$5 A Day Means Disney MY Way: 17 nights, 26 ADRs, 165 TS credits, 4 Disney events

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

Joining in. Your trip looks great so far.

 

[MommaPeel]

I'm impressed! I did not expect this level of planning or writing at such an early age!

 

[ougrad86]

I'm so sorry you did not have a good time for the MNSSHP. We went on a sold out night, but had no interest in the characters. We stayed away from Fantasyland and instead rode the rides in Frontierland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland with little or no wait. BTMRR at night is awesome! We picked up a few treats at some out of the way places, was in the hub for Hallowishes and then went back to Frontierland for the second parade. I think you can view it better there, less crowds. We were able to get our pictures with the Hitchiking Ghosts and the carriage at the Haunted Mansion. It sounded like too many people wanted to do too many things. Best thing in my opinion for that...meet you at such-and-such at x-o'clock. For that price, I feel everyone should do what they want to do.

Some people might ask about spending all that money and not partake of the characters and trick or treating, but it was worth it and a lot of fun because I got to do what I wanted to do. Only characters I would've wanted was 7 Dwarves, but we took a look late and the line was 30 minutes and they had just gone on break. Didn't want to wait.

I will go back someday for the party. Probably after DS graduates from college though! He just got accepted and tuition bills are looming!

Cape Canaveral sounds like fun - we have got to go there, thanks for the description!

 

[tdashgirl]

Oh, loved your tour of Celebration. I kind of agree with you though, not sure I'd want to live somewhere that "perfect".

for checking in on WDW property! Patiently waiting for more

 

[meggiebeth]

Lunch at Beaches and Cream

After an exciting and unproblematic check-in at Saratoga Springs, I insisted we rush over to Beaches and Cream to have our very first meal on the Deluxe Dining Plan. I knew Beaches and Cream was a popular restaurant, and I knew that you couldn’t make ADRs- so I stressed to my family the earlier we get there, the less time we’ll have to wait to get in.

Check in at our resort took longer than I had anticipated, so we ended up getting to Beach Club a little later than I’d hoped. We made the mistake of heading towards Epcot, thinking that BC would be there, being an ‘Epcot resort’, but ended up driving into Epcot instead! The lady at the entrance told us to head to DHS and follow signs for the Boardwalk. Surely enough, we made it to Beaches and Cream for about 12pm. It opened at 11am, and I was hoping to get there for as early as we could. By 12pm, the seating host said... “Ummm, sure- there’s space, but it depends how long you want to wait". To which we enquired about the wait, and were given a satisfactory 30-40 minutes. We were perfectly willing to wait that long, and I was eager to try the restaurant!

We headed into the arcade, conveniently placed next to Beaches and Cream. Beaches and Cream is actually located just next to the main pool, so for any BC guests, I would highly recommend this convenient eatery for lunch or dinner during a lazy pool day.

We played on some of the games in the arcade. My dad always gravitates towards the pinball machine for some reason! You get a gaming card, if I remember correctly, and any points you win from a given game will be tallied up until you have enough points for a prize. (They had a smart looking prize machine!)

My mum chose to sit outside and bask in the glorious Floridian sun for a while. Sadly right after taking this photograph I got the much dreaded sign from our DSLR camera- ‘Low Battery’!

What a tragedy!

How am I to take pictures of our meal and the beautiful restaurant without our trustworthy camera?

No problem, I thought, I will make a sacrifice and use my iPhone. The quality wouldn’t be nearly as good, but it is better than no photos at all! We spoke to the seating host and asked for a place to charge the camera. He told us there wasn’t anywhere in the restaurant but we could always plug it into the socket outside the restaurant. I felt a bit funny about leaving it out there while we ate, but my parents apparently didn’t, and we needed lots of charge for our first Disney park- none other than spectacular Hollywood Studios!

Our waitress was very nice and polite, explaining the DDP rules to us (we were most intrigued about what desserts we could get!) and taking our order quickly and efficiently. As Diet Coke, milk and Sprite aren’t the most exciting or unique of drinks, I’ll just get going on the food.

We were entitled to four starters (being four Disney adults). We only went for two portions of onion rings- unsure that one would be enough. My parents surprisingly weren’t bothered about using up every bit of value on our dining plan- I think last trip’s eating ‘food-ed’ them out a little!

Evidently (and we found this a lot at WDW) one portion of onion rings would have been enough- they were pretty big!

These onion rings were delicious; piping hot and fresh. What more could we ask for?! We couldn’t finish them- saving room for not only our main course but also dessert!

Next up came our entrees! Obviously for me, the entrees were nothing- the reason I wanted to visit this place was the theming and the sweet treats for dessert!

Rory had one of the offerings from the kids’ menu...

‘Hot Dog’

Served with choice of fresh Fruit or French Fries and one (1) Beverage and one (1) Dessert

Cost ~ $8.59

He gobbled this up! He is a big fan of hot dogs and this really pleased him. Just a regular hot dog; no ketchup (I am certain he is one of the only children who doesn’t like ketchup, baked beans or pizza) and simple french fries.

I had the...

Vegetarian Falafel

Served on Flatbread with Black Olive Hummus, Cucumber, Tomato, and Lettuce topped with a Soy Tzatziki-style Sauce served with House-made Pickles and choice of French Fries or Fruit

Cost: $11.99

The falafel was an adventurous choice (I am pretty picky when it comes to trying new food) and it was fairly disappointing. I am a vegetarian and regret not ordering the cheese toastie (or in America- ‘grilled cheese sandwich’ because the falafel was incredibly dry and pretty flavourless. I ate up the fries, but at this point I was sick of them, after literally living off of them for the last six days at Reunion Resort.

My dad ordered the...

Bacon Angus Beef Burger

Served with Smoked Bacon, Blue Cheese, Barbecue Sauce, Onion Rings, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Fresh-baked Bun with choice of fresh Fruit or French Fries

Cost: $14.49

I believe he liked this, but similarly it wasn’t anything spectacular. It was absolutely huge and stacked with bacon among other tempting treats, so he didn’t finish it- also eager to save room for dessert.

My mum ordered the...

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Bisque

Six-Cheese blend on Brioche Bread

Cost: $8.99

My mum wasn’t particularly hungry, but she really enjoyed the tomato bisque. I’m not sure she can comment on the grilled cheese sandwich because she was kind enough to let me have it! (I can confirm it was quite tasty, but simply a cheese sandwich and not much more!)

And finally, Willum ordered some sort of burger- I am assuming it is the...

Angus Beef Burger

Served with Cheddar, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Fresh-baked Bun with choice of fresh Fruit for French Fries

Cost: $13.99

William liked this and had no complaints- so I am assuming it is a decent burger! Nevertheless, he didn’t rave about it for the rest of the trip so I am assuming it wasn’t too revolutionary! As a note, Willum orders burgers without all the ‘fancy’ accompaniments, so his burger is probably a bit bare in comparison to what it would normally be!

Pahahahahaha...!!!

Now for the highlight of the meal, dessert! After looking at the menus again for inspiration, we made our decision. After everything, my mum insisted she did not want dessert.

What?!

Sadly, we moved on and ordered our own. I ordered, naturally fussily, the...

Brownie À La Mode

A gooey, chewy Brownie, Hot Fudge, and Vanilla Ice Cream topped with Whipped Cream, Chocolate Sprinkles, and a Cherry

Cost: $6.49

Bear in mind I just ordered the brownie and ice cream- I am pretty easy to please! The brownie was delicious and as advertised, gooey. I much prefer chocolate ice cream to its vanilla counterpart (you will probably catch on that I am a ‘chocoholic’) so requested that instead.

My brother Willum also ordered the Brownie dessert, but with all the toppings, and sadly I didn’t get a photograph for whatever reason. He scoffed it all down within a while though, so he clearly enjoyed it.

Rory got the...

Mickey Mouse Sundae

One scoop of Ice Cream with Oreo's and a Cherry

He liked this, although he surprisingly isn’t a fan of chocolate ice cream. William loves Oreos though, and was sure to nibble on them towards the end of the meal. I thought it was a very clever idea!

My dad ordered the adventurous...

Classic Banana Split

A ripe Banana, Three Scoops of Ice Cream (Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry), Pineapple, Strawberry, and Marshmallow Topping finished off with Hot Fudge, Caramel, Toasted Almonds, Whipped Cream, and a Cherry

Cost: $8.49

How he loved this! It was absolutely gigantic and filled with ice cream, banana and tempting treats. We thought it was pretty good value for just over $8, especially being onsite at Disney. I would expect it to cost quite a bit more than this in the UK.

A few people ordered the Kitchen Sink during our meal:

Kitchen Sink

Scoops of Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee, and Mint Chocolate Chip smothered in every topping we have

Cost: $28.99

With sirens and lights going off each time it was delivered to a table, it certainly was an exciting affair! We managed to get a quick photo of one from a kind guest...

We went and got our camera, took a few more photographs and left to head right on over to Hollywood Studios, one of our favourite Disney parks and a close contender with our absolute favourite Magic Kingdom. (William and Rory would probably argue that DHS is even better than MK!)

Overall, a really nice start to the trip. It’s nice they don’t accept reservations at Beaches & Cream- it gives everyone a chance to try it without planning months ahead. The theming is adorable, the atmoshphere is cute, and the restaurant is tiny! And I truly mean pretty small! If you want to eat there, I would try and get there early to minimize your wait- it is a popular restaurant. Probably not the best value for those on the DDP, but a great option for us and even better for those eating OOP. (Although I think I loved it more than my parents!)

Our general consensus is the following:

Food: 6.5
Value: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Service: 6.5
Location: 7

Our overall rating out of 5: 4

Coming up- our first park of the trip (excluding MNSSHP)- Hollywood Studios!

 

[meggiebeth]

I'm fifteen, a tad younger than you are. However, I think I'm definitely closer in age to you than a lot of other DISers! Born in the glorious year of 1998.

Ah, you are similarly aged to me! (In fact, you're the same age as my brother- although you might be in the year/ grade above him but below me at school? I'm born in 1996.

Subscribed!

It's funny how different tipping is across the US. In my state, servers make more per hour than in most states, but I've always been led to believe I should still tip around 20%.

My mom used to be a waitress here (mexican restaurant) and she made more doing that than she did working for the schools. Around $100 a night just in tips.

Thanks for joining in! That is strange... and odd that tipping has varied so much. I was incredibly torn as to whether to tip 15% or 20%... it is comforting to know that even Americans aren't always sure what to tip!

About your mum- wow. That is pretty good going for a night. I'm not sure how much you're taxed though working in a restaurant- people use that on the amount they tip so it must be significant.

I work in a restaurant at the weekends and it isn't common practice to tip, but it is nice when people do. Luckily I don't get taxed on my work because I don't earn the tax requirement. I certainly never get $100 worth of tips though!

Joining in. Your trip looks great so far.

Thanks for joining in! Hope you enjoy the rest!

I'm impressed! I did not expect this level of planning or writing at such an early age!

Thank you very much! English is one of my favourite subjects, and my strong point! As for planning... I can't get enough of it!

Oh, loved your tour of Celebration. I kind of agree with you though, not sure I'd want to live somewhere that "perfect".

for checking in on WDW property! Patiently waiting for more

Thank you very much. No, it is a little strange! We looked at house prices and found them pretty high! I thought house prices in America were significantly less than here in South-East England so it was a shock to see otherwise in Celebration!

Thanks for joining in, hope you enjoy more!

I'm so sorry you did not have a good time for the MNSSHP. We went on a sold out night, but had no interest in the characters. We stayed away from Fantasyland and instead rode the rides in Frontierland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland with little or no wait. BTMRR at night is awesome! We picked up a few treats at some out of the way places, was in the hub for Hallowishes and then went back to Frontierland for the second parade. I think you can view it better there, less crowds. We were able to get our pictures with the Hitchiking Ghosts and the carriage at the Haunted Mansion. It sounded like too many people wanted to do too many things. Best thing in my opinion for that...meet you at such-and-such at x-o'clock. For that price, I feel everyone should do what they want to do.

Some people might ask about spending all that money and not partake of the characters and trick or treating, but it was worth it and a lot of fun because I got to do what I wanted to do. Only characters I would've wanted was 7 Dwarves, but we took a look late and the line was 30 minutes and they had just gone on break. Didn't want to wait.

I will go back someday for the party. Probably after DS graduates from college though! He just got accepted and tuition bills are looming!

Cape Canaveral sounds like fun - we have got to go there, thanks for the description!

Looking back in retrospective, we should have done something similar to you. My brothers were so eager to ride rides on their first visit to a Disney park this trip that they thought of little else. Your strategy sounds a lot more civilised than ours... I guess we just didn't plan enough!

We also got photos outside Haunted Mansion, but we had a ghost on a carriage instead of the hitch-hiking ghosts... I wasn't sure where they were!

To be honest, I agree about the trick-or-treating and characters. We only managed to meet Rapunzel and Flynn, and I could live with that. The queues for candy were ridiculously long, so I could've coped with missing them too! I actually think $60 for an evening in the park is an OK price, even for those that would go just to ride the rides. It's less than a day's admission!

How exciting that your DS has been accepted into college! I am currently in the process of researching them (or university, I think we call it here?) and soon will be applying. It is an intimidating thought! And I am certainly not looking forward to my tuition fees either!

You really should visit KSC someday! I think it's a must for all of you US residents. (Heck- even for those visiting from the UK!)

So glad you've come over to follow along, hope you are well!

 

[Dizzy4DL]

Thanks for joining in! That is strange... and odd that tipping has varied so much. I was incredibly torn as to whether to tip 15% or 20%... it is comforting to know that even Americans aren't always sure what to tip!

About your mum- wow. That is pretty good going for a night. I'm not sure how much you're taxed though working in a restaurant- people use that on the amount they tip so it must be significant.

I work in a restaurant at the weekends and it isn't common practice to tip, but it is nice when people do. Luckily I don't get taxed on my work because I don't earn the tax requirement. I certainly never get $100 worth of tips though!

This is a very good point, and one I hadn't considered. Our state (Oregon) has no sales tax. So the state income tax is pretty high.

Back when my mom was a waitress, most servers would "pocket" the majority of their tips. Thereby avoiding most taxes on them. These days, I doubt they would get away with it.

Loved the update, I feel like I am reading something written by an intellegent 30+ year-old. Kudos!

 

[nfggirl5454]

I just subscribed! I'm sorry your experience at MNSSHP wasn't so great, but at least your character pictures with Rapunzel and Snow White were great! Rory was adorable as Ralph I attended the party for the first time this year but it was mid-October. It was sold out as well, but luckily I had a pretty good plan of what I wanted to do.

Your visit to the Kennedy Space Center looks fun! I grew up in north central Florida, about 3 hours north of Orlando, and I went to the Space Center once in high school (about 16 years ago) on a field trip. It was fun, and I definitely want to go back one day!

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip. Your family is adorable, and the pictures on the space toilet, your expressions, were so funny!

 

[Kari0180]

Joining! Can't wait to see how your trip went!

 

[mommajo143]

Dinner at the Plaza Restaurant
Our waiter was polite- but very distant, and not very friendly. It wasn't the greatest start waiter-wise to our trip, but he wasn't rude so I shan't complain too much!

We tipped the waiter 18%, but not very happily. It was almost like he expected a tip, so wasn't very attentive, nor friendly. On our last trip we encountered some unfriendly behaviour due to lower tipping so were too scared to tip lower than 18%. I don't actually think it is very fair to recommend an 18% tip as a minimum, when 15% is still very much OK in our eyes. In the UK, we tip 10% generally for outstanding service, so it is hard adjusting to US rules when you know a waiter does not deserve it, even though you know they don't get paid much hourly.

We really enjoyed it- only the waiter put a slight damper on it. It really is a little hidden gem in the MK, and it really is very small!

Just joining on - always late to the party here.

Very excited to read all about your trip. We travelled during the same time last year. Also found both our parties far more crowded than in 2010 when we attended the 1st MNSSHP of the season in Sept & obviously missed out on the MVMCP.

Also agree about the tip and service. Had excellent service & was well attended to on our first trip, tips were incorporated into the dining plan at that time but we regularly left additional $ on the table because we were so pleased. Last trip was entirely different. Travelled with MIL & FIL so as a party of 6 waiters are guaranteed a tip of 18% and I assumed that this guarantee was the reason for generally poorer than expected service / attentiveness. Had to ask for cupcake for DMIL 65th bDay even though I had clearly noted it upon reservation & she was clearly wearing her "It's my Birthday" celebration pin. One small example of many I can easily recall this morning... We still managed to have a fabulous trip though & hoping yours was as well!

 

[tdashgirl]

I would totally go there for the desserts!!! Yum.

 

[meggiebeth]

The Rush for the FP+ at Hollywood Studios

After a lovely welcome meal at Beaches and Cream, we trekked over to Hollywood Studios, our FIRST proper park day. Now, we had to rush over. Because I thought wed get to Beaches and Cream for 11am, and wed be done by 12pm, I thought a FP+ time of 1pm would be perfectly reasonable. Unfortunately, we werent done until 1:30pm at the restaurant, and had to race over to DHS to make it before our FP+ expired at 2pm.

You may find reading further into my trip report that rushing is a common occurrence for us! We dashed through the turnstiles (although allowing a brief moment of excitement upon utilising our Magic Bands for admission for the first time) and right over to Rock n Roller Coaster. Well, sadly, after a frantic rush, we found that Rock n Roller Coaster was closed due to a seemingly major breakdown. (It remained closed for hours, with the entire area pretty much closed off).

A kind family who had to leave gave us FP for not only Rock n Roller Coaster but also for Tower of Terror! It was terribly kind of them and made a great welcome for us into the wonderful world of Disney! Rock n Roller Coaster FPs were being honoured for the rest of the day, although we witnessed a few angry guests speaking to CMs about the closure.

One person who was terribly annoyed and frustrated was little Rory.

Its not FAIR! He grumbled.

Ive been waiting to ride Rock n Roller Coaster for two years now... WHY is it closed?!

Poor Rory was very disappointed, when in 2011, our last trip, he did not meet the height requirement for this ride. My mum, dad, Willum and I rode it and found it fantastic. Poor Rory had to wait outside with one of my parents as we utilised Parent Swap. So needless to say, for the last two years Rory has been dreaming of Rock n Roller Coaster and looking forward to riding it. Having to wait even a few extra hours was annoying to him!

By now, our FP+ for Tower of Terror had become available, and my family all dashed right into the FP+ queue. I hated Tower of Terror in 2011 and outright refused to ride it. I casually explored the gift shop whilst my family enjoyed the ride. Theme-wise, it is undeniably absolutely fantastic. I just couldnt stand the dropping!

After riding Tower of Terror we headed over to Star Tours! They clearly improved the adventures and this remains one of our favourite rides in WDW. The queuing area is superb and the entire experience is second to none.

Not the best flash photograph but it shows our excitement, I suppose!

After riding Star Tours we came across the area of statues shown in the below pictures. Im not certain of the actual name of this area, but it was fantastic none-the-less. We gathered around Walt Disneys statue for some fabulous photos.

Ooooh, and look at the sparkly lanyard I'm wearing! I bought it in the Tower of Terror gift shop, but they are widely sold all around WDW. I absolutely love it, and wear it frequently even now. My mum got one later in the trip and now wears it every day to work- she likes it because she is recognized because of her 'sparkly lanyard'! Seriously, this is one of my favourite purchases of the trip, and you can easily attach a keyring to the bottom (as I later did, I'll show you soon!) At around $10, it was pretty good value. They sold them at MCO for more than that, and they weren't even Disney, nor did they have a hidden Mickey.

This next photograph is one of my favourites. The funny faces make me smile whenever I see it.

Makes for a great photo opportunity, don't you think?!

We had a quick stroll around the park before heading over to watch the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular show. DHS is certainly my second favourite park, along with my parents.

We still haven't experienced the American Idol Experience, nor have we Fantasmic. I came determined to watch it, but somehow never managed to.

More to come soon!

 

[meggiebeth]

Double post

 

[meggiebeth]

This is a very good point, and one I hadn't considered. Our state (Oregon) has no sales tax. So the state income tax is pretty high. Back when my mom was a waitress, most servers would "pocket" the majority of their tips. Thereby avoiding most taxes on them. These days, I doubt they would get away with it. Loved the update, I feel like I am reading something written by an intellegent 30+ year-old. Kudos!

No sales tax is pretty strange. Here in the UK we have VAT; a 20% tax on most things we buy (things like most food and children's clothes are exempt). We still get taxed pretty highly on income though! We come to the US in awe of how inexpensive most things are. Ah yes, we've had a few experiences of people 'pocketing' tips!!

Thank you, that really means a lot! I am in the midst of deciding what I want to do as a career, so appreciate the feedback on my writing.

I just subscribed! I'm sorry your experience at MNSSHP wasn't so great, but at least your character pictures with Rapunzel and Snow White were great! Rory was adorable as Ralph I attended the party for the first time this year but it was mid-October. It was sold out as well, but luckily I had a pretty good plan of what I wanted to do. Your visit to the Kennedy Space Center looks fun! I grew up in north central Florida, about 3 hours north of Orlando, and I went to the Space Center once in high school (about 16 years ago) on a field trip. It was fun, and I definitely want to go back one day! Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip. Your family is adorable, and the pictures on the space toilet, your expressions, were so funny!

Thanks so much for joining in! Meeting Flynn and Rapunzel were certainly highlights for me! I passed your comments on to Rory and he told me to say thank you, and that he now has a Ralph figure (for the Disney Infinity game). We're off to buy the actual game tomorrow!

I am surprised it sold out for mid October- I thought that was a quiet time! I suppose you never know! You should certainly go back to the KSC- especially with the new Atlantis Exhibit. It's the highlight for us!!

Thank you! I love the space toilet photos- it is our very Scottish sense of humour shining through there, haha!

Joining! Can't wait to see how your trip went!

Hi there and thanks for joining in! Hope you enjoy the upcoming installments to the TR.

Just joining on - always late to the party here. Very excited to read all about your trip. We travelled during the same time last year. Also found both our parties far more crowded than in 2010 when we attended the 1st MNSSHP of the season in Sept & obviously missed out on the MVMCP. Also agree about the tip and service. Had excellent service & was well attended to on our first trip, tips were incorporated into the dining plan at that time but we regularly left additional $ on the table because we were so pleased. Last trip was entirely different. Travelled with MIL & FIL so as a party of 6 waiters are guaranteed a tip of 18% and I assumed that this guarantee was the reason for generally poorer than expected service / attentiveness. Had to ask for cupcake for DMIL 65th bDay even though I had clearly noted it upon reservation & she was clearly wearing her "It's my Birthday" celebration pin. One small example of many I can easily recall this morning... We still managed to have a fabulous trip though & hoping yours was as well!

Welcome and thank you for joining in! It's strange that crowds have gotten so much larger in the past few years. I have certainly heard far more bad reports of MNSSHP than good reports, which is a shame. I think it's the crowds that do it.

Sorry to hear about the bad service you got when in a party of six. It doesn't seem fair, but I don't even really understand why gratuity is added for tables of six or more. You're right- it's the little things that make the difference, and that service sucks. At CRT gratuity was included and the service was pretty dreadful- so I can truly empathize.

Most of our trip was fabulous, although we had a pretty bad experience at one point- luckily it was sorted to some extent by the end. I'm glad you had a good trip and didn't let the bad service get to you!

I would totally go there for the desserts!!! Yum.

They were fabulous, I highly recommend it!

Haha me too! They are fabulous- a great choice for a treat!

Meg~ Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[RachelNinja]

Just wanted to let you know that I'm reading along! Looking forward to hearing more about your super long Florida adventure!

 

[Sam1]

Haha, we were there at the same time! That's my shoulder in the bottom right of your photo. My husband is digging into the kitchen sink and my daughter is the one wearing the pink t-shirt.

 

[tdashgirl]

I am with you on ToT! I think the ride is so cool with it's elaborate theme-ing and story-line, but those drops just make my stomach hurt I've tried it several times hoping it will change. It hasn't

 

[DisneyJo]

I'm loving your TR Megan, you write beautifully

My 17 year old DD is currently helping me plan our next trip, we're off as soon as their GCSE's and A Levels are finished

 

[Turbanator]

Haha, we were there at the same time! That's my shoulder in the bottom right of your photo. My husband is digging into the kitchen sink and my daughter is the one wearing the pink t-shirt.

Its a small world lol

 

[meggiebeth]

Thrills, Grit and World Class Tricks (at DHS)

We spent a few more hours at Hollywood Studios taking in the sights. I made the family pose for a quick holiday photograph but they seem to be somewhat dazed- it must have been hot!

Rory does a quick pose in his bright blue USA shirt sporting his new green Magic Band...

The ice cream at this place looked fabulous. Sadly we were saving room for our evening meal so had to pass.

We then headed back over to Rock n’ Roller Coaster which had finally opened! The first time we used our FP+ scheduled for earlier that day, and then hopped right back on to use our paper FP the kindly family gave us earlier in the day.

Rory absolutely loved this ride! He had been waiting for two years to experience this, and he was absolutely thrilled coming off. He was, however, a little disappointed at the length of the ride.

“Awww, Meggie!” he cried.

“Why was it so short?! I thought you said it was a minute long!”

I admit, that was what I guessed it lasted. However even I thought it was short. My dad said it was even better than he remembered from 2011 (our last trip), and I have to say, it was incredibly thrilling and remains one of my favourite rides in WDW.

Willum then wanted to see the Indiana Jones stunt show, and my parents were eager to see it too. Unfortunately on the way to the show, a little bit of who knows what got into my eye. It was very sore and I couldn’t see for some time very easily. We went to the First Aid area at the front of the park, where I was given eye drops. (Or should I say my mother was. It really annoyed me that the lady clearly thought I was younger than I am. She would tell my mum ‘Put the eye drops in her eyes and don’t let her rub them’. Well excuse me, but I am nearly eighteen- you should tell me that! I just get so fed up of people treated me like a young child- and believe me- it happens a lot!)

My eyes got worse during the Indiana Jones show which was when we had to go to First Aid. I missed a good chunk of the show, but at least my eyes calmed down slowly but surely.

Smile! We’re at Disney! (Sorry, not the best photograph!)

Willum, my dad and Rory went off to ride Tower of Terror and my mum and I browsed the shops- admiring the lovely Disney merchandise.

We then headed back to SSR to get changed ready for dinner. We had to wear smart-casual clothes due to it being a signature restaurant- Flying Fish Cafe! It was our first dinner on the DDP, and we were hoping it would prove to be a special evening.

More to come!