Day 7 PM Party 2 Magic Kingdom (Thursday, 3/19):
Just noticed the date typo in my previous post.
Dinner - We arrived at Be Our Guest very hot, sweaty, and angry after having to find DS on TSI and run like the wind to get to our 4:20pm ADR on time. We didn't wait long after arriving, maybe 5-10min, before being paged. We were seated in the coveted West Wing. It was full or blocked off when we had lunch on our previous trip, so we had sat in the main ballroom. The West Wing is really cool. DH and I decided we needed a glass of champagne after the TSII. DH and I split the French Onion Soup. It was a little salty, which French Onion soup can be, but it was very good. It definitely had the melted cheese and bread. I think it was supposed to be a crouton, but if it sits at all, it ends up bread, which was fine. I had the Sautéed Shrimp & Scallops. I was worried that it would be heavy, but it wasn't. It was good. The seasoning and sauce were tasty but didn't overpower the seafood and was not too salty. The seafood was also not overcooked to death. Instead of being a very creamy sauce, it was more of a really light butter sauce with broth and maybe white wine. The puff pastry absorbed some of the sauce; otherwise, it would not have been very flavorful. DH was going to get a the Braised Pork, which he had for lunch on our last trip; however, the server talked him into the Thyme-scented Port Rack Chop. It was bigger than he really wanted. He liked it, but it wasn't much different from a regular pork chop. It wasn't very flavorful. However, the Au Gratin Macaroni made up for the pork chop. He preferred the Braised Pork though overall. DS had a steak and ate all of it, except for the vegetables. We skipped dessert, because we were doing the Wishes Dessert Party later. The meal, champagne, and air-conditioning helped ease the anger from the previous TSII.
During dinner, I had rejiggered the FP+ that I had gotten. Since DS had run off, we decided to cancel the Space Mountain and Buzz FP+. We had already ridden earlier in the day anyway. I switched the SM FP+ for the teacups, since they looked like they had a bit of a line all day. I was keeping the Jungle Cruise one, because I was going to be damned to miss my opportunity to ride it in the dark for the first time.
Teacups - We hopped on the next turn and had a good time as usual. I love the teacups and always have to do them at least once. DH and DS don't like them as much as I do, so we usually only end up riding them once. It's not as much fun to ride by yourself, because I can't get the cup spinning really fast by myself.
Peoplemover - We still hadn't done the Peoplemover or Carousel of Progress, two of our other favorite rides. So we headed over there. There was a bit of a line, but it was constantly moving, less than 10min. The Peoplemover is so nice and relaxing and brings back good memories.
Carousel of Progress - We all love this one, and DS knows the entire song by heart. This is another nice attraction to do in the heat, and darn it, it's just silly and fun. It was more crowded than I am used to seeing it. I wonder if the t-shirts they released in the last year have given it some publicity and awareness.
Liberty Square Riverboat - This is also one of our favorites. I usually remember when we get on that I haven't taken any pictures. So most of our MK pictures end up being on the boat or of attractions taken from the boat. It was getting cloudy and a little dark as a storm was slowly approaching.
Memento Mori - I had to go look at the new Haunted Mansion gift shop. I have seen the stuff online, and I was even wearing my purple, glow-in-the-dark Madame Leota shirt that I bought from
Disney Store.com. I overheard the CMs talking to each other about it, wondering where I had bought it
There was some neat stuff that I hadn't seen online, but nothing really popped out as a I gotta have. They had these cool photographs that looked kind of like lenticulars. You could get a portrait of yourself taken there, and they would do some treatment to it. When you looked at the picture at certain angles or walked past it, it made the person look dead or maybe a little like a ghost. It's hard to explain. They were pretty cool, and they said it only took about 10min. Unfortunately, I looked pretty hideous at that point and didn't really need any special effects to make me look like the walking dead, so I passed on this trip.
We walked around Liberty Square looking for the Hall of Presidents and Riverboat penny presses without any luck. We did find the Haunted Mansion one though. We still had some more pressed pennies to get, so we headed back toward Adventureland and then cut over to Frontierland. We looked and never found the BMTRR pressed penny. It was supposed to be in the Splash Mountain photo area or gift shop. Oh well, I guess next time on that one too.
WDW Railroad - We hadn't ridden it yet and had missed it on our last trip. We don't necessarily use it for transportation; we like to take a round trip on it. As we were waiting for the next train, the skies opened up and started pouring. Luckily, we were undercover, and we had gotten in line before the rain. Because now the great hordes started heading for whatever cover they could find, which turned out to be the railroad queue at Frontierland. We luckily managed to find a spot. Well, we thought it was lucky, but something really stunk near us. After some stops, it went away, so maybe it was someone. The train was great as usual, and the magic hour/dusk lighting gave everything a special glow. As we went by the new Storybook Circus part of Fantasyland, we realized we had never gotten back there. It was under construction on our first trip, and our last trip was too short to have time. Plus, there really aren't any rides for us; it's mainly for little kids. Next time we vowed to go, partly because I had read there are good cupcakes back there. The sun was setting as we passed through the Main Street Station. We could see the sun setting behind the Contemporary. It was very pretty and magical. We got off at Frontierland, where we started.
Jungle Cruise - It was dark now, and time for us to ride Jungle Cruise in the dark. The SB line wasn't bad, but I was glad we had an FP+ anyway. It has an entirely different feel at night. I liked it. I think I will always try to ride it in the dark from now on.
Shopping - We did a little shopping at Pirates and then headed back to Main Street and the Emporium. DH was trying to find a vintage Piglet for one of the women on his Meals on Wheels route. She has a vintage Pooh but no Piglet. We didn't find it at the Emporium, but we found a cute Mickey Skywalker and Goofy Vader t-shirt for DS. Main Street was starting to get packed, because MSEP would be starting soon. We headed toward Tomorrowland for the dessert party. First, we had to find DS some light up toy. He had wanted some the previous night at Epcot and DHS, but we said he couldn't have the specific things that he wanted. One looked like we were going to keep getting hit by it. The other made bubbles, which we had no good way of getting home, and it wasn't any different than the ones at Target at home. We finally found a vendor. DS hemmed and hawed but finally settled on the Mickey glove light up stick/wand/light saber. We made a pit stop on our way to the Dessert Party line. We had some time, so I muscled my way back through the crowd to get a pressed penny from the Main Street Railroad Station. I coudn't find the machine and asked a CM. He showed me where they were and then gave me a smushed penny. He said that he likes to smush pennies on the railroad tracks. He sometimes gives them to visitors. He said it's not a regular thing and that they are not for sale. I thanked him generously and said that DS would love it. I got my pressed pennies and headed back to Tomorrowland. Luck would have it that the back way, behind the Main Street shops was open. I wish I had taken that to get up here, instead of swimming up stream like a salmon.
Wishes Dessert Party - This was our first time to do this. We did the Illuminations Dessert Party on our last visit. The line was long and took forever. DH and DS were still in it when I got back from going to the Main St. Station. We finally got seated and actually had a good table with asome view of the castle. There were no tables in front of us, but we were not right up against the railing. There were more desserts than the Illuminations party but no Mickey ice cream bars, just vanilla ice cream with toppings. In addition to desserts, they had fruit and drinks. I was very excited to see the POG and eventually probably drank 4 or 5 small glasses. I even mixed it with the iced tea once. I enjoyed the desserts, but many of them were very sweet. They looked very pretty though. It had started pouring rain outside right after MSEP. I think they moved the Wishes FP+ area into the Tomorrowland Terrace. It was packed with upset looking people, who were glaring at our food and tables. DS wanted to see the Castle show, so we told him to politely go up to the railing. People had already started hogging spots at the railing and some had even put chairs there when the CMs were specifically and constantly telling people not to do so. DS went up to a small empty spot, when a grown man that was taking up 2-3 spots at the railing glares at him and nudges him a bit. It wasn't rough and was barely a nudge; DS didn't really notice. Otherwise, I would have thrown that excuse for a human being over the railing and into the water. The guy had his arms bent at the elbow and spread out across the railing, I guess to block spots. He did get his bony elbow pretty close to DS's head a few times. At one point, he started yelling to his spouse all the way across the seating area. Apparently, no one had stayed at their table, and the CMs had cleared it. They were throwing a hissy fit and yelling at each other and waving arms. I don't get it. The desserts were still out; go get more and don't leave your table. We eventually had to get up once the fireworks started in order to see. It was still raining, so you couldn't stand just anywhere without getting wet. DS was standing out from the roof with a poncho on watching the fireworks. That's my boy
All through the fireworks, people were getting pushy and constantly complaining. I never could see them that well, but I am short and didn't want to get wet. Ultimately, it was nice to do it once. However, it wasn't worth it for us. We don't spend much time staking out a spot and have always found decent spots less 30 minutes before it starts, sometimes right before it starts. We also decided that we liked the Illuminations Party better. The desserts catered more to adults. The champagne was nice, and the view was great. There are chairs at Illuminations, just tall tables and maybe a railing to lean against. However, we ended up not sitting very long anyway. DS did like the desserts at Wishes better though. Also, the guests and CMs were all so friendly, happy, and helpful at Illuminations; whereas, the guests were grumpy and rude at Wishes. The CMs at Wishes looked harried, tired, and over-worked.
We were exhausted after the fireworks and just wanted to get back to POR. We got to the bus stop, and there was a huge line. We waited for two buses to come to see how far apart they were, ~10 min, and to see about how many people were fitting on each. We roughly estimated that it was going to take us close to an hour, 4 or 5 more buses, before we would get back. We decided to walk to the Contemporary and get a cab. The walk was pretty short. We had to wait for a cab, because there was a line of people who were also waiting for cabs. However, we still got back to POR in less than 30 minutes from when we left the MK bus stop. Plus, DS got to use the bathroom and sleep on a bench in the port cochere at the Contemporary. It was a good decision. We all crashed hard that night.
He liked it. DH got the Paleozoic chicken sandwich and a tasty beverage. The chicken sandwich was alright. We didn't expect the food to be the best ever, because we had been to Rainforest Cafe. However, for the price, the food, drinks, and atmosphere were good. I would go again but probably not until we had tried other places in DTD first.
I checked out the sauna and steam room. It was small and had seen better days. With the Florida humidity, there was some mildew. I bet that's a never ending battle in a sauna in Florida. It was decorate nicely though. I didn't want to bother with my swimsuit, so I just dangled my legs in the hot tub, which is what needed it the most anyway. I didn't have too much time to hang around, because I had to meet DH and DS at the Pineapple Lanai at Poly. I had taken care of the bill, including gratuity, before the procedure, which was kind of nice and relaxing to be done with. They didn't push products at all, which was totally opposite of the DCL cruise we took in July. The SS spa didn't push products previously either.
, and he finally moved his car off the sidewalk. We had a bit of traffic getting to Poly, but we were still not late yet. We parked the car in the limo/taxi area in front of the hotel, and DH an DS ran for the kids club. One taxi showed up before he could get back, and our car was taking the other spot. Luckily, no more showed up. DH ran to the car, and we blasted over to GF. The guard only looked at DH's drivers license and took his word about the ADR.
We had done it at Remy and really liked it. Plus, why not? My liver still functions well. The first glass was champagne with the amuse bouche, and it was delicious. I don't remember the amuse bouche, but I do remember it tasted wonderful. Throughout the entire meal, the pour sizes were very satisfactory. It was enough wine to get a good taste and to finish the dish. It wasn't so much that I felt like I had alcohol poisoning afterward. The chosen wines went fabulously with each dish.
This was his favorite dish. We did a side-by-side comparison of the real deal versus the downunder version. DS got his medium rare; whereas, I got medium. Barring that difference, we could both taste the subtle, distinctive, buttery smoothness of the Japanese Kobe. This really did melt in your mouth. I wish I tasted that good, because you know that you have been living a life of luxury and pure indulgence when you do taste that good. The price difference was significant though between the two, $75. Not being a huge beef fan, it probably would not be worth that to me. It was definitely worth the splurge once, but maybe not all the time. DS thought it was twice as good as the Aussie Kobe but not three times as good. It was the best filet that he has ever had. I was glad to have been able to sample DS's.
We found a concrete wall in the shade to sit on and enjoyed our treats.
tomorrow morning. So, I told DH to set his phone alarm for 5am. I stayed up until about midnight, maybe later
, reading email, looking at our touring plan, and reading the boards
I went to bed exhausted. This was our 4th day in a park, and we pretty much had been going from dawn until dusk. At least we thought we had been going since dawn. Tomorrow we really would be at the park at dawn.
Crap! The clock said 6:30am. We were supposed to be awake and on our way or at the MK gates already. It was a 7am EMH day. I shot out of bed like a bolt of lighting. I got ready faster than I ever had before. I had to take a shower, since yesterday had been hot, humid, and sweaty. It went by in a blur, and I really wonder if I did all of my morning routine. No one complained later in the day about BO or bad breath, so I must have done enough. I was so mad at DH, who was supposed to wake me up when his phone alarm went off. He never woke up, and it apparently had gone off a few times. DS and I sleep like logs anyway (we snore like sawing logs too), but DH is usually a light sleeper. I decided it was just best for me to not say anything, because I sure as hell couldn't think of anything nice to say. We made it to the POR bus stop, and waited with the other grumpy families in the dark. We still got to MK by 7:30am, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Plus, by sleeping in, we were able to go the whole day pretty well. Which needed to happen, because we had an early dinner ADR at BOG and were doing the Wishes Dessert Party. As the thought of dole whips, Pooh, and the Tiki room flooded my mind, my anger at DH was pushed out.
It makes me wonder if he is really my son, but I didn't have any pain drugs during his birth, so I remember it very vividly. He's ours. DH got him a Mickey ice cream sandwich, while I waited in line at the new Aloha Isle, which used to be the old Sunshine Tree Terrace. They swapped places. It's nice to have more room, since there was always a really long line at Aloha Isle and barely a line at Sunshine. However, it was a little disorganized and hectic. I think they are still getting used to their new digs. They probably had to bring more CMs in, since they have more space for them now and more register lines. We had already gotten souvenir bowls at Pineapple Lanai at Poly, so I wanted a souvenir cup/sipper this time. They were out though. However, I have discovered something even better than dole whips, and that's the dole whip float with all pineapple. I can't believe I haven't had one of these before. It was awesome and even more refreshing than just the dole whip. DH wanted a swirl, blasphemy! I found DH. DS had finished his ice cream and was doing the Swiss Family Treehouse. We finished our snacks really quick; it's hard not to when it's so good.
I had never used the kiosk myself before. At DHS the day before, the CM did all of the typing. On our previous visit, the CMs used tablets, no true kiosks yet. I started scanning the bands but forgot that I have to scan all three of these. The CM snapped at me and kept barking at me to hurry up. Every time I tried to select something on that darn screen, it wouldn't acknowledge it. I tried touching my finger and pushing my finger on the tiny little bars, about the same size as they are on the web and app. He kept harping on me to use my finger nails, which wasn't working either, and to hurry up. I finally got the three FP+ selected, apologized, and left. That was definitely not a magical experience. However, I did get FP+ for Buzz, Space Mountain, and Jungle Cruise. I wanted to try Jungle Cruise in the dark. Someone on DIS said it was really cool, and I can't believe I had never ridden it at night.
DS really enjoyed it. It was better than I remembered but probably still an every other visit attraction.
We really had to hoof it to BOG, and DS was read the riot act by myself and DH the entire way.
That's right. The single woman in front of us turned into 8 people. Also, some of them had not been to the parks yet, so they needed to have their prints scanned for the MBs. Finally, they made it through.
It wouldn't take. The cashier got angry and said that I was doing it wrong. She took my wrist and moved it around to the exact location I had it. It took. I entered my pin, and she said it was wrong. I tried again and wrong again. DH tried his MB and the pin, but it wouldn't take it. We had been using the pin just that morning to buy water at a food cart. Anyway, I gave up on the MB and tried my Disney Visa rewards card. It wouldn't take it either. I had also been using it to buy stuff all trip. I finally tried a credit card, which didn't work at first either. It worked the second time though. There was obviously something wrong with that register, but the CM kept huffing, grumping, and glaring at us every time something didn't work. I didn't like her attitude or the way she treated us
We were getting ready to check out, when poof. The hotel hairdryer sort of caught on fire a little while I was using it
He is also very talkative, so she ends up having to spend more time than she usually does with other boys. However, we don't do autographs and usually only take a picture with DS and the character. The Mad Hatter was great this time. DH had gotten up to get more food, when he came by. He sat in DH's seat and loudly demanded more tea and Mickey waffles while holding a fork and banging on the table. I actually got a shot of it too. I should get that posted. Usually, I could take or leave the Mad Hatter from the movies, but he's always so awesome, fun, and crazy in person
Pooh and Tigger came by as well, and we discussed honey and honey bees with them. After stuffing ourselves, even more so really, because we had a CM buffet the night before at Tusker House, we headed for the monorail.
He can barely manage to put on all of his clothing in the morning. I don't think I am letting him have his boarding pass and answer any security questions that TSA decides to ask. I handed the agent DS's boarding pass, and the agent proceeded to hand it to DS and told him to wait behind the line until he had looked at my boarding pass and ID. I know he is not very far away. However, after my turn, the agent and another agent insisted that I move ahead. Uh no, I don't think so. I will move ahead when my son is done, thank you. I am not trying to be difficult, but he's a minor and my responsibility. Plus, it took a lot of effort to bring him into this world; I'm not just going to leave him by himself at the airport
We hadn't eaten our custom made treats from Goofy's yet. I know
It's Saturday, and we hadn't had time to eat it since we bought it on Tuesday. Well, we had plenty of time in the plane, so we ate our treats and made a huge mess. Plane landed. It was cold and rainy in Austin. We found the car and headed back to reality
Anyway, here's my final thoughts on our WDW trip.
