We arrived home from the World a few days ago, and after taking a long nap and unpacking, I decided to write a quick trip report while my memories are still fresh (and to help with the post-Disney blues).
Basics of our stay: Split reservation, Pop Century 8-26 though 8-28 for myself and my two sons (one room), Grand Floridian 8-28 through 9-3 for my party plus extended family (three rooms).
My sons and I had 7 day park hoppers. We were at the parks for two days before extended family arrived, and we planned to power through a few parks before hanging out with our larger party (which required more flexibility in regards to park and dinner plans...it's much easier to herd three of us through fast passes and ADRs than it is a party of 14!).
Day 1: Aug. 26
Arrived at Orlando at 6 p.m. on a direct flight from D.C. via Southwest. Flight crew was amazing (birthday party for passenger, Disney songs, etc. on the way in). Although the weather was supposed to be 'partly cloudy,’ we landed during a rain storm. It rained on the bus ride to Pop. It rained on and off the rest of the night.
No worries, because son 1, son 2 and I only had plans to grab a bite to eat at Pop and hit our beds.
We picked up luggage at the airport rather than using DME service, as I was afraid we'd be asleep by the time it arrived at the resort. We also took our time – no rushing, we’re on vacation – and by the time we got onto the bus and checked into Pop, it was around 7:30ish.
Our room was in the 60s, second floor, about a minute walk to the pool (if that much) and a two-minute walk to the food court.
The food court was chaotic the night we arrived due in large part to the rain driving a lot of people inside and away from the parks. We ordered a family pizza (half pepperoni, half Hawaiian) and waited maybe 10 minutes before it was ready. I also grabbed a turkey sandwich from the same station that the monster slices of pizza are served from.
Note 1: Even though the pizza didn’t take long relative to the crowd size it took forever get through the line to pay. It was really crowded, and it seemed as though every person paying ahead of us was on the dining plan but had no idea what went with their meals (seriously, there was a lot of back and forth between diners and cashiers about what was included, and just about everyone sent a member of their party off to grab some forgotten item…AND the cashiers waited until people were back before ringing up, naturally). This wasn’t specific to Pop…I witnessed it in every park. It was frustrating, though, waiting for people to discuss the intricacies of the plan when I just wanted to pay for my food or drink and didn’t need more than a minute to do so. I totally understand being on the plan and wanting to make sure you get your money’s worth; I just wish there were lines specific to people on the dining plan and lines for people not on the plan.
We ate in our room around 8:30; my sons really enjoyed the pizza, and my turkey sandwich was good too. We had pizza left over, so off it went into the fridge overnight. Lights went out a bit before 10, because we hoped to be up at 8 and at Epcot not long after the next morning.
Day 2: Aug 27
We were up by 8 o’clock. My kids are really quick to dress, brush teeth, etc., and I can be quick when necessary as well…so we hoped to be on the bus to Epcot by 8:30. Son 1 ate his leftover Hawaiian pizza for breakfast, son 2 asked for something hot (and I needed coffee). We ran over to Everything Pop, where I loaded up on coffee and son 2 scarfed down most of a kid’s Mickey waffle breakfast (he enjoyed it, but would not get the fruit topping again).
We made it to Epcot quickly and were through the gates by 9:20. Our first stop was Soarin’, which had a 20 minute wait. Our wait was much shorter, about 10 minutes or less.
Note 2: son 1 and son 2 last went to WDW four years ago, at ages 7 and 8. They DID NOT enjoy rides with any height that last trip (basically, one trip on Space Mountain was enough, and they refused to go on anything more ‘thrilling’ that Pirates of the Caribbean after). So I was a bit nervous about their reaction to Soarin’,even though I explained to them what the ride was like…and even though they assured me they’d be ok.
AND, they loved it! Son 2, who does not like heights, really loved it! Son 1 declared it his favorite (a designation which lasted a half day, lol).
We ventured over to The Land after Soarin’, and then walked upstairs to go outside…only to find it raining hard. I had one poncho packed in our bag (and figured I’d buy two more if we needed them during this trip…we needed them right away!). So downstairs we went to the little gift area outside of Soarin’, and $18 and two new ponchos later, we were covered and off to Spaceship Earth.
Due to the rain, the line for Spaceship Earth was longer than it usually is (20 minutes or so), but it moved quickly and we had a lot of fun on the ride.
Afterward, we headed to the World Showcase and didn’t stop until we were inside of Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie. I had lunch reservations for us at Sci-Fi in Hollywood Studios at 3:30ish, but it was almost noon by this point and the kids were hungry. So we grabbed a ‘snack’ (a half baguette, lobster bisque, two pastries, and drinks) and sat inside for 30 or minutes or so while we snacked. There was plenty of food to satisfy all of us. even though I didn’t get a bite of either pastry!.
We had a fast pass for Toy Story Mania in the Studios starting around 12:30, so after our snack, we headed out International Gateway and caught up with the boat at the Beach/Yacht Club stop.
Once in the Studios, we headed toward Toy Story Mania, with a brief stop in front of the Chinese Theater for the Star Wars show. Toy Story was a hit with the boys…and son 1 declared it even better than Soarin’.
It was about 1:15 by the time we got off Toy Story Mania, and the boys were getting tired. We took a group vote and decided to grab drinks and fruit at the Trolley Stop Café and sit outside and relax for a while. Thirty minutes later, we looked in the nearby shops, then headed over to the Muppet 3D show.
FINALLY, it was time for lunch. We checked into Sci Fi around 3;15, just as it began raining again; the inside wait area was packed. The wait staff was having fun, though…handing out popcorn and playing trivia games with the kids. After maybe 10 minutes, we were called to our car for lunch.
Sci Fi was a big hit with both son 1 and 2. I’d been there before, but it was their first trip. We were in fantastic location (front row, center, front two rows in the car). The boys sat in the front row, so were ‘driving’ (and my server told me I could have a beer as they were behind the wheel). The kids loved the old movie clips on the big screen and they enjoyed the meal…boneless chicken wings for son 2, burger with just cheese and bacon for son 1, and a cookies and cream milkshake split between the two of them. I had a burger as well (the one with pimento cheese) and a beer! Son 2 ate all but two of his ‘wings’, and son 1 and I could only eat half of our burgers. So we packed everything up in go boxes and headed out.
We had a fast pass for Star Tours around the time we exited Sci Fi, but the boys were beat. Off we went to catch the bus to Pop (ponchos on, as it was raining again). The bus was there as we walked up to the bus stop, so within less than 15 minutes (it seemed like a really short drive) we were back at our hotel (just after 5 pm).
The rain had let up by then, so after depositing leftovers into the little fridge in our room, we went to the Hippy Dippy pool. The boys made friend with another boy their age almost right away, so the three of them played and swam for a long time. I sat on a lounger, read a book, and got a few drinks from Petals Pool Bar (excellent drinks, efficient service).
A bit after 7 pm, they were done, so we headed back to our room. Son 2 was starving after his time in the pool; son 1 wasn’t that hungry, so he held down the fort in our room (i.e., he watched cartoons) while son 2 and I headed to the food court. It was MUCH much less crowded that it was the night before. Son 2 elected for the adult turkey meal (with mashed potatoes and green beans). I wasn’t as hungry, so opted for the kid’s fried chicken (one leg, mashed potatoes and green beans). We got the food to go, ate in our room, and then watched TV as son 1 finished his leftover burger from lunch…and then he and his brother finished my leftover burger, lol. Lights were out around 9:30, as we were checking out of Pop the next morning before our move to Grand Floridian…and before our 8:30 am reservation at ‘Ohana to see Stitch!
Day 3: Aug 28
This was a jammed-packed day! Not only did we have an ADR for ‘Ohana breakfast, we had fast passes in the Magic Kingdom AND we were meeting up with the first group of relatives heading in for the extended family portion of our trip.
I packed up the little we’d taken from our bags the night before, so upon waking, the boys and I only needed to dress and brush teeth before heading over to bell services (I may have put on a bit of makeup as well). By 7:45 a.m., we had tagged our bags for the transfer to GF, and by a few minutes before 8, we were in a cab to the Polynesian.
The cab to Poly was really quick, and we were in line to check in for breakfast by 8:20 The check in line for the breakfast at ‘Ohana kind of melds seamlessly into the line to meet and take pictures with Stitch, so were in that line pretty quickly. My boys were a bit disappointed they didn’t get to meet Stitch during breakfast (we went to ‘Ohana for breakfast their first trip four years earlier, and getting to meet and interact with Stitch during the meal was the highlight of their trip). They went with the flow, however, and had a great time taking pics when it was their turn. Our buzzer for our table went off right as they were meeting Stitch, so the timing was perfect.
We were at our table and had our food really quickly. The boys LOVED the Stitch and Mickey Waffles. I loved the eggs and sausage (I was wary…a breakfast the year before at Garden Grill with Chip and Dale was nothing buy dry/hard eggs and greasy sausage. The food at ‘Ohana was much better!). The boys had a ton of fun meeting and taking pics with Pluto, Mickey and Lilo. Son 1 asked Pluto if he could put his head in Pluto’s mouth…and he let him! The pictures are hysterical. Son 1 also asked Pluto if he knew tricks, and had him ‘sit’ (Pluto sat down on the floor). When Mickey came by, Son 1 asked him to play Rock Paper Scissors…and Mickey played with him! (Son 1 won). The interaction with the characters was just fun. Even though I was in a little sticker shock at the price of breakfast (given that the boys are now “Disney Adults”), it was worth it.
After breakfast, we were on the monorail and off to Magic Kingdom! We had fast passes starting around 11 for Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan a bit after noon and the Jungle Cruise a bit after 2 in the afternoon. When we arrived (just after 10 am), lines for the Haunted House were short, so we headed in that direction. We basically walked onto the ride the line was so short. The boys loved it (they were a little scared four years before). We debated riding again, but as it was time for our Buzz Lightyear fast pass, the boys decided to head in that direction.
Buzz was a hit (but not quite as much as a hit as Soarin’ and Toy Story Mania the day before). The Winnie the Pooh ride had a shortish wait, so we went on it before heading to Peter Pan’s Flight. They boys (who LOVED the Pooh ride four years earlier because it was so tame) liked that one again, but they were blown away by Peter Pan. They asked to ride it again, but the wait without a fast pass was an hour by the time we exited the ride. We decided to stop for a drink and rest at Columbia Harbor House instead.
Note 3: Columbia Harbor House was busy, as we arrived there in the middle of the lunch rush. However, upstairs, as always, was almost empty. We grabbed a few drinks and headed upstairs, snagging two two-person tables by a set of windows…we spread out a bit, with chairs facing the windows/street view and relaxed for a good 20 minutes. The entire time we were up there, it remained almost deserted (in stark contrast to the rush downstairs). It was only as we were leaving that someone walked over to our area and asked if we were leaving. They explained it was their tradition to have their first meal of their holiday upstairs at CCH people watching at a window, and we were happy to hand over our spot for them to use.
We headed to Pirates of the Caribbean after our rest, because it had a 30 minute wait according to the MDE app on my phone. This was one of the few times that my MDE app was wrong…or at least slow to update, lol. Our wait for PoC was closer to an hour…it was LONG and hot, and my feet were aching by the time we got loaded onto the boat. The kids had a great time on the ride, however, and said it was worth the wait in line.
After, we went over a bit early to the Jungle Cruise for our fast pass. I actually didn’t realize we were early until our bands didn’t work in the FP line…the cast member let on us on anyway, which was a blessing (we were very tired at that point). The JC was a lot of fun, and my kids really got into the corny humor. Son 1 said it was almost as much fun as Soarin’ and Toy Story Mania.
Our group was exhausted (and hot) at this point, and as a thunderclouds were approaching, we decided to call it a day and head to GF to check in.
Unfortunately, our room at GF wasn’t ready when we arrived (about 2:30 pm). The castmember that checked us in said they’d text when it was ready. The boys watched cartoons in the lobby for about 15 minutes, then we decided to walk around the hotel grounds and wait for the text. We went to Gasparilla’s for a snack (cheese plate for son 1, burger split among the three of us…a burger so good son 2 had several more during our stay).
We ended up at the Beach Pool around 3:30 (the bar there has a cell phone charging area…which was great, as my phone was on about 3% power at that point). Son 1 and 2 parked at a table with an umbrella where they could play on electronics, while I parked by the phone charging area. We had drinks while we waited for our room text (wine for me…a teeny tiny glass at $10 a pop). It rained a bit, but there wasn’t lightning, so the pool area stayed open.
By 4 pm, I still hadn’t received a text and the boys were getting antsy. Off we went to the front desk to inquire about our room. It was ready at that point, I just hadn’t received a text for whatever reason. No worries! We were in Boca Chita, second floor overlooking the pool area. Lovely view, ice cold room (hooray!) and comfy comfy beds with lots of space. We were happy campers. The boys watched more cartoons. I napped for a few minutes.
Our order from Safeway was due around 5:30 as was niece 1 (part of our extended family party). And they arrived together. Literally, as my niece walked into the lobby of the GF, the guy delivering our groceries was just behind her.
Note 4: Safeway had great customer service. I had two orders with them…one for me, and one for my sister and my two nieces (they had problems creating a Safeway account due to Safeway website issues, so I just said I’d do both orders…I had an account with them because we shop at Safeway at home). Safeway called the day before to verify that I meant to place two orders…I guess they were worried I’d been mixed up, and they didn’t want any issues upon delivery. Their driver called me when he was on his way to the resort with an ETA and again confirmed that I would be available to pick up both orders.
We were given connecting rooms, so niece 1 and I split up the supplies and caught up. We had an ADR at Kona around 8, so we head in that direction around 7:30. We walked (in a light rain) and were seated around the time of our ADR. Food was…meh. I don’t remember what niece 1 had for an appetizer, but I had the pot stickers (kids had the sticky wings). The pot stickers were ok. The wings were good but not great. Niece 1 and I had sushi as an entree, which was good too…but not great. Son 1 and 2 split the pork two ways, and they were disappointed…and they love pork! The bread service was wonderful, however, and service was pretty good as well. But I’m not tempted to go back to dinner, frankly. We just found it underwhelming. On top of that, the restaurant was loud and service a bit slow.
By 9:30, we were finished and on the monorail back to GF. Boys were in bed and sound asleep by 10:30…sister and niece 2 arrived from the airport by 11:30. I hung out in their room chatting for a while, and lights were out all around a bit after midnight. The group of us 6 had midday plans at the Studios, and the boys and I had early morning plans to meet up with the family of one of son 2’s friends at AK.
Basics of our stay: Split reservation, Pop Century 8-26 though 8-28 for myself and my two sons (one room), Grand Floridian 8-28 through 9-3 for my party plus extended family (three rooms).
My sons and I had 7 day park hoppers. We were at the parks for two days before extended family arrived, and we planned to power through a few parks before hanging out with our larger party (which required more flexibility in regards to park and dinner plans...it's much easier to herd three of us through fast passes and ADRs than it is a party of 14!).
Day 1: Aug. 26
Arrived at Orlando at 6 p.m. on a direct flight from D.C. via Southwest. Flight crew was amazing (birthday party for passenger, Disney songs, etc. on the way in). Although the weather was supposed to be 'partly cloudy,’ we landed during a rain storm. It rained on the bus ride to Pop. It rained on and off the rest of the night.
No worries, because son 1, son 2 and I only had plans to grab a bite to eat at Pop and hit our beds.
We picked up luggage at the airport rather than using DME service, as I was afraid we'd be asleep by the time it arrived at the resort. We also took our time – no rushing, we’re on vacation – and by the time we got onto the bus and checked into Pop, it was around 7:30ish.
Our room was in the 60s, second floor, about a minute walk to the pool (if that much) and a two-minute walk to the food court.
The food court was chaotic the night we arrived due in large part to the rain driving a lot of people inside and away from the parks. We ordered a family pizza (half pepperoni, half Hawaiian) and waited maybe 10 minutes before it was ready. I also grabbed a turkey sandwich from the same station that the monster slices of pizza are served from.
Note 1: Even though the pizza didn’t take long relative to the crowd size it took forever get through the line to pay. It was really crowded, and it seemed as though every person paying ahead of us was on the dining plan but had no idea what went with their meals (seriously, there was a lot of back and forth between diners and cashiers about what was included, and just about everyone sent a member of their party off to grab some forgotten item…AND the cashiers waited until people were back before ringing up, naturally). This wasn’t specific to Pop…I witnessed it in every park. It was frustrating, though, waiting for people to discuss the intricacies of the plan when I just wanted to pay for my food or drink and didn’t need more than a minute to do so. I totally understand being on the plan and wanting to make sure you get your money’s worth; I just wish there were lines specific to people on the dining plan and lines for people not on the plan.
We ate in our room around 8:30; my sons really enjoyed the pizza, and my turkey sandwich was good too. We had pizza left over, so off it went into the fridge overnight. Lights went out a bit before 10, because we hoped to be up at 8 and at Epcot not long after the next morning.
Day 2: Aug 27
We were up by 8 o’clock. My kids are really quick to dress, brush teeth, etc., and I can be quick when necessary as well…so we hoped to be on the bus to Epcot by 8:30. Son 1 ate his leftover Hawaiian pizza for breakfast, son 2 asked for something hot (and I needed coffee). We ran over to Everything Pop, where I loaded up on coffee and son 2 scarfed down most of a kid’s Mickey waffle breakfast (he enjoyed it, but would not get the fruit topping again).
We made it to Epcot quickly and were through the gates by 9:20. Our first stop was Soarin’, which had a 20 minute wait. Our wait was much shorter, about 10 minutes or less.
Note 2: son 1 and son 2 last went to WDW four years ago, at ages 7 and 8. They DID NOT enjoy rides with any height that last trip (basically, one trip on Space Mountain was enough, and they refused to go on anything more ‘thrilling’ that Pirates of the Caribbean after). So I was a bit nervous about their reaction to Soarin’,even though I explained to them what the ride was like…and even though they assured me they’d be ok.
AND, they loved it! Son 2, who does not like heights, really loved it! Son 1 declared it his favorite (a designation which lasted a half day, lol).
We ventured over to The Land after Soarin’, and then walked upstairs to go outside…only to find it raining hard. I had one poncho packed in our bag (and figured I’d buy two more if we needed them during this trip…we needed them right away!). So downstairs we went to the little gift area outside of Soarin’, and $18 and two new ponchos later, we were covered and off to Spaceship Earth.
Due to the rain, the line for Spaceship Earth was longer than it usually is (20 minutes or so), but it moved quickly and we had a lot of fun on the ride.
Afterward, we headed to the World Showcase and didn’t stop until we were inside of Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie. I had lunch reservations for us at Sci-Fi in Hollywood Studios at 3:30ish, but it was almost noon by this point and the kids were hungry. So we grabbed a ‘snack’ (a half baguette, lobster bisque, two pastries, and drinks) and sat inside for 30 or minutes or so while we snacked. There was plenty of food to satisfy all of us. even though I didn’t get a bite of either pastry!.
We had a fast pass for Toy Story Mania in the Studios starting around 12:30, so after our snack, we headed out International Gateway and caught up with the boat at the Beach/Yacht Club stop.
Once in the Studios, we headed toward Toy Story Mania, with a brief stop in front of the Chinese Theater for the Star Wars show. Toy Story was a hit with the boys…and son 1 declared it even better than Soarin’.
It was about 1:15 by the time we got off Toy Story Mania, and the boys were getting tired. We took a group vote and decided to grab drinks and fruit at the Trolley Stop Café and sit outside and relax for a while. Thirty minutes later, we looked in the nearby shops, then headed over to the Muppet 3D show.
FINALLY, it was time for lunch. We checked into Sci Fi around 3;15, just as it began raining again; the inside wait area was packed. The wait staff was having fun, though…handing out popcorn and playing trivia games with the kids. After maybe 10 minutes, we were called to our car for lunch.
Sci Fi was a big hit with both son 1 and 2. I’d been there before, but it was their first trip. We were in fantastic location (front row, center, front two rows in the car). The boys sat in the front row, so were ‘driving’ (and my server told me I could have a beer as they were behind the wheel). The kids loved the old movie clips on the big screen and they enjoyed the meal…boneless chicken wings for son 2, burger with just cheese and bacon for son 1, and a cookies and cream milkshake split between the two of them. I had a burger as well (the one with pimento cheese) and a beer! Son 2 ate all but two of his ‘wings’, and son 1 and I could only eat half of our burgers. So we packed everything up in go boxes and headed out.
We had a fast pass for Star Tours around the time we exited Sci Fi, but the boys were beat. Off we went to catch the bus to Pop (ponchos on, as it was raining again). The bus was there as we walked up to the bus stop, so within less than 15 minutes (it seemed like a really short drive) we were back at our hotel (just after 5 pm).
The rain had let up by then, so after depositing leftovers into the little fridge in our room, we went to the Hippy Dippy pool. The boys made friend with another boy their age almost right away, so the three of them played and swam for a long time. I sat on a lounger, read a book, and got a few drinks from Petals Pool Bar (excellent drinks, efficient service).
A bit after 7 pm, they were done, so we headed back to our room. Son 2 was starving after his time in the pool; son 1 wasn’t that hungry, so he held down the fort in our room (i.e., he watched cartoons) while son 2 and I headed to the food court. It was MUCH much less crowded that it was the night before. Son 2 elected for the adult turkey meal (with mashed potatoes and green beans). I wasn’t as hungry, so opted for the kid’s fried chicken (one leg, mashed potatoes and green beans). We got the food to go, ate in our room, and then watched TV as son 1 finished his leftover burger from lunch…and then he and his brother finished my leftover burger, lol. Lights were out around 9:30, as we were checking out of Pop the next morning before our move to Grand Floridian…and before our 8:30 am reservation at ‘Ohana to see Stitch!
Day 3: Aug 28
This was a jammed-packed day! Not only did we have an ADR for ‘Ohana breakfast, we had fast passes in the Magic Kingdom AND we were meeting up with the first group of relatives heading in for the extended family portion of our trip.
I packed up the little we’d taken from our bags the night before, so upon waking, the boys and I only needed to dress and brush teeth before heading over to bell services (I may have put on a bit of makeup as well). By 7:45 a.m., we had tagged our bags for the transfer to GF, and by a few minutes before 8, we were in a cab to the Polynesian.
The cab to Poly was really quick, and we were in line to check in for breakfast by 8:20 The check in line for the breakfast at ‘Ohana kind of melds seamlessly into the line to meet and take pictures with Stitch, so were in that line pretty quickly. My boys were a bit disappointed they didn’t get to meet Stitch during breakfast (we went to ‘Ohana for breakfast their first trip four years earlier, and getting to meet and interact with Stitch during the meal was the highlight of their trip). They went with the flow, however, and had a great time taking pics when it was their turn. Our buzzer for our table went off right as they were meeting Stitch, so the timing was perfect.
We were at our table and had our food really quickly. The boys LOVED the Stitch and Mickey Waffles. I loved the eggs and sausage (I was wary…a breakfast the year before at Garden Grill with Chip and Dale was nothing buy dry/hard eggs and greasy sausage. The food at ‘Ohana was much better!). The boys had a ton of fun meeting and taking pics with Pluto, Mickey and Lilo. Son 1 asked Pluto if he could put his head in Pluto’s mouth…and he let him! The pictures are hysterical. Son 1 also asked Pluto if he knew tricks, and had him ‘sit’ (Pluto sat down on the floor). When Mickey came by, Son 1 asked him to play Rock Paper Scissors…and Mickey played with him! (Son 1 won). The interaction with the characters was just fun. Even though I was in a little sticker shock at the price of breakfast (given that the boys are now “Disney Adults”), it was worth it.
After breakfast, we were on the monorail and off to Magic Kingdom! We had fast passes starting around 11 for Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan a bit after noon and the Jungle Cruise a bit after 2 in the afternoon. When we arrived (just after 10 am), lines for the Haunted House were short, so we headed in that direction. We basically walked onto the ride the line was so short. The boys loved it (they were a little scared four years before). We debated riding again, but as it was time for our Buzz Lightyear fast pass, the boys decided to head in that direction.
Buzz was a hit (but not quite as much as a hit as Soarin’ and Toy Story Mania the day before). The Winnie the Pooh ride had a shortish wait, so we went on it before heading to Peter Pan’s Flight. They boys (who LOVED the Pooh ride four years earlier because it was so tame) liked that one again, but they were blown away by Peter Pan. They asked to ride it again, but the wait without a fast pass was an hour by the time we exited the ride. We decided to stop for a drink and rest at Columbia Harbor House instead.
Note 3: Columbia Harbor House was busy, as we arrived there in the middle of the lunch rush. However, upstairs, as always, was almost empty. We grabbed a few drinks and headed upstairs, snagging two two-person tables by a set of windows…we spread out a bit, with chairs facing the windows/street view and relaxed for a good 20 minutes. The entire time we were up there, it remained almost deserted (in stark contrast to the rush downstairs). It was only as we were leaving that someone walked over to our area and asked if we were leaving. They explained it was their tradition to have their first meal of their holiday upstairs at CCH people watching at a window, and we were happy to hand over our spot for them to use.
We headed to Pirates of the Caribbean after our rest, because it had a 30 minute wait according to the MDE app on my phone. This was one of the few times that my MDE app was wrong…or at least slow to update, lol. Our wait for PoC was closer to an hour…it was LONG and hot, and my feet were aching by the time we got loaded onto the boat. The kids had a great time on the ride, however, and said it was worth the wait in line.
After, we went over a bit early to the Jungle Cruise for our fast pass. I actually didn’t realize we were early until our bands didn’t work in the FP line…the cast member let on us on anyway, which was a blessing (we were very tired at that point). The JC was a lot of fun, and my kids really got into the corny humor. Son 1 said it was almost as much fun as Soarin’ and Toy Story Mania.
Our group was exhausted (and hot) at this point, and as a thunderclouds were approaching, we decided to call it a day and head to GF to check in.
Unfortunately, our room at GF wasn’t ready when we arrived (about 2:30 pm). The castmember that checked us in said they’d text when it was ready. The boys watched cartoons in the lobby for about 15 minutes, then we decided to walk around the hotel grounds and wait for the text. We went to Gasparilla’s for a snack (cheese plate for son 1, burger split among the three of us…a burger so good son 2 had several more during our stay).
We ended up at the Beach Pool around 3:30 (the bar there has a cell phone charging area…which was great, as my phone was on about 3% power at that point). Son 1 and 2 parked at a table with an umbrella where they could play on electronics, while I parked by the phone charging area. We had drinks while we waited for our room text (wine for me…a teeny tiny glass at $10 a pop). It rained a bit, but there wasn’t lightning, so the pool area stayed open.
By 4 pm, I still hadn’t received a text and the boys were getting antsy. Off we went to the front desk to inquire about our room. It was ready at that point, I just hadn’t received a text for whatever reason. No worries! We were in Boca Chita, second floor overlooking the pool area. Lovely view, ice cold room (hooray!) and comfy comfy beds with lots of space. We were happy campers. The boys watched more cartoons. I napped for a few minutes.
Our order from Safeway was due around 5:30 as was niece 1 (part of our extended family party). And they arrived together. Literally, as my niece walked into the lobby of the GF, the guy delivering our groceries was just behind her.
Note 4: Safeway had great customer service. I had two orders with them…one for me, and one for my sister and my two nieces (they had problems creating a Safeway account due to Safeway website issues, so I just said I’d do both orders…I had an account with them because we shop at Safeway at home). Safeway called the day before to verify that I meant to place two orders…I guess they were worried I’d been mixed up, and they didn’t want any issues upon delivery. Their driver called me when he was on his way to the resort with an ETA and again confirmed that I would be available to pick up both orders.
We were given connecting rooms, so niece 1 and I split up the supplies and caught up. We had an ADR at Kona around 8, so we head in that direction around 7:30. We walked (in a light rain) and were seated around the time of our ADR. Food was…meh. I don’t remember what niece 1 had for an appetizer, but I had the pot stickers (kids had the sticky wings). The pot stickers were ok. The wings were good but not great. Niece 1 and I had sushi as an entree, which was good too…but not great. Son 1 and 2 split the pork two ways, and they were disappointed…and they love pork! The bread service was wonderful, however, and service was pretty good as well. But I’m not tempted to go back to dinner, frankly. We just found it underwhelming. On top of that, the restaurant was loud and service a bit slow.
By 9:30, we were finished and on the monorail back to GF. Boys were in bed and sound asleep by 10:30…sister and niece 2 arrived from the airport by 11:30. I hung out in their room chatting for a while, and lights were out all around a bit after midnight. The group of us 6 had midday plans at the Studios, and the boys and I had early morning plans to meet up with the family of one of son 2’s friends at AK.
