The things people say! May 4-11, 2024 Trip Report

[lulu2121]

Day 4 – Tuesday, May 7, Part 3
We were in our room at WL at 6:24. I had noted on our reservation that this was our anniversary trip.



If you were paying attention when this trip report began, I introduced myself as Christie. No, Disney didn’t get it wrong. Consider yourself a friend. Christina is my legal name and the one I use professionally. If you know me as Christie, you must be a longtime friend or a family member. Doug asked why it was lowercase instead of a capital C. He assumed Disney made a mistake. Nope, that’s the way I entered it in MDE years ago. Not really sure there was a purpose at the time other than I liked the way it looked printed on the inside of my MagicBand, but back when the screens worked properly on rides such as It’s a Small World, I would know it was me if the name came up lowercase.



I did not take room photos upon arrival. These were taken before we checked out so please excuse the rumpled bed.

Random thought I wanted to add – WL had better pillows than anywhere else we’ve stayed on property over the years. This is a small thing, but I thought it was worth noting. I’m not sure if Disney is actually buying better quality pillows or if these were just newer and not squished down into nothingness yet. Either way, I appreciated the bit of firmness and support!

We unpacked quickly and decided to spend the evening at the pool. We got changed and placed a mobile order for Roaring Fork. Doug had the Pulled Pork Sandwich with fries and a Coke, while I had the Tuna Sandwich with chips. We divided and conquered. Doug waited for the food at Roaring Fork, and I headed to Geyser Point for drinks as Blue Moon wasn’t available at Roaring Fork. I quickly grabbed Doug a Miller Lite and a Blue Moon for myself, and we met up at the Boulder Ridge pool. We found a table in the back corner and dug in.



Apparently before I took photos! My sandwich was massive. I only ate half and saved most of the chips for later. Doug enjoyed his, and it was gone quickly. We took a dip in the pool and eventually made our way to the hot tub for a bit.

Around 8:40, we dried ourselves off and headed back to our room. We were excited to see what the view of the fireworks would be from there. I took a quick shower and changed into dry clothes. We found the channel on the TV with the fireworks music.



And here it is! I didn’t take many photos as I just wanted to watch, but this will give you a point of reference. We couldn’t see much of the low stuff due to the trees, but it was a great view of all of the higher fireworks.

I was starting to feel the bugs bite pretty immediately, and I didn’t want to use bug spray since I’d just showered. We ended up lying across the bed for the remainder of the show.



Terrible photo, but it was still a great view from inside on the bed.

 

[Araminta18]

To answer your question about Mears, it was absolutely sufficient for the cheapest option out there. My only complaint is that on departure day we were picked up 3 hours and 50 minutes before our flight, and then headed straight to the airport. It was just too early. That alone would make me consider another option if we were leaving on an early morning flight.

Did it feel like too long of a delay to get out there? That's always been the part I've been hesitant on. But also, 3h50min?! Oh my goodness.

This was so good! The marshmallow buttercream was not as sweet as I thought it might be, but I wouldn’t have pegged it as marshmallow flavored without being told that it was. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the cake. Doug ate about 3/4 of this.

We got this cake too! So delicious - but I agree I wouldn't have pegged it as marshmallow either.

This is a must-do for me. There aren’t words to describe how beautifully they sing. I have goosebumps the entire time and have had to wipe away tears depending on the song selection.

We've never done this! We'll have to try it some time.

and the strawberry shortcake was just meh. We also picked up the Cucumber-Watermelon Slushy. We got it without the gin. Neither of us loved it, but we drank it because it was cold and it was a hot afternoon.

100% agree - we got the shortcake and weren't impressed. I did like the cucumber watermelon slushy, though probably mostly for the refreshing aspect.

And then I hear, clear as day, the gentleman say, “Aw, sh*t. It’s a yes or no question. I don’t need a dissertation.”

ok that's hilarious.

Anyone can holler “ice cream” at any time and veer toward the nearest cart, stand, or parlor from which to purchase and partake, no questions asked. If anyone in our family ever asks if you need an ice cream, it likely means you need to get your attitude in check. Ha ha. Since adopting the ice cream method, we’ve actually found that we need it less often!

oooh that's so smart!!

We made our way to the back of the Morocco pavilion and walked right into the Passholder Lounge, well, after they checked our passes of course, without a wait at all. We also received our passholder pins. We each grabbed a cup of water and maybe a half cup of mint tea (they were almost out) and a snack. Doug got a package of nuts/trail mix, and I picked up a bag of Chex Mix. We stuck our snacks in my bag for later. Open seats were a little scarce. We checked the left side of the room first but had no luck. We made our way over to the right side and ended up sitting on a couple of pouf/ottoman things on the floor. These were actually quite comfortable. We enjoyed the lounge for maybe 20 minutes or so. I grabbed a second cup of mint tea before heading out and sipped it as we walked back to Future World.

Hey, we were there at the same time! We found a booth in the corner (we got lucky) and conked out for like an hour. I didn't feel too bad 'cause there was no wait, like you said. It was definitely a nice break.

And even got the monorail in the background!

Nice shot!

I had noted on our reservation that this was our anniversary trip.

Isn't that so cute?! We got that too on our tv - love that little touch.

WL had better pillows than anywhere else we’ve stayed on property over the years. This is a small thing, but I thought it was worth noting. I’m not sure if Disney is actually buying better quality pillows or if these were just newer and not squished down into nothingness yet. Either way, I appreciated the bit of firmness and support!

ooooh jealous. That's the one thing I don't love about the hotels - the pillows are too soft! May have to do WL next.

And here it is! I didn’t take many photos as I just wanted to watch, but this will give you a point of reference. We couldn’t see much of the low stuff due to the trees, but it was a great view of all of the higher fireworks.

What an awesome view!!

 

[lulu2121]

Did it feel like too long of a delay to get out there? That's always been the part I've been hesitant on. But also, 3h50min?! Oh my goodness..

The trip to the resort was pretty quick. We waited less than 5 minutes to get on a bus. Once on the bus, I think we left within 10-15 minutes. We made only one stop at an AlllStars resort before arriving at AKL. All in, it was about an hour. I was more annoyed that it took us over 45 minutes from landing to get our bags and then get to the Mears line.

Hey, we were there at the same time! We found a booth in the corner (we got lucky) and conked out for like an hour. I didn't feel too bad 'cause there was no wait, like you said. It was definitely a nice break.

Good for you guys! Especially if you were staying for the evening. Epcot days can seem really long and I always feel like it’s the second hottest park, after AK.

 

[alohamom]

Day 4 – Tuesday, May 7, Part 2 – Aw, sh*t. It’s a yes or no question. I don’t need a dissertation.

HAHAHAHA, this is priceless!

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I think I'm going to start combining two of those phrases in faculty meetings...I don't need a dissertation and don't get huffy. Probably won't work but what the heck?

I'm loving your trip. I need to spend more pool time when I go. I did that for the first time in April and wow, it truly makes a difference in how you feel!

 

[lulu2121]

I think I'm going to start combining two of those phrases in faculty meetings...I don't need a dissertation and don't get huffy. Probably won't work but what the heck?

I'm loving your trip. I need to spend more pool time when I go. I did that for the first time in April and wow, it truly makes a difference in how you feel!

Please do! Let me know how that works out.

Glad you are enjoying it! It took 20 years to get DH to relax and sit still on vacation.

 

[lulu2121]

Day 5 – Wednesday, May 8 – And there’s the Cosmopolitan. And that’s Port Orleans Riverside.

Yeah, rope drop did not happen this morning as planned. I was up and got a boarding group for Tron at 7:00 (something like group 87), but we didn’t leave the room until sometime after 8:00, probably closer to 8:30. We opted to take the boat to Magic Kingdom. The line was long, and all the way back the dock. We weren’t sure we’d even make it on the big boat if it came next. Luckily, it pulled up within about 5 minutes. We just made the cut to get on, and the captain cut the line off right behind us. Whew. We stood at the front, right inside the doorway for our cruise to the park. It was a great vantage point, and there was a nice breeze. On our way there, a gentleman and a lady were kind enough to point out the sights and landmarks. “And there’s the Cosmopolitan.”

The lady followed with, “And that’s Port Orleans Riverside,” just a few moments later.

(Both photos were borrowed from the internet for illustration purposes.)

But I’m not one to insert myself in someone else’s conversation, and these folks sounded pretty sure they knew what they were talking about!

We breezed through security and entered the park right at 9:00. We decided to try for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We got over there, but it was down. Knowing this is a frequent occurrence at opening (happens to us every trip!), we waited for a couple of minutes to be sure, but soon gave up and went to Pirates instead. We rode POC at 9:18. After a quick pit stop at the POC bathrooms, we checked the app and BTMRR was up and running. We walked back over and took the wildest ride in the wilderness!

We walked up through Frontierland, and Doug wanted to stop at the shooting gallery. We’ve never done this before, and he wanted to give it a try before it disappears. He had fun shooting all of the targets. I decided I needed a bite to eat before doing anything further. Our go-to breakfast in MK is a Mickey waffle with strawberries from Sleepy Hollow, but I wasn’t feeling something sweet this morning, and the soonest mobile order window was like 30 minutes out when I first checked. We headed through Liberty Square and across the bridge to Adventureland. Where was I headed? To the egg roll cart! This was on my list of snacks to try. We’d never stopped here before. I got one pepperoni and one cheeseburger egg roll. While in the short line at the cart, I checked mobile order again for Sleepy Hollow and got an immediate window. I ordered Doug the Mickey waffle at 10:10 and hit the I’m here button. We walked back to Liberty Square and found a table in the shade behind the shops. I sat down and waited while Doug went to Sleepy Hollow to pick up his waffle. I thought both eggrolls were good, but I preferred the cheeseburger one. This is something I would definitely order again. Doug enjoyed his waffle.

We checked wait times, and Jungle Cruise was showing a 40-minute wait. We decided to give it a try. As soon as we got in line, the wait immediately changed to 50 minutes before we even got fully into the regular queue. We waited 40 minutes as I took this photo at 11:22 as we began our journey.

Our guide was Skipper Victoria. First name Skipper, last name Victoria. She was great! This was the most enjoyable Jungle Cruise we’ve taken for a while!

Once we arrived back at the docks, we decided to grab a cool treat at Sunshine Tree Terrace before heading to the Enchanted Tiki Room to eat them. Doug had an Orange Swirl, and I kept it classic with the Dole Whip Orange. We caught the very end of the preshow and were in the theater just moments later to hear the birds sing the words and the flowers croon.

Next up was the Hall of Presidents. We only waited about 5 minutes for the show to start.

We left Liberty Square and made our way across the hub to Tomorrowland while discussing what to do for the next 3ish hours until our Tron boarding group was called. I checked the app at 12:41 and was able to make an ADR for Skipper Canteen for 1:50. Sweet. We took a ride on the Peoplemover.

We then took a spin on the Carousel of Progress. The ride stopped right in the middle of the first and second scenes. We could see and hear both. I decided this was the perfect opportunity for a nap. We’ve been evacuated from this ride previously, and let me tell you, it is not fun to watch one scene four times in a row! And I love COP. The ride moved slowly and stopped in the correct spot for the second scene and functioned normally after that one hiccup.

We walked back across the park for our lunch at Skipper Canteen. We checked in about 10 minutes early. We shared the Brazilian cheese bread, and then each ordered our own shrimp fried rice appetizer as our mains. Our waiter asked if we’d like to add additional shrimp, and Doug took him up on this offer. Mine has 5 shrimp, and Doug’s has 10.



Our timing worked out well as once lunch was finished, our Tron boarding group was near being called. We slowly made our way back across the park. By the time we made a pitstop at the Tron restrooms, our group was called and we joined the line. We were on the ride by 3:30.

After Tron, we decided to head out of the park and back to WL for an afternoon break. We got in line at the boat launch and a small boat pulled up immediately. We spent a couple of hours relaxing at the pool before getting changed and grabbing dinner at Roaring Fork before heading back to MK for EEH. Doug had the Country-style Baked Meatloaf, and I had the Wilderness Salad with Chicken. He like the meatloaf, and my salad was fine.

We headed back to MK and rode Dumbo at 8:37, followed by Little Mermaid. We made our way over to BTMRR, and our train left the station right as the last firework from Happily Ever After went off. We were hoping to board a little faster and see the end of the fireworks during our ride. I think we may have ridden twice as I have a bit of time here that I can’t account for. I know we grabbed Mickey ice cream sandwiches from the cart next to BTMRR following our ride. It was nearing 10:00, and I know finding an open cart of any kind is scarce during EEH and I was determined to get an ice cream sandwich this evening.

We headed across the park while eating our ice cream and rode Buzz Lightyear at 10:12, followed by Space Mountain at 10:30, and Buzz again at 10:46. During our afternoon break, I was able to get a VQ for Tron during EEH. We were trying to stay in Tomorrowland as our boarding group was near to being called. We rode Tron at 11:32. Once off the ride, we headed to SDMT and rode at 12:07. We were seated in the first row of the last mine cart. The two guys behind us were having a good time on this ride, rocking the cart and singing along through the mine. Doug always does this, so I was glad our fellow riders were too. I had to laugh when I saw the ride photo later!



We made our way out of the park and took the boat back to WL. There was a really long line this night, like long enough we almost decided to head for the buses instead. But our luck held out, the big boat came quickly and we made it on without issue and even got a seat.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Great MK day! I remember being in MK and a lady was telling another person that Harry Potter area was just past BTMRR, what ?? We have heard so much inaccurate information on our vacations even from CMs at times!

 

[Stacybaeasm]

It is on my bucket list to stay at the Cosmopolitan at some point. Wow, you did it all in MK. I don't think I've seen the inside of Tiki, Hall of Presidents, or COP in YEARS!!!

 

[lulu2121]

Great MK day! I remember being in MK and a lady was telling another person that Harry Potter area was just past BTMRR, what ?? We have heard so much inaccurate information on our vacations even from CMs at times!

I know I'm an extreme over-planner and researcher by nature, but some of the misinformation you hear around the parks is pretty basic stuff!

It is on my bucket list to stay at the Cosmopolitan at some point. Wow, you did it all in MK. I don't think I've seen the inside of Tiki, Hall of Presidents, or COP in YEARS!!!

You should go for it if you can fit it in the budget! It was my mom's dream resort for our big family trip a couple of years ago, and I was so happy to be able to find a way to make it work and stay there. It did not disappoint, and it just makes you feel a little bit fancy. Tiki Room and COP are must-dos for us every trip!