Nina's Not So Scary Birthday Trip..an October Trip Report - Villians Dance Party 4/30
- Thread starter Moira222
- Start date
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
After our two week safari, I tried to get back into my truck but apparently my keys didnt work
The players were just getting started
but by this time I was needing some sustenance. Id seen oatmeal listed on the breakfast menu of Pizzafari on our way through, so thats where we headed. That place was so empty in the morning. It was great! Id never really had time to look around and enjoy the paintings and décor because its usually mobbed with kids. We enjoyed the quietness of the restaurant that morning.
Apple cinnamon muffin for Joe
And oatmeal with raisins, apples and cinnamon for me.
sooo yummy. I am hooked on oatmeal for breakfast.
We decided to go back through Discovery island toward dinoland. I didnt snap a photo but we saw the anteater walking around and pretty active. I dont think weve ever seen him moving so maybe the damp rainy weather is appealing to an anteater.
Before long we were here
these guys were so cute they appeared to be holding hands. Joe said "The tortoise on the left looked like he was just nodding his head as if to say 'Yup, gotta hold her hand so she doesnt smack me with it'."
sssh dont tell anyone we had a secret mission for our ride back in time
have you ever looked at these pipes and wondered what the formula is for? Its ketchup, mustard, and mayo, from the original sponsor McDonalds
After our trip through time, we decided we need to find the yeti
I video recorded most of the ride if you want to check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-43h2E8CViE
we did single rider, so have two different photos
The players were just getting started
but by this time I was needing some sustenance. Id seen oatmeal listed on the breakfast menu of Pizzafari on our way through, so thats where we headed. That place was so empty in the morning. It was great! Id never really had time to look around and enjoy the paintings and décor because its usually mobbed with kids. We enjoyed the quietness of the restaurant that morning.
Apple cinnamon muffin for Joe
And oatmeal with raisins, apples and cinnamon for me.
sooo yummy. I am hooked on oatmeal for breakfast.
We decided to go back through Discovery island toward dinoland. I didnt snap a photo but we saw the anteater walking around and pretty active. I dont think weve ever seen him moving so maybe the damp rainy weather is appealing to an anteater.
Before long we were here
these guys were so cute they appeared to be holding hands. Joe said "The tortoise on the left looked like he was just nodding his head as if to say 'Yup, gotta hold her hand so she doesnt smack me with it'."
sssh dont tell anyone we had a secret mission for our ride back in time
have you ever looked at these pipes and wondered what the formula is for? Its ketchup, mustard, and mayo, from the original sponsor McDonalds
After our trip through time, we decided we need to find the yeti
I video recorded most of the ride if you want to check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-43h2E8CViE
we did single rider, so have two different photos
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
We checked out the backpacking gear as we headed back to tour the Maharajah’s trail
We stopped at a little shop on the way with some awesome little items – Asian styled bags and back packs, adorable tee’s, great stuff! We picked up a necklace for Katie that had her name Kathryn in Chinese.
The on with the tour (it’s a little batty here for the squeamish!)
We opted to see the bats, so scroll down quickly if you don't want to see them!
After we finished our wildlife trail, we headed for a different sort of wildlife…lunch at the Rainforest Café. My photos here were really awful so I won’t post. I will say after reading Mickeystoontown TR on the appetizer at TRex, I had to order the big sample appetizer at Rainforest. OMG it was huge! I also ordered a small salad and Joe a wrap and really, we shouldn’t have bothered. We took two to go boxes back to our room – my salad with the leftover chicken fingers in one, and cheese sticks & nachos in the other. FYI the honey mustard sauce at the RFC is fresh made – you can really taste the honey. Mmmm I would definitely order that again.
After this we headed back to our room for a little nap. I had been texting back and forth with cousins who were also in Florida & were checking into Fort Wilderness that day. We made plans to meet up about 4, which gave us time for a little break in between, plus time to find a fun gift for their son who was turning 3 later in the week.
We walked over to Downtown Disney to find a Jake & the Neverland Pirates (his favorite!) toy, and then took a but to Fort Wilderness. Make a note – it is a LONG walk from where the FWC bus drops you to where the camping sites and the activities are. I tried to convince Joe to take a bus because of his knee, but he didn’t think it was that far. So we walked. And walked. And walked. I texted Rose that we were on our way & she sent her hubby (also a Joe) to pick us up. YAY. We had a great time visiting. Joe’s dad is first cousins with Rose’s parents, who are snow birds. They were camping side by side so we had a great get together. After a while we walked down to the Trail’s End for pizza – check out the fun lights at some of the camp sites:
Here is the whole gang:
Little Joe was such a cutie pie. He loved his Jake toys and at the Trails End he and I walked around the restaurant checking out all the decorations. He loved all the animal heads on the walls and had to then take his mom on a walk to show her everything.
After dinner we parted ways and Joe & I headed to the Magic Kingdom for a while. We had originally planned on the evening at Epcot, but were having such a good time that it got too late for that.
We stopped in the firehouse to get new cards for the Sorcerer’s game. Now, every time we go to Magic Kingdom, I try to play this game. It never works. Either we are too anxious to get on rides, or too tired, or too distracted by bright shiny object…whatever. But everywhere you read about the game, they say you can pick up a new pack of cards each day you visit the MK. Well, this has apparently changed. When we got there, the CM scanned my AP and asked if I was playing an active game. I told her that we started playing one in October but I didn’t get very far, and I had forgotten my cards in my room (MK wasn’t on our original plan that night). She told me now that they want to see that people are actually playing the game, so they could not give me new cards till I went to the correct portal and got my mission, and then I could come back and get my new pack of cards. SHEESH! Joe did get a pack of cards because he had never played before. But guaranteed that the next time we go we will have to re-start that game before we can get new cards. Not thrilled about that because the cards are also fun collectibles. Oh well. For the record we started the game but never made it back to the fire house because the parade had ended and the crowd on Main St. was crazy.
We headed back toward Adventureland and stopped for a sweet treat. Nope, we passed on the Dole Whip this time, and went for a Citrus Swirl instead. YUMMMM (borrowing photos..)
We enjoyed our treats as we decided where to venture next. We browsed through the shop right there and then decided we needed an adventure. The line was quite short, so we headed on to the Jungle Cruise. As you can see they didn’t even have the regular roped off queue open.
We walked around a bit more just taking in the park and the scenery. We had to visit our favorite 999 ghosts of the Haunted Mansion. Our ride did pause so I attempted one or two photos with my phone in the cemetery
we headed up to the old Fantasyland area to ride something we hadn’t done together in quite a long time.
Yup, no kid with us but we definitely had to ride the Carousel. Loved it!!!
We stopped for some photopass pictures in front of the castle and made our way out of the park about 11 p.m.
We headed back to the hotel by way of taking a bus to Saratoga Springs & then walking over to the hotel. We were beat! I had some of my left over salad & chicken for dinner (I didn’t eat pizza with the gang earlier) and we crashed for the night.
We stopped at a little shop on the way with some awesome little items – Asian styled bags and back packs, adorable tee’s, great stuff! We picked up a necklace for Katie that had her name Kathryn in Chinese.
The on with the tour (it’s a little batty here for the squeamish!)
We opted to see the bats, so scroll down quickly if you don't want to see them!
After we finished our wildlife trail, we headed for a different sort of wildlife…lunch at the Rainforest Café. My photos here were really awful so I won’t post. I will say after reading Mickeystoontown TR on the appetizer at TRex, I had to order the big sample appetizer at Rainforest. OMG it was huge! I also ordered a small salad and Joe a wrap and really, we shouldn’t have bothered. We took two to go boxes back to our room – my salad with the leftover chicken fingers in one, and cheese sticks & nachos in the other. FYI the honey mustard sauce at the RFC is fresh made – you can really taste the honey. Mmmm I would definitely order that again.
After this we headed back to our room for a little nap. I had been texting back and forth with cousins who were also in Florida & were checking into Fort Wilderness that day. We made plans to meet up about 4, which gave us time for a little break in between, plus time to find a fun gift for their son who was turning 3 later in the week.
We walked over to Downtown Disney to find a Jake & the Neverland Pirates (his favorite!) toy, and then took a but to Fort Wilderness. Make a note – it is a LONG walk from where the FWC bus drops you to where the camping sites and the activities are. I tried to convince Joe to take a bus because of his knee, but he didn’t think it was that far. So we walked. And walked. And walked. I texted Rose that we were on our way & she sent her hubby (also a Joe) to pick us up. YAY. We had a great time visiting. Joe’s dad is first cousins with Rose’s parents, who are snow birds. They were camping side by side so we had a great get together. After a while we walked down to the Trail’s End for pizza – check out the fun lights at some of the camp sites:
Here is the whole gang:
Little Joe was such a cutie pie. He loved his Jake toys and at the Trails End he and I walked around the restaurant checking out all the decorations. He loved all the animal heads on the walls and had to then take his mom on a walk to show her everything.
After dinner we parted ways and Joe & I headed to the Magic Kingdom for a while. We had originally planned on the evening at Epcot, but were having such a good time that it got too late for that.
We stopped in the firehouse to get new cards for the Sorcerer’s game. Now, every time we go to Magic Kingdom, I try to play this game. It never works. Either we are too anxious to get on rides, or too tired, or too distracted by bright shiny object…whatever. But everywhere you read about the game, they say you can pick up a new pack of cards each day you visit the MK. Well, this has apparently changed. When we got there, the CM scanned my AP and asked if I was playing an active game. I told her that we started playing one in October but I didn’t get very far, and I had forgotten my cards in my room (MK wasn’t on our original plan that night). She told me now that they want to see that people are actually playing the game, so they could not give me new cards till I went to the correct portal and got my mission, and then I could come back and get my new pack of cards. SHEESH! Joe did get a pack of cards because he had never played before. But guaranteed that the next time we go we will have to re-start that game before we can get new cards. Not thrilled about that because the cards are also fun collectibles. Oh well. For the record we started the game but never made it back to the fire house because the parade had ended and the crowd on Main St. was crazy.
We headed back toward Adventureland and stopped for a sweet treat. Nope, we passed on the Dole Whip this time, and went for a Citrus Swirl instead. YUMMMM (borrowing photos..)
We enjoyed our treats as we decided where to venture next. We browsed through the shop right there and then decided we needed an adventure. The line was quite short, so we headed on to the Jungle Cruise. As you can see they didn’t even have the regular roped off queue open.
We walked around a bit more just taking in the park and the scenery. We had to visit our favorite 999 ghosts of the Haunted Mansion. Our ride did pause so I attempted one or two photos with my phone in the cemetery
we headed up to the old Fantasyland area to ride something we hadn’t done together in quite a long time.
Yup, no kid with us but we definitely had to ride the Carousel. Loved it!!!
We stopped for some photopass pictures in front of the castle and made our way out of the park about 11 p.m.
We headed back to the hotel by way of taking a bus to Saratoga Springs & then walking over to the hotel. We were beat! I had some of my left over salad & chicken for dinner (I didn’t eat pizza with the gang earlier) and we crashed for the night.
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
Sunday we were once again up bright & early. Joe went to the lobby for coffee while I got dressed. (McDs coffee was better
and cheaper!) and away we went. We took the hotels bus to Hollywood Studios and arrived just after opening. I have to thank natebenna for her write up on how to use a backsack & pockets to skip the bag check line. Joe wears a great photographers vest, so I stuck my stuff in his back vest pocket, walked through the no-bag security, and then retrieved my stuff inside the park. NICE why did I never think of this?
We stopped for a few photo pass pictures and then headed back to the Tower of Terror. Score! Walk on! Woot woot
Then we jumped right over to Rockin Roller Coaster. The wait was posted at 30 minutes so we opted to ride together. Joe asked the CM if we could wait for the first car because it was my birthday (almost) so she let us. SCORE. Front row was awesome!
We wandered around a bit after this looking for some breakfast for me. Note DHS is not a good breakfast place if you dont eat breads and breaded foods. No oatmeal, no smoothies. We opted to get more coffee at Writers Stop and agreed to just wait til lunch, which was only about 45 minutes away.
We walked through the Streets of New York, appreciating the forced perspective there, and all of the city sounds. We stopped to see Phineas & Ferb and then walked on.
We passed on the Pirates of the Caribbean I mentioned Kathys good review of it, but there was quite a wait there so we kept going. We visited One Mans Dream. Wow. Id never been here before and it really is fascinating. I love seeing all the stories and behind the scenes details. Katie will love this the net trip I see art in her future for sure. Here are just a few shots while I could get my camera to work.
(Cant wait for the mine train to open later this spring!!)
After One Mans Dream, we were feeling inspired & decided to try our own hands at some animation. We drew Tigger
By now I was really hungry, and nothing at the Studios was appealing. We headed out to a ferry (nursing Joes knee a bit). We thought wed try Kouzzina, but they dont seat for lunch. The outside tables at the building are for pizza. Not my thing. But then I knew exactly what I wanted.
We walked through the International Gateway and stopped at the FP+ kiosk. This was the first kiosk we saw that was not mobbed. There was one couple in front of us, who knew absolutely nothing of the process. I think I may have rolled my eyes a few times when I heard that they were not even entering the park they were leaving, but just wanted information. (I am SO impatient!) A second cast member may have caught the eye rolling because she asked if we wanted FPs & could help us at a second machine. So as AP holders, if wed had magic bands already we could have made FPs in advance, but we didnt have the MBs yet. So, at Epcot, you can choose only one main FP and then two secondary ones. So you have to choose between Soarin or TestTrack. You cant get both. We chose Soarin. Then you have to choose two more rides at the park, regardless of whether you want or plan to use them. This I disliked because the way I see it, there are a limited number of fps in general. If I have to take one, and dont use it, its potentially depriving someone else of a FP that they want. We got Soarin, Figment, and then I dnt even remember the third one, it may have been the Land. I really did want Maelstrom, but that was not available.
I texted myself the FP times and we were on our way. Oddly we didnt see any photo pass photographers on the bridge to France this day. Oh well. We made the most important stop in the World Showcase. SLUSHIES!!! Grey Goose for Joe, Grand Marnier for me. Mmmmmm happy now.
We then saw that they were indeed seating at the new Tapas restaurant, Spice Road, in Morocco. YAY! Despite having a drink in my hand (remember, no drinking 30 minutes before eating) we stopped for food.
We asked for a seat by the water and were given a lovely view of the lake.
Now to choose. Hmm they have a great menu here:
We chose the hummus and imported olives:
and then the Spicy Garlic Shrimp and the rice stuffed grape leaves (sorry, camera dead again!)
Everything was absolutely delicious. I see this being a very high demand place once they start taking reservations. At this point, you just walk in. There are not discounts being offered yet (TIW, AP, DVC) either. We asked (of course!). but really our bill was about $30 and we left very happy and satisfied.
Since my camera was dead from here on out, Ill borrow a few internet & past trip photos just to keep it interesting
From here we headed over for our fast passes and rode Figment,
The Land (stand by)
Funny (not) story on the Land. I missed most of the indoor garden areas because my sister in law had texted me to ask about downloading our photo pass pictures from October. I replied with my pcs password and instructions. Then realized that I had replied to a facebook post not here text. CRAP I JUST POSTED MY PASSWORD ON FACEBOOK! Then I frantically deleted the post on facebook, replied to the correct message (DOH!) and then asked my SIL to change my password. Sigh. Missed the whole darn ride.
We also scored front row seats on Soarin. Woohoo!
We exited the land & headed over to check out TestTrack but were not about to wait in a 60 minute line. So we continued on & headed to visit my favorite feathered friends the 3 Caballeros.
We browsed the merchandise in the Mayan temple and headed out again. We stopped in the Norway church and saw how Disney followed Norwegian traditions and customs in their production of Frozen. We exited to find that Anna and Ilsa were still greeting fans, but opted not to wait in the two hour line. ARGH.
I did make Joe wait in the 20 minute line for Maelstrom. I really enjoy this attraction, but am not sure why. I think its the ogres and trolls honestly. Joe does not enjoy it as much as I do but was a willing hostage. I did take the time to read all of fun facts on the huge world map in the queue. Check it out the next time youre in line for Maelstrom.
Walking through China we were feeling rather thirsty. There is a kiosk on the lagoon The Joy of Tea that had some interesting looking beverages. There is a special drink right now chocolate, coffee, bourbon ..sooo deliciously yummy. The girl preparing it was rather generous with the bourbon too. Highly recommended even if I cant remember what it was called!
We stopped to watch the trains for a bit
We walked along chatting with another couple, striking up a conversation first about our bit of chocolate heaven in a cup and then about becoming snowbirds. It was nice just to meander and enjoy the sun and the day. We made it to the American Pavilion just in time to finally catch the Voices of Liberty. Wow they are amazing! I was so sorry when they were finished because they were fantastic. I definitely got teary eyed listening. There is just something about the harmonies and melodies being sung a capella that is so very moving.
here is a youtube video if youve never seen them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSRWNBUnhKI
Feeling thirsty (again!), we stopped for a Sultans Coolada. Mmm coconut and rum.
I browsed the shops of Morocco a bit while Joe did some people watching & nursed his knee a bit.
Refreshed we walked along to Japan and enjoyed the performance of Matsuriza. Joe offered to let me pick a pearl so I naturally said yes! And picked a lovely white pearl which I had set in a sterling silver ring.
I think at this point we headed out through the front entrance to visit one more park. We had dinner reservations at Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom!
We arrived just as the Main St Electrical Parade was going on, and we ducked in to see Mickey. Who talks now. Yep. Very cool! I will post those photos when I get them (I joined in a last minute photo pass share so am waiting to get my downloads) we had a fun time talking with Mickey. Im not sure exactly how they work it. I feel like there is some limit to what he can say. I asked him his favorite cheese and he couldnt really answer. His CM helper suggested that he liked all cheese and he said yes he liked them all.
After visiting with Mickey, we strolled up Main Street through the shops. It was easier than fighting the crowds.
We made our way through the crowd back to tomorrowland. We were going a bit slow because by now Joes knee was killing him. We sat and people watched while the crowd thinned & then went over to Buzz Light year. By now my camera was dead (Id brought the wrong cord with us so could not recharge it so you can see that I had a lack of photos for the second half of the weekend) and my phone was dying so there are limited pics. Sorry. We rode Buzz Lightyear and Carousel of Progress and then even though we were early, we went to see if we could be seated for our dinner.
This was our first dinner at Be Our Guest. Wed been there for lunch in May, where Katie & I were not impressed with our choices, and Joe and I were looking forward to this dinner. We were seated at a table for two at the back wall of the ballroom. It was a nice quiet seat where we could see just about everything in the room. I was glad for that because we felt the middle of the ballroom was quite noisy (high ceilings echo!) at lunch time. We had an excellent server who really made our meal that much more enjoyable. She was friendly, outgoing, and spot on with suggestions and her timing.
Joe thoroughly enjoyed the bread basket, but resisted having more. I dont eat bread so skipped this. Next up, the famous French Onion Soup
SOOO yummy and cheesy. I had a taste of Joes. Mmmmm Its made with a vegetable broth instead of beef broth, so the taste is a bit different than what you would get say in France, but its delicious.
We had a nice pace to our dinner, and were not rushed at all between courses. We saw the Beast walk through the dining room on his way to greet guests, though guests are asked not to go up until they are completely finished eating.
Finally our Entrées arrived.
For me, the Braised pork, served over whipped cauliflower with grilled vegetables (brussel sprouts, carrot, green beans). WOW. It was soo good. The cauliflower really looked like mashed potatoes and were simply amazing. (photos borrowed online of course, stupid camera)
Joe opted for pork as well, but he chose the roasted pork loin chip with baked macaroni au gratin and seasonal vegetable. He loved it. The pork was juicy and tender and the macaroni he could not get enough of!! It was quite a healthy portion too.
We enjoyed our meal and enjoyed some people watching and taking in the detail of the ballroom when our server came over with a birthday card for me, signed by Belle and the Beast, and a taste of the grey stuff. NICE! The grey stuff was good, but truthfully too sweet for me. Joe, however, enjoyed that sample enough to order more from the dessert cart.
Joes dessert: The Grey Stuff on a chocolate brownie base
With the well spaced courses, and the fact that I definitely saved some room for dessert, I ordered a gluten free no sugar added lemon raspberry puff. It was awesome! Light, fluffy pastry, deliciously lemony filling and raspberry flavored whipped cream and a raspberry on top.
Dinner finished and thoroughly enjoyed, we gathered my leftovers (had to take that pork with me, too good not to!!) and walked over to meet our host for the evening. Which I will post as soon as I get my photo pass downloads!
The Magic Kingdom was officially into Extra Magic hours at this point ( it was close to 10:30) so no rides for us as we were not staying on property. We had one final shopping mission of Joes and stopped at the Christmas Shop near Hall of Presidents. A coworker had asked him to pick up a 2014 Christmas ornament, which, while it took a while to find, we were able to. That and a small necklace for Katie were our only extra purchases as we were traveling with a single carryon between the two of us. No room!!! (Allegiant Air has great low rates, but they nickel & dime you to death for everything, including having to pay for even a carry on bag!)
I almost forgot we did make one last purchase on our way down Main St. It was my treat for later .my favorite treat, half junk, half healthy (at least thats how Im calling it in my head!)
It took me a few days to enjoy it, but enjoy it I did (as did Katie!)
We once again took a bus to Saratoga Springs and this time scored a downtown Disney Bus as soon as we got off at the Carousel (this is the closest stop for walking to Downtown Disney if you wondered). Yah! We took the bus over to DTD & then walked across the road to our hotel. I too had a small mission, which I failed at I confess. I had told a DISer that Id send her maps from each of the parks. Joe and I were both sure wed seen park maps in the hotel lobby, so we stopped in the lobby that night (you know, after all the parks were closed and we had to leave for the airport at 5 am???) well, guess what? The lobby had big maps of all the parks in one, but not the specific park maps that we are all so used to picking up on entering a park. DOH!!!! I picked up what I could, and knew that I had some in my bag at home from October, so had to settle for sending that.
We had been texting back & forth with Joes sisters throughout the evening because of course, Pennsylvania was expecting 6 9 inches of snow the following morning, when we were due to land. I had to send in snow day and snow delay instructions. Sigh. Talk about not wanting to leave Florida!!
We packed our stuff up and finally turned out the lights about 1 am with the alarms set for 4:15. UGH.
Grabbing coffee & a bite to eat at the McDs drive thru, we headed back to Sanford Airport well before sunrise for our 7:20 am flight. It had started snowing at home about 5:30 am. Oh boy!!! But I have to say our flight was very uneventful, and we had a very smooth landing. This is what greeted us on the way home:
We stopped for a few photo pass pictures and then headed back to the Tower of Terror. Score! Walk on! Woot woot
Then we jumped right over to Rockin Roller Coaster. The wait was posted at 30 minutes so we opted to ride together. Joe asked the CM if we could wait for the first car because it was my birthday (almost) so she let us. SCORE. Front row was awesome!
We wandered around a bit after this looking for some breakfast for me. Note DHS is not a good breakfast place if you dont eat breads and breaded foods. No oatmeal, no smoothies. We opted to get more coffee at Writers Stop and agreed to just wait til lunch, which was only about 45 minutes away.
We walked through the Streets of New York, appreciating the forced perspective there, and all of the city sounds. We stopped to see Phineas & Ferb and then walked on.
We passed on the Pirates of the Caribbean I mentioned Kathys good review of it, but there was quite a wait there so we kept going. We visited One Mans Dream. Wow. Id never been here before and it really is fascinating. I love seeing all the stories and behind the scenes details. Katie will love this the net trip I see art in her future for sure. Here are just a few shots while I could get my camera to work.
(Cant wait for the mine train to open later this spring!!)
After One Mans Dream, we were feeling inspired & decided to try our own hands at some animation. We drew Tigger
By now I was really hungry, and nothing at the Studios was appealing. We headed out to a ferry (nursing Joes knee a bit). We thought wed try Kouzzina, but they dont seat for lunch. The outside tables at the building are for pizza. Not my thing. But then I knew exactly what I wanted.
We walked through the International Gateway and stopped at the FP+ kiosk. This was the first kiosk we saw that was not mobbed. There was one couple in front of us, who knew absolutely nothing of the process. I think I may have rolled my eyes a few times when I heard that they were not even entering the park they were leaving, but just wanted information. (I am SO impatient!) A second cast member may have caught the eye rolling because she asked if we wanted FPs & could help us at a second machine. So as AP holders, if wed had magic bands already we could have made FPs in advance, but we didnt have the MBs yet. So, at Epcot, you can choose only one main FP and then two secondary ones. So you have to choose between Soarin or TestTrack. You cant get both. We chose Soarin. Then you have to choose two more rides at the park, regardless of whether you want or plan to use them. This I disliked because the way I see it, there are a limited number of fps in general. If I have to take one, and dont use it, its potentially depriving someone else of a FP that they want. We got Soarin, Figment, and then I dnt even remember the third one, it may have been the Land. I really did want Maelstrom, but that was not available.
I texted myself the FP times and we were on our way. Oddly we didnt see any photo pass photographers on the bridge to France this day. Oh well. We made the most important stop in the World Showcase. SLUSHIES!!! Grey Goose for Joe, Grand Marnier for me. Mmmmmm happy now.
We then saw that they were indeed seating at the new Tapas restaurant, Spice Road, in Morocco. YAY! Despite having a drink in my hand (remember, no drinking 30 minutes before eating) we stopped for food.
We asked for a seat by the water and were given a lovely view of the lake.
Now to choose. Hmm they have a great menu here:
We chose the hummus and imported olives:
and then the Spicy Garlic Shrimp and the rice stuffed grape leaves (sorry, camera dead again!)
Everything was absolutely delicious. I see this being a very high demand place once they start taking reservations. At this point, you just walk in. There are not discounts being offered yet (TIW, AP, DVC) either. We asked (of course!). but really our bill was about $30 and we left very happy and satisfied.
Since my camera was dead from here on out, Ill borrow a few internet & past trip photos just to keep it interesting
From here we headed over for our fast passes and rode Figment,
The Land (stand by)
Funny (not) story on the Land. I missed most of the indoor garden areas because my sister in law had texted me to ask about downloading our photo pass pictures from October. I replied with my pcs password and instructions. Then realized that I had replied to a facebook post not here text. CRAP I JUST POSTED MY PASSWORD ON FACEBOOK! Then I frantically deleted the post on facebook, replied to the correct message (DOH!) and then asked my SIL to change my password. Sigh. Missed the whole darn ride.
We also scored front row seats on Soarin. Woohoo!
We exited the land & headed over to check out TestTrack but were not about to wait in a 60 minute line. So we continued on & headed to visit my favorite feathered friends the 3 Caballeros.
We browsed the merchandise in the Mayan temple and headed out again. We stopped in the Norway church and saw how Disney followed Norwegian traditions and customs in their production of Frozen. We exited to find that Anna and Ilsa were still greeting fans, but opted not to wait in the two hour line. ARGH.
I did make Joe wait in the 20 minute line for Maelstrom. I really enjoy this attraction, but am not sure why. I think its the ogres and trolls honestly. Joe does not enjoy it as much as I do but was a willing hostage. I did take the time to read all of fun facts on the huge world map in the queue. Check it out the next time youre in line for Maelstrom.
Walking through China we were feeling rather thirsty. There is a kiosk on the lagoon The Joy of Tea that had some interesting looking beverages. There is a special drink right now chocolate, coffee, bourbon ..sooo deliciously yummy. The girl preparing it was rather generous with the bourbon too. Highly recommended even if I cant remember what it was called!
We stopped to watch the trains for a bit
We walked along chatting with another couple, striking up a conversation first about our bit of chocolate heaven in a cup and then about becoming snowbirds. It was nice just to meander and enjoy the sun and the day. We made it to the American Pavilion just in time to finally catch the Voices of Liberty. Wow they are amazing! I was so sorry when they were finished because they were fantastic. I definitely got teary eyed listening. There is just something about the harmonies and melodies being sung a capella that is so very moving.
here is a youtube video if youve never seen them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSRWNBUnhKI
Feeling thirsty (again!), we stopped for a Sultans Coolada. Mmm coconut and rum.
I browsed the shops of Morocco a bit while Joe did some people watching & nursed his knee a bit.
Refreshed we walked along to Japan and enjoyed the performance of Matsuriza. Joe offered to let me pick a pearl so I naturally said yes! And picked a lovely white pearl which I had set in a sterling silver ring.
I think at this point we headed out through the front entrance to visit one more park. We had dinner reservations at Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom!
We arrived just as the Main St Electrical Parade was going on, and we ducked in to see Mickey. Who talks now. Yep. Very cool! I will post those photos when I get them (I joined in a last minute photo pass share so am waiting to get my downloads) we had a fun time talking with Mickey. Im not sure exactly how they work it. I feel like there is some limit to what he can say. I asked him his favorite cheese and he couldnt really answer. His CM helper suggested that he liked all cheese and he said yes he liked them all.
After visiting with Mickey, we strolled up Main Street through the shops. It was easier than fighting the crowds.
We made our way through the crowd back to tomorrowland. We were going a bit slow because by now Joes knee was killing him. We sat and people watched while the crowd thinned & then went over to Buzz Light year. By now my camera was dead (Id brought the wrong cord with us so could not recharge it so you can see that I had a lack of photos for the second half of the weekend) and my phone was dying so there are limited pics. Sorry. We rode Buzz Lightyear and Carousel of Progress and then even though we were early, we went to see if we could be seated for our dinner.
This was our first dinner at Be Our Guest. Wed been there for lunch in May, where Katie & I were not impressed with our choices, and Joe and I were looking forward to this dinner. We were seated at a table for two at the back wall of the ballroom. It was a nice quiet seat where we could see just about everything in the room. I was glad for that because we felt the middle of the ballroom was quite noisy (high ceilings echo!) at lunch time. We had an excellent server who really made our meal that much more enjoyable. She was friendly, outgoing, and spot on with suggestions and her timing.
Joe thoroughly enjoyed the bread basket, but resisted having more. I dont eat bread so skipped this. Next up, the famous French Onion Soup
SOOO yummy and cheesy. I had a taste of Joes. Mmmmm Its made with a vegetable broth instead of beef broth, so the taste is a bit different than what you would get say in France, but its delicious.
We had a nice pace to our dinner, and were not rushed at all between courses. We saw the Beast walk through the dining room on his way to greet guests, though guests are asked not to go up until they are completely finished eating.
Finally our Entrées arrived.
For me, the Braised pork, served over whipped cauliflower with grilled vegetables (brussel sprouts, carrot, green beans). WOW. It was soo good. The cauliflower really looked like mashed potatoes and were simply amazing. (photos borrowed online of course, stupid camera)
Joe opted for pork as well, but he chose the roasted pork loin chip with baked macaroni au gratin and seasonal vegetable. He loved it. The pork was juicy and tender and the macaroni he could not get enough of!! It was quite a healthy portion too.
We enjoyed our meal and enjoyed some people watching and taking in the detail of the ballroom when our server came over with a birthday card for me, signed by Belle and the Beast, and a taste of the grey stuff. NICE! The grey stuff was good, but truthfully too sweet for me. Joe, however, enjoyed that sample enough to order more from the dessert cart.
Joes dessert: The Grey Stuff on a chocolate brownie base
With the well spaced courses, and the fact that I definitely saved some room for dessert, I ordered a gluten free no sugar added lemon raspberry puff. It was awesome! Light, fluffy pastry, deliciously lemony filling and raspberry flavored whipped cream and a raspberry on top.
Dinner finished and thoroughly enjoyed, we gathered my leftovers (had to take that pork with me, too good not to!!) and walked over to meet our host for the evening. Which I will post as soon as I get my photo pass downloads!
The Magic Kingdom was officially into Extra Magic hours at this point ( it was close to 10:30) so no rides for us as we were not staying on property. We had one final shopping mission of Joes and stopped at the Christmas Shop near Hall of Presidents. A coworker had asked him to pick up a 2014 Christmas ornament, which, while it took a while to find, we were able to. That and a small necklace for Katie were our only extra purchases as we were traveling with a single carryon between the two of us. No room!!! (Allegiant Air has great low rates, but they nickel & dime you to death for everything, including having to pay for even a carry on bag!)
I almost forgot we did make one last purchase on our way down Main St. It was my treat for later .my favorite treat, half junk, half healthy (at least thats how Im calling it in my head!)
It took me a few days to enjoy it, but enjoy it I did (as did Katie!)
We once again took a bus to Saratoga Springs and this time scored a downtown Disney Bus as soon as we got off at the Carousel (this is the closest stop for walking to Downtown Disney if you wondered). Yah! We took the bus over to DTD & then walked across the road to our hotel. I too had a small mission, which I failed at I confess. I had told a DISer that Id send her maps from each of the parks. Joe and I were both sure wed seen park maps in the hotel lobby, so we stopped in the lobby that night (you know, after all the parks were closed and we had to leave for the airport at 5 am???) well, guess what? The lobby had big maps of all the parks in one, but not the specific park maps that we are all so used to picking up on entering a park. DOH!!!! I picked up what I could, and knew that I had some in my bag at home from October, so had to settle for sending that.
We had been texting back & forth with Joes sisters throughout the evening because of course, Pennsylvania was expecting 6 9 inches of snow the following morning, when we were due to land. I had to send in snow day and snow delay instructions. Sigh. Talk about not wanting to leave Florida!!
We packed our stuff up and finally turned out the lights about 1 am with the alarms set for 4:15. UGH.
Grabbing coffee & a bite to eat at the McDs drive thru, we headed back to Sanford Airport well before sunrise for our 7:20 am flight. It had started snowing at home about 5:30 am. Oh boy!!! But I have to say our flight was very uneventful, and we had a very smooth landing. This is what greeted us on the way home:
MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
I didn't read your whole trip within a trip yet, because I have a few comments.
Holy Mega Update! Wow!
Your travel day was endless. What a nightmare starting with the 2am call and ending with the 11:30pm check-in. At least you got there.
Day 1 was jam packed.
AK looks like it was a ton of fun. Yay for single rider EE! You got a lot done in a little bit of time.
Lunch at the Rainforest sounds fun.
Glad you got to meet your friends at FW. Looks like you had a ton of fun. And glad you got to cap it off with an evening at the MK.
Did you sleep on this trip?
Be back to read the rest later.
Holy Mega Update! Wow!
Your travel day was endless. What a nightmare starting with the 2am call and ending with the 11:30pm check-in. At least you got there.
Day 1 was jam packed.
AK looks like it was a ton of fun. Yay for single rider EE! You got a lot done in a little bit of time.
Lunch at the Rainforest sounds fun.
Glad you got to meet your friends at FW. Looks like you had a ton of fun. And glad you got to cap it off with an evening at the MK.
Did you sleep on this trip?
Be back to read the rest later.
KatMark
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
I remember reading on FB about your trouble woes for this short getaway. I'm glad you finally got there...but what a day. Glad you were able to go to the grocery store and get a little something to eat.
Great job on getting so much accomplished at AK. I skipped the bats; great picture of a walking tiger. I didn't realize Pizzafari served breakfast. I try to avoid it at lunch because I a not a fan of Disney pizza at all, but I may have to take a peek for breakfast.
You got a lot done for a very short trip. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the pictures.
Great job on getting so much accomplished at AK. I skipped the bats; great picture of a walking tiger. I didn't realize Pizzafari served breakfast. I try to avoid it at lunch because I a not a fan of Disney pizza at all, but I may have to take a peek for breakfast.
You got a lot done for a very short trip. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the pictures.
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
That's how we saw it. At least we made it to Florida on Friday so that we had all of Saturday and Sunday.
We really did hit all the highlights at Animal kingdom. I could have gone to see Nemo, but Joe was not feeling it, so we passed. It was just nice to have the day to walk around, stop and really notice some of the animals on Discovery Island (we saw the anteater really moving around, first time ever).
Rainforest was pretty yummy. I like to mix up the restaurants and eat at different places every trip, but Joe and Katie have some real favorites, and Rainforest is one of them.
sleeping is over rated! but we did sleep a bit. Something about the air around Disney is like breathing in coffee I swear!thanks for stopping in!!!
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
Crazy travel day!!! Goodings is rather expensive for an every day grocery store, but so convenient to the DTD area and the Resorts over there.
I am also not a pizza fan. We went to PIzzafari in May, but I actually ran up to TamuTamu and picked up a salad for me & a sandwich for Joe & then at them with the rest of the gang who were having Pizza. The breakfast was yummy and it was empty in there so it was nice to have time to really appreciate all of the decorations.
thanks for stopping over Kathy!
MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
Catching up on the rest of your weekend trip.
Yay for walking on ToT and RnR.
Your meal at the Spice Road looks fun. I love hummus. I definitely want to try that place. It sounds like a little oasis.
dinner also looked equally good. So great that you were able to score at reservation at BOG.
That soup - yum!
All in all what a wonderful weekend. So sorry the only bag part was dealing with the weather issues. Glad you were able to get home without any problems.
I have to admit. I have considered a long weekend at WDW and its doable with an AP, but is it really as much of a tease as it looks?
Enjoyed your mini weekend TR!
Yay for walking on ToT and RnR.
Your meal at the Spice Road looks fun. I love hummus. I definitely want to try that place. It sounds like a little oasis.
dinner also looked equally good. So great that you were able to score at reservation at BOG.
That soup - yum! All in all what a wonderful weekend. So sorry the only bag part was dealing with the weather issues. Glad you were able to get home without any problems.
I have to admit. I have considered a long weekend at WDW and its doable with an AP, but is it really as much of a tease as it looks?
Enjoyed your mini weekend TR!
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
walk-ons were great, since the FP kiosks were crazy at DHS and AK. its good to know that as long as you already have a MB from a previous trip, if you're an AP holder you can still make FP+ reservations in advance.It didn't help us for this trip, but its good to know going forward.Catching up on the rest of your weekend trip.
Yay for walking on ToT and RnR.
Your meal at the Spice Road looks fun. I love hummus. I definitely want to try that place. It sounds like a little oasis.
dinner also looked equally good. So great that you were able to score at reservation at BOG.
All in all what a wonderful weekend. So sorry the only bag part was dealing with the weather issues. Glad you were able to get home without any problems.
I have to admit. I have considered a long weekend at WDW and its doable with an AP, but is it really as much of a tease as it looks?
Enjoyed your mini weekend TR!
Is a weekend getaway worth it? I have to say that a warm weather weekend in January or February is really nice. Now admittedly, when you go away, its mostly you and Denny now anyway so you can always stick to your own pace of things. I think for us the really big plus is that its just Joe & I too. We can get up early,stay up late, eat when and what we want, there's no whining, no nagging, no tension when we want to just window shop through stores with $500 glass figurines
. Not that we don't have a blast with Katie - we do of course! but its a different pace when you travel without a child. Spice Road was sooo good. I really enjoyed the hummus, which was a HUGE shocker. I'm so glad that I decided to be brave and taste it. I would definitely eat it again.
I need to find some more DIS time. Girl Scouts has me so busy lately that I fall asleep almost as soon as I sit in my chair at night.
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
Helloooooooo (helloooo hellooo helloooo)
I am dismally behind on updating my trip report. I'm sorry! I just finally was able to download my photo pass pictures from a share that I joined for our February weekend. With little to no commentary, I'll share our photos.
Enjoy!
I LOVE THESE FRAME PICTURES!
HMMM I wonder what I was whispering in his ear??
Katie was so mad when she saw that we met Phineus & Ferb without her!
continued
I am dismally behind on updating my trip report. I'm sorry! I just finally was able to download my photo pass pictures from a share that I joined for our February weekend. With little to no commentary, I'll share our photos.
Enjoy!
I LOVE THESE FRAME PICTURES!
HMMM I wonder what I was whispering in his ear??
Katie was so mad when she saw that we met Phineus & Ferb without her!
continued
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
and Talking Mickey was very cool!
he wanted us to put on our best Pirate faces! (its like he remembered that we were Pirates in October LOL)
Now that's how to wrap up a couple's weekend
Girl Scout cookie season is over (though I still have some left if you want some!) so hopefully I will be able to actually finish writing my own TR and keep up on everyone else's. (although though sadly I have become addicted to the Game of Thrones book series so have been feeding my addiction during the time that I would normally be online...sorry, you heard it here. books even trump Disney
, though if they are books about Disney well OMG that's the end!)
he wanted us to put on our best Pirate faces! (its like he remembered that we were Pirates in October LOL)
Now that's how to wrap up a couple's weekend
Girl Scout cookie season is over (though I still have some left if you want some!) so hopefully I will be able to actually finish writing my own TR and keep up on everyone else's. (although though sadly I have become addicted to the Game of Thrones book series so have been feeding my addiction during the time that I would normally be online...sorry, you heard it here. books even trump Disney
, though if they are books about Disney well OMG that's the end!)
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
Thanks Kathy!
The talking Mickey was neat, though he does not have an unlimited vocabulary. I am curious to know how the whole thing works. but its fun
MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
I agree - your pictures are wonderful. I wouldn't even think of doing a share for such a short trip but WOW - you really got a bunch of great photos. Strong work.
What's really incredible is that you don't even look like the same person you did -what 18 months ago? You look fantastic!
What's really incredible is that you don't even look like the same person you did -what 18 months ago? You look fantastic!
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
I could not pass up a share for $20! It was definitely a spur of the moment choice though, but I think its fun. Everytime I buy PP I say its the last time, but I can't help myself LOL
aaw thanks! I feel like a different person actually. I am trying..it seems to only get harder, not easier! I am waiting for the weather to warm up just a tad and will try running outside in the morning. I'm a bit nervous about it...wishing I had an am running partner to motivate me, but Thor does not count.
mickeystoontown
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
Awww, love all of the Photopass pictures! You look like the perfect young couple in love! 
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
Awww, love all of the Photopass pictures! You look like the perfect young couple in love!
aaaw thanks. You snuck right in. I'm trying to catch up here ....so far behind in reading everyone's trips. I am missing my DIS time!
PracPerfPatricia
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2006
Super duper late to the party 
but subbing on now... back to read...:surf web:
but subbing on now... back to read...:surf web:
Moira222
Can't get enough of the Magic & Pixie Dust!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2008
Super duper late to the party
ha seeing as I am SO SLOW to update this TR, there's no worries about being late
Thanks for coming over!!!
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