Aren't Graduations Grand! - May 2015 TR (New 10/30 - MK and California Grill)

[SimplyGoofy]

Lunch in Japan
Day 5 – Part III

I was pretty excited about returning to Japan for our first visit at Tokyo Dining. I’d been to the teppanyaki restaurant several times before but never the restaurant in the front. Anika and I are both big sushi fans so we were excited to try it out!

We climbed up the stairs and checked in:

It wasn’t a long wait as we were seated in just a few minutes. It’s a nice, open dining area and there were plenty of seats:

You could even watch the sushi chefs create their masterpieces:

And the table setting included a very fancy napkin fold:

Anika and I were not on the dining plan for this trip. We’d tried the deluxe dining plan back in 2012 - it was a lot of food, but we wanted to try so many restaurants that the deluxe plan made the most sense. We learned that we loved eating in the restaurants but did NOT need that much food. In 2013 we skipped the dining plan, ate in just as many restaurants, and made meals out a combination of appetizers, shared plates, and desserts. It worked out really well for us so we were doing it again!

I ordered a Sprite and a green tea, while Anika ordered her usual water. We also ordered a tempura appetizer to share:

It was quite tasty! We split the items as best we could, but were fine with ordering just one plate.

We also ordered two sushi rolls: the Rainbow Roll (a California Roll with tuna, yellow tail, and avocado) and a Spicy Crunch Roll (with a spicy salmon and tuna mix, tempura crunch, green onion, and sesame seeds):

Both were quite tasty. I think the rolls at the Orchid Court Lounge at the Universal Royal Pacific Resort were a bit more inventive and more fun, but I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Tokyo Dining for more sushi.

Before the trip I’d called Disney Dining to add Anika’s birthday to a few dining reservations. The nice person I’d spoken with offered to add her birthday to ALL of our dining reservations (we had a lot of them!), which I said wasn’t necessary but she did it anyway. This ADR, of course, was made just an hour and a half before so the celebration wasn't noted, but the lovely waitress noticed the birthday pin Anika was wearing and came over with this:

A piece of their ginger cake! They even added a birthday candle and some fancy hearts!

What a lovely and unexpected surprise! I think I hear this about many of the restaurants around World Showcase, but the folks in Tokyo Dining were SO nice. We thought maybe we'd get a birthday cupcake or two at the restaurants where we noted her birthday, but we weren’t expecting free desserts left and right! We were impressed.

Final Thoughts – Tokyo Dining
We had a very pleasant experience at Tokyo Dining. The food was good and the atmosphere was so calming – definitely more chill than its neighbor, Teppan Edo. The sushi was average, but our roll choice may have been to blame. The staff was EXCELLENT and so nice, so that alone could be a reason to return. I’d place Tokyo Dining in the “good choice, but not required every trip” category. We were glad we tried it!

Up Next: More Touring Around Epcot

 

[pkondz]

we practically skipped over to the Gasparilla Island Grill for some breakfast:

I think you can remove the word "practically" from that sentence.

One nice additional perk of the Grand Floridian (and, I believe, all deluxe resorts) is they had a litany of condiments like peanut butter, cream cheese, etc. that you didn’t need to pay extra for.

Did not know this. Huh!

Anika jumped right into the Disney spirit with a breakfast of Mickey waffles and bacon:

That's doing it right!

While I (no surprise here) got my favorite Everything Bagel with cream cheese and some apples with caramel (and two containers of cream cheese - because I could!):

Anika wins.

We only had to wait about two minutes for a monorail to show up – what great luck!

Good timing!

Hello to our favorite golf ball!

Magic Kingdom has always been the last park we’re in before leaving.

I try to do that... but often don't succeed. Other things come up.

we easily snagged a spot at Tokyo Dining

Looking forward to your photos and thoughts. This place has never been on my radar.

It’s so wonderful to go on your first Disney attraction of the vacation.

coming back to Disney World is like coming home.

Yes it is!

Both Anika and I love Spaceship Earth – it’s so “Disney” to both of us.

Hoping they don't ruin it with the refurb.

it’s the original set from another favorite of ours, Carousel of Progress!

It is?!?!?!? I had no idea!

Heck if I know what we selected for our future, but at least we both got our pictures to show up! I’m even smiling!

That's a win right there.

my sister HATES meeting characters, especially those in full fur costumes. She always says that you never know what creeper is in the costume!

Usually... a woman. Even the "male" costumes. Unless it's a taller one.

Cute shot of you guys.

(another that I’ve never met!), King Louie:

Rare, I'm betting.

I think Anika’s favorite part of character training is they didn’t have Photopass photographers so someone had to stay behind to take the picture.

Does anyone NOT love Chip and Dale?! They’re always so great!

There is not anyone who does not love Chip and Dale.

 

[pkondz]

I’d been to the teppanyaki restaurant several times before but never the restaurant in the front.

Ditto.

It’s a nice, open dining area and there were plenty of seats:

It did look inviting.

You could even watch the sushi chefs create their masterpieces:

Nice! Love open kitchens.

And the table setting included a very fancy napkin fold:

Pretty.

We also ordered a tempura appetizer to share:

mmmm.... love tempura.

We also ordered two sushi rolls: the Rainbow Roll (a California Roll with tuna, yellow tail, and avocado) and a Spicy Crunch Roll (with a spicy salmon and tuna mix, tempura crunch, green onion, and sesame seeds):

Sounds good.

I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Tokyo Dining for more sushi.

Good to know!

the lovely waitress noticed the birthday pin Anika was wearing and came over with this:

Very nice! How was it?

Final Thoughts – Tokyo Dining
We had a very pleasant experience at Tokyo Dining. The food was good and the atmosphere was so calming – definitely more chill than its neighbor, Teppan Edo. The sushi was average, but our roll choice may have been to blame. The staff was EXCELLENT and so nice, so that alone could be a reason to return. I’d place Tokyo Dining in the “good choice, but not required every trip” category. We were glad we tried it!

Good to know. Thanks for the review!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I think you can remove the word "practically" from that sentence.

Fair point.

Did not know this. Huh!

It's not like you come out ahead at the deluxe resorts - you'd need a lot of peanut butter tubs to make up the price difference between Pop Century and the Grand Floridian!

Still, it was nice!

That's doing it right!

She was SO excited to eat Mickey waffles!

Anika wins.

Yes, I know... but I LOVE that everything bagel!

I'm surprised no one on the DIS gets mad when I refer to Spaceship Earth as a golf ball... but it certainly does look like one to me!

I LOVE it though, so perhaps that helps!

I try to do that... but often don't succeed. Other things come up.

Fair - there are so many great options! I think since we started doing it that way on our first trip we just keep up the tradition!

Hoping they don't ruin it with the refurb.

I don't think they will. Their 2008ish refurb was a great success, and I think it's such a Disney staple that they'll keep the charm. At least, I certainly hope they do!

It is?!?!?!? I had no idea!

Yes, I believe the set is! I know I read it somewhere... so I think it's accurate!

Usually... a woman. Even the "male" costumes. Unless it's a taller one.

I figured as much. Nonetheless, she's not a fan!

Cute shot of you guys.

Thank you!

Rare, I'm betting.

Yes, I think several of the characters were rare!

Seriously, she was THRILLED that she didn't have to meet most of the characters!

There is not anyone who does not love Chip and Dale.

Very nice! How was it?

It was tasty! You could definitely taste the ginger, but overall, it was a pretty light dessert.

Good to know. Thanks for the review!

You're welcome! I think Tokyo Dining is often overlooked for other restaurants. There are SO MANY restaurants and quick service places that I understand, but it would be a great place to grab a nice meal and enjoy getting out of the crowds and heat. The servers were also SO nice!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

So, About This Avocado Margarita…
Day 5 – Part IV

Refreshed after an hour in the air conditioning, we ventured back into the heat and continued around World Showcase.

First we stopped on the bridge near France for a Photopass picture:

We also got magic shot with Chip, but for some reason it turned out very dark. Bummer!

We passed by the United Kingdom Pavilion for now and headed for Canada. We both love wandering around Canada with the water features and the gardens. So much of World Showcase is picturesque, but Canda seems especially so!

When visiting Canada you MUST stop by and visit with Martin Short:

We always see all three films in World Showcase but O’ Canada! is my favorite! The views are amazing and the music is great!

Although we’d just eaten, I couldn’t pass by the Cronut stand without trying one of these:

There was SO MUCH chatter about this cronut before out trip that I just had to try it! I don’t even hear it mentioned anymore so perhaps it’s no longer there, but I thought it was pretty tasty. I’m not a huge donut fan but I ADORE croissants, so I quite enjoyed it!

Our next Fastpass+ window had opened so we made our way to the Land. This was our first trip using Fastpass+ (keep in mind this was four years ago! ) and I was impressed thus far. To enter the park after 11:00 and have a mid-afternoon ride on Soarin’? This Fastpass+ thing may not be so bad!

This was still the original Soarin’ which I really enjoyed. The soundtrack in particular was my favorite. I’ve cheated and watched the new attraction – although I think I will enjoy it as well, I will feel nostalgic for the original!

At least my man Patrick is still included in the new attraction!

We waited in a fairly decent line for Living with the Land, but we didn’t mind as it was nice to stay inside in the cool air. I will say that Fastpass+ definitely increased the lines for the non-headliner rides! I’d never waited in such a long line for Living with the Land, even at busier park times!

Wait notwithstanding, it was a pleasant ride viewing the plants and hearing about agriculture:

Mmmm… cacao!

We wrapped up our greenhouse tour and trooped across Epcot to our next Fastpass+ attraction:

Anika and I both LOVE Mission Space! We always pick the crazier orange side:

I don’t know what I’ll do when I visit with my husband. Perhaps I won’t mention that there’s a difference between the two sides?! (I don’t want him to feel terrible for the rest of the day, though!) At least on our next trip we’ll be riding separately due to child swap anyhow so we can each pick the side we like best!

After visiting space we were excited to head back to World Showcase and try a new experience. I’d wanted to visit La Cava for a margarita for several trips, but it never seemed like we had enough time. With a two week trip we had no more excuses!

But first, one more Photopass picture:

Onward to Mexico!

We wandered around the Mexico pavilion for a bit before getting a spot in the restaurant. It is not a very big place!

Our dinner reservation was not for a few more hours so I decided to get us a snack. I ordered the Trio Combo, which is chips with salsa, guacamole, and queso dips:

Anika got a glass of water while I ordered this:

An avocado margarita!

I LOVE avocado so I was excited to finally try this! Is was only mildly sweet so it seemed quite different from the strawberry margarita I usually order in a Mexican restaurant. Although it was not my favorite cocktail of the trip, it was very good and I would certainly order another one.

You can also order margaritas from a to-go window, but we really enjoyed the full experience! I suspect it’s difficult to get a spot to sit down (I think we were lucky!), but I would definitely recommend La Cava del Tequila for a mid-afternoon snack break!

I grabbed a few pictures of the interior of the restaurant before we left:

That guy in the first picture didn't seem to appreciate my picture-taking!

You can’t go inside the Mexico Pavilion without taking a spin on the Gran Fiesta Tour:

I always feel bad for piñata Donald!

We’d grabbed an additional Fastpass for the Seas earlier, so we went back to the front of the park to say hello to Nemo:

It’s such a nice ride on a clamshell. I do love listening to Big Blue World!

We tried a new-to-us attraction, Turtle Talk with Crush:

While waiting for the next show a very nice woman came up to me and asked about my shoes. I’m impressed that so many of you can wear a variety of shoes in the parks, but I almost always wear tennis shoes for long park days. However, before the trip I’d also purchased a pair of Teva sandals and I LOVED wearing them! It was a great way to keep my feet cool (as long as I remembered to add sunscreen to the top of my feet!). The only negative is my right little toe rubbed a bit against the strap, but I added a band-aid and it was fine. The left side didn’t have this problem, so who knows?! I’d highly recommend a pair of Teva sandals in the park! They’re very comfortable and have great support for a long park day!

We only had to wait about ten minutes to see Crush. I was hopeful it would be entertaining as we’d been impressed by the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor on a prior trip. We were not let down - what a HOOT of an attraction! It was adorable watching the kids ask questions and Crush was so honest (and funny!) in his responses. I especially recommend this attraction if you have little ones, but it’s worth a visit even without them! It’s a great show!

We looked around the Seas before heading out for our dinner reservation:

We were both super excited for our dinner. Back in 2012 on our first sister vacation, I’d added a day at the beginning which allowed us three additional dining reservations: breakfast at Grand Floridian Café, lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern, and dinner at Via Napoli. Via Napoli had now become our official first dinner of the vacation every trip as we LOVED going there. Although this was not the first night of our vacation it WAS our first park day… so, close enough!

Up Next: Dinner at Via Napoli

 

[pkondz]

It's not like you come out ahead at the deluxe resorts - you'd need a lot of peanut butter tubs to make up the price difference between Pop Century and the Grand Floridian!

She was SO excited to eat Mickey waffles!

Who wouldn't be????

I'm surprised no one on the DIS gets mad when I refer to Spaceship Earth as a golf ball... but it certainly does look like one to me!

I LOVE it though, so perhaps that helps!

I always call it the golf ball to people who I think might not know what SE is.

I don't think they will. Their 2008ish refurb was a great success, and I think it's such a Disney staple that they'll keep the charm. At least, I certainly hope they do!

thank the Phoenicians!

Yes, I believe the set is! I know I read it somewhere... so I think it's accurate!

Good enough!

You're welcome! I think Tokyo Dining is often overlooked for other restaurants. There are SO MANY restaurants and quick service places that I understand, but it would be a great place to grab a nice meal and enjoy getting out of the crowds and heat. The servers were also SO nice!

Okay!

 

[pkondz]

Refreshed after an hour in the air conditioning

That AC... how did our great grandparents live without it?

First we stopped on the bridge near France for a Photopass picture:

Really nice photo of the two of you!

We also got magic shot with Chip, but for some reason it turned out very dark. Bummer!

Too bad.

We both love wandering around Canada with the water features and the gardens. So much of World Showcase is picturesque, but Canda seems especially so!

I will admit I might be a bit biased, but... while also admitting that our gift shop merch needs work, the pavilion itself is very well done.

When visiting Canada you MUST stop by and visit with Martin Short:

We always see all three films in World Showcase but O’ Canada! is my favorite! The views are amazing and the music is great!

Again... probably biased, but I do think it's the best of the three.

Although we’d just eaten, I couldn’t pass by the Cronut stand without trying one of these:

mmmmm... cronut.

There was SO MUCH chatter about this cronut before out trip that I just had to try it! I don’t even hear it mentioned anymore so perhaps it’s no longer there, but I thought it was pretty tasty. I’m not a huge donut fan but I ADORE croissants, so I quite enjoyed it!

I haven't seen much talk about it lately either. I didn't try to find one last time since I was getting filled up on F&G treats instead.

I will say that Fastpass+ definitely increased the lines for the non-headliner rides!

Huh. Interesting observation.

Anika and I both LOVE Mission Space! We always pick the crazier orange side:

The "I'm about to feel sick for 30 minutes of more" side?

I don’t know what I’ll do when I visit with my husband. Perhaps I won’t mention that there’s a difference between the two sides?!

You are an evil woman.

It is not a very big place!

No... it definitely is tiny.

I LOVE avocado so I was excited to finally try this! Is was only mildly sweet so it seemed quite different from the strawberry margarita I usually order in a Mexican restaurant. Although it was not my favorite cocktail of the trip, it was very good and I would certainly order another one.

I don't care for avocado all that much. I don't hate it, but... not a fan either. Doubt I'd ever order this.

That guy in the first picture didn't seem to appreciate my picture-taking!

Should've told him he was going in a blog.

I always feel bad for piñata Donald!

We tried a new-to-us attraction, Turtle Talk with Crush:

It's such a good little show... and barely gets mentioned!

While waiting for the next show a very nice woman came up to me and asked about my shoes. I’m impressed that so many of you can wear a variety of shoes in the parks, but I almost always wear tennis shoes for long park days. However, before the trip I’d also purchased a pair of Teva sandals and I LOVED wearing them! It was a great way to keep my feet cool (as long as I remembered to add sunscreen to the top of my feet!). The only negative is my right little toe rubbed a bit against the strap, but I added a band-aid and it was fine. The left side didn’t have this problem, so who knows?! I’d highly recommend a pair of Teva sandals in the park! They’re very comfortable and have great support for a long park day!

I Googled... I've seen those. Look comfy.

We were not let down - what a HOOT of an attraction!

 

[glennbo123]

I was so excited that my major surprise of the trip turned out so well! Anika had NO idea… and she was so darn shocked and excited to be staying at her dream resort. It worked out even better than I’d imagined!

I'm really glad that this worked out so well! Also, thanks for all of the pictures of your room at the Grand Floridian. There don't seem to be as many of them on the DIS as other resorts. I guess fewer hoity-toity people are trip reporters!

We also ordered a tempura appetizer to share

It was at one of the Japan pavilion restaurants many years ago that I learned that tempura and I don't get along. It kind of upsets my stomach. It's not terrible, but I haven't had it since!

We also ordered two sushi rolls: the Rainbow Roll (a California Roll with tuna, yellow tail, and avocado) and a Spicy Crunch Roll (with a spicy salmon and tuna mix, tempura crunch, green onion, and sesame seeds):

Now you're talkin'! Mmmm.

Although we’d just eaten, I couldn’t pass by the Cronut stand without trying one of these

Absolutely. So good.

I don’t know what I’ll do when I visit with my husband. Perhaps I won’t mention that there’s a difference between the two sides?! (I don’t want him to feel terrible for the rest of the day, though!) At least on our next trip we’ll be riding separately due to child swap anyhow so we can each pick the side we like best!

Yeah, I've seen too many people get sick on this ride. I won't try to convince anyone to do it if they're unsure.

I’d wanted to visit La Cava for a margarita for several trips, but it never seemed like we had enough time.

I know what you mean. I wanted to try it last time, but saw the long line inside and said, "nah". Maybe next time.

I LOVE avocado so I was excited to finally try this! Is was only mildly sweet so it seemed quite different from the strawberry margarita I usually order in a Mexican restaurant. Although it was not my favorite cocktail of the trip, it was very good and I would certainly order another one.

Someone posted a recipe one time and I tried making it at home. Now, not having had one at the park I don't know how my attempt compared to the real thing, but my assessment was similar to yours. It was definitely different from anything I've had before, interesting and good, but probably not my favorite thing in the world.

That guy in the first picture didn't seem to appreciate my picture-taking!

He stands out in the picture, for sure!

We only had to wait about ten minutes to see Crush. I was hopeful it would be entertaining as we’d been impressed by the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor on a prior trip. We were not let down - what a HOOT of an attraction! It was adorable watching the kids ask questions and Crush was so honest (and funny!) in his responses. I especially recommend this attraction if you have little ones, but it’s worth a visit even without them! It’s a great show!

I remember being blown away the first time I saw that show!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Thank you to anyone who's continuing to comment on my now ancient trip report - it makes it so much fun to share with you as I know others are reading and enjoying it! A special shout out to @pkondz who should win a commenting award for his detailed remarks on each and every post - thank you so much!

Even though my report is a few years old I welcome any commentary - I love hearing from you!

Back to replies...

Who wouldn't be????

Truth.

I always call it the golf ball to people who I think might not know what SE is.

Well, that certainly makes me feel better! I swear, calling it the big golf ball comes from a place of love!

thank the Phoenicians!

Indeed! Now that you mentioned the refurb I looked it up... good grief, TWO AND A HALF YEARS?! I was really looking forward to riding this with my family next year (as toddlers can go on it too) - so much for that!

I really hope they don't mess it up, either! I love Spaceship Earth!

That AC... how did our great grandparents live without it?

I know! I'm sure it didn't matter as much as they wouldn't have known the difference... but I'm sure glad it's around in that Florida heat!

Really nice photo of the two of you!

Thank you! We got quite a few great Photopass pictures on this trip!

Too bad.

I know... but you get the meh along with the great.

I will admit I might be a bit biased, but... while also admitting that our gift shop merch needs work, the pavilion itself is very well done.

Even if you're biased... you're right! It's one of my favorites to wander around in.

Martin Short is great!

Again... probably biased, but I do think it's the best of the three.

It's the funniest of the three films and has some beautiful scenery and great music, to boot. There's no way it's not the best of the three!

mmmmm... cronut.

It was so tasty! I'm glad that I remembered to try it!

I haven't seen much talk about it lately either. I didn't try to find one last time since I was getting filled up on F&G treats instead.

Understandable - I didn't have it on my 2016 trip for the same reason. It's not a must-have snack for me, but it was very good and I'd have another!

Huh. Interesting observation.

I NEVER saw crazy long waits at non-headliner attractions like they have now - Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Living with the Land, etc. now can have crazy-long waits by 11am. That's nuts! These were always the attractions you could ride after your initial bunch without longer than a 15-20 minute wait, if you even had to wait that long! Certainly they could get long waits in the mid-afternoon and at busy crowd times during the year, but not nearly as early as I've noticed now. At least these are usually easy to grab a 4th, 5th, 6th, FP+ for - no long waits for me, thank you!

The "I'm about to feel sick for 30 minutes of more" side?

Ha ha! (I can't get the smilies to load - darn upgrade! Hopefully they fix it soon!)

Hey, I can't help it if we prefer the best side!

You are an evil woman.

Don't worry, I wouldn't actually do it to him. He's most affected by spinning rides so I'd make sure to give him a heads up (although the attraction itself does it for me with all those warning cards).

The real trouble will come in a few years if our daughter likes spinning rides like her mom and wants us to all ride together! Then I'm not sure what we'll do!

No... it definitely is tiny.

Very small, but a great afternoon break!

I don't care for avocado all that much. I don't hate it, but... not a fan either. Doubt I'd ever order this.

There are multiple great choices - I'm sure you could find one that you like!

Should've told him he was going in a blog.

(<-- I copied and pasted your smilie! That will work in the meantime until they fix it!)

I don't think that would've helped his expression!

I mean, seriously... poor Donald!

It's such a good little show... and barely gets mentioned!

I know! I wanted to make sure and give it a shout-out as I thought it was great!

I Googled... I've seen those. Look comfy.

They were great! I think the rough spot on my toe is some misaligned thread - annoying, but not enough so to avoid wearing them. They're a great supportive sandal for miles and miles of walking!

So great! I'm glad we stopped to see it!

I'm really glad that this worked out so well! Also, thanks for all of the pictures of your room at the Grand Floridian. There don't seem to be as many of them on the DIS as other resorts. I guess fewer hoity-toity people are trip reporters!

Thanks! I couldn't believe how well it turned out - she really wasn't expecting it and it was a great surprise!

I think you're right! I've seen a few pictures of the Grand Floridian rooms on trip reports, but many, many more of Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk... It seems the Epcot area resorts and the Poly get the most love of the deluxes, although AKL and the Wilderness Lodge have mega-fans, too! Now my pictures are a little outdated (I'm not a big fan of the all-white bedding - where's the character?!), but I think most of it is the same!

It was a great resort and I enjoyed staying there even more than I expected!

It was at one of the Japan pavilion restaurants many years ago that I learned that tempura and I don't get along. It kind of upsets my stomach. It's not terrible, but I haven't had it since!

I have that happen occasionally, too... I think it may have to do with the oil that a restaurant uses. That's too bad you had a negative experience, but I certainly understand why you've stayed away since!

Now you're talkin'! Mmmm.

Sushi is delicious! I'm glad I was with a fellow sushi fan so we could enjoy it!

Absolutely. So good.

It was delicious! I'm so glad I stopped for one!

Yeah, I've seen too many people get sick on this ride. I won't try to convince anyone to do it if they're unsure.

I don't want to sideline us for the rest of the day, so I'll certainly let him know. He loves space and science so much that I think he'd really enjoy the green side of the ride!

I know what you mean. I wanted to try it last time, but saw the long line inside and said, "nah". Maybe next time.

It gets crazy crowded in there - even in the to-go line! I think since we were taking the relaxed approach to our first Disney day we were fine waiting... and I'm glad we did! It was a fun experience!

Someone posted a recipe one time and I tried making it at home. Now, not having had one at the park I don't know how my attempt compared to the real thing, but my assessment was similar to yours. It was definitely different from anything I've had before, interesting and good, but probably not my favorite thing in the world.

I bet it was pretty close. I think I've heard others mention making it at home after they tried it in the parks and they thought it was pretty close. The good thing is there are multiple margarita (and cocktail!) choices, so you could certainly find something you liked better!

He stands out in the picture, for sure!

I know! I'm sure he was wondering why the kooky woman was taking a picture of the restaurant (after she took pictures of her food and cocktail...

)

I remember being blown away the first time I saw that show!

It's such a great show! The interactive shows (Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Turtle Talk... are there more?) are just an unexpected gem of an attraction... super funny - and you can sit down!

 

[pkondz]

A special shout out to @pkondz who should win a commenting award for his detailed remarks on each and every post - thank you so much!

Thanks!

Well, that certainly makes me feel better! I swear, calling it the big golf ball comes from a place of love!

A love of golf?

Indeed! Now that you mentioned the refurb I looked it up... good grief, TWO AND A HALF YEARS?! I was really looking forward to riding this with my family next year (as toddlers can go on it too) - so much for that!

I really hope they don't mess it up, either! I love Spaceship Earth!

I'm not sure if this is fact or speculation, though. I don't think anything official is out yet.

I know! I'm sure it didn't matter as much as they wouldn't have known the difference... but I'm sure glad it's around in that Florida heat!

I know... but you get the meh along with the great.

Truth.

It's the funniest of the three films and has some beautiful scenery and great music, to boot. There's no way it's not the best of the three!

Hello, new best friend.

Ha ha! (I can't get the smilies to load - darn upgrade! Hopefully they fix it soon!)

I believe they have.

Hey, I can't help it if we prefer the best side!

Don't worry, I wouldn't actually do it to him. He's most affected by spinning rides so I'd make sure to give him a heads up (although the attraction itself does it for me with all those warning cards).

The real trouble will come in a few years if our daughter likes spinning rides like her mom and wants us to all ride together! Then I'm not sure what we'll do!

"Daddy! Ride with us!"

Yeah... he will.

I don't think that would've helped his expression!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Thanks!

Of course! I really admire your commenting dedication! (And thank goodness for it, or some of my posts wouldn't have any comments between them!)

A love of golf?

Not exactly... although my dad is a big golfer, so perhaps I do associate it with good feelings!

I'm not sure if this is fact or speculation, though. I don't think anything official is out yet.

I would think it would be a long refurb, though, if they're redoing the whole ride. Le sigh.

At least it won't be a "once in a lifetime" trip so I'll be able to experience it sometime! I do love Spaceship Earth and will be interested to see what they do with it!

Hello, knew best friend.

Ah, thanks! I swear I didn't say it just to get such an honor... it really is my favorite WS film!

I believe they have.

Yes, they did!



They seem to not always go where your cursor is for some reason, but... technology.

"Daddy! Ride with us!"

Yeah... he will.

I know.

Really, though, I think it would've made it worse!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Pizza!
Day 5 – Part V

Both Anika and I were very excited for our next dining reservation, which is a favorite of ours and many others on the DISboards:

Via Napoli!

We’ve loved this place since our first visit on our first sister trip in 2012. We’ve learned to eat less food there (our 2012 trip included the deluxe dining plan, and our appetizer, individual pizza, and dessert each were WAY TOO MUCH!), and therefore love it more. We’ve tried appetizers, pasta, and desserts… but the pizza is our favorite!

We really had to hustle to get there in time for our 7:00 ADR – the Seas is a REALLY long way from Italy! Thankfully we were just two minutes late as my first picture is timestamped at 7:02.

It is impossible for me to visit without taking a picture of this light fixture. I love it!

We waited less than ten minutes to be seated. We were placed at a two-top in the main dining room at a window that looked out at the patio area. It was close to the entry lobby, but it was such a nice view with so much to look at that we really liked our spot!

We had a lovely server, Anna, who was a bit difficult to understand but was SO nice. We were really doing well with awesome servers on this trip!

Every time we’re at Via Napoli we tend to order something a bit different. This time we decided to try a new appetizer (to us), the Arancini:

For those unfamiliar, these are fried risotto balls filled with mozzarella and meat ragu. They were very tasty and a great way to kick off our meal!

I also ordered one of my two standard Disney beverages, an iced tea. I don’t know what it is about the iced tea at Via Napoli, but it tastes extra delicious to me. Perhaps it’s the same darn iced tea that’s served everywhere in the World but just tastes better in the fancy glass?

One thing we’ve never tried is the family style house salad – one of these days I’d love to try it! I do love a good salad!

For our main dish we split our favorite item on the menu, an individual pepperoni pizza:

Our pie came out a bit more done than we’d like (you can see some of the darkened edges), but it was still delicious. Thank goodness Anika and I can easily share food and like the same pizza!

We’ve gotten smarter over the years and crafted our meals in such a way to maximize one of our favorite things… dessert!

Anika ordered the Zeppole di Caterina, ricotta cheese fritters with whipped cream and chocolate sauce:

I ordered the Gelato Frizzante, which is an ice cream soda with San Pellegrino Aranciata and vanilla gelato:

Anika also ordered a cappuccino:

I’d originally had the Gelato Frizzante on our 2012 trip and we’d split the zeppole on our 2013 trip, so this seemed like the perfect combination of dessert items for our current trip! Both were incredibly delicious and we were so glad we saved room for them! Mine was particularly refreshing after our day in the heat!

Anika is not a fan of carbonated beverages so she didn’t really want to try my full dessert, but she did enjoy a few bites of gelato. I also managed to wrangle several zeppole from Anika (I mean, she very generously allowed me to have them!). Even though I loved my dessert, I certainly wasn't going to turn down some donuts with chocolate!

Full but very happy, we paid our bill and said goodbye (and thank you!) to Via Napoli. I grabbed a few additional pictures of the restaurant on our way out, including the pizza ovens:

And several views of the interior of the restaurant:

Final Thoughts – Via Napoli
Another homerun for our favorite Italian spot! We LOVE kicking off our trips with a visit to Via Napoli. The atmosphere is fun, the pizza is delicious, and their desserts are always excellent. Via Napoli remains a must-do for us on every trip to Disney World – I don’t know how I’m ever going to visit all the Epcot restaurants if I’m always drawn back to the ones I love! I do think it’s important to order judiciously, as it’s a much more pleasant experience if you’re not feeling like you’re going to explode after your meal. Still, that’s a difficult feat as everything at Via Napoli is so good! We’ll definitely be back!

Up Next: An Evening at the Grand Floridian

 

[SimplyGoofy]

A Night at the Grand
Day 5 – Part VI

We left Italy around 8:30, about 30 minutes before Illuminations was to begin. We had plans to catch Illuminations later in the week, so instead of staying we decided to beat the crowd and make our way back to the Grand Floridian.

I took a few nighttime pictures from World Showcase along the way:

I just love Epcot at night! All the parks are beautiful at night, but I feel like World Showcase is particularly beautiful!

I hope they keep these torches even after Illuminations is gone. They just feel like nighttime at Epcot to me!

We also stopped for a few Photopass pictures on the way out, including at the Innoventions Fountain:

And at the entrance with our favorite golf ball:

I do love nighttime photos of Spaceship Earth! So beautiful!

Goodbye for now, Epcot! We’ll see you in a few days!

We hopped on the Monorail and made our way back to the Grand Floridian. The whole journey only took about thirty minutes, which we thought was pretty good!

We were excited to return to our “home” resort – so fancy! The band was playing very upbeat music in the lobby:

We enjoyed walking around the Grand Floridian shops. We really had fun walking around Basin:

Anika bought a bath bomb and I purchased some yummy smelling bath salts. Everything smells so good that it’s hard to not buy out the store!

We also looked at another shop where I came across this cute plate:

We’d be enjoying some grey stuff at Be Our Guest in just a few days!

On our walk back to our building, we noticed quite a few people sitting in chairs and around tables looking toward the lagoon. We realized they were waiting to watch Wishes from the resort! Wow, I didn’t even think of that – what perfect timing! Anika and I took a seat on a concrete step and waited for the show.

Soon the lights dimmed and the music began… oh, how I will miss Wishes on our next trip! It just won’t be the same!

Extra-elated with a bonus viewing of Wishes, we finally got back to our room. We realized we were indeed in a fancy place as our beds had been turned down and we had chocolates waiting for us:

I didn’t know they did turndown service for the regular rooms. I thought you had to be in Club Level for the extra service. How fun!

Anika was excited to put her bath bomb to use in the bathroom of her fancy favorite resort:

She even broke out the nice bathrobe that we found in the closet. She figured she might as well go all-out!

While Anika relaxed in the tub I rearranged our bags and threw some of the bottled water into the fridge. We had a guest joining us the next day – our Uncle Wade was driving up from southwestern Florida to join us for a long weekend! He would be along at three parks and with us on Anika’s birthday. Thankfully he’s willing to do the thrill rides with us and go along with our crazy schedule – what a guy!

Anika LOVED her bath at the Grand Floridian. She enjoyed using one of the multiple bottles of lotion following her bath bomb soak.

It had been an awesome first Disney day! Anika still couldn’t believe we were staying at her dream resort, I couldn’t believe how many character meets I’d had that day, and we were both thrilled with how many attractions we’d experienced and how much good food we’d eaten. We both looked forward to the following day – we were doing something very unlike us and were taking a full day off from the parks. It seemed like a great plan as we had many exciting park days to go – and we wanted to take full advantage of our fancy resort!

It turned out to be an even better decision than we thought, as one of us woke up not feeling so hot the next morning…

Up Next: Our “Down Day”

 

[pkondz]

Of course! I really admire your commenting dedication! (And thank goodness for it, or some of my posts wouldn't have any comments between them!)

Not exactly... although my dad is a big golfer, so perhaps I do associate it with good feelings!

That works.

I would think it would be a long refurb, though, if they're redoing the whole ride. Le sigh.

At least it won't be a "once in a lifetime" trip so I'll be able to experience it sometime! I do love Spaceship Earth and will be interested to see what they do with it!

I do know that they're replacing Dame Judi Dench with Gilbert Gottfried

Ah, thanks! I swear I didn't say it just to get such an honor... it really is my favorite WS film!

I'll come back later to read the update. Heading to bed now.

 

[Tracy161]

Love this picture!

For those unfamiliar, these are fried risotto balls filled with mozzarella and meat ragu

Yum! This has "Tracy" written all over it

I don’t know how I’m ever going to visit all the Epcot restaurants if I’m always drawn back to the ones I love!

I know! I feel the same way!

I just love Epcot at night!

I agree... something extra magical about it

I do love nighttime photos of Spaceship Earth! So beautiful!

Also agree!

oh, how I will miss Wishes on our next trip! It just won’t be the same!

I'm with you completely. I know a lot of people love HEA, and it's great and all, but nothing will ever replace Wishes for me.

She even broke out the nice bathrobe that we found in the closet. She figured she might as well go all-out!

When in Rome, right?!

as one of us woke up not feeling so hot the next morning…

Uh oh...

 

[pkondz]

Pizza!

You had me at Pizza...

Both Anika and I were very excited for our next dining reservation, which is a favorite of ours and many others on the DISboards:

Well... not me, so much. I tried it and was very underwhelmed by the pizza. I'm a pizza snob. Sorry!

the Seas is a REALLY long way from Italy!

No it's not. It surrounds it!

It is impossible for me to visit without taking a picture of this light fixture. I love it!

Pretty!

We waited less than ten minutes to be seated. We were placed at a two-top in the main dining room at a window that looked out at the patio area. It was close to the entry lobby, but it was such a nice view with so much to look at that we really liked our spot!

Glad you got such a great table.

For those unfamiliar, these are fried risotto balls filled with mozzarella and meat ragu. They were very tasty and a great way to kick off our meal!

mmm... sounds good.

I also ordered one of my two standard Disney beverages, an iced tea. I don’t know what it is about the iced tea at Via Napoli, but it tastes extra delicious to me. Perhaps it’s the same darn iced tea that’s served everywhere in the World but just tastes better in the fancy glass?

I never order iced tea at Disney. Because it tastes like... tea. Being Canadian, our tastes are... quite different when it comes to iced tea.

We’ve gotten smarter over the years and crafted our meals in such a way to maximize one of our favorite things… dessert!

Anika ordered the Zeppole di Caterina, ricotta cheese fritters with whipped cream and chocolate sauce:

Yummy

I ordered the Gelato Frizzante, which is an ice cream soda with San Pellegrino Aranciata and vanilla gelato:

Holy crap! I've said that I'd probably never go back there (see previous comment on the pizza), but... this alone might make me change my mind!

I just love Epcot at night! All the parks are beautiful at night, but I feel like World Showcase is particularly beautiful!

I hope they keep these torches even after Illuminations is gone. They just feel like nighttime at Epcot to me!

Agreed! I'm not a huge fan of Illuminations... but love those torches.

We hopped on the Monorail and made our way back to the Grand Floridian. The whole journey only took about thirty minutes, which we thought was pretty good!

Not bad!

On our walk back to our building, we noticed quite a few people sitting in chairs and around tables looking toward the lagoon. We realized they were waiting to watch Wishes from the resort! Wow, I didn’t even think of that – what perfect timing! Anika and I took a seat on a concrete step and waited for the show.

Oh! Great timing!

Soon the lights dimmed and the music began… oh, how I will miss Wishes on our next trip! It just won’t be the same!

Yeah... it's not the same, unfortunately. It doesn't have that "hit you right in the feels", you know?

We realized we were indeed in a fancy place as our beds had been turned down and we had chocolates waiting for us:

Oooohhh… fancy!

She even broke out the nice bathrobe that we found in the closet. She figured she might as well go all-out!

I'm having trouble commenting on a woman having a bath...
But I'm glad she had a nice relaxing time.

It turned out to be an even better decision than we thought, as one of us woke up not feeling so hot the next morning…

Uh, oh...

 

[glennbo123]

Every time we’re at Via Napoli we tend to order something a bit different. This time we decided to try a new appetizer (to us), the Arancini:

These look good!

Anika ordered the Zeppole di Caterina, ricotta cheese fritters with whipped cream and chocolate sauce:

These look good too, although it looks like they went a little light on the whipped cream. It was probably enough though.

I ordered the Gelato Frizzante, which is an ice cream soda with San Pellegrino Aranciata and vanilla gelato:

I see different layers in the glass...so, do you mix it up or try to use the straw to get different layers with each mouthful, or what? I'm sure I'm overthinking it!

Anika also ordered a cappuccino:

The kid's got class.

I hope they keep these torches even after Illuminations is gone. They just feel like nighttime at Epcot to me!

I was thinking the same thing when I saw your torch picture.

It turned out to be an even better decision than we thought, as one of us woke up not feeling so hot the next morning…

Uh oh...

 

[cindianne320]

I love how much detail this report has, even if it's a few years old! It sounds like you had a nice, relaxing day in Epcot- and now I'm starving!

I'm sorry one of you didn't feel well!

 

[afwdwfan]

Ever since our first sister trip in 2012, Epcot has turned into our traditional first park. During our first trip we happened to visit there first as we had an ADR Via Napoli. We did it again in 2013 so it only seemed right to continue the tradition! Along with Epcot being our first park, Magic Kingdom has always been the last park we’re in before leaving. We enjoy it this way so we keep doing it!

I like it! But we always seem to have to start AND finish with MK!

One restaurant we both wanted to try but I didn’t schedule was Biergarten – despite our long trip, we have quite a few Epcot favorites and it didn’t fit. Unfortunately there were no openings for Biergarten that day, but we easily snagged a spot at Tokyo Dining. We just switched our upcoming Tokyo Dining ADR for a Biergarten ADR and we were all set!

I love it when things work out like that!

The character handlers were closing down the lines (and we were nearing our ADR time anyway) so that was the end of our character encounter. We got pictures with five characters (six, if you include Chip and Dale as separate characters) in around seven minutes. I was impressed! (And Anika was happy she didn’t have to be in most of the pictures! )

Nice!!!

We had a very pleasant experience at Tokyo Dining. The food was good and the atmosphere was so calming – definitely more chill than its neighbor, Teppan Edo. The sushi was average, but our roll choice may have been to blame. The staff was EXCELLENT and so nice, so that alone could be a reason to return. I’d place Tokyo Dining in the “good choice, but not required every trip” category. We were glad we tried it!

I'm glad you were able to try it... I'm just not a sushi fan so with other options that I prefer I can't see myself going there. Looks like a very nice place to enjoy a meal though!

This was still the original Soarin’ which I really enjoyed. The soundtrack in particular was my favorite. I’ve cheated and watched the new attraction – although I think I will enjoy it as well, I will feel nostalgic for the original!

I definitely preferred the original. I miss it, and especially the golf ball part since DS loved it so much.

it notwithstanding, it was a pleasant ride viewing the plants and hearing about agriculture:

I always enjoy that one. Nice opportunity to nerd out and relax.

I’d wanted to visit La Cava for a margarita for several trips, but it never seemed like we had enough time. With a two week trip we had no more excuses!

There is ALWAYS time for La Cava!!!!

You can also order margaritas from a to-go window, but we really enjoyed the full experience! I suspect it’s difficult to get a spot to sit down (I think we were lucky!), but I would definitely recommend La Cava del Tequila for a mid-afternoon snack break!

Ok... I got ya now. I'm perfectly fine with going to the to-go line to grab a drink. Theirs are just so much better than the pre-manufactured ones you get at the kiosk outside. We've never taken the time to actually go in, get a table and have a snack. I would definitely like to do that sometime, but it just hasn't been something that we've prioritized.

Via Napoli had now become our official first dinner of the vacation every trip as we LOVED going there. Although this was not the first night of our vacation it WAS our first park day… so, close enough!

And now I'm hungry...

For those unfamiliar, these are fried risotto balls filled with mozzarella and meat ragu. They were very tasty and a great way to kick off our meal!

Hmm... mental note for future reference. We've never gotten any appetizers there, but these might be worth trying.

Full but very happy, we paid our bill and said goodbye (and thank you!) to Via Napoli. I grabbed a few additional pictures of the restaurant on our way out, including the pizza ovens:

LaCava and Via Napoli... seriously, if this isn't the perfect day...

I hope they keep these torches even after Illuminations is gone. They just feel like nighttime at Epcot to me!

Illuminations isn't my favorite night time show, but I do love the torches. I think part of it is that we went a couple of times in December a few years ago and when we went to watch Illuminations it was just bone chillingly cool those evenings with the wind coming off the lagoon. We made sure to find a spot very close to a torch.

Soon the lights dimmed and the music began… oh, how I will miss Wishes on our next trip! It just won’t be the same!

It isn't... I really miss Wishes. HEA is good, but it just isn't Wishes.

It turned out to be an even better decision than we thought, as one of us woke up not feeling so hot the next morning…

Uh oh

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I do know that they're replacing Dame Judi Dench with Gilbert Gottfried

Love this picture!

Thank you! I love when we get good Photopass shots! (It seems like such a hit or miss!)

Yum! This has "Tracy" written all over it

They were really good! It seems from more recent trip reports that they now only give you two risotto balls instead of three - but as long as you don't have three people to share them I'm sure it should be fine.

I know! I feel the same way!

If only some of my favorites would bomb out on a visit, it would be easier to try something new!

(Okay, I don't really want that to happen... but there are just so many places I'd love to try!)

I agree... something extra magical about it

It's just so lovely! I love the lights on all the World Showcase buildings.​

Also agree!

I don't even know how many nighttime photos I have of Spaceship Earth. I just can't help but take tons of photos every trip!

I'm with you completely. I know a lot of people love HEA, and it's great and all, but nothing will ever replace Wishes for me.

It will be tough. I do look forward to seeing the new show, but I LOVED Wishes!

When in Rome, right?!

Absolutely! (And I figure with the price of the room, we better use every last perk!

Uh oh...

It was not the day we expected!