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- Jan 12, 2007
Disney Trip Report - June 11-20, 2014
Vacation travelers - me (age 55), DH (age 60), DD (age 23), DSIL (age 22)
Travel - We flew Southwest Airlines from Oklahoma City to St. Louis and then on to Orlando. Our flight left at 5:50 and arrived in Orlando at 11:15. We walked to the Magical Express area, scanned our Magic Bands and were assigned a bus as soon as we arrived. After a short stop at Saratoga Springs, our bus delivered us to Port Orleans French Quarter. Return flight was on AirTrain through Atlanta. We will never fly AirTran again. Planes were small and seemed rickety, had to taxi back to gate at Atlanta because of a problem with the door. Just not happy with the service at all.
Hotel - This was our first stay at Port Orleans French Quarter. We were able to book 2 king rooms using the military discount, as my husband is retired army. I did online check-in, without any special requests. Somehow I got my husband and I checked in online, but messed up the check in for DD and DSIL. It took the cast member about 2 minutes to take care of that problem! Our rooms were not ready since we were so early, but when we returned to the hotel at 3:30, they were ready to go. DH and I were in 6323 and DD/DSiL were in 6326. Both rooms overlooked the river. The rooms were great. We enjoyed our stay at POFQ and will stay there again on our next trip. We heard no noise from outside or people in neighboring rooms. We found the beds very comfortable and had no trouble sleeping. All the cast members we dealt with were very helpful and pleasant. This resort is wonderful.
Weather - I was expecting a little rain every day, like we had on previous trips. I was not expecting the deluges we had the first five days we were there. It rained hard for 3-6 hours every afternoon. Best money I spent before the trip was on 4 ponchos, $1.99 each, from the Target camping section. They lasted the whole trip and while we got wet, they kept us from getting soaked.
Magic Bands - worked great from the first time we used them at the airport. Only had trouble at the parks once when DH and I used the wrong finger for the fingerprint scan. Loved not having to dig out a card to get in the room. DSiL found his a little uncomfortable, but the rest of us didn't mind them at all.
Fast Pass+ - was a little nervous about making reservations for rides so early, but we just picked our favorites and decided we would deal with it once we got to the parks. I changed times, rides, times and rides, every day we were in the park and didn't have any trouble with MDE at all. I was very surprised at how easy it was. Of course, the top rides (TSMM, 7DMT, TestTrack, Soarin') were not available, but everything else was. It's not my favorite change that Disney has done, but we made it work for us and had a great time.
Day 1 - arrived at POFQ and checked in, but rooms weren't ready. Took the bus to Blizzard Beach and walked to Winter/Summerland to play mini golf. Had to wait for the rain to let up, but finally got to play the Winterland course. This was a new activity for us and we really enjoyed it. Took the bus back to the resort, where they gave us our room numbers. When we got to the room, our luggage had arrived, so we took a little time to unpack before taking the boat to Downtown Disney. It started pouring as soon as we arrived, so we bought umbrellas and tried to walk around, but it was just raining too hard. Went to Bongos to meet friends for dinner (see all food reviews below). After dinner we took the boat back to POFQ.
Day 2 - MK day - arrived about 15 minutes before EMH rope drop so we were at the back of a bunch of people! Our plan was to ride 7DMT first thing, but the line was already at 90 minutes by the time we could get there. So, we road Space Mountain (which I will never ride again - just too rough) and Buzz LIghtyear, then headed to Frontierland. Got there right at 9:00, so we headed to Splash and got on pretty quickly. BTMR said 30 minute wait so we got in line. 60 minutes later we got off the ride. I think it ended up being our longest wait of the trip. HM was next, then lunch at Columbia Harbour House. Rode PP with our first FP+ of the day, then IASW. Walked through the new Fantasyland and took the train, intending to get off in Frontierland for our Jungle Cruise and Pirates FP+, but it started raining, so they made us get off at Main Street. I made the Jungle Cruise FP+ after we rode SM earlier in the day, but they closed the ride due to rain. Pirates was down due to technical difficulties. DH and I went back to the room, DD and DSiL waited around until it finally opened up again. We headed to EPCOT about 6:00 for dinner at Coral Reef, then rode SE (love the redo of the ride), and played games in the area at the end of the ride. DD and DSiL headed to MK to ride 7DMT and watch Wishes. DH and I went to the resort.
Day 3 - EPCOT - slept in a little today, arrived about 9:30. Got in line for Test Track, 40 minute wait posted. Got all the way to the end of the line, family of 4 in front of us,waiting to be put in a line for the design room, when the ride went down due to technical difficulties. They announced that everyone in line would have to leave the building. The CM at the front whispered to the family in front and us to wait just a minute and he would bring up paper fastpasses. When he left to get them an extemely rude CM ordered us OUT. We tried to explain why we were waiting and she kept saying OUT. Finally the CM came back with our fastpasses and let us out a different way. He was very kind, but the other one was just plain rude. Walked to Norway and rode Maelstrom, got there just as it began to rain. It absolutely poured as we walked our way around World Showcase. We stopped various shops and tried not to drip too much on the merchandise. DD and I decided that we were definitely going to come back and pick a pearl at Japan. Road Soarin' with a FP+, stopped for a snack at Sunshine Seasons, road Living with the Land. Ate ice cream, did some souveneir shopping at Mouse Gears. Road TT with the fast passes we had been given earlier. Good thing we did it then, because it kept going down every time we were at EPCOT. Road Mission Space with FP+, took the boat back to World Showcase. Enjoyed the Hotel California salute to the Eagles at the American Gardens Theater. Ate dinner at Le Cellier. Left right before Illuminations, so we missed the crowd!
Day 4 - Hollywood Studios - Got there right at gates were opening. DH, DD, DSiL road RnRC twice with about a 10-15 minute wait each time. Then they talked me into riding. This was an epic event, because I am not a rider of upside down roller coasters. However, this is now one of my favorite rides! Loved it, even though I screamed and kept my eyes closed the whole ride!! The 3 rides took a little over an hour total. Made our way to Sci-Fi for Star Wars breakfast. Road Star Tours with FP+. I love the redo on this ride! Saw Muppet Vision 3D. Started pouring down rain. Road TSMM with FP+ for the first time. Loved this ride a lot! Went to Darth Mall to wait out the rain, then walked through One Man's Dream, but didn't wait for the movie. Did the Capt. Jack Sparrow show and saw Little Mermaid. I must say that the girl playing Ariel was not the best, singing was off. DD and DSiL road Tower of Terror, while we waited out more rain at a table under a pavilion in front of Catalina Eddie's. Had a nice chat with a family up from Miami for the day. Saw Beauty and the Beast, really enjoyed the show. Road the Great Movie Ride. Had our picture taken with Sorcerer Mickey. Ate dinner at the 50's Primetime Cafe. Watched Fantasmic with FP+. We were worried they would cancel the show due to the weather, but it held off and we really enjoyed it. Of course, leaving the theater was crazy, but we took it nice and slow, and headed back the the resort.
Day 5 - AK - Father's Day choice of DH. Road Kali River Rapids first thing because DD was worried that it would rain during our FP+ time later in the day. Wore ponchos so we didn't get too wet. DH, DD, DSiL road Expedition Everest twice, both times basically walking through to the ride. Then, they did it again and convinced me to ride a coaster I have never ridden before. Only about a 10 minute wait. Did the Safari with FP+, then walked the African trail. Saw Tough to be a Bug. Ate lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. Road Dinosaur, saw Finding Nemo, FOTLK, Wonders of Flight, walked the jungle trek. Road Kali River Rapids with FP+, road EE with FP+ (2 times for me in one day!). Ate dinner at Yak and Yeti. Poured rain again. Early night resort.
Day 6 - Universal - took taxi to Universal, arrived before 9:00 opening time, waited behind the rope. My what a jog to Wizarding World of Harry Potter. DD and DSiL had to get a locker for their backpack, they got out about the time DH and I made it to Hogwarts. Loved the theming here. VERY WELL DONE. DD, DSiL, and I loved ride, but it was too rough for DH. DD and DSiL road Dragon Challenge with a short wait. Walked around Hogsmeade, got some frozen butterbear (which was very good). Left the area, road Jurassic Park; DH, DD, DSiL road Rip Saw Falls and got soaked; DD, DSiL, and I road Bilge Rat Barges. They got soaked, I wore a poncho! DD and DSiL road Incredible Hulk and did not care for it. Left Islands of Adventure and headed to Universal Studios. DD and DSiL road Rip Ride Rocket, with a very long wait, and hated it. Said it was way too rough. Saw Animal Actors show (pretty good), road ET, road MIB, checked out the London street scene for Diagon Alley, DD and DSiL road Revenge of the Mummy, then we did the Twister show (we are from OK and know people who live in Wakita, where the movie was filmed). By this time it was after 6:00. DD and DSiL ran back to Islands of Adventure to buy HP souveneirs. DH and I waited for them in CIty Walk and then we ate at Bubba Gumps. While we really enjoyed HP and that park of the park is done extremely well, the rest of the parks underwhelmed us. We will go back to see HP again and enjoy the new Diagon Alley section, but we just don't care for Universal as a whole. Taxi back to hotel.
Day 7 - today was an "everybody do your own thing day," followed by date night. We slept in late. I took the bus to Downtown Disney and got there just as shops were opening. Visited almost every shop in the east side. My new favorite is Marketplace Coop. Wonderful store. Bought lots of stuff at Disney Centerpiece and drooled over the Vera Bradley and Dooney and Burke purses at Cherry Tree Lane. This story had every Vera Bradley Disney pattern, so head there if that's what you are after. At at Earl of Sandwich and then walked to the boat dock to head back to POFQ. DD and DSiL visited POR and ate lunch and enjoyed the pool at POFQ. DD went to EPCOT to ride Test Track, but once again got right to the front and had to leave because the ride shut down. DD, DSiL, and I met up at the resort and headed to MK to meet DD for the afternoon parade. Got a good spot on the curb right in front of Casey's. Enjoyed sitting for the parade, did get a little sunburned. The parade was excellent. We all really enjoyed it. Headed back to resort and got ready for date night. DD and DSiL ate at California Grill and enjoyed Wishes from the deck. DH and I ate at Narcoosee's and waddled back to the resort after our filet and lobster.
Day 8 - HS and EPCOT - Got to HS as they opened. About a 40 minute wait for TSMM, then we road RnRC again and had a milkshake at 50's Primetime Cafe. Took the boat to Swan and Dolphin, walked to Fantasia Gardens and played both courses! Tonight was our only bus nightmare story as we tried to get back to EPCOT for dinner. We had to wait for the third bus to come before we finally got on, because all of the busses were full of POR guests returning to their resort. One lady ran up to the bus and was banging on the front window while her husband was cussing out the poor driver. We just sat back and shook our heads! DD and I did the pick a pearl at Japan, then DH and DSiL did the summer celebration concert (salute to Journey), while DD and I did the American Adventure show. Ate dinner at Marrakesh, please try this restaurant if you haven't already. Really good food! Watched Illuminations tonight. I think I liked the old version better.
Day 9 - another sleep in day - DH and I left for MK at about 1:30, where DH bought me a Vera Bradley purse at Uptown Jewelers (nice surprise). Met DD and DSiL for Buzz Lightyear with FP+, then we split up again. DH and I road PoC, and pretty much walked on to BTMR. Good thing we saw the afternoon parade earlier, because they canceled it today due to some rain. Took the train to Fantasyland. Ate at BOG. Road Under the Sea with FP+. DD and DSiL left for HS to watch Fantasmic again. DH and I watched the MSEP in Frontierland. Still love this parade, and there were new floats from the last time we saw it. Got in line for 7DMT, because we were determined to ride it before we left. Enjoyed the ride. Caught the castle light show on our way out, did a little shopping.
Day 10 - got up, got luggage checked in for Magical Express. Went to DTD and bowled at Splitsville. Cool bowling alley. We definitely want to do it again. Boat back to POFQ and we sadly took the bus to the airport and headed home.
Food - We were on the dining plan, but ate several meals off the plan due to several 2 credit meals during our trip. The food court at POFQ was adequate. We ate breakfast there several mornings and it was okay. Lunch was better. I loved the tuna sandwich and the muffaleta sandwich, both of which are so big that my husband and I shared. DD and DSiL ate at Riverside one day for lunch and they enjoyed the food court there.
Bongo's with friends from the area. We had never had Cuban food before and really enjoyed our meal. Service was very slow, but the food was very good. My husband and I shared the El Tour Cubano. It was very good. I don't recall what everyone else had, but we all enjoyed the meal very much.
Columbia Harbour House for lunch. DH had the salmon plate, DD had the tuna sandwich, and DSiL and I had the lobster roll. All were very good. Only disappointment was the apple cobbler, DH did not like it at all.
Coral Reef for dinner. We arrived early, were checked right in, and seated almost immediately. DH had red snapper (whole fish) which was delicious! DD had the pasta, which she loved. DSiL and I had the steak, which was very good. For dessert, DD and I had the B and J mousse, DSiL had the wave, and DH had the turtle cheesecake. YUM! Our server, Elena, was outstanding. We enjoyed the restaurant very much.
Le Cellier for dinner. Wasn't sure what to expect due to some not so good reviews, but we enjoyed our dinner. The restaurant is beautiful. We arrived early, due to a downpour (we just wanted to get out of the rain). They checked us in and while waiting for our name to be called, a family walked in and asked for a table for 4. No reservation, just expected to be seated. He was not very happy to find out there were no tables available. Left muttering about restaurants that wouldn't let people in, how could they not have any tables, etc. We were seated about the time of our ADR. Many people have commented on how close the tables are to each other, but it didn't seem that bad to us. DD ordered the filet mignon and the rest of us ordered the rib eye. I didn't order the filet because I wasn't sure I would like the spinach risotto. DD let me taste hers and it was SO GOOD. I know that people have discussed missing the mushroom risotto, but the spinach version was amazing. I will order the filet next time! Steaks were very, very good. For dessert, DD had the maple creme brulee, DH had the strawberry panna cotta, DSiL had the caramel milk chocolate bar, and I had the chocolate mousse. Good service, too. We enjoyed this restaurant and will return.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater for Star Wars breakfast. We had never dined here before, so we were looking forward to seeing the inside. Our reservation was for 10:45, and we arrived about 10:35. Waited in line to check in and then waited quite a while for our name to be called, longest wait of the trip. When they called us in we had our picture taken with Darth Vader and ???? (DD and DSiL are the huge Star Wars fans). We were seated in a car and enjoyed watching Star Wars clips during breakfast. Lots of character interaction! Traded with the jarwahs, and got a kick out of watching them trade children from car to car/family to family. They were definitely having a good time. Pictures with stormtroopers and ???? as they visited our car several times. Service was okay. Food was only so-so. Pastry plate and fruit cups were cute, and tasty. Eggs and potatoes were okay, sausage and bacon were awful. DD had the french toast, which she said was average. Did the breakfast for the character interaction, not the food, but won't do this one again.
Faifax Fare for lunch. DD and DSiL had a BBQ pork sandwich with beans that they said was very good.
50's Prime Time Cafe for dinner. Paid OOP for this meal. DH and DSiL had the fried chicken and DD and I had the crab cake appetizer. I had never had succatash before, which came with the crab cake. Both it and the crab cake were very good. Fried chicken was also good, but neither DH nor DSiL ate the greens, which of course, was not okay with Cousin James, our server. I loved the job Cousin James did, but DH and DSiL were not amused. We all had shakes for dessert. Husband loves the fried chicken, so we will be back.
Flame Tree BBQ for lunch. We weren't very hungry, so we shared meals here. DD and I shared the pork sandwich; DH and DSiL shared the 1/2 chicken meal; and we shared 2 chocolate mousse for dessert. Very good food and nice shady places to eat. DD spilled my tea and they gave me a free refill.
Yak and Yeti for dinner. Paid OOP for this meal. DH has the sweet and sour Chicken, DSiL had the chicken lo mein, and DD and I had the crispy honey chicken. Very good food, although we all stayed within our comfort zones here and didn't try anything new. Great service. Again, we arrived a few minutes early and were seated almost immediately.
Narcoosee's for "date night dinner" for DH and me. We had the filet and butter poached lobster. Best meal all trip. Filet was perfectly cooked and the lobster was delicious. DH had the almond cheesecake for dessert and I had the chocolate candy bar. This is #1 on my husband's list of must do restaurants on our next trip! Great service, from the hostess to the server.
California Grill for "date night dinner" for DD and DSiL. DD had the bison, which she loved so much she texted me about it during dinner. DSiL had the filet. For dessert DD had the banana fritter and DSiL had the pudding cake. They also ordered the dragon roll sushi. They enjoyed dinner and watching the fireworks. Said they would definitely go back.
Restaurant Marrakesh for dinner. This was our out of the box/never been there before/try something new choice for this trip. We loved it and will definitely return to eat here again. I think this may be the most underappreciated restaurant at EPCOT. There were plenty of tables available, so if you are looking for a good place to eat I would recommend Marrakesh. DH had the lamb, I had the chick kebob, DD had the beef kebob, and DSiL had the beef couscous. My chicken kebob came with an olive salad that was my favorite side of the trip. Wish I had the recipe. Desserts (bastilla and moroccan symphony) were not our favorites. When we come again, we will do this one OOP.
Be Our Guest for dinner. We loved the ambience and enjoyed the dinner very much. DD had the chicken and the rest of us had the steak. Everything was very good. DD loved the asparagus that came as a side and I loved the green beans. I even like the mayonnaise dipping sauce that came with the fries, but DD and DSiL asked for ketchup. DD and I had the triple chocolate cupcake for dessert, DH had the strawberry cupcake, and DSiL had the grey stuff. Enjoyed meeting the beast and checking out the other rooms after dinner. All of the servers were very nice!
Final thoughts - as I look back over our trip I noticed that we did a lot, but we also took some down time, which helped make this trip less stressful. We have found our new resort home at POFQ. DH and I are already planning a trip back. Loved the Magic Bands and didn't mind FP+. Found some new things to do (mini golf and bowling) and new favorite places to eat, too. Over all, I think this was one of our best trips to WDW. The only one that can top is the first one we took with our daughter when she was little.
Vacation travelers - me (age 55), DH (age 60), DD (age 23), DSIL (age 22)
Travel - We flew Southwest Airlines from Oklahoma City to St. Louis and then on to Orlando. Our flight left at 5:50 and arrived in Orlando at 11:15. We walked to the Magical Express area, scanned our Magic Bands and were assigned a bus as soon as we arrived. After a short stop at Saratoga Springs, our bus delivered us to Port Orleans French Quarter. Return flight was on AirTrain through Atlanta. We will never fly AirTran again. Planes were small and seemed rickety, had to taxi back to gate at Atlanta because of a problem with the door. Just not happy with the service at all.
Hotel - This was our first stay at Port Orleans French Quarter. We were able to book 2 king rooms using the military discount, as my husband is retired army. I did online check-in, without any special requests. Somehow I got my husband and I checked in online, but messed up the check in for DD and DSIL. It took the cast member about 2 minutes to take care of that problem! Our rooms were not ready since we were so early, but when we returned to the hotel at 3:30, they were ready to go. DH and I were in 6323 and DD/DSiL were in 6326. Both rooms overlooked the river. The rooms were great. We enjoyed our stay at POFQ and will stay there again on our next trip. We heard no noise from outside or people in neighboring rooms. We found the beds very comfortable and had no trouble sleeping. All the cast members we dealt with were very helpful and pleasant. This resort is wonderful.
Weather - I was expecting a little rain every day, like we had on previous trips. I was not expecting the deluges we had the first five days we were there. It rained hard for 3-6 hours every afternoon. Best money I spent before the trip was on 4 ponchos, $1.99 each, from the Target camping section. They lasted the whole trip and while we got wet, they kept us from getting soaked.
Magic Bands - worked great from the first time we used them at the airport. Only had trouble at the parks once when DH and I used the wrong finger for the fingerprint scan. Loved not having to dig out a card to get in the room. DSiL found his a little uncomfortable, but the rest of us didn't mind them at all.
Fast Pass+ - was a little nervous about making reservations for rides so early, but we just picked our favorites and decided we would deal with it once we got to the parks. I changed times, rides, times and rides, every day we were in the park and didn't have any trouble with MDE at all. I was very surprised at how easy it was. Of course, the top rides (TSMM, 7DMT, TestTrack, Soarin') were not available, but everything else was. It's not my favorite change that Disney has done, but we made it work for us and had a great time.
Day 1 - arrived at POFQ and checked in, but rooms weren't ready. Took the bus to Blizzard Beach and walked to Winter/Summerland to play mini golf. Had to wait for the rain to let up, but finally got to play the Winterland course. This was a new activity for us and we really enjoyed it. Took the bus back to the resort, where they gave us our room numbers. When we got to the room, our luggage had arrived, so we took a little time to unpack before taking the boat to Downtown Disney. It started pouring as soon as we arrived, so we bought umbrellas and tried to walk around, but it was just raining too hard. Went to Bongos to meet friends for dinner (see all food reviews below). After dinner we took the boat back to POFQ.
Day 2 - MK day - arrived about 15 minutes before EMH rope drop so we were at the back of a bunch of people! Our plan was to ride 7DMT first thing, but the line was already at 90 minutes by the time we could get there. So, we road Space Mountain (which I will never ride again - just too rough) and Buzz LIghtyear, then headed to Frontierland. Got there right at 9:00, so we headed to Splash and got on pretty quickly. BTMR said 30 minute wait so we got in line. 60 minutes later we got off the ride. I think it ended up being our longest wait of the trip. HM was next, then lunch at Columbia Harbour House. Rode PP with our first FP+ of the day, then IASW. Walked through the new Fantasyland and took the train, intending to get off in Frontierland for our Jungle Cruise and Pirates FP+, but it started raining, so they made us get off at Main Street. I made the Jungle Cruise FP+ after we rode SM earlier in the day, but they closed the ride due to rain. Pirates was down due to technical difficulties. DH and I went back to the room, DD and DSiL waited around until it finally opened up again. We headed to EPCOT about 6:00 for dinner at Coral Reef, then rode SE (love the redo of the ride), and played games in the area at the end of the ride. DD and DSiL headed to MK to ride 7DMT and watch Wishes. DH and I went to the resort.
Day 3 - EPCOT - slept in a little today, arrived about 9:30. Got in line for Test Track, 40 minute wait posted. Got all the way to the end of the line, family of 4 in front of us,waiting to be put in a line for the design room, when the ride went down due to technical difficulties. They announced that everyone in line would have to leave the building. The CM at the front whispered to the family in front and us to wait just a minute and he would bring up paper fastpasses. When he left to get them an extemely rude CM ordered us OUT. We tried to explain why we were waiting and she kept saying OUT. Finally the CM came back with our fastpasses and let us out a different way. He was very kind, but the other one was just plain rude. Walked to Norway and rode Maelstrom, got there just as it began to rain. It absolutely poured as we walked our way around World Showcase. We stopped various shops and tried not to drip too much on the merchandise. DD and I decided that we were definitely going to come back and pick a pearl at Japan. Road Soarin' with a FP+, stopped for a snack at Sunshine Seasons, road Living with the Land. Ate ice cream, did some souveneir shopping at Mouse Gears. Road TT with the fast passes we had been given earlier. Good thing we did it then, because it kept going down every time we were at EPCOT. Road Mission Space with FP+, took the boat back to World Showcase. Enjoyed the Hotel California salute to the Eagles at the American Gardens Theater. Ate dinner at Le Cellier. Left right before Illuminations, so we missed the crowd!
Day 4 - Hollywood Studios - Got there right at gates were opening. DH, DD, DSiL road RnRC twice with about a 10-15 minute wait each time. Then they talked me into riding. This was an epic event, because I am not a rider of upside down roller coasters. However, this is now one of my favorite rides! Loved it, even though I screamed and kept my eyes closed the whole ride!! The 3 rides took a little over an hour total. Made our way to Sci-Fi for Star Wars breakfast. Road Star Tours with FP+. I love the redo on this ride! Saw Muppet Vision 3D. Started pouring down rain. Road TSMM with FP+ for the first time. Loved this ride a lot! Went to Darth Mall to wait out the rain, then walked through One Man's Dream, but didn't wait for the movie. Did the Capt. Jack Sparrow show and saw Little Mermaid. I must say that the girl playing Ariel was not the best, singing was off. DD and DSiL road Tower of Terror, while we waited out more rain at a table under a pavilion in front of Catalina Eddie's. Had a nice chat with a family up from Miami for the day. Saw Beauty and the Beast, really enjoyed the show. Road the Great Movie Ride. Had our picture taken with Sorcerer Mickey. Ate dinner at the 50's Primetime Cafe. Watched Fantasmic with FP+. We were worried they would cancel the show due to the weather, but it held off and we really enjoyed it. Of course, leaving the theater was crazy, but we took it nice and slow, and headed back the the resort.
Day 5 - AK - Father's Day choice of DH. Road Kali River Rapids first thing because DD was worried that it would rain during our FP+ time later in the day. Wore ponchos so we didn't get too wet. DH, DD, DSiL road Expedition Everest twice, both times basically walking through to the ride. Then, they did it again and convinced me to ride a coaster I have never ridden before. Only about a 10 minute wait. Did the Safari with FP+, then walked the African trail. Saw Tough to be a Bug. Ate lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. Road Dinosaur, saw Finding Nemo, FOTLK, Wonders of Flight, walked the jungle trek. Road Kali River Rapids with FP+, road EE with FP+ (2 times for me in one day!). Ate dinner at Yak and Yeti. Poured rain again. Early night resort.
Day 6 - Universal - took taxi to Universal, arrived before 9:00 opening time, waited behind the rope. My what a jog to Wizarding World of Harry Potter. DD and DSiL had to get a locker for their backpack, they got out about the time DH and I made it to Hogwarts. Loved the theming here. VERY WELL DONE. DD, DSiL, and I loved ride, but it was too rough for DH. DD and DSiL road Dragon Challenge with a short wait. Walked around Hogsmeade, got some frozen butterbear (which was very good). Left the area, road Jurassic Park; DH, DD, DSiL road Rip Saw Falls and got soaked; DD, DSiL, and I road Bilge Rat Barges. They got soaked, I wore a poncho! DD and DSiL road Incredible Hulk and did not care for it. Left Islands of Adventure and headed to Universal Studios. DD and DSiL road Rip Ride Rocket, with a very long wait, and hated it. Said it was way too rough. Saw Animal Actors show (pretty good), road ET, road MIB, checked out the London street scene for Diagon Alley, DD and DSiL road Revenge of the Mummy, then we did the Twister show (we are from OK and know people who live in Wakita, where the movie was filmed). By this time it was after 6:00. DD and DSiL ran back to Islands of Adventure to buy HP souveneirs. DH and I waited for them in CIty Walk and then we ate at Bubba Gumps. While we really enjoyed HP and that park of the park is done extremely well, the rest of the parks underwhelmed us. We will go back to see HP again and enjoy the new Diagon Alley section, but we just don't care for Universal as a whole. Taxi back to hotel.
Day 7 - today was an "everybody do your own thing day," followed by date night. We slept in late. I took the bus to Downtown Disney and got there just as shops were opening. Visited almost every shop in the east side. My new favorite is Marketplace Coop. Wonderful store. Bought lots of stuff at Disney Centerpiece and drooled over the Vera Bradley and Dooney and Burke purses at Cherry Tree Lane. This story had every Vera Bradley Disney pattern, so head there if that's what you are after. At at Earl of Sandwich and then walked to the boat dock to head back to POFQ. DD and DSiL visited POR and ate lunch and enjoyed the pool at POFQ. DD went to EPCOT to ride Test Track, but once again got right to the front and had to leave because the ride shut down. DD, DSiL, and I met up at the resort and headed to MK to meet DD for the afternoon parade. Got a good spot on the curb right in front of Casey's. Enjoyed sitting for the parade, did get a little sunburned. The parade was excellent. We all really enjoyed it. Headed back to resort and got ready for date night. DD and DSiL ate at California Grill and enjoyed Wishes from the deck. DH and I ate at Narcoosee's and waddled back to the resort after our filet and lobster.
Day 8 - HS and EPCOT - Got to HS as they opened. About a 40 minute wait for TSMM, then we road RnRC again and had a milkshake at 50's Primetime Cafe. Took the boat to Swan and Dolphin, walked to Fantasia Gardens and played both courses! Tonight was our only bus nightmare story as we tried to get back to EPCOT for dinner. We had to wait for the third bus to come before we finally got on, because all of the busses were full of POR guests returning to their resort. One lady ran up to the bus and was banging on the front window while her husband was cussing out the poor driver. We just sat back and shook our heads! DD and I did the pick a pearl at Japan, then DH and DSiL did the summer celebration concert (salute to Journey), while DD and I did the American Adventure show. Ate dinner at Marrakesh, please try this restaurant if you haven't already. Really good food! Watched Illuminations tonight. I think I liked the old version better.
Day 9 - another sleep in day - DH and I left for MK at about 1:30, where DH bought me a Vera Bradley purse at Uptown Jewelers (nice surprise). Met DD and DSiL for Buzz Lightyear with FP+, then we split up again. DH and I road PoC, and pretty much walked on to BTMR. Good thing we saw the afternoon parade earlier, because they canceled it today due to some rain. Took the train to Fantasyland. Ate at BOG. Road Under the Sea with FP+. DD and DSiL left for HS to watch Fantasmic again. DH and I watched the MSEP in Frontierland. Still love this parade, and there were new floats from the last time we saw it. Got in line for 7DMT, because we were determined to ride it before we left. Enjoyed the ride. Caught the castle light show on our way out, did a little shopping.
Day 10 - got up, got luggage checked in for Magical Express. Went to DTD and bowled at Splitsville. Cool bowling alley. We definitely want to do it again. Boat back to POFQ and we sadly took the bus to the airport and headed home.
Food - We were on the dining plan, but ate several meals off the plan due to several 2 credit meals during our trip. The food court at POFQ was adequate. We ate breakfast there several mornings and it was okay. Lunch was better. I loved the tuna sandwich and the muffaleta sandwich, both of which are so big that my husband and I shared. DD and DSiL ate at Riverside one day for lunch and they enjoyed the food court there.
Bongo's with friends from the area. We had never had Cuban food before and really enjoyed our meal. Service was very slow, but the food was very good. My husband and I shared the El Tour Cubano. It was very good. I don't recall what everyone else had, but we all enjoyed the meal very much.
Columbia Harbour House for lunch. DH had the salmon plate, DD had the tuna sandwich, and DSiL and I had the lobster roll. All were very good. Only disappointment was the apple cobbler, DH did not like it at all.
Coral Reef for dinner. We arrived early, were checked right in, and seated almost immediately. DH had red snapper (whole fish) which was delicious! DD had the pasta, which she loved. DSiL and I had the steak, which was very good. For dessert, DD and I had the B and J mousse, DSiL had the wave, and DH had the turtle cheesecake. YUM! Our server, Elena, was outstanding. We enjoyed the restaurant very much.
Le Cellier for dinner. Wasn't sure what to expect due to some not so good reviews, but we enjoyed our dinner. The restaurant is beautiful. We arrived early, due to a downpour (we just wanted to get out of the rain). They checked us in and while waiting for our name to be called, a family walked in and asked for a table for 4. No reservation, just expected to be seated. He was not very happy to find out there were no tables available. Left muttering about restaurants that wouldn't let people in, how could they not have any tables, etc. We were seated about the time of our ADR. Many people have commented on how close the tables are to each other, but it didn't seem that bad to us. DD ordered the filet mignon and the rest of us ordered the rib eye. I didn't order the filet because I wasn't sure I would like the spinach risotto. DD let me taste hers and it was SO GOOD. I know that people have discussed missing the mushroom risotto, but the spinach version was amazing. I will order the filet next time! Steaks were very, very good. For dessert, DD had the maple creme brulee, DH had the strawberry panna cotta, DSiL had the caramel milk chocolate bar, and I had the chocolate mousse. Good service, too. We enjoyed this restaurant and will return.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater for Star Wars breakfast. We had never dined here before, so we were looking forward to seeing the inside. Our reservation was for 10:45, and we arrived about 10:35. Waited in line to check in and then waited quite a while for our name to be called, longest wait of the trip. When they called us in we had our picture taken with Darth Vader and ???? (DD and DSiL are the huge Star Wars fans). We were seated in a car and enjoyed watching Star Wars clips during breakfast. Lots of character interaction! Traded with the jarwahs, and got a kick out of watching them trade children from car to car/family to family. They were definitely having a good time. Pictures with stormtroopers and ???? as they visited our car several times. Service was okay. Food was only so-so. Pastry plate and fruit cups were cute, and tasty. Eggs and potatoes were okay, sausage and bacon were awful. DD had the french toast, which she said was average. Did the breakfast for the character interaction, not the food, but won't do this one again.
Faifax Fare for lunch. DD and DSiL had a BBQ pork sandwich with beans that they said was very good.
50's Prime Time Cafe for dinner. Paid OOP for this meal. DH and DSiL had the fried chicken and DD and I had the crab cake appetizer. I had never had succatash before, which came with the crab cake. Both it and the crab cake were very good. Fried chicken was also good, but neither DH nor DSiL ate the greens, which of course, was not okay with Cousin James, our server. I loved the job Cousin James did, but DH and DSiL were not amused. We all had shakes for dessert. Husband loves the fried chicken, so we will be back.
Flame Tree BBQ for lunch. We weren't very hungry, so we shared meals here. DD and I shared the pork sandwich; DH and DSiL shared the 1/2 chicken meal; and we shared 2 chocolate mousse for dessert. Very good food and nice shady places to eat. DD spilled my tea and they gave me a free refill.
Yak and Yeti for dinner. Paid OOP for this meal. DH has the sweet and sour Chicken, DSiL had the chicken lo mein, and DD and I had the crispy honey chicken. Very good food, although we all stayed within our comfort zones here and didn't try anything new. Great service. Again, we arrived a few minutes early and were seated almost immediately.
Narcoosee's for "date night dinner" for DH and me. We had the filet and butter poached lobster. Best meal all trip. Filet was perfectly cooked and the lobster was delicious. DH had the almond cheesecake for dessert and I had the chocolate candy bar. This is #1 on my husband's list of must do restaurants on our next trip! Great service, from the hostess to the server.
California Grill for "date night dinner" for DD and DSiL. DD had the bison, which she loved so much she texted me about it during dinner. DSiL had the filet. For dessert DD had the banana fritter and DSiL had the pudding cake. They also ordered the dragon roll sushi. They enjoyed dinner and watching the fireworks. Said they would definitely go back.
Restaurant Marrakesh for dinner. This was our out of the box/never been there before/try something new choice for this trip. We loved it and will definitely return to eat here again. I think this may be the most underappreciated restaurant at EPCOT. There were plenty of tables available, so if you are looking for a good place to eat I would recommend Marrakesh. DH had the lamb, I had the chick kebob, DD had the beef kebob, and DSiL had the beef couscous. My chicken kebob came with an olive salad that was my favorite side of the trip. Wish I had the recipe. Desserts (bastilla and moroccan symphony) were not our favorites. When we come again, we will do this one OOP.
Be Our Guest for dinner. We loved the ambience and enjoyed the dinner very much. DD had the chicken and the rest of us had the steak. Everything was very good. DD loved the asparagus that came as a side and I loved the green beans. I even like the mayonnaise dipping sauce that came with the fries, but DD and DSiL asked for ketchup. DD and I had the triple chocolate cupcake for dessert, DH had the strawberry cupcake, and DSiL had the grey stuff. Enjoyed meeting the beast and checking out the other rooms after dinner. All of the servers were very nice!
Final thoughts - as I look back over our trip I noticed that we did a lot, but we also took some down time, which helped make this trip less stressful. We have found our new resort home at POFQ. DH and I are already planning a trip back. Loved the Magic Bands and didn't mind FP+. Found some new things to do (mini golf and bowling) and new favorite places to eat, too. Over all, I think this was one of our best trips to WDW. The only one that can top is the first one we took with our daughter when she was little.
