited to watch the action here!

California Grill by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0430 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
California Grill by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Nancy dropped by and said she would be with us in a few moments. Another “like” for the California Grill. There is nothing worse to me than sitting looking around waiting and wondering if you have a server. A few moments later she came back and welcomed us as well as offered her opinion on a few of the menu items. We ordered few cocktails as quickly as we realized that we had forgotten our TIW card! Aye-DM sent off for it and lucky with BLT being a hop, skip and a jump she was back within 20 minutes. Our appetizers arrived right after she got back. I took the liberty of ordering for her. For starters DF went with the dragon roll and Mum and I the BLT flatbread.

Cocktails: Mai tai and Cab
California Grill: house Mai Tai by liverpoollover8, on
Flickr
California Grill: House Mai Tai by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Bread
California Grill: Bread by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Dragon Roll
California Grill: Dragon roll by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
California Grill: Dragon roll by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

BLT Flatbread
California Grill: BLT flatbread by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

I managed to finagle my way into getting a few pieces of sushi, it’s not like he could eat them all anyhow right?! Excellent, although I normally avoid tempura in my sushi, I love the crunchiness it adds with the absence of cucumber or carrot. Lovely spice, not overpowering and the saltiness of the roe and soy a perfect balance. The flatbread was great too, but I would have liked it a little more crispy because all of those toppings soaked the crust by the end. The tomatoes were fresh and delicious and the hint of lemon added a punch to the mayonnaise dressing. I would order either one again, actually I could eat both as a meal, but there are so many tempting entrees to settle.

It was lovely, DM had another glass of wine and the plates were cleared. Nancy was great on refilling my water glass and checking in on us. Watching the expo station was great, sometimes the food really piled up, other times the runners were waiting for dishes to be plated. My father and I both went with the duo of pork tenderloin, which is not something DM enjoys, so eating out is always fun. DM opted for the filet, which was good, nothing great, but the risotto and tomato butter were delicious.
California Grill: Pork two ways by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The pork tenderloin was amazing. It is just like the old CG menu item, but adds the pork belly to the dish. The pork belly I thought was really fatty, I mean I know it’s fat, but there wasn’t much of the tender meat under the glob of fat. The fried sage leaves, mushrooms, and creamy polenta were a mouth pleasing combination.

Our table was right near the dessert station as well, which made it nearly impossible to pass on a dessert. Banana fritters hit the spot and with three dipping sauces. The peanut butter was odd, but with bananas it makes sense. The caramel sauce was lovely too, but I really just wanted to drink the chocolate ganache!
California Grill: Banana fritters by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Excellent meal, excellent service: California Grill redeemed itself
***** 5 Stars

 

[vleeth]

Looks like you were able to get a lot done in a short amount of time at Magic Kingdom.

 

[LowesChevy]

Looks like you were able to get a lot done in a short amount of time at Magic Kingdom.

Yes, we squeezed in a bunch of goodies today. The crowds were very light Sunday

 

[LowesChevy]

September 22

Olaf woke me up this morning and we were planning on heading over to the Magic Kingdom. We stopped at The Wave for breakfast as usual, but we ordered off the a la carte menu to save a little room for lunch at The Plaza.
The meal was fine and the service was okay.

It was a hot, hot day, so finding nice cool places was a big objective. First stop was the Haunted Mansion, but it was down. So walked up to Fanstasyland and rode Peter Pan and IASW. I flipped our FP to Journey with the Little Mermaid. We wandered back down by HM, but it was still down. The shops in Frontierland were hopping and full of folks and lucky for us in just 4 short minutes the CBJ was scheduled to start. I still love the show and now that I am older question the content of the songs lol!
Fantasyland by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We turned our attention to Adventureland and POC, but apparently that was down as well. This was an ongoing theme for the last day or so and you can probably tell we got tired of hearing “our system is down.” Well maybe later, time for The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. I was not crazy when they plopped this one it, but it is pretty fun and gives you a great view of the surrounding area.

Enchanted Tiki Room was starting in 5 minutes so we hopped in line for the show. We had not done ETR for many years until last year and we especially avoided it Under New Management haha. It’s nice and cool and I’m a sucker for Tiki décor of course. Something totally repulsive happened right at the end of the show during exit when a couple changed their son’s diaper on the bench! Like really? Super gross, someone is going to sit there. I’m sorry, but that should be done in the bathroom!

IMG_0977 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0976 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0962 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Enchanted Tiki Room by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Enchanted Tiki Room by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

After that it was time to get over to Tomorrowland during the parade. With all of the walls up it is pretty crazy getting around. Before lunch we managed to hit Buzz, Carousel of Progress, and The Laugh Floor. WEDWAY was down for a while, but then back up.
WDW Railroad by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_1034 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

 

[LowesChevy]

The Plaza Lunch

Lunch was at the Plaza at 12:30 PM and our FP for Seven Dwarves was at 2:20 PM, perfect timing in my book. The Plaza was busy as usual as we checked in a few minutes early, but were informed we would be waiting till our adr time. A few minutes later our pager dinged, oh well so much for that wait. I love dining here, it’s small, but air conditioned and the food is consistently well prepared.

The Plaza: Choco shake by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Jasmine came over to introduce herself within a couple of minutes as we perused the menus. Anything with a chocolate shake for me of course-went with the Philly cheese steak. DF ordered the Rueben and mum the club. The portions are rather generous as the sandwiches are large. The Philly has melted white American cheese oozing over top the shaved beef, sautéed onions and mushrooms all nestled in a soft bakery roll. Not a true cheese steak, but a delicious substitute. The two of them could barely finish their sandwiches and mum helped me with my shake.

Jasmine checked in with us many times and refilled drinks as necessary. The food was filling and excellent and I find the Plaza to be a must do for us on Magic Kingdom day because there are so few options we like.

Good job Plaza
****4 Stars

Sorry, I didn’t take any other photos beside the shake, but there are plenty on my Photobucket page

 

[LowesChevy]

Continued

Lunch took less time than we expected, so we walked back down Main Street to ride the train to Fantasyland. This time Snow White tried to race me up the stairs lol as she was going up for a meet and greet! It’s so fun when the characters are play full . The park was noticeably more crowded at this time, but it was Monday and historically that is a busy day for the Kingdom.
Main Street Vehicles by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
WDW Railroad by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

I noticed that the conductors really stress that you remain seated until they come to a complete stop. They say it like 5 times! It shouldn’t be a surprise to most people to wait till the train stops moving, but perhaps they have been having problems with folks getting up and getting hurt lately. The Frontierland Station was jammed and the queue for Splash Mountain was long as well. The ride was again lovely and cool. We hopped off at Fantasyland and wandered around in Big Top Souvenirs for a while. My DF found some clip on lenses for his glasses since he broke his sunglasses our first day at Universal!
Storybrook Circus by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Finally it was almost time to ride the mine ride and after observing the track I didn’t notice any cars going by recently. Well we get to the queue and oh surprise the system is down! OMG lots of rides were down today, what a drag! The CM told me we could come back at any time until park closing to use the FP, but what a let down. We were tired and planning to head to DTD later for dinner and shopping, but we really wanted to come back to ride. I did get the email notification shortly after that confirming what she had told me too.

Back to the room!

 

[LowesChevy]

Wolfgang Puck Café dinner

Well later on after a rest in the room, we decided to head to DTD a little early and see if Wolfgang Puck Café could take us earlier. Wow, so I kept reading about what a disaster DTD is and boy was everyone right lol! We nabbed a spot in the lot behind Cirque De Solei and actually it wasn’t that much of a hike to West Side. Sometimes you park further away.

WPC had always been a great spot for lunch, but dinner it had recently redeemed itself. They were able to seat us over an hour early since the place was totally dead. The menu has been trimmed down from previous years’ visits, but still a lot of pasta, pizza, sushi and some stick to your ribs items like meatloaf, macaroni and cheese and a steak choice. The sushi menu is huge offering sashimi, nigiri, hand rolls, rolls, inside out rolls and all of the favorites like shrimp tempura, spicy tuna and some eel. There are more choices for a la carte than California Grill if you are looking for a large variety. As far as quality, they are both pretty even when it comes to the big time rolls IMHO.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe: Spicy tuna roll by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Wolfgang Puck Cafe: Spicy tuna roll by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

DF had the creamy chicken Alfredo with goat cheese, which was steaming, but he sent it back for not being hot enough. He likes his food boiling apparently-see what cigarettes do to you lol. Mum’s bolongnese was very good and my goat cheese pizza and spicy tuna roll were good. The whole experience was just okay, service okay, food good, but nothing really bringing me back. Perhaps I was just apprehensive about riding the Mine Ride! Ahhhh.
Wolfgang Puck Cafe: goat cheese pizza by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Not a must do for dinner, maybe a nice lunch
***3 Stars

 

[LowesChevy]

Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride!!

We would be back here in a couple of nights for dinner at House of Blues, so we headed back to BLT. We planned on heading right from our car to the park and we donned our ponchos because it was still drizzling. Folks were already lined up for the first parade performance as usual, but we made our way back to Fantasyland via Tomorrowland. Yay-it was running and the Magic Bands pinged green. There were lots of people out front with issues and the stand by line was over 30 minutes. Guests were trying to use FP+ without having one booked. I feel so bad for the CMs because they have to deal with this daily.

The ride itself was awesome! I thought it was smooth and like a tamer BTMRR. I knew some folks were disappointed in the trill factor, but we were happy and glad we finally were able to experience it. After the ride, the parade was scheduled to start in 10 minutes, so instead of fighting the crowds we went to see if HM was running. It was and despite the parade being in a few minutes the line was well crammed. I think other people had the same idea! The wait wasn’t bad though and it gave us a chance to check out the interactive queue.

By the time we got off the parade was over and we could head back to BLT and rest for the next morning at Epcot!

 

[LowesChevy]

Epcot
September 23

Epcot was opening early today, but there was no rush to get there that early! It would have been nice in retrospect considering we didn’t ride Test Track till our last day, but with the trip coming up in January there will be plenty of Epcot opening day time.

We had our usual breakfast at The Wave, but I had the buffet this time. I was feeling rather puckish and couldn’t decide on just one thing. It seemed like we had good timing and it was 8:35 AM, so we walked right over to the bus stop. Luckily someone else was inquiring about the bus to Epcot and the CM standing there said the last one had been there 10 minutes ago. I assumed since it was well before 9:00 AM that another bus would be there soon, but no. Up to the monorail station about 20 of us went and apparently the monorail did start earlier bases on the Magic Hours, but that really conflicted with anything you read on the boards. An “okay, whatever.” moment if you will.

We finally arrived at Epcot and TT was offering a 30 minute stand by, but Soarin’ was rather reasonable at 20 minutes. The is the great thing about FP+, you no longer have to be at the rope drop to get a FP unless you want to ride standby. You no longer have to worry about structuring the morning after you get your FP. Soarin’ was good and we actually volunteered to go early-I always listen to how many people the CM is looking for and jump for it lol!

Afterward we went on The Land and then off to The Seas with Nemo and Friends. The queue is really neat, but it seems like a lot of wasted space, but I realize they had to design it around an existing ride they removed. I remember watching that darn pre ride movie many a time-“and it rained, and it rained, and it rained…ding! We explored the Seas pavilion for a while. I enjoy watching the manatees eat the heads of romaine in 10 seconds. The eel tank is a fun place to watch people get creeped out too.

Get me a monorail!
Spaceship Earth by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
The Seas with Nemo & Friends by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Our next FP was for Journey…sigh. By the time we got off the World Showcase was open. We headed right for Canada to watch the 360 show, but now you enter through by Le Cellier? The top part of the pavilion was closed for something or other. Still a funny show, which we missed last year, and I would certainly love to visit some of those places someday. We used to visit Niagara Falls and Toronto a lot when my brother and I were younger especially, but then we got old lol. We loved attending the Canadian National Exhibition, but our school district began starting school earlier and earlier unfortunately.
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...he-grimm-grinning-ghosts.891087/#post-6382182

We wandered around the United Kingdom and DF went over to the Pub for a beer, since the outer bar wasn’t opened yet. Like he is going to wait right?! I have been sad ever since Liverpool FC signed a deal with Warrior and they no longer have LFC stuff in the Sportman’s Shoppe. However the Guinness items are very nice and I like the old Beatles and other British Invasion shirts in the back shops. I wanted to get some Mars bars and other chocolates, but it was awfully hot and I didn’t feel like eating the bar right then. Another bucket item for January. I noticed a lot of merchandise turnover in the Tea Caddy and a lot more coffee mugs etc.
Rose & Crown by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

France is always bustling and trying to get a photo of an unspoiled fountain is tough! I do love how they expanded the bakery last year because the old Les Halles grew extremely popular. We saw Impressions De France last year, so a quick view of the French goodies and we were off to Maelstrom! We actually rode the Friendship because mum was not about walking that far, but I don’t think it saved much time just energy.

I remember when they had first built Maelstrom and it was a huge thrill! This tells you how far they have some with rides. The line would be super long just like it has been recently with the FP muck. It still feels like a classic to me and I know that rides need to change over time, but I dislike the direction they are taking it! Turrible! I snapped some good photos and panoramas of the mural for keepsakes. Unfortunately, it shall be the last…..
Norway: Trolls by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The wait was shorter than I expected, but our reservation was coming up shortly and we decided to head to Italy. It was good we did because about the time we arrived and got in line to check in there was a downpour! Guests were scurrying everywhere to seek shelter. If you are in Italy, you are very lucky since Tutto Gusto is right there for walk in service!