Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
Thank you so much! I appreciate it so much that you are reading along!
We Turned It Up to 11!
- Thread starter Alex Coleman
- Start date
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
No Strings Attached
November 26th
Our whole travel party woke up on this Monday morning really excited to go to the park. Sarah and I both knew that her dad would love Disney’s Animal Kingdom more than any of the other places in the whole entire world and we were so ready for him to experience Pandora for the first time. We rolled out of our rooms and stopped off at the New Old Port Royale for coffee.
We walked to the bus stop with caffeine coursing through our veins so all was well. These Extra Magic Hours mornings do not get easier to be up for as time goes on! We boarded an incredibly full bus and headed to Animal Kingdom.
When we arrived, we stopped for a bit to admire the Christmas tree at the front of the park. It really is beautiful. I know it probably doesn’t compare with the one at Magic Kingdom or the entrance to World Showcase, but it is remarkably spectacular. We even found a Hidden Mickey!
We arrived at the front gates just slightly after rope drop. The family navigated our way through Discovery Island at pace and then landed on Pandora. Sarah’s parents wanted to explore a bit, but I told them to keep their eyes on the prize. We needed to get on Na’vi River Journey before the wait became unliveable. I tore them away from their adventure and we waded down the Pandoran river. Even as I write this, I can hear the song in my head.
After we were done, Sarah’s parents were allowed to explore. They were awestruck by the design of Pandora. I think that everyone who has stepped foot in Animal Kingdom’s newest extra terrestrial paradise feels about the same way. The only thing that is more overwhelming than the sight of floating mountains is the 180 minute wait for Flight of Passage!
After our time in Pandora was done for the morning, we were going to use our first Fastpass+ of the day on DINOSAUR. However, one cannot simply sprint from place to place in this Kingdom (insert Sean Bean meme). This park is meant to be savored one detail at a time. We stopped off in Africa and then wandered a bit through Asia (with a visit to Mt. Everest to battle the yeti, of course) before we arrived at the Dino Institute.
We battled through the dinosaur extinction and emerged with on Iguanodon FOR SCIENCE! You are welcome world.
We exited the land of the past and walked towards Africa. Sometimes when I compile my touring plan for Animal Kingdom I intentionally plan to cross the park several times. I find that I discover something new and beautiful every time I am in this mecca of detail. I would not recommend it for everyone (it leads to very sore feet!), but if you are willing to put in the mileage, it can be very rewarding!
What made this trek particularly enjoyable was my favorite snack at Walt Disney World: Cinnamon Glazed Almonds! We arrived and were ready for our safari across the Harambe Wildlife Reserve so we jumped in the Fastpass+ queue and boarded our truck. Apparently the animals were given the memo that I sent about it being Sarah’s parents first (and only) safari. Honestly, I don’t remember another time that we saw quite so many of the reserve’s inhabitants.
We bid our guide, “Kwaharini” and then departed to see some more animals. After a brief restroom break, we wandered through the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. We stopped at each of the exhibits, but spent quite a bit of time at the gorilla enclosure.
We had an amazing conversation with a Cast Member who had an incredible amount of knowledge about the gorillas at Animal Kingdom. She explained how the family structure worked and how there is a worldwide network of zoos that work together to ensure that animals are bred properly to keep the gorilla population growing.
Unfortunately, Sarah discovered that she had lost her sunglasses at some point around the trail! We slightly panicked (Target $12 glasses are serious business in this Coleman home!), but we retraced our steps. The last place she remembered having them was the meerkat area. We looked around fruitlessly. Sarah’s dad and I asked the CMs who were in the area and they pointed us to one of their leads.
This wonderful CM had good news, bad news, and wonderful news. The good news was that she found Sarah’s priceless knockoff sunglasses. The bad news was that they were smashed beyond recognition. Sarah’s heart was crushed into the exact shape of those sunglasses. However, the wonderful news was that she slipped a small pad of paper out of her bag and gave us a No Strings Attached voucher!
I had never heard of this before. These vouchers are a comp system for guests who have been disadvantaged in some way whilst on property. She explained that this voucher was good for one complimentary item at the parks. The CM fills out the form with the guest’s name, what the comped item (1 pair of sunglasses, for example) or experience will be, and then adds their information to the bottom. This immediately changed Sarah’s experience! She went from despair to joy in that small span of time (just look at her face!)
Sarah skipped triumphantly away from Gorilla Falls and towards the rest of the Africa pavilion. I was thinking about how far I could stretch this No Strings Attached voucher. I wondered if I could game the system (yes, I am a terrible person).
All this scheming made me hungry so we all decided that it was time for lunch. I wanted to get some of the ribs from Harambe Market, but I knew that Sarah’s parents needed to experience Satu’li Canteen.
I wandered around the market and took pictures while I waited for the booths to open. Unfortunately, the rib window was taking significantly longer to open than the rest of the eateries. Mystifyingly, I forgot that (Hot tip) you can order any of the items at every food booth in Harambe Market. By the time I remembered, the queue was about a mile long at the other windows.
I decided that the wait was not worth it so we all wandered back to Pandora to get some delicious bowls from Satu’li. Sarah’s parents both ordered the Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef Bowl, I ordered the Combination Bowl: Grilled Beef & Chicken, and Sarah ordered Chili-Garlic Shrimp Bowl. Sarah and I had already both savored the delicious chicken and beef bowl so I was excited to try the new shrimp offering. Chili, garlic, and shrimp are 3 of our favorite things to eat so it had to be delicious!
Our first bite was terribly bland. I volunteered to bite the bullet and switch meals with Sarah. However, I discovered the reason why the shrimp and noodle bowl had an underwhelming initial impression. It turns out that the chili-garlic sauce was pooled at the bottom and the top part of the offering was, essentially, dry noodles. Once I tossed the noodles and shrimp in the sauce it changed everything! Sarah reclaimed her bowl and we were all happy again.
After our meal it was time to use our Fastpass+ selections for Expedition Everest. I can usually coax one journey on Expedition Everest out of Sarah per trip and we had already reached her allotment that morning. She and her mom decided that her dad and I could go and ride twice. We sprinted across the park and then rode twice before coming back for our Fastpass+ return time for Flight of Passage.
If Sarah and I were being honest, this was the moment that we had been waiting for since her mom and dad decided to book their vacation package. We knew that this attraction would define both of her parents’ experience. Fortunately, we were not disappointed. We walked away basking in the glow of her parents adoration with enough excitement that would make the outsider think that we were the Imagineers before this marvelous attraction.
It was time for some shows! We started by sprinting (massively impressed by her parents' ability to keep up) to The Festival of the Lion King. After that we sprinted (still massively impressed by their pace) to Finding Nemo The Musical and sang along with Marlon, Nemo, Dory, Crush, and the rest of the gang. Our show finished and we navigated our way back toward the exit. We all napped and recovered for our evening of culinary indulgence.
After our terrible Uber experience two nights before, I decided I would go with Lyft for our journey to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge for our dining reservation at Boma Flavors of Africa. Our driver was chatty, but actually got us to our destination without getting lost! We walked around the beautiful lobby while we waited for our reservation time. I decided that I LOVE Animal Kingdom Lodge. The lobby is breathtaking!
After wandering around for a bit, it was time to eat. I was really excited for this meal, but Sarah was not so much. Typically, she is not a big fan of the bold flavors of African cuisine. Also, she is not a fan of the meat-heavy buffet menu. However, we compromised on this meal and I got my way!
Our meal started with specialty drinks (thank you Disney Dining Plan!) and each one of us got our fruity concoction.
Sarah and her parents got in the massive queue for meats and I went to fill up some bowls with soup that smelled out of this world. I grabbed Spicy Nigerian Peanut Soup, Seafood Gumbo, and Coconut-Chicken-Curry Soup. Each one of these were unbelievable. I think my favorite was the curry soup, but Sarah loved the gumbo. Next came our carne-val of meats (see what I did there?!).
I grabbed Slow-roasted Pork Ribs, Spice-crusted Beef Sirloin, Whole Durban-style Roasted Chicken to start with. Each one of these were good, but the pork ribs were to die for. They melted off the bone and I think I could have eaten the entire tray. I went back for more and more meat, but Sarah was happy to eat mac and cheese from the kid’s station. Gotta love her adventurous palate!
We moved onto dessert and I have to say that it was slightly disappointing. Aside from the famous Zebra Domes (pictured below) and the cherry cobbler, it feels like Disney phoned in this dessert bar. I have noticed that almost every dessert bar at a Disney buffet has roughly the same selection. There are a few cookies and brownies, a couple cheesecakes, some form of panna cotta, and then a cobbler or pie. I think we are better served skipping dessert, even though Sarah and I are massively addicted to sugar.
Overall, I loved the experience at Boma. I think I could probably convince Sarah to go back just to get mac and cheese. I think that it holds its own against the also-excellent Tusker House Restaurant buffet. My only complaints are the location (it is a massive trek to get to AKL if you aren’t staying there) and the underwhelming dessert. Definitely worth going back!
After our meal I wanted to go back so Sarah’s parents could experience Pandora at night. Unfortunately, Central Florida had other ideas. As soon as we got off the bus from the Lodge and in front of the Tree Of Life, a storm unleashed hell upon the park. We took shelter in the Guest Relations area before trudging miserably back to the bus stop to go back to Caribbean Beach.
When we returned to the resort, Illuminations was exploding in the sky above Epcot. The entire family huddled together for warmth as the show lit up the night. It really gave me an appreciation for CB and its proximity to the parks. That fireworks show felt like it was going off at the resort.
We all loved watching the show and we headed off to bed. It was going to be an early morning of Sarah’s mom crying tears of joy so we needed to get some rest!
November 26th
Our whole travel party woke up on this Monday morning really excited to go to the park. Sarah and I both knew that her dad would love Disney’s Animal Kingdom more than any of the other places in the whole entire world and we were so ready for him to experience Pandora for the first time. We rolled out of our rooms and stopped off at the New Old Port Royale for coffee.
We walked to the bus stop with caffeine coursing through our veins so all was well. These Extra Magic Hours mornings do not get easier to be up for as time goes on! We boarded an incredibly full bus and headed to Animal Kingdom.
When we arrived, we stopped for a bit to admire the Christmas tree at the front of the park. It really is beautiful. I know it probably doesn’t compare with the one at Magic Kingdom or the entrance to World Showcase, but it is remarkably spectacular. We even found a Hidden Mickey!
We arrived at the front gates just slightly after rope drop. The family navigated our way through Discovery Island at pace and then landed on Pandora. Sarah’s parents wanted to explore a bit, but I told them to keep their eyes on the prize. We needed to get on Na’vi River Journey before the wait became unliveable. I tore them away from their adventure and we waded down the Pandoran river. Even as I write this, I can hear the song in my head.
After we were done, Sarah’s parents were allowed to explore. They were awestruck by the design of Pandora. I think that everyone who has stepped foot in Animal Kingdom’s newest extra terrestrial paradise feels about the same way. The only thing that is more overwhelming than the sight of floating mountains is the 180 minute wait for Flight of Passage!
After our time in Pandora was done for the morning, we were going to use our first Fastpass+ of the day on DINOSAUR. However, one cannot simply sprint from place to place in this Kingdom (insert Sean Bean meme). This park is meant to be savored one detail at a time. We stopped off in Africa and then wandered a bit through Asia (with a visit to Mt. Everest to battle the yeti, of course) before we arrived at the Dino Institute.
We battled through the dinosaur extinction and emerged with on Iguanodon FOR SCIENCE! You are welcome world.
We exited the land of the past and walked towards Africa. Sometimes when I compile my touring plan for Animal Kingdom I intentionally plan to cross the park several times. I find that I discover something new and beautiful every time I am in this mecca of detail. I would not recommend it for everyone (it leads to very sore feet!), but if you are willing to put in the mileage, it can be very rewarding!
What made this trek particularly enjoyable was my favorite snack at Walt Disney World: Cinnamon Glazed Almonds! We arrived and were ready for our safari across the Harambe Wildlife Reserve so we jumped in the Fastpass+ queue and boarded our truck. Apparently the animals were given the memo that I sent about it being Sarah’s parents first (and only) safari. Honestly, I don’t remember another time that we saw quite so many of the reserve’s inhabitants.
We bid our guide, “Kwaharini” and then departed to see some more animals. After a brief restroom break, we wandered through the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. We stopped at each of the exhibits, but spent quite a bit of time at the gorilla enclosure.
We had an amazing conversation with a Cast Member who had an incredible amount of knowledge about the gorillas at Animal Kingdom. She explained how the family structure worked and how there is a worldwide network of zoos that work together to ensure that animals are bred properly to keep the gorilla population growing.
Unfortunately, Sarah discovered that she had lost her sunglasses at some point around the trail! We slightly panicked (Target $12 glasses are serious business in this Coleman home!), but we retraced our steps. The last place she remembered having them was the meerkat area. We looked around fruitlessly. Sarah’s dad and I asked the CMs who were in the area and they pointed us to one of their leads.
This wonderful CM had good news, bad news, and wonderful news. The good news was that she found Sarah’s priceless knockoff sunglasses. The bad news was that they were smashed beyond recognition. Sarah’s heart was crushed into the exact shape of those sunglasses. However, the wonderful news was that she slipped a small pad of paper out of her bag and gave us a No Strings Attached voucher!
I had never heard of this before. These vouchers are a comp system for guests who have been disadvantaged in some way whilst on property. She explained that this voucher was good for one complimentary item at the parks. The CM fills out the form with the guest’s name, what the comped item (1 pair of sunglasses, for example) or experience will be, and then adds their information to the bottom. This immediately changed Sarah’s experience! She went from despair to joy in that small span of time (just look at her face!)
Sarah skipped triumphantly away from Gorilla Falls and towards the rest of the Africa pavilion. I was thinking about how far I could stretch this No Strings Attached voucher. I wondered if I could game the system (yes, I am a terrible person).
All this scheming made me hungry so we all decided that it was time for lunch. I wanted to get some of the ribs from Harambe Market, but I knew that Sarah’s parents needed to experience Satu’li Canteen.
I wandered around the market and took pictures while I waited for the booths to open. Unfortunately, the rib window was taking significantly longer to open than the rest of the eateries. Mystifyingly, I forgot that (Hot tip) you can order any of the items at every food booth in Harambe Market. By the time I remembered, the queue was about a mile long at the other windows.
I decided that the wait was not worth it so we all wandered back to Pandora to get some delicious bowls from Satu’li. Sarah’s parents both ordered the Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef Bowl, I ordered the Combination Bowl: Grilled Beef & Chicken, and Sarah ordered Chili-Garlic Shrimp Bowl. Sarah and I had already both savored the delicious chicken and beef bowl so I was excited to try the new shrimp offering. Chili, garlic, and shrimp are 3 of our favorite things to eat so it had to be delicious!
Our first bite was terribly bland. I volunteered to bite the bullet and switch meals with Sarah. However, I discovered the reason why the shrimp and noodle bowl had an underwhelming initial impression. It turns out that the chili-garlic sauce was pooled at the bottom and the top part of the offering was, essentially, dry noodles. Once I tossed the noodles and shrimp in the sauce it changed everything! Sarah reclaimed her bowl and we were all happy again.
After our meal it was time to use our Fastpass+ selections for Expedition Everest. I can usually coax one journey on Expedition Everest out of Sarah per trip and we had already reached her allotment that morning. She and her mom decided that her dad and I could go and ride twice. We sprinted across the park and then rode twice before coming back for our Fastpass+ return time for Flight of Passage.
If Sarah and I were being honest, this was the moment that we had been waiting for since her mom and dad decided to book their vacation package. We knew that this attraction would define both of her parents’ experience. Fortunately, we were not disappointed. We walked away basking in the glow of her parents adoration with enough excitement that would make the outsider think that we were the Imagineers before this marvelous attraction.
It was time for some shows! We started by sprinting (massively impressed by her parents' ability to keep up) to The Festival of the Lion King. After that we sprinted (still massively impressed by their pace) to Finding Nemo The Musical and sang along with Marlon, Nemo, Dory, Crush, and the rest of the gang. Our show finished and we navigated our way back toward the exit. We all napped and recovered for our evening of culinary indulgence.
After our terrible Uber experience two nights before, I decided I would go with Lyft for our journey to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge for our dining reservation at Boma Flavors of Africa. Our driver was chatty, but actually got us to our destination without getting lost! We walked around the beautiful lobby while we waited for our reservation time. I decided that I LOVE Animal Kingdom Lodge. The lobby is breathtaking!
After wandering around for a bit, it was time to eat. I was really excited for this meal, but Sarah was not so much. Typically, she is not a big fan of the bold flavors of African cuisine. Also, she is not a fan of the meat-heavy buffet menu. However, we compromised on this meal and I got my way!
Our meal started with specialty drinks (thank you Disney Dining Plan!) and each one of us got our fruity concoction.
Sarah and her parents got in the massive queue for meats and I went to fill up some bowls with soup that smelled out of this world. I grabbed Spicy Nigerian Peanut Soup, Seafood Gumbo, and Coconut-Chicken-Curry Soup. Each one of these were unbelievable. I think my favorite was the curry soup, but Sarah loved the gumbo. Next came our carne-val of meats (see what I did there?!).
I grabbed Slow-roasted Pork Ribs, Spice-crusted Beef Sirloin, Whole Durban-style Roasted Chicken to start with. Each one of these were good, but the pork ribs were to die for. They melted off the bone and I think I could have eaten the entire tray. I went back for more and more meat, but Sarah was happy to eat mac and cheese from the kid’s station. Gotta love her adventurous palate!
We moved onto dessert and I have to say that it was slightly disappointing. Aside from the famous Zebra Domes (pictured below) and the cherry cobbler, it feels like Disney phoned in this dessert bar. I have noticed that almost every dessert bar at a Disney buffet has roughly the same selection. There are a few cookies and brownies, a couple cheesecakes, some form of panna cotta, and then a cobbler or pie. I think we are better served skipping dessert, even though Sarah and I are massively addicted to sugar.
Overall, I loved the experience at Boma. I think I could probably convince Sarah to go back just to get mac and cheese. I think that it holds its own against the also-excellent Tusker House Restaurant buffet. My only complaints are the location (it is a massive trek to get to AKL if you aren’t staying there) and the underwhelming dessert. Definitely worth going back!
After our meal I wanted to go back so Sarah’s parents could experience Pandora at night. Unfortunately, Central Florida had other ideas. As soon as we got off the bus from the Lodge and in front of the Tree Of Life, a storm unleashed hell upon the park. We took shelter in the Guest Relations area before trudging miserably back to the bus stop to go back to Caribbean Beach.
When we returned to the resort, Illuminations was exploding in the sky above Epcot. The entire family huddled together for warmth as the show lit up the night. It really gave me an appreciation for CB and its proximity to the parks. That fireworks show felt like it was going off at the resort.
We all loved watching the show and we headed off to bed. It was going to be an early morning of Sarah’s mom crying tears of joy so we needed to get some rest!
Where'sPiglet?
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2007
I have a Nikon D5500. I'm still learning how to use it as well as trying to get out of auto mode sometimes. I just got a new lens that shoots macro that I'm looking forward to taking to the Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot! My friend, who knows what's she's doing with her camera and lenses, has the same one and recommended it.
I purchased two small contracts through the resale market; one each at Polynesian and Bay Lake Tower! My original plan was to do 75 points direct, but the BLT direct waitlist is a bear and I finally gave up. Part of me still wishes I had the direct benefits, but the savings on resale far surpass the value of the benefits.
My plan is bank points and stay alternating years at each. I considered Saratoga since it's generally the highest ranked as far as value goes, but I usually travel solo, so I wanted a more compact resort and better proximity to the parks. Also, SSR doesn't really have much of a home resort advantage given how large it is; it's almost always available at 7 months. (There's a thread on the DIS that shows typical booking patterns at all the DVC resorts!) I also considered Beach Club for the Epcot proximity and growing up my family stayed at Yacht & Beach Club, so it had the nostalgia factor going for it. However, if you divide the cost per point by the years left on the contract, Beach Club is one of, if not the, most expensive DVC resorts on a per point basis.
The DVC boards here on the DIS are an excellent source of information.
frostymojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2015
Great report so far, following along.
Your photography skills are amazing! Disney should hire you!
I love Ohana, but I think it's become a bit overrated. On our last visit, we were there for over two hours. The service was slow, the meats were dry, our server couldn't appear any less interested, and we waited forever for our bill. Ohana has always been a must do for us, but I think we'll be skipping it next trip.
I love Ohana, but I think it's become a bit overrated. On our last visit, we were there for over two hours. The service was slow, the meats were dry, our server couldn't appear any less interested, and we waited forever for our bill. Ohana has always been a must do for us, but I think we'll be skipping it next trip.
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
That is a great camera! I usually shoot in Aperture mode and that takes care of me really well!
Resale is still a great way to go. The money you saved from that should take care of any feelings of missing out! Haha.
I will need to check out that thread! I am going to probably be renting points for one of our upcoming trips and it would be helpful to know what the likelihood of us having a room at a given time.
Thanks!
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
Thank you!
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
Thank you!!
Sadly, my wife and I have reached the same conclusion. Our first visit it was exceptional and the second it was just alright. We can use a dining credit on another restaurant we haven't tried yet and be happy.
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
The Reinartz Family Experiences True Joy
November 27th
My excitement for Sarah’s dad experiencing Pandora for the first time paled in comparison to Sarah’s excitement for her mom to experience breakfast at Crystal Palace. The Reinartz family has a deep-seated obsession with Winnie the Pooh. And when I say obsession, I mean obsession. Her mom and brother drove down from Northern to Southern California to see Christopher Robin with Sarah.
Needless to say, it was not difficult to get the family out the door on this Tuesday morning. We walked out of our rooms and saw that the bus to the Magic Kingdom was approaching the stop. We literally sprinted to the bus depot and jump aboard just in time. That was fortunate because the next bus to MK was not scheduled for another 20 minutes.
We arrived at the Security screening area just in time for rope drop for guests with dining reservations. When we arrived at the check-in stand for Crystal Palace, we were the second group to check in. This gave me an opportunity to take a few pictures! I really liked that I could see myself in the reflection of the Christmas bulb (I swear I am not a narcissist, it just looked cool!) and get the castle in the background in the same shot.
We quickly got our alert that our table was ready and we headed inside.
I am not going to spend a lot of time reviewing the food. If you are curious to read our full Crystal Palace Breakfast review, check it out! The most important aspect of this morning was the fact that Sarah’s mom was able to meet Pooh Bear and all his pals. We sipped mimosas and sangria (because nothing goes better with meeting your heroes than alcohol!) while joy was fully realized.
After Sarah and her mom’s heart rates returned to normal, it was time to go experience some attractions. I tried to push the family out the door so they could see Let the Magic Begin, but I was only marginally successful. We caught the tail-end of the show and then headed to Adventureland.
Our first stop was to hop aboard a boat and cruise through jungles of the world. Sarah’s dad died laughing every single pun and dad joke. He was so in his element it was scary. He came away much more encouraged to be comedic than was necessary.
We knocked out Big Thunder Mountain Railroad using our Fastpass+ and then dove under the sea with Ariel and Sebastian. Our main priority was to use Sarah’s No Strings Attached voucher to get her some sunglasses. It was really sunny, even though it felt like a polar vortex (40 degrees in Central Florida is the worst!). Our first stop was the excellent Big Top Souvenirs in Storybook Circus. Unfortunately, they were fresh out of sunglasses.
Our next stop was Main Street, USA to see if we could find a pair. Unfortunately, Disney’s sunglass game is incredibly weak. They have roughly 3 styles and none of them are at all appealing. Sarah and I have incredibly high fashion standards (cannot even attempt to keep a straight face with that comment, we are total nerds) and we demand cute sunglasses!
In the end, we decided to get an orange, Mickey-themed Hawaiian shirt for her dad and a cute Ariel bow for Sarah. The voucher covered the bow, our gift card covered the shirt.
On our way back to Seven Dwarfs for a trip through the mines, we watched Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire from the side of the castle. This was a really unique view of the show. This angle leaves the backstage area exposed. You can see the characters and dancers preparing for their parts of the show. Definitely not a good angle for anyone to view it for the first time, but for regular visitors it can be a fun look behind the curtain.
After our trip through the mines, it was time for a snack. Sarah’s parents bought coffee because they were freezing. I bought LeFou’s Brew because I am certifiably insane to be drinking a frozen beverage when it is freezing outside. We all split a massive cinnamon roll and were quite content.
Our last Fastpass+ selection of the day was Space Mountain. Our journey through the furthest reaches of space was uneventful until we were exiting the attraction. Sarah’s dad got halfway through the exit walkway before he realized that he lost his phone. He bowled over countless unsuspecting families to try to get back to the Cast Members helping people off the attraction. Miraculously, he returned with his phone in-hand 5 minutes later!
We decided that we were done with the Kingdom for the morning (we would be attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that night) so we walked to the Monorail and took it to Epcot. We still hadn’t done Spaceship Earth so I wanted to give her parents the chance to listen to the beautiful voice of Dame Judi Dench.
After our trip through time, we needed to use snack credits for lunch. We circled through World Showcase and stopped in Mexico for Enchilada de Pollo con Mole and Tamal de Camarón which Sarah and I both loved. Then we stopped in Italy for Cavatappi ai Quattro Formaggi which tasted strongly of truffle oil and Mozzarella in Carozza which was safe for less adventurous palates and delicious. I topped it off with a Peppermint Macaron from L'Artisan des Glaces.
As we rounded World Showcase, I decided that I was going to spend a bit of time wandering around the Crescent Lake resorts. I wanted to use a lot of this trip to round out my Walt Disney World photo library and I was embarrassingly short on pictures of these resorts. Honestly, I don’t think I had ever been in the lobbies of the Beach and Yacht Club. Here are some of my better shots:
I decided to catch a Lyft back to Caribbean Beach after my circle was complete. My feet were aching and I did not feel like taking a bus to a park to my resort. During the ride, I got talking with the driver and we launched into a really great, but difficult, conversation.
I asked him about himself and he said that he came to Central Florida from Venezuela. I happened to watch a special on Venezuela and I was somewhat knowledgeable about the desperate situation in that country right now. He talked about all the political upheaval and how his family that is living there is struggling. I promised to pray for him and his family during this time of anguish for his home nation. He stayed positive and said that he was faithful that God would heal his country. It was a remarkable interaction with an incredible man!
After I arrived, it was time for a nap. We were going to have a late night and I needed to make sure to rest. I decided to stay awake and edit photos until it was time to leave again. We all layered up (it was going to be sub-arctic that night) and wandered out the door. Our gang headed to the Magic Kingdom.
We arrived at the party and started collecting our cookies. The family spent collecting sugar and then feeling sick because we ate so much sugar.
The problem with this night was that it was incredibly cold. We wore every layer that we brought. Unfortunately, we were not prepared for the wet, frigid wind that whipped around the park. We decided to ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin twice just because we were so cold. Here is a live look at how we felt every time the wind punched us in the face:
Even though we were cold, it was important for us to get as much value as possible out of the party. Alongside Buzz, we rode The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Haunted Mansion (I really wish they did a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay in WDW), and Pirates of the Caribbean before we settled in for the parade.
We assumed our position after the parade for Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration and Holiday Wishes Fireworks– Celebrate the Spirit of the Season. I only brought my 35mm lens which was a little bit too close to get great shots of the fireworks. I also had the dreaded “I need to hold my cell phone 3 feet above my head to take video” person directly in front of me. This was really annoying, but I got a new angle on the fireworks show so it’s hard to complain.
Sarah’s parents were tired of having no feeling in their toes after the fireworks show was complete. They they headed back to the resort. Sarah and I decided we would try to stick it out just a little bit longer. We walked around the castle and back to Fantasyland. We rode Little Mermaid and Peter Pan’s Flight before we ran out of willpower to battle the cold.
Sarah and I walked away from the park deciding that (if there were no significant changes year-to-year) the Christmas party was definitely an experience for every other year. I think my recommendation (and our future practice) will be to alternate it with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
November 27th
My excitement for Sarah’s dad experiencing Pandora for the first time paled in comparison to Sarah’s excitement for her mom to experience breakfast at Crystal Palace. The Reinartz family has a deep-seated obsession with Winnie the Pooh. And when I say obsession, I mean obsession. Her mom and brother drove down from Northern to Southern California to see Christopher Robin with Sarah.
Needless to say, it was not difficult to get the family out the door on this Tuesday morning. We walked out of our rooms and saw that the bus to the Magic Kingdom was approaching the stop. We literally sprinted to the bus depot and jump aboard just in time. That was fortunate because the next bus to MK was not scheduled for another 20 minutes.
We arrived at the Security screening area just in time for rope drop for guests with dining reservations. When we arrived at the check-in stand for Crystal Palace, we were the second group to check in. This gave me an opportunity to take a few pictures! I really liked that I could see myself in the reflection of the Christmas bulb (I swear I am not a narcissist, it just looked cool!) and get the castle in the background in the same shot.
We quickly got our alert that our table was ready and we headed inside.
I am not going to spend a lot of time reviewing the food. If you are curious to read our full Crystal Palace Breakfast review, check it out! The most important aspect of this morning was the fact that Sarah’s mom was able to meet Pooh Bear and all his pals. We sipped mimosas and sangria (because nothing goes better with meeting your heroes than alcohol!) while joy was fully realized.
After Sarah and her mom’s heart rates returned to normal, it was time to go experience some attractions. I tried to push the family out the door so they could see Let the Magic Begin, but I was only marginally successful. We caught the tail-end of the show and then headed to Adventureland.
Our first stop was to hop aboard a boat and cruise through jungles of the world. Sarah’s dad died laughing every single pun and dad joke. He was so in his element it was scary. He came away much more encouraged to be comedic than was necessary.
We knocked out Big Thunder Mountain Railroad using our Fastpass+ and then dove under the sea with Ariel and Sebastian. Our main priority was to use Sarah’s No Strings Attached voucher to get her some sunglasses. It was really sunny, even though it felt like a polar vortex (40 degrees in Central Florida is the worst!). Our first stop was the excellent Big Top Souvenirs in Storybook Circus. Unfortunately, they were fresh out of sunglasses.
Our next stop was Main Street, USA to see if we could find a pair. Unfortunately, Disney’s sunglass game is incredibly weak. They have roughly 3 styles and none of them are at all appealing. Sarah and I have incredibly high fashion standards (cannot even attempt to keep a straight face with that comment, we are total nerds) and we demand cute sunglasses!
In the end, we decided to get an orange, Mickey-themed Hawaiian shirt for her dad and a cute Ariel bow for Sarah. The voucher covered the bow, our gift card covered the shirt.
On our way back to Seven Dwarfs for a trip through the mines, we watched Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire from the side of the castle. This was a really unique view of the show. This angle leaves the backstage area exposed. You can see the characters and dancers preparing for their parts of the show. Definitely not a good angle for anyone to view it for the first time, but for regular visitors it can be a fun look behind the curtain.
After our trip through the mines, it was time for a snack. Sarah’s parents bought coffee because they were freezing. I bought LeFou’s Brew because I am certifiably insane to be drinking a frozen beverage when it is freezing outside. We all split a massive cinnamon roll and were quite content.
Our last Fastpass+ selection of the day was Space Mountain. Our journey through the furthest reaches of space was uneventful until we were exiting the attraction. Sarah’s dad got halfway through the exit walkway before he realized that he lost his phone. He bowled over countless unsuspecting families to try to get back to the Cast Members helping people off the attraction. Miraculously, he returned with his phone in-hand 5 minutes later!
We decided that we were done with the Kingdom for the morning (we would be attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that night) so we walked to the Monorail and took it to Epcot. We still hadn’t done Spaceship Earth so I wanted to give her parents the chance to listen to the beautiful voice of Dame Judi Dench.
After our trip through time, we needed to use snack credits for lunch. We circled through World Showcase and stopped in Mexico for Enchilada de Pollo con Mole and Tamal de Camarón which Sarah and I both loved. Then we stopped in Italy for Cavatappi ai Quattro Formaggi which tasted strongly of truffle oil and Mozzarella in Carozza which was safe for less adventurous palates and delicious. I topped it off with a Peppermint Macaron from L'Artisan des Glaces.
As we rounded World Showcase, I decided that I was going to spend a bit of time wandering around the Crescent Lake resorts. I wanted to use a lot of this trip to round out my Walt Disney World photo library and I was embarrassingly short on pictures of these resorts. Honestly, I don’t think I had ever been in the lobbies of the Beach and Yacht Club. Here are some of my better shots:
I decided to catch a Lyft back to Caribbean Beach after my circle was complete. My feet were aching and I did not feel like taking a bus to a park to my resort. During the ride, I got talking with the driver and we launched into a really great, but difficult, conversation.
I asked him about himself and he said that he came to Central Florida from Venezuela. I happened to watch a special on Venezuela and I was somewhat knowledgeable about the desperate situation in that country right now. He talked about all the political upheaval and how his family that is living there is struggling. I promised to pray for him and his family during this time of anguish for his home nation. He stayed positive and said that he was faithful that God would heal his country. It was a remarkable interaction with an incredible man!
After I arrived, it was time for a nap. We were going to have a late night and I needed to make sure to rest. I decided to stay awake and edit photos until it was time to leave again. We all layered up (it was going to be sub-arctic that night) and wandered out the door. Our gang headed to the Magic Kingdom.
We arrived at the party and started collecting our cookies. The family spent collecting sugar and then feeling sick because we ate so much sugar.
The problem with this night was that it was incredibly cold. We wore every layer that we brought. Unfortunately, we were not prepared for the wet, frigid wind that whipped around the park. We decided to ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin twice just because we were so cold. Here is a live look at how we felt every time the wind punched us in the face:
Even though we were cold, it was important for us to get as much value as possible out of the party. Alongside Buzz, we rode The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Haunted Mansion (I really wish they did a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay in WDW), and Pirates of the Caribbean before we settled in for the parade.
We assumed our position after the parade for Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration and Holiday Wishes Fireworks– Celebrate the Spirit of the Season. I only brought my 35mm lens which was a little bit too close to get great shots of the fireworks. I also had the dreaded “I need to hold my cell phone 3 feet above my head to take video” person directly in front of me. This was really annoying, but I got a new angle on the fireworks show so it’s hard to complain.
Sarah’s parents were tired of having no feeling in their toes after the fireworks show was complete. They they headed back to the resort. Sarah and I decided we would try to stick it out just a little bit longer. We walked around the castle and back to Fantasyland. We rode Little Mermaid and Peter Pan’s Flight before we ran out of willpower to battle the cold.
Sarah and I walked away from the park deciding that (if there were no significant changes year-to-year) the Christmas party was definitely an experience for every other year. I think my recommendation (and our future practice) will be to alternate it with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
Toy Story Land is Flawed, but Impressive
November 28th
We barely defrosted by the time we woke up on Wednesday morning. I had to coax the family out the door, but we finally made it. Fortunately, the bus commute from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is about the shortest at Walt Disney World. We exited the parking lot and then turned into Hollywood Studios just in time to join the mass of human beings assembling in front of the turnstiles.
The fact that we were not in the very front of the queue meant we were doomed to wait an eternity for our first attraction of the day: Slinky Dog Dash. However, I am not easily deterred. I was determined to not wait for the rest of our trip for the Toy Story-themed roller coaster. I hustled as the crowd shuffled and I ended up being towards the front of the mob that was descending upon Toy Story Land.
Before we move forward in our story, you should know about Sarah is that she hates cutting in line more than anything in the entire world. This did not sit well when I called her to let her know I was towards the front of the queue assembling to turn left towards Andy’s beautifully designed playset. However, she was not in the mood to wait for an hour so she relented. We both moved forward and she paid me for my service with a few death glares.
Everything was forgiven by the time we reached the front of the queue. We boarded our Slink to journey around Andy’s backyard. We blasted off on a surprisingly thrilling ride. The entire family appreciated the nods to what were integral parts of Sarah's and my childhood: Army men, Jenga pieces, and the Toy Story characters like Jessie and Rex.
By the time we departed the playset, the advertised wait for Slinky Dog was 90 minutes. I wanted to get in the other new Toy Story Land attraction, Alien Swirling Saucers, in quickly. Unfortunately, the attraction was not open when we arrived so we decided to skip it.
Sarah’s mom and dad were not heartbroken. I knew we would be back later in our trip so I happily moved on. We moved to our Fastpass+ selection: Toy Story Mania. Sarah continued in her dominance and Woody bid us goodbye as we walked away from the new area of the park (is it just me, or does Woody look smug on Sarah's behalf?).
This was the last night on Sarah’s parent’s reservation and we needed to burn through some snack credits. Unfortunately, Hollywood Studios is a barren wasteland for snack credits. The only item that sounded interesting was a special Holiday popcorn mix, but they were sold out every single time I asked during our trip. I am not sure how they could be out already (it was 9:30am), but we got a Mickey pretzel with disgusting cheese, two hot chocolates, and a coffee instead. Yay!
It was time to use our next Fastpass+ selection at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Sarah was not in any mood for being hurled around a track in a stretch limo. Her dad and I went twice while Sarah and her mom hung out. I can only imagine this waiting time would have been more relaxing if it was not in the 40’s.
It was time for lunch after our encounter with Aerosmith (I still cannot believe that this band has not changed yet). We decided to Mobile Order from Andy’s Lunchbox and see if we could beat a bit of the crowd.
Sarah and her parents entered the Hunger Games in order to snag a table. Seriously, I cannot understand how this seating area can be so small. Amazingly, they grabbed a table!
After about a 15-minute wait, our food was ready. Sarah and her mom ordered the Grilled Three-Cheese Sandwich and her dad and I ordered the BBQ Brisket Melt. I cannot say that I had overly high expectations for this eatery. After all, it is a quick service location that serves simple sandwiches. However, it exceeded these (probably reasonable) expectations.
As with the rest of Toy Story Land, it just feels like the Imagineers had fun designing every inch of the eatery. It feels like each item was intentionally selected to fit the theme and provide some form of utility.
Sure it is probably really hard to spend time in this space when it is sweltering (was not even remotely an issue for us on our trip to Walt Disney World: Siberia), but it is a really fun place to be. It really connects with my childhood and brings me out of the current space and into the land of yesteryear.
Sure it is a very small land that cannot handle being the new “it” thing, but I think this will be a nice diversion for the swarm of people that cannot get into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge starting in 2019.
The food at Andy’s Toybox was pretty above-average. The brisket was not melt-in-your-mouth, but it is still far better than anything else at DHS. I think the thing I liked most of the two dishes was the tomato soup that came with the Three-Cheese Sandwich.
It was time to go and rest. We were both frozen and exhausted. What this meant was that Sarah and her parents napped in our room (they checked out of their room that morning because they would be staying with us before their flight the next morning) while I answered emails. I tend to do at least one sweep of my work email during these long trips so I am not buried when I return to reality.
After our naps, we jumped on a bus back to the Studios. We needed to have a Lucasfilm afternoon! I knew this would be a great way to send off her parents well. We started with the March of the First Order. Sarah’s dad was like a kid as he sprinted down the street to grab his space along their route.
The Star Wars fun was only just starting. I went and grabbed a brownie treat (that Sarah devoured) while they waited for Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away. Sarah’s dad made a new friend with the person in front of us and they nerded out about Star Wars.
His new friend cried tears of joy while her favorite characters made their appearances and then disappeared. Even though there is not a lot to this show (the characters literally walk out, do one action, then depart) Ron loved it. With each new character came a new shout of joy.
After we connected her dad with his nostalgic memories, it was time to return to Sarah and her mom’s happy place. We walked over and watched Beauty and The Beast - Live on Stage. They sang along as Belle, the Beast, and the rest of the cast danced around to all the favorites. I think that this show has waned significantly in my book since I first saw it performed.
The story is timeless, but this performance is a bit cringy at this point. Every time the Beast roars, Sarah and I look at each other and roll our eyes. I would prefer they brought back the incredible Music of Pixar Live! full-time.
After the show was finished, we were ready to jump right back into Lucasfilm. It was time for me to eat so I decided to use one of our quick service credits to get a hot dog from Min & Bill’s Dockside Diner. I ordered the Carolina All-Beef Foot-Long Hot Dog and grabbed my bag of chips and drink. I am not sure what possessed me to order this, but sometimes you just need a hot dog!
Unfortunately, this hot dog was terrible (the bun fell apart and the pork was ice cold). I also don’t love that the most creative they can get with for sides is a bag of boring Lay’s potato chips.
I walked over to Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular a defeated man. Sarah told me not to go with the hot dog. She was relieved to find that I was in the kind of despair that only a bad hot dog can usher in. Even though I was down, I was not defeated. Indy and the other members of the cast brought me right back to life. After we were done, we boarded a star speeder to visit the furthest reaches of the galaxy on Star Tours.
This attraction after a bad hot dog may have been a very bad idea, but I soldiered on. Sarah’s mom and dad had not seen Happily Ever After during their visit and it would be an unforgivable sin to allow them to leave without experiencing the ecstasy of this nighttime spectacular. We waited roughly an eternity for the bus and then finally arrived at the front gates of the Magic Kingdom.
Sarah’s family grabbed a spot in a surprisingly crowded Hub and I risked getting food for the group. Amazingly, I was able to grab the food to-go, navigate the growing crowds, and find them before the show. We all cried tears of joy as the show exploded over our heads.
We stayed for Once Upon a Time and Sarah’s parents wrapped up their most magical (and frozen) vacation ever.
November 28th
We barely defrosted by the time we woke up on Wednesday morning. I had to coax the family out the door, but we finally made it. Fortunately, the bus commute from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is about the shortest at Walt Disney World. We exited the parking lot and then turned into Hollywood Studios just in time to join the mass of human beings assembling in front of the turnstiles.
The fact that we were not in the very front of the queue meant we were doomed to wait an eternity for our first attraction of the day: Slinky Dog Dash. However, I am not easily deterred. I was determined to not wait for the rest of our trip for the Toy Story-themed roller coaster. I hustled as the crowd shuffled and I ended up being towards the front of the mob that was descending upon Toy Story Land.
Before we move forward in our story, you should know about Sarah is that she hates cutting in line more than anything in the entire world. This did not sit well when I called her to let her know I was towards the front of the queue assembling to turn left towards Andy’s beautifully designed playset. However, she was not in the mood to wait for an hour so she relented. We both moved forward and she paid me for my service with a few death glares.
Everything was forgiven by the time we reached the front of the queue. We boarded our Slink to journey around Andy’s backyard. We blasted off on a surprisingly thrilling ride. The entire family appreciated the nods to what were integral parts of Sarah's and my childhood: Army men, Jenga pieces, and the Toy Story characters like Jessie and Rex.
By the time we departed the playset, the advertised wait for Slinky Dog was 90 minutes. I wanted to get in the other new Toy Story Land attraction, Alien Swirling Saucers, in quickly. Unfortunately, the attraction was not open when we arrived so we decided to skip it.
Sarah’s mom and dad were not heartbroken. I knew we would be back later in our trip so I happily moved on. We moved to our Fastpass+ selection: Toy Story Mania. Sarah continued in her dominance and Woody bid us goodbye as we walked away from the new area of the park (is it just me, or does Woody look smug on Sarah's behalf?).
This was the last night on Sarah’s parent’s reservation and we needed to burn through some snack credits. Unfortunately, Hollywood Studios is a barren wasteland for snack credits. The only item that sounded interesting was a special Holiday popcorn mix, but they were sold out every single time I asked during our trip. I am not sure how they could be out already (it was 9:30am), but we got a Mickey pretzel with disgusting cheese, two hot chocolates, and a coffee instead. Yay!
It was time to use our next Fastpass+ selection at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Sarah was not in any mood for being hurled around a track in a stretch limo. Her dad and I went twice while Sarah and her mom hung out. I can only imagine this waiting time would have been more relaxing if it was not in the 40’s.
It was time for lunch after our encounter with Aerosmith (I still cannot believe that this band has not changed yet). We decided to Mobile Order from Andy’s Lunchbox and see if we could beat a bit of the crowd.
Sarah and her parents entered the Hunger Games in order to snag a table. Seriously, I cannot understand how this seating area can be so small. Amazingly, they grabbed a table!
After about a 15-minute wait, our food was ready. Sarah and her mom ordered the Grilled Three-Cheese Sandwich and her dad and I ordered the BBQ Brisket Melt. I cannot say that I had overly high expectations for this eatery. After all, it is a quick service location that serves simple sandwiches. However, it exceeded these (probably reasonable) expectations.
As with the rest of Toy Story Land, it just feels like the Imagineers had fun designing every inch of the eatery. It feels like each item was intentionally selected to fit the theme and provide some form of utility.
Sure it is probably really hard to spend time in this space when it is sweltering (was not even remotely an issue for us on our trip to Walt Disney World: Siberia), but it is a really fun place to be. It really connects with my childhood and brings me out of the current space and into the land of yesteryear.
Sure it is a very small land that cannot handle being the new “it” thing, but I think this will be a nice diversion for the swarm of people that cannot get into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge starting in 2019.
The food at Andy’s Toybox was pretty above-average. The brisket was not melt-in-your-mouth, but it is still far better than anything else at DHS. I think the thing I liked most of the two dishes was the tomato soup that came with the Three-Cheese Sandwich.
It was time to go and rest. We were both frozen and exhausted. What this meant was that Sarah and her parents napped in our room (they checked out of their room that morning because they would be staying with us before their flight the next morning) while I answered emails. I tend to do at least one sweep of my work email during these long trips so I am not buried when I return to reality.
After our naps, we jumped on a bus back to the Studios. We needed to have a Lucasfilm afternoon! I knew this would be a great way to send off her parents well. We started with the March of the First Order. Sarah’s dad was like a kid as he sprinted down the street to grab his space along their route.
The Star Wars fun was only just starting. I went and grabbed a brownie treat (that Sarah devoured) while they waited for Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away. Sarah’s dad made a new friend with the person in front of us and they nerded out about Star Wars.
His new friend cried tears of joy while her favorite characters made their appearances and then disappeared. Even though there is not a lot to this show (the characters literally walk out, do one action, then depart) Ron loved it. With each new character came a new shout of joy.
After we connected her dad with his nostalgic memories, it was time to return to Sarah and her mom’s happy place. We walked over and watched Beauty and The Beast - Live on Stage. They sang along as Belle, the Beast, and the rest of the cast danced around to all the favorites. I think that this show has waned significantly in my book since I first saw it performed.
The story is timeless, but this performance is a bit cringy at this point. Every time the Beast roars, Sarah and I look at each other and roll our eyes. I would prefer they brought back the incredible Music of Pixar Live! full-time.
After the show was finished, we were ready to jump right back into Lucasfilm. It was time for me to eat so I decided to use one of our quick service credits to get a hot dog from Min & Bill’s Dockside Diner. I ordered the Carolina All-Beef Foot-Long Hot Dog and grabbed my bag of chips and drink. I am not sure what possessed me to order this, but sometimes you just need a hot dog!
Unfortunately, this hot dog was terrible (the bun fell apart and the pork was ice cold). I also don’t love that the most creative they can get with for sides is a bag of boring Lay’s potato chips.
I walked over to Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular a defeated man. Sarah told me not to go with the hot dog. She was relieved to find that I was in the kind of despair that only a bad hot dog can usher in. Even though I was down, I was not defeated. Indy and the other members of the cast brought me right back to life. After we were done, we boarded a star speeder to visit the furthest reaches of the galaxy on Star Tours.
This attraction after a bad hot dog may have been a very bad idea, but I soldiered on. Sarah’s mom and dad had not seen Happily Ever After during their visit and it would be an unforgivable sin to allow them to leave without experiencing the ecstasy of this nighttime spectacular. We waited roughly an eternity for the bus and then finally arrived at the front gates of the Magic Kingdom.
Sarah’s family grabbed a spot in a surprisingly crowded Hub and I risked getting food for the group. Amazingly, I was able to grab the food to-go, navigate the growing crowds, and find them before the show. We all cried tears of joy as the show exploded over our heads.
We stayed for Once Upon a Time and Sarah’s parents wrapped up their most magical (and frozen) vacation ever.
cheryllarsen
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2011
Wow, I love your photos!
cheryllarsen
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2011
Looking forward to seeing more trip reports. I've very much enjoyed reading this and looking through the photos!
What's the 8mm lens you're using here? It's not a Nikon because you can see the 6-bladed aperture and they don't make an 8mm lens ... curious because I've been eyeing a few superwides, and yours has very interesting (almost old school) flare with a light source in the frame.
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
Thank you so much for your kind words! I use a Rokinon 8mm 3.5. It is my second favorite lens in my bad. I love that it is so wide and sharp at the same time.
Ahh okay, that explains the weird flare quite well - it's an inexpensive design without the fancy modern coatings of the (three times the price) Nikkor 10.5.
That is very sharp and high contrast for that sort of lens. I have the 12-24 f/4, which is built like a tank, but my next widest is only 16mm so I've been looking into the 10-20, 10.5 and some of the third party options (since I don't need AF on a superwide), the Ronkinon looks like it performs better than its price indicates though, so I'm tempted to head to B&H and try it out.
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
Thank you so much for following along!
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
I am super happy with it. I got it because it was both cheap and performed incredibly well from people that I am friends with. It is a regular in my bag. I find myself going out for rope drops with this lens a lot because I always have issues getting people in my shot because it is SO WIDE.Ahh okay, that explains the weird flare quite well - it's an inexpensive design without the fancy modern coatings of the (three times the price) Nikkor 10.5.
That is very sharp and high contrast for that sort of lens. I have the 12-24 f/4, which is built like a tank, but my next widest is only 16mm so I've been looking into the 10-20, 10.5 and some of the third party options (since I don't need AF on a superwide), the Ronkinon looks like it performs better than its price indicates though, so I'm tempted to head to B&H and try it out.
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
Bye Parental Units!
November 29th
Sarah and I both woke up with the sniffles in the morning. I think it was mostly the frigid temperatures we subjected ourselves to for the previous two nights.
Sarah and I were not feeling 100%, but if there is one thing that can fix any form of illness it is Disney magic (that is totally logical, right?!). We decided to not push it after our late night and just sleep in. Sarah and I trudged out the door, bid her parents adieu, and headed off to Epcot. We arrived and I took a few pictures of the Festival of the Holidays decor.
We arrived at Spaceship Earth to use our first Fastpass+ allocation and there was not actually a wait for the standby queue. Sarah and I decided to use Fastpass+ anyways, but we did not need to. We blinked heavily to stay awake as we circled the past and launched into the future.
Our journey was complete. I decided to do single rider for Test Track. Sarah was not feeling up to riding so she hung out while I blasted around the track. I exited the queue and we realized how cold and tired we were. We needed shelter so we wandered across Epcot and to Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
We sat in the lobby and tried to take notes of all the things we had experienced up until this point. I can usually do a decent job of remembering the various aspects of our trip, but I figured it never hurts to take notes. After we adequately defrosted, we wandered outside because I wanted to take a picture of Sarah with her new Ariel bow and the flippered princess herself.
Looking over the notes of our previous eating adventures during our trip made us incredibly hungry. We decided that a bowl of Ramen would go a long way towards warming both our bodies and our souls. Sarah and I walked back through the International Gateway and to Japan. We climbed the stairs to Katsura Grill.
Little did we know, we were wandering back to one of our new favorite quick service locations. I went up to the counter inside and ordered Tonkotsu Ramen and hot Sake. Both of these were solid options. I am not sure what our favorite part of our dining experience was: the yummy ramen, the quiet and beautiful surrounding, or the temperature of both our food and beverage. Whatever it was, it brought life back into our day.
After our delightful meal, we took a trip to Arendelle and visited Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. After our trip, we discovered the single greatest dessert of all time. The Warm Caramel Stuffed Salted Pretzel with Soft-serve Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce at the Refreshment Outpost is a revelation to the planet. It was sweet and salty. The pretzel was warm and the ice cream was cold (duh). They added a few pieces of crunchy chocolate pieces on the top that added a little bit of different texture. YOU NEED TO EAT THIS.
We seriously debated getting a second pretzel, but we decided against it. Instead, we decided to go visit the Gods of the Vikings exhibit in the Norway pavilion. This was a pretty fun little exhibit. By little, I mean little. It all fits within the Stave Church in that pavilion. We wandered around for a little bit and I grabbed a few pictures of the Norse gods.
I think we would have spent more time there, but we were crowded by the twenty-or-so people that were in the room. We walked over to Disney’s Boardwalk Inn instead because we were headed to Disney Springs. We waited for the bus to Disney Springs for about 20 minutes and finally arrived.
When we arrived we started on the West Side. Sarah really needed to use the restroom so we started at Starbucks. Unfortunately, there was a wait. As a result, Sarah decided to use one of the Disney restrooms. While Sarah was taking care of business, I took pictures of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort from across the lake. Even though it was still cold, the sky was beautiful and Disney Spring was almost vacant.
After Sarah was done, we wandered around the Springs for a bit and I took some preliminary photos for future dining reviews. Sarah and I have not dined at Disney Springs nearly as much as I would like. I would love to spend several days eating our way through the different options at this shopping metropolis.
However, Sarah recognizes that our main reason for being at Walt Disney World is to experience the parks. Sure, there are a few really interesting places to eat at the Springs. However, there are really interesting places to eat everywhere. There aren’t four world-class theme parks everywhere. This is not saying that you should not go to Disney Springs. You should definitely do it on a longer trip! We are just parks obsessed.
I finished Disney Springs pictures. Therefore, it was time for my favorite activity: mindlessly wandering through the resorts! This iteration of “Sarah looks annoyed while Alex drags her around all of creation” featured new resorts for the Coleman family! We started at Saratoga Springs. We started walking the pathway from Disney Springs and through Congress Park.
Then we walked across the bridge and to The Springs. We landed at the Carriage House and picked up some Afrin. Sarah’s nose was going full fountain-mode so it was time to right the ship.
Sarah medicated while we rode two different boats that landed us at Disney’s Key West Resort.
Overall, Sarah and I did not fall in love with Saratoga Springs or Old Key West. We were not able to see the interior of the rooms, but these resorts did not feel like home. Saratoga felt incredibly spread out and we did not feel connected to the theme of the resort. I am sure there are people that would see the sprawling Upstate New York- inspired resort and experience nostalgia, but that is not Sarah or I. I think the grounds are beautiful, but it feels more like a country club than a Disney World resort.
Old Key West ticked more boxes for me. I really liked the Hospitality House and recreation areas. I also liked that it was incredibly quiet even though it is basically in the middle of WDW property. The main reason why I liked Old Key West was the view from the ferry as you entered the resort. Talk about curb appeal!
I think the main reason why we didn’t love Key West was because it feels more like a collection of condominiums than a Disney resort (as I envision it). As you walk around to the various neighborhoods it feels like it could be transplanted from any other community. I love that this particular collection of condos would have direct access to WDW, but I am not a massive fan. I recognize that this setup will appeal to a lot of guests, but Sarah and I are not sold.
But there are a lot more options for DVC at Disney World that we would love to call home. I think I would take a stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or Disney’s Wilderness Lodge before choosing Saratoga or Key West.
After we completed our wandering, we boarded a bus from Key West to Epcot. Sarah and I hadn’t had a full meal in quite a while so it was time for some food! We had a small amount of time to kill so we decided to hang out around the Mexico pavilion to kill time. Of course, one cannot loiter in the Mexico pavilion without getting a margarita from Choza de Margarita!
Even though it was freezing outside, we decided to sit out by World Showcase Lagoon and suck down our delightful alcoholic concoctions.
After our drinks were done, it was time to check in for our dining reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel. We approached the host stand and they ushered us inside and out of the cold. We waited patiently, but our stomachs were growling. Something about smelling freshly prepared Mexican food gets us every time.
They seated us and we poured over the menu while we consumed our weight in tortilla chips and salsa. We decided upon our drink orders and my brain decided to stop functioning properly. Sarah ordered her Horchata margarita (which was life-changing, by the way). I decided to go with the Cinco de Mayo margarita.
Unfortunately, my brain read the menu as “Five de Mayo” because that is how it was spelled (ok, maybe the margarita I had already consumed and not eating anything all day helped with my inability to read social cues)! Our server judgingly corrected my faux pas and then probably went off to laugh with his coworkers about the idiot at table whatever.
I could have died in that moment, but I soldiered on. I ordered the Carne Asada and Sarah ordered the Tacos de Camarones.
The weird thing about our meal is that I really don’t remember a lot of it beyond Sarah and I giggling constantly. Something you should understand is that Sarah and I rarely consume alcohol. It isn’t that we have any moralistic issue with alcohol, but our cleaning eating lifestyle (and lack of discretionary funds for alcohol) does not leave space for heavy drinking. So it should not have been a surprise that two drinks did us in.
From what I remember, the food was very much so above-average. The meat seasoned excellently. The mashed potatoes were rich and creamy. The strangest part of the meal was the cheese. It was one unmelted mass on top of the vegetables.
That meant that I needed to take a small bite of cheese with whatever I wanted to consume. I would have preferred that it was melted so I could spread it liberally over everything.
Sarah’s tacos were about the same as the steak. They were not the best shrimp tacos of all time. However, they were good for theme park Mexican food. My one pet peeve is that they serve the tacos on flour tortillas, rather than corn.
However, Sarah and I had a wonderful time. Hot tip: I could see going back to this restaurant and just ordering drinks and appetizers. This is especially true when it comes to booking times around Illuminations. Also, they have our favorite dessert at La Hacienda: molten chocolate cake with raspberry compote (Volcan de Chocolate).
We finished our meal, then giggled our way back to our resort. Before we knew it, we were waking up nice and early for another day of Walt Disney World touring!
November 29th
Sarah and I both woke up with the sniffles in the morning. I think it was mostly the frigid temperatures we subjected ourselves to for the previous two nights.
Sarah and I were not feeling 100%, but if there is one thing that can fix any form of illness it is Disney magic (that is totally logical, right?!). We decided to not push it after our late night and just sleep in. Sarah and I trudged out the door, bid her parents adieu, and headed off to Epcot. We arrived and I took a few pictures of the Festival of the Holidays decor.
We arrived at Spaceship Earth to use our first Fastpass+ allocation and there was not actually a wait for the standby queue. Sarah and I decided to use Fastpass+ anyways, but we did not need to. We blinked heavily to stay awake as we circled the past and launched into the future.
Our journey was complete. I decided to do single rider for Test Track. Sarah was not feeling up to riding so she hung out while I blasted around the track. I exited the queue and we realized how cold and tired we were. We needed shelter so we wandered across Epcot and to Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
We sat in the lobby and tried to take notes of all the things we had experienced up until this point. I can usually do a decent job of remembering the various aspects of our trip, but I figured it never hurts to take notes. After we adequately defrosted, we wandered outside because I wanted to take a picture of Sarah with her new Ariel bow and the flippered princess herself.
Looking over the notes of our previous eating adventures during our trip made us incredibly hungry. We decided that a bowl of Ramen would go a long way towards warming both our bodies and our souls. Sarah and I walked back through the International Gateway and to Japan. We climbed the stairs to Katsura Grill.
Little did we know, we were wandering back to one of our new favorite quick service locations. I went up to the counter inside and ordered Tonkotsu Ramen and hot Sake. Both of these were solid options. I am not sure what our favorite part of our dining experience was: the yummy ramen, the quiet and beautiful surrounding, or the temperature of both our food and beverage. Whatever it was, it brought life back into our day.
After our delightful meal, we took a trip to Arendelle and visited Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. After our trip, we discovered the single greatest dessert of all time. The Warm Caramel Stuffed Salted Pretzel with Soft-serve Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce at the Refreshment Outpost is a revelation to the planet. It was sweet and salty. The pretzel was warm and the ice cream was cold (duh). They added a few pieces of crunchy chocolate pieces on the top that added a little bit of different texture. YOU NEED TO EAT THIS.
We seriously debated getting a second pretzel, but we decided against it. Instead, we decided to go visit the Gods of the Vikings exhibit in the Norway pavilion. This was a pretty fun little exhibit. By little, I mean little. It all fits within the Stave Church in that pavilion. We wandered around for a little bit and I grabbed a few pictures of the Norse gods.
I think we would have spent more time there, but we were crowded by the twenty-or-so people that were in the room. We walked over to Disney’s Boardwalk Inn instead because we were headed to Disney Springs. We waited for the bus to Disney Springs for about 20 minutes and finally arrived.
When we arrived we started on the West Side. Sarah really needed to use the restroom so we started at Starbucks. Unfortunately, there was a wait. As a result, Sarah decided to use one of the Disney restrooms. While Sarah was taking care of business, I took pictures of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort from across the lake. Even though it was still cold, the sky was beautiful and Disney Spring was almost vacant.
After Sarah was done, we wandered around the Springs for a bit and I took some preliminary photos for future dining reviews. Sarah and I have not dined at Disney Springs nearly as much as I would like. I would love to spend several days eating our way through the different options at this shopping metropolis.
However, Sarah recognizes that our main reason for being at Walt Disney World is to experience the parks. Sure, there are a few really interesting places to eat at the Springs. However, there are really interesting places to eat everywhere. There aren’t four world-class theme parks everywhere. This is not saying that you should not go to Disney Springs. You should definitely do it on a longer trip! We are just parks obsessed.
I finished Disney Springs pictures. Therefore, it was time for my favorite activity: mindlessly wandering through the resorts! This iteration of “Sarah looks annoyed while Alex drags her around all of creation” featured new resorts for the Coleman family! We started at Saratoga Springs. We started walking the pathway from Disney Springs and through Congress Park.
Then we walked across the bridge and to The Springs. We landed at the Carriage House and picked up some Afrin. Sarah’s nose was going full fountain-mode so it was time to right the ship.
Sarah medicated while we rode two different boats that landed us at Disney’s Key West Resort.
Overall, Sarah and I did not fall in love with Saratoga Springs or Old Key West. We were not able to see the interior of the rooms, but these resorts did not feel like home. Saratoga felt incredibly spread out and we did not feel connected to the theme of the resort. I am sure there are people that would see the sprawling Upstate New York- inspired resort and experience nostalgia, but that is not Sarah or I. I think the grounds are beautiful, but it feels more like a country club than a Disney World resort.
Old Key West ticked more boxes for me. I really liked the Hospitality House and recreation areas. I also liked that it was incredibly quiet even though it is basically in the middle of WDW property. The main reason why I liked Old Key West was the view from the ferry as you entered the resort. Talk about curb appeal!
I think the main reason why we didn’t love Key West was because it feels more like a collection of condominiums than a Disney resort (as I envision it). As you walk around to the various neighborhoods it feels like it could be transplanted from any other community. I love that this particular collection of condos would have direct access to WDW, but I am not a massive fan. I recognize that this setup will appeal to a lot of guests, but Sarah and I are not sold.
But there are a lot more options for DVC at Disney World that we would love to call home. I think I would take a stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or Disney’s Wilderness Lodge before choosing Saratoga or Key West.
After we completed our wandering, we boarded a bus from Key West to Epcot. Sarah and I hadn’t had a full meal in quite a while so it was time for some food! We had a small amount of time to kill so we decided to hang out around the Mexico pavilion to kill time. Of course, one cannot loiter in the Mexico pavilion without getting a margarita from Choza de Margarita!
Even though it was freezing outside, we decided to sit out by World Showcase Lagoon and suck down our delightful alcoholic concoctions.
After our drinks were done, it was time to check in for our dining reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel. We approached the host stand and they ushered us inside and out of the cold. We waited patiently, but our stomachs were growling. Something about smelling freshly prepared Mexican food gets us every time.
They seated us and we poured over the menu while we consumed our weight in tortilla chips and salsa. We decided upon our drink orders and my brain decided to stop functioning properly. Sarah ordered her Horchata margarita (which was life-changing, by the way). I decided to go with the Cinco de Mayo margarita.
Unfortunately, my brain read the menu as “Five de Mayo” because that is how it was spelled (ok, maybe the margarita I had already consumed and not eating anything all day helped with my inability to read social cues)! Our server judgingly corrected my faux pas and then probably went off to laugh with his coworkers about the idiot at table whatever.
I could have died in that moment, but I soldiered on. I ordered the Carne Asada and Sarah ordered the Tacos de Camarones.
The weird thing about our meal is that I really don’t remember a lot of it beyond Sarah and I giggling constantly. Something you should understand is that Sarah and I rarely consume alcohol. It isn’t that we have any moralistic issue with alcohol, but our cleaning eating lifestyle (and lack of discretionary funds for alcohol) does not leave space for heavy drinking. So it should not have been a surprise that two drinks did us in.
From what I remember, the food was very much so above-average. The meat seasoned excellently. The mashed potatoes were rich and creamy. The strangest part of the meal was the cheese. It was one unmelted mass on top of the vegetables.
That meant that I needed to take a small bite of cheese with whatever I wanted to consume. I would have preferred that it was melted so I could spread it liberally over everything.
Sarah’s tacos were about the same as the steak. They were not the best shrimp tacos of all time. However, they were good for theme park Mexican food. My one pet peeve is that they serve the tacos on flour tortillas, rather than corn.
However, Sarah and I had a wonderful time. Hot tip: I could see going back to this restaurant and just ordering drinks and appetizers. This is especially true when it comes to booking times around Illuminations. Also, they have our favorite dessert at La Hacienda: molten chocolate cake with raspberry compote (Volcan de Chocolate).
We finished our meal, then giggled our way back to our resort. Before we knew it, we were waking up nice and early for another day of Walt Disney World touring!
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
How Have We Not Eaten Ample Hills Creamery Yet?!
November 30th
After our margarita-filled fun, we climbed into bed bed at about 9pm. This ended up working out incredibly well because we were needing to rope drop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios the following morning. Toy Story Land is still the newest addition to Walt Disney World, so rope dropping is a hefty task. We rolled out from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and took the short bus ride to Hollywood Studios.
We arrived just in time for the Cast Members to open the turnstiles. This meant that we were in a great position to avoid as many crowds as possible in Toy Story Land. We swam with the rest of the school of fish to the back of the park. I grabbed a few pictures of a completely empty Woody’s Lunch Box.
We wandered over to Alien Swirling Saucers after I was done wasting valuable rope drop time. I would normally make sure to jump in the queue for Slinky Dog Dash, but we had a Fastpass+ for this incredibly popular attraction. So no sweat! We waited about ten minutes so we could board our spaceship. Sarah and I swirled and laughed for the entire minute the attraction lasted.
After we exited the attraction, Sarah needed to make sure to grab a picture with Hamm.
One of our main goals of this Disney World day was to burn snack credits. I figured I would HAVE to try the Chocolate-Hazelnut Lunch Box Tart. This treat was delightful. If I was being honest, I would say that I seriously considered going back and grabbing another. However, I would never dream of being honest!
It was time for our Fastpass+ return time for Slinky Dog. We jumped in the queue and waited a surprisingly small amount of time for the attraction. The effectiveness of this Fastpass+ amazes me. There are some Disney Parks attractions (I am thinking about Indian Jones Adventure at Disneyland Park) that still have long waits when using Fastpass. Slink Dog is not one of those attractions. Sarah and I boarded our Slink and sped around Andy’s backyard.
Again, I cannot praise the Imagineers for how well they designed this small land. I would have really loved to see what this land could have been if it was not being constructed at the same time as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. I get the feeling that they had really big plans for Toy Story Land, but were handcuffed by budget.
Our time in Toy Story Land ended after our ride on Slinky Dog. We needed to kill a little bit of time before our Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Fastpass+ return time. Sarah and I decided to pop into Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. We have skipped this show during previous visits. Overall, it is not a show you necessarily feel the need to see more than once. However, the Cast Member playing the male historian was hilarious! We cracked up through the entire show.
Our sides were killing us as we walked out of the theater towards Tower of Terror. The only thing that could heal me was the Holiday Festive Popcorn. I figured that (being that it was 10am) I would have a good chance to get this elusive snack. However, the CMs in the booth told me that it was sold out! HOW?! I was disappointed, but not crushed.
We walked to the Tower and dropped in for a short visit.
We walked from the front gates and towards Epcot and talked about the future of Disney World’s studio park.
When we turned the corner and onto the boardwalk, I decided it was time for another snack. I had heard rumor of how amazing Ample Hills Creamery is, but we had never stopped in for a scoop. I don’t know how we had been so wrong in the past!
We walked into the completely empty ice cream shop and taste tested just about every flavor they had in the shop.
We tried Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream, PB Wins the Cup Ice Cream, Baked/Unbaked Ice Cream, Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream, and the famous Sally Sells Seashells Ice Cream. In the end, we split a sandwich. Sarah ordered half with the PB Wins the Cup and I ordered the other half with Baked/ Unbaked in chocolate chip cookies and rolled with chocolate chips. OH MY GOSH, WE COULD HAVE DIED IN THAT MOMENT!
We finished our creamy dream dishes and then entered the International Gateway. We took a right and then circumnavigated the globe. By the time our world tour was done, it was time for more food! Sarah and I could not handle our own meals, so we decided to split the Fish and Chips from Yorkshire County Fish Shop and a Bass Ale Draft.
Our fish-themed meal was almost as delightful as sitting in the shade next to Seven Seas Lagoon on a sunny Central Florida afternoon.
Weirdly, this was probably the most content Sarah and I had been during our visit to this point. The previous days were so cold and full that we did not take enough time to enjoy our visit. It made us both happy that we were enjoying our time and sad that this would probably not go down as one of our favorite visits. However, hard to complain when you have multiple long trips from which to choose as favorites!
We took the bus back to our resort and napped for a bit. We had a very full evening ahead of us so we needed to make sure to rest. Once again, I skipped sleeping to edit photos. Disney blogging isn’t all fun and games (ok, fine, it is about 95% fun and games)!
Sarah woke up from her nap and we headed to Epcot for our dining reservation at Tutto Italia. This is a restaurant that had been on Sarah’s list since we started going to WDW in October 2016. I finally granted her wish and she was so happy. We walked the 187 miles from the front gates of Epcot back to the Italy pavilion just in time for our reservation.
The hostess seated us in the middle of the restaurant. We sat down and poured over the drinks menu. Sarah ordered the Pomegranate Cosmopolitan and I ordered the Rossini. We both wanted make sure everyone around us was aware that we are basic white twenty-somethings with our pink fruity drinks.
We sipped our sweet concoctions and laughed about the most recent Buzzfeed top-20 article (see basic white twenty-somethings) and nommed on the bread service.
Sarah ordered the Gamberi (a shrimp scampi with fresh linguine and a herb butter sauce) and I ordered the Zuppa di Pesce (a seafood stew made up of fish filet, shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari and pasta). Unsurprisingly, Sarah’s meal was significantly better than mine. I am pretty used to that at this point, so I am not too worried about it.
Sarah’s pasta was rich and creamy. Also, everything was cooked perfectly. However, my soup was almost completely devoid of flavor. I really should stop ordering such a seafood-heavy dish from non-seafood restaurants. At least Sarah's shrimp was bathed in the delicious sauce! I made the same mistake ordering barbecue from Sci-Fi Dine-In which is not a barbecue restaurant. The various kinds of seafood were prepared well, but the broth had essentially no flavor.
Next came dessert. I ordered the Torta di Ricotta (a lemon ricotta cheesecake with) marinated strawberries and Sarah ordered the Cannoli (A crisp pastry filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate, and candied orange garnished with pistachio nuts). I would call this meal a draw because they were both delicious.
My cheesecake was a perfect balance with the creamy cake and the brightness of the subtle lemon. The strawberries were also excellent. They were fresh and provided a nice textural contrast to the satin-smooth texture of the cheesecake.
Sarah was never going to do anything other than love her Cannoli. Not only was it beautiful, but it was delicious. Cannoli is ranging on overly sweet to me, but she loves every second of her flaky pastry shell stuffed with sweet ricotta. She seriously considered getting another one.
Now that our stomachs were completely full, it was time to make the trek back to Hollywood Studios. We had a Fastpass+ for Fantasmic!, so we did not feel like we needed to rush. We decided to jump aboard a Friendship boat and take the 25-minute journey to the Studios.
We arrived just in time for Sarah to panic about not being able to get a good seat for the show. When I arrived (I may have picked up ice cream), she was standing defiantly in the very back of the auditorium and looking most annoyed at the world. The massive amphitheater was entirely full.
I told Sarah to wait there while I searched out a better viewing spot. Amazingly, a large block of seats opened up immediately as I walked past in the middle of the stadium. I called Sarah down and her heart rate returned to normal. We watched the show and had an excellent vantage point.
After the show was done, I looked down at my watch and decided that we could just about make it for Illuminations. However, we were going to need to really book it back to Epcot. I dragged Sarah along and we sprinted from the front gates to the International Gateway. Amazingly, we arrived with about 15 minute to spare.
Unfortunately, I am kinda the worst person in the world to walk with in a crowd. I wanted to stop and get a picture of Yorkshire County at night.
It is a great photo, but apparently Sarah had her telepathy turned off when I sent her the mental wave that I was going to stop to take the picture. This is one of Sarah’s biggest pet peeves. The problem was only compounded by my continued lack of communication about the viewing area we were selecting. I wanted to be in the Japan pavilion so I could take pictures as we walked out of Epcot. However, I never communicated that with Sarah.
She really should just know! Instead of doing this, we compromised and sat next to the Mexico pavilion for the show. We quickly exited Epcot after the nighttime spectacular and headed back to the resort.
The only problem was that apparently the entire population of Epcot was going back to Caribbean Beach with us. We waited through several bus cycles and finally got back to our resort around 11pm. We went to bed and prepped for our last day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom the next day.
November 30th
After our margarita-filled fun, we climbed into bed bed at about 9pm. This ended up working out incredibly well because we were needing to rope drop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios the following morning. Toy Story Land is still the newest addition to Walt Disney World, so rope dropping is a hefty task. We rolled out from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and took the short bus ride to Hollywood Studios.
We arrived just in time for the Cast Members to open the turnstiles. This meant that we were in a great position to avoid as many crowds as possible in Toy Story Land. We swam with the rest of the school of fish to the back of the park. I grabbed a few pictures of a completely empty Woody’s Lunch Box.
We wandered over to Alien Swirling Saucers after I was done wasting valuable rope drop time. I would normally make sure to jump in the queue for Slinky Dog Dash, but we had a Fastpass+ for this incredibly popular attraction. So no sweat! We waited about ten minutes so we could board our spaceship. Sarah and I swirled and laughed for the entire minute the attraction lasted.
After we exited the attraction, Sarah needed to make sure to grab a picture with Hamm.
One of our main goals of this Disney World day was to burn snack credits. I figured I would HAVE to try the Chocolate-Hazelnut Lunch Box Tart. This treat was delightful. If I was being honest, I would say that I seriously considered going back and grabbing another. However, I would never dream of being honest!
It was time for our Fastpass+ return time for Slinky Dog. We jumped in the queue and waited a surprisingly small amount of time for the attraction. The effectiveness of this Fastpass+ amazes me. There are some Disney Parks attractions (I am thinking about Indian Jones Adventure at Disneyland Park) that still have long waits when using Fastpass. Slink Dog is not one of those attractions. Sarah and I boarded our Slink and sped around Andy’s backyard.
Again, I cannot praise the Imagineers for how well they designed this small land. I would have really loved to see what this land could have been if it was not being constructed at the same time as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. I get the feeling that they had really big plans for Toy Story Land, but were handcuffed by budget.
Our time in Toy Story Land ended after our ride on Slinky Dog. We needed to kill a little bit of time before our Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Fastpass+ return time. Sarah and I decided to pop into Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. We have skipped this show during previous visits. Overall, it is not a show you necessarily feel the need to see more than once. However, the Cast Member playing the male historian was hilarious! We cracked up through the entire show.
Our sides were killing us as we walked out of the theater towards Tower of Terror. The only thing that could heal me was the Holiday Festive Popcorn. I figured that (being that it was 10am) I would have a good chance to get this elusive snack. However, the CMs in the booth told me that it was sold out! HOW?! I was disappointed, but not crushed.
We walked to the Tower and dropped in for a short visit.
We walked from the front gates and towards Epcot and talked about the future of Disney World’s studio park.
When we turned the corner and onto the boardwalk, I decided it was time for another snack. I had heard rumor of how amazing Ample Hills Creamery is, but we had never stopped in for a scoop. I don’t know how we had been so wrong in the past!
We walked into the completely empty ice cream shop and taste tested just about every flavor they had in the shop.
We tried Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream, PB Wins the Cup Ice Cream, Baked/Unbaked Ice Cream, Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream, and the famous Sally Sells Seashells Ice Cream. In the end, we split a sandwich. Sarah ordered half with the PB Wins the Cup and I ordered the other half with Baked/ Unbaked in chocolate chip cookies and rolled with chocolate chips. OH MY GOSH, WE COULD HAVE DIED IN THAT MOMENT!
We finished our creamy dream dishes and then entered the International Gateway. We took a right and then circumnavigated the globe. By the time our world tour was done, it was time for more food! Sarah and I could not handle our own meals, so we decided to split the Fish and Chips from Yorkshire County Fish Shop and a Bass Ale Draft.
Our fish-themed meal was almost as delightful as sitting in the shade next to Seven Seas Lagoon on a sunny Central Florida afternoon.
Weirdly, this was probably the most content Sarah and I had been during our visit to this point. The previous days were so cold and full that we did not take enough time to enjoy our visit. It made us both happy that we were enjoying our time and sad that this would probably not go down as one of our favorite visits. However, hard to complain when you have multiple long trips from which to choose as favorites!
We took the bus back to our resort and napped for a bit. We had a very full evening ahead of us so we needed to make sure to rest. Once again, I skipped sleeping to edit photos. Disney blogging isn’t all fun and games (ok, fine, it is about 95% fun and games)!
Sarah woke up from her nap and we headed to Epcot for our dining reservation at Tutto Italia. This is a restaurant that had been on Sarah’s list since we started going to WDW in October 2016. I finally granted her wish and she was so happy. We walked the 187 miles from the front gates of Epcot back to the Italy pavilion just in time for our reservation.
The hostess seated us in the middle of the restaurant. We sat down and poured over the drinks menu. Sarah ordered the Pomegranate Cosmopolitan and I ordered the Rossini. We both wanted make sure everyone around us was aware that we are basic white twenty-somethings with our pink fruity drinks.
We sipped our sweet concoctions and laughed about the most recent Buzzfeed top-20 article (see basic white twenty-somethings) and nommed on the bread service.
Sarah ordered the Gamberi (a shrimp scampi with fresh linguine and a herb butter sauce) and I ordered the Zuppa di Pesce (a seafood stew made up of fish filet, shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari and pasta). Unsurprisingly, Sarah’s meal was significantly better than mine. I am pretty used to that at this point, so I am not too worried about it.
Sarah’s pasta was rich and creamy. Also, everything was cooked perfectly. However, my soup was almost completely devoid of flavor. I really should stop ordering such a seafood-heavy dish from non-seafood restaurants. At least Sarah's shrimp was bathed in the delicious sauce! I made the same mistake ordering barbecue from Sci-Fi Dine-In which is not a barbecue restaurant. The various kinds of seafood were prepared well, but the broth had essentially no flavor.
Next came dessert. I ordered the Torta di Ricotta (a lemon ricotta cheesecake with) marinated strawberries and Sarah ordered the Cannoli (A crisp pastry filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate, and candied orange garnished with pistachio nuts). I would call this meal a draw because they were both delicious.
My cheesecake was a perfect balance with the creamy cake and the brightness of the subtle lemon. The strawberries were also excellent. They were fresh and provided a nice textural contrast to the satin-smooth texture of the cheesecake.
Sarah was never going to do anything other than love her Cannoli. Not only was it beautiful, but it was delicious. Cannoli is ranging on overly sweet to me, but she loves every second of her flaky pastry shell stuffed with sweet ricotta. She seriously considered getting another one.
Now that our stomachs were completely full, it was time to make the trek back to Hollywood Studios. We had a Fastpass+ for Fantasmic!, so we did not feel like we needed to rush. We decided to jump aboard a Friendship boat and take the 25-minute journey to the Studios.
We arrived just in time for Sarah to panic about not being able to get a good seat for the show. When I arrived (I may have picked up ice cream), she was standing defiantly in the very back of the auditorium and looking most annoyed at the world. The massive amphitheater was entirely full.
I told Sarah to wait there while I searched out a better viewing spot. Amazingly, a large block of seats opened up immediately as I walked past in the middle of the stadium. I called Sarah down and her heart rate returned to normal. We watched the show and had an excellent vantage point.
After the show was done, I looked down at my watch and decided that we could just about make it for Illuminations. However, we were going to need to really book it back to Epcot. I dragged Sarah along and we sprinted from the front gates to the International Gateway. Amazingly, we arrived with about 15 minute to spare.
Unfortunately, I am kinda the worst person in the world to walk with in a crowd. I wanted to stop and get a picture of Yorkshire County at night.
It is a great photo, but apparently Sarah had her telepathy turned off when I sent her the mental wave that I was going to stop to take the picture. This is one of Sarah’s biggest pet peeves. The problem was only compounded by my continued lack of communication about the viewing area we were selecting. I wanted to be in the Japan pavilion so I could take pictures as we walked out of Epcot. However, I never communicated that with Sarah.
She really should just know! Instead of doing this, we compromised and sat next to the Mexico pavilion for the show. We quickly exited Epcot after the nighttime spectacular and headed back to the resort.
The only problem was that apparently the entire population of Epcot was going back to Caribbean Beach with us. We waited through several bus cycles and finally got back to our resort around 11pm. We went to bed and prepped for our last day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom the next day.
Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
Bring On the Cheerleaders
December 1st
On the first day of December, we awoke bright and early to head to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We headed to Centertown Market to fill our mugs with life-giving coffee. When we walked in the door we were greeted by an ear-piercing noise. That noise was the sound of hundreds of cheerleader families scarfing down breakfast before a busy day of leading cheers.
I never considered that Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort would be a location where cheerleader families would congregate. I recognize that there is absolutely no logic behind this feeling. My assumption is that cheerleader or Pop Warner groups would stay at Disney’s All-Star Sports. It just feels right! However, there is no reason why these groups should be relegated to the worst resort on property (sorry, All-Star Sports fans).
After we sucked down our coffee, we headed to the bus depot to head to the park. Unfortunately, we ran into the classic “Disney bus transportation takes forever!” situation. We waited and waited and waited. By the time the bus arrived, there was a large mob assembled to jump aboard. We boarded a completely full bus and arrived at Animal Kingdom in time for rope drop.
Sarah and I headed to Pandora for our last visit to the alien planet. Our first stop was Na’vi River Journey. We arrived in time to not have to wait very long in the standby queue. I really value this attraction, even though I feel like it is underrated. Sure, it is an insanely short boat ride. However, I challenge you to find a tune that gets stuck in your head more than the Shaman of Song’s (yes, I just got it stuck in your head).
After we were done, it was time to fly aboard a banshee. We walked across Pandora and landed at the queue for Flight of Passage. Sarah and I weaved back and forth and back and forth through the Fastpass+ queue and walked directly into the Linking Chambers. We were decontaminated and then boarded our Ikran to fly around the beautiful landscapes of Pandora.
After we were done, we were both feeling exhausted (being at Walt Disney World for 11 days is so tiring!). As we continue to visit, I notice that we run out of steam much more easily. I am pretty sure we did not feel tired once (after coffee) during our first trip in October 2016. We noticed that we started to feel like around day 7 during our November 2017 trip. I felt tired almost every day after 4 days during our December 2018 trip. Maybe we are just getting old! We went over to Creature Comforts to use a snack credit on a caffeine bomb.
We settled in to drink our coffee in the Africa pavilion and discussed the rest of our day. As we were discussing the rest of the day, it came up that we were not feeling excited about our dinner reservation. I wanted to choose a restaurant in World Showcase in Epcot. Specifically, I wanted to eat at a place at which we had not dined. Gotta stack up the reviews!
Originally, I chose Nine Dragons Restaurant. Neither Sarah nor I were overly excited about this selection. We also had seen Illuminations the night before, so we did not feel strongly about going back to Epcot. We would much rather go back to Magic Kingdom and see Happily Ever After again! Therefore, we looked for a restaurant much closer to the Kingdom. Sarah and I went back and forth between a few (Jungle Skipper Canteen, Whispering Canyon Cafe, and Trail’s End). In the end, we chose Trail’s End.
The only slight hitch in our plan was that we were within the 24-hour cancellation rule. For those unfamiliar with this rule, you need to cancel your dining reservations a day before your time in order to avoid fees. However, (hot tip:) you can modify your reservation up to 20 minutes before your time. I found a Nine Dragons reservation several days down the road and then canceled.
After our dining dance, it was time for us to use our next Fastpass+ for Kilimanjaro Safaris. We circled the Harambe Reserve and saw a lot of animals. I only had my fisheye lens, so I did not get as many pictures as I would like. Sorry!
It was time to eat! Sarah wanted mac and cheese, so we stopped and got her Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Shrimp and Sweet Chili Sauce from Eight Spoon Cafe. We were both really excited about this option. Not only did it sound delicious, but it is one of the best uses of a snack credit at Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately, it was not nearly as exciting as it sounded. It was just bland.
Next up was something that was very not bland: Flame Tree Barbecue! This is one of my favorite counter service meals at Walt Disney World. Ironically, it is only rivaled by another Animal Kingdom eatery: Sat’uli Canteen. I go back and forth, but I really wanted some ribs and a mandarin orange lemonade. I grabbed the St. Louis Rib Dinner and the Mandarin Orange Vodka Lemonade and headed to a table down by the water and dodged the Floridian pigeons (apparently these are actually called white Ibis).
I won’t go into the full review of this meal (go ahead and check out the full Flame Tree Barbecue review!), but I will confirm that it is delicious. The only problem was that, apparently, Flame Tree does not give out to-go boxes. I asked, but all they could do was give me a piece of foil. Clearly, this would not suffice to carry my ribs. I was at a critical junction. True to Alex form, I just powered through and finished the ribs. I felt horribly full, but it was nap time. In the end, I was happy with my decision.
We headed back to our resort to nap for our late night at Magic Kingdom.
We awoke with plenty of time to get to Trail’s End. Sarah and I debated back and forth between Disney transportation and Lyft, but we decided to take the free and slow route of Disney buses and boats. We bussed to Magic Kingdom and then took a boat to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
I cannot lie, I was not expecting to spend as much time as we did at Fort Wilderness while we were planning for this trip. We ended up taking the boat from MK to this serene and wildly different resort several times. It feels like an entirely different world of Disney tourism. Ft. Wilderness feels like a tight-knit community. It feels like it is a collection of people who return to the resort year, after year, after year.
We had a few minutes to walk around, so we headed over to the Tri-Circle D Farm.
We walked up to the horse paddocks because we wanted to meet the Disney equine friends. Apparently, you are not supposed to meet these friends. We walked up and a Cast Member immediately yelled at us that we were not supposed to be there. Sarah and I were apologetic but also recognized that there was absolutely no signage indicating we were not supposed to be there.
We walked away sheepishly and ended up back at Trail’s End.
After a sizeable wait (this is a very, very small restaurant), we sat at a table in the center of the dining room. Sarah and I ordered our drinks and then headed to the buffet. We were not the only people waiting for the buffet. The line wrapped around the entire restaurant. I think that the problem was that there were several stations that were in need of refreshing at the exact same time.
We waited for about 10 minutes and finally got our food. We had several items on our plates when we returned to our table. Sarah grabbed cornbread (which was really good), mac and cheese and beans (which were above-average), I grabbed ribs (which were mediocre as compared to my ribs from Flame Tree), and Sarah grabbed plenty of fried chicken (which was delicious).
Overall, I was not terribly impressed by Trail’s End. This may be harsh, but it felt a lot like a Hometown Buffet. The menu is made up of almost entirely of comfort food and nothing (other than the chicken and cornbread) were overly exciting. The restaurant also feels like it needs a refresh. The decor feels very old and the dining room feels dark and small. I would love to see a more minimalist design and take out some of the clutter.
I think that it is a great spot for people staying at Ft. Wilderness, but I would not go out of my way to eat here.
After our meal, we walked back to the boat launch and took the slightly slower ride from Ft. Wilderness to Disney’s Contemporary Resort. We walked from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom with a bit of time to kill before Happily Ever After. We observed the great, big, beautiful tomorrow at Carousel of Progress.
It was time for a nighttime ride aboard Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover! During our ride, we witnessed one of the great anomalies of Disney Parks touring. We were in Space Mountain with the lights on (please forgive the blurriness, this was shot while moving with a bad camera for this kind of shot!)!
We both snapped photos and then assumed our position for the nighttime spectacular. I set up my tripod and we waited for the show to start. Unfortunately, we were in for a frustrating night of entertainment. The park was INSANELY crowded.
Therefore, people were constantly kicking my tripod. I understand that it is hard to see so I give grace for people who accidentally kick it. However, I give no grace for people who kick it and then intentionally do so again and again until it gives way and they can squeeze by. Amazingly, I was able to get a few pictures that were decent.
After this show, we wanted to stay for Once Upon a Time. This is where we ran into the filth of humanity. We walked to the front of Cinderella’s Castle and ran into a literal sea of garbage. People clearly had been sitting in that spot for several hours and just leaving all their trash. There were countless bottles, plates, cutlery, and other rubbish scattered in front of the castle. It was DISGUSTING!
We watched the show and then headed to the Main Street USA train station for the Kiss Goodnight. We sat and waited to see the show and bid nighttime Magic Kingdom goodbye for our trip.
December 1st
On the first day of December, we awoke bright and early to head to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We headed to Centertown Market to fill our mugs with life-giving coffee. When we walked in the door we were greeted by an ear-piercing noise. That noise was the sound of hundreds of cheerleader families scarfing down breakfast before a busy day of leading cheers.
I never considered that Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort would be a location where cheerleader families would congregate. I recognize that there is absolutely no logic behind this feeling. My assumption is that cheerleader or Pop Warner groups would stay at Disney’s All-Star Sports. It just feels right! However, there is no reason why these groups should be relegated to the worst resort on property (sorry, All-Star Sports fans).
After we sucked down our coffee, we headed to the bus depot to head to the park. Unfortunately, we ran into the classic “Disney bus transportation takes forever!” situation. We waited and waited and waited. By the time the bus arrived, there was a large mob assembled to jump aboard. We boarded a completely full bus and arrived at Animal Kingdom in time for rope drop.
Sarah and I headed to Pandora for our last visit to the alien planet. Our first stop was Na’vi River Journey. We arrived in time to not have to wait very long in the standby queue. I really value this attraction, even though I feel like it is underrated. Sure, it is an insanely short boat ride. However, I challenge you to find a tune that gets stuck in your head more than the Shaman of Song’s (yes, I just got it stuck in your head).
After we were done, it was time to fly aboard a banshee. We walked across Pandora and landed at the queue for Flight of Passage. Sarah and I weaved back and forth and back and forth through the Fastpass+ queue and walked directly into the Linking Chambers. We were decontaminated and then boarded our Ikran to fly around the beautiful landscapes of Pandora.
After we were done, we were both feeling exhausted (being at Walt Disney World for 11 days is so tiring!). As we continue to visit, I notice that we run out of steam much more easily. I am pretty sure we did not feel tired once (after coffee) during our first trip in October 2016. We noticed that we started to feel like around day 7 during our November 2017 trip. I felt tired almost every day after 4 days during our December 2018 trip. Maybe we are just getting old! We went over to Creature Comforts to use a snack credit on a caffeine bomb.
We settled in to drink our coffee in the Africa pavilion and discussed the rest of our day. As we were discussing the rest of the day, it came up that we were not feeling excited about our dinner reservation. I wanted to choose a restaurant in World Showcase in Epcot. Specifically, I wanted to eat at a place at which we had not dined. Gotta stack up the reviews!
Originally, I chose Nine Dragons Restaurant. Neither Sarah nor I were overly excited about this selection. We also had seen Illuminations the night before, so we did not feel strongly about going back to Epcot. We would much rather go back to Magic Kingdom and see Happily Ever After again! Therefore, we looked for a restaurant much closer to the Kingdom. Sarah and I went back and forth between a few (Jungle Skipper Canteen, Whispering Canyon Cafe, and Trail’s End). In the end, we chose Trail’s End.
The only slight hitch in our plan was that we were within the 24-hour cancellation rule. For those unfamiliar with this rule, you need to cancel your dining reservations a day before your time in order to avoid fees. However, (hot tip:) you can modify your reservation up to 20 minutes before your time. I found a Nine Dragons reservation several days down the road and then canceled.
After our dining dance, it was time for us to use our next Fastpass+ for Kilimanjaro Safaris. We circled the Harambe Reserve and saw a lot of animals. I only had my fisheye lens, so I did not get as many pictures as I would like. Sorry!
It was time to eat! Sarah wanted mac and cheese, so we stopped and got her Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Shrimp and Sweet Chili Sauce from Eight Spoon Cafe. We were both really excited about this option. Not only did it sound delicious, but it is one of the best uses of a snack credit at Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately, it was not nearly as exciting as it sounded. It was just bland.
Next up was something that was very not bland: Flame Tree Barbecue! This is one of my favorite counter service meals at Walt Disney World. Ironically, it is only rivaled by another Animal Kingdom eatery: Sat’uli Canteen. I go back and forth, but I really wanted some ribs and a mandarin orange lemonade. I grabbed the St. Louis Rib Dinner and the Mandarin Orange Vodka Lemonade and headed to a table down by the water and dodged the Floridian pigeons (apparently these are actually called white Ibis).
I won’t go into the full review of this meal (go ahead and check out the full Flame Tree Barbecue review!), but I will confirm that it is delicious. The only problem was that, apparently, Flame Tree does not give out to-go boxes. I asked, but all they could do was give me a piece of foil. Clearly, this would not suffice to carry my ribs. I was at a critical junction. True to Alex form, I just powered through and finished the ribs. I felt horribly full, but it was nap time. In the end, I was happy with my decision.
We headed back to our resort to nap for our late night at Magic Kingdom.
We awoke with plenty of time to get to Trail’s End. Sarah and I debated back and forth between Disney transportation and Lyft, but we decided to take the free and slow route of Disney buses and boats. We bussed to Magic Kingdom and then took a boat to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
I cannot lie, I was not expecting to spend as much time as we did at Fort Wilderness while we were planning for this trip. We ended up taking the boat from MK to this serene and wildly different resort several times. It feels like an entirely different world of Disney tourism. Ft. Wilderness feels like a tight-knit community. It feels like it is a collection of people who return to the resort year, after year, after year.
We had a few minutes to walk around, so we headed over to the Tri-Circle D Farm.
We walked up to the horse paddocks because we wanted to meet the Disney equine friends. Apparently, you are not supposed to meet these friends. We walked up and a Cast Member immediately yelled at us that we were not supposed to be there. Sarah and I were apologetic but also recognized that there was absolutely no signage indicating we were not supposed to be there.
We walked away sheepishly and ended up back at Trail’s End.
After a sizeable wait (this is a very, very small restaurant), we sat at a table in the center of the dining room. Sarah and I ordered our drinks and then headed to the buffet. We were not the only people waiting for the buffet. The line wrapped around the entire restaurant. I think that the problem was that there were several stations that were in need of refreshing at the exact same time.
We waited for about 10 minutes and finally got our food. We had several items on our plates when we returned to our table. Sarah grabbed cornbread (which was really good), mac and cheese and beans (which were above-average), I grabbed ribs (which were mediocre as compared to my ribs from Flame Tree), and Sarah grabbed plenty of fried chicken (which was delicious).
Overall, I was not terribly impressed by Trail’s End. This may be harsh, but it felt a lot like a Hometown Buffet. The menu is made up of almost entirely of comfort food and nothing (other than the chicken and cornbread) were overly exciting. The restaurant also feels like it needs a refresh. The decor feels very old and the dining room feels dark and small. I would love to see a more minimalist design and take out some of the clutter.
I think that it is a great spot for people staying at Ft. Wilderness, but I would not go out of my way to eat here.
After our meal, we walked back to the boat launch and took the slightly slower ride from Ft. Wilderness to Disney’s Contemporary Resort. We walked from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom with a bit of time to kill before Happily Ever After. We observed the great, big, beautiful tomorrow at Carousel of Progress.
It was time for a nighttime ride aboard Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover! During our ride, we witnessed one of the great anomalies of Disney Parks touring. We were in Space Mountain with the lights on (please forgive the blurriness, this was shot while moving with a bad camera for this kind of shot!)!
We both snapped photos and then assumed our position for the nighttime spectacular. I set up my tripod and we waited for the show to start. Unfortunately, we were in for a frustrating night of entertainment. The park was INSANELY crowded.
Therefore, people were constantly kicking my tripod. I understand that it is hard to see so I give grace for people who accidentally kick it. However, I give no grace for people who kick it and then intentionally do so again and again until it gives way and they can squeeze by. Amazingly, I was able to get a few pictures that were decent.
After this show, we wanted to stay for Once Upon a Time. This is where we ran into the filth of humanity. We walked to the front of Cinderella’s Castle and ran into a literal sea of garbage. People clearly had been sitting in that spot for several hours and just leaving all their trash. There were countless bottles, plates, cutlery, and other rubbish scattered in front of the castle. It was DISGUSTING!
We watched the show and then headed to the Main Street USA train station for the Kiss Goodnight. We sat and waited to see the show and bid nighttime Magic Kingdom goodbye for our trip.
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Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
