Partially-Solo Spring Break Adventure: 4/19-4/28 (food, resort hopping, KttK tour & more!)

[choirbird]

Day 6 continued:

After a short rest, we headed to Epcot at about 4:00. We waited about 20 minutes in line for our Soarin’ FP, walked on to LWTL, Spaceship Earth FP, Seas with Nemo, said hi to manatees, Mission Space FP (waited longer for green than orange), another FP on Soarin, done by 6:30. By this time of day, the only real waits were for the top 3 rides (even SE went down in wait time dramatically around 5).

Ate some F&G foods: lobster tail (ok), both sliders from the Smokehouse (yum). Then went to the dessert party. Most of the desserts were very good, and I’m glad we saved room. There’s a little something for everyone. We didn’t try the alcoholic drinks, but you could probably get your money’s worth by getting in early, not having dinner, and bringing a ziploc bag for leftovers. I especially liked the macarons, but the glittery orange tart was good as were the s’mores pudding and salted caramel cake.

Illuminations itself was OK. I think if I had grown up with the show I would have emotional attachment to the music, but I didn’t and don’t. Lots of fire. We were quite close to the barges and I was shocked and impressed by how hot and loud it was.

We rode on Frozen and walked out of the park. There were hordes of HS kids waiting for the buses so we opted to Lyft back.

Today: Animal Kingdom & Hoop Dee Doo! It’s supposed to rain a lot so I’m hoping that passes quickly.

 

[choirbird]

double post, please scroll down

 

[choirbird]

Day 7: DAK & Hoop

Started off the day at Tusker House. We got on the bus at 7:28 and were walking through the tapstiles just after 8 (when they opened for breakfast guests). We were seated at 8:13 for our 8:10. The food was quite delicious - typical breakfast stuff (eggs, bacon, omelettes, Simba waffles...) plus several awesome pastries and breads (I don’t like banana much, but the banana bread pudding looked like it would be good for someone who liked banana; zebra coffee cake; raspberry chocolate chip bread - I had two pieces!). Biscuits with sausage gravy...*and* some African-inspired foods like curried chicken and mealie pap (a sort of cheesy cornmeal that was quite delicious!). We met Mickey and Daisy briefly, probably giving off vibes that we weren’t really there for the characters...but Goofy walked right past us. Oops. Donald visited while we were getting the check. I’m sure if I had asked about it, they would have made sure he came by, but we didn’t want to wait. Honestly, meeting the characters feels a little awkward to me. Maybe I’ll warm up to it another time. We hurried off to Pandora to ride NRJ. We turned right and followed the sign past Festival of the Lion King to Pandora, but it was roped off as “exit only” at that hour and the CM letting people out to go to the restroom told us standby for FOP was already 90 minutes. It was about 8:50. We headed around the other way.

We arrived at the NRJ boats at 9:11. Exited 9:19, tapped in for our 9:20 FOP FPs at 9:21. Total FOP experience time about 25m. Standby was 165 when we left the land.

I liked FOP a whole lot more this time. I watched the “ride leader” and leaned in, and only a couple of the drops felt intense. I think I’ll be able to add it to my solo itinerary in August

Done with Dinosaur at 10:48. (Waited about 40m), then Safari FP*, then stopped at Satuli Canteen for lunch; had the cheeseburger pods kids meals with grapes and veggie chips and the blueberry dessert. I like the kids meal option and might consider that for some of my “utility meals” in August. The regular adult portions are often large enough to share, and I enjoy trying as many different items as possible.

*Sorry I haven’t been as comprehensive with wait times as I was in the beginning - now that I have someone to chat with I haven’t stopped to note the time as often! I’ve also been lucky to not have too many lines where I have time to stop and wait - which is great, but that’s usually when I update my note with info.

After lunch, we went back to the hotel to swim and do laundry. This was the first (and, if things hold up, the only) somewhat rainy day of the trip but very little saw closures. We decided against waiting for any shows or riding Everest (it’s a little intense for us and even though I enjoyed FOP this time and have had a few days to get used to roller coasters, neither of us was into it enough to wait 45 minutes or do single rider; we did notice some same day FP in case you’re looking, though!).

After a shower and short rest, we took a Lyft to HDDR. I’m pretty sure she was supposed to drop us off at the Outpost (resort entrance), but she went pretty close to Pioneer Hall. We walked about 5-10 minutes. We had nearly an hour to walk around. It was after 5, so we couldn’t directly visit the stables, but we saw some ponies having dinner. We checked in around 5:45, and were able to get $12 back since I didn’t have an AP yet when I made the reservation. We looked out at the boat launch and browsed in the gift shop. By 6:05, the line stretched back to guest relations, and we were let in at 6:15. People were already seated and eating their salads- I assume several people were returning guests and lined up even earlier. Not a big deal at all!

Our server was a little disappointing, however. We’ve been spoiled all week by Disney service, which is typically at least very good and often downright excellent. It’s been extremely rare to see a CM not putting on a smile (and usually trying to get me to smile even though I’m a stoic Northerner a lot of the time). Our server was NOT having a good day. I didn’t want to complain, and other than forgetting a refill we’d requested, it isn’t like she didn’t do her job, but it was a little sad. She was grumpy and ignored us most of the time. This was a situation in which I would typically only tip 15% even though I usually leave 20%+, but of course gratuity is included at HDDR. Shrug. It didn’t ruin the experience but I want to mention it since almost every other interaction we’ve had with CMs has been stellar.

The food was decent - not amazing, but good. The show was as campy as I expected. I’m glad we went, but it’s not something I need to repeat every year. We had Category 1 seats in the last row of that section, which made for a great view and a couple times there was singing and dancing immediately behind us. Fortunately we didn’t get chosen to participate

We took the internal buses back to the Outpost and hailed a Lyft rather easily.

 

[choirbird]

Day 8: MK, AK, Disney Springs

Decided to cancel our Epcot breakfast and FPs bc we covered most of the things we needed to do and so far that park has been easier to cover on the fly. I typically plan everything in advance, but we decided to cater to our whims a bit. Even though I’ve spent 4 days partially in the MK this trip, Eric still hadn’t had the chance to ride some of his favorites. MK opened at 8, however...we woke up at 7:15, but by 8:03 were pulling up to the Magic Kingdom. We would have been there at 7:50 but the bus waited quite a while at All Star Movies.

Big Thunder was posted as 5 minutes at rope drop (accurately), so we rode that twice and Splash Mountain (also a 5 minute wait by 8:55. By this point, 7DMT was posted at 60. I didn’t want to deal with RD crowds there, so we skipped it and went to Haunted Mansion instead (walk on), and then Small World (10m wait).

We stopped for breakfast at Gaston’s Tavern - we shared a cinnamon roll and Ham & Brie sandwich. The cinnamon roll was gigantic and we were happy to have followed DFB’s advice to get extra icing. Neither was excellent but it made do. We finished Under the Sea at 10:30 (never standing still long enough to search for Hidden Mickeys), and went to Dumbo, which was posted at 15 but we maybe waited half that.

We headed over to Tomorrowland to grab some coffee (slightly confused that we had to walk that far...I think I should make a list of where to caffeinate, if any, in each land!) and then crossed through the Hub back to Adventureland.

Tapped in for our Jungle Cruise FP right at 11:10 (it was 55 standby) and on to Pirates FP at 11:25 (25 standby) We grabbed a Citrus Swirl and headed out of the park.

I had heard a rumor that Flight of Passage has daily drop times of 11:01, 1:01, 3:01, and 5:01. During a brief rest back at the hotel, I checked...12:58? Nothing. 1:01? Bingo! 4 time slots. In my overtired state (don’t judge me), I accidentally clicked Dinosaur and nearly cried :-o but refreshed steadily until 1:10 and - phew - got 3:40 back. Disaster averted.

Continuing my quest to do more Disney things outside the parks, we headed to Winter Summerland for our first attempt at mini golf. It was surprisingly fun (free with our resort stay!), with Beach Boys-style remixes of Christmas songs. The course was nice and easy (my style) with fun twists and theming.

We took a Lyft to Animal Kingdom and since we were a bit early, grabbed some drinks and poutine at Nomad Lounge.

We tapped in for FOP and enjoyed it a lot. It did feel like the 3D was a little less good in this theater than in the one we had yesterday. I kept refreshing but wasn’t able to get a FP for Dinosaur before 5:50, so we waited in line. I scolded some line jumpers (one person holding a place for seven others?!) to no avail (other than quiet agreement from 3 other people)...my only consolation is that they probably didn’t get a same day FP for FOP. It was about 20 minute wait. After Dinosaur, we walked on to Triceratop Spin and headed out of the park.

We hopped a bus for Disney Springs with plans to try D-Luxe and The Void, but who knows?? My phone is only 10% battery, so you’ll have to tune in tomorrow for this trip’s thrilling conclusion. I may pass the airport time detailing what I packed and used vs. didn’t use, and other thoughts about the trip. Sivako!

 

[choirbird]

Day 8, continued

We had to wait a while for a bus to Disney Springs, but it came, and we walked over to The Void. They weren’t running Wreck it Ralph so we did Star Wars. I was a little worried about it being scary - I tend to be sensitive to loud noises, jump scares, etc. It wasn’t that bad. I didn’t plan on going but it was part of my quest to do more things outside the theme parks.

We waited about ten minutes in line. After paying the fee (no AP discounts and more $$ on weekends), we signed a waiver on iPads and were given wristbands with QR codes. They mentioned something about “achievements” but I didn’t want to sign up for their email list.

We were led into the staging area where we selected a color for our Storm Troopers and watched an intro video. Then our guides helped us put on the VR gear. It was a bit heavier than I expected - a vest and helmet. I had never worn a VR helmet before, so maybe they’re always heavy.

The actual course is a sort of maze with a couple of buttons and levers. There are real (statue) droid figures and a real bench. There is a scene with lava during which you feel the heat. There is a lot of shooting (when you’re hit, the vest vibrates, sort of like laser tag).

I’m not sure whether you can fail the mission, but I would assume not. I’m not sure whether anything changes based on your actions...except possibly you wouldn’t be able to advance without shooting a monster or pressing buttons in the correct sequence. As for intensity, I lifted my helmet several times to check in with reality, but I would consider myself extraordinarily sensitive (I like to know what to expect and have more fun that way) and think most people wouldn’t need to do so. I was also curious and wanted to see how things worked!

They weren’t running Wreck it Ralph over weekends because Star Wars was so popular, so I wonder whether they use the same course somehow...it’s a bare bones maze so maybe they take out the droids and bring in whatever else.

Overall, it was quite fun and I would recommend it! I would do it again with a different theme, but there didn’t appear to be enough variation in gameplay/outcomes that I would do SW again. The family ahead of us had done it before and didn’t mind much.

After The Void, we had dinner at D-Luxe Burger. It was on my list to try, but not something I would go out of my way to do. The line was quite long - they do have mobile ordering, but my phone battery died and Eric didn’t have his app set up. It was also a bit hard to find an empty table, and the restaurant was crowded and noisy.

I liked the burger, but can get similar quality at home easily. It’s standard “fancy burger joint”. The stars were the dipping sauces (we tried honey mustard, garlic ranch, and chipotle mayo - all good) and the orange cream gelato shake. Not as good as citrus swirl or the F&G orange bird slushy, in my opinion, but still good.

We waited over 30m for a bus back to the All-Stars, and our bus companions were extremely noisy. I’m ready to be away from crowds, cheerleaders, and crying children. We did most of our packing and are headed to bed.

Tomorrow is our final day - we fly home at 8:18pm (fingers crossed for no delays, I have to work Monday morning!!). Before we go, however, we have California Grill brunch and plans to see Epcot. I’m hoping for a tasty, chill day.

 

[crissysc]

I am really glad you shared that tip about kids meals because I"m the same with wanting to try other options and I want to try that out sometime! I'm glad to read your review on Morimoto because we had considered it so I"m kinda glad we passed on it. I mean I've heard very similar where some things are great others aren't but I"m not sure if that will be work two dining credits. Sounds like you've had a great time despite those crowds!

 

[choirbird]

Day 9: Cali Grill, Epcot, and flight home

Departure day! We spent a few hours chilling in the room and packing up. We knew it would be a long day, so we wanted to rest up before we didn’t have a bed!

We left my checked bag at airline check-in (always nervous that it won’t make it home!) and took a Lyft to the Contemporary for California Grill brunch.

I had never been to the Contemporary before! It reminds me a little bit of an aquarium or museum from the 70s/80s. Eric was able to drop off his carry-on and backpack at the valet parking desk with zero issues. I was a tiny bit nervous that we would need to use an Epcot locker. I was also nervous because we didn’t technically meet the dress code - I was wearing a fairly formal dress with flip flops, and E wore a polo and nice shorts (I suppose they count as “dress shorts”) with sandals. We saw someone else with flip flops in the elevator...and nobody said anything to us. Perhaps they’re more strict with dinner, or it’s just a suggestion? We checked in around 11:05 and our table was ready seconds later, a full 25 minutes before our reservation time.

The food and service were good but I think my expectations were higher than they were for Morimoto Asia so that experience impressed me more. I don’t normally care for salad, but both the Bacon & Egg and the Strawberry Salads were excellent.

The music was lovely - jazz arrangements of Disney standards, quite tastefully done; the mimosas were tasty; the coffee was awesome - I might order some online for my house.

The view was the most extraordinary part...from our seats one row back from the window, we could clearly see the castle, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, Astro Orbiter, and Beast’s Castle...plus the GF, Polynesian, and many ferry boats.

We walked past the buffet to a little balcony, and could see Spaceship Earth, Everest, the Hollywood Tower Hotel, (I think) the Four Seasons, and Swan & Dolphin. We did get locked out, however - be careful to prop the door!

We shared one of each item from the buffet - cheddar biscuits, charcuterie, mascarpone parfait, quiche, and a few types of sushi. I may not have been in the mood for sushi, but it didn’t seem that special to me. I would expect that their dinner offerings are better.

The star of the show was the orange bourbon baba station! It was quite tasty, and came with ice cream and cornflakes. I would get that again for sure.

For entrees we got the bison burger, brioche French toast, and the chicken avocado toast. Honestly all were OK but nothing was OMG awesome. Maybe I’m spoiled.

The desserts were quite tasty - especially the macarons. We probably could have asked for more of those instead of the other stuff, idk. It’s worth asking about. The other stuff was trail mix chocolate bark, little fruit jellies, and mini cinnamon roll cookies.

Overall, I don’t regret the experience - the service was great and the view was amazing. I hope to go back to CG for sure...but most of the food just seemed a little “off” to me. Scandalous hot take, I know. Onward.

We took the monorail to Epcot. It took almost an hour because it requires a transfer. The security people at the Contemporary were very nice and it would have been great if we didn’t need to go through bag check again at Epcot, but we did. It was VERY busy at Epcot. I’m not sure whether I mentioned it, but yesterday was Dapper Day at the MK and today was Dapper Day at Epcot. We saw lots and lots of people dressed to the nines and taking many photographs all over the place - SeaBase (isn’t it dark?), phone booth at Canada...

We started off at Turtle Talk. 10 minute wait. I guess that isn’t really so much of a line as a clump. It was fairly full. We left halfway through because I didn’t really find it entertaining - it’s the same technology as Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor but way more geared toward little kids.

It was very busy - lines for all the bathrooms (which seems expected, but I have rarely had to wait in line for a bathroom at Disney, even on Easter) and many screaming children. I grabbed a 2:00 FP for Figment and 3:00 Soarin’, but it was hard to find times that work for us as we were leaving at 4:30.

After Turtle Talk, we noticed that Mission:Space Green was only 5 minutes, so we did that...and Test Track single rider was posted at 20. I think we waited only about 15 minutes.

We finished at 3:00, and zoomed to our FP at Figment and Soarin’. Both were posted as 20 minutes standby, but I think the latter was a mistake, as we waited about 10m for FP.

We finished at 3:20, and decided we had enough time to get a final Orange Bird slushy and walk around Canada before leaving the park. Gran Fiesta tour was still marked 20 minutes standby so we didn’t want to chance it.

In retrospect, we had time to ride it and possibly even Frozen...we had no trouble catching a Lyft (other than walking to the Journey parking lot, which is a tad inconvenient when it’s 90 degrees!). We went to the Contemporary, where we had left our carry-on luggage before brunch with no trouble at all, and onward to the airport.

Security was only accepting people whose flights departed in 2 hours or less, and we arrived with more than 3 hours before takeoff, so we browsed the gift shops.

TSA pre-check was a breeze (and, to me, unexpectedly allowed Eric to join me!) and took less than 15m. We grabbed some pizza and had a relaxing time before boarding the plane.

Getting ready to take off and head home, hopefully not too long after midnight. I work tomorrow at 7:30, so wish me luck and caffeination. Thanks for following along! It’s been fun to “report” on my adventures. I hope it’s helpful or at least entertaining to someone!

 

[choirbird]

I am really glad you shared that tip about kids meals because I"m the same with wanting to try other options and I want to try that out sometime! I'm glad to read your review on Morimoto because we had considered it so I"m kinda glad we passed on it. I mean I've heard very similar where some things are great others aren't but I"m not sure if that will be work two dining credits. Sounds like you've had a great time despite those crowds!

I think Morimoto was the best meal of the trip, don’t get me wrong! I liked it more than California Grill. I don’t think it’s worth it on the dining plan because of how the economics work - they probably won’t let you share small plates, etc. which is what I like to do. When we had free dining last August it was one entree per person.

If you choose to go there, consider paying OOP to maximize the dining plan.