"It's better when it's just the two of us" - aka - Our first family trip! HI!!! 1/4!

[Mrs T 2009]

I am just like you with leaving on time!!!! It drives me nuts when we leave late or too close to the time to leave!!! LOL

Your room at BC looks gorgeous! Makes me want to stay there that much sooner!!

Traveling with family is hard. We've traveled to Disney with just my mom ( which was good and bad ) and with my husbands dad and siblings ( we found ourselves repeating "never again" during and after that trip! ) and we decided that just going as us or our own family ( mike me and rylan ) is the best way to go!!! We do want to eventually go back with both my mom and dad since my dad couldn't go when my mom had come with us, but no more big family trips! LOL

I am glad that the "mood" turned itself around for you and the night ended very well I dislike when I plan something and do not get positive feedback from it. It does make one feel rejected in a way or that they didn't plan well enough - though we all know that you plan awesomely!!!!

 

[Jennifer48]

Wow, so sorry your arrival day started off on a bad foot but I'm so glad to hear everyone enjoyed dinner & Illuminations! Bring on MK!

 

[solana131]

Great update. I think you dealt with the complaining well. Glad you spoke up right off the bat so it wasn't a problem. We were there the 4th-11th so I'll be checking your pics to see if I'm in the background

Teppan looks fun. Will have to try that next time. And we never got to Illuminations the whole week! I can't believe we let that pass us by. Oh well, all the more reason to book a return trip soon

We stayed at the Poly, but we did the BC-Ep walk twice while we were there and it was very quick and convenient. I would definitely consider staying there sometime.

Can't wait to read about your MK day

 

[oboedm]

I don't think you were being a Debbie Downer at all! I appreciate your honesty and I can definitely relate. i planned a trip for my family to DLR a year ago, and it seemed like all anyone ever did was complain. I am glad you talked to your grandmother, though. In my family we just simmer until we boil over and make a scene. Not healthy at all!

 

[MHTeacher]

WOW! What an update-I'm not sure where to start!

First, can we truly describe the magic of a chicken-mini from chick-fil-a! ?!?!

I agree about the Beach Club's rooms--They are so pretty! I can't believe your grandmother didn't seem happy with it at first. But I think that it's great that you just let her know how you were feeling. I completely understand why you were feeling that way. If I'm the planner, I tend to take every criticism personally.

So glad you liked Teppan Edo! We really enjoyed it during our last trip, so much that we booked it again for this upcoming trip. AND-that Napoleon! I have you to thank for falling in love with that little delicious treat!

Can't wait to hear how the official day one goes!

 

[BMC423]

Oh how I love the beach club!!! I've only been there once last year for breakfast. Thank you so much for posting all those great room pics. I really want to stay here but I think I will wait till my son is a bit older.

I'm sorry about all the complaining, and completely understand why you were taking it personally. I can't imagine anyone finding anything wrong with the BC upgrade or no upgrade . Can't blame your grandma for trying though!

Teppan Edo sounds great I have never been but it's something to try one day. Can't wait to hear about MK day.

 

[UGAFan0829]

I'm so envious that you were able to sleep for over half the trip...that would be awesome! Since it's just the DH and I, I'm always feel like I need to stay awake to make sure he stays awake! lol Usually I can only sleep for a few minutes at a time!! Y'all really did make good time!! Woohoo for that!

Despite the complaining and bad attitudes for a bit, it sounds like your trip got off to a great start! I abosolutely loved seeing the pics of the Beach Club!! I'm sorry that you had to hear the complaints, and I can totally understand you taking it personally. I would have felt the very same way, but I'm glad that you were able to bring it to your Grandmother's attention and that she was apologetic.

What an amazing evening in Epcot. I'm so glad that you loved Teppan Edo as we have an ADR there for our upcoming trip...now I'm even more excited about eating there!!

I can't wait to read more!!!

 

[mickey2minnie1]

Hi there! I love your real trip report. It is always hard when we love something so much and want others to love it just as much. We took my parents and although they enjoyed themselves and the time with the kids, they do not have the love I have for Disney. Oh well...

I cannot wait to hear more!!

Love your trip reports!!

Jill

 

[ditsypixie]

Hi! So glad I found your newest TR!

I don't think you were being a "Debbie Downer" at all. I can see how much time and effort went into planning a nice trip for everyone. It would be hard to listen to complaints. We went with a family a few years ago and we decided the same thing...we have a much better time when its just our family. It is so nice that you have a grandmother that listens to you and cares about your feelings

I am so glad to hear about Teppan Edo! It is definitely going on our possible ADR list when we go in Oct. I have always wanted to try it and hearing your review has made me want to go even more!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

I'm so glad the day turned around for you! I know exactly what you were feeling, we always go to WDW with families and friends and I always feel like it is our families job to make sure that everyone is having a great time.

Something else I see that you are experiencing is that it always seems to take longer to get anywhere - you are only as fast, as the slowest member of the group!!!!

It is definitely a different experience when you feel responsible for someone else's feelings. I always feel responsible for Miguel having a good time, but that is so simple by now!

That is so true about only being as fast as the slowest member!

I would have been upset with the complaining too...especially since the room pictures you posted were beautiful! What's to complain about? I feel like when you are fortunate enough to be able to afford a really nice vacation in a beautiful resort...what's to complain about? Maybe they were just on edge for some reason and things were coming out the wrong way though. Either way, I am glad that the night improved as you made your way to Epcot and that it ended with a great Illuminations viewing with everyone expressing how impressed they were!

I know! I couldn't find a single thing about our rooms at the BC that deserved a complaint. There were absolutely beautiful.

I'm glad that your arrival day got better. I'm sure once everyone is in the Disney parks everyone's moods and attitudes change. I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip.

That is true - moods definitely lift as soon as you get in the parks!

I am so sorry your arrival day was one with lots of complaints!
We went to Disney one year with our family (for thanksgiving) and it was honestly a really rough trip! So i totally understand where you are coming from!
However, the BC is amazing and your rooms looked beautiful! xxoo

The BC is amazing! Such a lovely resort. Ugh, sorry to hear about your Thanksgiving trip, but I will admit - it's kind of comforting to know we weren't the only ones that had a hard time on a group trip.

I am just like you with leaving on time!!!! It drives me nuts when we leave late or too close to the time to leave!!! LOL

Your room at BC looks gorgeous! Makes me want to stay there that much sooner!!

Traveling with family is hard. We've traveled to Disney with just my mom ( which was good and bad ) and with my husbands dad and siblings ( we found ourselves repeating "never again" during and after that trip! ) and we decided that just going as us or our own family ( mike me and rylan ) is the best way to go!!! We do want to eventually go back with both my mom and dad since my dad couldn't go when my mom had come with us, but no more big family trips! LOL

I am glad that the "mood" turned itself around for you and the night ended very well I dislike when I plan something and do not get positive feedback from it. It does make one feel rejected in a way or that they didn't plan well enough - though we all know that you plan awesomely!!!!

Haha - I came very close to saying never again, too! I'm not quite sure I made it to that point, since I figure at some point we'll go back with my family (when we have kids), but we definitely agreed that this wasn't something that would become a tradition!

Wow, so sorry your arrival day started off on a bad foot but I'm so glad to hear everyone enjoyed dinner & Illuminations! Bring on MK!

Yes, thankfully the day was salvaged by the evening! It's hard to complain about Illuminations.

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Great update. I think you dealt with the complaining well. Glad you spoke up right off the bat so it wasn't a problem. We were there the 4th-11th so I'll be checking your pics to see if I'm in the background

Teppan looks fun. Will have to try that next time. And we never got to Illuminations the whole week! I can't believe we let that pass us by. Oh well, all the more reason to book a return trip soon

We stayed at the Poly, but we did the BC-Ep walk twice while we were there and it was very quick and convenient. I would definitely consider staying there sometime.

Can't wait to read about your MK day

Thank you!

That will be too funny if you see yourself in any of our pictures! You must let me know!

Oh, you MUST see Illuminations! It is spectacular. I really prefer it over Wishes, even though I love Wishes, too!

I don't think you were being a Debbie Downer at all! I appreciate your honesty and I can definitely relate. i planned a trip for my family to DLR a year ago, and it seemed like all anyone ever did was complain. I am glad you talked to your grandmother, though. In my family we just simmer until we boil over and make a scene. Not healthy at all!

I had visions in my mind of one of us boiling over! I did think it was important to let my feelings out, and I'm very glad I did.

WOW! What an update-I'm not sure where to start!

First, can we truly describe the magic of a chicken-mini from chick-fil-a! ?!?!

I agree about the Beach Club's rooms--They are so pretty! I can't believe your grandmother didn't seem happy with it at first. But I think that it's great that you just let her know how you were feeling. I completely understand why you were feeling that way. If I'm the planner, I tend to take every criticism personally.

So glad you liked Teppan Edo! We really enjoyed it during our last trip, so much that we booked it again for this upcoming trip. AND-that Napoleon! I have you to thank for falling in love with that little delicious treat!

Can't wait to hear how the official day one goes!

Haha - I love Chicken Minis!

I think it's very hard, as the planner, not to take things personally. Thankfully, when it's just Miguel and I I don't. However, Miguel rarely complains about anything (as far as something being bad, not good enough, etc.) I guess I am just used to traveling with him!

Oh how I love the beach club!!! I've only been there once last year for breakfast. Thank you so much for posting all those great room pics. I really want to stay here but I think I will wait till my son is a bit older.

I'm sorry about all the complaining, and completely understand why you were taking it personally. I can't imagine anyone finding anything wrong with the BC upgrade or no upgrade . Can't blame your grandma for trying though!

Teppan Edo sounds great I have never been but it's something to try one day. Can't wait to hear about MK day.

I think the BC would be great for you when your son can really enjoy Stormalong Bay. I can see why children love it so much!

I never could find anything wrong with our rooms, either! I honestly think some people just like to complain, and sadly, my family is that way!

I'm so envious that you were able to sleep for over half the trip...that would be awesome! Since it's just the DH and I, I'm always feel like I need to stay awake to make sure he stays awake! lol Usually I can only sleep for a few minutes at a time!! Y'all really did make good time!! Woohoo for that!

Despite the complaining and bad attitudes for a bit, it sounds like your trip got off to a great start! I abosolutely loved seeing the pics of the Beach Club!! I'm sorry that you had to hear the complaints, and I can totally understand you taking it personally. I would have felt the very same way, but I'm glad that you were able to bring it to your Grandmother's attention and that she was apologetic.

What an amazing evening in Epcot. I'm so glad that you loved Teppan Edo as we have an ADR there for our upcoming trip...now I'm even more excited about eating there!!

I can't wait to read more!!!

Since I do the driving when it's just Miguel and I, I ask for him to stay awake, but it never happens!

Teppan Edo is great! I've heard alot of people say it's different for the typical hibachi, which I honestly didn't find, but it is very yummy and a fun place to eat!

Hi there! I love your real trip report. It is always hard when we love something so much and want others to love it just as much. We took my parents and although they enjoyed themselves and the time with the kids, they do not have the love I have for Disney. Oh well...

I cannot wait to hear more!!

Love your trip reports!!

Jill

Hello! Thank you for joining in!

It is very hard seeing people not loving Disney as much as I do. They all enjoyed it, but they definitely aren't the Disney fans that Miguel and I are. I honestly don't understand why everyone isn't fanatical about it!

Hi! So glad I found your newest TR!

I don't think you were being a "Debbie Downer" at all. I can see how much time and effort went into planning a nice trip for everyone. It would be hard to listen to complaints. We went with a family a few years ago and we decided the same thing...we have a much better time when its just our family. It is so nice that you have a grandmother that listens to you and cares about your feelings

I am so glad to hear about Teppan Edo! It is definitely going on our possible ADR list when we go in Oct. I have always wanted to try it and hearing your review has made me want to go even more!

Thank you for joining in! I am glad you're here!

It definitely takes a lot of effort to plan a trip to Disney, especially when it's a group of people, so it was very difficult to start off the trip so poorly.

Teppan Edo is great! I would definitely recommend it!

 

[xoktenox]

Wow, I thought I'd subscribed to this TR but I hadn't! Well, I'm here now!

As soon as I saw your title, I knew I had to join in. You've been reading my TR from our trip we just took and you can I'm sure see the similarities in disappointment with travel partners!! Chris and I were doing anything we could by the end of our trip to get off on our own because, "it's better just the 2 of us!!" Can't wait to read more

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Wow, I thought I'd subscribed to this TR but I hadn't! Well, I'm here now!

As soon as I saw your title, I knew I had to join in. You've been reading my TR from our trip we just took and you can I'm sure see the similarities in disappointment with travel partners!! Chris and I were doing anything we could by the end of our trip to get off on our own because, "it's better just the 2 of us!!" Can't wait to read more

Glad you made it over! I know that you can really relate to my frustrations on this trip! We kept dreaming up ways to escape on our own, too! The moments that we did manage to get away ended up being some of our favorite moments.

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

DAY 1 – PART 1

Waking up in Disney for the first time is always so exciting! I had set an alarm for 7:00, and after hitting the snooze button a few times I got up to shower and put on my makeup while Miguel slept a little while longer. I had gone down to the BC Marketplace the night before to get a little snack for the morning since we had a late breakfast ADR and I wanted to eat something before leaving. I got what was basically an adult lunchables with sliced turkey and cheese and I think I managed to get down two bites of turkey and about the same amount of cheese. It was not very good!

I had initially planned for us to meet in the BC lobby (and leave) at 8:30, but based on how long it took us to get out the door the night before, I figured 8:20 was a safer bet since I was really, really hoping to make it to rope drop. While I didn’t think RD was really necessary for the crowds, I did want for everyone (Miguel and I, included) to be able to see the opening show for the first time! So, at about 8:25, because I am admittedly not a morning person and am quite slow moving that time of day, Miguel and I made our way down to the lobby. Just as the night before, my grandparents were there waiting on us. My dad showed up a few minutes later, and after about 10 minutes, Mike made it down. Mike is normally a very on-time person, but this being 10 minutes late thing became the standard for the trip, which at times bothered me (especially when it made us late for an important ADR, but that will come later). I never complained to anyone, and I feel bad even mentioning it here, because as I said, I was 5 minutes late myself. But yes, I was stressing a little at this point. I know how long it can take to get to the MK, and I was really hoping to see that opening show!

Finally around 8:40, with my dreams of the opening show dashed, it was time to go.

My dad has a fairly roomy car, so we decided to all pile in there so that we could drive together. He and my grandfather sat in the front and Mike, my grandmother, Miguel and I piled into the back. It was a tight-squeeze, but we managed to fit and so this became our mode of transportation for the rest of the week. We did often joke after dinner that the backseat seemed tighter, though!

After a quick ride, we made it to the TTC where I was excited to see the newly re-themed Heroes and Villains parking lot. We found our spot in the Heroes side, and finally it was time for our first tram ride! On the tram they explain that the tram pickup stops at the front of the TTC are now divided with one side accessing the Heroes side, and the other going to the Villains side, so we made a note to make sure we got back on the Heroes tram, because they do not go to the other side! We never did see a Villains tram operating, though. Apparently they fill the Heroes side completely before they open up the Villains lots.

We had a quick debate over whether to take the monorail or the boat, and the monorail won out! It’s always so fun to be on your first monorail trip of a vacation!

When we pulled up to the MK, I was surprised at how crowded the entrance area was! It was probably about 9:15 at this point, and I was definitely not expecting there to be that many people since it was supposed to be such a low-crowd week. After we made it through the bag check we decided to skip the photo-op spots in the front and get to Fantasyland!

We did make a brief stop on Main Street for the restrooms, though, and I took the opportunity to take a few pictures and Miguel quickly ran over to Tomorrowland for Space Mountain FPs for later.

Crowd shot!

Finally with blatters emptied and SM FPs in hand, we made our way to Fantasyland, where our first order of business was to check out the construction!

Then, it was time for our first attraction! I decided to start off the trip with a classic that everyone would love: Peter Pan’s Flight! The posted wait time was already up to 20 minutes, but it really ended up being more of a walk-on.

Next up was my grandmother’s favorite ride, It’s a Small World.

By the time we made it through the ride and returned to the loading area, it had just turned 10:00, so we got to see the coo-coo clock go off. I guess I’ve never been in the loading area right at the top of the hour, because I didn’t even know this happened!

At this point, we were getting close to our 10:20 Crystal Palace ADR so I didn’t really feel like we had time to do anything else in Fantasyland. We hadn’t accomplished too much, but at least we did do a couple of classics. We decided to go ahead to CP so that we could take our time walking over and take some pictures of the castle.

At about 10:15 I went to check us in at CP and since our window had opened on, Miguel did another FP run (this time for Splash Mountain) while we waited outside the restaurant. He ended up making it back right as our buzzer went off – perfect timing!

We were led to a nice round table (we loved when we got those) over on the right-hand side of the restaurant by the windows and we quickly made our way up to the buffet. Sadly, while we were getting our food Pooh was making the rounds in our area, so we missed him. I mentioned this to my grandmother, and she got so sad! While we were getting our food the kids parade started and when it passed by the buffet she was so determined to get a picture with Pooh that she just jumped in line with the kids! Needless to say, Pooh couldn’t stop so there was no picture to be had.

Just as we made it back to the table, Piglet arrived!

After visiting with Piglet, we could dig in!

My plate:

Miguel’s plate:

All of the food was very tasty. We really enjoy the Crystal Palace, and we haven’t had a disappointing experience there, yet. My favorite items were the puffed French toast, the red potatoes and the pizza. The frittata was also really good, and I’m not even a fan of eggs! There wasn’t a single thing on my plate that I didn’t like.

Towards the end of our meal, we finally saw another furry friend – Tigger!

My grandmother wasn’t around when Piglet came by, so she was so excited to finally see a character that she wanted to make sure she got a picture of just her and Tigger!

After sitting for a few minutes we came to the conclusion that we weren’t going to see Pooh and Eeyore unless we waited for quite some time, so we decided to go ahead and leave without seeing the whole gang. I guess if I had to find something negative about the Crystal Palace, that would be it. I don’t know if we’ve ever been and seen all four characters. We always end up missing someone! I’ve read of many other people having a similar experience. We never get too upset about it, though. I’m sure if we were there with kids it would be a different story!

My grandmother was still a little sad about not seeing Pooh, though, so when he walked across the front of the restaurant on the way out, she finally got her picture!

Since we had missed some of the real characters, we settled for these:

Continued in next post.

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

DAY 1 – PART 2

After we got done eating, it was time for yet another set of FPs! Miguel and I both decided to go to the next FP destination (the Jungle Cruise) and told my family that they could take a more leisurely pace and meet us in Liberty Square in about 5 minutes. While we went after our FPs, they caught a bit of the parade.

While Miguel and I were in Adventureland, we noticed a random PP photographer near the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Since I was the one holding our PP card and I wanted to make it a point to get some pictures of just Miguel and I, we had to stop!

Once we got the Jungle Cruise FPs, we made our way over to Liberty Square where we met up with the others in front of the Haunted Mansion for our next ride!

After visiting with the Grim Grinning Ghosts, it was back to Adventureland for Mike’s favorite, Pirates! But first, Miguel ran off for – you guessed it – more FPs! We were really raking up, so much so that my family was starting to think we were a little crazy, since we hadn’t had any waits over 5 minutes yet. Mike even mentioned how we probably didn’t need any more FPs since we had so many and there weren’t any long lines. Two thoughts came to mind when he made that comment - one was, just wait! The other was, I’ll be the judge of when we have enough!

After Miguel had ran off back to Tomorrowland so that we could have two rides on Space Mountain, I realized that when he got over there he would be very close the window, and probably a minute or two early. I tried to call him to let him know, but he never answered. When he made it back to Adventureland and handed me the FPs, this is what I saw!

Back to Tomorrowland it was! Meanwhile, we all relaxed on a bench and I’m sure there was a bathroom break thrown in there, too.

After Miguel returned the second time, this time with the real FPs, we could finally go on Pirates!

My grandmother screamed at the little drop at the beginning and Miguel and I both looked to each other and commented about what fun Splash was going to be!

Up next, it was finally time to use a fast pass! We walked over to the Jungle Cruise, and it was here that family saw the light! The JC line wasn’t terribly long, but they all LOVED getting to bypass everyone that was waiting and climb right on board our boat while everyone just looked on from the queue. Meanwhile I’m thinking, “I told you, so!”

Now, Miguel and I are pretty new to the Jungle Cruise (I think this was only our third or fourth time), and I know we don’t have a lot to compare it to, but I think we had to have the best captain there is. She was HILARIOUS! We literally laughed the whole entire way, though. This has easily become one of our new favorites, and an absolute must-do on every trip. If I were to work at Disney, I would want to work on the Jungle Cruise!

After that fun adventure, it was finally time to brave a mountain – Splash Mountain! I was worried before our trip that it wouldn’t be warm enough for Splash, but it was actually pretty warm that day, so on we went!

Everyone got on except for Mike who stayed behind to hold our bags. Once again, my father raved about the fast passes as we breezed through the Splash queue! Meanwhile, my grandmother was asking all of us if we thought she’d be alright on the ride. Before the trip I asked everyone to fill out a questionnaire about their “ride styles” and what they would and wouldn’t ride, so I had a very good idea of what everyone would like. My grandmother is definitely not a thrill seeker, and I knew that she would be leery of Splash, but I honestly thought she would like it! However, from the moment we got in our log, we could tell she did not want to be there! We all had a good time with it, though. We kept warning her every time we came up to a small drop, saying “this is it!”.

Needless to say, my grandmother didn’t care for Splash one bit. I think the thing she hated the most was that her hair got soaked. We all loved it, though!

After we met up with Mike we decided to make our way to the front of the park for Space Mountain. My grandparents both sat this one out.

And once again, all we heard through the queue was how wonderful the FPs are! My father and Mike kept asking why all the people in “that line” didn’t get a fast pass? LOL

After SM, we were approaching our scheduled break time, so we made our way out of the park, back on the monorail and over to the Heroes tram.

It had been a fun morning at the MK, but I think we were all ready for a break, and Miguel and I were ready for a little time just the two of us.

Continued in next post.

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

DAY 1 – PART 3

Back at the BC, there was only one thing that Miguel and I wanted to do – check out Stormalong Bay!

Since we had an early ADR and therefore not too much time at the hotel, we quickly changed into our swimsuits and lathered up with sunscreen and went out in search of the SAB entrance. Because the pool area is fenced off, there are only certain entry points, which I found to be kind of irritating. When we finally found the entrance and got our wristbands I asked the CM where Hurricane Hannah’s was since were wanting to get a snack and a few drinks, only to find out it was way on the other side of the pool and because of construction, it would be quite a trek over there.

After waddling across the pool area (because that’s what I do when I’m wearing flip flops, which is why I found the entrance issue irritating) we found Hurricane Hannah’s and plopped down at a table. I’m sure it was mostly due to the time of year, but we had a lot of luck finding seats at SAB each time we were there, which I thought was nice. In fact, we ended up sitting at the same table each day. It became our table.

I went up to get us a couple drinks and a snack to share. We ended up with a hotdog and fries to share, and a margarita for Miguel and a tropical mojito for me. I know I took a picture of the hot dog, but it must have been on a different camera because I can’t find it. It was pretty standard – nothing special. We did get pictures of the drinks, though!

Now, I’m not much of a drinker, mostly because I don’t care for the taste of alcohol, so I’m never really blown away by a drink. But, this tropical mojito blew me away. It was SO GOOD!

My next drink was the poolside plunge, which I didn’t care for as much. If I’m remembering correctly, it had a raspberry flavoring. It didn’t compare to the mojito!

After enjoying our food and our drinks, we decided to get in the water. When I called to book our reservation, the CM told me that the pool was heated, but I had a hard time believing that because it was freezing! It took me quite a while, but I did eventually warm up and a we found a quiet little corner where we could sit and enjoy the scenery and the weird sand stuff, which was so neat! It’s hard to describe, but it was so fun to play with.

When we’d had enough, we returned to the table, dried off and made our way back to the room to shower and change for our evening. At about 5:15, we met up in the lobby and headed back to the Magic Kingdom! We had a little time before our ADR, so we hung around and took a few pictures.

After about 10 minutes, we went to check in at Tony’s for our dinner. The entryway was very crowded, but luckily we found a bench where we sat for about 10 minutes waiting for our name to be called.

We were led to table out in the covered porch area, which I really liked. I don’t think I would care for the inside dining area.

This was our first time at Tony’s, and I will admit that I was very nervous! I was so nervous, in fact, that I warned everyone about the quality of the food. I let them know how mixed Tony’s review were, and I told them of a few dishes that I had heard were bad so that they could stay away from them.

Our meal actually turned out ok. It certainly wasn’t great, but because of how low my expectations were, I was kind of impressed! We started off with the zucchini fries, which was served with a red pepper ranch sauce.

My grandparents shared a Caesar salad, as did my dad and Mike.

For our entrees, we all went with the chicken Parmesan, except for Mike who had a Mahi Mahi dish. The chicken Parmesan was much better than I thought it would be. Definitely not the best I’ve had by any means, but I guess I was expecting something inedible.

So, would we return to Tony’s?

Maybe. It was far better than I expected, but as I said, my expectations were low. It was probably our least favorite (TS) meal of the trip. I liked the location of our table, and the food was decent, but the service was very rushed.

We decided to skip dessert since I had something in mind for later, so we settled our bill and headed back out on Main Street to find a place for Wishes. I wanted to make sure that we found a good spot for the fireworks. I had remembered hearing about the train station being a good location because there are chairs and it’s not as crowded as it is out on Main Street. I let everyone know the plan and we headed over to the station. I figured there would be seats still available since we had a good 30 minutes to go before Wishes started, but when we arrived someone had just gotten the last seat. So, we propped ourselves against the back railing and waited for the show to start.

I don’t think Mike was very keen on this idea, because he kept asking when we would leave the train station and go down to Main Street. When I told everyone the concept of the Magic Memories and You show, he kept saying how we needed to go right in front of the castle in order to see it. I just dismissed the comments, knowing that being right in front of the castle isn’t the best spot for Wishes (since we’ve done that before). However, after about the fifth time, I started to get a little irritated, and as the train station got more crowded, I started to feel a little claustrophobic. Because it’s closed in, the sounds kind of bounced off the ceiling and it was just so incredibly loud. That coupled with the subtle complaints by Mike were making me just wish that Wishes would just be over already so that we could leave. This really saddened me, because I knew it was our only time to see the show (in the park) and it’s always such a special moment. This time, the special moment was turning out to be very un-magical.

Once Wishes started, I was very disappointed with the view. The roof of the train station, and the massive scrims that were up for the construction on Main Street cut off some of the view.

The sounds only got more intense and the bang of the fireworks under the ceiling were pretty extreme. About halfway through I went out onto the uncovered part of the train station, where I was met with rain and an even worse view. I hate to say it, but I was happy when Wishes was over – I just wanted to get out of there, and I was hoping that my idea for dessert would cheer me up!


Continued in next post.

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

DAY 1 – PART 4

After Wishes ended, we all made a run for the park exit since the rain had picked up to a steady drizzle; we of course had no rain gear with us! The monorail line was pretty long, so we opted for the ferry and we made it on right as they called no further boarding.

It was kind of chilly on the boat since we were all a little damp and the wind blew through the windows, but it was a really pretty ride. They say that the monorail and the ferry get you to and from the TTC in the same time, but I always just assume that the monorail is faster and pick that option. Every time we take the ferry I always comment about what a nice ride it is, so I really need to do it more often!

We made it back to the TTC, and then we piled in the car once again to head back to the Beach Club. So, what was this dessert I had in mind?

The Kitchen Sink!

Miguel and I had noticed Beaches & Cream earlier when we were looking for the pool entrance, so I knew right where to lead them. As we were walking through the lobby, Mike kept commenting about how cold it was, and how Disney didn’t need to keep the hotels so cold. It went on, and on, and on. When we got to B&C, he told the hostess that he wanted to eat the ice cream outside because he just knew that it would be too cold inside the restaurant to eat ice cream, even though we hadn’t even stepped inside! When the hostess explained that it wasn’t possible to get a kitchen sink to go, he decided he would just leave and go to the room!

We weren’t sure if he would be back, so we got a table for six anyway and after a brief five-minute wait, we were led to our table. I was so excited to finally be inside Beaches & Cream after reading so much about it! It’s so cute!

After we all settled in, the waitress came over and we ordered our kitchen sink! We had fun watching them make it. And no, we didn’t order two. There was another table there that ordered one at the same time!

When it arrived, they dimmed the lights and set off the little spinny siren and made a big announcement. I’m normally pretty shy but I thought this was pretty cute and I enjoyed it!

Just about the time we were about to dig in, Mike showed up so we all dived in together!

I tell you, I think most of the kitchen sink is whipped cream! I had to really dig to find ice cream! At some point, my grandfather came across the Milky Way bar, and decided he wanted to eat it. This turned out to be a very comical adventure, as the Milky Way was pretty much frozen from being buried in the ice cream. He didn’t give up, though! He tried and he tried and he tried. And we laughed and we laughed and we laughed!

In fact, the whole Kitchen Sink experience was pretty comical. It ended up ended up being one of our favorite things from the whole vacation.

I would highly recommend getting the Kitchen Sink if you’ve got a group to share it with. I think it would be worth the trip to the BC even if you aren’t staying in the Epcot area. It really is a lot of fun!

Right as we walked back inside the BC, we noticed that there was quite a crowd gathered in the lounge, Martha’s Vineyard. It was Super Bowl Sunday, so they were of course watching the Super Bowl! My grandfather and my dad are pretty big football fans, so we had to stop. We actually came in right at the last 2 minutes or so. We had been checking the score periodically that night, so it was neat to actually get to watch some! We were all pulling for the Giants, so we were happy to see them win!

We were all pretty tired from our long, full day, so I quickly distributed the next day’s newsletter and we all went to our rooms for the evening. Over all, it had been a great day! There were definitely moments that I wish had gone differently (mostly Wishes), but there were also moments that we would not have experienced if it was just Miguel and I (the Kitchen Sink). I went to bed that night feeling slightly better about traveling as a group, and hoping that our Epcot day would go even smoother!

 

[merbobear]

I haven't read the whole update yet, just part 1, but I have to say that your Grandma is adorable with her determination to meet Pooh! lol
We went to CP last year and it was actually one of our favorite meals - it was our day 1 dinner ADR, the characters were perfectly timed, and we ended up leaving just in time to watch Wishes from CP's front porch But, I know that we were just lucky that the stars all aligned for a perfect evening, and really that perfect timing could happen at any restaurant at any given night. I'm glad she finally got her picture with Pooh!

 

[merbobear]

bahahahah I am loling over here at poor Miguel doubling back to Space Mountain to replace the too-early set of non-FP's. AND at Mike asking why the 'other line' didn't all get FP's...probably because they listened when someone in their party said "FP's? What do we need those for? There aren't any lines!" lol...good thing you & Miguel knew better and kept piling up your FP's for the bigger afternoon crowds!

 

[Dream426]

Great updates!! That sucks about the FP. Also I would be annoyed with people being late. For some reason in Disney you all have to be on time...haha That kitchen sink ice cream is insane!! I would def. have to have a big group to eat that.