My Very First Trip Report- January '15 Honeymoon (Completed)

[SarahDisney]

In terms of FP for Fantasmic - you can sometimes get it as a 4th FP. So you can do TSMM as your Tier 1 FP, then after you use all your FP, you may be able to get Fantasmic at a kiosk. We saw it available on our two most recent trips.

I didn't realize the bus dropped off at the TTC during marathon weekend ... so I'm really glad you mentioned that, because I'll be there for marathon weekend next year. Not that I think it'll be a problem, but it's good to know.

I'm glad that recapping the trip is getting you excited for the next one - that's one of the reasons why I love TRs so much! It's always so great to relive the magic, even if some of the details have gotten blurry!

 

[Opicana]

In terms of FP for Fantasmic - you can sometimes get it as a 4th FP. So you can do TSMM as your Tier 1 FP, then after you use all your FP, you may be able to get Fantasmic at a kiosk. We saw it available on our two most recent trips.

I didn't realize the bus dropped off at the TTC during marathon weekend ... so I'm really glad you mentioned that, because I'll be there for marathon weekend next year. Not that I think it'll be a problem, but it's good to know.

I'm glad that recapping the trip is getting you excited for the next one - that's one of the reasons why I love TRs so much! It's always so great to relive the magic, even if some of the details have gotten blurry!

That's a great idea! I didn't use the kiosks on our last trip because the lines were so low and our initial fastpasses proved to be sufficient. The longest wait we had was 20 minutes for Pooh. But using the extra fastpass for good show seats is a smart idea.

I don't know if they always drop off for MK at the TTC during Marathon Weekend, but at least you can be aware of the possibility. We arrived a few minutes after they opened (so we left in time to be there before opening if we hadn't been dropped at the TTC). Traffic was quite backed up and lots were packed due the space they allowed for runners. But while buses, roads, resorts and lots were full, the parks weren't bad at all. And it was fun to see the runners in the morning, our bus went right by them!

 

[Opicana]

Frontierland

Okay, I totally lied about Be Our Guest being in this post, it'll be in the NEXT one. I have too many pictures of Tom Sawyer Island and the Riverboat.

None of my favorite rides are in Frontierland, and yet it is one of my favorite places in all of WDW. The path between Frontierland and Liberty Square is just so DISNEY to me. It also happens to be in between most of my top 5 rides (Jungle Cruise, Pirates, and Haunted Mansion) so maybe I just associate it with happy times. I'm just very relaxed in the area.

Disappointingly, but entirely expected, Splash Mountain was closed. It is the price I pay for low crowds and perfect weather. Sigh. Someday we will meet again!



I like the theme of Big Thunder and appreciate the details, but I don't really enjoy it. My husband on the other hand was a huge fan. Fortunately, my motion sickness is tolerable on that ride and we'll do it again next year.

However, after getting off I did need an immediate sit down break. Followed by some relaxing attractions.

Fortunately, Tom Sawyer Island is a great place for relaxing! As you can tell by this photo, that is where we headed next.

I don't recall anything about the island from my childhood, I'm not certain I've been on it. I probably have, but it still felt new to me, so that was fun.



I was trying to get a good shot of the birds.



Stream + bird.



We explored the island thoroughly. It was a nice change of pace and an unexpected delight. There were no crowds, not much noise, lots of shade, it was a perfect place to recharge! My plan next year will be to do the same thing...follow BT with a nice break on the island.



We continued our nice and easy break with the Riverboat.









After the Riverboat, I think we may have had a Fastpass for Haunted Mansion. I think we checked out the shop by HM since we were a bit earlier. And then it was over to New Fantasyland for the Be Our Guest lunch.



I can tell when the fastpass photos occurred on the trip based on the number of pins on my lanyard, LOL.

Up Next: Be Our Guest Lunch and more Magic Kingdom

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Joining in!

Congratulations on starting your first Trip Report!

Oh, and congratulations on getting married!

And I see the ticker in your signature so congratulations on having the next trip set as well!

I got a Masters in Biology, he got a PhD in Astronomy

... ok, I know feel unqualified to comment


I love the theming of Animal Kingdom Lodge - and it sounds perfect for a honeymoon - but definitely feels like a resort you need to spend some time at for it to be worth it to stay ther so can understand your thinking in using a value next time ... maybe target a Nemo room at Art of Annimation

We discovered Sanaa on our last trip and I totally loved it (did it for lunch, was a nice break to the day at Animal Kingdom). Food was so good and great view of the animals as well.

Jungle cruise is one of my favorite rides as well ... though I tend to be "that guy" who says the punch line along with the skipper

We haven't spent enough time on Tom Sawyer Island - glad you enjoyed the rest there!

 

[Opicana]

Joining in!

Congratulations on starting your first Trip Report!

Oh, and congratulations on getting married!

And I see the ticker in your signature so congratulations on having the next trip set as well!


... ok, I know feel unqualified to comment


I love the theming of Animal Kingdom Lodge - and it sounds perfect for a honeymoon - but definitely feels like a resort you need to spend some time at for it to be worth it to stay ther so can understand your thinking in using a value next time ... maybe target a Nemo room at Art of Annimation

We discovered Sanaa on our last trip and I totally loved it (did it for lunch, was a nice break to the day at Animal Kingdom). Food was so good and great view of the animals as well.

Jungle cruise is one of my favorite rides as well ... though I tend to be "that guy" who says the punch line along with the skipper

We haven't spent enough time on Tom Sawyer Island - glad you enjoyed the rest there!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Pfft...if we were smart we would've picked majors that made more money and didn't require as much schooling so we could go on more Disney trips, LOL.

I think the Nemo rooms at AoA are suites, so are a bit out of our price range this time. I considered the Little Mermaid rooms at AoA, which are regular rooms, so I could swim in the Big Blue Pool, but they are always exempt from room discounts and the most expensive values. So, we've settled on Pop for this next trip, and I can least wander over and check out the Nemo stuff at AoA!

 

[Opicana]

Note: I won't be updating again until next Tuesday. I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go visit my husband and cats in Virginia!

It was a bit rainy that day, but we managed to avoid getting wet thanks to the abundance of rides at MK and our lunch plans.



We went by Gaston's Tavern, but did not enter today (I had a snack planned there for our second MK day). Gaston was not at his character spot.



I was fortunate enough to find instructions online about how to score a BoG lunch fastpass, so no lines for us! We pre-ordered our food (I LOVE that idea), but it didn't work!! We had to re-order once we were there.



We sat in the corner of the ballroom. It was a bit loud and chaotic, but I enjoyed the scenery.



We did get two sandwiches (the carved turkey, and carved roast beef) and two desserts because we wanted to try them both, however, we shared everything. It was all delicious! We'd definitely eat there again.



We checked out the other rooms after eating. I took a picture of the west wing, but it didn't come out very well.

I'm going to make this post a bit short because I have several shots of It's a Small World (apparently I was in a picture taking mood on the ride), so I want to put them all in a row. However, I will leave you with this photopass photo that happened sometime on this day.



Up Next: It's a Small World, afterall.

 

[SarahDisney]

I love that you're using the pins on your lanyard to help you figure out when the photos were taken.

I love BOG! If you want to see it very quiet, try going for one of the last seatings at dinner. It's different food and a little more expensive for dinner, but we usually get an ADR for one of the last seatings, and it's so quiet and peaceful!

I hope you're having a great time in Virginia!

 

[Opicana]

I love that you're using the pins on your lanyard to help you figure out when the photos were taken.

I love BOG! If you want to see it very quiet, try going for one of the last seatings at dinner. It's different food and a little more expensive for dinner, but we usually get an ADR for one of the last seatings, and it's so quiet and peaceful!

I hope you're having a great time in Virginia!

Thanks for the tip!

I did have a good time in Virginia. We saw Inside Out!!

 

[Opicana]

It's a Small World, Afterall

In my last post, we were finishing up our first day at the Magic Kingdom. I think I may have determined that I needed to take more pictures before going on Small World and this was the result:


Details on the rest of the afternoon are pretty hazy. I can tell you that I rode Little Mermaid for the first time ever. Loved it...mainly because I love any fantasy slow-moving dark rides, LOL. And because TLM is awesome. Lines were short and great. Everything was 10 minutes or less except for Winnie the Pooh which was 30 minutes.



I got two of these on this day.

That night we ate at Kona Cafe at the Poly. We had fun taking the boat to Poly, and seeing the resort. However, Kona Cafe wasn't on our top list of dining experiences. It was noisy, crowded, tables were crazy close, the food was just okay, and we had a really annoying/rude pair of people next to us for our entire meal. But whatever, we were in Disney, so everything's good!



We went back to our room after dinner.

We decided that on our next trip we'd skip the resort dining (except at our own resort, of course). We still have plenty of things to try at the parks, and as I've mentioned we discovered we are in-one-park-all-day sort of people.

Next Up: And the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down....

 

[Opicana]

And the Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down...

Side Note: Woohoo! Just booked my January trip for 8 days @ Pop Century! SO EXCITING! I'm going to start a pre-trip report later today.

Our third day at the parks was at Epcot. Since I was a wee little kid, my favorite park has always been Epcot. I was a nerdy child who loved learning. My favorite rides (out of all the parks) were Horizons and Maelstrom. My third favorite ride was Dream Flight...yeah, Disney has a habit of taking away my favorites. Sigh.

It appears I took a notes a little bit better this day, so I have a few more details to share.

Our bus ride to MK the day before was AWFUL. Not only were we standing the entire time, but I could barely reach any sort of railing, and my leg was getting jammed into the stair the entire time. Painful, long, and stressful for an introvert.

Today's ride to Epcot was MUCH better. YAY! We got to Epcot a full 45 minutes before rope drop, and were one of the first people in the park. We went on Spaceship Earth first with no wait.

After Spaceship Earth, we tackled Mission Space and Ellen's Energy. We completed all that well before 11am, ahead of our timeline. Even though we went on the less intense version of Mission Space, it bothered my motion sickness and I was feeling out of sorts of the next hour or so.


The morning was overcast, cool and pleasant. While waiting for Jimmy to use the restroom, I took this picture of SE. It's one of my favorite photos.

After our break, we went to The Seas with Nemo. It was my first time on it. Finding Nemo is one of my favorite movies, I'm all about ocean conservation, and I am also a sucker for slow-moving, fantasy-themed dark rides. So, I fell in LOVE. One of my favorite rides now, we rode it several times on this trip! We then explored the pavilion for a little bit before heading over to Seasons for lunch.

At some point in the morning it rained a little bit, but we were on a ride, so we missed the entire thing. I only remember because we got a photo after it.



After lunch, it was over to Club Cool. Since I was still nauseous from Mission Space and we were headed to a ride that was NOT going to help, I passed on trying Beverly. Jimmy tried it though. Now, Jimmy likes strong and odd-flavored sodas. He likes birch beer, Moxie, etc...and he couldn't stand it. He said the initial flavor was good, but the aftertaste was gross. We decide Greece and Brazil were the best.

Next up it was Test Track. Standby was 1 hour, but our fastpasses made it about 12 minutes. Still, that 12 minutes was our longest wait of the day.

After Test Track it was time to head into the World Showcase for a relaxing afternoon.



On our way in, we spotted Duffy, who had no line. Duffy became my first and only autograph this trip.

We then toured through the World Showcase. I love Mexico, and adore the boat ride. More countries should have relaxing boat rides.



I purchased a pair of earrings in Mexico. Sadly, I don't have a picture of them.

We saw a movie in China, and then noticed the rain was coming. We had our photo taken by a wonderful CM that we chatted with for a bit, and then we grabbed a gelato to share.



As the rain started coming down, we ducked into Japan for a bit. It cleared up for a few moments, and we made it over to Morocco, before it really started coming down. I'm not a poncho person (though I'm considering converting). We also had plenty of time, a flexible schedule, and no children. So I figured we could just take cover whenever it rained. No big deal. We tried out the Spice Road Table, which we never would have done, if it weren't for the rain.



This photo is looking out the window at Spice Road. Spice Road had plenty of availability, and we got great seats.



We wanted something light since it was mid-afternoon and we had dinner reservations at Le Cellier. We had hummus with pita, and these hummus "fries". I just tried to lookup what they were called because they were DELICIOUS, and they are gone from the menu!! Still, the food there was great, and I'd love to go there again.

It was still raining, despite us slowly eating, and more and more people were coming in. We didn't want to be rude and hold the table, so we left.



We perused the nearby store. Still raining. Waited underneath the canopy. Still raining. I though the thunderstorms were supposed to pass quickly down there! Well it'd been a few hours now, so we decided just to run from pavilion to pavilion, so we could get over the UK and Canada.

Next Up: Dinner at Le Cellier, and an end to the rain

 

[TheMaxRebo]

congrats on booking your next trip!

We've only eaten at Kona once and I agree that it can be noisy - almost feels a bit like a restaurant in an airport or something. That said, we really enjoyed the food - had some good sushi and I loved their wings and their bread better than at 'Ohana. Plus you can order the bread pudding from 'Ohana for dessert so that is an added bonus. Sorry you didn't enjoy your meal more

The morning was overcast, cool and pleasant. While waiting for Jimmy to use the restroom, I took this picture of SE. It's one of my favorite photos.

Great picture. I always love the juxtaposition of palm trees against Spaceship Earth

So based on your feelings and track record I should expect that Disney will announce the closing of the Seas with Nemo and Friends any day now?

My goodness that is some rain!

Glad you enjoyed Spice Road Table - definitely on me "to do" list for a future trip

 

[SarahDisney]

Congrats on booking Pop! It really is such an awesome hotel! (I'm also headed there in January - but I think before you, because we're going marathon weekend).

I love this picture!

I love that you're holding Duffy for your Duffy picture - so appropriate!

And I'm with you on the boat rides in countries - I think every country should have a relaxing boat ride (well, maybe not every country, but definitely more than just Mexico).

 

[Opicana]

congrats on booking your next trip!

We've only eaten at Kona once and I agree that it can be noisy - almost feels a bit like a restaurant in an airport or something. That said, we really enjoyed the food - had some good sushi and I loved their wings and their bread better than at 'Ohana. Plus you can order the bread pudding from 'Ohana for dessert so that is an added bonus. Sorry you didn't enjoy your meal more



Great picture. I always love the juxtaposition of palm trees against Spaceship Earth

So based on your feelings and track record I should expect that Disney will announce the closing of the Seas with Nemo and Friends any day now?

My goodness that is some rain!

Glad you enjoyed Spice Road Table - definitely on me "to do" list for a future trip

Thanks!

We may have been on an off night, or it may have been the atmosphere was just spilling over into all areas. The wait staff seemed rush, and he couldn't fit between the tables they were so close together- very awkward. However, don't get me wrong, it is still DISNEY dining and I'd rather be there than here, and it was still GOOD food. Just not the fav. of the trip. I'm sure we'll try again someday (particularly if we can someday afford to stay in the Poly, which I'd love to do).

YES...Get in all your Nemo rides now!!!!

 

[Opicana]

Congrats on booking Pop! It really is such an awesome hotel! (I'm also headed there in January - but I think before you, because we're going marathon weekend).



I love this picture!

I love that you're holding Duffy for your Duffy picture - so appropriate!

And I'm with you on the boat rides in countries - I think every country should have a relaxing boat ride (well, maybe not every country, but definitely more than just Mexico).

Glad to hear you are a Pop fan! I was a little concerned initially about staying at a value. There is no point in staying in a deluxe for my needs, but as a kid we did a lot of deluxe, and a few mods. So, I've never experienced one and I was wondering if it'd still feel as magical. However, people keep saying wonderful things about Pop and some people refuse to stay anywhere else. I'm pretty easy to please, so as long as it still feels like Disney, I'll love it!

We went during marathon weekend, but we're doing a week later next time. We came right before the MW, and stayed most of the following week. So, you can use this report to get a sense of the crowd levels. If you are morning person with a good touring plan, you won't have to wait longer than 30 minutes for a ride (most of our waits were less than 10).

Yeah, I'd settle for just ONE more boat ride...China? France? I think they'd work well.

 

[Opicana]

Dinner at Le Cellier (also known as CHEESE)

When we left off, we were jumping from pavilion to pavilion getting drenched thanks to a multi-hour thunderstorm. Eventually, we made it over to Canada after some shopping in the UK. We watched the movie. After leaving, we decided to not do anymore of those movies. Apparently, those movies are what make Jimmy nauseous. He can handle all the rides and not feel a thing, even Soarin' gives him enough illusion of movement...but those 360 videos over beautiful countrysides are a "no go". We had already seen China, so we decided to skip France. I'll also be skipping them in our touring plan for next year. We go to Le Cellier a little bit early...and so did a lot of other people, thanks to the rain. They were having to tell folks that they couldn't check in yet because they were too early. I snapped a random photo while we waited....




Finally seated! The two person tables were just as close as Kona, but they did a much better job of timing people, so you had breaks where no one was next to you on one side, and you didn't have the same people next to you the entire time.



We split a steak dish (I believe it was a NY strip with some potatoes), which was good, but WAY overpriced. The cheese platter however was FANTASTIC!!! Loved all of them. And the honey. Le Cellier quickly topped my list of favorites purely based on this cheese platter.



By the time we finished dinner, the rain had stopped and a lot people had left the parks. We walked around for a little while before finding a spot for illuminations.



Jimmy was not amused with my photo taking while waiting for the show.



We had a perfect, clear spot of the lake with no one in front of us. It was great! Exiting the park with so few people was also really easy!

Our next day was our first, and only, day at the Animal Kingdom. I had gone to Animal Kingdom shortly after it opened when hardly anything was working/functional/etc... and hadn't been back since. So I was super excited. I read that a lot of people considered this to be a "half-day" park, so I figured I'd be safe scheduling a full day. Since I'm an animal/biology/conservation person I figured I'd need more time.

After an easy bus ride, we got there before rope drop. We first checked out the animal exhibits on Discovery Island.



I was really impressed with the quality of the exhibits.



We also caught a performance of Divine before we exited the Oasis area and headed to Dinosaur.

Up Next: More Animal Kingdom

 

[SarahDisney]

I think Animal Kingdom gets its reputation as a half-day park because there aren't so many rides ... but if you're interested in walking around and seeing all the animals in every section, there's definitely enough for a full day. So I think the reputation is somewhat undeserved.
(We usually go it as a half-day because we're not big animal people, but I totally understand where people can get a full day out of it)

 

[Opicana]

I think Animal Kingdom gets its reputation as a half-day park because there aren't so many rides ... but if you're interested in walking around and seeing all the animals in every section, there's definitely enough for a full day. So I think the reputation is somewhat undeserved.
(We usually go it as a half-day because we're not big animal people, but I totally understand where people can get a full day out of it)

Yeah, there isn't many rides, so perhaps if you are only there for the thrills you'd go on through pretty quick. We spent a full day, we chose not to ride Everest, Triceratops Spin, or Primeval Whirl, and I *still* didn't have enough time! I missed a couple of shows and hardly got to checkout the stores. Spoiler: As it turns out, I need TWO days.

 

[mickeymom629]

I'm enjoying reading your report! DH and I plan to take a trip next January, so I was curious about crowds and weather.

I wanted to mention that I, too, can't watch the 360 movies in the countries because of motion sickness, but France is not one of them! France movie is in a sit-down theater (not 360 vision) and is my favorite! It's a bit dated, however, but still enjoyable. I can't remember if there's any time I have to close my eyes to avoid that motion sickness feeling during that one but, if there is, I just look away for a bit. I also get that feeling in Ellen's Universe of Energy. I just close my eyes or look down to avoid those.

 

[Opicana]

I'm enjoying reading your report! DH and I plan to take a trip next January, so I was curious about crowds and weather.

I wanted to mention that I, too, can't watch the 360 movies in the countries because of motion sickness, but France is not one of them! France movie is in a sit-down theater (not 360 vision) and is my favorite! It's a bit dated, however, but still enjoyable. I can't remember if there's any time I have to close my eyes to avoid that motion sickness feeling during that one but, if there is, I just look away for a bit. I also get that feeling in Ellen's Universe of Energy. I just close my eyes or look down to avoid those.

Glad you are following along!

THANK YOU for mentioning France! It had been so long since I'd seen it (as a kid) that I couldn't remember it (or even if I had seen it!). I will ask Jimmy if he thinks he may be up for that one since it's different and we didn't do it last time. Perhaps we'll do it as the last thing on an evening, so if it doesn't work well, we can head back to the resort afterward.

 

[jojuvanlaanen]

Following along on your trip report! I really like reading TR from just adults because I have 4 kids and...well...you get the point. One day hubby and I will enjoy Disney by ourselves. One day...

After reading so far I have a few comments:

1. I agree with your feeling on the Christmas Decor! We went early December 2012 and I did like the Christmas themes, but I also would like to just experience Disney by itself, no extras. Seeing it in January would be so annoying!

2. I love the view from the Riverboat! The park looks so empty...but you got some nice pics!

3. Could you please tell me what it was you ordered at the restaurant at the Poly? I'm sorry... but it all looks raw! Was it good? I've never had raw fish before.

4. How did you like your view from your room at the AKL? For some reason I thought maybe that'd have more exotic animals there. Like giraffes or Zebras....things like that.

Excited to read the next chapter.. and congrats on your wedding!