Simba22
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2006
It was about 1pm when we checked in for our lunch ADR at Rose & Crown, and since our reservation wasn’t until 1:20, we had a few minutes to kill. I don’t drink beer so I was the designated picture taker here:
(A photo-bomber, Rob, Mike, Tom, Lumar, Josh, & Toni)
(Lumar and Rob)
I remember that Toni and Josh shared a Scotch Egg for an appetizer, which they both really liked. I know a bunch of us got the fish and chips (including me), and I know Lumar got the Pub Burger but I don’t remember specifics. All I know is that the Welsh Dragon was, by far, my most favorite drink of the trip:
(Lumar and Rob)
(Toni, Josh, and Mike)
(Rob, Steph, and Tom)
While we were eating, we noticed this squirrel come out of the bushes that line the patio, head over to a couple sitting at another table, and just stand there. The lady takes a fry off her plate, holds it out, the squirrel takes it, and heads back to the bushes. This process was repeated multiple times until the couple left. Obviously, you’re not supposed to feed the animals, and squirrels are not very nice when they get agitated so this could have turned out badly, but it was so cute to watch! And apparently, this is pretty normal because the servers just walk around him like he’s any other guest. It was adorable.
After lunch, we went back to Future World to finally use our FPs for Soarin, and we got the front row without me even having to ask! Gosh I love that ride!
After Soarin’, we went to check out Nemo and Friends...
(Steph)
And here it was that we encountered the most terrifying thing ever.
An entire indoor, cavernous ride queue….filled with a sea of teenagers wearing blue t-shirts.
That’s right folks. The Brazilian Tour groups.
And they were singing/chanting/clapping. And it echoed. Loudly.
But Nemo was fun, and everyone loved that Disney was able to include animated characters in a real aquarium!
We headed back out to WS and decided to start in the Mexico side this time. We went on the boat ride (somehow, not as popular with The Mob as LWTL), then I made the mistake of getting a margarita from the stand outside.
I know that I never like it when I order it. I LOVE frozen margaritas in general, but the ones at this stand in Mexico are just so strong! The taste of tequila overwhelms the fruit flavor to the point where it’s basically undrinkable for me. I tried my best though.
The guys all wanted beer and my sister was dying to try a pretzel from Germany so we headed over and got FPs for Maelstrom on the way by.
(Josh and Rob)
(Mike, Lumar, and Me –still working on that margarita)
By the way, my sister liked the pretzel she got at DHS better than the one she got in Germany. And she's kind of a pretzel snob
By the time we could use our Maelstrom FPs, I was about halfway done with my Strawberry-colored Tequila, and actually found myself steadying myself on the giant rock outside the Norwalk pavilion. I gave my cup to Rob to let him finish it.
After Maelstrom, we played around in the gift shop for a few:
(Toni)
(Toni & Josh)
(Lumar and Mike – I don’t know if the blurriness if from the camera or from my being slightly inebriated.)
We kept walking the loop and stopped in China to look around for a bit:
(Steph)
I was really, really hot, and I was getting a headache so I found a bench in a quiet, shady corner, and took a random picture of the watery/grassy area at the front of the pavilion:
It was probably around 5:30 when we stopped in Italy, and even though I wanted dinner at some point in the near future, I definitely had some chocolate gelato – although I was sorely tempted to try the cannoli this time.
(Toni & Josh)
(Toni & Tom)
We went over to Japan where a few of us did some shopping and Rob, Mike, and Tom drank a lot of sake. Rob ended up buying a bottle but he shipped it home.
It was about 6:30 when we decided we were going to split up for dinner and meet back in Norway for Illuminations around 8pm. Mike, Lumar, and I went to Lotus Blossom, while everyone else went back to Germany. Steph and Rob finished first and headed back to China to meet up with us, where Rob then finished eating the leftovers off of my plate. (The boy can eat, that’s for sure.)
Toni called me to say that there was nowhere in Norway to sit so they were going to meet us outside China. Well the problem with China is that even though there is a bench right there on the main walkway, there are trees blocking your view of the fireworks. So I convinced everyone to follow me to Norway where I was definitely able to find a place to stand and watch.
After Illuminations, we herded out with the rest of the cattle, but we somehow got separated. Lumar, Rob, and I, found ourselves in the parking lot instead of at the bus stop. Steph called us to say that a bus was there so we ran across the lot and made it just in time!
Up next: Animal Kingdom!
(A photo-bomber, Rob, Mike, Tom, Lumar, Josh, & Toni)
(Lumar and Rob)
I remember that Toni and Josh shared a Scotch Egg for an appetizer, which they both really liked. I know a bunch of us got the fish and chips (including me), and I know Lumar got the Pub Burger but I don’t remember specifics. All I know is that the Welsh Dragon was, by far, my most favorite drink of the trip:
(Lumar and Rob)
(Toni, Josh, and Mike)
(Rob, Steph, and Tom)
While we were eating, we noticed this squirrel come out of the bushes that line the patio, head over to a couple sitting at another table, and just stand there. The lady takes a fry off her plate, holds it out, the squirrel takes it, and heads back to the bushes. This process was repeated multiple times until the couple left. Obviously, you’re not supposed to feed the animals, and squirrels are not very nice when they get agitated so this could have turned out badly, but it was so cute to watch! And apparently, this is pretty normal because the servers just walk around him like he’s any other guest. It was adorable.
After lunch, we went back to Future World to finally use our FPs for Soarin, and we got the front row without me even having to ask! Gosh I love that ride!
After Soarin’, we went to check out Nemo and Friends...
(Steph)
And here it was that we encountered the most terrifying thing ever.
An entire indoor, cavernous ride queue….filled with a sea of teenagers wearing blue t-shirts.
That’s right folks. The Brazilian Tour groups.
And they were singing/chanting/clapping. And it echoed. Loudly.
But Nemo was fun, and everyone loved that Disney was able to include animated characters in a real aquarium!
We headed back out to WS and decided to start in the Mexico side this time. We went on the boat ride (somehow, not as popular with The Mob as LWTL), then I made the mistake of getting a margarita from the stand outside.
I know that I never like it when I order it. I LOVE frozen margaritas in general, but the ones at this stand in Mexico are just so strong! The taste of tequila overwhelms the fruit flavor to the point where it’s basically undrinkable for me. I tried my best though.
The guys all wanted beer and my sister was dying to try a pretzel from Germany so we headed over and got FPs for Maelstrom on the way by.
(Josh and Rob)
(Mike, Lumar, and Me –still working on that margarita)
By the way, my sister liked the pretzel she got at DHS better than the one she got in Germany. And she's kind of a pretzel snob
By the time we could use our Maelstrom FPs, I was about halfway done with my Strawberry-colored Tequila, and actually found myself steadying myself on the giant rock outside the Norwalk pavilion. I gave my cup to Rob to let him finish it.
After Maelstrom, we played around in the gift shop for a few:
(Toni)
(Toni & Josh)
(Lumar and Mike – I don’t know if the blurriness if from the camera or from my being slightly inebriated.)
We kept walking the loop and stopped in China to look around for a bit:
(Steph)
I was really, really hot, and I was getting a headache so I found a bench in a quiet, shady corner, and took a random picture of the watery/grassy area at the front of the pavilion:
It was probably around 5:30 when we stopped in Italy, and even though I wanted dinner at some point in the near future, I definitely had some chocolate gelato – although I was sorely tempted to try the cannoli this time.
(Toni & Josh)
(Toni & Tom)
We went over to Japan where a few of us did some shopping and Rob, Mike, and Tom drank a lot of sake. Rob ended up buying a bottle but he shipped it home.
It was about 6:30 when we decided we were going to split up for dinner and meet back in Norway for Illuminations around 8pm. Mike, Lumar, and I went to Lotus Blossom, while everyone else went back to Germany. Steph and Rob finished first and headed back to China to meet up with us, where Rob then finished eating the leftovers off of my plate. (The boy can eat, that’s for sure.)
Toni called me to say that there was nowhere in Norway to sit so they were going to meet us outside China. Well the problem with China is that even though there is a bench right there on the main walkway, there are trees blocking your view of the fireworks. So I convinced everyone to follow me to Norway where I was definitely able to find a place to stand and watch.
After Illuminations, we herded out with the rest of the cattle, but we somehow got separated. Lumar, Rob, and I, found ourselves in the parking lot instead of at the bus stop. Steph called us to say that a bus was there so we ran across the lot and made it just in time!
Up next: Animal Kingdom!
If you like fruity drinks, the Welsh Dragon is a definite DO. Soooo good!! 
I would be really annoyed if I had to listen to people fight, and listen to some poor kid cry. I don't get how people can get so mad in Disney World. Sad. 
We had a REALLY good time and the food was really good (so was whatever delicious drink I had three of).
