We crushed our schedule! A May 2011 TR (Completed and new TR started)

[Chaitali]

Introduction

Welcome to our trip report! We were in Disney World from May 17th to May 22nd and we had an amazing time. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and loved the resort. For the most part, the crowds and the weather were not bad at all. It did get both hotter and more crowded on Friday and Saturday, but we were prepared for that. As my husband said multiple times, “We crushed our schedule!” He also thanked me for all my planning several times :) It's nice to know it paid off (and the Boards played a big part in that) even though he mocked me for it occasionally before we went on the trip.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2130/5778740212_fa60f3458a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778740212/)
Self portrait at Downtown Disney (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778740212/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

So a quick introduction – The trip was just me and my husband. The trip came about because my husband mentioned over Christmas that he had never been to Disney World. After being together for 6 years, I couldn't believe that I didn't know he had never been to Disney World. Of course, I hadn't been since I was a teenager. So we decided this needed to be fixed :) We looked at various dates, decided that May worked well for us, and chose Star Wars Weekend since we're both big Star Wars fans. It was also good timing since it was close to our anniversary so we decided we would celebrate our anniversary at Disney World and let a fancy dinner there be our gift to each other.

We first talked about the trip the day after Christmas and we had booked a package through AAA by New Year's Eve. When we decide on something, we move fast! To make it even better, Disney released a percent off the room discount and our AAA agent was able to take advantage of that for us and lower the cost of the package. So we decided to add the park hopper option to our tickets and still spend less than our original package price.

For any new readers who haven't seen my pre-trip report, I am lucky enough to be planning a second trip to Disney World later this year. I'll be there from October 23rd to October 30th with my brother and parents. My husband will sadly have to stay home for that trip. You'll probably read a bit about the upcoming trip too as it shapes up.

[Chaitali]

Chapters

1. The journey begins!
2. Straight to the Magic Kingdom and lunch at Tortuga Tavern
3. Magic Kingdom afternoon, part II
4. Port Orleans Riverside review
5. Downtown Disney and Earl of Sandwich
6. A day at Animal Kingdom
7. A day at Animal Kingdom, Part II
8. Victoria and Albert's
9. Morning Extra Magic Hour at the Magic Kingdom
10. Rushing to Hollywood Studios for Star Tours
11. California Grill Dinner
12. Epcot Part I
13. Epcot Part II, dinner at La Hacienda, and Evening Extra Magic Hours
13. Star Wars Weekend!
14. Dinner at Jiko and a last night at the Magic Kingdom
15. The trip comes to an end :(

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3297/5778196011_a26e8a2653.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778196011/)
Trip down the river from Port Orleans (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778196011/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

[Chaitali]

The journey begins

It seemed like a great idea to book an early flight to Orlando so we would be able to have an entire day at Disney World on our first day there. At the time, I didn't think about how early we would have to get up to get to the airport on time for a 7am flight! We had set up a cab to pick us up at 5am so the alarm was set for 4:30 am. I can't say I was cheerful when I woke up, but we were both excited about the trip and had no problems waking up.

Of course, there was no line at security and there was very little traffic so early in the morning. We were at the airport, bag checked and through security by 5:30. As an aside, I hate the airline fees for checked baggage. I was determined that we wouldn't pay for more than 1 checked bag so we both packed our stuff in one suitcase. Of course, it was exactly 50 pounds, so this was going to be interesting if we bought souvenirs to bring back! Thankfully there was some room left in our carry-on since I knew that there would be souvenirs.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2091/5778278667_7a65c625fe.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778278667/)
Waiting at the airport (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778278667/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

The flight was great. It was nowhere near full so we got a row to ourselves. The flight boarded early and even landed more than 15 minutes early at the airport in Orlando. I managed to take a nap on the flight too which I'm sure contributed to the success of the day.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5222/5778279595_ba6455c25a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778279595/)
On the plane, waiting to leave (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778279595/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We never seriously thought about renting a car since we both find driving a little stressful. Anytime we can get away with not driving on vacation, we go for it. And this was one of the main perks of staying at a Disney property in our minds. We were happy to leave the driving in Disney's hands. I had read some bad reports about letting the Magical Express handle the luggage but we decided to just let them take care of the luggage since the flight landed so early and we wouldn't need our luggage for hours. We just packed one change of clothes and the things we would need the first day in our carry on. It was lovely to be able to walk straight to the Magical Express area and not have to wait for our bag at the luggage carousel.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/5778823580_4d6ffa22b9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778823580/)
On Disney's Magical Express (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778823580/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3332/5778280001_b92558bc64.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778280001/)
Where Dreams Come True (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5778280001/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Between the little map that came with the Magical Express documents and all the signs at the airport, we had no problem finding the Magical Express area. And there was absolutely zero line. So the plane landed at 8:45am and we were on the bus by 9:15. We did have to wait 10 or so minutes for the bus to fill up a bit before we left but we were crossing under the Disney sign by 9:45 am. Port Orleans Riverside was the second stop after Port Orleans French Quarter so we were probably getting off the bus a little after 10. I hadn't checked in on-line since I had heard you may not get your room request fulfilled that way. I don't know if that's true or not but I figured it wouldn't be a big deal to wait for check in. There was only one person in line ahead of us so we didn't have to wait too long. The woman checking us in did tell us that there were no king bed rooms available in our first choice of Oak Manor but that we got our second choice of Magnolia Terrace. The room was on the second floor and close to the front of the building, so no complaints. The room wasn't ready and we were told we would get a text with the room number once it was ready. So we decided to leave our carry on bags with bell services and head off on a bus to the Magic Kingdom!

[TanzUnited99]

I'm here and subbing!!

Will be back to read later.

Tanz :)

Edit: Right , am caught up! I like the idea of leaving early but know what you mean about having to be at the airport so early!

:woohoo: on your flight arriving earlier then planned and not being full! I look forward to reading about what you did at MK and how you liked POR!

[aprilisis]

popcorn:: Subbing! You're off to a great start!

[Chaitali]

Thanks, guys, great to see you here :) Tanz, I'll be writing more about POR later but quick preview, we absolutely loved it! Oh, we got our photopass CD today which was super exciting.

[407-W-DISNEY]

Hi!
Following along!!

[Chaitali]

Hi!
Following along!!

Welcome :) I'm hoping to be able to post another update tonight or tomorrow so I will get this trip report moving along!

[Chaitali]

We were going to watch Pirates of the Caribbean tonight but due to spectacularly bad service at dinner, we missed the movie :( Since we didn't feel like waiting around an hour for the next showing, we just came home. But the upside of that is that I can work on editing photos and the trip report :)

[Chaitali]

We did some re-shuffling of our carry-on bag so that we could sun screen up and leave our carry on bags with bell services. The only thing I carried into the park was my camera and Mike carried our day bag. Once we dropped off the bags we walked over to the bus stop. Our good bus karma was certainly with us this week. A Magic Kingdom bus showed up just as we got to the bus stop. It was a pretty quick bus ride and we were walking up to the Magic Kingdom around 10:30 am. There was no line for the bag check or going through the turnstiles with our Keys to the Kingdom cards.

The first stop was guest services on Main Street since I wanted to upgrade my ticket to an annual pass. I already knew at this point that I was going to be back at Disney World for a week in October so it just made sense to go for the annual pass. This also allowed me to purchase the Tables in Wonderland Card for $75. It saved us 20% at all our sit down meals and more than paid for itself by dinner on our third evening. We also picked up Happy Anniversary buttons while we were there. As an aside, I loved the buttons :) Cast members (and even other guests occasionally) gave us many anniversary greetings and it was just a nice plus to our days.

I had touring plans for most of our days, both saved on the Lines app on my I-phone and a paper version in my pocket. The AT&T service ended up being fine in the parks so I did stop carrying the paper version after the first day. Once we finished up at guest services, it was time to begin the touring plan. As we left, we saw that there was a parade coming down Main Street. Since our first stop was Frontier Land, we decided to just take the train around to the Frontier Land stop. Of course, I took a couple minutes to stop and take some photos of the parade.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3145/5795315640_5fa6499b27.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795315640/)
Edited IMG_0015 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795315640/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3547/5794758635_aecfe42bb5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794758635/)
Parade (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794758635/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We just missed a train so I took some photos from the train station also. They had these great little old-timey movie machines that were a lot of fun to flip through. Can you tell I have no idea what they're called? It was essentially a flip book inside the machine and the pages turned as you cranked the machine.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/5794759025_95c807e68b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794759025/)
Burlesque Bouncer (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794759025/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/5795316390_585337f673.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795316390/)
Our first view of the monorail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795316390/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/5794759809_fc450ea3b8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794759809/)
Main Street, USA (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794759809/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

The train came in just a few minutes and we hopped on for the quick ride to Frontier Land. This was pretty much just transportation and didn't really feel like an attraction. Though the landscaping was nice and it almost felt like you weren't even in a theme park. But I wanted to be in a theme park! Once we got off the train we went straight to Big Thunder Mountain to pick up a fast pass. We were planning to ride Pirates next but it seemed to be down :( I was beginning to get hungry since breakfast had been early so we decided to stop for an early lunch at Tortuga Tavern. We kept up with the early lunches all week and it was great as we managed to avoid the lunch time crowds this way.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3529/5795317246_beb4a0da63.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795317246/)
Veggie Burrito at Tortuga Tavern (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795317246/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

I had a veggie burrito and it was just beans and rice in a tortilla. There was lettuce, salsa, and cheese at the toppings bar and they gave little packages of sour cream separately. The filling was pretty tasty but the tortilla seemed a bit stale. I ended up eating it like a salad with a fork since it was almost impossible to eat with my hands. Mike had a beef burrito, which he also ate with a fork. His verdict - “it was all right.” Overall, not a bad lunch.

We finished with lunch by 11:45 and Pirates was still down so we walked over to the Jungle Cruise. The sign said it would be a 20 minute wait so we hopped into line. It ended up being about 30 minutes but it wasn't too bad. And the line was interesting, so I was able to take some photos along the way. We enjoyed the ride, corny jokes and all.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2272/5794760659_44ea9a965d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794760659/)
Theming outside the Jungle Cruise (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794760659/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5192/5795317872_8081505b5d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795317872/)
Jungle Cruise ceiling (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795317872/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/5794761215_5817d3f367.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794761215/)
Getting closer to the Jungle Cruise (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794761215/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2122/5794761709_0e02f08a75.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794761709/)
Mask in Jungle Cruise queue (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794761709/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3049/5794762053_69ebd297b0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794762053/)
Elephant on the Jungle Cruise (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794762053/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5141/5794762811_83418d109d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794762811/)
Jungle cruise lions (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794762811/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

[Chaitali]

After the Jungle Cruise, we walked back to Pirates and it was just opening up, so we were able to essentially walk on! Loved the ride and the recent changes. I wasn't able to take a lot of photos during this ride because of the darkness. Here's one from the queue.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5223/5794763159_1d418c02b6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794763159/)
Pirates queue (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794763159/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Then we headed back to Frontier Land and picked up a Splash Mountain fast pass on the way to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. There was no line with the fast pass and even the stand by line was only 30 minutes. By the time we got off we still had some time until we could use our Splash Mountain fast passes so we made some phone calls to let our parents know we made it safely. Goofy was getting photos with guests and it was a relatively short line so we hopped in.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2391/5794768177_ec501ae8e2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794768177/)
Photopass picture with Goofy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794768177/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Once we were done with photos it was time for splash mountain. This is one of my favorite rides here. I think the theming is great. I wasn't sure how wet we would get so I stuck my camera in a zip lock bag and inside the day bag before we got in line. Again, no wait at all with the fast pass. After this, it was off to the Haunted Mansion, another favorite. The line was about 20 minutes but the new queue was awesome. They are still letting people choose whether to go through the new interactive queue or go straight ahead but we felt the the new elements were worth the bit of extra time.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5074/5795320916_2e8c7db8f6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795320916/)
One of our favorite rides (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795320916/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5320/5795320774_86872dbc9b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795320774/)
The Haunted Mansion (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795320774/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5196/5795321086_2879633c89_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795321086/)
Invisible Horse (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795321086/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/5795321254_208995a9cc_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795321254/)
Ghoulish fun (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795321254/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2340/5795321340_899356fbf4_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795321340/)
Interactive queue (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795321340/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We then walked through Liberty Square and decided to get silhouettes as souvenirs. I love the way these turned out. I was getting a bit hungry again so it was perfect time for a Dole Whip! I sadly didn't take a photo of it but it was amazing. We got the Dole Whip float with the pineapple juice and shared it. I've seen photos before but I didn't realize how giant it was. We sat on a bench in adventure land to savor it as we watched the people walk by.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5027/5794797559_0b8e1786c9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794797559/)
Silhouettes (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794797559/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/5794764429_8588bf47ee_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794764429/)
Heading off for Dole Whip (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794764429/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

As we headed back toward the hub, we saw that there was another parade coming by and we were stuck. No problem, perfect time for some photos around the hub and of the parade too.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/5795323106_c2090aceb7_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795323106/)
Edited IMG_0095 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795323106/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2408/5794766725_a49bcf3790_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794766725/)
Dopey being Dopey (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794766725/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/5794767367_954ec5a455_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794767367/)
Walt and Mickey (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794767367/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5021/5795324732_b222a8b180_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795324732/)
Dumbo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5795324732/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Once the parade passed, we walked over to tomorrow land for our last ride of the day, the astro orbiter. I would have skipped this one but Mike really wanted to ride it. We ended up waiting around 30 minutes and then squeezed into one of the cars. And I do mean squeezed. It was a little uncomfortable to fit two adults into one of those little cars! We walked down Main Street and checked out some of the stores on our way out, as well as saw the marching band pass by. And of course, paid homage at the Roy and Minnie statue.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2415/5794768053_b833482dfe_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794768053/)
Partners Statue and Mike (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794768053/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We sadly just missed a bus but looked through some photos of the day as we waited for the next one. We didn't even get through all the photos before the next bus to POR came in less than 10 minutes.

[TanzUnited99]

Sounds like you had a great MK day! Love all the pics! :thumbsup2

That veggie burrito looks yummy so it was a shame it was a bit stale. Yay on meeting Goofy and seeing the parade!

Astro orbiter is one I wouldn't mind missing either - all the reviews I have read have been negative for this one.

[Chaitali]

Oops, I was looking through my photos and realized that the partners statue is the Walt and Mickey statue, not the Roy and Minnie stature. Need to pay more attention :) I fixed it in the text of the post anyway.


Astro orbiter is one I wouldn't mind missing either - all the reviews I have read have been negative for this one.

Yeah. It's kind of cool because of the height and you certainly get a great view from the ride. But the line gets long because you need to take an elevator up to the ride and it's slow loading. It would probably be cool at night if there's no line but it's definitely not worth waiting for or wasting morning time for.

[lbuzz52]

We were at MK the same day! I had originally planned to eat at Tortuga that day. But it had not been open yet that trip so I didn't even bother checking. I was a bit bummer when we walked by a few minutes after lunch and it was. Looked good!
I love that picture of dumbo!

[pinkxray]

Joining in. Your MK pictures are great. MK is my favorite park. I love walking down Main Street and seeing that castle for the first time on your trip. The sounds, the smells, everything:cloud9:

I can't wait to see what you thought of POR. I loved it. I thought the grounds and river were so pretty.

[Chaitali]

We were at MK the same day! I had originally planned to eat at Tortuga that day. But it had not been open yet that trip so I didn't even bother checking. I was a bit bummer when we walked by a few minutes after lunch and it was. Looked good!
I love that picture of dumbo!

Welcome! That's so funny that we were there the same day. I guess we just got lucky with Tortuga Tavern. When we were turned away from Pirates and I saw that the restaurant was open, I knew we had to take advantage of it and eat there :) Thanks for the compliment about the Dumbo photo. We spent a lot of time in the hub taking photos and being silly while waiting for the parade. And it wasn't too crowded so it wasn't a problem to hang out there. Here's one of the silly ones.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5794767611_db113bdaf5_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794767611/)
Pluto (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794767611/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

I see you've started a trip report too. I'm off to read :)

[Chaitali]

Joining in. Your MK pictures are great. MK is my favorite park. I love walking down Main Street and seeing that castle for the first time on your trip. The sounds, the smells, everything:cloud9:

I can't wait to see what you thought of POR. I loved it. I thought the grounds and river were so pretty.

Hi :) I knew that MK had to be our first park since it was Mike's first trip to Disney World. Walking into Main Street really sets the mood for the whole trip. We both really loved POR. I was a little worried about it at first since I had read some negative reviews but there was no need to worry at all!

[aprilisis]

Your photos are great! I love the HM photos- especially the black & white one of the sign. I'm still having dole whip withdrawals. :sick: :lmao:

[Chaitali]

Your photos are great! I love the HM photos- especially the black & white one of the sign. I'm still having dole whip withdrawals. :sick: :lmao:

Thanks! I know what you mean about the Dole Whip. I've already decided I have to have one when I'm down there with my brother. Now I just have to convince him to share one with me so I don't devour the whole thing myself :)

[Chaitali]

The bus back to POR did not take too long. The bus wasn't sharing with POFQ at this point so it was straight to POR. The bus stop by our building was the third stop but we had to go to the main stop so we could pick up our carry on bag. The main stop was the 4th and last stop so we took a full tour around the property, and that took about 10 minutes. We picked up our bags and walked over to Magnolia Terrace, the mansion where our room was located. The first thing I notice when we walked in was that there was a bounceback offer, and it covered the dates of my October trip. Score! It only mentioned a discount on deluxe resorts but it also offered a discount on moderate resorts, so it knocked a couple hundred dollars off my Coronado Springs reservation.

We also noticed that our checked bag from the Magical Express was already in the room and that the light on the phone was flashing to indicate that we had a message. Mike listened to the message and beckoned me over excitedly. It was a happy anniversary message from Mickey and Minnie Mouse! It was absolutely adorable :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/5800946083_eb2674674d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800946083/)
Special voice mail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800946083/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

I figured this would be a good time to stick in a review of the hotel. In short, we loved it! I asked my husband if he could think of any negatives and the only thing we could come up with is that the plumbing was a little loud. There wasn't a room above us so I don't know if maybe you could hear people above you if they were being loud. The furnishings in the room were clearly not new but everything was clean and the bedding was comfortable. Mousekeeping was great the whole time we were there.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2058/5801493012_259ea2cee3_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801493012/)
Welcome to the room (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801493012/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
You can't tell in the photo but there are hidden mickeys in the bed spread :) I didn't even find them until our third night at the hotel.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/5800946855_3a9b6e1929_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800946855/)
Gift from Mousekeeping (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800946855/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
We got one towel animal and she arranged our stuffed animals around. We bought the Jack Skellington at Downtown Disney.

The property was really large, but absolutely beautiful. There was a bus stop located not too far from most buildings, I think. Also, we never waited more than 15 minutes for a bus. That was once. Other than that time, it was always 10 minutes or less. There were several times we had to stand on the bus but it was never a big deal for us and we were happy to give up seats for people who needed them more. The rides to the parks never seemed long and had fun music (either Disney or themed to our resort). The main pool was fun and it was great that there were so many quiet pools around. The boat to Downtown Disney was a great extra perk. The theming all around the property was exceptional. The little general store had any necessities you might need, as well as fun theming. We only tried the food court once, for breakfast. It was a little chaotic but not too bad and the food was decent. There were extra amenities such as carriage rides, boat rentals and surrey bikes, but we didn't have time to try any of them. If anyone has specific questions, let me know. In general, I would say that I'd love to stay here again.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/5801495454_bdc04285d2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801495454/)
Mansion at Port Orleans Riverside (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801495454/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5800939797_c88d63c9ca_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800939797/)
our wing at Port Orleans Riverside (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800939797/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3564/5800938945_28e0f1652a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800938945/)
The Sassagoula River (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800938945/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

[Chaitali]

So after a rest and a nap, we left the room around 6:30 or so to grab the boat to Downtown Disney. There was a line when we got there and I wasn't sure if we would all fit on the next boat, but we did. The boat came in 10 minutes and we were off. We stopped at POFQ before continuing to Downtown Disney.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5151/5800941115_49f2368f21_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800941115/)
Birds in a row (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800941115/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/5801496562_76d9c1555b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801496562/)
Downtown Disney (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801496562/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

I was hungry again by this point so the first stop was Earl of Sandwich. The line was super long and I almost suggested going somewhere else but we stuck with it. I'm glad we did because the line moved really quickly and our food was delicious. I had the veggie sandwich and Mike had the BLT. Sorry, no photos because I had only taken the point and shoot and the picture did not turn out too well. The sandwiches were much more filling then I thought they would be, so there went my plans for a stop at Ghiradelli for a sundae later. The bread was really tasty, and my sandwich had a lot of vegetables (grilled, I think?) and feta. It also had some sort of creamy dressing. If I was going again I would probably ask for the dressing on the side as the sandwich was a little over-dressed. I've heard that the sandwich can be made vegan if you ask them to hold the feta and substitute a vinaigrette for the dressing it comes with. I bet it would be good that way also since the veggies and bread were so flavorful. I also loved that they had several vegetarian options so that I had a choice of a couple sandwiches and salads. Mike said his BLT was pretty good and that the bread gave it a denser taste than a traditional BLT.

We decided to walk up towards Characters in Flight since I wanted to go for the balloon ride. Sadly, it wasn't operating at the time and I didn't realize that until we had walked all the way up there. So we started the walk back towards the stores we had wanted to see. Unfortunately, my feet were hurting by this point and I was starting to get cranky. Our first stop was World of Disney where Mike declared that I had to wear a silly hat if I was being cranky. Of course, he just wore silly hats because he enjoys them :)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2764/5801498056_f176ca3fd9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801498056/)
Dale is eating my head! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801498056/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/5801498410_3c7c62650d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801498410/)
Pirate ears (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801498410/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We also wandered into the lego store but it was crazy in there and I just wasn't in the mood to be able to put up with it. We checked out Tren-D, which had some really cute things but not for a price I was willing to pay. We wanted Mickey Ears with our name on them so we put in an order for those and asked that they be delivered to our resort. Quick note, if you buy things toward the later end of the evening they may not get to your resort the next day. We had to wait an extra day for the ears to show up. We went to Mickey's pantry and I loved the custom spice blends and loose leaf teas. I ended up buying a little bag of truffle salt and a tea strainer. We had the truffle salt on some scrambled eggs the other day, and they were delish! Plus, it brought back memories of Disney while we were having breakfast. I would definitely recommend picking up something here as a way to stretch out the memories through some meals once you get home.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2045/5801497674_f96d4baaa7_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801497674/)
Dragon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5801497674/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5199/5800942231_343e799502_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800942231/)
To infinit and beyond (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800942231/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5195/5800941919_4cd6d0b9b8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800941919/)
Tinker toys (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5800941919/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We stopped at the toy store and decided to pick up a snack to take back to POR at Goofy's Candy Company. This place was insane. I was a little paralyzed by the amount of choice and kept changing my mind. They even had a make-your-own section where you could choose your own sweets (marshmallows, rice krispie treats, pretzel sticks) and toppings. That was just too much choice for me so I was looking at the pre-made treats. I finally decided on a skewer of chocolate covered marshmallows and Mike got a Mickey head cookie. We wandered off to the boat stop and the Port Orleans boat showed up pretty quickly. The boat trip back was cold and I had forgotten my wrap. But the boat operator was great because she provided a running narration about the buildings we were passing, the birds we saw, and some Disney World history, which I really appreciated. She explained that the birds (egrets and herons) line up along the shore because the fish go up near the surface along the river banks when the boats pass and it's an easy meal!

Our room was located in a great area and it wasn't a long walk at all to the main building at POR, but after our long day it sure felt like a long walk back. We collapsed in the room, ate our sweets, and went to bed so we could wake up bright and early for rope drop.

[TanzUnited99]

:woohoo: on taking advantage of the bounce back offer for your Oct trip!!

I love the pics of POR - it looks so beautiful. I hope you got to try a Ghiradelli's Sundae later on in the trip.

Thanks for the tips as well - will def be taking them on board :thumbsup2

[Darkfirewolfe]

TOTALLY subbing - so neat to see a trip report from friends!! :)

After this, it was off to the Haunted Mansion, another favorite. The line was about 20 minutes but the new queue was awesome. They are still letting people choose whether to go through the new interactive queue or go straight ahead but we felt the the new elements were worth the bit of extra time.
oooo, I can't wait to see the new queue myself!

I was getting a bit hungry again so it was perfect time for a Dole Whip! I sadly didn't take a photo of it but it was amazing. We got the Dole Whip float with the pineapple juice and shared it. I've seen photos before but I didn't realize how giant it was.
I adore the dole whip itself, but we haven't had it in the float yet. Julious says "I WANT ONE!!"

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2391/5794768177_ec501ae8e2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794768177/)
Photopass picture with Goofy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5794768177/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
Wow!! Mike is almost the size height as GOOFY!!!

Our first stop was World of Disney where Mike declared that I had to wear a silly hat if I was being cranky. Of course, he just wore silly hats because he enjoys them :)

That totally sounds like Mike!! :)

Can't wait to hear more popcorn::

[aprilisis]

I love your photos! I think the Buzz/Woody photo is my favorite so far. I wonder if we passed each other at DtD that day! I was there for a while & I also walked to check if Characters in Flight was operating. I can't wait to read more!

[jmendez24]

:) joining in, we were there at that same time as well. Love the Jack, he's my favorite!!

[407-W-DISNEY]

Thanks for the update! I can't believe that Buzz and Woody is made of lego pieces!

that is a cute pic of you, DH and Goofy!!

The veggie sandwich sounds yummy..I have yet to go to Earl of Sandwich...it will have to be a must next time...

YEAH!! for the bounceback discount!!

[Disneyfreak616]

Great job so far!

I'm subbing! :)

[Chaitali]

:woohoo: on taking advantage of the bounce back offer for your Oct trip!!

I love the pics of POR - it looks so beautiful. I hope you got to try a Ghiradelli's Sundae later on in the trip.

Thanks for the tips as well - will def be taking them on board :thumbsup2

I didn't make it to Ghiradelli this trip but hopefully on the next one! Either that of baby cakes.

TOTALLY subbing - so neat to see a trip report from friends!! :)


oooo, I can't wait to see the new queue myself!


I adore the dole whip itself, but we haven't had it in the float yet. Julious says "I WANT ONE!!"


Wow!! Mike is almost the size height as GOOFY!!!



That totally sounds like Mike!! :)

Can't wait to hear more popcorn::

Yay, nice to see you here :) I look forward to seeing you and Julious in September!

I love your photos! I think the Buzz/Woody photo is my favorite so far. I wonder if we passed each other at DtD that day! I was there for a while & I also walked to check if Characters in Flight was operating. I can't wait to read more!

I was wondering that too! But we didn't get to DTD until around 7pm or so. We might have passed each other the next day at AK?

:) joining in, we were there at that same time as well. Love the Jack, he's my favorite!!

Welcome! Once my husband saw the Jack Skellington, he had to get him :) It's his favorite too, and I'm a fan as well. Too bad there were no Nightmare Before Christmas characters at the park. Maybe they're there around Halloween...

Thanks for the update! I can't believe that Buzz and Woody is made of lego pieces!

that is a cute pic of you, DH and Goofy!!

The veggie sandwich sounds yummy..I have yet to go to Earl of Sandwich...it will have to be a must next time...

YEAH!! for the bounceback discount!!

The lego sculptures were really impressive. I wonder how long it took for each of them to be put together... I definitely recommend Earl of Sandwich if you're down in that area. And they had a lot of choices, which is always nice.

[Chaitali]

Great job so far!

I'm subbing! :)

Welcome :) It looks like you'll be back at Disney World soon, so exciting!

[Chaitali]

Inspired by others (like TanzUnited), we've been watching some Disney movies. Recently I've been on a documentary kick. We saw "The Boys" about the Sherman Brothers who did a lot of the music for the early Disney movies. This past weekend we saw "The Pixar Story." Both were really interesting behind-the-scenes stories. I can't believe that John Lasseter worked for Disney and they fired him! Next on the list is "Waking Sleeping Beauty" about the come back of Disney animation in the mid-80s to 90s.

As far as the October trip, my parents have decided that they'll be joining us from Wednesday afternoon to Sunday. My brother and I will be there on our own from the previous Sunday afternoon to Wednesday. Since there will be 4 adults, 1 hotel room doesn't sound so good. My dad called today to say that my uncle has a time share and he's willing to give us a week for free at the Sheraton Vistana Resorts. I researched the resort and it does look nice. It's pretty close to Disney property and we would be able to get a 2 bedroom condo, but of course it's not a Disney hotel. On the other hand, can't argue with free and the extra room! I'm holding on to my CSR reservation for now (with the awesome bounceback rate) just in case the time share doesn't work out.

Hope everyone's week is starting out well :)

[ksl5f123]

Joining in! I loved your pics of POR. It makes me want to go back. :lovestruc

The Toy Story lego sculpture is awesome!

Looking forward to more.

[aprilisis]

Inspired by others (like TanzUnited), we've been watching some Disney movies. Recently I've been on a documentary kick. We saw "The Boys" about the Sherman Brothers who did a lot of the music for the early Disney movies. This past weekend we saw "The Pixar Story." Both were really interesting behind-the-scenes stories. I can't believe that John Lasseter worked for Disney and they fired him! Next on the list is "Waking Sleeping Beauty" about the come back of Disney animation in the mid-80s to 90s.

As far as the October trip, my parents have decided that they'll be joining us from Wednesday afternoon to Sunday. My brother and I will be there on our own from the previous Sunday afternoon to Wednesday. Since there will be 4 adults, 1 hotel room doesn't sound so good. My dad called today to say that my uncle has a time share and he's willing to give us a week for free at the Sheraton Vistana Resorts. I researched the resort and it does look nice. It's pretty close to Disney property and we would be able to get a 2 bedroom condo, but of course it's not a Disney hotel. On the other hand, can't argue with free and the extra room! I'm holding on to my CSR reservation for now (with the awesome bounceback rate) just in case the time share doesn't work out.

Hope everyone's week is starting out well :)

Those movies sound great- I've never heard of the first two, but I'm going to Netflix them if I can!
You can't beat a free room! Sheratons are always really nice hotels, too. Plus- 2 bedrooms! :woohoo: I checked the bounceback offer in the room & my November dates were blocked out. :sad2:

[TanzUnited99]

:woohoo: on watching Disney movies!!! They sure help pass the time before a trip! I haven't seen any of the ones you have mentioned yet so may have to add them to our list.

That is cool that your parents are joining you for part of the trip. Good luck deciding where to stay! :)

[lbuzz52]

i love Earl! the line is always crazy but it seems to move quickly. The boat to downtown disney is great. we had that option our first trip and really enjoyed it. i should check out that kitchen store next time. i just assumed it had the same kitcheny things in it as you could find in WOD or Mousegears or Emporium. sounds like there might be some neat things in there!

[pinkxray]

Love the POR pictures. I don't think they could make that place any prettier:love: I loved looking down the river with the pretty blue sky and trees around it. It was like being in a whole other place. I didn't love the room decor so I can't wait to see how they look once the refurb is done.

The boat ride to DTD was a nice way to relax for a bit. I guess I am not really the relaxing type though, b/c I seem to be the only person in the world who would rather drive everywhere than take the Disney boats. Too slow moving for me. I took all the boat rides I could once and then we went back to using our car.

I would never pass up a free room to stay onsite. As much as I love being on site, the 2 bedroom will be great and as long as it isn't too far away (not many places are) I would be all over the free stay. Hope it works out for you.

[Chaitali]

Joining in! I loved your pics of POR. It makes me want to go back. :lovestruc

The Toy Story lego sculpture is awesome!

Looking forward to more.

Thank you :) POR was gorgeous and I was so happy with it as our choice of resort. And the Lego sculptures were very impressive. Definitely worth a look.

Those movies sound great- I've never heard of the first two, but I'm going to Netflix them if I can!
You can't beat a free room! Sheratons are always really nice hotels, too. Plus- 2 bedrooms! :woohoo: I checked the bounceback offer in the room & my November dates were blocked out. :sad2:

That sucks that your November dates weren't included :( Hopefully they release a discount for those dates later this year. We watched the first 2 movies on Netflix streaming and added the third one to our queue since it wasn't available for streaming. Love Netflix!

:woohoo: on watching Disney movies!!! They sure help pass the time before a trip! I haven't seen any of the ones you have mentioned yet so may have to add them to our list.

That is cool that your parents are joining you for part of the trip. Good luck deciding where to stay! :)

It definitely is fun that they'll be able to join us for a few days. It makes the meal planning a bit tricker since my mom doesn't eat meat, cheese or eggs but Disney World is a great place for that so I'm sure it will work out. They all want to eat at Victoria and Albert's after they saw my photos so I've already made that ADR. I called to tell them about our dietary restrictions and the answer was "no problem!"

i love Earl! the line is always crazy but it seems to move quickly. The boat to downtown disney is great. we had that option our first trip and really enjoyed it. i should check out that kitchen store next time. i just assumed it had the same kitcheny things in it as you could find in WOD or Mousegears or Emporium. sounds like there might be some neat things in there!

Yep, it is mostly the same stuff you see at the other stores but there is a wall on one side with spice blends, teas, etc. I think its toward the left as you enter but I'm not sure.

Love the POR pictures. I don't think they could make that place any prettier:love: I loved looking down the river with the pretty blue sky and trees around it. It was like being in a whole other place. I didn't love the room decor so I can't wait to see how they look once the refurb is done.

The boat ride to DTD was a nice way to relax for a bit. I guess I am not really the relaxing type though, b/c I seem to be the only person in the world who would rather drive everywhere than take the Disney boats. Too slow moving for me. I took all the boat rides I could once and then we went back to using our car.

I would never pass up a free room to stay onsite. As much as I love being on site, the 2 bedroom will be great and as long as it isn't too far away (not many places are) I would be all over the free stay. Hope it works out for you.

The thing is, I have a long commute for work every day so driving is just stressful for me. I loved not having to worry about the car or driving. The Disney transportation was a giant perk for us, but I'm sure we would have changed our mind quickly if we had faced a lot of long waits. The boat ride was pretty, and informative on the way back when we had the driver who threw in a lot of tidbits.

And I certainly agree about the free room! If it works out, there really is no choice but to accept graciously :) All kidding aside, it will be great if this works out. Lodging is such a big part of the expense of a vacation and I feel a little guilty going on this one without my husband. So if I can save that money and keep it in our vacation fund for our next joint vacation, that will take care of a lot of the guilt!

[407-W-DISNEY]

I hope the time share works out....free lodging is a good thing....and as you said...you can save that money for a trip with your DH!

[Chaitali]

Well, I'm at home today waiting for someone to come by and fix our washing machine, so it's a perfect time for another update :) This one is on our first full day at Disney World!

Animal Kingdom was supposed to open at 9am this day and we wanted to be there at rope drop. We figured leaving the room about 8am would work out and would give some padding in the schedule in case we had to wait for the bus a while. We were on the bus by 8:10 and standing at the Animal Kingdom gates by 8:30. We were a little early but we didn't mind that. And it wasn't too crowded at the gates, so that boded well for the day. We had pop tarts with us for breakfast (we had brought them from home to save on breakfast money) so we ate those while waiting to go into the park. We were let through the gates a little early and waited by the ropes set up inside the park. There was a cute little rope drop show and then we headed off straight to the safari.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5238/5815300598_05803ea78f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815300598/)
Edited IMG_0159 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815300598/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2274/5815301646_da7e2440c1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815301646/)
Rope drop show (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815301646/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/5815302064_e42c310a19_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815302064/)
Mickey's packing list (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815302064/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We really enjoyed it and saw lots of animals, though it was difficult to take photos since the bus didn't stop much. Here are some of the ones that turned out well.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/5814734447_7e6ceea2fd_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814734447/)
Edited IMG_0178 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814734447/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2165/5815302814_753a06cb8d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815302814/)
Edited IMG_0192 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815302814/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/5814735055_0a750bd8d1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814735055/)
Edited IMG_0198 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814735055/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3269/5815304128_50c25ba060_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815304128/)
Edited IMG_0209 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815304128/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/5815304530_e521d77951_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815304530/)
The lion sleeps (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815304530/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5815304816_9dbc851f18_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815304816/)
Edited IMG_0241 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815304816/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Edited IMG_0244 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815305046/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Edited IMG_0247 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815305268/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

The crowds were still low once we were off the safari. We explored some shops, bought some much needed caffeine, and headed off to the Panganini Trail. We loved the trail. There was a great view of the animals and a lot of good photo ops. The cast members in this area were also great and were informative about the animals.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5814737671_f0463a3434_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814737671/)
Meerkats looking for danger (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814737671/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/5814738009_2413a856eb_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814738009/)
Edited IMG_0274 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814738009/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3503/5814738127_30acb1dd0e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814738127/)
Gorilla on Panganini Trail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814738127/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

[Chaitali]

Afterward, we spent more time ambling around and checking out the theming. We walked over to Asia to check out the theming there and we picked up a fast pass for Expedition Everest. We also saw DeVine on the way over there! It sounds like we didn't do a lot in the morning, but we just spent a lot of time walking around and taking in the details.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5315/5815306552_10f899de61_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815306552/)
Theming at Harambe Village (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815306552/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2260/5814738775_2156a91434_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814738775/)
DeVine (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814738775/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3633/5814738569_72c828e6b5_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814738569/)
Edited IMG_0287 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814738569/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/5815307656_3a10275129_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815307656/)
Anandapur theming (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815307656/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/5814739821_4ab0d6271e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814739821/)
Relaxing on a rikshaw (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814739821/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/5815308656_41cf738292_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815308656/)
Monkeying around (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815308656/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Just hanging out (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814741015/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/5814742017_f3d761d3d6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814742017/)
Approaching Everest (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814742017/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/5815310482_bf7c958889_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815310482/)
Exceptional theming at Animal Kingdom (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815310482/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We then wandered over to the Tree of Life to see the animals around there. We saw Stitch (one of my favorite characters) but the line was huge and I wasn't really willing to wait in line for a photo so we continued on the way. We stopped around 11:00 for lunch at Pizzafari. The pizza was better than I expected it to be, and the cast member who took our order helpfully informed me that the cesar dressing had anchovies but they had other dressing (even though its not listed on the menu). That was much appreciated because I knew about the anchovies and thought that I would just have to skip the salad. I know we're at a theme park but I still like to try to include veggies in my meal :)

We finished up and headed off to the 12pm Festival of the Lion King show. I had heard raves about this show from the Boards so I was a little worried that I would be disappointed. But it lived up to all they hype and we both really enjoyed it!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3141/5814743025_a8887613ca_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814743025/)
Camp Minnie Mickey (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814743025/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Festival of the Lion King dancers (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815311496/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2373/5815311676_6929b8cf1b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815311676/)
Festival of the Lion King (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815311676/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5815312252_9913e2d8f4_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815312252/)
Festival of the Lion King singers (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815312252/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2031/5815311986_0d9417edfe_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815311986/)
Festival of the Lion King (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815311986/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

The crowds were noticeably getting heavier at this point and it was very obvious after we left the show. We went back to Asia to use our Expedition Everest fast passes. We were going to pick up some fast passes for Kali River Rapids but they weren't working. We went on Everest and it was awesome! We went back to Kali River Rapids and the stand by line was only 30 minutes so we went ahead and got in line. The queue was really well done and had great theming but neither of us was that impressed with the ride itself. It was short and disappointing. Thankfully we didn't get too wet.

We walked onto the Maharajah Trail next and we absolutely loved this also.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2132/5815312592_2b2e569d4c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815312592/)
Fruit bat on Maharajah trail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815312592/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3277/5815312956_015c9f428f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815312956/)
Heading for shade (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815312956/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/5814745559_6cb363e165_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814745559/)
Theming on Maharajah Trail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814745559/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3534/5814745793_aa06aab167_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814745793/)
Sleepy tiger (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814745793/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Pretty (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814746207/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/5814746325_9e50e57103_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814746325/)
Bold bird in the Aviary (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814746325/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/5814746603_260085f968_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814746603/)
Colorful (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5814746603/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We stopped for a snack break and I tried the jalapeño cheese pretzel. It was a little overcooked and I didn't enjoy it too much. Mike had a mickey-head ice cream that he did seem to enjoy quite a bit.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5815314904_22aaba9724_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815314904/)
Jalapeno cheddar pretzel and mickey ice cream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5815314904/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

I wasn't too interested in Dino World but Mike wanted to see it so we walked over there just to check out the shops and theming. We left the park around 3 and just missed the bus again! But the next one came in 10 minutes and we were off to POR. We got off at the main stop again to see if our purchases from the day before had been delivered. They weren't there yet and we were told that since we bought them later in the evening, they may not actually show up until the following day. That was good to know, especially for any purchases we might make later in the trip. I loved that even the store had fun Disney theming. Mike also wanted to have snacks available in the room so we picked up a box of donuts to take with us. We were pretty tired so we headed back to the room for an afternoon nap.

We woke up and decided to go down to the main pool. My feet were hurting a bit and I thought the hot tub would feel great. There were only a couple people in the hot tub so we hung out there for a while and then went into the pool to cool down. I didn't try out the water slide but Mike did and loved it. The kids all seemed to be having fun with it too. The pool area was great. There were a lot of people there but it didn't seem overly crowded. We head back to the room after a bit to get ready for our anniversary dinner at Victoria and Albert's!

[TanzUnited99]

I love your pics of AK - they all look awesome! :thumbsup2 I can't wait to experience all the things you guys did - am glad you enjoyed the trails and FOTLK lived up to its expectations!

I'm a bit sad to read that you did not enjoy Kali River Rapids. Can't wait to read about V&A!

[taylor91]

Iv'e just read your trip report so far and it looks like you have had a fab time so far :thumbsup2 Looking forward to reading about your V&A dinner... popcorn::

[Chaitali]

I hope the time share works out....free lodging is a good thing....and as you said...you can save that money for a trip with your DH!

Yep, we're hoping to take a trip to the U.K. next year so the extra money would definitely go to a good use!

I love your pics of AK - they all look awesome! :thumbsup2 I can't wait to experience all the things you guys did - am glad you enjoyed the trails and FOTLK lived up to its expectations!

I'm a bit sad to read that you did not enjoy Kali River Rapids. Can't wait to read about V&A!

Animal Kingdom really was a great park and we both loved the level of detail we saw everywhere. I hope you guys enjoy it too :) As far as KRR, we both love raft rides and have been on some good ones. This one just seemed half hearted. I never thought I'd think that a queue was better than the ride itself!

Iv'e just read your trip report so far and it looks like you have had a fab time so far :thumbsup2 Looking forward to reading about your V&A dinner... popcorn::

Welcome! We absolutely had a wonderful time. It looks like you'll be there soon yourself. Hope you have a wonderful trip too :)

[ksl5f123]

Your animal pictures are amazing! What kind of camera are you using?

[407-W-DISNEY]

We love just walking around and taking in all the details!! There is sooo much to see.
Love your pics....especially the birds...they are beautiful

[aprilisis]

Your photos are GREAT!!! I love the giraffes, tigers, elephants, and- actually I love them all! I can't wait to see more!!

[pinkxray]

Your pictures of AK are awesome. Great shot of the tiger. They are always smushed against the wall when I try to get a picture.

I didn't like the jalenpeno pretzel either. Glad I am not the only one, people seem to love it.

Love the pictures of Lion King and Rope drop. Two things I have missed over the years, but hope to see someday.

[itsalebeau]

Such great photos! I love the warthog. Subbing!

[Chaitali]

Your animal pictures are amazing! What kind of camera are you using?

Thank you! I was using a Canon T1 dslr. I had a zoom lens on that day (55-200) which really helps with the animal shots. It's great to be able to get close up shots of the animals.

We love just walking around and taking in all the details!! There is sooo much to see.
Love your pics....especially the birds...they are beautiful

I'm not usually into birds but the aviary set up there was amazing. I loved how close the birds were and they had such beautiful, unusual species. This was the first time I've been there and I was really impressed with all the details at Animal Kingdom.

Your photos are GREAT!!! I love the giraffes, tigers, elephants, and- actually I love them all! I can't wait to see more!!

Thanks :) Animal Kingdom definitely lent itself to great photography! Inspiration was all around. Though I think that can be said of most of Disney World.

[Chaitali]

Your pictures of AK are awesome. Great shot of the tiger. They are always smushed against the wall when I try to get a picture.

I didn't like the jalenpeno pretzel either. Glad I am not the only one, people seem to love it.

Love the pictures of Lion King and Rope drop. Two things I have missed over the years, but hope to see someday.

I think we were there at the right time for the tigers. One was smooshed up against the wall in the shade but the other was walking around. However, within 5 minutes she also walked over the rest in the shade. One of teh CMs there told us that all the tigers there are female and that the males are much more aggressive.

Yeah, I had heard great things about that pretzel too so I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that didn't like it! The rope drop show was cute, but short so I wouldn't get up early just for that. But the Festival of the Lion King is definitely worth planning to see!

Such great photos! I love the warthog. Subbing!

Welcome and thanks! The warthog was visually interesting because he blended in great with the rock around him. I love how he found some shade but then kept his face in the sun!

[Chaitali]

Since I forgot to include any photo pass photos in the previous posts, I'm including some here :)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5235/5819932602_dd052565d3_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5819932602/)
Photopass tree of life2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5819932602/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3565/5819371775_d905f6718f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5819371775/)
Photopass Everest (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5819371775/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2227/5819372025_18f89cc26d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5819372025/)
Photopass Lions (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5819372025/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

In this last one, the photopass photographer told us to act like a lion :)

[lbuzz52]

Wow! Great pics again! I especially love the warthog and lion! I think your morning sounds great! There is a lot to take in!

[Chaitali]

So when I first started researching our Disney trip, I didn't have high expectations for fancy food, or really any expectations. I pretty much just hoped I'd be able to find vegetarian options. Of course I was excited when I saw that there were a wealth of options available, from casual to exquisite. And when I read about Victoria and Albert's, I knew that I wanted to celebrate our anniversary there. I've read about a lot of tasting menus but have never been able to try one because there are very few restaurants that will offer a full six course vegetarian menu. It was the first dining reservation we made for our Disney trip.

After our pool time, I have to admit I did something stupid. I was hungry and I had a donut. Why would I do that when we were going to have a six course dinner!?! I don't know what I was thinking. I really should not have had anything to eat at all after our lunch at pizzafari. But I guess I just wasn't thinking ahead. We had decided that we would take a cab to dinner since we were a bit dressed up and didn't want to deal with the bus and monorail. We left about an hour before our dinner reservation, and the hotel called a cab for us. It was there in less than 5 minuted and cost around $15 to get to the Grand Floridian. Since we were still way too early for dinner, we checked out the resort and ended up sitting outside on the beach for a little bit.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/5822393657_7071519981_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822393657/)
IMG_0414 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822393657/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2197/5822958826_f94fe0e644_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822958826/)
IMG_0418 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822958826/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5026/5822960242_24bd8314a1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822960242/)
IMG_0419 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822960242/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We checked in at the restaurant about 15 minutes before our reservation time and they sat us within 5 minutes with a Happy Anniversary greeting. I received a little ottoman to put beside my chair so I had somewhere to put my camera. It was a little chilly in the restaurant (I'm sure the temperature is set for men in suits) so I'm glad I had a shawl with me. The service was impeccable here and there was live harp music. I noticed that he was even playing songs from Les Miserables (which I love) at one point.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5145/5822961868_964ae9ab0e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822961868/)
IMG_0421 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822961868/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/5822399025_83647df0b3_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822399025/)
IMG_0422 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822399025/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Our waitress came out with our menus, a vegetarian menu for me and a regular menu for Mike. The vegetarian menu only had one option for most of the courses but the regular menu had three or four options for each course. We were asked to make our selections for each course at the beginning, which I don't have a problem with. They offer a wine pairing for an extra cost but I decided against it. If I drank that much wine Mike would have to roll me home! I opted for a glass of the Rosa Regale(sparkling and delicious) instead and Mike had sweet tea, which he loved. In addition to the courses I'm going to describe below, there were three bread courses that I don't remember the details of and don't have any photos of. But they were all freshly made by the pastry chef that day and accompanied by different butters. Also, I think there was less light on Mike's side of the table so as the photos he took of his food came out a bit dark.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3467/5822400591_dc7074d368_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822400591/)
IMG_0423 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822400591/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2717/5822966012_0544b617bc_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822966012/)
IMG_0424 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822966012/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We were started off with an amuse bouche. Mike's was Lobster 4 ways and I had a deviled quail egg, bruschetta, butternut squash soup and a ravioli.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2218/5822967154_db03bab3b6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822967154/)
IMG_0425 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822967154/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5151/5822404255_eacacbe9e9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822404255/)
IMG_0426 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822404255/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

My first course was a carpaccio of roasted beets an Mike's was applewood smoked buffalo waldorf. Mine was a lot better than it sounds here. Various types of beets, with petite bibb lettuce, artichokes, a parmesan crisp and a vinaigrette that made for a great mix of flavors. Mike says that the buffalo was yummy.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2034/5822405515_2726c2b7e2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822405515/)
IMG_0427 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822405515/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5822970798_d624de9f87_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822970798/)
IMG_0428 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822970798/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

My second course was a vegetable ratatouille in calamarata pasta. This was clever. As this was supposed to be the fish course, the pasta was shaped into rings that looked like calamari and the ratatouille was placed inside the rings. The presentation was gorgeous and it tasted great. Mike had the diver scallop with braised fennel and a blood orange gastrique. He says it was delicious.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/5822408237_8562b10262_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822408237/)
IMG_0430 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822408237/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5822409131_485a6f82ff_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822409131/)
IMG_0431 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822409131/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

The third course was my favorite. I had truffle gnocchi with hedgehog mushrooms and truffle foam. It also had some shaved truffles on top. This ranks up there with one of the best things I've ever eaten. The broth was rich and earthy and the gnocchi were amazingly delicate. Though I was beginning to get full at this point and realized that I would have to pace myself, so I didn't quite finish all of it. Two of the bread courses had already been brought out at this point and I realized that I probably should have just had a small bite (instead of a big chunk) of each of the breads. Mike had the duck breast with duck sausage, and confit with strawberry-rhubarb puree.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5316/5822974126_3d85802c32_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822974126/)
IMG_0432 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822974126/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/5822410849_0a42170d95_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822410849/)
IMG_0433 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822410849/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Ok, now for the entree course. I was already pretty full by this point so I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I otherwise might have. Stupid donut! My entree was a mix of various vegetables, a tiny red cabbage tart, stewed french lentils, and a small bowl of rice pilaf. It was a gorgeous plate and most of it was pretty good. The lentils were the best lentils I've ever had, and as a vegetarian, I've had a lot of lentils. The potatoes on the plate were divine and the rice was really good. The green beans and the carrots were fine but nothing to write home about. I didn't finish my plate again and the waitress seemed a little concerned. I assured her that there was nothing wrong with the food, but I just wanted to make sure to leave room for dessert! Mike's entree was the Kurobuta pork tenderloin and belly with bacon vinaigrette. He said this one was his favorite course.

The cheese course had the same 2 options for both our menus, either the cheese plate or the white chocolate gelato. I got the cheese plate and Mike got the gelato. Sadly I didn't get photos of this course and I literally only had one bite of each cheese and accompaniment :( They were all delicious, and the accompaniments were chosen really well to compliment each cheese but I was struggling! The cheeses were a stilton, a parmigiano-reggiano, a burrata and a blue cheese.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2791/5822411759_14b96ee1c1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822411759/)
IMG_0434 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822411759/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5822976636_020bb8ee93_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822976636/)
IMG_0435 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822976636/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Thankfully, I revived my appetite in time for dessert :) The waitress had recommended the carmelized banana gateau as her favorite and I went with her recommendation. I'm not generally a big banana person but she raved about this dessert. I'm really glad I went with her advice. It was amazing! There was a little sponge-y banana cake served inside a macadamia nut tuile with banana custard and caramelized banana slices. In spite of my level of full-ness I pretty much demolished this plate of dessert. Mike had the Hawaiian Kona chocolate souffle. It was good, but very rich. I think he only managed to eat half of it. We didn't get the coffee though I saw it at other tables. It looked very impressive but I just couldn't manage anything extra at that point.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/5822977494_5593f296ba_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822977494/)
IMG_0436 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822977494/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We were then given little candies (friandises) and a rose for me :) I asked for the candies to be boxed so we could have them the following day. They also gave us a little orange/cranberry bread for the following day and personalized menus to take home as souvenirs.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5822407437_df59987e64_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822407437/)
IMG_0429 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5822407437/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Overall, it was a lovely experience. We both felt it was absolutely worth the $125 per person for a special meal. Especially for me because there are not many places where you can have a full vegetarian tasting menu of this caliber. I'm only sorry that my appetite was not up to the experience. Definitely should have thought ahead and cut out the snacks earlier in the day! And I had bought the Tables in Wonderland card so we got 20% off thanks to that. As we were leaving, the maitre'd asked if we had valet parked and I mentioned we would be getting a cab. He said that he would call a cab for us and it would be waiting for us by the time we got downstairs. I thought that was a little quick, but it was waiting for us in front of the hotel as soon as we got down there. This was the only bitter bit in the evening as the cabbie completely overcharged us for the trip. He must have taken the long way back to POR but I hadn't familiarized with the roads since we weren't doing any driving. There is no way it took $15 to get there and $22 to get back. Not a large amount but it just annoyed me. It was late and we didn't want to deal with it so we just paid him (no tip) and chalked it up to experience.

[aprilisis]

You just totally sold me on Victoria & Albert's!!! I didn't know they had a Vegetarian menu!

[itsalebeau]

That meal looks fantastic. So beautiful!!

[TanzUnited99]

Great photopass pics - am still debating whether to order it or not. Am leaning more towards no but we shall see...

Wow at your V&A review - what a great way to celebrate your anniversary! :cloud9: I loved the way you described each course especially the truffle gnocchi!

I hate when cab drivers take the long way on purpose - it's not nice.

[407-W-DISNEY]

V&A sounds wonderful....so men have to wear a suit?? not sure I could get my DH to do that on vacation...mabye...but I would be terrified I would use the wrong fork or something..:rotfl2:

Glad you have a fantastic experince, you look so pretty in that picture :)

What is it with the cabbies lately???? shame on him!!!

[Darkfirewolfe]

I did not know that V&A had a vegetarian menu!! Your meal looked fantastic!! mmmmmm. makes me hungry - especially the beet salad.

:)

[ksl5f123]

Everything at V&A looked delicious! That gnocchi is making me hungry! I also didn't know they had vegetarian options. I will have to tell my DH - maybe we will be able to go someday.

[Belle83]

V&A's looks amazing!!

We went to California Grill, which is supposed to be great for vegetarians too :) I'm not a vegetarian, but the food I eat tends to lean that way anyway.

[Chaitali]

You just totally sold me on Victoria & Albert's!!! I didn't know they had a Vegetarian menu!

Yay! It's pricey but worth it, in my opinion. They can even do a vegan menu with advance notice. My understanding is that they're pretty accommodating with dietary restrictions.

That meal looks fantastic. So beautiful!!

It was almost too beautiful to eat, but not quite!

Great photopass pics - am still debating whether to order it or not. Am leaning more towards no but we shall see...

Wow at your V&A review - what a great way to celebrate your anniversary! :cloud9: I loved the way you described each course especially the truffle gnocchi!

I hate when cab drivers take the long way on purpose - it's not nice.

I'm glad we did the photopass, but it turned out that you had to be willing to take a break from your schedule and seek out the photographers. I kind of felt like I had to stop in different places b/c we pre-paid for the CD. It's nice to have so many photos of us together, but we certainly wouldn't have stopped so much otherwise. And they were definitely happy to take photos for us with our camera, so it's certainly not necessary to pay for the cd to have photos of both of you.

V&A sounds wonderful....so men have to wear a suit?? not sure I could get my DH to do that on vacation...mabye...but I would be terrified I would use the wrong fork or something..:rotfl2:

Glad you have a fantastic experince, you look so pretty in that picture :)

What is it with the cabbies lately???? shame on him!!!

Well, men don't have to wear a suit, just a jacket. I think khakis and a blazer or something would probably be fine. A tie isn't required. And don't worry, it really didn't feel too snooty :) Everyone was very nice, so I don't think it would matter if you did anything "incorrectly," whatever that means. I think they brought out the silverware for each course separately, if I remember correctly. All that food might have damaged my memory!

Thanks for the comment about the photo. That was the only time the whole trip that I wore any make-up. I figured I could do that much if Mike was going to wear a jacket!

I did not know that V&A had a vegetarian menu!! Your meal looked fantastic!! mmmmmm. makes me hungry - especially the beet salad.

:)

It was amazing. And Mike's not a fan of beets so I don't get to make them too much at home.

Everything at V&A looked delicious! That gnocchi is making me hungry! I also didn't know they had vegetarian options. I will have to tell my DH - maybe we will be able to go someday.

Yep, they note down food restrictions and I even got a call a couple days before the reservation to go over the food restrictions again. I've read reports of people who've had gluten free meals, who are allergic to seafood, etc. having good meals there too.

V&A's looks amazing!!

We went to California Grill, which is supposed to be great for vegetarians too :) I'm not a vegetarian, but the food I eat tends to lean that way anyway.

We went to California Grill later in the week and we both loved it also! It did indeed have good vegetarian options right on the menu, so not special requests needed. It's so much easier that way! And of course, the view can't be beat.

[Chaitali]

This was Thursday and a morning extra magic hour at the Magic Kingdom, so it opened at 8am. We were out the door of our room a bit after 7 and on the bus by 7:15. We were past bag check by 7:45 so we had a pretty good spot in line to get in before much of the crowd. It was an ok spot to watch the rope drop show.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/5850210473_a9274c9115_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850210473/)
Edited IMG_0445 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850210473/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5224/5850761150_3dc55fb2bf_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850761150/)
Magic Kingdom rope drop show (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850761150/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2651/5850761240_d6c840f321_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850761240/)
A greeting from Mary Poppins, Alice and Pluto (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850761240/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

The show was pretty cool and it was nice to see how excited some of the kids were to see the characters. Once we were in the park we headed straight down Main Street to Fantasy Land. Alice walked by us on her way to fantasy land too! We rode Peter Pan's Flight and the Winnie the Pooh ride both with no line at all. Snow White wasn't on our original plan but we rode it as well since there was no line and Mike had never ridden it. Plus, it may be our last chance. Then we did It's a Small World and Philharmagic. We did all this by 9am! Morning EMH rocked! This was the first time Mike turned to me an declared that we were crushing our schedule :) And this was with the extra ride of Snow White thrown in.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2588/5850211109_7f985f78af_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850211109/)
Getting in line for the Winnie the Pooh ride (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850211109/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5240/5850211279_a300ee99d9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850211279/)
Snow White's Scary Adventure (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850211279/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5224/5850761992_e9a5a4da6b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850761992/)
Mural at Snow White's Scary Adventure (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850761992/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/5850762412_83e1015079_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850762412/)
It's a Small World (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850762412/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/5850763862_89167ca260_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850763862/)
The Sword in the stone (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850763862/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We went over to Tomorrow Land and walked right on to Space Mountain. I didn't remember this ride being as uncomfortable and jerky before. Of course, it might just be because I'm older now. After the ride, we took a breakfast break on a bench in tomorrow land. We had brought along the orange/cranberry bread from Victoria and Albert's, and it made a nice little snack/breakfast. We walked over to Buzz Lightyear which was also a walk on. I sucked unfortunately :( I couldn't tell which red dot was mine but I'm determined to do better next time! Since it wasn't even 10am yet, we decided to deviate from the plan and run over to Liberty Square for another ride on the Haunted Mansion since we loved it so much. It was equally enjoyable this morning. There was a little bit of a line but not more than 15 minutes. We went back to tomorrow land for Stitch's Great Escape (I love Stitch but wasn't a big fan of this ride) and Carousel of Progress (dated but a classic).

We stopped for an early lunch around a bit after 11 at Cosmic Ray's. It wasn't overly crowded but it certainly wasn't empty either. Still, I think early lunch was a good strategy and we had no problems finding a table. I had the veggie wrap with fries, and it was huge! It also tasted really good and I was able to get nacho cheese from the topping bar for my fries. I was only able to eat half of the sandwich due to the size. Mike had a burger and thought it was pretty good, especially with the additions from the topping bar.

We went on the People Mover next. We were done by 12. That's 11 attractions by noon! It was obviously not a very high crowd level but the EMH was key. And the touring plan helped. It was useful to have a plan which kept us from looking at each other and saying “so... what do you want to do?” And of course, we deviated when we wanted to but the general plan was a good idea. As we were on our way to leave tomorrow land we saw Push, the trash can. He harassed Mike a little bit and then sang Happy Anniversary to us! It kind of made our day :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2657/5850213579_729ed2ef0c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850213579/)
Push, the trash can (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850213579/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2790/5850213859_01dbffa802_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850213859/)
The TTA People Mover (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850213859/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/5850214357_1b84c0e4cb_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850214357/)
View from the People Mover (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850214357/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5109/5850765202_5696bd9974_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850765202/)
Gateway to Tomorrow Land (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850765202/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

The park was definitely beginning to get more crowded at this point. I had downloaded the Star Tours App for my phone and had received a text which said that Star Tours 2 was running for a soft opening so we decided to hop over to Hollywood Studios. Here are a couple photo pass pictures taken as we were leaving the park.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/5850349671_5ae2c90e5f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850349671/)
Photo0065FourBySix (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850349671/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3074/5850900062_52ef80d026_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850900062/)
Photo0056FourBySix (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5850900062/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

[lbuzz52]

that's is one of the funniest Sword pictures I've seen! Mike was really putting some muscle in it lol

you did crush your schedule! What day was this?

I feel te same way about space. Way too rickity for me!

[aprilisis]

Sounds like a great morning! I love Cosmic Ray's, too- I've never had the wrap, though. I'll have to try that! I'm with you on Stitch's Great Escape- I love him, but hate that attraction.
I can't wait to hear what you thought of Star Tours!!!

[TanzUnited99]

Wow at how much you managed to get though at MK on that morning! :cool1: Will def have to remember to try and hit the parks as early as possible, even though I am not normally an early riser! :laughing:

I laughed out loud at the pic of Mike trying to get the sword out of the stone - hilarious!! :lmao:

[Chaitali]

that's is one of the funniest Sword pictures I've seen! Mike was really putting some muscle in it lol

you did crush your schedule! What day was this?

I feel te same way about space. Way too rickity for me!

Mike loves hamming it up for the camera! It was Thursday, May 19th.

Sounds like a great morning! I love Cosmic Ray's, too- I've never had the wrap, though. I'll have to try that! I'm with you on Stitch's Great Escape- I love him, but hate that attraction.
I can't wait to hear what you thought of Star Tours!!!

It's such a shame because he's such a great character. He definitely deserves better :) And the wrap was definitely worth trying.

Wow at how much you managed to get though at MK on that morning! :cool1: Will def have to remember to try and hit the parks as early as possible, even though I am not normally an early riser! :laughing:

I laughed out loud at the pic of Mike trying to get the sword out of the stone - hilarious!! :lmao:

I know it doesn't seem like vacation if you have to get up early! But the parks were certainly emptier in the mornings. Hollywood Studios was the one place where it seemed like almost a necessity if you want to do Toy Story Mania without waiting too long in line. I don't think it was a necessity at MK, especially if you're going at a less crowded time and are spending all day in the park. We just spent half a day there that morning.

[407-W-DISNEY]

Great update!
I love PUSH....how lucky you are that he sang to you!!!

Thats quite a height difference between you and your husband!
I'm 5' and my husband is 6'....but I think you have us beat!

[ksl5f123]

Eleven attractions by noon is awesome! I think Magic Kingdom is the easiest park to do that, but you really fit in a lot.

I love PUSH, too. It must have been very funny to hear him sing to you.

[Chaitali]

Great update!
I love PUSH....how lucky you are that he sang to you!!!

Thats quite a height difference between you and your husband!
I'm 5' and my husband is 6'....but I think you have us beat!

It's the first time I've seen Push and we loved him too! Yep, my husband and I do have a pretty big height difference. I'm 4'11 and he's 6'2. It can make pictures awkward sometimes, as I'm sure you know :) I usually wear heels but that wouldn't have been very practical at Disney World.

Eleven attractions by noon is awesome! I think Magic Kingdom is the easiest park to do that, but you really fit in a lot.

I love PUSH, too. It must have been very funny to hear him sing to you.

Yeah, it would be pretty difficult to get that much done that quickly at any of the other parks. It really helps that the attractions in Fantasy Land are all so close to each other.

[Chaitali]

We were planning to go to Hollywood Studios later in the week for Star Wars Weekend but I figured it would be a good idea to see some of the park on a normal (and less crowded) day. The initial plan was to go back to the hotel for a bit, then head over to HS around 3 or so, and leave for dinner at the California Grill around 7. But we saw that Star Tours had a soft opening so we decided to go straight to HS from the Magic Kingdom. Mike had also wanted to ride the monorail during our trip, so we took the monorail over to the Contemporary Resort and then the bus to HS. The monorail trip was relaxing and we didn't have to wait too long for it to show up. But the monorail boarding area at the Contemporary was pretty crowded, even at this time of the afternoon. And we only had to wait 10 minutes for the bus.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5030/5885707465_be6a30731f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885707465/)
VIew from monorail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885707465/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Once we got to HS, we went straight to Star Tours 2. We loved it! The posted wait time was 45 minutes but it only took about 30 minutes. The new queue was interesting (though we weren't allowed to take photos) and it was one of my favorite rides. I think this refurb was very successful. We thought about riding again but the line was long and we were going to be back later in the week anyway.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5222/5885683891_8f58964c8b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885683891/)
Star tours line (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885683891/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We went over to the Muppets because Mike is a giant muppets fan. I thought it would feel dated and old, but I actually ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. The theming in the pre-show area is phenomenal.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5886251722_bb7ec14ca9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886251722/)
Edited IMG_0486 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886251722/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5885684757_b152a995cd_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885684757/)
Muppetvision pre show theming (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885684757/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/5886252188_7be52dba2a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886252188/)
Muppets in space! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886252188/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5315/5886252702_cc74f7e29b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886252702/)
Muppet theater (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886252702/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5222/5885685939_a8860af935_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885685939/)
Mike in a Kermit hat (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885685939/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We took random photos around the Streets of America and decided it was time for a snack. We stumbled upon a little coffee shop and I had a carrot cake cookie, which was absolutely giant. But it was definitely worth the calories :) Mike had a peanut butter cookie.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5024/5886253930_562ae013a3_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886253930/)
Streets of America (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886253930/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6024/5885687089_37e43b634b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885687089/)
New York in Orlando (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885687089/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5158/5886254920_754a771806_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886254920/)
San Francisco (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886254920/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5276/5885688017_c41c0e8521_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885688017/)
We're on Coruscant! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885688017/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5030/5886255602_7d405cdb2e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886255602/)
The Writer's Stop snacks (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886255602/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We decided to head over to the Great Movie Ride and we got there right as Winnie the Pooh and Piglet showed up for photos. So we were able to get a photo with 2 more of my favorite characters with no line. We then went into the Great Movie ride with a minimal wait. Talk about dated! I really think this attractions needs some sort of face lift.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5886256044_03e4bff675_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886256044/)
Getting ready for the Great Movie Ride (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886256044/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5035/5885689345_ae433bbc12_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885689345/)
Edited IMG_0504 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5885689345/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5160/5886256736_3b67bc7858_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886256736/)
Pooh and Piglet with no line! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886256736/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5886257012_57b7dcd90b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886257012/)
A carousel horse from Mary Poppins (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5886257012/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

My feet were beginning to hurt at this point but I really wanted to see One Man's Dream so we decided that would be our last stop before heading back to the resort. I wish we had spent more time here and I'm really looking forward to seeing it again in October. The little film about Walt Disney and all the artifacts on display were very touching and I loved learning more about Disney history. I think Mike might have known most of what was shown in the film but a lot of it was new to me. Apparently I was so enthralled with looking at all the artifacts that I forgot to take any photos!

We took the bus back to the resort around 4 and napped for an hour once we got there. We then got up and ready for our California Grill dinner.

[407-W-DISNEY]

Hi!
How lucky you got to do Star tours! too bad you couldn't take pics :(
hopefully you went again and will post those!! Did you find the ride "smoother" this time?

I love the Muppets! I used to watch them on TV all the time. My favorite segment was 'Pigs in space" LOL :rotfl2:

Can't wait to hear how dinner at CG was!!!

[lbuzz52]

I'm really jealous you got to ride star tours. We went home the night before.
Can't wait to hear about your meal. I want to do a signature every trip and have no idea yet what our next one will be.

[TanzUnited99]

Love the DHS review! :thumbsup2

The new Star Tours line looks cool - can't wait to experience it!

Yay on meeting Pooh and Piglet with no line! Have read other great reviews of One Man's Dream recently and can't wait to spend some time here.

Am glad you thought the Carrot Cookie Cake was worth the calories as I am soo trying one in Sept! ;)

[Chaitali]

Hi!
How lucky you got to do Star tours! too bad you couldn't take pics :(
hopefully you went again and will post those!! Did you find the ride "smoother" this time?

I love the Muppets! I used to watch them on TV all the time. My favorite segment was 'Pigs in space" LOL :rotfl2:

Can't wait to hear how dinner at CG was!!!

I don't really remember the old star tours but this one was amazingly smooth. They did a great job! And the Cali Grill review is coming up :)

I'm really jealous you got to ride star tours. We went home the night before.
Can't wait to hear about your meal. I want to do a signature every trip and have no idea yet what our next one will be.

That sucks you weren't able to make star tours but I'm sure that it will be there for a long time to come :) The idea of a signature every trip is great. And so many of them seem to be good so there's plenty of choice!

Love the DHS review! :thumbsup2

The new Star Tours line looks cool - can't wait to experience it!

Yay on meeting Pooh and Piglet with no line! Have read other great reviews of One Man's Dream recently and can't wait to spend some time here.

Am glad you thought the Carrot Cookie Cake was worth the calories as I am soo trying one in Sept! ;)

If you like carrot cake, this is a great snack to try! I didn't realize at first that it was a sandwich cookie so I was surprised by how huge it was. And definitely save time for One Man's Dream. I think a lot of people may pass it by but it's definitely worth it.

[Chaitali]

Since we had time, we decided to take Disney transportation to our 7:45 California Grill dinner. We left around 6:30 to take the bus to the Magic Kingdom. We then hopped onto the monorail to the Contemporary. We were there pretty early so we took some time to check out the stores. Mike had bought a blind box muppet vinylmation while we were at Hollywood Studios so I decided to buy one here. I bought a blind box Disney character vinylmation and ended up with Phil from Hercules. The blind box was a marketing stroke of genius. I have no idea why but I was so excited to open up the package and see what I got.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/5907329700_25e5d9cc58_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907329700/)
Vinylmation (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907329700/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

I decided to take some photos around the hotel while Mike went to check out the arcade. We went to check in at the desk around 7:30 and were headed up to California Grill shortly thereafter.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6041/5907285660_db286e8555_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907285660/)
Fantasia at the Contemporary (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907285660/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5152/5907286050_005f3de36f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907286050/)
Space Mountain and the monorail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907286050/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5036/5907286378_06c310e272_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907286378/)
More artwork at the Contemporary (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907286378/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5314/5906731215_c045fbfd75_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5906731215/)
Artwork at the Contemporary (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5906731215/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We did have to wait for a little bit to be seated once we got upstairs, and it was very crowded in the lobby up there. I can certainly see why they have the check in downstairs. We were probably seated very close to our ADR time of 7:45. I had read a lot on here about how the window tables are very hard to come by so I decided to not even bother with asking. I figured we would take whatever we got since we were planning to go out to the observation deck to see the fireworks. We ended up with an amazing table right by the window. We could see bay lake when we looked one way and the castle when we looked the other way. We had a great view of the sunset and we were able to see the Electrical Water Pageant with our dessert.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5316/5906731693_39f394b91a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5906731693/)
The view from our table at the California Grill (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5906731693/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5319/5907288570_f6aa2a5b6a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907288570/)
Setting sun (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907288570/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5115/5907288792_2848cc26df_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907288792/)
Magic Kingdom from our dinner table (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907288792/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Our service was phenomenal. I don't remember our waiter's name but he was friendly and casual, but very efficient. We decided that we didn't really want any of the entrees (one of the advantages to not being on the dining plan). We each started with a flat bread, barbecue chicken and the vegetable flatbread.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5071/5907287948_a107dc7850_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907287948/)
Vegetable flatbread at the California Grill (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907287948/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5231/5907288272_19c7647482_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907288272/)
Barbecue Chicken Flatbread (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907288272/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Mike then had the tuna three ways which he loved) and I asked if it was possible to have veggie sushi, though it wasn't on the menu. It was just avocado and cucumber rolls, but it was pretty good. The rice was seasoned really well, the vegetables were fresh and the avocado was at the perfect level of ripeness.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6058/5906733635_36a9e2f1f6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5906733635/)
Veggie sushi (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5906733635/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6041/5907289836_959db64901_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907289836/)
Tuna three ways (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907289836/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

I had the bread pudding for dessert (amazing) and Mike had the chocolate cake with strawberries. The chocolate cake and the strawberries complemented each other really well but the bread pudding still won! I had tea with my dessert, and it was lovely. It was loose leaf, which I love. I'm a little picky about my tea and not a fan of tea bags.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6044/5907290154_e69dcbe696_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907290154/)
Tea service at the California Grill (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907290154/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5272/5906735121_2c9cb7fe1d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5906735121/)
Chocolate and strawberries (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5906735121/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5071/5907290636_101a14ae0a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907290636/)
Caramel bread pudding (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907290636/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

The restaurant was definitely crowded and loud. There was constant bustle while we were there and the waiters all seemed very busy. It felt like a popular and trendy restaurant, which I enjoyed. But I don't think it would have been a good choice if we were looking for romance. Thankfully we had plenty of romance the night before at Victoria and Albert's :)

We paid up around 9:30 and headed out to the observation deck to enjoy some time outside. The view was of course beautiful and the deck never got very crowded. We were able to see the lights on the castle for the Magic, the Memories and Me castle show but of course we were way too far to see it properly. Then they piped in the music for Wishes and we watched the fireworks. It was an interesting perspective on the fireworks since we were watching from the side and could see the distance between the castle and various fireworks. It wasn't the way to show was meant to be watched, but we still enjoyed it. And it was much easier than dealing with the crowds or staking out a spot in advance. The photos aren't that good since I didn't have a tripod with me and my hand isn't that steady :) I didn't even try to take firework photos and just enjoyed watching them.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/5907290712_1f2e0607e3_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907290712/)
From the California Grill patio (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907290712/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5319/5907290888_a5df2ee113_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907290888/)
Right before Wishes (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907290888/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5120/5907291106_0d297ed64e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907291106/)
The Magic, the Memories and You (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5907291106/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We left as soon as Wishes was done and there was a taxi right in front of the Contemporary. He was wonderful and we were only charged around $13. We left him a big tip because honesty deserves to be rewarded!

[aprilisis]

Great photos!! I'm glad you liked CG. It does get pretty loud in there, though. :rolleyes:

[pinkxray]

Geez, somehow I missed the last few updates.

I have never seen Push. I have been on the lookout, hopefully one of these days we'll came across him.

I love the Muppet show. It is one of my favorites. I don't care how old it is, I insist we see it every trip.

California Grill looks so good.

[TanzUnited99]

Thanks for the review of CG! Yay on getting a window table without even asking - the view looks great! :thumbsup2

I will also know now not to go there expecting it to be a romantic setting as that is what I would have expected otherwise :rolleyes:

[407-W-DISNEY]

Thanks for the Cali Grill update....the food looks wonderful...
You had 2 great nights of meals!! What a wonderful trip your having!

Looking forward to more!!

[itsalebeau]

I'm envious of your views! How beautiful! We ate at The Wave, so we were in the dark underbelly of the Contemporary (though the food and service was really good, and the dark and cool was nice after the heat of the day!).

[lbuzz52]

What a perfect table and perfect view! Your food looks really tasty too!
I love your photo with space and the monorail!
What does blind box mean with Vinylmation? Are they all blind box because you don't know what you are getting?

[Chaitali]

Great photos!! I'm glad you liked CG. It does get pretty loud in there, though. :rolleyes:

Thanks :) We didn't mind the loudness at that time but it's just something to watch out for since I've seen several places describe it as "romantic."

Geez, somehow I missed the last few updates.

I have never seen Push. I have been on the lookout, hopefully one of these days we'll came across him.

I love the Muppet show. It is one of my favorites. I don't care how old it is, I insist we see it every trip.

California Grill looks so good.

I hope you do come across Push on one of your trips, he was very amusing!

Thanks for the review of CG! Yay on getting a window table without even asking - the view looks great! :thumbsup2

I will also know now not to go there expecting it to be a romantic setting as that is what I would have expected otherwise :rolleyes:

Yep, it's just good to know what to expect. There were a lot of kids and it was loud. But I have to say, watching the fireworks from teh viewing patio was a romantic end to the meal as there weren't a lot of people out there. I'm not sure if that was just a fluke the night we were there. There were so many people in the restaurant I was really surprised more didn't come out to see the fireworks.

Thanks for the Cali Grill update....the food looks wonderful...
You had 2 great nights of meals!! What a wonderful trip your having!

Looking forward to more!!

It really was great food for most of the trip :) We were pretty lucky.

I'm envious of your views! How beautiful! We ate at The Wave, so we were in the dark underbelly of the Contemporary (though the food and service was really good, and the dark and cool was nice after the heat of the day!).

It's nice to hear that the food and service was good at the Wave. I keep hearing mixed things (which I guess is true of any restaurant) but I wanted to try it. I'll keep it on the list for the future!

What a perfect table and perfect view! Your food looks really tasty too!
I love your photo with space and the monorail!
What does blind box mean with Vinylmation? Are they all blind box because you don't know what you are getting?

There are some vinylmations that you can buy where you can see which ones you are getting. The one's that you can't see until you open the box are the ones that I was referring to as "blind box."

[Chaitali]

I was a weird kid but I remember loving Epcot when I was little. So I was pretty excited to be able to re-visit it as an adult and to take Mike there. It has changed a lot since the last time I was there so it was more like we were exploring it together but I did still love it. Though it was a lot more walking than I remembered. And the day we were there was very hot.

We were at the gates by 8:30 for a 9:00 park opening. There was hardly anyone there when we got there but it was definitely getting crowded by 8:45.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5934975145_2083731736_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934975145/)
Line behind us (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934975145/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5934975251_36593f6538_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934975251/)
Line in front of us (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934975251/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We occupied ourselves by taking some photos in the morning.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/5935534984_240d3be8c8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935534984/)
Earned my ears (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935534984/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5935535302_6f496b503a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935535302/)
Edited IMG_0580 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935535302/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6003/5934974761_9fbda8268a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934974761/)
Edited IMG_0582 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934974761/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5935535452_205d3489c3_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935535452/)
Tron-o-rail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935535452/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Once they let us in we walked with the crowd to the area right past Spaceship Earth and they held us there with the rope. There wasn't much of a rope drop “show” but the characters did come out for some greetings.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5934975403_a9d6a08707_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934975403/)
Edited IMG_0589 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934975403/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6142/5935536044_f854b4d40f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536044/)
Edited IMG_0592 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536044/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Once the rope was dropped we walked (with much of the rest of the crowd) to Soarin'. We ended up having to wait around 20 minutes but the line to get fast passes was long too and we figured we might as well get it out of the way now. We loved this ride! It was a first for both of us and one of my very few regrets on this trip is that we were only able to do it once. The fast passes were already for around 2pm by the time we got off the ride. Since we were in the Land Pavilion we decided to see the little movie using the Lion King characters to talk about environmental conservation. It can see it being a nice little air conditioned break in the middle of the afternoon but it wasn't that great otherwise. After that we wandered over to the Seas with Nemo and got on the ride with a 10 minute wait. The ride was ok but I did enjoy the aquarium afterward. I'm not sure if it needed to have Nemo thrown in, but I can see why that might be useful to draw in younger children.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5935535116_ba05f3ae06_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935535116/)
Edited IMG_0579 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935535116/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6028/5935536200_de6c73b928_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536200/)
Edited IMG_0596 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536200/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We saw that Stitch was available for photographs on the Times Guide so we decided to wander up to the front of the park to see how long the line was since we had missed him at Animal Kingdom. When we walked up there we saw that there was a long line, but wait! It was all for Daisy and there was no one waiting for Stitch at all. We ran over to get a photo with him and he gave me a kiss as we left :)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5935536362_feff86de54_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536362/)
Yay, Stitch! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536362/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We walked back to check out Innoventions. Unfortunately, the line for The Sum of All Thrills had a line of 30 minutes so we decided not to wait. We walked around a bit but there wasn't anything else there that really interested us. We went over to Club Cool and I had to try the Beverly after reading all about it. I don't mind a little bit of bitter so I even thought I might like it. Definitely not! I didn't warn Mike and had him try it too :) Sadly I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of his reaction.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5935536488_66ae34262d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536488/)
Winnie the Pooh (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536488/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5934976161_0d46389e97_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934976161/)
Cars! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934976161/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

By this point it was 11am so we decided to head over to the world showcase for an early lunch. My initial plan was to try Crepes but the kiosk wasn't open yet. So we wandered around France for a while, took some photos, and then decided to get lunch from the bakery. They didn't have a lot of vegetarian (non-sweet) options but we both had quiches and they were really good. We also shared a napoleon.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5935536842_a68ec8f505_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536842/)
Lunch (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935536842/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

By this point, I was tired and hot and my feet hurt :( So we decided to head on back to the resort for a nap. It was extra magic hours that night so we would have plenty of time to come back later. We did stop for slushies on the way out of France :) I had the Grand Marnier slushie and Mike had the Grey Goose slushie. They were stronger than I thought they would be but so tasty! I took a sip of Mike's and I did think the Grey Goose slushie was a little bit better. We sipped our drinks as we waited for the boat and then we rode it back to the front of Epcot. I saw that the Jammitors were supposed to be performing soon so we decided to wait around. But we waited and they never showed up :( I guess they were running late and I was just too hot to keep waiting in the sun. We stopped for some photos on our way out and then onto the bus.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5935537146_a9711974d0_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935537146/)
Edited IMG_0610 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935537146/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6146/5934976867_eca40fd5de_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934976867/)
Photo0076FourBySix (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934976867/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

[Chaitali]

After a couple hours in the dark and cold room, I felt a lot better. We hopped back on the bus to Epcot to explore the World Showcase. We started off by picking up our communicator for the Kim Possible mission! I used to love watching Kim Possible on tv so I was pretty excited about this :) Mike wasn't too into it so I only did one mission but I am proud to say that I saved the world in France. I thought that the way this was set up was very clever and definitely engaging. The only thing I didn't like was that once I had finished the mission, it kept beeping at me until I had a chance to drop it off at another Kim Possible station.

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Kim Possible Mission (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935539256/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We explored the U.K. and caught the new band. I really enjoyed their show. And I am a Beatles fan but I enjoyed the greater variety of music.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5935538350_bb869417ee_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935538350/)
Edited IMG_0559 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935538350/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/5935538810_39af4d1d02_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935538810/)
Dancing girl in the UK (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935538810/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We continued around the world showcase and spent a lot of time in Japan checking out the store there. It was amazing and a lot of fun little things to see. I was also feeling hot and tired again afterward so we got some Kaki Gori and sat on a shaded bench to enjoy. They were amazing and so refreshing on a hot afternoon! This might have been one of the best decisions we made. We also watched the Taiko performance after we finished up our snack.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6137/5934979611_23b5487151_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934979611/)
Morocco marketplace (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934979611/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6137/5934979787_87199a3f4f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934979787/)
A diamond in the rough (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934979787/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Edited IMG_0587 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935540728/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Edited IMG_0588 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934980281/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6129/5935541102_5a5751ce3d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935541102/)
Kaki Gori (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935541102/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6015/5934980699_67fc3df5cf_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934980699/)
Taiko drummers (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934980699/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Some more walking and then we checked out the clock store in Germany, which was really cool. Of course, we had to stop at the Carmel shop in Germany. We got a caramel pecan bar which was amazing.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6128/5934980885_a49f4fb523_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934980885/)
Caramel heaven (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934980885/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Edited IMG_0599 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934981197/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr


Looking at that it looks like we spent most of the day eating! But there was a lot of walking around and just taking in the various pavilions. We also rode the boat ride in Norway at some point. This is one attraction that really seemed in need of an update to me.

After our walk around the world, it was time for our dinner at La Hacienda. I knew that not all the tables had a view of illuminations but again, I figured I would just leave it up to chance and see what happened. We got lucky again and had a great table. It was one table away from the window and looked right over the water.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6125/5935542362_d7d735abe6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935542362/)
Edited IMG_0609 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935542362/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

I ordered the margarita flight and Mike decided to stick with the classic margarita. Yummy! The margarita flight wasn't on the menu but I had read on here that you could ask for it. The flight was five little margaritas and it was a lot of alcohol.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/5934982285_6451a0083c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934982285/)
Margaritas! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934982285/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Vegetarian menu (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934982075/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6142/5935542852_815c0d78c6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935542852/)
Hidden Mickey (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935542852/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We ordered the queso appetizer without the chorizo to share. I had the vegetable enchiladas and Mike had the fish tacos. I loved the enchiladas. They were flavorful with a lot of fresh vegetables and not smothered in cheese like a lot of other places. Mike liked his tacos also. I was pretty full by that point so I told Mike to just order whatever he wanted for dessert and I'd have a couple bites. He ended up ordering some sort of chocolate pudding thing. I thought it was only ok but it might just have been because I was full and not interested. Overall, we loved this restaurant :) And of course, we were able to see illuminations with our dessert.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5935543224_336621613c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935543224/)
Veggie enchiladas (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935543224/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Fish Tacos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935543378/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5935543538_8f6a2bdbfa_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935543538/)
Illuminations (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935543538/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Now it was evening magic hours and we went over to the boat ride in the Mexico pavilion since we were already here. They did check our resort keys before we were able to get in line but the ride was a walk on. I know it's a little cheesy but we both enjoyed this ride.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5934982995_5d19d03b37_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934982995/)
Three Caballeros (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5934982995/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6017/5935543824_f3b89c8c57_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935543824/)
Donald in Mexico (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935543824/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We then went over to Journey into Imagination, which used to be my favorite ride when I was a kid. It wasn't as good as it used to be but it was still fun. We also enjoyed the photo booths in the imagination pavilion afterward and got some photo booth stickers to bring home with us :) We then watched Captain EO. Talk about a blast from the past! We both remembered this from when we were little so it was fun to see again but it really hasn't aged that well. No line for either of these of course.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/5935544022_d2f73d8ce2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935544022/)
Imagination Pavilion (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935544022/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/5935544230_0b43beccc1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935544230/)
Blast from the Past (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5935544230/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We thought about trying Soarin' again but the line was 45 minutes so we headed over to Test Track. We got in the single rider line which was 10 minutes. We weren't able to sit next to each other but Mike was in the row right behind me. We both really enjoyed this ride. We walked onto Spaceship Earth as our last ride since you can't leave Epcot without riding Spaceship Earth! We left the park around 11:45 and we were on the bus by midnight.

[aprilisis]

Your photos are awesome! I had no idea that La Hacienda had a vegetarian menu!!!! I'm going to switch up some reservations in November to try it out.

[itsalebeau]

I knew Epcot was big, but man, it is *really* big when it is hot out! We actually decided to push through our days there because it just seemed too far (esp. w/ two kids) to hoof it all the way to the buses to go back to the hotel.

the Kim Possible adventures are so cool! Princess Aurora brings back good memories, my daughter was having a meltdown and then we spotted the Princess all by herself and walked right up to meet her and it totally turned her day around!

You take such great photos. :)

We spent an hour in the store in Japan! And the tangerine Kaki Gori was so good!

/fangirling your trip

[orangecats2]

Just found your TR and I am hooked. Your pics are so crisp and clear I love all of them! Only read the first page so far so going back to read. :goodvibes

[TanzUnited99]

What a great review of Epcot! I was happy to read you enjoyed Soarin and although you only got to ride it once you will be able to get a chance to ride it again very soon! :thumbsup2

Yay on meeting Stitch without having to wait! Sounds like you had a great time at WS and lol eating and drinking is all part of the exploring! ;)

[Chaitali]

Your photos are awesome! I had no idea that La Hacienda had a vegetarian menu!!!! I'm going to switch up some reservations in November to try it out.

Yay, I would definitely recommend it :) Isn't it great to have a second trip coming up to pick up on some of the things you might have missed the first time around?

I knew Epcot was big, but man, it is *really* big when it is hot out! We actually decided to push through our days there because it just seemed too far (esp. w/ two kids) to hoof it all the way to the buses to go back to the hotel.

the Kim Possible adventures are so cool! Princess Aurora brings back good memories, my daughter was having a meltdown and then we spotted the Princess all by herself and walked right up to meet her and it totally turned her day around!

You take such great photos. :)

We spent an hour in the store in Japan! And the tangerine Kaki Gori was so good!

/fangirling your trip

Yay for fangirls and thanks for the compliment! That's awesome that seeing Princess Aurora was able to turn your daughter's day around. The characters really can be magical, even for adults. She asked Mike if he had slain any dragons for me yet ;)

Just found your TR and I am hooked. Your pics are so crisp and clear I love all of them! Only read the first page so far so going back to read. :goodvibes

Thanks for the compliment! I hope you enjoy and that its helpful. I've found so much great information on this board.

What a great review of Epcot! I was happy to read you enjoyed Soarin and although you only got to ride it once you will be able to get a chance to ride it again very soon! :thumbsup2

Yay on meeting Stitch without having to wait! Sounds like you had a great time at WS and lol eating and drinking is all part of the exploring! ;)

Eating and drinking was definitely a big part of it for us! We also bought a package of fruit flavored marshmallow candies from the Japan store to take back with us.

[Chaitali]

We went back to Hollywood Studios this morning for Star Wars Weekend. We are both Star Wars geeks so we were pretty excited about this. We weren't interested in standing in line for autographs or anything but we just wanted to take in the Star Wars atmosphere :) Hollywood Studios was supposed to open at 8am so we were at the bus stop by 7am. This was the longest we waited for a bus all week, so it took a bit more than 15 minutes.

We were at the Hollywood Studios entrance by 7:40 but there was no line. Hmm... it seems like the park opened earlier than it was scheduled to. So we missed the rope drop show with the storm troopers but it was nice not to have to wait in a crowd. We walked right in and straight to Toy Story Mania. We were greeted there with absolutely no line! Yep, we walked right on to the ride. It was perfect and we absolutely loved the ride.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023/5956468974_535edec37f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956468974/)
Edited IMG_0635 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956468974/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We headed over to Star Tours 2 for another ride but the stand by line was pretty long already so we decided to just get a fast pass. Our return time was 11:40am and this was only 8am. We walked over to Rock and Roller Coaster. I was really excited about this one since I am a giant Aerosmith fan. I absolutely loved the ride and can't wait to ride it again in October! We went out through the gift shop (of course) and I saw leather pants clad Mickey. Of course, he had to come home with us :)

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aerosmith mickey (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956475196/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

They had a special tent set up for Star Wars merchandise (it was called Jabba's Hut) so we went there next. We spent more than we should have but a lot of it was gifts for other people, I promise! There were some cool limited edition things, lots of clever t-shirts, pins, etc. Since we were heading home the next day, we couldn't have the things sent to our resort but we did have them (and rock and roll Mickey) sent to the front of the park to pick up on our way out.

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Star wars backdrops at Jabba's Hut (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956468046/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Tatooine (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955907819/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Disney star wars characters (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956468540/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Carbonite Donald (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955908349/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

After we finished our shopping we went on the Backlot Tour. Eh... it just doesn't make too much sense any more now that its not a working studio. After that we just spent some time walking around and absorbing the star wars atmosphere. There were long lines everywhere for the characters and the actors but people seemed to be enjoying them. We decided it was time for lunch and stopped by the ABC Commissary but they didn't have any vegetarian options. So we wandered over to the Backlot Express. Mike had a burger and I had the veggie panini, which was awesome.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5956470048_eff0570fb8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956470048/)
Our Kermie (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956470048/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Darth Goofy and Donald Trooper (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956470202/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Roaming Ewok (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956470358/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Backlot Express lunch (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956470646/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

After lunch we went to Star Tours for our second Star Tours ride of the week. Most of the scenes were entirely different than our first ride, which was pretty cool.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/5955910635_2eb6335b58_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955910635/)
Edited IMG_0684 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955910635/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Edited IMG_0689 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955910771/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We decided to go get a good spot for the parade. It was really hot and it was the height of the afternoon. We ended up waiting outside for an hour and we got a spot really close to the curb but I'm not sure it was worth it. The parade was great but it was just too much time in the sun and in the middle of the giant crowd.

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Waiting for the parade (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956472792/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
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Jedi Mickey (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955912881/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5955913089_3422f4d856_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955913089/)
Princess Minnie (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955913089/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6143/5956473802_6d75c4641d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956473802/)
Darth Goofy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956473802/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5955913601_5f65f30105_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955913601/)
Donald Trooper (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955913601/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/5956474306_b7c839a7b8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956474306/)
Furry Power! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5956474306/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6149/5955914125_7827b1d073_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955914125/)
Darth Maul (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955914125/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6147/5955914271_68fac43b25_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955914271/)
Asoka (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955914271/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/5955914457_81aca0fc69_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955914457/)
Edited IMG_0784 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/5955914457/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We fought our way to the front of the park to pick up our shopping. The park was really crowded by this point so we were pretty happy to be heading out. It took about 15 minutes to get our package since there was someone in line in front of us but it was certainly not too bad. We then hopped on a bus (which pulled up right as we got to the stop) back to the resort for a bit of a rest before our dinner at Jiko.

[aprilisis]

Wow! Great photos!!! What lens did you use at DHS?
I'm so surprised that there was no wait for TSM- that is awesome!
Oh- BTW- I revised my dining in November to include La Hacienda!! Thanks for mentioning the veg menu because I LOVE Mexican food!:thumbsup2

[TanzUnited99]

Yay at getting on TSMM with no wait! :yay:

Love the leather pants clad Mickey! :thumbsup2

What great photos and the SWW parade looks soo cool! :cool1: Can't believe your TR is coming to an end.

[itsalebeau]

OMG a Star Wars parade! How awesome! I'm bummed we missed SWW, but my son did the Jedi Training Academy and loved Star Tours so it was all good. He did forget to go back and build/buy a double sided lightsaber, which he is still pretty upset about. Guess we'll have to go back!

[407-W-DISNEY]

Love the 'rocker' Mickey in leather....so cute!!!

[lbuzz52]

i'm glad that you finally got to ride Soarin! so much fun!

That carmel bar looked so tasty, as did your Kaki Gori. It was so hot!

What time was your La Hacienda ressie? it would be so neat to score a table with the view.

I can't believe you had no wait at TSMM. Awesome! Maybe i'll schedule a dhs day during a future SWW morning for that reason alone. well, and to see the Disney characters costume's. Darth Goofy is so cute!

[Chaitali]

Wow! Great photos!!! What lens did you use at DHS?
I'm so surprised that there was no wait for TSM- that is awesome!
Oh- BTW- I revised my dining in November to include La Hacienda!! Thanks for mentioning the veg menu because I LOVE Mexican food!:thumbsup2

I used a canon 50mm/1.8 lens. I love this lens b/c it's super sharp and has the wide aperture available for low light situations. It's also really light which was great at the Parks. Of course, the downside is that it doesn't zoom so the 50mm is the only option.

Hope you like La Hacienda!

[Chaitali]

Yay at getting on TSMM with no wait! :yay:

Love the leather pants clad Mickey! :thumbsup2

What great photos and the SWW parade looks soo cool! :cool1: Can't believe your TR is coming to an end.

I know, it's crazy that the TR is almost over but I've really enjoyed sharing it with people.

OMG a Star Wars parade! How awesome! I'm bummed we missed SWW, but my son did the Jedi Training Academy and loved Star Tours so it was all good. He did forget to go back and build/buy a double sided lightsaber, which he is still pretty upset about. Guess we'll have to go back!

Yep, you guys will definitely have to go back for the light saber ;) The Jedi training is a great idea. My nephew did it one year and loved it.

Love the 'rocker' Mickey in leather....so cute!!!

He's awesome! I was trying to be good but I couldn't resist him :)

i'm glad that you finally got to ride Soarin! so much fun!

That carmel bar looked so tasty, as did your Kaki Gori. It was so hot!

What time was your La Hacienda ressie? it would be so neat to score a table with the view.

I can't believe you had no wait at TSMM. Awesome! Maybe i'll schedule a dhs day during a future SWW morning for that reason alone. well, and to see the Disney characters costume's. Darth Goofy is so cute!

The La Hacienda reservation was at 7:45 for a 9:00 Illuminations. I loved Darth Goofy and his boxers! I really was ready to face the stampede for TSMM so it was great that there was not only no stampede but no line at all. We were super lucky with that one.

[clearskies]

Hi Chaitali,

I came across you TR and I am glad that I did. You are doing a wonderful job describing your trip and your pictures are fabulous :thumbsup2

I see that you brought a 55-200 and a 50 mm f/1.8 along for the adventure. Did you bring any other lenses?

Some random comments...

1. I never noticed that crank movie machine on Main Street. That Burlesque Bouncer title does not seem like your typical Disney entertainment though :scared1:

2. I love the many food pictures you took. I assume you used your 50mm lens for most with the shallow depth of field. I got too hungry looking through your pictures.

3. Love the new Haunted Mansion queue pics. Can't wait to see it myself.

4. POR looks so nice. I am staying at POFQ on our upcoming trip and I hope it is as nice.

5. Great safari pics. It is tough to capture good shots on that ride with all the bouncing going on. Great pictures in general from AK. Love the Maharajah Trek as well.

6. V&A looks incredible. Thank you for sharing.

7. I agree on GMR...this is dated.

8. Your Cali Grill pics make me want to eat there just to get out on the observation deck again.

9. I am with you on Captain EO not aging so well

10. Wow on the no line for TSMM. I've never heard of that before.

and finally...

11. I am sorry to see your trip nearing an end and that I came in late.

[Chaitali]

Hi Chaitali,

I came across you TR and I am glad that I did. You are doing a wonderful job describing your trip and your pictures are fabolous :thumbsup2

I see that you brought a 55-200 and a 50 mm f/1.8 along for the adventure. Did you bring any other lenses?

Some random comments...

1. I never noticed that crank movie machine on Maint Street. That Burlesque Bouncer title does not seem like your typical Disney entertainment though :scared1:

2. I love the many food pictures you took. I assume you used your 50mm lens for most with the shallow depth of field. I got too hungry looking through your pictures.

3. Love the new Haunted Mansion queue pics. Can't wait to see it myself.

4. POR looks so nice. I am staying at POFQ on our upcoming trip and I hope it is as nice.

5. Great safari pics. It is touch to capture good shots on that ride with all the bouncing going on. Great pictures in general from AK. Love the Maharajah Trail as well.

6. V&A looks incredible. Thank you for sharing.

7. I agree on GMR...this is dated.

8. Your Cali Grill pics make me want to eat there just to get out on the observation deck again.

9. I am with you on Captain EO not aging so well

10. Wow on the no line for TSMM. I've never heard of that before.

and finally...

11. I am sorry to see your trip nearing an end and that I came in late.

Thanks for the compliments on the photos :) I've seen the photos in your trip report, which are amazing, so I really appreciate it!

As far as lenses I also had an 18-55 mm kit lens. I mostly used the 50mm for the speed and because it's so light. I only used the 55-200 at Animal Kingdom and it stayed in the bag in the room the rest of the time. I basically picked one lens for the day so I didn't have to carry multiple lenses around with me. We also had a point and shoot I could just stick in my purse for when we didn't plan to take too many photos and just enjoy ourselves.

We went by POFQ on the boats and it looked really nice. I hear great things about it all the time, especially its compact nature. hope you'll post about how you like it :) The boat to downtown disney was really great.

[clearskies]

Thanks for the compliments on the photos :) I've seen the photos in your trip report, which are amazing, so I really appreciate it!

As far as lenses I also had an 18-55 mm kit lens. I mostly used the 50mm for the speed and because it's so light. I only used the 55-200 at Animal Kingdom and it stayed in the bag in the room the rest of the time. I basically picked one lens for the day so I didn't have to carry multiple lenses around with me. We also had a point and shoot I could just stick in my purse for when we didn't plan to take too many photos and just enjoy ourselves.

Wow, keeping your lenses to basically one per day makes your work even more impressive. Truly an excellent job!


We went by POFQ on the boats and it looked really nice. I hear great things about it all the time, especially its compact nature. hope you'll post about how you like it :) The boat to downtown disney was really great.
The fact that POFQ is less spread out was one of the reasons I picked it but I was on the fence with POR as well. Hopefully I'll get to stay there one trip as well.

[Chaitali]

Yikes, I'm sorry its been so long since the last update. Things have been a but busy here, and I guess in some ways I didn't want the report to end, either. But I've got to add the last installment at some point, so it might as well be now!

So after a bit of a rest, we got ready for our dinner at Jiko. I was very excited about this dinner because I had heard great reviews about Jiko. I had also heard that the Animal Kingdom Lodge was fun to see so we decided to head over a bit early. We took the bus to Animal Kingdom and then another bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We had no wait at all for the first bus but waited around 15 minutes or so for the second bus.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge was gorgeous! I'd love to stay there at some point. The only downside I've heard is that if you get a room at the end of the hall, it can be a very long walk. Here are some of the photos from the Lodge.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6190/6030065201_0a30de30c9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030065201/)
edited IMG_0617 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030065201/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6123/6030065443_8a0e470c35_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030065443/)
edited IMG_0619 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030065443/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6062/6030620284_65135057d4_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030620284/)
edited IMG_0620 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030620284/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6064/6030066069_eb1ff61656_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030066069/)
edited IMG_0623 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030066069/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6030621016_0239f2d41c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030621016/)
edited IMG_0627 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030621016/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6067/6030621174_7bb0622ea9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030621174/)
edited IMG_0634 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030621174/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6030621506_db7143bddc_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030621506/)
edited IMG_0639 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030621506/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

We then walked around the pool area and wandered back in to head down to the restaurant. It was very chaotic because Jiko was right across from another restaurant, I think it was Boma. Thankfully it calmed down once we got into the restaurant as most of the crowd was for the other restaurant. We were given a buzzer and told we could wait at the bar, so we decided to go ahead and get some drinks. Of course, the buzzer went off right as we got our drinks. At least we didn't have to wait long! The drinks were tasty and strong! I loved that the martini came with a shaker.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6193/6030067111_454c6564ea_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030067111/)
edited IMG_0641 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030067111/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

Our food was amazing, but our service was unfortunately a little off. If we hadn't had such amazing service all week, we might not have noticed at all. It wasn't bad service, but it was just that our waitress was a little scattered. Anyway, on to the amazing food.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6147/6030067221_3f85b7cc56_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030067221/)
edited IMG_0644 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030067221/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

First, we shared the bread service. All of the dips were delicious. There was also a complimentary basket of bread that came with tandoori butter. This butter was amazing. It was definitely right up there with the bread service that we paid for.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6189/6030067445_8e7f8fafbe_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030067445/)
edited IMG_0645 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030067445/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

I can't remember what my entree was called but I loved it. It was a vegetable stack, a crepe with spinach and mushrooms, and a chickpea cake with a red pepper sauce. The crepe was one of the best things I had all week. I liked that I was able to sample several different tastes with this one entree. Mike had the filet with the hominy risotto which he said was really good.

Somehow I don't have a photo of our dessert. But it was some sort of chocolate-y thing (I let Mike choose). It was apparently not that memorable since I can't remember anything else about it. It was tasty but the rest of the meal had been better.

We then walked back to the bus stop and hopped on a bus to the Magic Kingdom. We hadn't had a chance to see the Main Street Electrical Parade yet and I remembered it from when I was little so I really wanted to see it. Plus the Magic Kingdom was open until 1am so it seemed ideal.

We decided to catch the second parade so we went straight to Frontier Land when we got to the Magic Kingdom. We rode Splash Mountain and grabbed a fast pass for Big Thunder Mountain. We hopped on Big Thunder Mountain as soon as we were done with Splash Mountain. It was definitely a fun and different experience at night. Space Mountain was closed. We later found out it was because someone had passed out on the ride. By the time we got off the mountains the first parade was already on and we were a bit stuck. So we took some time to get a soda and check out a store. Once the parade was over we went over to Fantasy Land. I wanted to ride Peter Pan again but the line was still long. I was surprised by that since I thought most people would be waiting for the fireworks. We went to see Philharmagic again, which I was happy about :) After that, we decided to grab a snack and a good seat for the parade. I hadn't had anything Mickey shaped yet so I got a Mickey shaped rice krispie treat. The second parade was not crowded at all so we had a seat right on the curb. I didn't take too many photos this weekend as we were just enjoying our last night but I'll leave you with these two.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6069/6030067955_9dbf18b459_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030067955/)
Parade! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030067955/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/6030622636_fb5e456031_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030622636/)
Main Street Electrical Parade (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30761203@N06/6030622636/) by Chaita_1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/30761203@N06/), on Flickr

[407-W-DISNEY]

I don't want your report to end either! Great job with photos and details of your day.

I love the Main St Electrical Parade! Seeing it definitely brought me back to my childhood...
Dinner at Jiko looked yummy....especially the bread!! that is my weakness..:rotfl2:

[TanzUnited99]

AKL looks soo pretty - I would also love to stay there one day :cloud9:

I'm glad you enjoyed the food at Jiko - it all looks so yummy! A shame that you did not have the service to match.

Love the pics of MSEP and can't wait to see it for myself! Yeah on riding the two mountains in the dark - :eek: at someone passing out on Space Mountain.

I'm also sad to see your TR come to an end but can't wait for the next one!

[lbuzz52]

Jiko looks very tasty! AKL seems like such a fun place. i need to make time to visit it next trip, for sure. glad you got to see MSEP!

[clearskies]

Sorry to see this is your last installment Chaitali. I love the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Smart move getting there early to look around. You captured some nice pictures!

Great way to end a trip with a night at MK and catching the parade. Nice final pics of MSEP :thumbsup2

[Marshay]

Joining in, sorry I'm late!

Will go back and comment...can't wait to hear how your trip went.:goodvibes

[aprilisis]

I LOVE your AKL photos! I had that same entree at Jiko, too, and I have to agree that it was awesome.

[Chaitali]

I don't want your report to end either! Great job with photos and details of your day.

I love the Main St Electrical Parade! Seeing it definitely brought me back to my childhood...
Dinner at Jiko looked yummy....especially the bread!! that is my weakness..:rotfl2:

Yeah, I loved being able to see that parade because of the nostalgia factor. And the bread at Jiko was amazing. It felt a little weird to order the bread for an appetizer when we got free bread too, but it was worth it :)

AKL looks soo pretty - I would also love to stay there one day :cloud9:

I'm glad you enjoyed the food at Jiko - it all looks so yummy! A shame that you did not have the service to match.

Love the pics of MSEP and can't wait to see it for myself! Yeah on riding the two mountains in the dark - :eek: at someone passing out on Space Mountain.

I'm also sad to see your TR come to an end but can't wait for the next one!

AKL looked awesome. I think it would be a great place to stay one day. There seems to be a lot of stuff to do there also. Your trip is so close! I hope you have a great time. I look forward to reading your TR ;)

Jiko looks very tasty! AKL seems like such a fun place. i need to make time to visit it next trip, for sure. glad you got to see MSEP!

It was a bit far, but definitely worth checking out AKL. I thought it would take a long time to get there using the buses but it wasn't too bad at all.

Sorry to see this is your last installment Chaitali. I love the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Smart move getting there early to look around. You captured some nice pictures!

Great way to end a trip with a night at MK and catching the parade. Nice final pics of MSEP :thumbsup2

Thanks :) I had a hard time getting good photos of the parade because I didn't have a tripod and my hands aren't all that steady!

Joining in, sorry I'm late!

Will go back and comment...can't wait to hear how your trip went.:goodvibes

Hope you enjoy the reading :)

[Chaitali]

I LOVE your AKL photos! I had that same entree at Jiko, too, and I have to agree that it was awesome.

Yummm... that entree was great. I loved the variety of tastes it offered. Thanks for the compliment about the photos :) I joined in on a photo safari at the botanical gardens around here not too long ago so I've been trying to keep in practice!

[Chaitali]

My October trip is coming together nicely. I can't believe it's only about 2 months away! This one has really crept up on me, mostly because things have been pretty busy. I've been applying for a new job and Mike and I are going to DragonCon over Labor Day weekend so we've been preparing for that. It's a Science Fiction convention in Atlanta. It's not my usual thing since I don't like crowds, but I'm giving it a try. It should also give me plenty of opportunity to take interesting photos!

So far, the October trip looks this.

Arrive on Sunday, October 23rd. We're staying at the Sheraton Vistana Resort in a 2 bedroom condo. It will just be me and my brother at first. We probably won't get to the hotel until 4:30 at the earliest so I doubt we'll go to a park this day. I think we'll just grab dinner (maybe at Downtown Disney) and try to go to the Poly to take photos of the MK fireworks. My brother is also into photography so I think we'll take advantage of it being just the 2 of us at the beginning and have a lot of photo time.

Monday is our Epcot day. Tuesday, we are going to the Halloween party in the evening. For costumes, I think I'm going to find a dress that sort of looks like Lilo's dress and a flower in my hair. I'll get my brother the Stitch hat and that should be relatively easy costumes for us. No firm plans for the day but my brother wants to do the zip line at Gator Land so we might try that. Wednesday, we're going to Hollywood Studios in the morning and we'll go to the airport to pick up my parents in the afternoon. Thursday is MK since it's my mom's favorite. Friday is a hang-out day so maybe mini golf and DTD. My mom mentioned she wanted to try baby cakes since she can rarely have baked goods (she doesn't eat eggs). My brother and I have tickets to La Nouba Friday night. Saturday is Animal Kingdom since my mom hasn't been there and Sunday is time to go home.

[TanzUnited99]

Love the October plans! :thumbsup2

The costumes for MNSSHP sound simple and fun! Yay on going to see La Nouba! :banana:

[Marshay]

All caught up!

Love your TR and your photos are terrific! Nice job!

I like the picture of Mike kissing the lady statue at HM...particularly b/c the man statue next to him looks like he definitely does not approve and might even be trying to grab Mike!

I know what you mean about AstroOrbiter -- that is a tight fit!! I'm 6' and it is hard to get in with just me and my daughter!

Your photos of V&A are the first ones I've seen...and now if we can ever work it into our schedule, I want to go! Maybe I can convince DH to do for our 15th Wedding Anniversary.

You are very brave to wait 1 hour in that hot sun for the SW parade!

Sounds like you and Mike had a very good vacation and YAY for you to be able to go back in October!!!

[Chaitali]

Love the October plans! :thumbsup2

The costumes for MNSSHP sound simple and fun! Yay on going to see La Nouba! :banana:

La Nouba was one of the few things my brother really wanted to see and I've seen a couple Cirque du Soleil shows in the past that I've really liked, so I think this should be good :) I ended up getting tickets to the early show Friday evening so we should be able to have a late dinner and a drink at DTD after the show.

All caught up!

Love your TR and your photos are terrific! Nice job!

I like the picture of Mike kissing the lady statue at HM...particularly b/c the man statue next to him looks like he definitely does not approve and might even be trying to grab Mike!

I know what you mean about AstroOrbiter -- that is a tight fit!! I'm 6' and it is hard to get in with just me and my daughter!

Your photos of V&A are the first ones I've seen...and now if we can ever work it into our schedule, I want to go! Maybe I can convince DH to do for our 15th Wedding Anniversary.

You are very brave to wait 1 hour in that hot sun for the SW parade!

Sounds like you and Mike had a very good vacation and YAY for you to be able to go back in October!!!

Thanks for the compliment about the photos! I love that photo at the HM with the statues too, I think it's hilarious :) I'm way past being a teenager but sometimes I can't but help act like one!

[Chaitali]

I haven't been here in a while since I got a new job last month and it's been taking up a lot of time :) I'm very excited to say that I am leaving for Disney World on Sunday! I'm meeting my brother at the airport Sunday afternoon and then we'll pick up the rental car and drive to the Sheraton Vistana. My parents will get into town Wednesday afternoon and meet us at the hotel. We'll all leave for the airport together on the following Sunday. I plan to take lots of photos (as does my brother) so I plan to start a trip report once I get back.

[TanzUnited99]

:woohoo: on leaving on Sunday!!! I'm a bit jealous! :lmao:

Looking forward to seeing all the photos and reading the new trip report.

[ohboyx3]

Great report! We were there from the 18th - 26th. It got hotter as the weeken went on I thought. Looking forward to more updates!

[Chaitali]

Ok, better late than never! I've finally started my trip report for the trip I took with my parents and brother in October. It's only 2.5 months later :) In my defense, I had a new job taking up some of my energy.

The link is in my signature. I hope to see you guys there!

[BurleyGirl]

Really enjoyed your May report. Beautiful pictures and informative posts!

[Chaitali]

Really enjoyed your May report. Beautiful pictures and informative posts!

Thank you :) I tried to provide the information that I would want to read about. I hope I can do the same with the trip report about my October trip!