Magic Kingdom? I Think I Know My Way Around Magic Kingdom! WDW January 2023 TR **COMPLETE** 9/4 x4

[khertz]

Day 3 Continued: Monday January 23rd

We criss-crossed the park a little after this, because our Guardians boarding group was called! My mom had decided not to ride, so she volunteered to wait with DN while the rest of us went on. DD wanted to ride with her Nanny, so DH and DS sat together, and I sat with my dad. We were all so excited to finally get to ride this for the first time!!

IMG_9229 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9231 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9235 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9243 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9247 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9249 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9603 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9605 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

This ride is AMAZING!!! We absolutely loved it!!! The end of the ride malfunctioned somehow, and when we were supposed to go up over a hill, we rolled back down first. Then we could hear a lot of the dialogue but it wasn’t lining up with what we were seeing, and when we were “spinning back to earth,” there was no lights or music. It was weird! But still a lot of fun, and we were hoping we would get to ride it again for the full experience. This first ride, we had Conga as our song.

2023-01-23 - Epcot - Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-23 - Epcot - Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind (1) by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

My dad enjoyed it, but he was a little wobbly by the end, and said once was enough for him! But the rest of us couldn’t wait to be back at Epcot the next day to try again for the VQ.

The kids were starting to get tired, and it was nearing 10 pm. But we really wanted to get the most out of the low waits during the extended hours and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was posted at 30 minutes, which was the shortest we had seen, so we headed over to France to ride it. DH and I were the only ones who had ridden this before, but not in WDW, we rode it years ago when we had a couple of days to spend in Disneyland Paris. So we knew it’s a cute and fun ride, but not worth waiting a really long time for.

IMG_9607 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9608 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9609 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9254 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9256 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9611 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

But, no worries! Although it was posted 30 minutes, we waited less than 5 and just walked right to the loading area! Definitely goes to show that the extended evening hours are totally worth it, especially in Epcot where there are so many headliner attractions to do!

We stopped to take some photos on the way out of the attraction.

2023-01-24 - Epcot - France at Epcot_19 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - France at Epcot_15 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - France at Epcot_16 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - France at Epcot_14 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - France at Epcot_6 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - France at Epcot by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We figured we were about done by that point as it was 10:30. The extended hours went until 11 that night. As we made our way towards the exit, we passed Test Track which had a 10 minute wait, and we probably could have walked right on, but the kids gave it a hard pass. They were tired! It had been a long but really productive day!

Taking the monorail from Epcot is a nice way to get back to the resort, but it does seem to take awhile when it’s so late at night, having to change monorails at the TTC and everything. The only monorail running the MK loop was the resort monorail, and of course getting on at the TTC meant we were the last drop off location. Other visits to Epcot, we were able to hop on the Express monorail and get off at MK to walk back to the resort which definitely felt quicker than making all those stops! Since we got to bed late that night, we had an alarm set for 8 am and hoped we’d be able to sleep in a little.

 

[afwdwfan]

We stopped for another Photopass location that I had totally missed, but DH had read about and wanted to do. It was only done at night because the photographer would do a really long exposure while another CM ran behind us with a light stick making different patterns! It was something special they were doing for Festival of the Arts. The line wasn’t too long, so we stopped to do that, and it turned out so great!

Those are some really cool pictures!

By now, we could pick up our Figment popcorn bucket! Who needs a room full of Stormtroopers when you can have a table full of Figments?!

I mean you can sign me up for both of those options!

Frozen only had a 20 minute posted wait, and was definitely one of the rides we were hoping to accomplish during the late hours so we went straight to Norway. We ended up waiting less than 10!

Always nice to have a shorter than posted wait. Even better when that wait is less than it probably normally is even with Lightning Lane.

My dad enjoyed it, but he was a little wobbly by the end, and said once was enough for him! But the rest of us couldn’t wait to be back at Epcot the next day to try again for the VQ.

I can relate. I was looking forward to this ride so much!!! But it wasn't too long in when I was watching the space battle and the car turned sideways... I had to close my eyes for the rest of the ride. I'd open them time to time just trying to follow the story. I wish that so many of the thrill rides weren't becoming so dependent on tying the ride in with something on a screen.

So we knew it’s a cute and fun ride, but not worth waiting a really long time for.

True. I just can't even understand the willingness to stand in such a long line for that ride! I mean I'll definitely ride it any time I can, but unless I can rope drop it or get an LL, I'm not waiting in a 2+ hour line for that!

But, no worries! Although it was posted 30 minutes, we waited less than 5 and just walked right to the loading area! Definitely goes to show that the extended evening hours are totally worth it, especially in Epcot where there are so many headliner attractions to do!

That is perfect! It definitely paid off for you to knock out a couple of the big high wait time rides!!!

Since we got to bed late that night, we had an alarm set for 8 am and hoped we’d be able to sleep in a little.

You had to have been exhausted. That was a long day, but you guys did so much!!!

 

[erinch]

Terrific!

 

[khertz]

Those are some really cool pictures!

I absolutely love how they came out!! I'm so glad DH had seen them online before the trip, because I had no idea and it ended up being our favorite photos.

I mean you can sign me up for both of those options!

Always nice to have a shorter than posted wait. Even better when that wait is less than it probably normally is even with Lightning Lane.

Definitely! I'm sure that being so close to the fireworks helped a lot, and we used this tactic later on in the trip with similar results!

I can relate. I was looking forward to this ride so much!!! But it wasn't too long in when I was watching the space battle and the car turned sideways... I had to close my eyes for the rest of the ride. I'd open them time to time just trying to follow the story. I wish that so many of the thrill rides weren't becoming so dependent on tying the ride in with something on a screen.

Ugh, that's such a bummer. I was so relieved that it didn't mess with my stomach too much, because some things definitely do with the screens & movement for sure.

True. I just can't even understand the willingness to stand in such a long line for that ride! I mean I'll definitely ride it any time I can, but unless I can rope drop it or get an LL, I'm not waiting in a 2+ hour line for that!

That is perfect! It definitely paid off for you to knock out a couple of the big high wait time rides!!!

With the posted 30 min wait, if we had waited that long I'd still feel like it was worth it. 2+ hours, absolutely not! It was worth saving this for the evening hours, but I'm with you, otherwise if I can't rope drop or get a LL, I'm probably not riding it!!

You had to have been exhausted. That was a long day, but you guys did so much!!!

Such a long day, but it was great getting to do so much!

Terrific!

Thank you!

 

[khertz]

Day 4: Tuesday January 24th

• Park Reservation: Epcot
• Park Hopping: Magic Kingdom to see Enchantment
• Dining Reservations: Chef Mickey’s 7:40 am (canceled), Beaches & Cream 12:30 pm
• Genie+: No

After a late bedtime the night before, we took our time getting up and ready the next morning. We had originally planned our early Chef Mickey’s breakfast for this morning, but had canceled it the day before when DN was less than thrilled about the characters. Turned out to make the morning much better not having to wake up early and rush around after a late night at Epcot!

We were up around 8, and started doing some laundry and had our muffins for breakfast. All 8 of us are big fans of the show Bluey on Disney Channel, and we had decided that we would all have Bluey shirts to wear one day, and today was the day! I had also found on Etsy some really cute Bluey ears hair clips for DD to wear with her shirt.

IMG_9615 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

The 4 of us headed out first around 9 am and headed to the Contemporary to catch the monorail to Epcot.

IMG_9619 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9623 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Every morning, I take a blood pressure medication that is a diuretic, so usually a couple of hours later it hits me that I need a restroom break. I mentioned that to DH as we were coming down the monorail ramp into Epcot, and DS overheard me and yelled out, “Why don’t you just stop DRINKING SO MUCH!!!” Thanks for making me sound like an alcoholic, son.

It was a little before 10 am when we got into Epcot. There were some characters greeting at the entrance. We saw Minnie with a long line, and another CM waiting around with a couple of families, so we asked her who would be coming out there and she said Goofy would be back in a few minutes. While DH and DS held our spot in line, I took DD over to the side for some photos and cartwheels.

IMG_9627 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Just a few minutes later, we were ready to meet Goofy! He was a fan of seeing himself in her autograph book.

IMG_9262 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - Epcot_5 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - Epcot by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We hadn’t done The Seas with Nemo & Friends yet and the wait was still very short, so we made our way over there.

IMG_9267 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9647 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4861 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4865 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4877 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4884 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4898 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4905 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

After the ride, we hung out to check out the aquariums.

IMG_9648 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Before the trip, I watched most of the episodes of The Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and got to see the manatees showcased in some of the episodes, Lil’ Joe and Lou.

IMG_4917[/url']https://flic.kr/p/2ogg2CJ][/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ogg2CJ]IMG_4917[/url] by https://www.flickr.com/photos/100655747@N03/]disneymom1024[/url], on Flickr


IMG_4920 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

There were some divers in one of the tanks. One of them was making bubble rings.

IMG_4924 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4926 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4928 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4929 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4935 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

DD had been on the hunt for earrings since she very recently got her ears pierced. She was a little bummed she couldn’t change out her earrings for the trip yet, but she wanted to get some to bring home if possible while we were there. We had found some in the Contemporary gift shop, but they were on the expensive side. Here, we found a pair of pearls with Minnie bows that were more in her price range, so she used her portion of the Disney Visa points to get them.

IMG_9655 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We started making our way towards the World Showcase, stopping for some of the photo ops with famous paintings, the paint by number wall, and a popcorn refill.

IMG_4940 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4941 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9269 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4944 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4946 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4950 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4952 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4954 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4960 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9663 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

 

[VAtink]

“Why don’t you just stop DRINKING SO MUCH!!!” Thanks for making me sound like an alcoholic, son.

HAAA! That's too funny, *almost* spit out my drink as I read that!

You got some really good shots of the step into the art displays! Those things are so cool, I only wish they had more photopass photographers at them.

 

[afwdwfan]

All 8 of us are big fans of the show Bluey on Disney Channel, and we had decided that we would all have Bluey shirts to wear one day, and today was the day! I had also found on Etsy some really cute Bluey ears hair clips for DD to wear with her shirt.

Love the shirts! Our youngest watches that show a lot!!! We play a lot of Keepy Uppy in our house. And just about every bath time we have to play burger shop.

“Why don’t you just stop DRINKING SO MUCH!!!” Thanks for making me sound like an alcoholic, son.

That's funny!

But at the same time I can feel your pain. I'm in a similar situation. Nothing like being told that you have to take this medicine that is going to dehydrate you, but you really can't get dehydrated because that triggers your problems so just plan to drink a lot of water and then hit about every restroom you see.

Before the trip, I watched most of the episodes of The Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and got to see the manatees showcased in some of the episodes, Lil’ Joe and Lou.

Oh neat! I haven't seen that one yet. I've watched some of the episodes and liked what I've seen so far.

We started making our way towards the World Showcase, stopping for some of the photo ops with famous paintings, the paint by number wall, and a popcorn refill.

Definitely need to get all the value out of that Figment bucket!

 

[khertz]

HAAA! That's too funny, *almost* spit out my drink as I read that!

You got some really good shots of the step into the art displays! Those things are so cool, I only wish they had more photopass photographers at them.

He yelled it SO LOUD. I'm sure those around us with no context thought I was hitting the hard stuff first thing in the morning.

I totally agree with you on that one! I seem to remember there were a lot more in 2020 when we did Festival of the Arts. We managed to find one or two, but they can definitely use more.

Love the shirts! Our youngest watches that show a lot!!! We play a lot of Keepy Uppy in our house. And just about every bath time we have to play burger shop.

We quote it SO much around our house! And now my sister & parents are fans since they watch it a lot with DN (but really they like watching it on their own )

That's funny!

But at the same time I can feel your pain. I'm in a similar situation. Nothing like being told that you have to take this medicine that is going to dehydrate you, but you really can't get dehydrated because that triggers your problems so just plan to drink a lot of water and then hit about every restroom you see.

YES! I always drove my family crazy with my bathroom stops due to my irrational fear of the urge hitting in the middle of a line or attraction, or even worse getting STUCK on a ride, but this just makes it 10x worse! And makes me scared to drink too much water!

Oh neat! I haven't seen that one yet. I've watched some of the episodes and liked what I've seen so far.

It's so neat. I really enjoy the backstories of the animals all around property and how they deal with different issues that may pop up. It seems like the Disney animals have it pretty good!

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Tuesday January 24th

We were excited to check out the chalk art, but there wasn’t as much as we remembered from 2020. But there were still a few really amazing ones that we enjoyed seeing! We also stopped for some Photopass pictures.

2023-01-24 - Epcot - World Showcase Plaza_6 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - World Showcase Plaza_3 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4961 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4964 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4965 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4966 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4967 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4968 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4971 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4975 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4977 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4979 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4980 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4981 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

There weren't a ton of items I wanted to try from the booths, and I had heard on a podcast that because there were so few food booths for Festival of the Arts that they usually had long lines so I was ok with that. But as we passed the Deco Delights booth, there was almost no one there and it had one of the items I wanted to try. So although we had just gotten popcorn, we decided to stop and grab something to share.

IMG_9671 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Decadent Valrhona Chocolate with dark chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie, and cassis mousse​

It was really good!

IMG_9673 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4985 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4987 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4988 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

One of the things we had been really excited to get to experience on our trip was the DuckTales World Showcase Adventure! It had opened very shortly before our trip, and I’d been hoping we’d have enough time to try it out. It is on the Play Disney Parks app, and we decided since we had some time before our lunch reservation and had done the two big rides in World Showcase, we would try out some of the missions to see if we liked it. It’s not available in all of the pavilions, just 7. Since we’d need the International Gateway to get to our lunch, we decided to start with the mission in the United Kingdom.

IMG_4990 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4991 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4993 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4996 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_4999 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5001 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

The mission was really fun to complete! The kids had even more fun doing this than I would have guessed, and DH and I enjoyed it too, especially because it helped us really explore around the pavilions, which we don’t typically do. The only problem I had with it was that I could NOT figure out why the sound didn’t work. I kept checking my settings and assumed it was something that didn’t have sound, so I was reading all of the screens to the kids. But then we overheard someone else doing one later on and I realized there should have been sound. Oh well.

After completing the mission in the UK, we made our way over to the International Gateway, where Minnie & Daisy were greeting with no wait!

IMG_5005 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5009 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9681 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5021 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Tuesday January 24th

After those quick meets, we kept going to our destination of the Beach Club.

IMG_9685 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9686 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5024 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We checked in for our 12:30 pm reservation a little early, and were able to be seated just a few minutes later.

IMG_9277 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9278 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9692 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9688 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

This restaurant was not something we booked when our 60 days rolled around. But a few weeks before the trip, DH made an offhand comment about how much he’d like to eat there again, and I promptly fussed at him for not telling me sooner because it was surely not going to be available since it’s such a small restaurant! On a whim, I went on the app to search for one just to see, and sure enough it was available but only for 4, so I snagged it. I figured since we didn’t want to do Chef Mickey’s and the rest of the family would probably still be too full from their big breakfast it would be ok for us to schedule a lunch without them. When they decided the day before to cancel Chef Mickey’s, they looked on the app and managed to find a reservation for 4 just a little bit after ours! The table next to us was empty for awhile, and we saw them arrive and thought maybe they would be seated next to us, but no such luck.

Anyway, we had decided early on that we were going to share meals so we could save some room for dessert. DH and I shared a grilled cheese with fries, and the kids split the kids meal macaroni & cheese.

IMG_9693 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9698 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

During our time at Beaches & Cream, the 1 pm VQ release for Guardians happened, and we definitely wanted to ride it again, so we joined as soon as we could and had no trouble securing a boarding group for later.

Then it was time for the real reason we had wanted to eat here, the desserts! The kids shared the brownie a la mode, and DH and I split the No Way Jose.

IMG_5026 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5027 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9707 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9708 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We finished before the rest of the family, so we headed out of the restaurant with plans to catch up later on. The Beach Club is so pretty!

IMG_5029 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5031 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Then we walked off some of the dessert back through the International Gateway to the World Showcase.

IMG_5037 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9722 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5039 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

The kids wanted to do another DuckTales mission, so since we were right there, we did the one in France.

IMG_5043 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5044 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9281 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Once we finished the one in France, we headed past Morocco to do the mission in Japan and shop at Mitsukoshi. Some of you know DS has a Pokemon-centric YouTube channel, so he wanted to check out the Pokemon merchandise.

IMG_5053 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5054 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5056 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5058 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5060 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5066 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5069 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5071 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5072 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

As much as DS loves Pokemon, DD loves cats! So she was running from cat item display to cat item display in this store!

IMG_9728 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

She ended up buying two of the little Lucky Cat statues to bring home. Each color means luck in a particular area, but she just picked her favorite colors.

IMG_9729 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5079 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5081 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

 

[rdkeim]

What a fun Epcot day! Nice you had a more relaxed start to your day. I need to plan a trip when the arts festival is going on. Pretty impressive chalk art. You got some great photos - especially like the ones with Minnie. Beaches is one of my favorites for lunch - yum! Good plan to skimp on the food and leave more room for ice cream Wonder how much longer the construction walls will be up in Epcot - seems like they've been there a very long time!

 

[Mom2m&k]

Love your report and beautiful family! I’ve been away from the Dis longer then I realized and was so happy to find a report from you…. I’ve enjoyed yours for years!

 

[khertz]

What a fun Epcot day! Nice you had a more relaxed start to your day. I need to plan a trip when the arts festival is going on. Pretty impressive chalk art. You got some great photos - especially like the ones with Minnie. Beaches is one of my favorites for lunch - yum! Good plan to skimp on the food and leave more room for ice cream Wonder how much longer the construction walls will be up in Epcot - seems like they've been there a very long time!

It was definitely easier to keep up for the rest of the vacation with the later start mornings when possible. Although we always just want to rope drop to close, there is no way all of us can keep that pace for the whole week!!

We have gotten lucky to overlap with the Festival of the Arts a couple of times, and it is really so nice to be in the parks at that time of year!

I totally agree about the walls in Epcot! I feel like I don't even really remember what is actually coming to the park anymore, the walls have been there SO long!

Love your report and beautiful family! I’ve been away from the Dis longer then I realized and was so happy to find a report from you…. I’ve enjoyed yours for years!

Thanks so much! I have been away from the boards for a spell too, so it's nice to be back.

It's so wonderful when people share their adventures.

Thank you, I agree!

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Tuesday January 24th

After Japan, we made our way to the America pavilion. First up, we wanted to join Washington as he crossed the Delaware.

2023-01-24 - Epcot - The American Adventure at Epcot_10 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - The American Adventure at Epcot_6 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

There was truly no way we could actually be hungry, and yet we ended up with a Mickey pretzel with cheese sauce and another popcorn refill to share.

IMG_9733 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5085 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Everyone else met us over there, and DN was happy to be in the presence of his favorite cousins again.

IMG_9739 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9745 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

They also did their Delaware crossing photo while we waited for the 3:30 American Adventure show.

2023-01-24 - Epcot - The American Adventure at Epcot_4 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - The American Adventure at Epcot_2 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5082 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Once we made our way inside, DH and DS went to check out the Creating Tradition exhibit.

IMG_5087 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5088 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9284 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Then it was time to head into the theater! It had been a long time since I’d seen this show, and the kids had never seen it. The adult males in our group saw it as a great chance to catch a nap.

IMG_5089 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5091 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9288 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

You can’t even see my dad in that group photo because he was already slumped down in the seat next to my sister trying to fall asleep!

IMG_5092 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5095 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5098 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5100 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We stopped for a group photo in Italy to make sure we had at least one of all of us in our Bluey shirts! We got a lot of people who commented on our shirts throughout the day, which was a lot of fun. It’s such a great show!

2023-01-24 - Epcot - Italy at Epcot by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5101 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5103 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5107 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Then we moved on to Germany so the kids could watch the trains.

IMG_5108 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5109 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5114 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5115 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5116 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We didn’t stop in China because we knew we’d be back over in that pavilion eventually to do a DuckTales adventure. Instead, we kept going into Norway so we could meet Anna & Elsa.

IMG_9758 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5117 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5124 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5125 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9762 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Tuesday January 24th

It wasn’t a very long wait, which was wonderful! DD was so excited, even though she says at home that she is not a Frozen fan anymore. It sure comes out whenever we are in WDW, though! I think this was our first time dealing with those truly terrible boxes that snap your photos instead of having Photopass photographers with the characters. This is something I truly hate that they have done in the parks. It’s just not the same!

IMG_5133 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - Frozen by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5136 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5142 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - Frozen_4 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5147 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Since we were already in Norway, we decided to do the DuckTales mission in that pavilion!

IMG_5148 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5149 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5153 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5154 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5157 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5159 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5160 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5163 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5164 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5165 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5166 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5167 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5168 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

All this time, we were starting to check in on Guardians to see when we might be called to ride, because the plan had been to head to MK in the late afternoon so we could see Enchantment that evening. However, the ride had been down and back up all afternoon long, so it was taking awhile to get through the boarding groups and our estimated return time kept getting pushed back further. So instead, we had more time to hang around the World Showcase.

 

[rdkeim]

Fun pictures with George W! All 4 of you were on the same page. Love the American Adventure - it's an old favorite of ours. One of our first experiences in Epcot. You really captured some awesome details in Norway. I'll have to look for them next visit!

 

[afwdwfan]

There weren't a ton of items I wanted to try from the booths, and I had heard on a podcast that because there were so few food booths for Festival of the Arts that they usually had long lines so I was ok with that.

I'm glad that you were able to find a short line and enjoyed the dessert! We kind of found that to be the case too during Flower & Garden. We ended up not getting anything from the booths because the lines were always so long and there were just other things we'd rather do with our time. And, frankly, Genie+ had eroded a lot of the snack budget anyway.

The mission was really fun to complete! The kids had even more fun doing this than I would have guessed, and DH and I enjoyed it too, especially because it helped us really explore around the pavilions, which we don’t typically do. The only problem I had with it was that I could NOT figure out why the sound didn’t work. I kept checking my settings and assumed it was something that didn’t have sound, so I was reading all of the screens to the kids. But then we overheard someone else doing one later on and I realized there should have been sound. Oh well.

I'm glad you guys were able to try this out and have some fun with it!

On a whim, I went on the app to search for one just to see, and sure enough it was available but only for 4, so I snagged it. I figured since we didn’t want to do Chef Mickey’s and the rest of the family would probably still be too full from their big breakfast it would be ok for us to schedule a lunch without them. When they decided the day before to cancel Chef Mickey’s, they looked on the app and managed to find a reservation for 4 just a little bit after ours!

I'm glad you were able to make it work out and find some ADRs. It seems like as popular as this restaurant is, you can usually find an ADR there. DW and I had one there back in January but had to cancel it because our plans just weren't going to allow enough time to get there.

The kids shared the brownie a la mode, and DH and I split the No Way Jose.

This is like my Holy Grail of Disney snacks. One of these days...

There was truly no way we could actually be hungry, and yet we ended up with a Mickey pretzel with cheese sauce and another popcorn refill to share.

I mean when there are Mickey pretzels and popcorn to be had...

You can’t even see my dad in that group photo because he was already slumped down in the seat next to my sister trying to fall asleep!

Gotta love the air-conditioned dark theaters at Disney World. Great shows, better naps.

It sure comes out whenever we are in WDW, though! I think this was our first time dealing with those truly terrible boxes that snap your photos instead of having Photopass photographers with the characters. This is something I truly hate that they have done in the parks. It’s just not the same!

Yeah, those things are just terrible! I'm not a fan at all. We visited Cinderella in MK and I don't think they even had those there. We had to take our own pictures. I miss the Photopass personal touch at the character meets, especially these big permanent ones where you're going to invest a lot of time and effort to meet the character.

 

[khertz]

Fun pictures with George W! All 4 of you were on the same page. Love the American Adventure - it's an old favorite of ours. One of our first experiences in Epcot. You really captured some awesome details in Norway. I'll have to look for them next visit!

We only do the American Adventure every few trips, but it is a really great show! Very interesting, and now that DS is older he has learned about a lot of it in school so he even appreciated it!

I'm glad that you were able to find a short line and enjoyed the dessert! We kind of found that to be the case too during Flower & Garden. We ended up not getting anything from the booths because the lines were always so long and there were just other things we'd rather do with our time. And, frankly, Genie+ had eroded a lot of the snack budget anyway.

There wasn't a whole lot I wanted to try at Festival of the Arts, so it was really perfect timing that we came across this booth that had something I wanted to get with a short line! That's one of the downfalls of the festivals, the lines can get so long at some of the booths!

Ugh, I feel that so much. Genie (and not knowing in advance how much it is going to cost per day) really really cuts into the budget!!

I'm glad you guys were able to try this out and have some fun with it!

I was glad we had enough time for it. I thought for sure we wouldn't be spending enough time at Epcot to experience it.

This is like my Holy Grail of Disney snacks. One of these days...

It took us a few trips before we got it too! You'll get it someday, I'm sure!! And it will be worth the wait!

I mean when there are Mickey pretzels and popcorn to be had...

Right?!

Gotta love the air-conditioned dark theaters at Disney World. Great shows, better naps.

I'm actually a little surprised he was the only one of us that caught a nap in there.

Yeah, those things are just terrible! I'm not a fan at all. We visited Cinderella in MK and I don't think they even had those there. We had to take our own pictures. I miss the Photopass personal touch at the character meets, especially these big permanent ones where you're going to invest a lot of time and effort to meet the character.

Yes, you're right, they had nothing in Princess Fairytale Hall for us either! The boxes are so impersonal and really do not take good photos. It's a shame they are going to this in more places, or like you said, not having any photo option at all!

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Tuesday January 24th

Since we still had time to spend in World Showcase while waiting for our GotG Boarding Group to be called, we kept up our DuckTales Adventuring and went over to Mexico to do the next mission and to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour.

IMG_5172 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9781 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5174 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5175 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5178 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5179 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9783 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5181 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5185 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5187 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5189 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5190 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5198 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5200 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5201 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5205 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5206 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Finally after that, our boarding group was called to ride Cosmic Rewind, so we hurried over there to get in line around 6 pm.

IMG_9292 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9293 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

When we got to this point just before the loading area, we were stopped for what felt like a long time. It probably wasn’t THAT long in actuality, but since we were just standing there not moving, it felt like a long time.

IMG_9295 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9297 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-24 - Epcot - Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind (1) by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

This time, we had Everybody Wants to Rule the World!

By the time we had ridden this, it was 6:40 pm. It had ended up being way later than we’d anticipated being in Epcot because it had taken awhile for us to be able to ride Guardians, so I was starting to think we should just finish out our night at Epcot and scratch the plan of trying to do Enchantment. I really didn’t want to feel rushed, but DH thought we should still leave the idea out there. We mobile ordered pizza slices and another chicken sandwich for me at Connections Eatery for dinner.

We made a stop back at Creations Shop so the kids could get more Munchlings. We ended up smelling some boxes again to find DD the Minnie Mouse Strawberry Cupcake, and DS wanted the Figment Fruity Fig Bar which was much easier since it’s not a blind box.

IMG_9785 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9786 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

 

[khertz]

Day 4 Continued: Tuesday January 24th

Then we went to ride Spaceship Earth.

IMG_9306 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5214 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5218 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5222 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5227 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5229 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5233 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5237 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5241 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5246 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5251 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5254 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5256 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5264 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

DS and I rode together and I let him pick out our future plans.

IMG_9788 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9791 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9796 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

As we exited the ride, we got to see the beautiful light show on Spaceship Earth happening. I had forgotten about this being a thing, so it was a nice surprise.

IMG_9798 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5268 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5272 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We got on the monorail back to the TTC and decided once we got there and had to switch monorails that we would take the Express monorail to MK and walk to Contemporary. Although it meant more walking, it still felt like it would just be faster than taking the full resort loop to the Contemporary.

As we were coming down the ramp into the MK forecourt, it was right at 8:15 pm and we could hear Enchantment starting. DH looked at me and said, “Come on, we’re RIGHT HERE!” So we tapped in and stopped at the end of Main Street to watch on a whim! It was not a good view at all, but it was still fun to see!

IMG_9313 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9799 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Note: we would never be one of those people that would put a kid on our shoulders in the crowd and block others' view, but there was literally no one behind us, we were standing in front of the rope where the CMs were keeping the walkway open in front of the train station!

IMG_9315 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We were all pretty tired, so we kept saying, “We are leaving right after this is over!” Buuuuuuttttttt…then we spotted the 5 minute wait right there for Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater! So as soon as the last firework went off, we ran over to get in line!

IMG_9317 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_9318 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5284 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

In absolutely no time at all, we were in the room ready to meet Mickey Mouse!

IMG_5285 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-25 - Magic Kingdom Park - Town Square Theater_9 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5289 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Mickey saw that Minnie had signed in her spot right under his in the book, and gave her a kiss in the autograph book! It was so cute!

IMG_5295 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5297 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


2023-01-25 - Magic Kingdom Park - Town Square Theater_3 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


IMG_5301 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

By the time we finished meeting Mickey, it was 9 pm and we were DONE! We started making the walk back to BLT, and DD was walking so DS decided to catch a ride in the stroller for a few minutes.

IMG_9806 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Although we were tired, it wasn’t super late so that gave us time to do a load of laundry before bed, which is so nice to be able to do! We finally got to bed around 10, which after a long and full day felt like a really reasonable bedtime!