The Speed Walkin',Triple Split Stay,Holly Jolly Holiday**NEW 1/12 Last Day

[jenbear123]

:santa:Welcome, welcome one and all.:santa:

Here you will find a lengthy report about my recent trip to WDW, which might have been the best trip I have had yet.

Who:

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Me - I'm a huge Disney fanatic. Love everything Disney. I literally gasp when I see anything related to Disney when I'm here at home. Love Disney food and trying new things. This trip was the first time I've been to Disney for christmas.


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Bubba - Current cast member in Epcot at Le Cellier and my loving sister who I miss dearly. Her and I are like two peas in a pod that just love being together. She came to Disney looking for a new experience. Loves to drink wine. Her laugh is VERY contagious. She's also discovered a new love for blue cheese (yuck!)

When:

We were in the World November 19th to November 24th, 2009

Where:

2 nights Wilderness Lodge Villas
2 nights All Star Music
1 night Animal Kingdom Lodge

Yup, that's THREE resorts. Are we crazy? YES! :rotfl:

Why:

To see Bubba for the holiday season and to experience Disney in ways that I have never seen it before! :santa:


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We ate lots of food at a variety of places, which I will also be reviewing here. Here are a few places you can expect to hear about:

Le Cellier
California Grill
The Wave
Sanaa
Rose & Crown
Tokyo Dining
Donald's Safari Breakfast at the Tusker House
Chefs de France

Were they everything I imagined them to be? Did we see Wishes from the top of the Contemporary? Were we able to enjoy Illuminations from the comfort of our table at Tokyo Dining? Stick around and you'll find out!

On top of everything, we also squeezed in some tours:

Wilderness Backtrail Adventure
The u n DISCOVERed Future World

PLUS!

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Are we ready? Get set...... GO!!!!!!!

[jenbear123]

Table of Contents

Day 1: Let the Festivities begin!
(http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34481216&postcount=9)Day 2: The Not-so-u n DISCOVERed Future World Tour - PART 1 (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34488385&postcount=22)
End of Day 2: Dinner at the Wave + Illuminations (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34497799&postcount=29)
Day 3: "What did he say?" (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34531521&postcount=37)
Day 3: Le Cellier Lunch (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34566987&postcount=47)
Day 3: All Star Music Check-in (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34567144&postcount=48)
End of Day 3: Osbourne Lights & DTD (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34589183&postcount=57)
Day 4: Donald's Safari Breakfast (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34616911&postcount=70)
Day 4: Tour of ASMusic + Dinner at California Grill (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34650999&postcount=78)
Day 4: MK Late EMH (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34693715&postcount=89)
Day 5: Mission Implausible? (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34786575&postcount=101)
Day 5: Lunch at Sanaa + Another Speed Walkin' Adventure (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34833833&postcount=111)
End of Day 5: Dinner at Tokyo Dining (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34858502&postcount=117)
Last Day: Luggage Struggle & Tough Goodbyes (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34987031&postcount=134)

[MadilynnsMomma]

Yahoo!!! I tagged on at the end of your PTR, and here I am, Eager Beaver, first poster in you TR! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

[jenbear123]

Yahoo!!! I tagged on at the end of your PTR, and here I am, Eager Beaver, first poster in you TR! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Yay! :woohoo: Welcome welcome! Happy Thanksgiving to you too! Sadly we celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving in October but it's all good :laughing: eat lots of turkey and stuffing for me. The parks must be PACKED today

[KatMark]

I'm here....bring it on. :)

[redlight]

I'm in.

[Rozz]

>>>popcorn::<<<

[jenbear123]

I'm here....bring it on. :)

Yay! :yay: Thanks for coming over!

I'm in.

Welcome!

>>>popcorn::<<<

Pass me some popcorn, would ya? :laughing: Thanks for joining in


I'm in the process of uploading all the pictures (there's a LOT of them) so Day 1 should be up soon!

[jenbear123]

Woke up at 6am and put the coffee on. This was the only time I would be bright eyed and bushy tailed at this early in the morning as I knew I was going back to Walt Disney World!!! The weather was miserable and rainy as the sun slowly came up over the horizon. It made me a bit nervous about whether or not my flight was going to be delayed. I checked the flight status and was thankful to see it was still "on time". By 7am, we had the luggage thrown in the car and were on our way to the airport. :car: I drove there since DBF was still half asleep :laughing: I figured by the time we got to the airport, the caffeine from the coffee would have set in. After the luggage was unloaded from the car, we said our quick loving goodbyes. :lovestruc

I had checked in online but my Mac was being difficult when it came to printing the boarding pass. My printer kept cutting off one side of it :headache: So I went to the kiosk and printed a new one. Checking in and getting through customs was a breeze but the brakes slammed on once I reached security. Apparently all the x-ray machines (you know those big scanning machines that can see inside your carry on) were not working! :eek: D'OH! All the security officers had to manually check every single person's luggage by HAND. It was a nightmare. I was in good spirits though. I was going to Disney! Once I got through the chaos that was security screening, I was at my gate with an hour to spare. Flight departed on time, pretty much uneventful, and I arrived into Orlando right on time.

Now it was time for the mad dash. In case you missed my PTR, you will not know that I had a scheduled lunch ADR at Le Cellier for 2:30pm. By the time I had landed, I had 1 hour and 15 minutes to be sitting down at Le Cellier. Bubba's friend, Tink, came to pick me up at the airport to get to Epcot faster. When I came to the main terminal, Tink was holding this big yellow sign:

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Tink was going to yell out "Hey you dirt bag" to get my attention (it was my sister's idea so it's not like I was going to get offended. We say things to each other that sound mean but we know we're joking so no feelings are hurt - moving on!) but instead she wrote it on the sign. She still got dirty looks from people as they walked by. :laughing:

We had to wait nearly 25 minutes for my bag to come off the plane. By the time we got to Tink's car, it was 2:15pm. Getting to Le Cellier in time was not looking very promising. Tink put the pedal to the medal, driving safely but quickly :rolleyes1

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I was clearly on a Disney "high"

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We still only got to Epcot at 2:40pm.

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Already 15 minutes late. I still had to exchange my annual pass voucher for the real thing! AHHHHH! I ran up to the will call ticket window and finally got the REAL annual pass

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Was so happy to get Pluto!!!!! :woohoo:

I had to go to Guest services to get my TIW card but we had no time for that. I could always get it after our meal. Tink and I sped walk alllllll the way to Le Cellier. I looked at the time: 3:05pm. We had to have checked in before 3:00pm to get in on the lunch seating. Crap.

Bubba's other friend, Lilo, was there waiting for us also. Lilo explained all the drama that had been going on. Apparently the seat assigner (Who will remain nameless as I was not pleased with him - he's now an ex-friend of Bubba's so he was already on my "seek revenge" list) had just sat Bubba with 6 people. We were five minutes late, FIVE! And he couldn't wait to seat her. There was no way we could get in to eat for lunch with Bubba as my server. I was so bummed. Lilo had tried to make him wait but, being the stubborn poo-poo head that he was, sat her anyway. UGH! First few hours of the trip and already something did not go to plan....sigh. Bubba had seen me though when I walked in to the restaurant and before I knew it, she was racing towards me for a BIG HUG! It was so amazing to see her again. I miss her... She couldn't hang around as she obviously had tables to serve!

Since I was absolutely starving not having eaten since 6:30am that morning, we had to get food. Tink, Lilo and I all decided to see if we could get a walk-in at the Rose and Crown. Have to say that it was pretty neat hanging out with Bubba's friends who were also from Canada. Felt like I knew them already for so long. We all got along very well.

We were able to get a walk-in at Rose & Crown with no wait at all. Being right between the lunch and dinner hour, the restaurant was practically empty. We were seated on the upper level, overlooking the Showcase Lagoon.

The view from our table

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Our servers name was Christopher. He did a wonderful job with great suggestions on what to eat. I got a strawberry smoothie to drink. Sorry forgot to grab a photo. It was yummy though!

Tink's drink order was a bit more complicated. She requested the bartender (or smoothie maker person) to re-create a virgin Pina-Colava. It actually came out pretty good!

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I can't remember what Lilo got to drink as I didn't get a picture of it. Probably another smoothie.

Once we placed our drink orders, Chris brought us these yummy buns

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For an appetizer I got the Potato and Leek soup

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This was SOOOOOOOO good. Really hit the spot in my what was empty stomach

Tink had the Scotch Eggs

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This actually tasted much better than the description made it out to be. I recommended giving this one a try.

For an entree I got the staple Fish and Chips

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The first bite of fish, I must say, was DISGUSTING. Maybe it was because I wasn't used to Disney food but it was a salty mess. It was all I could do to swallow. I tried to get it down with the tartar sauce but that stuff nearly made me gag. :sick: I hardly ate half of the fish and filled up on the fries. Perhaps I caught the tale end of the lunch hour fish.... YUCK!

Lilo got the Grilled Chicken Breast

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It looked really yummy - at that point, anything seemed better than what was in front of me. She ate it all up so it must have been good!

Tink had the Corned Beef Sandwich

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This is what I should have ordered. It looked light and a nice sized portion for lunch. Oh well, live and learn I guess. Tink said it was really yummy.

I didn't save the receipt for this meal but we all chipped in $20 to cover the bill and tip. The service was great though!

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With our tummies full (except mine), we skipped on dessert and went back to Le Cellier to see if Bubba was finished work. When we got there, she was still running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, trying to finish everything off. All her tables had left (finally!) so she was just getting all set to leave. After about 5 minutes, she was ready to leave! Bubba had to go "backstage" to change into normal clothes. While she did that, Lilo, Tink and I went to Guest Services to buy my TIW card.

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CONTINUED IN NEXT POST (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34481320&postcount=10)

[jenbear123]

The time was now pushing about 4:30pm. Tink, Lilo and I all planned to meet up with Bubba back at their residency. Somehow Bubba left way ahead of us so by the time we arrived at the residency, she was already packed up and ready to go! Next destination: Villas at Wilderness Lodge!

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Bubba had checked in that morning but the room was no where near ready at that hour! She already had the room keys so we didn't have to go back to the front desk. I was so pumped when we pulled up at WL. I couldn't believe I was going to be staying here - in the villas no less! Lilo and Tink helped carry all our stuff up to our room. We were in room 3540 on the 3rd floor.

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It took about a minute walk to get from the elevator to the room. Once we found our room, I opened the door and was amazed. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

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The room was so big I didn't know which way to turn! We even had a washer and dryer!

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Not like I would have time to do laundry anyway!

It was pushing 6:00pm and we wanted to get to MVMCP as soon as possible. Tink and Lilo left us as they too had to get ready for MVMCP. We planned to meet up for the parade later on. Bubba and I got changed into our holly jolly outfits for the party and were on our way!

We arrived at MK right on time for the party to start. We got wristbands as soon as we entered the park.


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As soon as I saw Main Street, I was in Christmas overload. It was absolutely breathtaking

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The castle took my breath away

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The picture just doesn't do it justice.

The order of business was to get in all the rides we wanted, watch the fireworks, then get a spot for the later parade. First stop was Space Mountain as a little bird had told us that it was in soft opening. Quite a few people had already gotten on and ridden it so we thought we'd make this our first stop. But, to our dismay, we saw this once we got there:

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No Space Mountain for us that night. Well, they couldn't guarantee that it would be up and running that night. You'll just have to wait and see if I did end up getting on it this trip.

After this disappointment, we needed some cheering up so we headed towards Mickey's ToonTown. Bubba grabbed a smoothie on the way.

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The place was practically a ghost town by this point. We walked over to Mickey and Minnie's house and not long after, this popular guy was walking towards us:

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There was practically no line to get a picture with the mouse, so we got in line to wait.

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We slowly made our way over to Dumbo. As we walked, I couldn't believe the lack of crowds. It was one of the best times to be in MK. The only other time I've seen Mickey's ToonTown and Fantasyland this empty is at 9am as soon as the park opens! Before we got on Dumbo, we grabbed some free hot chocolate and x-mas cookies.

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They were giving out two big cookies per person, which was great! So we rode Dumbo with attempts at the blurry Dumbo picture.

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Meh. Could've been better....


CONTINUED IN NEXT POST (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34481428&postcount=11)

[jenbear123]

After Dumbo we hit Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain - both of which are SO much better to ride at night. My butt got soaked when we rode Splash Mountain. We sat right in the front and when we went down the big hill, we got splashed!

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Yes, I looked like I peed my pants ha ha Hey, I did say I was so excited I could pee my pants! Don't say I didn't warn you :lmao:

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We saw this on the pavement as we exited the ride

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Once we got off Splash Mountain, we ran into the end of the first showing of the parade. Since we couldn't cross the parade path, we stood and watched the end. From what I saw, I couldn't wait to see the full thing! We bee lined it for POTC once the parade ended and walked right on. When we were leaving the POTC shop, we saw quite the horrific sight. An older man had somehow tipped backwards in his wheelchair. :scared1: We hadn't seen him fall but he must have hit his head on the pavement. Poor man. :sad2: He seemed okay though and was able to get to his feet but not without getting an earful from his wife. A cast member was there to make sure everything was okay. Thankfully the man was alright!

After POTC, we headed over to Jungle Cruise as I really wanted to ride it at night. Then came disappointment #2 - it was closed for the party. DARN! I hoped that I would get another opportunity later in the trip.

Time was ticking by and we noticed that we should start looking for a spot for the fireworks. Bubba had to grab some munchies as she hadn't even eaten dinner! I felt bad because she kept having to eat junk but it didn't seem to bother her. We didn't wait long until the fireworks show started

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It was an amazing show. I had tears in my eyes by the end of it. I was just so happy to be there, with my sister, during such a festive time in Disney World. I couldn't have been happier.


Once the fireworks were finished, we did some shopping on Main street. I had to get myself a MVMCP pin with my fav characters

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Bubba was on the hunt for music from the party, which she was able to get as well. We had to ask a cast member before we were able to find it though!

Once we finished shopping, we grabbed a spot for the parade right outside the Confectionery. A nice family sat down beside us and were trying to get photos of themselves. I offered to take a picture of all three of them in front of the castle. The gentleman said I probably took their christmas card right then and there! Have to say I felt pretty good about my photography skills at that point. Lilo and Tink soon made an appearance and took a seat beside us. The gentleman who I had just taken a picture of their family offered to take a picture of all 4 of us.

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Lilo and Tink told us that Space Mountain had opened again and that they had already ridden it! Bubba and I would make a stop there right after the parade for sure! Then before we knew it the parade was coming down Main Street.

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These ponies were not happy. They kept gnawing at their bits and just did not want anything to do with the parade. I'm sure they just wanted to go to sleep!

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The toy soldiers freaked me out!!! If anybody has seen Santa Clause 2 or 3 (can't remember which) you'll know why! The parade was another tear jerker for me. I just could not believe I was there. It was simply magical. Especially when it started "snowing".

We parted ways with Lilo and Tink to head over to Space Mountain. IT WAS OPEN!!!!!!! To our surprise it was a walk on too!

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The ride wasn't noticeably different. It was still just as rough and jerky as before. The queue and loading area have been completely revamped. To see all the changes, check out the article at AllEars.net HERE (http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/11/space_mountain_reopens_1.html)

This was a good time to end our night. We had accomplished all the rides we wanted (except Jungle Cruise) and seen everything we wanted to at the party. By this point we were exhausted so we took the boat back to WL and went straight to sleep! It was a perfect start to our Very Merry Disney vacation

Up Next:

U n DISCOVERED Future World Tour
Surprise Lunch at Chefs de France
Delectable dinner at the Wave

[Elevationist]

Jen! I'm here now! I'm really going to enjoy following along for the next few days until my own trip!! :thumbsup2 Off to start reading now!
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[praisehisname]

Great report so far!

[jenbear123]

Jen! I'm here now! I'm really going to enjoy following along for the next few days until my own trip!! :thumbsup2 Off to start reading now!
[/IMG]

Woot woot Now that Billie has arrived, the real party can start :cool1: Thanks for joining in! I'll try and feed that excitement of yours the best I can :goodvibes

Great report so far!

Thank you!

[Soopafly]

Im in popcorn:: That Pluto looks great, was it drawn on the ground with something? Looks cool but sticky haha.

[KatMark]

Jen, great start to your report.

[ixmnrs]

Subscribing,

I just love reading comprehensive trip reports, especially from fellow Canadians. As for the speedwalking title; I hear you...my wife always says I owe her a new pair of running shoes after every Disney trip.:)

[jenbear123]

Jen, great start to your report.

Thanks :goodvibes More to come!

Subscribing,

I just love reading comprehensive trip reports, especially from fellow Canadians. As for the speedwalking title; I hear you...my wife always says I owe her a new pair of running shoes after every Disney trip.:)

Hello fellow Canuck :santa: No matter what, whenever we're in Disney, we're ALWAYS speed walking somewhere (no running in the parks!) Good way to get our exercise. Thanks for joining in :cutie:

[lovegrumpy]

Love it so far.

[bballdiva]

Completely enjoying your report..I've always dreamed of going at Christmas time

[jenbear123]

Love it so far.

Thanks for reading :thumbsup2

Completely enjoying your report..I've always dreamed of going at Christmas time

Oh you MUST go around Christmas time. It's incredible. It brings a whole new meaning to the holiday season. If you ever get the chance GO! Thanks for reading :cutie:

Update coming soon!!!

[jenbear123]

This day I woke up with quite an upset stomach. :sick: The yucky fish I had eaten the day before was coming back to haunt me. I wasn't sick to my stomach or anything but I sure didn't feel like my normal self. I woke up around 6am and couldn't get back to sleep again. Just felt pretty rotten. Bubba finally woke at 7:30am and we ate breakfast in our room. I felt a little better with some food in my stomach. I guess I was just hungry after not eaten since 4pm the previous day! Not to mention I was a bundle of nerves still. Did I mention I don't travel well? Moving on....

We arrived at Epcot right on time to check in for our tour for 8:45am.

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We were able to get early entry into the park, which was a nice perk. It's nice to not fight the crowds for once. We took advantage of this fact by taking some pictures in front of the lovely holiday topiaries as soon as you enter the park.

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We sauntered over to Guest Relations to check in and got our name tags.

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They spelt Bubba's (real) name wrong :headache:, which she had corrected right away. It's one of her BIGGEST pet peeves when people spell her name wrong. She has one of those names that can be spelt multiple different ways. To be fair, I would get annoyed too if people were always spelling my name wrong! So we were all checked in, ready to go but had to wait for the rest of the group. To pass the time, Bubba took a snooze.

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Honestly this girl can sleep anywhere!

I took another trip to the washroom so I wouldn't have to go on the tour. I also took some time to eat an orange, which Bubba just had to take a picture of.

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Not long after this, they started letting in guests at the main entrance. The sea of people came flooding towards us:

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About 5 minutes later, our tour guide, Mary Anne, greeted us and the other people in our group. It was a very small group today, consisting mainly of people over the age of 55. Bubba and I were the youngest people (including the tour guide) on this tour. This was going to be fun :rolleyes: The main reason we took this tour was so I could see all the backstage stuff that Bubba sees every day when she comes to work. I was really looking forward to seeing everything. The tour started off with the history of the park and all of Walt's ideas. Mary Anne was a very soft spoken tour guide. We were not given earpieces for this tour and even I was having a hard time hearing her over the background crowd noise and music at times. Finally, an older man in our group spoke up saying he could not hear her. You think she would've spoke na little louder, considering the demographic of people in her group (not to mention most of them had hearing aids). Some information she told us was wrong. Like the number of triangles on the Epcot ball. Bubba said that the number she told us was way off, apparently. Meh! Who am I to really care exactly how many triangles are on the Epcot ball. All I know is that there's a lot of triangles on that thing! Most of the things she told us I already knew from Bubba telling me. So there wasn't much "*****covered" about Epcot on this tour, for me anyway. Your experience may be quite different.

We were led all around Future World, stopping at Club Cool to get a quick drink. I steered clear of Beverly! Eventually we made it over to Soarin' but before we went on, the tour took a break. This allowed Bubba and I to grab a quick bite to eat at Sunshine Seasons. We shared some sushi and wasn't much to write home about. It hit the spot though. Sorry no pictures!

Once the group met up again after the break, we were taken backstage for our "celebrity" entrance to Soarin'.

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Apparently when celebrities are in the park, they are taken through a different entrance for the rides. Go figure. We got to ride in row 1 and it was an amazing ride as always. I could honestly sit on that thing all day. So relaxing....

After Soarin' we headed over to Mission Space (was not given option to ride during tour) and finally Test Track. Once again, we were taken through the "celebrity" entrance to Test Track and enjoyed the ride.

The tour exited the way we came so we did not get to see the Photopass picture from our ride....

I was surprised all the "seniors" went on! Especially afterwards we found out one of the men had had triple bypass heart surgery. After the rides were out of the way, we ventured backstage to cast costuming, where all the employees get their work clothes. The place was HUGE! It was set up like a grocery store, with aisles labelled with what kind of job you do. It was really neat. What surprised me was that Mary Anne never reminded us about not taking pictures. When I went on the Keys to the Kingdom tour, our tour guide was VERY strict. Never failed to remind us. Just found that kind of odd. We also got to see the marina where the big globe for Illuminations is kept. Nothing spectacular. Overall, this tour was just okay. I mainly went on it because I wanted to see the backstage area where Bubba always goes. I think it could've been a much better experience if a) we had a better tour guide and b) a slightly younger demographic of people. We practically walked at a snail pace the entire time!!! :snail:


We finished the tour inside the China pavilion and we were getting hungry. We decided to try Chefs de France for a walk-in lunch. I was going to save this place for my trip in April but no biggie. They were able to squeeze us in no problem :thumbsup2 and got a seat right beside the window.

http://i50.tinypic.com/2rpa3ht.jpg

Our server was clearly new. She was nervous and didn't speak english very well. Which was fine since I was too hungry to get busy with chit-chat anyway.

It wasn't very far into our meal when this little guy rolled up beside me

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I completely forgot about Remy!!! He was absolutely adorable. The interaction with the guy that brings him around is incredible.

http://i46.tinypic.com/zweozt.jpg

For my meal, I ordered the French toasted ham and cheese sandwich

http://i45.tinypic.com/la3x4.jpg

This sandwich was just okay. Nothing special. The salad was just that, a salad.

Bubba got the Mahi-Mahi sandwich (I think)

http://i45.tinypic.com/2m5yq01.jpg

She complained that there was far too much bread and just ate the fish.

The food here was just so-so. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. I might try something different when I go back in April. Any suggestions?

Finished with our lunch, we headed towards Spaceship Earth, taking some photos along the way

http://i49.tinypic.com/6ypogn.jpg

It was so bright and of course I forgot my sunglasses back at the resort. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open for the picture

:lmao:
http://i46.tinypic.com/2lllxqx.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/34h78ti.jpg


We saw this when we arrived at Spaceship Earth

http://i45.tinypic.com/16jrfif.jpg

As you can see, it was a complete walk on! At 2 o'clock in the afternoon! :eek:

The ride got stuck right when we reached the Renaissance era (I think)

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We stopped almost long enough for both of us to take a nap! Although the repetitive music started to get annoying after a while....

After our ride, we left Epcot to head back to WL for a well deserved nap.


Day 2 TO BE CONTINUED (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34497799&postcount=29)

Stay tuned for:

Dinner at the Wave
Night at Epcot and Illuminations!

[MadilynnsMomma]

Great start and I really like that you use "Meh" - one of my favorite words!

[praisehisname]

Epcot looks so pretty dressed up for Christmas! I'm looking forward to hearing about your dinner at The Wave!

[redlight]

I love Remy. How cute! I also really like the picture of Bubba relaxing. How did she get nicknamed Bubba?

[jenbear123]

Great start and I really like that you use "Meh" - one of my favorite words!

I love that word too! Great minds think alike :thumbsup2 Not sure where I got it from though. My sister and I use it ALL the time.

Epcot looks so pretty dressed up for Christmas! I'm looking forward to hearing about your dinner at The Wave!

It was beautiful! I will tell you that The Wave is definitely a hidden gem. Stay tuned for full details

I love Remy. How cute! I also really like the picture of Bubba relaxing. How did she get nicknamed Bubba?

Funny story. I wrote about it in my PTR but will post it here to make it easier:

My Sister, Bubba. No, that's not her real name but that's how we refer to each other. Why? Well, one day we were both watching "Forrest Gump" starring Tom Hanks. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, Forrest makes friends with a man named "Bubba" during the Vietnam war. We both found the name to be very funny and liked it even more when Forrest said it with his accent (I apologize to those from Alabama. Being from Canada, we are not used to the accent). Soon, we found ourselves calling each other "Bubba Joe" and "Bubba Jean", "Bubba" for short and the names have stuck ever since. People will look at us funny when we're in public when we start referring to eachother as "Bubba". It's priceless.

[redlight]

I was wondering if Bubba was from Forrest Gump. It's one of my favorite movies! I also use the word meh.

[jenbear123]

I was wondering if Bubba was from Forrest Gump. It's one of my favorite movies! I also use the word meh.

It was one of those movies I grew up with :goodvibes Woohoo for the use of the word MEH! :cool1:

[jenbear123]

We woke up after a nice 2 hour nap to get cleaned up and ready to go for our lovely dinner at The Wave. I wasn't sure what to expect from this dinner as this restaurant isn't as popular as, say, Crystal Palace or California Grill. So I didn't have much to go on. Our ADR time was for 5:30pm and we made it to Contemporary right on time. At first we didn't know where the restaurant was inside the Contemporary but we didn't have to stray far to find it.

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We checked in, were given a beeper, and took a seat in the lounge area

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We took this opportunity to look over the drink menu. I wasn't planning on getting any cocktail drinks but Bubba had her eye on a "glowtini" :rolleyes:

Before we knew it, our beeper was going off and we were taken to our table. Our server's name was Dan. Wow. He was outstanding. Not pushy whatsoever. He paced the meal perfectly. Just an overall outstanding server. If you ever go to the Wave, ask if Dan is working and request to be seated with him. You will not be disappointed. He even was able to suggest a good white wine for me. When it comes to wine, I'm a hard one to please because I don't like anything too dry but I don't like anything too too sweet either. Let's just say I gave Dan quite the task. I can't for the life of me remember what kind of wine I got but I'm pretty sure it was an Australian wine. Bubba got her fancy blue glowtini:

http://i50.tinypic.com/mj20dh.jpg

She also got a glass of wine. Oh my alcoholic sister :laughing: No she's not really. She really only wanted the martini for the glowcube and to get a taste of it. Because she has that kind of disposable income to do that ;) Dan, our server, was worried she didn't like when she had more than half of the drink left at the end of the meal. Poor guy. It was all good though.

She was all about her red wine. Can't remember what kind she got. All I know is that I did not like it as it was too strong and dry for me.

Bubba ordered an appetizer, which was the Avocado and Citrus Salad. We shared this between the both of us. It was just a salad but since I love avocado, I really enjoyed it. We polished the whole thing off.

For main course, we both ordered the Cinnamon-rubbed Pork Tenderloin

http://i45.tinypic.com/242tsmq.jpg

This was heaven (I'd use another term but I'm trying to be kid friendly here) on a plate. We both ordered it medium and it was done perfectly. It was absolutely delicious with the Apple Cider sauce it came with. Melt in your mouth delicious. It came with a side of spinach and something else. I think it was cornmeal something. I didn't care for it too much but Bubba loved it. She ate both mine and hers.

We both ordered a dessert. I got the Trio of Sorbets

http://i45.tinypic.com/n4hy06.jpg

From left to right: Lemon-basil, Pineapple and Strawberry

My favourite was the Pineapple. Lemon-basil was my least favourite but it would be a good thing to use if you ever wanted to "cleanse your palate". Overall, all three of them were quite good.

Bubba opted for the No Sugar Added Desserts

http://i50.tinypic.com/10xangy.jpg

From left to right: Chocolate Mint Mousse, Fresh berries with Panna Cotta, and Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

She ate the whole thing up with an Espresso to wash it all down.

At the end of the day, the total cost came to $102.78 including gratuity with TIW discount.

The Wave was a lovely meal. The food, service, and atmosphere were all outstanding. If you've never tried the Wave, you must give it a try. It truly is a hidden gem. Oh, and on our way out, we filled out a "Guest Fanatic" card for our server Dan. Basically it's a comment card. I highly recommend requesting to fill out one of these cards when you experience outstanding service. Your server will greatly appreciate it. More often than not, people only point out the negatives. Let's take time to point out the positive experiences we have!

With our tummies full, we went back to the car to change. Yes, we changed in the parking lot :rolleyes1 We tried to be as discreet as possible. Then it was Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it's off to Epcot we go!

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We hopped straight over to The Seas, since we didn't get the opportunity to do it earlier in the day.

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It was getting close to Illuminations time so we began heading towards World Showcase. First order of business was to grab a School Bread from Norway for breakfast the next morning.

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It was about 20 minutes before showtime for Illuminations. Most of the good viewing spots for the show were taken. Normally on trips I am all about getting a good spot at least 45 minutes before showtime. But this trip was all about taking it easy and not stressing out over things (even though we did end up speed walking on several occasions....more on that later) We got a decent spot and waited for the show to start. Not long after the show began and this was our view.

http://i49.tinypic.com/iglu8i.jpg

Stupid pillar! We tried to shimmy over to get the pillar out of our view without blocking other guests. Our view turned out okay in the end.

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As soon as the show finished, Bubba said "OKAY MOVE!" And she started SPEED WALKING towards the exit. I hardly had a moment to gather myself and nearly trampled little children. I also dropped my water bottle and had to run back and get it. It was a pretty funny moment. One of those "you had to be there" moments. We still had two hours before DTD closed, so we headed that way to get some shopping done. The best find of the night was this beauty at Tren-D:

http://i49.tinypic.com/r2vj7s.jpg

That was the end of our night! We were beat so off we went back to our villa for pleasant dreams :cloud9:

Up next:

Wilderness Backtrail Adventure Segway Tour
Le Cellier Lunch
Osbourne Spectacle of Lights

[KatMark]

Oh...that food at the Wave looks wonderful (DH would love that pork). We never plan on "speed walking" but DH says I do it all the time...I keep telling him it is because he has short legs and he can't keep up with my long stride. ;) Cute shirt at Trendy! :)

[MadilynnsMomma]

I don't know what I like more, this entry or what's to come!

It sounds like you have had an excellent time with your sister thus far and I can not wait to hear more about your adventures! popcorn::

[redlight]

I love the glowtini. I'd definitely try it.

[Elevationist]

The Glowtini has been on my Must Do list since I first saw it here on the boards a couple months ago. DBF has a fascination with blue drinks, and I have a fascination with things that glow or sparkle, so it's an idea meal starter. :goodvibes

[Belle_373]

I’m sorry to hear your fish & chips weren’t very good at R&C.

I love the Canada shirts. Go CANADA! :woohoo:

Great photos of MVMCP! The Christmas decorations at MK are beautiful.

If you go back to Chefs de France I recommend the Macaroni and Cheese. It’s excellent!:thumbsup2

[praisehisname]

Your dinner at The Wave sounded and looked fantastic! Glad you had such great service!

[jenbear123]

Oh...that food at the Wave looks wonderful (DH would love that pork). We never plan on "speed walking" but DH says I do it all the time...I keep telling him it is because he has short legs and he can't keep up with my long stride. ;) Cute shirt at Trendy! :)

The food was really amazing. You must give it a try if you've never been. So funny about your DH not being able to keep up! That's like when my mom is with me. She's only 5'2 and the poor dear has to work double time to keep up :lmao:

I don't know what I like more, this entry or what's to come!

It sounds like you have had an excellent time with your sister thus far and I can not wait to hear more about your adventures! popcorn::

Thanks! :hug: This whole trip, I can probably say, was the best trip I've had yet. I only wish it had been longer. Stick around because there's LOTS more to come.

I love the glowtini. I'd definitely try it.

I'd suggest you try it! Especially if you like vodka ;) It looks really pretty too.

The Glowtini has been on my Must Do list since I first saw it here on the boards a couple months ago. DBF has a fascination with blue drinks, and I have a fascination with things that glow or sparkle, so it's an idea meal starter. :goodvibes

Sounds like the Glowtini is a must do for you on your upcoming trip Billy. I expect a full report when you get back.

I’m sorry to hear your fish & chips weren’t very good at R&C.

I love the Canada shirts. Go CANADA! :woohoo:

Great photos of MVMCP! The Christmas decorations at MK are beautiful.

If you go back to Chefs de France I recommend the Macaroni and Cheese. It’s excellent!:thumbsup2

It might have just been a bad batch of fish or something. I've gotten the fish & chips from the quick serve before and loved them! I'm sure it's the exactly same thing that's served at R&C. :confused3 I wouldn't put it entirely out of the question to try again someday.

The Canada shirts worked out perfectly for the colours of MVMCP. It's a good way to find out how many Canadians are in the park! Every so often we'd be walking and people would yell "YEAH CANADA WOOOOT!" :laughing:

I'll have to remember that about Chefs de France since I'm eating there again in April. Thanks for the suggestion :thumbsup2

Your dinner at The Wave sounded and looked fantastic! Glad you had such great service!

It was outstanding :cloud9: I can't decide which one was better, The Wave or California Grill :rolleyes: I'll let you be the judge when the time comes for that review.

Thanks for reading so far everyone!!!

[jenbear123]

You'll know what I mean by the title of this post when we get there :rolleyes1

This was the half way point for the trip. I had reached the point on the trip where my body starts accepting "Florida's finest" drinking water, waking up at 7:30am is normal, and everything that had been planned for months is finally coming to reality. The feeling was great! :woohoo:

This morning we "slept in" until 8am. I had set aside some time to take an extensive photo shoot of the Wilderness Lodge and villas. I just love this place. It really does feel like home. Here are some of my favourites:

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I never did see the geyser go off. One day I will see it...

http://i46.tinypic.com/i1jo06.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/doni88.jpg

We saw them putting this humongous tree together the first night we were here. Don't know how they do it but it looks great, doesn't it?!

http://i49.tinypic.com/x3w3m.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/2z99zlc.jpg

I call these guys the guardians of WL.

http://i45.tinypic.com/mtl56v.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/2d1of13.jpg

Yup, I'm staying forever :cloud9:

I even took a video of the walk from the elevator to our room. I was that determined to document every detail of this trip :laughing: I won't dwell on WL though. I'm considering writing a review with my many pictures over on the WL thread.

What I noticed was how well equipped the villas were. They had everything from cutlery to dish soap.

http://i49.tinypic.com/xclmb6.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/mrx012.jpg

And even a toaster!

http://i50.tinypic.com/21aa83q.jpg

Of course Disney makes sure to document everything to make sure nothing goes astray :rolleyes1

http://i46.tinypic.com/5ls6ly.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/2nkhrx2.jpg

The only thing they did not have (or at least I couldn't find) were pots and pans. You get a stove in the room but how are you expected to cook anything? :confused3

Oh and in case anybody was wondering what the Mercantile offers as far as groceries and meds goes, here's a preview:

http://i47.tinypic.com/21jvxq1.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/2duz4ub.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/2hp5zjq.jpg

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Once I had exhausted my camera, I returned to the room to find Bubba had packed everything up. I was sad to be leaving VWL but at the same time excited for the rest of the trip. Once we loaded up the car, we drove over to Fort Wilderness around 10:30am for our Wilderness Backtrail Adventure on a Segway Tour. (Wow that was a mouthful)

http://i49.tinypic.com/5yaz5k.jpg

We were going to walk from WL to FW but didn't want to risk being late for the tour. Neither of us were familiar with FW grounds so we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time to figure out where we were going.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34531684&postcount=38)

[jenbear123]

We parked and went to the main building. It wasn't clear where we were supposed to go to check in so at first we lined up in the check-in line for people who were checking in to stay there. It was pretty busy that day at Fort Wilderness. (I'd say from then on, the crowds and amount of people everywhere started to increase.) To avoid waiting too long, I just asked a lady that was at the online check-in desk. She provided us with a map and said we had to go to the "Bike Barn". We could either wait for a bus or walk. Guess what we decided? We walked!

http://i45.tinypic.com/ioj6aa.jpg

It took about 15 minutes to arrive at the Bike Barn. I was thankful that lady had given us a map. There were so many different paths, we would've gotten lost for sure.

We had some time to kill so we took a seat on a bench occupied only by this guy:

http://i47.tinypic.com/2qs5f9s.jpg

The scenery was quite peaceful

http://i48.tinypic.com/5buuqc.jpg

I've put FW on the list of places I want to stay after seeing the place. It really is quite serene. I'm a nature nut so this place was my haven.

Eventually about 6-7 other people gathered around for our tour and the check-in process started. They had us sign our life away and we were led inside the "Bike Barn" for training.

http://i49.tinypic.com/2ln8mxs.jpg

OH BOY! Remember the title of this post? Our assistant guide (the main guide was finishing up the earlier tour) was in charge of going over the safety guidelines and how to use the Segway. This guy spoke in monotone the. whole. time. He mumbled half his words that it was near impossible to understand what he was saying. Bubba and I were glad to have taken the Around the World on a segway tour on a previous trip as the training was MUCH better. This guy seemed to just rush through everything. Honestly, if I hadn't had previous experience with the segway, I wouldn't know what the heck I was doing. At the end of the safety video and incredibly boring orientation session, we were given headsets and a bottle of water. Then were led out behind the Bike Barn to get on our segways. Here we were introduced to our other tour guide (whom I liked much better)

The training on the actual segway lasted about 15 minutes and we were on our way to tour the Fort Wilderness campgrounds. Thankfully everyone was quite capable of controlling their segway (even after the crappy training) and we had a great time. I was ecstatic when we made a stop at Tri-Circle-D Ranch.

http://i49.tinypic.com/20qc8pj.jpg

I wanted to make a stop here last April but we never got here. I'm going to try and get my mom to see the ranch next April. I know she would just love the horses.

http://i49.tinypic.com/29c9v0w.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/r8xglg.jpg

The above part of the barn was sectioned off for Cast Members only so the entire barn isn't completely open to public. Also, the stalls are designed so you cannot touch the horses unless they stick their heads out over the door. This is probably for safety reasons. Being 5'6, I even had to stand on my tippie toes to see over the stall doors.

http://i49.tinypic.com/sl76v9.jpg

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this tour for segway beginners (unless you're lucky and get better training than we did). I was confident on the segway going up and down hills, slaloming between pine trees but some early beginners may not have been comfortable doing this. If you don't care, then go for it! I would do the Around the World on a Segway tour at Epcot first before trying the monster wheeled X-2 segways. The tour itself was very enjoyable and you get to see lots of FW. It's a really good choice for those of you who have not or rarely been to FW. The main tour guide (who did all the talking) was great and very friendly with a sense of humour. We came out of it quite satisfied :thumbsup2

COMING UP NEXT:

Lunch at Le Cellier
The Move to ASMusic
Spectacle of Lights Night

[redlight]

I'm picturing in my head the monotone mumbling of the Segway guy. LOL. It sounds like they are built for tall people (I'm a half inch shorter than you!)

[praisehisname]

The Segway tour sounds really fun. DH did the one at Epcot last time, and I bet he would love the one at FW!

[KatMark]

As always, another great update.

[jenbear123]

Still in process of finishing up Day 3 but I thought I'd give everyone a little preview of the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights. The mall I work in keeps playing this song so it's been reminding me of these lights! It really was a great show. Enjoy!

Ji-ji-ji-ji-ji-ji-jingle Bells! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqQP-iUPfII)

[jenbear123]

I'm picturing in my head the monotone mumbling of the Segway guy. LOL. It sounds like they are built for tall people (I'm a half inch shorter than you!)

He was really terrible. :headache: I hope he doesn't do the tours often.... I'm sure you would be able to get on the segway! Even if you're only a little bit shorter than me. Give it a try!

The Segway tour sounds really fun. DH did the one at Epcot last time, and I bet he would love the one at FW!

Your DH definitely should give it a try. You get a little more freedom on the segway on this tour, which is a bonus. Plus there is much more ground to cover giving more time on the segway. If he liked the segway tour at Epcot, he'll really enjoy this one!!

As always, another great update.

Thanks Kathy :cutie: So glad you're enjoying it so far too! :goodvibes Do you have any future trips in the works?

[onelilspark]

Really enjoying your TR! Thanks for sharing! :)

[MadilynnsMomma]

The Segways looked like fun! Thanks for sharing the link to the Osborne lights!!! :thumbsup2

[jenbear123]

Really enjoying your TR! Thanks for sharing! :)

Thanks for reading! :goodvibes

The Segways looked like fun! Thanks for sharing the link to the Osborne lights!!! :thumbsup2

They were fun!! Glad you liked the video. Lots of pictures to come on the Osbourne Lights... if I can ever get there! I never realized how much work a TR is! :laughing: It's nice to recount and document all the things that happened on the trip. Then I'll always have something to come back and reminisce!

[jenbear123]

Sorry for the delay in the continuation of Day 3. Life has been getting busy with preparing for x-mas, wrapping gifts, work, etc. Hopefully I can get this TR finished before I'm unwrapping gifts under the tree! Enough babbling, let's get on with it!


Where I last left off was where the Segway tour had just finished. The tour actually finished 10 minutes later than expected so we had to rush back to our car. We figured it would be faster to take the FW bus back to the front entrance. We SPEED WALKED over to the bus stop, only to find ourselves waiting another 15 minutes for the bus to come :headache: We probably could've walked back to the front entrance but didn't want to risk getting lost. I definitely did not plan our Le Celler ADRs very well this trip. First I didn't make it to the first one, now it was looking like we'd miss this one too! GAH! Our ADR was for 2:05pm and it was pushing 2pm as we pulled into our parking spot at Epcot. AHHHHHH! So we speed walked (again!) all the way to World Showcase. I swear my legs were like jelly by the time we arrived at Le Cellier. It was at this moment when I wished we were still on those segways!

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We were 15 minutes late for our ADR but were actually seated this time. :rolleyes: Of course everyone knew Bubba so we were given royal treatment :laughing: Our server was Heather (aka Lilo) which was awesome. First order of business was WINE! Bubba just had to order this $75 bottle of red wine.

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I think the name says "Occulas" It was a beautiful red wine and Bubba enjoyed it very much. She didn't finish the whole bottle of course! I settled with a glass of white wine (sorry can't remember what kind!)

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We were brought our breadsticks

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Which was DELICIOUS! Especially the pretzel breadstick, which as you can see by the picture, we clearly attacked before I could even snap the photo. I could honestly eat 10 of those in one sitting.

We ordered an appetizer each. I got the Appetizer Trio to share - Tomato Stack, Lump Crab and Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup.

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You'll notice in a lot of these photos that I forgot to take pictures before we dug in. I guess I was too hungry and excited to remember!

Everything on my plate was delightful. The Cheddar Cheese soup was a little strong tasting so I didn't finish my entire bowl. Loved the Lump Crab and Tomato Stack. I ate around the Blue Cheese (as I hate that kind of cheese) that was on the tomatoes but Bubba ate it all up!

Bubba got the Prince Edward Island Mussels which is now designed for one serving instead of two.

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For our entree, we both ordered the Mushroom Filet Mignon, medium-rare.

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Sorry, started eating AGAIN!

This was melt in your mouth delicious. Cooked to perfection. The meat was like bread. The mushroom risotto was like velvet. So so SO good. This will be the dish I will order from now on when I eat here. I was nearly bursting when it came to dessert. Despite that fact, we ordered 3 desserts :rotfl:

My first choice: Maple Creme Brulee

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This was a nice end to such a large meal. It was creamy but light. This is my favourite creme brulee on property. Being a Canuck, it must be the maple flavour!

Bubba's choice: Sugar-free Chocolate Cake (I think - don't quote me on this)

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I didn't try any as I wasn't in the mood for rich chocolate after eating red meat.

To share we got the obligatory Chocolate "Moose"

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I'm always too full to enjoy this dessert properly. It's very yummy though! Just when I thought our meal was done, Bubba goes and orders use a glass of ice wine each!

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By the end of the meal, I was DONE!

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Bubba on the other hand was just floating!

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She's a lightweight, what can I say....

Total cost with TIW: $238.32 (Let's just say Heather was a very happy girl)

With our tummies near bursting, we thanked Heather for a wonderful meal and were on our way to switch over to All Star Music.

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I had to set my expectations very low after staying at VWL. This was our first time staying at ASMusic. I didn't really know what to expect. Would it be as good as Pop? Would the rooms be old and tired looking? Would I even notice? Read on to find out!

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

[jenbear123]

We pulled into the parking lot

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and entered the lobby to check in

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We had requested to be in either Broadway or Rock Inn. We were put in Broadway, 1st floor. I was thankful we were on the bottom floor as this meant no stairs to climb with all the luggage we had. SCORE! We got to our room, opened the door, and saw a much smaller room but hey, what do ya expect at a Value?

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In case anybody was wondering, the televisions have input jacks for video games, etc (or at least ours did)

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View outside our room

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Honestly, the room was just fine. It provided us with a bed, shower, and place to store our luggage. It's all you really need when you're in Disney!!! The extra frills at the other resorts are just extra pampering. Now don't get me wrong, I love the Deluxe and Moderate resorts but when money is tight and you want to stay on-site (hey, that rhymes!), Value is the way to go. I would prefer to stay at Pop, if I was staying Value. It's just newer and not so "cramped" feeling. With the All Star resorts all literally right beside each other, you don't get much breathing room... if you get my drift. Just feels like everyone is so packed together. That being said, however, I can happily report that we never really heard our neighbours. Yes the super suction flush toilets were noisy, but we even heard the toilets flush when we were at VWL! So don't think you can ONLY hear them at the value resorts!

I apologize I don't have more pictures to share with you at the moment. My camera battery died just as I took that last shot. We did eventually take an extensive walking tour/photo shoot of the ASMusic grounds, but sadly it was on Bubba's camera. I am still waiting for her to upload her pictures. When she does, you'll be sure to see them here!

We napped for a bit to recharge for our night at DHS and also to digest all that FOOD! :rolleyes1 It was about 6:30pm by the time we got to the Studios. The place was BURSTING with people.

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This was the beginning of large crowds to be found practically everywhere :eek: No biggie though. We trudged straight through the sea of people.

We saw this cute display in one of the windows

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Then made our way closer to the hat

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As we got closer to where the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights were, I could see little bits of the lights peeking over the tops of the buildings. I could hardly contain my excitement. I had seen pictures of the display, but nothing could prepare me for what I was about to experience. And that experience, my friends, will have to wait for my next installment. (What a cliffhanger huh? :laughing: )





NEXT UP:
It's snowing at the Studios!!!
Creating my own mammoth treat at Goofy's Candy Co.

[redlight]

I'm amazed and impressed with your meal!! Three desserts! Yummy too! I'm also a big breadstick fan. I would have been zonked after that meal and the wine.

[onelilspark]

I love how much food you ordered! It's 8am and it looks so goooooood!

[Belle_373]

What an awesome meal at Le Cellier! :thumbsup2 I really must try the appetizer trio. It looks so yummy.

I can't wait to see your pics of the obsborne lights! :goodvibes

[MadilynnsMomma]

when money is tight and you want to stay on-site (hey, that rhymes!), Value is the way to go


When money is tight and you want to stay on-site, Value is all right!!! :cool1: :rotfl2:

Is this Disney or Suess-ville!? :lmao:

[jenbear123]

I'm amazed and impressed with your meal!! Three desserts! Yummy too! I'm also a big breadstick fan. I would have been zonked after that meal and the wine.

I can never decide what dessert I want, so I order them all! I definitely wanted a long nap after all that food and wine...

I love how much food you ordered! It's 8am and it looks so goooooood!

Whenever I (or my Mom and I) eat at Le Cellier and Bubba is with us, she always orders a monsterous meal. Mainly because she knows how good everything is and wants us to try it all!

What an awesome meal at Le Cellier! :thumbsup2 I really must try the appetizer trio. It looks so yummy.

I can't wait to see your pics of the obsborne lights! :goodvibes

The trio is so yummy. I highly recommend it next time you go :thumbsup2

When money is tight and you want to stay on-site, Value is all right!!! :cool1: :rotfl2:

Is this Disney or Suess-ville!? :lmao:

:rotfl: I hate those Dr. Seuss books so I certainly hope it isn't!

[redlight]

I can never decide what dessert I want, so I order them all!

That sounds like what I would do.

[jenbear123]

That sounds like what I would do.

It's the easiest thing to do when you can't decide! :rotfl2:

[praisehisname]

http://i47.tinypic.com/fjkqjp.jpg

Your whole meal sounded amazing, but this would have been my favorite part!


I had seen pictures of the display, but nothing could prepare me for what I was about to experience.

I'm so glad to hear this! We leave in three days, and I was starting to worry that I had hyped it up so much in my mind that I would be disappointed. Can't wait now!

[jenbear123]

I've finally finished uploading all the pictures so my story can continue! Thanks for your patience folks!

I left off right before we were about to round the corner to see Osbourne Spectacle of Lights. We could hear the music. We could see the light emanating into the sky. The shivers went up and down my spine. I had waited months to see this!!!

I jogged ahead of my sister

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and laid eyes on THIS

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I was in system overload again. Not only were the buildings outstandingly beaming with lights, but when they "danced" to the music, and it "snowed", I nearly had tears in my eyes. It was at this point that I was so happy to be in Disney for the holiday season with Bubba. One person was missing though: my mom :sad1: She would have loved to see this. I wish I could've shared everything that I was feeling at that very moment with her beside me. Oh well. There's always next year!!! If you haven't watched that video I posted a few posts back, please go watch it. The pictures just don't do it justice once you see the lights in action. I will post the link again here: Ji-ji-ji-ji-ji-ji-ji-Jingle Bells! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqQP-iUPfII) and another song Osbourne Lights Trans-Siberian Style (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoGXz4hclOM)

Once we had absorbed what we were actually seeing, we lined up for photopass to get a picture taken with our camera of course

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Then walked around the place taking it all in

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I told my mom that this year she has to decorate her house like this :lmao:

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We were in such awe by this place that we decided to take a seat on the curb.

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We spent a good 45 minutes here just watching the lights. Eventually our bums got sore from sitting on the hard cement and the studios were closing soon so we decided to head out. Our next destination was DTD for some necessary shopping

Remember that Bambi shirt? I grabbed that as soon as we got there. We picked out a nice present for my mom. Bubba treated me to a nice new Mickey watch and I got some chocolate for people at work. I was also on the hunt for those wine goblets with the frosty white Mickey heads on them for my stepmom. It took us nearly to the last day to find them!

Another priority was to head over to Goofy's Candy Co. I had never done the "create your own treat" but I've read and seen so many things about it here on the DIS. I had to try it out!

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I picked Mickey Rice Krispie, dipped in Milk Chocolate, with Reese's Peanut Butter cups topping, drizzled with milk chocolate. At the time, I didn't realize how mammoth this thing was going to be!

Here they are preparing my treat

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The final product

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This thing lasted me a whole week after I came home! It was delicious! Word to the wise though, make sure you have a big sweet tooth when you make yourself one of these! Bubba didn't create her own. She was more focused on these:

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See the big oreos on the left? She got one of those. Also very yummy.

Let me remind you that we hadn't eaten dinner yet. We (or rather, I :p ) had planned to grab a bite to eat at Earl of Sandwich but our earlier lunch at Le Cellier was still lingering in the deepest depths of our tummies. We passed on dinner (thankfully since DTD was rather crowded this night) and went back to ASMusic for a well deserved rest as we had an early morning breakfast at AK calling our name the next day.

STAY TUNED FOR:
The Goofiest Goofy at Donald's Safari Breafast
My 1st time on DINOSAUR!
Dinner at California Grill - Were we able to stay long enough for Wishes?

[jenbear123]

Your whole meal sounded amazing, but this would have been my favorite part!

So glad to hear that someone else likes their Creme brulee! Many people say they don't like it because of the maple flavour. I think it's the best!

I'm so glad to hear this! We leave in three days, and I was starting to worry that I had hyped it up so much in my mind that I would be disappointed. Can't wait now!

Oh you will absolutely love the display. No amount of hype can prepare you for what it's like. DHS is almost unrecognizable with all the lights up. I hope it doesn't disappoint :thumbsup2 Leaving in three days?! Do you have a PTR going? Where are you staying?? So excited for you! Wish I could go back.... take me with you? :lmao:

[jenbear123]

Anyone know why the "*****covered" part of the tour name has been starred out on my front page? It's not like I was swearing or anything. I don't get it :confused:

[KatMark]

Anyone know why the "*****covered" part of the tour name has been starred out on my front page? It's not like I was swearing or anything. I don't get it :confused:

Haven't a clue--pm one of the moderators and ask them.

I love your update. The Osbourne Lights are incredible. Thank you for sharing so many pictures of them. :)

[Belle_373]

I told my mom that this year she has to decorate her house like this :lmao:

http://i48.tinypic.com/2zi0qqc.jpg



Your poor mom! :lmao: I see a Griswald Christmas in your future! :laughing:

Love the pics of the osborne lights. I'm really hoping I can make it down to Disney next Christmas to see them in person.

[jenbear123]

Haven't a clue--pm one of the moderators and ask them.

Thanks for that suggestion. I found out from one of the moderators that apparently "U N D I S" refers to a "hostile" site that makes fun of the DIS. I checked it out and that site definitely doesn't have nice things to say... Glad I figured out why it was getting ***-ed out.

Your poor mom! :lmao: I see a Griswald Christmas in your future! :laughing:

Love the pics of the osborne lights. I'm really hoping I can make it down to Disney next Christmas to see them in person.

My mom loves that movie!! She kills herself laughing every time - especially when the cat electrocutes itself. :rolleyes: You definitely should try and make a trip to see the lights. They're so cool!

[redlight]

I picked Mickey Rice Krispie, dipped in Milk Chocolate, with Reese's Peanut Butter cups topping, drizzled with milk chocolate.

Yummy! You have good taste.

[praisehisname]

I was in system overload again. Not only were the buildings outstandingly beaming with lights, but when they "danced" to the music, and it "snowed", I nearly had tears in my eyes.

I got teary-eyed just looking at your pictures. I'll probably cry like a baby when I see them in person! :lmao:


Leaving in three days?! Do you have a PTR going? Where are you staying??

I didn't do a PTR for this trip, but I am definitely doing a report when we get back. We are staying at Pop. Can't wait!

Forgot to add, your treats from Goofy's looked yummy!

[glennbo123]

Just found your trip report....now to go back and get caught up. Looking forward to it!

[jenbear123]

Yummy! You have good taste.

Thanks, I try ;)

I got teary-eyed just looking at your pictures. I'll probably cry like a baby when I see them in person! :lmao:

Oh trust me, you will :rolleyes1

I didn't do a PTR for this trip, but I am definitely doing a report when we get back. We are staying at Pop. Can't wait!

Yay for Pop Century! Such a good little resort. I look forward to reading all about your trip when you get back :thumbsup2

Just found your trip report....now to go back and get caught up. Looking forward to it!

:welcome: so glad you came over! Did I mention how much I enjoyed your TR? Hope you enjoy reading mine! :goodvibes

[glennbo123]

:welcome: so glad you came over! Did I mention how much I enjoyed your TR? Hope you enjoy reading mine! :goodvibes

Yes, I'm sure you did. Thanks! I'm about halfway through yours and it's really good. I like the mix of text and pictures. It's obvious you had your trip report in mind when you were taking pictures....nice job!

Sounds like I need to try the Wave one of these days.

Your excitement comes through in every post!

[VroomVroomLightning]

I just finished catching up and I love it! Your title caught me because my name is Holly! I was born around Christmas so my family always calls me Holly Jolly! You are soo lucky, I wish I could go on a trip with just my sister! I can't wait to read more!

[jenbear123]

Yes, I'm sure you did. Thanks! I'm about halfway through yours and it's really good. I like the mix of text and pictures. It's obvious you had your trip report in mind when you were taking pictures....nice job!

Sounds like I need to try the Wave one of these days.

Your excitement comes through in every post!

Thanks :goodvibes I always have the DIS in mind when I go. There's always something people have questions about! Plus being a TA makes it even more important to pay attention to the fine details.

You really should try the Wave. Try it with your DW for a romantic evening. Or you could get the whole gang involved. Either way, you'll love it! Thanks again for reading :)

I just finished catching up and I love it! Your title caught me because my name is Holly! I was born around Christmas so my family always calls me Holly Jolly! You are soo lucky, I wish I could go on a trip with just my sister! I can't wait to read more!

Hi Holly! :wave2: Thanks for reading! :cutie: It makes a great trip when it's just you and your sibling. As long as you get along well of course :rolleyes: More coming soon!

[jenbear123]

Woke this morning not feeling so great again. Most likely due to not eating any dinner the previous night. I must be one of those people that feel sick to their stomach when they don't eat every four hours. Live and learn I guess. I guzzled water and ate a yogurt to settle my stomach. By 8am, we were in our car on our way to AK. Since ASMusic was so close, it took about 5-7 minutes to get there.

Once we parked, I snapped a photo of where we parked....just in case.

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Our reservation was for 8:25am, which gave us early entry in the park. It's always nice to get ahead of the crowds. You get more photo ops that way!

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The photopass guy told us to give him our "lion" faces :rolleyes:

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When we reached the Tusker House, we noticed there weren't many people waiting to check in.... or so we thought

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We were told to go around the corner and wait to be seated.

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It was then that we found where all the people were. Everyone was waiting for their chance with the man of the hour:

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Donald was in good spirits this early in the morning!

Last time we ate here in April, we didn't get a picture with Donald but he walked around to all the tables while we ate. This time, we got a picture with Donald but didn't get to see him when we ate. Why must they change everything! :confused3

We were seated at a table that seemed like it shouldn't have even been there. I guess they had no other place to sit two people. There were tons of large families so I guess it made it hard to find a place for us. The table was right up against a wall. There was a pillar right behind my chair that I could hardly squeeze in. And I'm a person of smaller proportions.... I didn't complain then because I knew there wasn't any other place for us and I didn't feel like waiting for them to find another table. Bubba didn't complain though.

The place was noisy, noisy, noisy. Like usual. I still wasn't feeling 100% so I did not take any pictures of food. I ate some cereal, yogurt, fruit and mickey waffles. Typical breakfast fare. I wasn't in the mood to be very adventurous. The food was yummy, except the fruit. It always has that weird tangy taste to it. I guess to keep it fresher longer? Our server, Debra, was nice. Nothing special though. Within about 20 minutes, we were ready to leave but the characters hadn't even come around our table yet! We stretched out our time there so we could stay to see the characters.

First up was Mickey

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Next came Daisy

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Last but certainly not least was Goofy

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Yes, the photo is blurry. Why? Well, Goofy was feeling VERY goofy :laughing: Right before our server took the picture, he wiggled back and forth, making us bounce all over the place. It was really silly. Finally a goofy Goofy!

I thought this ceiling decoration was really cool

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It was just almost 9:30am when we finished up. Total for the two of us came to $51.58 with TIW

We hightailed it out of there to start our "Must-do" list for the day. This consisted of 1. Dinosaur & 2. Festival of the Lion King. Not a very long list, I know, but these were still top priorities!! Dinosaur I had never ridden and I only discovered how good a show Festival of the Lion King was during our visit in April. The Lion King was one of my all time favourite Disney movies so I'm not sure how I missed this show on previous trips!!!

Before heading to our first stop, we grabbed fastpasses for the safari then set our course for Dinoland U.S.A. As we were waling, we found Flick just off the path waiting for us to come join him. I was really excited to see Flick but I'm just not showing it in this picture

If looks could kill....

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We told Flick to make sure he steers clear of those grasshoppers and we continued on our way.

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Dinosaur was practically deserted when we got there.

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I didn't know what to expect on this ride. Bubba had been on it multiple times already so I was trying to get what I could from her. All she would tell me is that it was a little bumpy and scared the poop out of her. You see, she's always had a fear of dinosaurs. Myself, I LOVE THEM! I would've been a paleontologist if I only could have understood chemistry better.... Anyway, if the ride scared Bubba than that meant it had to be good.

Here's what I thought of the ride: A-W-E-S-O-M-E :thumbsup2:thumbsup2

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As you can see, I was in my glory. Bubba is smiling too but she told me later she was only doing that so she wouldn't look terrified. At one point of the ride, she literally clinged to my arm and hid her face. It was cute. Who's the older sibling again? :rotfl2: This ride is definitely on my "must-do" list for AK from now on!



CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34617197&postcount=72)

[redlight]

I love the "lions faces" and the "if looks could kill" pictures.

[jenbear123]

After my first exhilarating first ride on Dinosaur, I took an extensive look at the surrounding area.

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I want this guy in my living room :laughing:

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I cannot believe I put off this ride for so many years. It was obvious calling my name! Great, great ride. It's a little bumpy but not terrible. I honestly expected a lot worst. It is VERY loud though. If you have little kids that are scared easily, steer clear of this one.

After Dinosaur, we headed towards EE. At first I was a little hesitant to ride but since Bubba conquered her fears and rode Dinosaur with me, I had to do the same for her ride. We got to EE and the wait was only 20 minutes so we got in line. We got to about this point in the queue

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when we realized we weren't moving and still had a long way to go before we got to the loading area. It clearly wasn't a 20 minute wait. We bailed and grabbed a fastpass in case we decided to come back. Deep down inside I was thankful I didn't have to ride :rolleyes1

Since EE was a bust, we decided to head back to do the safari as our fastpass times were up. We waited maybe 5 minutes and were loaded onto our jeep

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Here are a few of my favourites from our safari

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I never realized how small wildebeest are. They look so much bigger on the television! :laughing:

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After we saved the baby elephant (once again) we had to hightail it over to FOTLK as a show was starting in 5 minutes! :scared1: Did I mention we sped walked A LOT during this trip? :laughing:

We got there just in time as they were letting the last of the people in. Since we arrived late, we were sat in the Giraffe section. Darn. My first time I was in the Lion section with Simba. Oh well, this time I got a better view of Simba.

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I really want to take Simba home with me...one day....

After another great show of FOTLK, we went to Camp Minnie Mickey to see if we could find Chip & Dale. I was determined to get a picture with them as I'm currently a little obsessed with them. Why? I have no idea. My favourite Disney characters seem to flip-flop constantly.

There was no Chip & Dale this time at Camp Minnie Mickey so we decided to wait to see Mickey. The lines were INSANE but it took about 10 minutes before we were kissing the mouse

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Mickey made us do it!

It was time for us to depart AK to take a well deserved nap back at ASMusic. I asked Bubba one more time if she wanted to do EE but she said it was okay. Phew.

NEXT UP:
DINNER AT CALIFORNIA GRILL
EVENING EMH AT MK

[glennbo123]

http://i45.tinypic.com/1zxva0m.jpg


Here's one reason I like to read trip reports -- I have never seen this sign! And I think we got a photopass picture taken near the fence that's in the background, but I never saw this.

[KatMark]

Awesome update! I love Dinosaur, my hubby can do with or without it (and I'm like that on Expedition).

[glennbo123]

I cannot believe I put off this ride for so many years. It was obvious calling my name! Great, great ride. It's a little bumpy but not terrible. I honestly expected a lot worst. It is VERY loud though. If you have little kids that are scared easily, steer clear of this one.


Glad to hear you liked Dinosaur!



After we saved the baby elephant (once again)


Hey, what a coincidence -- so did we!


The lines were INSANE but it took about 10 minutes before we were kissing the mouse

http://i48.tinypic.com/9bf1ol.jpg

Mickey made us do it!


This is a great picture.

It's great to see that it's still fun for your sister -- I'd be afraid that being a cast member, and has seen what goes on backstage, meeting Mickey might not be quite as magical as it would be otherwise.


I asked Bubba one more time if she wanted to do EE but she said it was okay. Phew.


It's really not that bad. As you read in my TR, my 10-year old son went on it and loved it...after we bribed him. Maybe you can get a plush yeti from Bubba when you go next time.

[Belle_373]

I'm just like your sister when I ride Dinosaur. :laughing: The first time ever rode you couldn't even see me in the picture, I was ducking so low. :lmao: Now I know when they're going to take the picture so I can fake it better. ;)

[jenbear123]

Here's one reason I like to read trip reports -- I have never seen this sign! And I think we got a photopass picture taken near the fence that's in the background, but I never saw this.

It's seems no matter how many times you go to Disney World, you always miss something! I had never noticed this sign either until Bubba made me take a picture in front of it :laughing: The lack of crowds helped things too

Awesome update! I love Dinosaur, my hubby can do with or without it (and I'm like that on Expedition).

I'm glad you like Dinosaur too! I've only done EE once and I nearly passed out. Probably due to the heat and dehydration. I'd be willing to give it another try though. Maybe in April....

Glad to hear you liked Dinosaur!

You like it too? Yay! I guess more people like this ride than I thought:thumbsup2


Hey, what a coincidence -- so did we!

That baby elephant sure is a lucky guy ;)

This is a great picture.

It's great to see that it's still fun for your sister -- I'd be afraid that being a cast member, and has seen what goes on backstage, meeting Mickey might not be quite as magical as it would be otherwise.

It is difficult but, I mean, once you see Mickey's face, all the other images just disappear. She doesn't get that "tingley" feeling anymore but she still has a great time. Even when I went on the Keys to the Kingdom tour and saw what I saw, it was a bit difficult seeing characters after that. But it wasn't long until I was dancing with Chip & Dale again without a second thought!

It's really not that bad. As you read in my TR, my 10-year old son went on it and loved it...after we bribed him. Maybe you can get a plush yeti from Bubba when you go next time.

:scratchin Hmmmm.... bribery is a good incentive and I mean, if your 10-year old can go on it, a twenty something year old like myself shouldn't be chickening out!

I'm just like your sister when I ride Dinosaur. :laughing: The first time ever rode you couldn't even see me in the picture, I was ducking so low. :lmao: Now I know when they're going to take the picture so I can fake it better. ;)

:lmao: You poor thing! The ride is pretty loud and if you don't like the big mean dinosaurs, it can be a bit frightening :laughing: I'll have to keep an eye out for the flash next time. I was too focused on what I was looking at to notice

[jenbear123]

Sorry to be MIA all week. Bubba came back home for a surprise visit over the last 3 days. It was so nice to see her again (even though I just saw her 2 weeks ago) but since her time here was so short, I felt like I dreamt the whole thing :sad1: Now I won't see her again until April (or maybe February - details on that might appear on my PTR when I get to it...)

Without further ado, let's continue....

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When we got back to ASMusic, we decided to sit out by the pool instead of taking a nap. I wanted to see what this resort was all about. I also wanted to see how it compared to Pop. We changed into our bathing suits and headed to the piano pool.

To give you a better idea of our room location, we were in Room 7442. This was the only room number we got out of the three resorts we stayed at the was easy to remember!

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It took about 2 minutes to walk over to the pool

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It looked a bit grungey compared to what those Disney Travel Planning DVD's show you.... The pool itself and area is starting to look a bit tired. Seeing how AS resorts are the older of the value resorts, I think it's time Disney invested some time and money to fixing the place up a bit.

We attempted to catch some rays but Mother Nature was not on our side....

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It never fails. Every time we actually have time to get some tanning in, the dark clouds appear

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We made the best of the situation and soaked up what little sun rays there were

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Bubba had her nose stuck in a book for most of it

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Eventually, we figured we were wasting time sitting outside under a bunch of dark clouds. We took this opportunity to take a walking tour around the place.

Starting with the Rock Inn area

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On our way to the Calypso section, we realized how close the other AS resorts actually are. ASMovies was just a stones throw away in one direction

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This was definitely the area of ASMusic that was the busiest. It has the main pool,

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Pool bar,

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and Disney body art

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There were also some kids activities going on while we were here too. A happening place!

After Calypso, we headed inside for a look at the Intermission Food Court

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....and that seems to be all the pictures I took of the Food court - the sign! Silly me....

The lobby

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CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

[jenbear123]

Maestro Mickey's

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They had loads of grocery and meds/personal care items

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To give you an idea of price, a travel size toothpaste will cost you $1.25

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And things like sunscreen, imodium, anit-nauseant, etc will cost pretty close to the same you'll find at any pharmacy or department store.

The Jazz section

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Finally, the Broadway section (where we were!)

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I never did get a shot of this at night like I wanted to. Just have to put it on the already lengthy "To-do" list....

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and finally, the front entrance

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I'm so happy to report that we never had to take the Disney buses. I'm so spoiled having Bubba's car to drive us around the last few times I've been there :rolleyes1

We had a short nap after all that picture taking and then got all dressed up for our dinner at California Grill. This was the dinner I had been looking forward to for MONTHS! And it did not disappoint!

When we arrived at Contemporary, there was a parade of coach buses

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It might not be so easy to see in the pictures but there were at least 10 buses. Must have been some convention going on. Where all these people were who came on the bus? Who knows :confused3 We sure never saw them.

We headed into the Contemporary lobby

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and then started our ascent up the escalator

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and another escalator

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Finally reaching the top to check in for reservation

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We had an 8 o'clock ADR but Wishes wasn't until 10pm. Our plan was to stretch out our meal as looooooooooong as possible. In the end, this didn't turn into a very difficult task at all! We waited until the absolute last moment to check in right at 8pm. Without delay, we were whisked up the elevator to the main dining area. When the doors opened, it revealed the most wonderful dining area with a vast wine and spirits bar. And the view.... oh my it was beautiful. Our table was first destined to be in the "wine room" but seeing this was my first time (and possibly last time for a while) at California Grill, I wanted a view of the castle! The hoestess (forget her name) worked out some Disney magic :wizard: and was able to seat us by the window. It wasn't RIGHT beside the window but it was the closest we were going to get. It still provided us with a wonderful view of the castle.

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The reflection on the window was horrible. It was tough trying to find a good angle. Pictures just don't do the view justice.

Our server's name was Steven. He was very good but nothing outstanding like Danny was at The Wave.

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First order of business was to decide what to drink. Seeing how this was a special occasion, and both Bubba's and my first time eating at California Grill, we decided on a bottle of the "Fairy Tale by Iron Horse" Sparkling wine.

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Yes, we practically finished the whole bottle in one sitting (in case you were wondering)

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We perused the menu thoroughly. When Bubba found out there was a cheese platter, she definitely had to get it. For a girl that hated cheese and wouldn't touch pizza with a ten foot pole as a kid, and now was ordering a platter of cheese, her tastebuds sure have changed!!!! I've always been a fan of cheese but never "explored" with the more exotic cheeses. This was something I was looking forward to trying too.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

[jenbear123]

Here's the description of the cheese platter (I took these pictures just for my DIS readers)

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And this is the platter in all it's glory

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Nope, we hated it. Absolutely disgusting. Couldn't stand the stuff. See! Just look how much was left over:

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:lmao:

No seriously, it was absolute bliss on a plate. We each had our favourites. Bubba loved the blue cheese (of course since it's her favourite) I took a liking to the one second from the bottom (as pictured above) when paired with the fresh fig OH MY GOD it was SO good!!! I think it was the "Robiola" If any of you are cheese lovers out there and appreciate some good cheese, take this platter on for size. You won't be disappointed.

Our server soon brought us some bread with butter

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Nothing special

Then came our first out of 2 appetizers - California Roll sushi

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and the "Snake in the Grass"

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Oh Lord bliss in heaven - this stuff was GOOD! The California roll actually had real crab meat in it. None of that imitation crap that is found at other regular sushi places (which is rather odd considering it's the Japanese that run those sushi places. You'd think they'd use the real stuff.) The Dragon Roll was different. I had never tried BBQ Eel but it wasn't too bad. Tasted like chicken with a slight fishy taste. Not very strong tasting. I don't think I could eat very much of it though if I had to. Overall, this sushi was incredible.

Next came our second appetizers - Pear Salad (?)

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I know this had blue cheese and pears in it. I can't remember what it was called though. It was good but a typical salad. It's hard to make salads really stand out from each other. What more can you do with some lettuce and dressing?

I got the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli

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In all honesty, I prefer the ravioli I had at Brown Derby better than this. I found this one to be lacking in flavour and too watery. The sauce was too thin and the cheese didn't seem to fill my mouth with flavour. This was a bit of a let down.

Moving on to our entrees, I got the Grouper Filet

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I took one bite and hated it. The broth it came with was strange. It had a spicy (but not the nice kind of spicy) taste to it. It was far too strong tasting and just overpowered everything else that was on my plate. I almost sent it back to get something else but didn't. I didn't want to ruin the already amazing dining experience we'd been having so far.

Bubba had the scallops

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Once again, I should have ordered what she did. Bubba never offered me a bite so it must have been good. She ate the whole thing up so it really must have been good!

Here I am hamming up our luxurious dining experience

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Then it came to that time: Dessert. There was no way I could fit another morsel of food into my tummy. Bubba apparently could though so she ordered the "Trio of Tempation"

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This consisted of three different flavours of creme brulee style puddings - Chocolate Cappuccino, Vanilla, and Mango. I tried a bite but it didn't really tickle my fancy.

To end my meal, I opted for some cozy chamomile tea

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I love these little pots!

Bubba also got herself an Espresso to get her revved up for MK EMH

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Not 2 minutes after our server had given us our dessert that Wishes started. We had made it!!! Only downside was that we had to get up and stand to see the fireworks due to the location of our table.

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Another teary-eyed moment. But wow! What a vantage point to see Wishes from. I can now say I've seen Wishes from the top of Contemporary, on the beach at the Poly and, of course, from right on Main Street.

After Wishes concluded, I finished my tea and Bubba ate up her dessert. We settled the bill, that came to $260.05 with TIW.

Overall, California Grill was a wonderful dining experience. I highly recommend it for the service and the view. My experience with the food was 50/50. Some of it was outstanding, other parts weren't so good. I'm sure it was just due to what I chose on the menu. Next time, I'll try the scallops or something other than fish. :rolleyes: Our experience at the Wave still overruled the dining experience we had here, if you can believe that.

We rolled ourselves out of the dining room as we had a night at MK to begin!

NEXT UP:
LATE EMH AT MK - Did I finally get to ride Jungle Cruise at night? Was Space Mountain open for business for another ride?
GIANT GINGERBREAD HOUSE AT GF

[glennbo123]

It's great to see you and Bubba (it's funny just to type that, "Bubba") expanding your tastes in food. I was a picky eater as a kid, but I got to travel a lot early-on in my career, so since meals were paid for I was determined to try new things. I'm glad I didn't let myself miss out.

I think your picture of the castle turned out great -- you did a good job compensating for the glare.

And "Trio of Temptations". I'd buy it just on the name alone.

[redlight]

Great that you and Bubba could get together!

I love the descriptions of your meals. The cheese platter looked really good. How was that wine? I love ravioli!

[jenbear123]

It's great to see you and Bubba (it's funny just to type that, "Bubba") expanding your tastes in food. I was a picky eater as a kid, but I got to travel a lot early-on in my career, so since meals were paid for I was determined to try new things. I'm glad I didn't let myself miss out.

Isn't it?! BUBBA! :laughing: Yeah I've learned from my mistakes and not trying new things. You only live once so why not give everything a try? Most recently, I've tried octopus and BBQ Eel. Still need to muster up the courage to try escargot. All in good time....

I think your picture of the castle turned out great -- you did a good job compensating for the glare.

Thanks :goodvibes

And "Trio of Temptations". I'd buy it just on the name alone.

Oh yes, it sure did live up to it's name! Disney thinks up some great names for their food.

Great that you and Bubba could get together!

I love the descriptions of your meals. The cheese platter looked really good. How was that wine? I love ravioli!

Thanks :goodvibes I try to give as much information as possible so if anybody considering these places, will have a good idea of what's good and not so good. The wine was delicious! You have to like sweet, sparkling wine of course in order to enjoy it. I highly recommend the one we tried! Ravioli is soooooo yummy! But you can never go back to Chef Boyardi after Disney's ravioli....

[glennbo123]

Most recently, I've tried octopus and BBQ Eel. Still need to muster up the courage to try escargot. All in good time....


I meant to post, but forgot while I was typing, that eel is my favorite in sushi, which is very surprising to me, but it's really good.

And escargot....that's something I thought I'd never try, it seems like a very good place to draw the line, but....we were on a cruise in 2008 (another incentive trip) and my daughter Marlene ordered it as her appetizer one night. We all decided that since she was brave enough to order it, we'd each try one. It wasn't bad, probably due to the delectible buttery sauce it was in.

[redlight]

ou have to like sweet, sparkling wine of course in order to enjoy it. I highly recommend the one we tried! Ravioli is soooooo yummy! But you can never go back to Chef Boyardi after Disney's ravioli....

I don't eat chef boyardi now - it's bland and salty. I'm part Italian and have several older relatives who can cook good ravioli.

[jenbear123]

I meant to post, but forgot while I was typing, that eel is my favorite in sushi, which is very surprising to me, but it's really good.

And escargot....that's something I thought I'd never try, it seems like a very good place to draw the line, but....we were on a cruise in 2008 (another incentive trip) and my daughter Marlene ordered it as her appetizer one night. We all decided that since she was brave enough to order it, we'd each try one. It wasn't bad, probably due to the delectible buttery sauce it was in.

Eel is your favourite? Wow, my hat goes off to you my friend. I have to say it's an acquired taste. But I'm still happy I tried it. To give you an idea of the kind of sushi eater I am, only now am I starting to tune my tastebuds to sashimi and the more "raw" fish side of sushi. Of course, that's what sushi is but at first, I was only eating the vegetable rolls or shrimp. That was it.

Go Marlene! What a brave girl! I wonder if escargot is another one of those things (like squid) that tastes like whatever it is cooked in....


I don't eat chef boyardi now - it's bland and salty. I'm part Italian and have several older relatives who can cook good ravioli.

Oh yes Chef Boyardi is very icky. I was only using it as an extreme example to compare to. I'm sure being part Italian you have eaten some very very good ravioli! My boyfriend's father is Italian and he is an incredible cook! Now if only my boyfriend could inherent those talents.... :rolleyes:

[redlight]

I haven't inherited any cooking talent, just eating talent!

[jenbear123]

I haven't inherited any cooking talent, just eating talent!

:rotfl: I think I can relate to that statement.

[jenbear123]

Sorry for taking so long to continue our adventure. Life just happens sometimes. :rolleyes1 I've also rediscovered my love of video games. I had the urge to play Zelda: Majora's Mask the other day, and now I'm hooked again! But this isn't a Nintendo report, now is it? On with the show!

After a quick, inconspicuous change of clothes in the car :rolleyes1 we hopped on the monorail to GF to see what all the hype was about with the giant gingerbread house.

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But before we got there, we were distracted by the cartoons that they play for the kid's, to keep them entertained when parents are checking in.

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This was one of my all time favourite classic Disney cartoons as a kid. The one with Pluto and the little turtle. It makes me tear up EVERY TIME. I just love that little turtle. If anyone is interested, I was actually able to find the cartoon on YouTube. Take a look (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op2ZmQHTCNQ&feature=related)

After getting all teary eyed and reminiscing with my childhood, we turned our focus to the gingerbread house. This thing was pretty neat! Apparently there is a store (open during the day) that sells lots of yummy, yet pricey, sweets. We only had the chance to come this one time when it was closed so no yummy treats for us. Oh well. Still got some neat photos though

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The GF lobby was pretty quiet, except for the constant BANG, BANG, BANG-ing of some construction going on.

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I was a little shocked that these guys were working this late in the evening. I'm sure some families were trying to sleep! Being such a high-end resort, you'd think they wouldn't allow this kind of thing. Bubba later advised me that they were working on spiffing up the floor tiles. Like this place needs to be any more spiffy?! Here's a look at some of the already completed tiles:

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Wouldn't mind having those put in my kitchen or dining room :laughing:

Satisfied with our Giant Gingerbread house exploration, we headed upstairs to catch the monorail to MK.

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One day I would love to stay at GF. One day.....

We swiftly arrived at MK. And what better timing too!

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SpectroMagic parade was just coming to an end! I was a bit disappointed that I had missed the parade. Bubba picked up on this and started SPEED WALKING to get ahead of the parade. To give you an idea of just how fast she walked, check it out on this video HERE! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNrmVK3x1sg)

:rotfl2: At the approx 3 sec mark, you can hear me go "whoa!" That's me tripping on the curb and nearly falling on my face. Guess that's what happens when you're looking at what your camera is recorded instead of where you're walking.

With Bubba's quick walking, I was able to snap so pretty good photos

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The parade was magical and all, but we were focused on more important things: SPACE MOUNTAIN! Bubba had to grab some water on our way into Tomorrowland. After all that running around, I don't blame her!

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Since the parade was still going on, we thought the lines might be a bit shorter.....

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....how wrong we were! I guess the Thanksgiving Day crowds were finally creeping up on us. So no Space Mountain for us that night.... in fact that was our last opportunity to ride it. I only got to ride it once the whole trip but I figured it would be near impossible to get on it multiple times. Especially after such a LONG refurbishment. Next trip, it should be lower crowds and less hype for it. We'll see how many times I get on it then....

Okay so no Space Mountain for us. We were both a little bummed but we still had a long night ahead of us for other rides! Instead, we hopped onto TTA

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Got our picture taken in front of the sparkly castle

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and rode Jungle Cruise at night. FINALLY!

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We actually rode on JC twice in row because Bubba wasn't happy with the first skipper. I'll admit she was a little dull. The next skipper we got, the poor girl had no voice! She was struggling to talk. It made all the jokes that much funnier. This skipper was definitely better than the first. I liked riding JC at night much better than during the day. The cave part is much better and the animals don't look so (dare I say it) fake.

I'm pretty sure we rode some more rides, but my memory escapes me. I didn't take anymore pictures either until we were leaving the park. Let's just assume we rode POTC, Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

[jenbear123]

When it came time to leave MK, I started to get all teary eyed. I really did not want to leave the park that night. So we absorbed every detail of Main Street U.S.A

From the cute window displays:

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to the holly jolly decorations:

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It was then that the whole experience hit me; of being in Disney World, at the Magic Kingdom. The park was practically cleared out by this hour (12:30am) and the park closed at 2am. You could hear the background music. The sights, the smells. It's moments like this that I wish could last forever. You know, we spend so much time on these trips running from point A to point B. We never stop to appreciate the fine details of what WDW has to offer. I was glad we took these 15 minutes to absorb our surroundings.

This had been an awesome, but very long, day. We took one last look at the train station

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and went back to our resort for our last night at ASMusic. Had to recharge our energy for the move to the next resort!

UP NEXT:
MOVE TO AKL - "LOOK AT ALL THE ANIMALS!!!"
FIRST STAB AT THE ANIMATION STUDIO - GOOD RESULTS?
LUNCH AT SANAA

[redlight]

At the approx 3 sec mark, you can hear me go "whoa!" That's me tripping on the curb and nearly falling on my face. Guess that's what happens when you're looking at what your camera is recorded instead of where you're walking

Glad you didn't fall. I'm also a bit of a klutz.

90 minutes is a long wait.

[glennbo123]

What a great day. Glad you had a chance to pause and "soak it in".

I can't wait to hear about all 3 of the topics you mention are coming up: AKL, Animation Studio, and Sanaa.

[Elevationist]

I'm finally all caught up! What an awesome time you two are having! It's making me miss WDW so so so much! You're lucky, at least you know when you'll be back. It's looking like 2011 at the earliest for me, meh!

[jenbear123]

Glad you didn't fall. I'm also a bit of a klutz.

90 minutes is a long wait.

Yeah, I kinda felt like a klutz. That would've been just what I needed. A scraped knee in Disney....

90 min. was the longest wait for any ride we had seen since we had been there (except TSM) but even then we only saw max 60 min. wait. It's a good reminder NOT to go at peak season, if possible.

What a great day. Glad you had a chance to pause and "soak it in".

I can't wait to hear about all 3 of the topics you mention are coming up: AKL, Animation Studio, and Sanaa.

I think everyone should stop and "smell the roses". Getting on every ride might be one way to get your money's worth, but realizing where you are at that exact moment, in the most magical place on earth is something no amount of money can buy.

I'll try to update soon! The results of my drawings at Animation Studio can't compare to yours....

I'm finally all caught up! What an awesome time you two are having! It's making me miss WDW so so so much! You're lucky, at least you know when you'll be back. It's looking like 2011 at the earliest for me, meh!

Awww, I wouldn't count out 2010 just yet. You never know! I miss WDW every day.... So glad you're still following along. After all, you were with me from the beginning :)

[praisehisname]

All caught up again! Your Cali Grill dinner looked yummy and I love MK at night! :love:

[jenbear123]

All caught up again! Your Cali Grill dinner looked yummy and I love MK at night! :love:

Cali Grill was an incredible experience. MK is really special at night. I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe because it seems calmer at night or something. Either way, I love being there when all the lights are on the castle!

[jenbear123]

Sorry for the delay in an update folks. It was a crazy week with Christmas, running back and forth between houses, etc. We now have enough turkey leftovers to feed an army!

Working on the next update so it should be up tonight! :thumbsup2

[glennbo123]

Working on the next update so it should be up tonight! :thumbsup2

popcorn::

[redlight]

Looking forward to the update!

[lovegrumpy]

Can't wait to hear more.

[jenbear123]

The next morning we woke up early to check in at AKL. We had discussed the possibility of trying to upgrade our standard view reservation to a savannah view or even a villa. At the time I booked, only standard view was available with my TA discount. In order to have better chances of doing this, we got there at the crack of dawn (8am). We didn't expect the room to be ready, just as long as we got a better room category!

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The parking lot was PACKED when we arrived. At this point, our possible room upgrade wasn't looking very promising.

http://i49.tinypic.com/23m987.jpg

The wait at check-in wasn't long before a nice CM helped us. When we asked about a room category upgrade, she looked as us like a deer caught in headlights. Being it Thanksgiving week, this expression wasn't surprising. She promptly told us that the villas were completely sold out, so that was out of the question. She had to call someone to find out if any savannah view rooms were available. It sounded like the person on the other side of the phone thought we were nuts too. After a couple minutes, she got off the phone and told us that we could upgrade to a savannah view room for an addition $75. Done. Bubba whipped out her credit card and we were all set! As an added bonus, our room was ready....or so we thought. More on that later. The CM marked on the map where our room was

http://i46.tinypic.com/wvpxso.jpg

And went to the room to see what it was like. We didn't bring in our luggage from the car at that point because we were eager to get to HS for TSM! After a long walk, to the right from the lobby, passed Boma, passed the elevators, down a slight ramp, up a slight ramp. Finally, we had found our room! Room 2427

http://i50.tinypic.com/9ulvcw.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/zo8yp.jpg

Bubba let me go in first since I was just about ready to burst. The room was wonderful, and HUGE! Well, it was after staying at ASMusic.

http://i45.tinypic.com/xmv214.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/347xhxd.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/24bjfxj.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/5ysyrm.jpg

I want these curtains!

http://i47.tinypic.com/vq360o.jpg

Our view

http://i49.tinypic.com/zl9h53.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/20iyla0.jpg

The view of the savannah was amazing! I nearly died when I saw the animals only 20 feet in front of me. The sad part was that we were only here for one night.

http://i48.tinypic.com/25zs8wk.jpg

Notice how there is stuff on the bathroom counter? Open bar of soap? This was the first time we were in the room. It appears they were wrong about the room being ready.... but I'll get to that later. We didn't even notice as we were in a rush to get out the door.

Without using up anymore of our precious time, we departed for HS. We had two things on the agenda: Picture with Chip & Dale (my secret crushes:lovestruc ) and TSM.

We got there just before rope drop. Bubba and I always walk to the entrance of HS from the parking lot. You avoid the massive amounts of people coming off the tram and getting clogged up at the bag check. When you walk, there is only a single security guard and it's always less busy. It never fails, we always get ahead of the people coming off the tram.

They had already started letting people in so we were at the back of the huge crowd.

http://i45.tinypic.com/bed1qb.jpg

Bubba and I sneaked up a bit further through the stores. Got about half way up to the rope before it was dropped. So we speed walk over to TSM, along with the rest of the hoards of people. The plan was to obtain a fastpass first, then do other stuff in the meantime. I don't know why our goal is never to get in the stand by line and ride it first thing? Anyway, here's the line up for fastpass

http://i48.tinypic.com/1z3ov12.jpg

Bubba was not pleased with me....

http://i50.tinypic.com/23tjktl.jpg

We got in line at exactly

http://i48.tinypic.com/2mww1gn.jpg

Wait a minute! The park opened at 9am! Right after this picture was taken, I noticed it was the wrong time. My watch battery had died that morning. I was so distraught because this watch is my life. I wear it every day and always depend on it to tell the time.... which is why you would wear a watch duh! So instead I took a picture of Bubba's phone to tell us the time (yes I'm a little obsessed)

http://i45.tinypic.com/2ih34h4.jpg

After waiting about 10-15 minutes, mission accomplished

http://i47.tinypic.com/2hi5cub.jpg

We had skipped breakfast that morning, so we found a table at Backlot Express to eat the fruit and yogurt we had brought with us. Once our tummies were satisfied, we decided to go see what the Osbourne Lights looked like in the day time.

http://i46.tinypic.com/30c52l5.jpg

There sure are a lot of lights on those buildings!

We then went over to the Great Movie ride.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

[jenbear123]

http://i47.tinypic.com/333ib8x.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/r0qr7a.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/29vc6sx.jpg

I was hoping for the Western scene as I don't think I had ever seen it. Or if I had, I didn't pay much attention since I didn't realize the rarity of it. Anyways, we happened to get on the right car because......

http://i50.tinypic.com/16az5ma.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/4lsrvr.jpg

We got the western scene!!!!! The huge burst flames scared the crap out of me but overall it was really neat to finally get to see it. I must admit my least favourite part of this ride is the Wizard of Oz. It just creeps me out a little. Did you know? The part with Sorcerer Mickey actually used to be the tornado from Wizard of Oz but they changed it so people would realize where Sorcerer Mickey came from since most people hadn't seen Fantasia. Whatever works I suppose.

Then we thought we'd try the Animation Academy.

http://i47.tinypic.com/mjv5gp.jpg

I had never done the drawing classes before but Bubba told me it was so much fun! It was right up my alley too, since I used to always draw Disney characters when I was younger. On our way we scouted out the area around the big hat to see what characters were there. Where oh where was my Chip and Dale? I almost thought I'd be out of luck but all of a sudden BOOM! Bubba grabbed my arm and turned me around. There they were!!!! My long lost Chip & Dale!!!

http://i46.tinypic.com/2jdni9j.jpg

We jumped in the line but to my dismay the CM tells us that they're leaving and will be back at such-and-such a time. DARN! I nearly cried. I felt like a 5-year-old. I'm in love what can I say? :lovestruc

We continued on to the Animation Studio, myself sulking the whole way. To avoid the pre-show stuff, we cut through the store only to be stopped by a female CM, telling us that it was an "exit-only". Okay..... this was new to us. Apparently they have designated two separate lines at the Animation studio building - one with the show, one to skip the show. Finally! So we went through the "skip the show" entrance and walked through what felt like a very long detour to get into the actual building. When we got to the Animation Academy, there was a large crowd standing in front of the doors for the next session and more people standing just outside that space waiting for the session after that. The CM kept promising us that she'd try to get us in but no luck. We would have to wait until the next session. Well we didn't have time to wait around because I wanted to meet Chip & Dale. So we bale on the next session and head back in front of the hat. Of course High School Musical (groan) was going on so we sat through that. Worst 5 minutes of my life, let me tell you. When it ended I endlessly scanned the area to see if Chip & Dale were coming. Then like a beam of sunshine came Dale. Oh sweet Dale. Out comes the 5-year-old again. I was literally bouncing up and down like a little girl. Other children started lining up and not to look like a monster, I got behind them. The CM recognized me from before so she asked me to come to the front of the line since I looked like I was ready to burst. I felt kind of bad but I didn't care, I was with Dale!!!

http://i49.tinypic.com/2d26h54.jpg

Chip sauntered in shortly after Dale showed up

http://i46.tinypic.com/6ps03r.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/1zx8tfl.jpg

Another mission accomplished. :thumbsup2



In the next installment:
TSM - Our final scores
Animation Studio - how do our artistic abilities shape up?
Lunch at Sanaa

[jenbear123]

popcorn::

Looking forward to the update!

Can't wait to hear more.

Thanks for being patient! Hope you enjoy the latest installment :goodvibes

[redlight]

Thanks for the update! Your room at AKL is huge, and the view is breathtaking!

I loved the "not pleased" picture you took of Bubba!

[Belle_373]

YAY for the upgrade to savannah view! :banana:

The Simba curtains are so cute!

Love your tips for getting up closer to DHS rope drop! :thumbsup2

Still have yet to see the western side of TGMR, maybe next time.

[glennbo123]

http://i49.tinypic.com/11kwg39.jpg


Don't you love this lobby when you walk in?


The view of the savannah was amazing! I nearly died when I saw the animals only 20 feet in front of me. The sad part was that we were only here for one night.


Glad you were able to upgrade, and that you liked your view.


Notice how there is stuff on the bathroom counter? Open bar of soap? This was the first time we were in the room. It appears they were wrong about the room being ready.... but I'll get to that later. We didn't even notice as we were in a rush to get out the door.


Uh oh.


We got there just before rope drop. Bubba and I always walk to the entrance of HS from the parking lot. You avoid the massive amounts of people coming off the tram and getting clogged up at the bag check. When you walk, there is only a single security guard and it's always less busy. It never fails, we always get ahead of the people coming off the tram.


Good info. :thumbsup2


Anyway, here's the line up for fastpass

http://i48.tinypic.com/1z3ov12.jpg


I've seen that line! Not a pretty sight.


Bubba was not pleased with me....

http://i50.tinypic.com/23tjktl.jpg


Oooo. Don't wanna get on her bad side.


I was hoping for the Western scene as I don't think I had ever seen it. Or if I had, I didn't pay much attention since I didn't realize the rarity of it.

I've never seen it....because I've never ridden the Great Movie Ride. :guilty:


Other children started lining up and not to look like a monster, I got behind them. The CM recognized me from before so she asked me to come to the front of the line since I looked like I was ready to burst. I felt kind of bad but I didn't care, I was with Dale!!!


I'm proud of you that you didn't push the children out of the way. :laughing:


In the next installment:
TSM - Our final scores
Animation Studio - how do our artistic abilities shape up?
Lunch at Sanaa

I'm still waiting to see this artwork! popcorn:: And, did you get the pork chop at Sanaa that I've heard so much about?

[jenbear123]

Thanks for the update! Your room at AKL is huge, and the view is breathtaking!

I loved the "not pleased" picture you took of Bubba!

The rooms at AKL could easily fit 4 adults comfortably. It certainly was a treat having that whole bed to myself for one night. Oh boy, Bubba was really not happy with me :laughing:

YAY for the upgrade to savannah view! :banana:

The Simba curtains are so cute!

Love your tips for getting up closer to DHS rope drop! :thumbsup2

Still have yet to see the western side of TGMR, maybe next time.

I loved those curtains!! If only they sold them at the Disney store.... I was surprised not more people cut through the stores at DHS. Now you know how to beat the crowds :thumbsup2 But shhhhh don't tell anyone! Oh you must try to see the western scene. Just keep riding until you get it!

Don't you love this lobby when you walk in?

I could sit on the floor and stare at it for hours and still not notice all the fine details. It was lovely.

Glad you were able to upgrade, and that you liked your view.

We probably wouldn't have got the upgrade if we were staying longer than one night. I was so happy we got it!!!!

Oooo. Don't wanna get on her bad side.

Nah, she's really a big softie ;)


I've never seen it....because I've never ridden the Great Movie Ride. :guilty:

WHAT?! :scared1: How you could not have ridden the Great Movie Ride yet?! Well you better get your butt on it the next time! I know, I know it's not the "be-all, end-all" type ride... and it is getting a bit dated.... oh just go on it anyway!

I'm proud of you that you didn't push the children out of the way. :laughing:

Thanks :p I was proud of myself too! Or else I'd have some pretty angry mothers to deal with if I hadn't controlled myself... :rolleyes1

I'm still waiting to see this artwork! popcorn:: And, did you get the pork chop at Sanaa that I've heard so much about?

I know, I know! I'm sorry I keep pushing it back. There's just so much to tell before I get to the drawings. Trust me, it will be one of the first things I talk update in my next update. Promise :goodvibes I did not get the pork chop at Sanaa. We actually went there on a whim because Bubba said the food there was amazing and I had to try it. Now that you mention the pork chop, I'll just have to go back and try it! Perhaps I'll do that in February.... Is it the "be-all, end-all" of pork chops? :laughing:


Thank you everyone for reading and commenting. Keep it up :)

[glennbo123]

WHAT?! :scared1: How you could not have ridden the Great Movie Ride yet?! Well you better get your butt on it the next time! I know, I know it's not the "be-all, end-all" type ride... and it is getting a bit dated.... oh just go on it anyway!


I know, I know.


I did not get the pork chop at Sanaa. We actually went there on a whim because Bubba said the food there was amazing and I had to try it. Now that you mention the pork chop, I'll just have to go back and try it! Perhaps I'll do that in February.... Is it the "be-all, end-all" of pork chops? :laughing:


I don't know...I've never had it. They only serve it on the lunch menu, and we were there for dinner. I've read on other reviews that it's really good.

[bellebookworm9]

Sounds like this trip was a lot of fun! Will Bubba still be there in May? We have a reservation at Le Cellier and if she's there we'll ask to be seated in her section. :)

[jenbear123]

I don't know...I've never had it. They only serve it on the lunch menu, and we were there for dinner. I've read on other reviews that it's really good.

Hmmmm :scratchin This sounds like a must-do on my next trip....

Sounds like this trip was a lot of fun! Will Bubba still be there in May? We have a reservation at Le Cellier and if she's there we'll ask to be seated in her section. :)

She might still be there in May. Her contract is up at the beginning of March but she's put in a request to have it extended. The max she could be extended would be to the beginning of June. That all depends if they need her for that long or not. It's sad how they kick you out no matter how much you want to stay :guilty: I'll keep you posted though! I have yet to find someone on the DIS that's had her as a server. I'm interested to see what they thought of her service ;)

[jenbear123]

Saying goodbye was the hardest thing... I wish I could box them up and take them home with me! Okay, putting the little 5-year-old to the back of my mind, we finally used our fastpass to ride TSM

http://i49.tinypic.com/10ojhxk.jpg

We grabbed another fastpass before we go on, just in case. The return times were already late

http://i49.tinypic.com/23trvyo.jpg

I have to say I was pretty rusty. Not eating enough protein for breakfast probably contributed to my skills.... (hey, I think it's a good excuse!) Here were our final scores (me on left, Bubba on right)

http://i48.tinypic.com/oemw8.jpg

Bubba always starts off beating me but once we get to the alien ring toss, she fumbles and I take the lead. Then there's no catching me after that. ;)

We took our sore arms and went to wait for the next session at the Animation Academy. Our instructor today was Ron. Apparently he is the best out of all the instructors (or so Bubba tells me). He doesn't waste time like another guy does. The one that takes 10 minutes out of your 20 minute session to cast votes on what to draw. And then has to rush through on how to draw since he took up so much time with the voting. Yeah that guy. Anyway, we didn't have that guy :laughing: so I'll stop talking about him. Ron was great. Since Bubba and I got in late, we had to sit at the very front without a desk. It was a little awkward holding the board on my lap, but I managed. Our character was Winnie the Pooh. I was a little nervous not having an eraser but the key is press LIGHTLY or else you'll have one mangled Pooh bear by the end. Without further ado (this one is for you Glen) here are our drawings:

Bubba's:

http://i45.tinypic.com/2mme9z9.jpg

Mine:

http://i47.tinypic.com/29oshsp.jpg

I really enjoyed the whole experience and couldn't believe I never took the time out of our hectic schedule to try this place. It's really relaxing and a nice break from the crazyness and/or heat outside. Bubba kept complaining that mine was so much better than hers. Really, hers was fine, it just looked like Pooh was on a little bit of a diet! She was determined to do better next time so we got right back in line for the next session. Ron must have been on a Winnie the Pooh character kick, because he chose Eeyore to draw. This time we got to sit at a desk, which, funnily (is that even a word?) enough, I found even more awkward than with the board on my lap! I soon adapted. The light behind the paper really messed with my eyes.

http://i48.tinypic.com/33vci9g.jpg

But I guess it helps you draw or see the lines? Totally not what I'm used to doing but I digress. The end result turned out pretty good. Eeyore was quite a bit more challenging than Pooh bear.

Mine:

http://i46.tinypic.com/2mi22af.jpg

Bubba's:

http://i47.tinypic.com/2njwope.jpg

I thought her's turned out better than mine. I really did not like having the light coming from underneath my paper. Half the time I couldn't see where my pencil lines were. Oh, and for Glen's benefit and anyone who is interested, here are some more samples of the characters offered to draw. All of which were drawn by Bubba on various visits

http://i48.tinypic.com/2i1lbq1.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/2eowvoh.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/20hvfnn.jpg

I don't know how they do it, but you come out of that place feeling like you can actually draw. It's great!

Bubba suggested that we have lunch at Sanaa. She had eaten there a couple of times and loved it so she wanted me to experience it. I had never eaten there before so was looking forward to a new place. Plus was excited to see the new Kidani Villas!!! Bubba got to stay there on a CM exclusive preview and after seeing all the pictures, I swear that place was made for me! What with all the Lion King motif!!! One day I will stay here.... maybe Glen will take me *hint hint nudge nudge* :laughing:

http://i47.tinypic.com/2ilmy6g.jpg

I liked how the parking was covered, sort of like a parking garage. It made it rather confusing to find a way out.... or at least I was confused. Since Bubba had been there before, she just scoffed and led the way to the elevator :laughing: Kidani Village still had the brand new resort smell. Everything still felt untouched.

http://i48.tinypic.com/315ivlh.jpg

This lobby was so neat. It was like a miniature copy of the Jambo house lobby. I fell immediately in love :lovestuc Either this year or in 2011, I will stay here. New Year's resolution #1!

We made our way downstairs to Sanaa

http://i49.tinypic.com/2vl7dog.jpg

Is it just me, or is this sign just screaming to be photographed?

We hadn't made an ADR but we had no trouble getting in for lunchtime. The place only had maybe 3 other tables filled. Our server's name was Hicham. He was probably our worst part of the meal. It was horrid. The guy was only interested making us order more and more in order to boost his tip. Multiple times we told him that we weren't interested or that we didn't want something. Even then, he still pushed. And the fact that we could hardly understand what he was saying half the time made it that much more frustrating. Very disappointed with his service. It might have been due to the lack of tables that day but even so, a server should never be that pushy. Bubba and I were happy to get out of there by the end.

Moving over to the food, this part was delightful! Sanaa serves an African/Indian influenced menu. Thankfully I have eaten Indian food on several occasions so I was very familiar with the food items. If you have never eaten Indian, or don't like spicy food, or aren't open to try new things, this place probably isn't for you.

First up was drinks. Bubba and I both ordered a Mixed Berry Smoothie

http://i46.tinypic.com/1604itd.jpg

Very yummy.

For appetizers, I ordered the Veggie Samosa's served with mango chutney. Sorry I forgot to take a pic before we dug in....

http://i47.tinypic.com/2mwi6if.jpg

The picture makes it look kinda gross but it was delicious, let me assure you.

Bubba got the Bread service, which includes 3 different types of bread (served warm) and 2 accompaning sauces. I can't remember the combination we got, but here are the selections listed on AllEars.net

Breads - Naan, Onion Kulcha, Paratha, Paneer Paratha

Accompaniments - Red Chile Sambal, Cucumber Raita, Coriander Chutney, Mango Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Green Mango Pickle, Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, Tamarind Chutney

Sorry, once again I forgot to take pictures before we dug in. I must've been hungry!

The breads:

http://i48.tinypic.com/95ritk.jpg

The Naan was an obvious favourite

The sauces:

http://i46.tinypic.com/2v2xqpg.jpg

From this picture, it looks like we might have got (from the upper left going clockwise) Cucumber Raita, and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, and Tamarind Chutney. Everything was delicious and went very well with the bread. I could've eaten this as a meal on it's own!

For our main course, we both got the Tandoori Shrimp, served with Basmati rice

http://i46.tinypic.com/e0g1hg.jpg

This was soooooooo good! I could hardly finish it all.

Before we were able to get the bill, Hicham made one last attempt to push dessert on us, even though we had already said "No thanks. We're full" He just DIDN'T GET IT!!!!! :mad: We got the bill and tipped him the minimum 18% gratuity. Honestly, he hardly even deserved that.

Despite the horrible service, the food was good enough to make me want to return here for another meal in the future.

Total with TIW: $64.34

It was nap time after lunch, to let all our energy go towards digesting. When we got back to the room, after bringing all our luggage in, I went into the bathroom. This was when I noticed the stuff on the counter and the open bar of soap. I asked Bubba if she had opened the soap already but she said no. If she had, I'm not sure when she would've since we didn't even touch the bathroom the first time we were in the room. Then I pointed out the stuff on the counter to Bubba. We both looked at each other and wondered if the people who were in the room before us had returned to the room again. It was really freaky. At the time, we hadn't noticed the stuff that was on the bathroom counter the first time we were in the room. If we had, we would've realized that mousekeeping just hadn't completely finished cleaning the room. So I called mousekeeping and told them our dilemma. I politely asked the bathroom to be cleaned again and to have fresh toiletries brought in as well. It didn't take long for our mousekeeper to arrive. She was really nice. I wasn't upset that they hadn't cleaned the room, I just wanted them to reclean it just in case. I felt bad too considering the staff were probably overworked and overtired with Thanksgiving week. This thought was confirmed when she forgot the whole bag of little trial size shampoo/conditioner, lotion and soap when she left. Taking advantage of the situation, we scooped up the big bag of goodies and brought them home to use as stocking stuffers. I know, we probably should've returned them to mousekeeping but what can I say..... They did forget to finish cleaning.....

After all this excitement but before I jumped in bed for our nap, I just had to enjoy the savannah view. To my delight, there were a bunch of animals within view when I went out onto the balcony.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

[jenbear123]

Here are a few shots I was able to get

http://i48.tinypic.com/2ql7axg.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/29csayd.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/a2f9mw.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/333lveq.jpg

I noticed this buzzing sound while I was outside, enjoying the animals. I then realized that this was where it was coming from

http://i48.tinypic.com/oghx0m.jpg

This electrical "fence" is what keeps the animals, especially the giraffes, from getting too friendly with guests.

I decided not to take away any more nap time so off I went to bed. I don't think I ever did fall asleep but I desperately needed the rest. The plan was to head back to DHS to take advantage of our TSM fastpasses we had gotten earlier that day and to see the Osbourne Lights one last time (well for me anyway). Time was very constrained as we had a 8pm ADR at Tokyo Dining to get to. It was now pushing 6pm. So off we went to DHS, walking from the parking lot like we did last time. All the fastpasses for TSM had been distributed so I was thankful we had gotten another one earlier that day. With practice from the last ride, I was able to beat my previous score

Bubba on the left, me on the right

http://i50.tinypic.com/122k8c1.jpg

And thank goodness for fastpass!

http://i45.tinypic.com/295z3uh.jpg

Like I said, the crowds were on the increase.....

After TSM, we went over to the Osbourne Lights

http://i48.tinypic.com/29eqis9.jpg

It was a little less crowded than our last visit (everyone was in line for TSM), which was nice. We were able to enjoy the lights a bit more. We had passed the state of shock and awe since first seeing the lights and now just absorbed our surroundings.

http://i50.tinypic.com/2upe6hu.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/14kwosj.jpg

Bubba didn't want to leave. I could tell she didn't want the moment to end but we really had to get going. It was pushing 7pm now and we still had to make a stop at the Swan. One of my co-workers had a client staying at the Swan so since I was here, she asked me to bring back some brochures, floor plans, and general info about the hotel. This was the only time I was able to work it into our itinerary.

http://i49.tinypic.com/ot10nc.jpg

When we arrived at Epcot, we had 30 minutes to walk all the way from the parking lot to all the way over passed the Boardwalk to the Swan. Can you guess what this meant? Yup, MORE SPEED WALKING! I don't think I've ever wanted to disconnect my legs from my body more than I did at that moment. By the time we got to the Swan, I was ready to collapse! But I now faced the task of finding the Swan check-in desk. I had never set foot in this place (why would I when it's not a Disney hotel??) so I threw my camera (okay I didn't throw it but quickly handed it over) to Bubba to take pictures of the lobby while I went to find the check-in. There were NO signs to tell you where to go. And when you're in a hurry, you don't notice signs even if they are there. Bubba took some great shots of the Swan:

http://i47.tinypic.com/i4qx06.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/ibwemx.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/flj6ky.jpg

After first going the wrong way then retracing my steps finally going the right way, I found the check-in desk. There was only one CM (are they even considered cast members?) at the desk and she was already tied up with someone. I waited maybe 5 minutes before she was able to give me some info. She was very friendly and happy to provide me with this information. It seems like a nice place to stay but really doesn't seem to cater to loud, fun, and crazy Disney tourists :p I found Bubba and we headed back to Epcot. Just after my legs were recovering from the previous speed walk, they were now having to do it all over again. Talk about exercise!!!!!

We made it to Tokyo Dining with 5 minutes to spare. Phew.


COMING UP NEXT:
ILLUMINATIONS FROM TOKYO DINING
LAST DAY - WHICH PARK DID WE CHOOSE?

[redlight]

The best part of a good Indian restaurant is the bread choices! I liked both of your Poohs!

[jenbear123]

The best part of a good Indian restaurant is the bread choices! I liked both of your Poohs!

I know! I never knew there were so many types of bread until I ate Indian. Thanks for the Pooh drawings. It was a lot of fun to draw. But can I recreate it? Ha! Not likely....

[glennbo123]

I have to say I was pretty rusty. Not eating enough protein for breakfast probably contributed to my skills.... (hey, I think it's a good excuse!) Here were our final scores (me on left, Bubba on right)

http://i48.tinypic.com/oemw8.jpg


Those are good scores! That ride does kill your arm, doesn't it?


Without further ado (this one is for you Glen) here are our drawings:


It was worth the wait -- they're good! When I read "Pooh", I thought, boy that must have been difficult -- it's hard to make big circles that are circular.



The end result turned out pretty good. Eeyore was quite a bit more challenging than Pooh bear.


They're good too, and they do look a lot more challenging.


Oh, and for Glen's benefit and anyone who is interested, here are some more samples of the characters offered to draw. All of which were drawn by Bubba on various visits

http://i47.tinypic.com/20hvfnn.jpg


Her Jiminy Cricket is really good!


I don't know how they do it, but you come out of that place feeling like you can actually draw. It's great!


I agree.


Plus was excited to see the new Kidani Villas!!! Bubba got to stay there on a CM exclusive preview and after seeing all the pictures, I swear that place was made for me! What with all the Lion King motif!!! One day I will stay here.... maybe Glen will take me *hint hint nudge nudge* :laughing:


Um, if I find any extra points lying around, I'll let ya know.

I done good picking a home resort though, didn't I?! I love the place too.



I fell immediately in love :lovestuc Either this year or in 2011, I will stay here. New Year's resolution #1!


I sincerely you hope you do! Here's some pixie dust. pixiedust:


Our server's name was Hicham. He was probably our worst part of the meal. It was horrid. The guy was only interested making us order more and more in order to boost his tip. Multiple times we told him that we weren't interested or that we didn't want something. Even then, he still pushed. And the fact that we could hardly understand what he was saying half the time made it that much more frustrating. Very disappointed with his service. It might have been due to the lack of tables that day but even so, a server should never be that pushy. Bubba and I were happy to get out of there by the end.


That's a shame. Our server was Randall (isn't that the name of the bad guy in "Monsters Inc."?) and he was fantastic!


Sorry, once again I forgot to take pictures before we dug in. I must've been hungry!


I'm startin' to think we're lucky to get any pictures of this meal!


This was soooooooo good! I could hardly finish it all.


I believe it. I love Indian food.


Taking advantage of the situation, we scooped up the big bag of goodies and brought them home to use as stocking stuffers. I know, we probably should've returned them to mousekeeping but what can I say..... They did forget to finish cleaning.....


:ssst: Finders keepers! :rolleyes1


With practice from the last ride, I was able to beat my previous score

Bubba on the left, me on the right

http://i50.tinypic.com/122k8c1.jpg


I went back to my TR to check my scores. My highest was 167,600! :p :woohoo: :rotfl2:


Yup, MORE SPEED WALKING! I don't think I've ever wanted to disconnect my legs from my body more than I did at that moment.


I know, you never walk so much as at Disney World. As fastpass volunteer I've crisscrossed those parks many times!


COMING UP NEXT:
ILLUMINATIONS FROM TOKYO DINING
LAST DAY - WHICH PARK DID WE CHOOSE?

What? It's ending soon? :sad:

[jenbear123]

Those are good scores! That ride does kill your arm, doesn't it?

I swear you have to do arm exercises before you get on TSM!

It was worth the wait -- they're good! When I read "Pooh", I thought, boy that must have been difficult -- it's hard to make big circles that are circular.

Thanks :goodvibes It was hard to make Pooh look like himself. Our instructor made it look so easy!

Her Jiminy Cricket is really good!

I'll have to tell her that. She thought he looked demented :laughing:

Um, if I find any extra points lying around, I'll let ya know.

Thanks! Or if you can't, you could always use someone to carry your luggage right??? :rolleyes1

I done good picking a home resort though, didn't I?! I love the place too.

You really did. If I could ever afford DVC, I would definitely pick Kidani. Oh well. I'll just live the dream through your TR's :rolleyes:

That's a shame. Our server was Randall (isn't that the name of the bad guy in "Monsters Inc."?) and he was fantastic!

Given the name Randall does make you wonder about his intentions! I'll have to ask for him next time. At least the food was good....

I'm startin' to think we're lucky to get any pictures of this meal!

:rotfl:

I went back to my TR to check my scores. My highest was 167,600! :p :woohoo: :rotfl2:

Oh it's on now! :p

I know, you never walk so much as at Disney World. As fastpass volunteer I've crisscrossed those parks many times!

Hey, at least you get your exercise! Working off all that Disney food

What? It's ending soon? :sad:

I know... as they say, all good things must come to an end. I need to get this done before I leave in February! I have lots of planning left to do for that trip, and for April! :scared1:

[jenbear123]

Tokyo Dining was a definite must do for this trip. After what Jaclyn (aka Belle_373) told me about it, I was really looking forward to giving it a try. Bubba would be the only person out of my family who would eat here with me. Sad but true. My mom doesn't like to eat outside the norm or anything that doesn't look like chicken or salad :laughing: Even when we ate at Coral Reef, my mom got salad. SALAD AT A SEAFOOD RESTAURANT! See what I have to put up with?

Where I last left off, Bubba and I had just made it Tokyo Dining with 5 minutes to spare. The place was hopping with people like usual. We checked in and were given a buzzer. After the mile and a half of walking, all we wanted was a nice big glass of water. I was beyond the point of hungry so much that I wasn't hungry. Know what I mean? I was hoping that once I was rehydrated, my appetite would return to me. It just had to so I could enjoy all this wonderful sushi I was about to eat!

Sooner or later, our buzzer went off and we were taken to our table. Right beside the window with a view of World Showcase Lagoon!!! It was awesome! I tried taking a picture but the reflection was terrible.

http://i47.tinypic.com/mwcwoo.jpg

Now just so long we could stay long enough to see Illuminations from our table, we'd be set!

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Our server, Taka, was amazing. I had a secret crush on him :ssst: :rotfl2: But he was so cute!

http://i47.tinypic.com/2s8mt6e.jpg

He really did a great job that night. Even after being double sat when we got our table in his section, that still didn't stop him from providing us with prompt service.

This place offers an extensive (and I mean EXTENSIVE!) sushi menu. I was almost overwhelmed by all the choices

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They were a bit pricier than I am used to paying but I guess there's a premium to eating sushi in Walt Disney World :rolleyes:

I ordered the Avocado Roll,

http://i47.tinypic.com/f3fibd.jpg

Tempura Roll,

http://i45.tinypic.com/1zdcfgk.jpg

Dynamite Roll,

http://i49.tinypic.com/2qtftpt.jpg

and Sweet Potato Roll

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This was way too much food for just me. These four choices alone could easily feed 4 people. Bubba and I struggled sharing it between the both of us! The Dynamite roll was entirely different to what I'm used to from sushi places at home. I should've read the description as I would've seen that there was Wasabi Mayonnaise. I'm not the biggest fan of wasabi to begin with but when I bit into the first piece -- WOW! It was a shocker! I then spent the rest of the time taking off as much as the wasabi mayo as I could.... Everything else was absolutely delicious. I also ordered an Iced Green Tea for my beverage of choice.

http://i48.tinypic.com/2m3itj7.jpg

I believe I had seen this from Jaclyn's dining report so I decided to try it. It was okay but I prefer my green tea hot. Glad I tried it though!

Bubba decided to have real sushi and ordered Tuna Sashimi,

http://i47.tinypic.com/25tyj6f.jpg

Salmon Sashimi

http://i50.tinypic.com/2q0rqm0.jpg

and the Sashimi Sampler

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I'm still exploring my taste for sashimi so Bubba ate most of these. All of it was of excellent quality.

When it was time for dessert, Bubba and I were trying to decide on what sake to try. Taka made an excellent recommendation for a "dessert" sake

http://i45.tinypic.com/dzuvqe.jpg

It was a perfect accompanyment to our Ginger cake. Sorry but we ate the cake all up before I could grab a photo....

We were about halfway through our dessert, when Illuminations started. They piped the music into the restaurant but sadly did not dim the lights. It made it very hard to take any pictures or video. So instead of getting all frustrated, I put the camera down (GASP!) and enjoyed the show. I love the music from Illuminations. Anyone know where I can buy a CD?

Once the show was over, we finished our dessert and settled the bill.

Total excluding gratuity: $92.50

I loved our meal at Tokyo Dining. I would be tempted to eat here solo, if I do ever visit Disney by myself one day. Or else convince my mom to try new things.... The sushi was excellent but, like I said, slightly overpriced. I could get most of what I ordered for half the price at my local sushi place. But I digress.... it's Disney afterall! If you are looking for some good sushi on-site, definitely give Tokyo Dining a try. It won't disappoint!

We left Epcot with our tummies satisfied and returned to AKL for the night. My last night in Disney...... :sad1:

UP NEXT:
MY LAST DAY IN DISNEY - WHAT PARK DID WE CHOOSE?
THE LUGGAGE STRUGGLE

[Belle_373]

I'm glad you enjoyed Tokyo Dining! :goodvibes I always end up ordering to much sushi at Tokyo Dining too! It's funny how sushi always seems to fill you up more than other food.

[bellebookworm9]

I have the CD for IllumiNations! I ordered it through Disney by e-mail in July '08. It wasn't cheap-nearly $20 American + shipping. It has

1)Reflections of Earth
2)We Go On
3)Tapestry of Dreams/Nations
4)Promise

I can attach the tracks in an e-mail if you'd like-they open in Windows Media or iTunes. PM me if you're interested. I also have Wishes, SpectroMagic, and Fantasmic.

[onelilspark]

That's a LOT of sushi! Usually I split 3 or 4 with my boyfriend, I can't imagine eating 4 by myself!!! And you're so skinny!

[glennbo123]

Mmmmm, I love sushi! :love: I even like the wasabi mayo.

Unfortunatley, my kids like sushi too, so that'd be a lotta cash.

Thanks for posting this...I don't think I've seen a review of Tokyo Dining before.

[praisehisname]

http://i45.tinypic.com/xmv214.jpg

The room looks awesome, and I'm glad you were later able to get the bathroom re-cleaned. :thumbsup2


http://i46.tinypic.com/6ps03r.jpg

:banana: Great picture!


http://i47.tinypic.com/29oshsp.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/2njwope.jpg

You won for Pooh Bear, but Bubba gets the prize for Eeyore. :rolleyes1


http://i49.tinypic.com/2vl7dog.jpg

Glad you enjoyed your meal, but I don't think I'll ever eat there. I'm not that adventurous. :sad2:


After the mile and a half of walking, all we wanted was a nice big glass of water.

You two must have been exhausted! :eek:


http://i50.tinypic.com/1z2kl51.jpg

Everything you ordered looked delicious! I'm thinking about making an ADR there for our next trip.

[jenbear123]

I'm glad you enjoyed Tokyo Dining! :goodvibes I always end up ordering to much sushi at Tokyo Dining too! It's funny how sushi always seems to fill you up more than other food.

I know! It looks like smaller portions but in actuality it really is a lot of food. Mostly it's all the rice that fills you up. I wish they would offer more rolls with rice on the inside (like the Avocado Roll) then I'd be able to eat more :rotfl:

That's a LOT of sushi! Usually I split 3 or 4 with my boyfriend, I can't imagine eating 4 by myself!!! And you're so skinny!

My family has always said that I must have a hollow leg. I just have good metabolism I guess :confused3 But I'm sure it will all catch up to me by the time I'm 35.... Oh, and I definitely did not eat 4 by myself. Bubba helped eat more than half of the rolls ;)

Mmmmm, I love sushi! :love: I even like the wasabi mayo.

Unfortunatley, my kids like sushi too, so that'd be a lotta cash.

Thanks for posting this...I don't think I've seen a review of Tokyo Dining before.

Really? Wasabi mayo? If that's the case, you definitely would like the Dynamite roll! Since the rolls come in such big portions, I'm sure you could order 4 or 5 rolls to split between your family? I hardly ever see reviews for Tokyo Dining either. That's why I was so skeptical about eating here. But Jaclyn convinced me and I hope my experience will convince more people to give it a try :goodvibes Not many people like the idea of raw fish but there's so much more to sushi than just raw fish! Sigh... if they only knew

You won for Pooh Bear, but Bubba gets the prize for Eeyore. :rolleyes1

Thanks about Pooh bear :goodvibes Bubba's Eeyore turned out great. I really struggled with the whole light underneath my paper thing. Oh well. Practice makes perfect!

Glad you enjoyed your meal, but I don't think I'll ever eat there. I'm not that adventurous. :sad2:

Maybe give it a try one day.... if it's offered at a buffet or party or something. It's very similar to Indian so give that a try. You don't know what you're missing! If you try it and hate it, then you have every reason to never eat it again :thumbsup2

You two must have been exhausted! :eek:

You have no idea.......

Everything you ordered looked delicious! I'm thinking about making an ADR there for our next trip.

Definitely! I highly recommend it. Everyone is so friendly and the food is excellent. :thumbsup2 When will your next trip be?

[jenbear123]

I have the CD for IllumiNations! I ordered it through Disney by e-mail in July '08. It wasn't cheap-nearly $20 American + shipping. It has

1)Reflections of Earth
2)We Go On
3)Tapestry of Dreams/Nations
4)Promise

I can attach the tracks in an e-mail if you'd like-they open in Windows Media or iTunes. PM me if you're interested. I also have Wishes, SpectroMagic, and Fantasmic.

Oh my goodness!!!!! Can I just say how happy this music is making me right now!!!! Thank you so so SO much! :hug: Only thing is that I didn't get #3 - Tapestry of Dreams/Nations. Did you send that one? Oh! And if you could, send me SpectroMagic too? My DBF is going to shoot me..... :laughing: All this Disney music I'm going to be listening to now....

[praisehisname]

When will your next trip be?

We put a deposit down for an October trip. Hopefully it will work out!

[jenbear123]

We put a deposit down for an October trip. Hopefully it will work out!

That's great! Here's hoping it works out pixiedust:

[redlight]

Jen, I wish I had your hollow leg! Which of the sushi pieces did you like best?

[jenbear123]

Jen, I wish I had your hollow leg! Which of the sushi pieces did you like best?

I'd have to say it was a tie between the Avocado Roll (mostly because I'm a sucker when it comes to avocado and think anything tastes good when it's in it!) and the Tempura roll. If you want flavour, go for the Dynamite roll. That will give you a party in your mouth for sure party:

[glennbo123]

popcorn::

[jenbear123]

popcorn::

I know, I know. Sorry I've been MIA lately. I've been busy dealing with some personal issues and also busy with my birthday (which actually today in fact) Wish I could be celebrating in Disney but unfortunately January is the busiest month of the year at work so no time off allowed! I promise to finish my last day by tomorrow! Stay tuned :goodvibes

[glennbo123]

I know, I know. Sorry I've been MIA lately. I've been busy dealing with some personal issues and also busy with my birthday (which actually today in fact) Wish I could be celebrating in Disney but unfortunately January is the busiest month of the year at work so no time off allowed! I promise to finish my last day by tomorrow! Stay tuned :goodvibes

I was just giving you a hard time. No worries...we (your faithful readers) will be here when you post.

Happy belated birthday!!!

party::

[redlight]

Happy Birthday Jen! Did you do anything special?

[jenbear123]

Happy belated birthday!!!


No need for the belated! You made it on the right day :thumbsup2 Thanks for the birthday wishes :goodvibes

Happy Birthday Jen! Did you do anything special?

Naw. Just went to see a movie with my mom today and then went out for dinner. Nothing big. Having the divorced parents thing, I celebrated my birthday with my dad yesterday with cake and presents. Again, nothing big. It's nice just doing family celebrations sometimes. I'll have to think of something bigger to do next year as I'll be a quarter century old :scared1:

[jenbear123]

So this is it. The last day of my November trip. I'm as sad now as I was that day. Good things should never come to an end. It feels so... so.... permanent. Like I'll never look back, it's gone, done, finished. Then again, I have two (maybe three) trips to look forward to. So let's get this show on the road! I've got tons of other planning to do!

I woke up this morning with a hole in my heart and a lump in my throat. I was going home. My flight was due to leave at 2pm that afternoon, so we at least had the morning for one park. Just one. It was a hard choice. We were supposed to have breakfast at Boma but neither of us could get our butts out of bed. The reservation was for 7:45am. We finally got out of bed at 7:40am. Boma would have to wait for some other time. I wasn't terribly disappointed. Really, all I wanted to do was get up and out to a park. Not waste time stuffing my face! So we ate a quick breakfast in the room and packed up the luggage in the car. Before we left the room, I ran down to the store to get some Dremamine for the plane. I'm not prone to motion sickness but I like to take it just in case.... I also picked up an obligatory AKL fridge magnet for my mom. I'm determined to adorn the fridge with a magnet from each of the Disney resorts.

With the car all packed up, we waved goodbye to AKL (not the last time I'd be seeing it! See my PTR (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2239192) for details :yay:) and made our way to our park choice:

http://i49.tinypic.com/11jafsz.jpg

I couldn't resist the most magical park on my last day! We parked our car and made the walk over to the monorail. There was a LOT of people this morning. It seemed like everyone was going to MK. We decided to head up the ramp to the monorail but suddenly nobody was moving. There was a monorail in the station but wasn't loading. We eventually overheard that that particular monorail was having mechanical difficulties and they were waiting for a replacement monorail. :faint: Where did they expect all these people to go?! Without further delay, we SPEED WALK over to the ferry as a boat was just coming in. For any of you who are claustrophobic, you would not have survived long!!! The wait for the ferry to dock was dreadful. People were poking me in places that just weren't meant to be poked! :crowded: When we finally did get on the ferry, we got some great views of MK and the surrounding resorts

http://i50.tinypic.com/hulp36.jpg

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By the way, this was my first time taking the ferry to MK. It was pretty neat, albeit kind of windy. I think we made the right choice though. The entire time we were on the ferry, I never saw a monorail leave the station....

By the time we reached the main gates, the park had already opened and the line-ups to get in were horrendous. At this point, I didn't care. I was just trying to absorb as much of the Disney magic before I'd have to be back in reality. MK seemed to be glowing more than usual that morning.

The horse drawn street cars were out

http://i46.tinypic.com/2nvuelj.jpg

The plants were growing

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The crowds were booming

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:scared1:

Sorry I'll get to that....

Our first stop was Space Mountain but that was no good. The ride was down again. It seemed to be up and down a lot right after it opened from refurbishment. Instead, Bubba and I jumped on TTA

http://i47.tinypic.com/9i6wr9.jpg

Fun as always!

I don't think we had time to do much else. It was pushing 11:30, my flight was due to leave at 2pm, and it takes about 30 minutes to get to the airport. It was time to say goodbye to MK :sad1:

On our way out, we really noticed just how many people were still coming. The crowd level must have been a 9 or 10 that day.

http://i49.tinypic.com/bjhb2d.jpg

When we were waiting for the ferry to take us back, I noticed something very important

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Disney recycles! :thumbsup2

As we were crossing the lake, there was another ferry bringing another boatload of people to MK

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It was absolutely jam packed. Crazyness. I was happy to be leaving at that point...

The ride to the airport seemed to be the shortest ride of my life. Before I knew it, we saw this sign

http://i48.tinypic.com/1zw2rrc.jpg

We found a place to park the car as Bubba had to help me with all this luggage I had. You see, she decided to send home a big, huge suitcase FULL of x-mas gifts. It was ridiculous. That was in addition to my other huge suitcase plus rolling carry on. We had quite the luggage struggle....or did we? When we parked the car, a little pixie dust had followed us to the airport because there, right in front of us, was one of those luggage carts. :wizard: We loaded it up and made our way into the airport. All my luggage was under the weight allowance, which was very surprising considering all the stuff in them.... Then it came time to say goodbye to Bubba. I knew my mom and I were planning on coming back in April but it was still hard to say bye. I wasn't going to have her around for x-mas, I wasn't going to have her around for my b-day. It was probably one of the hardest goodbyes I've had to do yet. We hugged and parted ways. I even looked over my shoulder right before I entered the security check, but she was already gone :sad1:

I'll admit I cried on the plane. The music I was listening to probably didn't help matters, so I quickly shut that off in order not to attract attention to myself with the people sitting beside me. Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful flight, with a very nice sunset mind you

http://i46.tinypic.com/2eprrsh.jpg

Then, it was not long before I was home, sweet, home. Ready and raring to go on another Disney adventure!

And that, my friends, in a nutshell, was my Speed Walkin', Triple Split Stay, Holly Jolly Holiday. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed the trip itself. It really was one of the best trips I've ever been on yet. I'm not sure if anything can top it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see with two :eek: more trips already planned for this year. I hope you will join me in those trips as well as they happen. Thanks for reading and keep the magic alive! :goodvibes

[glennbo123]

Aw man....it's done?

Well, glad you had a wonderful time and that you'll get to go back a couple more times very soon. I'll be watching your progress on your PTR.

It's been great getting to follow along with you jenbear! Thanks for taking the time to record it and sharing it with us. :)

[MadilynnsMomma]

Aww.. I get sad when TR end... :sad1: I am so glad you got to have a blast with your sister and really glad to hear you've got a couple trips in the works! Nothing helps ease the pain, like planning your next trip! :thumbsup2

[redlight]

I enjoyed your TR, Jen and look forward to more!

[bellebookworm9]

Aww so sad it's over. But that sunset picture is amazing! And, like you said, you have at least 2 more trips to look forward to! That's more than me!

[All7OfUs]

Hey Jen,

Came over from Glenn's PTR, and now have some new reading to do! Hooray!!

I'll be back over the next few days to catch up and comment :)

Liesa

[All7OfUs]

Loving it so far!! I've made it up through you just leaving for WL for your rest.

I'll have to say, I totally agree with your tour being made more enjoyable by a younger set. I used to work at DLR (back like 4-ever ago) and costuming was always amazing!! Even for cast.

So far you weren't having much luck with food! Nothing seemed spectacular to you yet. Dang! I hope it gets better as I read on!

WOW! 2 PM, and SE is a walk-on. Nice! :thumbsup2 Gotta love that!

Well, I'll read a bit more tomorrow!

Liesa

[jenbear123]

Aw man....it's done?

Well, glad you had a wonderful time and that you'll get to go back a couple more times very soon. I'll be watching your progress on your PTR.

It's been great getting to follow along with you jenbear! Thanks for taking the time to record it and sharing it with us. :)

Thank you for being such a loyal reader. It's been great having you along for the ride. Especially with you being such a great TR writer yourself. It's TR's like yours that inspire me to write my own :goodvibes Looking forward to sharing our travel plans on our PTRs.

Aww.. I get sad when TR end... :sad1: I am so glad you got to have a blast with your sister and really glad to hear you've got a couple trips in the works! Nothing helps ease the pain, like planning your next trip! :thumbsup2

Tell me about it. If it wasn't for future trips, I'm not sure I'd ever be able to leave Disney! :laughing: It is sad to see the TR come to an end. It's like the end of an era but there's so much more to look forward to and plan for! Hope you'll join me on the road ahead.

I enjoyed your TR, Jen and look forward to more!

You betcha! Thank you so much for being such a dedicated reader. It makes writing these things all worthwhile :hug:

Aww so sad it's over. But that sunset picture is amazing! And, like you said, you have at least 2 more trips to look forward to! That's more than me!

I took that sunset photo somewhere over New England/Ontario. It's surprising the amount of beautiful sunsets us Ontarioians miss out on due to cloud cover.... I hope you'll continue to join in and read my other trip adventures! Looking forward to sharing our travel plans :)

Hey Jen,

Came over from Glenn's PTR, and now have some new reading to do! Hooray!!

I'll be back over the next few days to catch up and comment :)

Liesa

Better late than never! :welcome: Great to have you along.


I'll have to say, I totally agree with your tour being made more enjoyable by a younger set. I used to work at DLR (back like 4-ever ago) and costuming was always amazing!! Even for cast.

Yes, the older crowd tend to, um, hmmm, how to put this gently.... take their time.... I loved costuming! I can imagine it would be an amazement for cast too. I don't think you can ever get used to seeing so many costumes in one spot.

So far you weren't having much luck with food! Nothing seemed spectacular to you yet. Dang! I hope it gets better as I read on!

I won't ruin it for you but I will say that not everything was a complete disappointment.

WOW! 2 PM, and SE is a walk-on. Nice! :thumbsup2 Gotta love that!

I know! I was expecting huge crowds with it being so close to Thanksgiving. Well I guess part of me was right but.... well you'll find out as you read on. :laughing:

Well, I'll read a bit more tomorrow!

Liesa

Yay! :yay: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy the rest :goodvibes

[Belle_373]

I'm sad that your TR is already over. :sad1: I can't wait to read the next one.

[All7OfUs]

Dinner at the Wave looked absolutely lovely!! Lovely, I say!

The desserts looked heavenly, but I"ll have to say, I'd have chosen the one you liked least. I love when they throw in odd flavors and make something fun and new.

I like that you're not trying to rush to this and that. I'm sure Illum. was just as fun from where you were.

WOW!! you were ambitious- after that you went to DTD?!! THAT had to be fun!! Love the shirt!

[disneyaddicted]

I am almost all caught up on your TR. I am so tired but want to keep reading, my eyes are playing tricks on me now.

It's a bummer you didn't get to your first Le Celliar ADR on time, and a bummer that your fish was yucky. I love fish and always feel let down when I get some that just doesn't work for me.

MVMCP sounded fun, I missed out in it on my trip but I had done once before.

I have so much I want to comment on bu tI can't remember it all.

The specticle of lights is amazing, I love it so much and I'm glad you got to see it, I kind of just walked through it bu tnow I wish I would have sat and watched it like you did.

I would love to go to Disney with my sister someday, I'm not giving up hope on that, even if we end up going as little gray hair old ladies, I want a sisters trip.

I am enjoying your TR so far and will finish catching up on it tomorrow, but so far so good!

Ty

[All7OfUs]

The Segway Tour looked great except the guide who is probably in the wrong job. :confused3 We stayed there last trip and I LOVED it!!! The campfire is a ton of fun, it's an easy boatride over to the MK, it's quiet, all that good stuff.

WL looks lovely! We ended up there one evening and waited out a rainstorm hanging out in the lobby. So purty!!

[onelilspark]

I don't know where I've been! Totally missed that you finished! :sad2:

Thanks for sharing your TR! I'll hop over to your PTR :)

[All7OfUs]

Honestly, Le Cellier has never been on my must-do list. I"m just not a big steak kinds of person. But I'll have to say your review makes it go pretty far up on my check-it-out-some-more list. :thumbsup2 The steaks look so yummy, as do the desserts. I may pop in there just for the brulee! Zummo!

[glennbo123]

Honestly, Le Cellier has never been on my must-do list. I"m just not a big steak kinds of person. But I'll have to say your review makes it go pretty far up on my check-it-out-some-more list. :thumbsup2 The steaks look so yummy, as do the desserts. I may pop in there just for the brulee! Zummo!

Yeah, that's an idea. Hey jenbear, if I pop in and ask for the server called "Bubba" from Canada, will they know who I'm talking about?

[jenbear123]

I'm sad that your TR is already over. :sad1: I can't wait to read the next one.

All good things must come to an end, I'm afraid. I can't wait to write the next one!

Dinner at the Wave looked absolutely lovely!! Lovely, I say!
Oh it was to die for. It is definitely in my top 5 list of restaurants now

The desserts looked heavenly, but I"ll have to say, I'd have chosen the one you liked least. I love when they throw in odd flavors and make something fun and new.
It was a neat combination. As I say, you should always try something at least once.

I like that you're not trying to rush to this and that. I'm sure Illum. was just as fun from where you were.
It was still a good show, despite the pillar blocking our view. I'm not normally like this, waiting such a short time before the show to grab a spot. At least now I know I don't need to panic when it's 30 minutes before the show and we still don't have a viewing spot!

WOW!! you were ambitious- after that you went to DTD?!! THAT had to be fun!! Love the shirt!
We still had energy to burn after Illuminations ended plus we hadn't had much opportunity to shop. I nearly burst when I saw that Bambi shirt. I knew I just had to have it! :cloud9:


I am almost all caught up on your TR. I am so tired but want to keep reading, my eyes are playing tricks on me now.
Hey, don't beat yourself up if you're too tired to read. My TR isn't going anywhere :laughing:

It's a bummer you didn't get to your first Le Celliar ADR on time, and a bummer that your fish was yucky. I love fish and always feel let down when I get some that just doesn't work for me.
It was a total bummer :headache: It really was a bad way to start of my trip.

MVMCP sounded fun, I missed out in it on my trip but I had done once before.
MVMCP made up for the crappy fish earlier, that's for sure! When the opportunity comes, you should definitely do the party again!

I have so much I want to comment on bu tI can't remember it all.
Uh oh, brain fart!

The specticle of lights is amazing, I love it so much and I'm glad you got to see it, I kind of just walked through it bu tnow I wish I would have sat and watched it like you did.
On any other trip, I probably would've rushed through it. I was glad to see it not once but twice. To sit and enjoy it really made you appreciate the fine details of the show.

I would love to go to Disney with my sister someday, I'm not giving up hope on that, even if we end up going as little gray hair old ladies, I want a sisters trip.
Here's some pixie dust to make it happen pixiedust:

I am enjoying your TR so far and will finish catching up on it tomorrow, but so far so good!
Thanks for reading! I've been procrastinating too....I need to catch up on yours!

Ty

The Segway Tour looked great except the guide who is probably in the wrong job. :confused3 We stayed there last trip and I LOVED it!!! The campfire is a ton of fun, it's an easy boatride over to the MK, it's quiet, all that good stuff.
The guide was off his rocker :rotfl: I agree, definitely in the wrong line of work. I've never done the campfire. I heard that Chip & Dale are there? If that's true, I'm there on my next trip!!! What's it like?

WL looks lovely! We ended up there one evening and waited out a rainstorm hanging out in the lobby. So purty!!
WL still remains my favourite deluxe resort. It makes me feel so warm and cozy, just like home :cloud9: I was spoiled this trip with staying in a villa. The regular rooms are just as nice. Hope you get to stay there one day, if you want to of course.


I don't know where I've been! Totally missed that you finished! :sad2:
OH sure.... you've just been shunning my poor TR....:sad::laughing: Only joking!

Thanks for sharing your TR! I'll hop over to your PTR :)
Yay! Come join the fun of planning my next trip.

Honestly, Le Cellier has never been on my must-do list. I"m just not a big steak kinds of person. But I'll have to say your review makes it go pretty far up on my check-it-out-some-more list. :thumbsup2 The steaks look so yummy, as do the desserts. I may pop in there just for the brulee! Zummo!
I'm not a big steak person either, so that's saying something about Le Cellier. The filet is to die for. They offer other options also, not just steak. All of it is incredibly yummy. As you say, you could also pop in during lunch hour for an appetizer and dessert.

Yeah, that's an idea. Hey jenbear, if I pop in and ask for the server called "Bubba" from Canada, will they know who I'm talking about?

:lmao: It depends on who is at the podium. You might get a funny look from the host/hostess if they don't know my sister. If you get someone who knows my sister well, they will probably laugh and tease my sister for the rest of the day. :laughing: To avoid my sister possibly murdering me for spreading the word that her nickname is Bubba, you can ask for "Ali". She might not be there when you go in June though :guilty:

[lindsayp]

great TR! can't wait to try the filet at le cellier!

[All7OfUs]

As promised, I'm making my way slowly through your report!! It's been so fun!!

First off, about the campfire/singalong at the Fort---

When you first get there, the firepits are stoked up with a nice fire. However, for the first while there really aren't any coals worth doing a marshmallow properly (too many flames). After a bit, someone with a guitar comes out, and leads the crowd in a bunch of songs like the hokey-pokey, It's a Small World, etc.... That lasts for about 1/2 hour. They also call the birthday kids up for a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday.

Then Chip and Dale arrive for Meet and Greets. It's pretty organized, and the handlers are pretty good at keeping them from getting mobbed. They make their way from row to row of benches.

After they have hugged all the little (and big) kids, they leave and the movie starts. On the camping board here on the forum they always have the current month's movie line-up posted. It varies from night to night being cartoon or old-style Disney (Herbie, Apple Dumpling genre). WE loved it!! It was a nice chance to chill out and have some old-fashioned family time.


Now, onto your All-Stars check-in post. Values do look small, and you're right about the the mods. and deluxes having all the same stuff, but "with extra pampering". I know for my next trip, I want ALL the extra pampering I can get- so I went with mods and deluxe. I guess it depends on the "style" and "feel" you want for the trip- if that makes sense. I know if I were on a budget, a value would be perfectly fine! :thumbsup2

The crowds looked scary at the DHS!! :scared1: I hope you had enough elbow room to see the lights!!

Ah, I see you did. In fact, enough to actually sit down and enjoy the view for a while!! Excellent.

So, you got your choco on after this!! I have plans to hit DTD too for a little bit o' Goofy!! Looking at your menu, if I were to choose right now, I'd take pretzel rods, in dk. choco. and nuts- no drizzle to cut the sweet! Wow! Now I'm drooling like a Pavlov's dog.

[All7OfUs]

Made it through your dinner at the Grill. First though, I'm also planning to spend a fair amount of time just strolling through our resorts (Poly and POR) just soaking in the atmosphere and taking a bucket load of pictures!! So fun!

Your'e right it did look a bit "grungy" around the pool. Yes, it needs some updating!

We are planning on a dinner at the Cali too, so I was stoked you did a review of it. I'm a scallop fiend- love, love love them!!!! I think I may either get that or the pork with polenta. Haven't decided yet. I do know I'm for sure getting the cheese plate and sushi; funny, I had decided that months ago, and you got them BOTH!! We may also try a flatbread and skip the main dishes altogether though. Wine- you know it!!

So after this you still had an EMH to go?? You 2 just don't stop!!! :thumbsup2

[jenbear123]

As promised, I'm making my way slowly through your report!! It's been so fun!!

You're such a trooper! I'm guilty as charged.... I haven't been able to keep up with your PTR quite yet. I'll keep at it this week.

First off, about the campfire/singalong at the Fort---

When you first get there, the firepits are stoked up with a nice fire. However, for the first while there really aren't any coals worth doing a marshmallow properly (too many flames). After a bit, someone with a guitar comes out, and leads the crowd in a bunch of songs like the hokey-pokey, It's a Small World, etc.... That lasts for about 1/2 hour. They also call the birthday kids up for a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday.

Then Chip and Dale arrive for Meet and Greets. It's pretty organized, and the handlers are pretty good at keeping them from getting mobbed. They make their way from row to row of benches.

After they have hugged all the little (and big) kids, they leave and the movie starts. On the camping board here on the forum they always have the current month's movie line-up posted. It varies from night to night being cartoon or old-style Disney (Herbie, Apple Dumpling genre). WE loved it!! It was a nice chance to chill out and have some old-fashioned family time.

Sounds pretty neat. Love how Chip & Dale are there. Is it too kiddyish or would someone like me and mom enjoy it?

Now, onto your All-Stars check-in post. Values do look small, and you're right about the the mods. and deluxes having all the same stuff, but "with extra pampering". I know for my next trip, I want ALL the extra pampering I can get- so I went with mods and deluxe. I guess it depends on the "style" and "feel" you want for the trip- if that makes sense. I know if I were on a budget, a value would be perfectly fine! :thumbsup2

I must admit I'm a resort snob sometimes but I'm glad we see eye-to-eye on this one :goodvibes

The crowds looked scary at the DHS!! :scared1: I hope you had enough elbow room to see the lights!!

Ah, I see you did. In fact, enough to actually sit down and enjoy the view for a while!! Excellent.

And surprisingly we never got trampled :laughing:

So, you got your choco on after this!! I have plans to hit DTD too for a little bit o' Goofy!! Looking at your menu, if I were to choose right now, I'd take pretzel rods, in dk. choco. and nuts- no drizzle to cut the sweet! Wow! Now I'm drooling like a Pavlov's dog.

I think I'll try the pretzel rods next time. The rice krispie was too big. It's hard to share too. Pretzel rods are much easier to spread around with your travel companion. MMMMmmmm I want a treat from Goofy's right now!

Made it through your dinner at the Grill. First though, I'm also planning to spend a fair amount of time just strolling through our resorts (Poly and POR) just soaking in the atmosphere and taking a bucket load of pictures!! So fun!

People spend so much time planning which resort to stay at. Then they end up spending the majority of their time at the parks, making all that resort choosing hoopla a big waste of time. When we were at VWL, I knew I wouldn't have another chance to stay there again (or at least for a few years) so I had to fully document the place! Not sure if I mentioned this but I even took a video of the walk from the elevators to our room.

Your'e right it did look a bit "grungy" around the pool. Yes, it needs some updating!

Yeah, it was definitely a bit gross. Not the type of place I'd want to spend excessive amounts of time at.

We are planning on a dinner at the Cali too, so I was stoked you did a review of it. I'm a scallop fiend- love, love love them!!!! I think I may either get that or the pork with polenta. Haven't decided yet. I do know I'm for sure getting the cheese plate and sushi; funny, I had decided that months ago, and you got them BOTH!! We may also try a flatbread and skip the main dishes altogether though. Wine- you know it!!

Great minds think alike :thumbsup2 Everything was delicious. You will LOVE the sushi. Oh my gawwwwd. So good! Oh and the cheese......uh oh, I'm drooling like a saint bernard over here!

So after this you still had an EMH to go?? You 2 just don't stop!!! :thumbsup2

What can I say? I make sure we get our monies worth!!!

[disneyaddicted]

That was a nice trip report, I'm glad you got to have that time with your sister.
AKL rooms look amazing, I love the theming that Disney does for all it's resorts and rooms.
I'm very excited to try TSM, I missed it last time, but it's #1 on my list for my Spet. trip.

I have to admit I have never tired sushi and probably never will, one thing I kept thinking through your whole TR is that you and your sister try alot of new things, my fear is I won't like it and then the money is wasted or worse yet I will toss my cookies, I have a very sensitive gag reflex, if macoroni and cheese is over cooked, I can't eat it, it makes me gaggy.

Wow, did you and Bubba ever do some walking, I got tired just reading how much and how fast you all walked.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us, I really enjoyed it.

Ty

[All7OfUs]

Got in a few more installments tonight, and I'll have to say, I'm a little worn out from all the talk about speed walking like, everywhere! Phew! Good move to walk though, instead of taking the tram.

I think you both did a very impressive job at the Anim Studio. Pooh and Eyore look great!! :thumbsup2

So stoked for you that you got to meet your Chip and Dale! So what? You felt like a 5 yr. old. That's what Walt was intending when he built the parks. ;) By the way, at the Fort, I don't know. I think if you sat near the front and were able to see Chip and Dale right away, it would be good. They work their way from front to back of the amphitheatre. Yes, the songs might be kinda childish for 2 grown ups, but you could arrive a teensy bit late and skip that part.

Osbourne Lights looks amazing. I love how you describe them as shock and awe. :3dglasses and that the 2nd night you could slow down and "see" more of them.

Your lunch at Sanaa looks so tantalizing. We will be going there too, and I'm very excited for it. I think I want to try a cheese plate here too, and some African wines. :cloud9: I love curries and am just dying to soak in the atmosphere here. :banana:

EWWWWWWWW!! Your room wasn't ready??!! Blecho!! Good call on getting the mousekeeping back in there!

[jenbear123]

AKL rooms look amazing, I love the theming that Disney does for all it's resorts and rooms.
I wish I could hire their interior decorate to do my room!

I'm very excited to try TSM, I missed it last time, but it's #1 on my list for my Spet. trip.

:scared1:You missed TSM?!!!? How did you manage that?

I have to admit I have never tired sushi and probably never will, one thing I kept thinking through your whole TR is that you and your sister try alot of new things, my fear is I won't like it and then the money is wasted or worse yet I will toss my cookies, I have a very sensitive gag reflex, if macoroni and cheese is over cooked, I can't eat it, it makes me gaggy.

If that's the case, I'd suggest steering clear of sushi. Not that it's all bad or tastes funny. Really, rice and shrimp aren't very exotic flavours... but the sheer size of the sushi pieces are enough to make you gag sometimes too. I have a really tiny mouth so sometimes I have to take two bites or else I'll choke!

Wow, did you and Bubba ever do some walking, I got tired just reading how much and how fast you all walked.

:rotfl:

Thanks for sharing your trip with us, I really enjoyed it.

Ty

Thanks :goodvibes I had tons of fun writing it! I can't wait to write the next one.

Got in a few more installments tonight, and I'll have to say, I'm a little worn out from all the talk about speed walking like, everywhere! Phew! Good move to walk though, instead of taking the tram.

I'm telling you right now, this speed walkin' business is going to END in Feb!!!

I think you both did a very impressive job at the Anim Studio. Pooh and Eyore look great!! :thumbsup2

Thanks :goodvibes

So stoked for you that you got to meet your Chip and Dale! So what? You felt like a 5 yr. old. That's what Walt was intending when he built the parks. ;)

You know, you are absolutely right. No wonder I love that place so much :hug:

By the way, at the Fort, I don't know. I think if you sat near the front and were able to see Chip and Dale right away, it would be good. They work their way from front to back of the amphitheatre. Yes, the songs might be kinda childish for 2 grown ups, but you could arrive a teensy bit late and skip that part.

Hmmm okay. Thanks for those tips. I don't think I'd enjoy sitting through hokey kiddy songs....

Osbourne Lights looks amazing. I love how you describe them as shock and awe. :3dglasses and that the 2nd night you could slow down and "see" more of them.

If you ever get the chance to go to Disney when the lights are there, DO IT!

Your lunch at Sanaa looks so tantalizing. We will be going there too, and I'm very excited for it. I think I want to try a cheese plate here too, and some African wines. :cloud9: I love curries and am just dying to soak in the atmosphere here. :banana:

Darn it! I never even considered giving the wines a try while I was there. Oh well. Just gives me another reason to go back :rolleyes: I'm glad to find another person that likes curry as much as me.

EWWWWWWWW!! Your room wasn't ready??!! Blecho!! Good call on getting the mousekeeping back in there!

It wasn't terrible, just a bit freaky. It makes you wonder how much they actually cleaned the room....

[praisehisname]

http://i47.tinypic.com/9i6wr9.jpg

Great picture! I loved reading your report; thanks so much for taking the time to write it! Can't wait to read your next one!

[All7OfUs]

Tokyo Dining:

The sushi looks fabulous! I like the raw stuff myself. Don't have a gut worm yet, so I'll keep eating and loving it!

#1 Rule- Fresh is best! :thumbsup2

I love the wasabi, but too much can ruin it. Bummer you had to scrape to save. :headache: I love the ginger even more! :love:

That server was indeed a cutie- picture worthy, for sure!

Green tea cold sounds yummy and refreshing to me, but sake ANY style is disgusting!! Tried it once and nearly barfed.

[All7OfUs]

I'm sad to see this one end, but all good things must.

The crowds look insane anyway. I was bummed to see you only got one attraction in before having to say good-bye. :sad1:

Recycling- good to see that! Hope people will walk the 2 extra steps necessary to do it right. But I'm cynical, and I'm afraid they probably won't. People are so lazy nowadays.

I love the trolley shot! and the plant one is actually pretty creative too.

Your sunset picture is lovely, too!! All that clean Canadian air. See you on the pre-trippie, my Canuck friend.

Great job over here! :thumbsup2

[jenbear123]

Great picture! I loved reading your report; thanks so much for taking the time to write it! Can't wait to read your next one!

Thank you! I'm counting down the days until my next trip. Can't wait to share it with you. Hope you'll come along for the ride. In the meantime, I shall indulge myself in your TR :goodvibes

Tokyo Dining:

The sushi looks fabulous! I like the raw stuff myself. Don't have a gut worm yet, so I'll keep eating and loving it!

Um. Gut worm? Yuck. :laughing: I've heard that it actually isn't raw. They steam it or something :confused3 I should ask the Japanese friends of mine on how sushi is made.

#1 Rule- Fresh is best! :thumbsup2

Agreed!

I love the wasabi, but too much can ruin it. Bummer you had to scrape to save. :headache: I love the ginger even more! :love:

Wasabi still isn't my favourite. I used to like it but slowly got turned off by it. I guess I ate too many wasabi peas one day :rolleyes: Ginger is disgusting. Too slimy and tasteless for me.

That server was indeed a cutie- picture worthy, for sure!

:lovestruc

Green tea cold sounds yummy and refreshing to me, but sake ANY style is disgusting!! Tried it once and nearly barfed.

It was rather refreshing. Sake is an acquired taste. At first, I thought I'd hate it. I can describe the taste like vodka but without the harsh kick at the end. Instead, it has a very smooth finish. Can't say I could drink every day but if the chance arises, I'll have a glass.

I'm sad to see this one end, but all good things must.

I know :sad:

The crowds look insane anyway. I was bummed to see you only got one attraction in before having to say good-bye. :sad1:

Now that I think of it, we actually got to stop for a Dole Whip before leaving. I completely forget to mention that in my TR. It took us the whole trip to finally get one. Dole Whips are a mandatory trip every time I'm in MK (or at the Poly)

Recycling- good to see that! Hope people will walk the 2 extra steps necessary to do it right. But I'm cynical, and I'm afraid they probably won't. People are so lazy nowadays.

Tell me about it. When I was on the Keys to the Kingdom tour, they told us that they sort all the garbage and recyclables since those recycling bins aren't always around. Whether you believe that or not is up to you.

I love the trolley shot! and the plant one is actually pretty creative too.

Bubba wanted me to take a picture of the plants to show my grandma. She's dying to know what those plants are called :rotfl:

Your sunset picture is lovely, too!! All that clean Canadian air. See you on the pre-trippie, my Canuck friend.

Sure it's Canadian, but I wouldn't call it clean :crazy2:

Great job over here! :thumbsup2

Thanks, All7OfUs! It's great to have you along as a reader. I'll see you on your PTR too :)

[All7OfUs]

Sashimi and a lot of sushi (esp. tekka maki) is raw. But very smooth and creamy almost to the taste. I love it! But it CAN give you worms if it's not fresh. I'll take my chances. I don't eat it often, and I do love it.

Ginger- tasteless?? are you sure you're talking about the pickled ginger (the pinkish stuff on your sushi platter?) ?? To me it's kinda spicy and vinegary. It shouldn't be slimy either. The stuff I've always had is almost crunchy. :confused3

I do believe they sort the garbage. Just seems like something Disney would do. :thumbsup2

Dole Whip floats~~~~~~ :cloud9:

I"m pretty sure the plant you took a picture of might be it the dusty miller family. I'll look it up though and see if I can find it. Yeah, the pix I found online are dusty miller. We grow it in Oregon a lot.

[All7OfUs]

Hey Jen!

You are the one who LOVES some Chip and Dale! You HAVE to come to my thread and hear the news!! I inherited an original sketch of Chip and Dale by my cousin who was a Disney Animator!!!

[jenbear123]

Sashimi and a lot of sushi (esp. tekka maki) is raw. But very smooth and creamy almost to the taste. I love it! But it CAN give you worms if it's not fresh. I'll take my chances. I don't eat it often, and I do love it.

I never knew that. It probably was better that I didn't know that... oh well. I still plan on eating it. Most often sushi is very fresh.

Ginger- tasteless?? are you sure you're talking about the pickled ginger (the pinkish stuff on your sushi platter?) ?? To me it's kinda spicy and vinegary. It shouldn't be slimy either. The stuff I've always had is almost crunchy. :confused3

Yup, we're talking about the same thing. Sometimes it's not always pink though. I've had it come to me once in an almost grey colour. Gross. I'll have to give it another try the next time I'm eating sushi.

I"m pretty sure the plant you took a picture of might be it the dusty miller family. I'll look it up though and see if I can find it. Yeah, the pix I found online are dusty miller. We grow it in Oregon a lot.

Thanks for telling me that! :worship:

Hey Jen!

You are the one who LOVES some Chip and Dale! You HAVE to come to my thread and hear the news!! I inherited an original sketch of Chip and Dale by my cousin who was a Disney Animator!!!

I know! I saw! That's absolutely amazing. I just found a Goofy sketch. He's not even my favourite :rotfl:

[All7OfUs]

Thanks for telling me that! :worship:



I know! I saw! That's absolutely amazing. I just found a Goofy sketch. He's not even my favourite :rotfl:

We could start a museum!! :lmao::lmao::lmao:

[jenbear123]

We could start a museum!! :lmao::lmao::lmao:

:lmao: Or give it to Disney... wonder how much they'd pay??? :scratchin:laughing: I posted on your PTR. Did you see it? There's so much jabber going on over there, I wouldn't be surprised if you missed it...

[glennbo123]

Were we talking on here about the Mods moving TRs over to the "completed" section? Anyway, I just noticed my "I Paid $5..." TR was moved over. It's fine, but I never got a PM or anything. I'm not sure how long ago it moved.

[Sleepingbooty]

Hi Jen!
Just wanted to pop in and say hi, now I go back the beginning and start reading! :surfweb:

[jenbear123]

Were we talking on here about the Mods moving TRs over to the "completed" section? Anyway, I just noticed my "I Paid $5..." TR was moved over. It's fine, but I never got a PM or anything. I'm not sure how long ago it moved.

When they move it, does that mean nobody can post on them anymore? That sucks they didn't tell you. And yes, we were talking about it earlier. You could always PM one of the Mods to ask, if you really want to know. I guess they didn't tell you because they'd be inundated with PM-ing people if they had to tell each and every DISer when they're complete TR is moved. I agree though. It would be nice to know.

Hi Jen!
Just wanted to pop in and say hi, now I go back the beginning and start reading! :surfweb:

:welcome: I hope you enjoy it :goodvibes In case you don't get through it all before this TR is moved to the "completed" section. Come on over and join the fun at my PTR (link in my signature).

[Sleepingbooty]

Okay, I finally finished! What a great report! Boy, you and Bubba sure know how to eat- Disney style! That's awesome that you are able to get in so many trips living as far away as you do, I can tell you really cherish the time with your sister. Okay, I'll head on over to your ptr to subscribe...

[glennbo123]

When they move it, does that mean nobody can post on them anymore? That sucks they didn't tell you. And yes, we were talking about it earlier. You could always PM one of the Mods to ask, if you really want to know. I guess they didn't tell you because they'd be inundated with PM-ing people if they had to tell each and every DISer when they're complete TR is moved. I agree though. It would be nice to know.


Yes, when it's moved nobody can post -- there is no "reply" button anymore. I don't care that they moved it, it was done, I was just curious if I'd get a heads-up.

[jenbear123]

Okay, I finally finished! What a great report! Boy, you and Bubba sure know how to eat- Disney style! That's awesome that you are able to get in so many trips living as far away as you do, I can tell you really cherish the time with your sister. Okay, I'll head on over to your ptr to subscribe...

If it weren't for Bubba, I would've never tried the good stuff. I especially cherished it when she was gone this year. It takes a lot of getting used to not having your sister right in the next room to talk to anymore. See you on my PTR :goodvibes

Yes, when it's moved nobody can post -- there is no "reply" button anymore.

It will be a sad, sad day when that happens to mine :guilty:

[All7OfUs]

:lmao: Or give it to Disney... wonder how much they'd pay??? :scratchin:laughing: I posted on your PTR. Did you see it? There's so much jabber going on over there, I wouldn't be surprised if you missed it...

I'm pretty sure I did. But now, I need to go back and double check!! I hope I didn't miss it!! Phew, tell me about it! Lots of chatty, wonderful people!:thumbsup2

Yes, when it's moved nobody can post -- there is no "reply" button anymore. I don't care that they moved it, it was done, I was just curious if I'd get a heads-up.

You can always post on someone's PTR, and clutter it up. Right, Glennbo? :lmao:

[glennbo123]

You can always post on someone's PTR, and clutter it up. Right, Glennbo? :lmao:

Absolutely! What else am I going to talk about on there?

[All7OfUs]

I'm sure you'll come up with something super deluxe! You have the Hoo-Mama camera, remember??

[jenbear123]

Hoo-Mama camera :confused:

[glennbo123]

Hoo-Mama camera :confused:

Liesa asked me what kind of camera I used for the fireworks pictures in my TR. I told her what I had, and said something like, "can you imagine if I had that camera for the Europe trip....hoo mama!" Apparently, she's latched-onto that! :rotfl2:

[jenbear123]

Heyyyy I like it :thumbsup2 I'm gonna get me one of those Hoo-Mama cameras! Actually, I've been REALLY tempted to get one of these:

http://i48.tinypic.com/2e0qs87.jpg

It's a Kodak pocket HD camcorder. Perfectly fits in your pocket. With the pricetag of $190CAD. After finding my old family videos from Disney, I would love to record more memories in Disney using one of these. I do have our old camcorder but the thing weighs a ton. Plus it still uses tapes! :rolleyes:

[glennbo123]

Holy cow, that looks awesome. And relatively inexpensive. What does it record onto? A memory card?

No, you can't record onto tape anymore! You'll have to transfer it before you even watch it.

I'd like to have a mix of video and still pictures. Unfortunately, my camera doesn't do video, and I don't want to lug another (video) camera around.

[jenbear123]

Holy cow, that looks awesome. And relatively inexpensive. What does it record onto? A memory card?

I believe it has built in memory but also uses SD memory cards, up to 32GB.

No, you can't record onto tape anymore! You'll have to transfer it before you even watch it.

Tell me about it. We got the camera we have now back in 2000. It's a decade old :scared1: I'd say it's time for an update :scratchin

I'd like to have a mix of video and still pictures. Unfortunately, my camera doesn't do video, and I don't want to lug another (video) camera around.

Too bad your camera doesn't do video. Mine does but it only allows me to capture minute-long videos at a time. It's very aggravating when you're trying to record something like Wishes. It would be annoying to carry around an extra device but if this thing is small enough to fit in your pocket, I see it being very doable. I'm gonna have to think this through....