13 Days of Disney - Everything We Never Knew We Always Wanted - June 2016 TR Update 1/30

[Jfsag123]

Day 3 – June 8: Epcot, part 2

I was out of town this weekend on a relaxing weekend at a lake, so I got some time to write updates!

After we had our breakfast and our final ride on old Soarin’, we headed out of the Land pavilion and I got to take my first real look around at Epcot, since we’d been rushing on the way in. I love the feel of this park, especially Future World. It is my favorite place in all of WDW. I know this is not a popular opinion these days, and I definitely believe that it could use some serious updating, but I still love it. I also recognize that part of my love is nostalgia, as I remember visiting as a kid in 1992 and it was my favorite park then as well. I sure do miss the Wonders of Life pavilion!

Anyway, we darted across the path and headed toward the new(ish) character spot location with Joy and Sadness from Inside Out. This would turn out to be our 2nd longest wait of the trip. We got in line at 9:06 and didn’t meet the characters until 9:55. Ugh. This would also turn out to be one of my most pathetic moments of the trip. I hadn’t been able to rent a wheelchair when we first came in because we were trying to get to breakfast quickly. We then didn’t want to delay at this point again because we knew the line for Joy and Sadness would likely continue to grow, so we just hopped in line. My toe was killing me at this point and there was no way I could stand on it for any real length of time. So what did I do? I sat on the floor and scooted through the line. Yep, that’s right, I scooted on my butt through each winding turn of the line for the full 50 minutes. A proud moment to be sure.

But here’s the payoff:

It was a really cute meet and greet and I’m glad we did it, but I don’t want to wait that long ever again. Next we walked over to meet Baymax. Unlike with Joy and Sadness, you can see the meet from outside of the area, so I decided to go grab myself a wheelchair while Rees waited in the (much shorter) line with the kids. I then sat in the chair in view of Baymax and then got up and headed in through the exit once Rees and the kids reached the front so I could take pictures. It worked out really well.

I was glad we were able to make Baymax happen, as the kids had been really disappointed when we didn’t stop by and see him with Hiro in Hollywood Studios last year. Once we finished with Baymax, we still had some time left before our first fastpass window opened up, so we decided to run over into Innoventions and check out the Colortopia exhibit, as it hadn’t been there during our last trip.

The pictures are of making color shadows on the walls. The kids had a lot of fun painting with the “magic” brushes, while Rees and I enjoyed the color matching game that came before that. I would recommend stopping by if you have the time, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it again if I only had one day in Epcot.

After we finished with Colortopia it was time for our first FP – Test Track! This is Cora’s absolute favorite ride and we all really like it. On this ride, I was with Alex (green car) and Rees was with Cora (blue car). We get a little competitive when it comes to our car designing and there is much trash talk during the process. Alex and I had some trouble with getting our design station to work and ran out of time before we could finish customizing, but we still kicked butt on the power test. It’s the little things…

We spent a little time playing in the after-ride area, then headed up to World Showcase. I like to visit that area of the park as close to 11:00am as possible because it’s usually pretty empty for the first bit of time it’s open. We stopped in Mexico first, had a picture snapped, then rode the Gran Fiesta tour with (of course) no wait.

We spent some time walking around the countries until it got close to Snow White’s meeting time, then we got in line to see her. It was ridiculously hot at this point, but we passed some of the time by chatting with the family behind us, one of whom happened to be a former Disney animator. One of the many things I love about WDW – a lot of time can be enjoyed just chatting with strangers, which we pretty much never do at home.

We planned to take our break after meeting Snow, but had to check out Sergio in Italy before we did. He picked on Rees quite a bit last year and it was hilarious. This time we got to watch some poor other person be pulled into the joke.

We walked out the International Gateway and went back to our room where the kids immediately asked to – you guessed it – change into their swimsuits and go back to Stormalong Bay. So Rees and the kids spent the bulk of our break there, while I relaxed on our long long balcony with a book and my feet up.

Rees and I were enjoying the break so much that we tried to talk the kids into just staying at the resort until dinner time, but they were having none of it. We had 2 more FP reservations and they intended to make them! So Rees and I dragged ourselves (or, more accurately, were dragged by our children) back to the IG where I grabbed another wheelchair and we headed to our FP ride.

 

[Jfsag123]

Day 3 – June 8: Epcot, part 3

Once we got moving I was glad the kids had pushed us, as we all really love this ride. In fact, it was Alex’s favorite as a 2 year old before he was tall enough for things like Soarin’. It also has the honor of housing the creepiest animatronic in all of WDW (in my opinion).

Here she is:

In case you can’t make out the blurriness, this is the family watching TV. The little girl with her back to us always gives me the creeps. Every. Single. Time. I always crane my neck back trying to catch a glimpse of her face, while also not really wanting to see it. Yes, I have a problem.

After we exited, the kids begged to play Power City, as they do every time we ride Spaceship Earth. You can’t really tell from this picture, but they are totally into it.

Next we made our way over to The Seas with Nemo (Mine! Mine! Mine!) and rode that one standby. I snapped this picture of Cora and didn’t use my flash even though the clamshells around us were empty, because I’m a good WDW rider.

Hi!

We then used our final FP+ at Turtle Talk (and of course, we didn’t really need FP for it, but why not?). When Turtle Talk ended I looked at the time and realized I had not been paying close enough attention to how long things were taking. Our dinner reservation was scheduled for 5 minutes after we got out of TT, and was at the back of World Showcase, the completely opposite end of the park. Alex jumped on my lap in the wheelchair, Cora grabbed one of the arms, and Rees started pushing as fast as he could. I helped as much as I could by pushing the wheels as we rolled. We were not running, but we were going just about as fast as you can go and not be running. Cora was an amazing trooper here and I was super impressed with her. We were still late, but not by much.

Our first time eating here. I had to try it after all the raves I’ve read. It did not disappoint. Once again, I didn’t get a picture of the food before we dove in, but here it is somewhat close to intact.

We got the kids an individual pepperoni to split and got ourselves a large Piccante. Rees added peppers to his half, I added mushrooms to mine.

This is Alex’s “it’s so good I’m in heaven” eating face.

We also ordered dessert.

The Zeppole di Caterina (yum)

And the Coppa Brutti Ma Buoni “Ugly But Good” (inhaled so fast by the children I didn’t even get to try it)

Rees and I ended up with leftovers from our pizza, which made a nice snack the next day. We then had to take some Italy pictures with Cora in her “Italia” shirt.

It was a perfect evening of walking (wheeling) through World Showcase. I took this video of Cora bopping to the music as she walked with the sunlight shining ahead of her. These are the moments that make me love Epcot.

We decided to find a spot for Illuminations and settled on the little path in France where Belle meets during the day. This was our view while we waited.

We were able to see the show pretty well and were really glad we got to, as we hadn’t caught it since our trip in 2013. After Illuminations we headed over the bridge and back out the IG, thankful for the short walk “home.” We grabbed quick showers and got to bed as soon as possible, as we were all worn out. This was Alex the second his head hit the pillow. Notice that the lights are not even off yet.

Until next time!

Coming up: the most magical place on Earth!

 

[bilnsheldodisney]

you are making me so excited to go in 2 weeks!!! i feel the same way about epcot that you do!!!

 

[ArielSRL]

Looks so fun! Unfortunately I'm not all that excited about Epcot these days and it shows in the fact that we spent 1/2 of a day there. We'll do 1.5 days there next June though.

Another vote for Via Napoli! Glad I'm adding it to the list for next year!

Sorry you had to wait so long for Joy & Sadness. We haven't watched Inside Out or Big Hero 6 so my kids don't even know those characters. We do need to at some point, though. Oh and sorry about having to scoot. The things we do for our kids!

Glad you eventually got a wheelchair and I'm glad the kids got you dragged back to Epcot properly!

 

[pucknasty]

Poor Nick, didn't get snuggles at the end of the day

Looks like you guys had a successful Epcot day!

 

[Jfsag123]

you are making me so excited to go in 2 weeks!!! i feel the same way about epcot that you do!!!

I hope you have the best time! Love hearing that others feel as warmly toward Epcot as I do, as it seems pretty short on love these days.

Looks so fun! Unfortunately I'm not all that excited about Epcot these days and it shows in the fact that we spent 1/2 of a day there. We'll do 1.5 days there next June though.

I understand. Maybe getting to spend a little more time (that is not rushed and/or behind schedule and/or having to be restructured at the last minute) will help to change your mind.

Another vote for Via Napoli! Glad I'm adding it to the list for next year!

I'm so torn! I want to try out new Epcot restaurants, but I really want to go back again next time!

Sorry you had to wait so long for Joy & Sadness. We haven't watched Inside Out or Big Hero 6 so my kids don't even know those characters. We do need to at some point, though. Oh and sorry about having to scoot. The things we do for our kids!

Right?! I do love both of the movies, but not enough to do that again lol. Maybe wait until after your next trip to show your kids those movies so you can waltz right by those lines.

Glad you eventually got a wheelchair and I'm glad the kids got you dragged back to Epcot properly!

Boy am I glad I got that wheelchair too! And yes, sometimes it takes the kids to kick my butt into gear and I'm usually grateful for it.

Poor Nick, didn't get snuggles at the end of the day

Looks like you guys had a successful Epcot day!

I know! I felt bad for Nick too lol. I think Cora ended up snatching him up that night, though, so he ended up with his share of snuggles. We did have a pretty successful day and I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

 

[Jfsag123]

Day 4 – June 9: Magic Kingdom/Disney Springs, part 1

If you’ve been paying attention as you’ve been following along, you can likely guess the start of our day. Yep – another early wake-up for rope drop! We are darn serious about our rope drops, which is slightly difficult for me, as I’m naturally a night owl and a late riser. However, the anticipation of what I’m getting up for helps me get moving at WDW. The Magic Kingdom had moved this to an 8:00am opening not long before our trip, which made things a little tougher. Still, we got up in time to be at the bus stop by about 7:00.

Believe it or not, this was our very first time taking a Disney bus. That’s right, we were DBV’s (Disney Bus Virgins, as dubbed by @ariane37). We have driven to WDW each time we’ve gone, so we’ve always had a car and tended to drive most places. Beyond our car, we’ve used the monorail and boats to get around. We walked over to the Beach Club bus stop ready for the day and this new experience.

Game on.

I don’t remember the exact timing, but I think when we got there the wait times board said the next Magic Kingdom bus was due about 5 minutes from when we arrived. It arrived at the exact minute it was supposed to and we hopped on. The ride was nice and uneventful and we were DBV’s no more!

Nothing beats the first glimpse of the Magic Kingdom park and resort area as you come up the road toward the park. I had to snap this picture once we made it through security.

Strategically positioned on the left side and ready for the Welcome Show!

However, there was a slight hiccup. Just before the end of the Welcome Show it started raining. First a little sprinkling, then it quickly started pouring. We weren’t sure what to do. Every instinct said go go go when that rope drops, but we also wanted to put our ponchos on. In the end we were unable to tolerate watching people stream by us and decided to just go. We had plans to hit Peter Pan first and I was worried that if the rain took the Mine Train down, many others would be headed to PP too.

So we worked our way up Main Street staying under the awnings for as much as we could. Of course we still got soaked. But that was ok because we made it to Peter Pan and were able to pretty much walk right on. We always want to try for PP in standby once per trip now that they’ve opened the new queue, as it’s amazing. We’re happy to see it, but don’t need to spend a bunch of time playing with it so RD rides work perfectly.

This was the kids after our ride.

Good times!

However, it stopped raining almost immediately after this, so just long enough to get us soaked and ruin the end of the Welcome Show. Hooray!

We headed to Winnie the Pooh next for another walk-on, then went to meet Ariel at her grotto. Walk-on (in?) again. I love early openings so much for this reason.

Next we rode Ariel’s ride, also with no wait.

Cora holds her nose in preparation to go under the sea!

Next was the Barnstormer. I have no desire to ever do this ride, so I sat it out from the comfort of my wheelchair (which I had grabbed while waiting for RD – MK was really convenient for this!) and snapped some really bad pictures.

I swear they are in this one…I think…

The kids adore this ride so they went on twice in a row, then we moved on to Dumbo. Dumbo was allowing people to go right to the line, as there was not enough of a wait to necessitate the use of the play area, but Cora and Alex wanted to play anyway. When I looked in and saw they’d have the entire place to themselves, I agreed. How often do you get a shot at that?

We spent a good 15 minutes or so in the Dumbo queue. The kids played and played and we chatted with the CM manning the circus. Other kids started to be sent in, so we went ahead and got back in line.

After our flight on the elephant we headed into Tomorrowland to use our first FP at Space Mountain. Cora has ridden it twice before, but this is the first trip that Alex has been tall enough. We were all really excited for his first ride.

Rees obviously enjoyed himself, as did the strangers behind him.

And here’s the rest of us. I quickly pulled my hair back just as the ride was taking off. Not a very chic look, but better than if I had forgotten (like on Test Track the previous day)!

Don’t let Alex’s somewhat calm expression in the picture fool you. The second the ride stopped he shouted “I hated hated HATED that!!!!” and proceeded to fuss at us throughout the walk out of the ride and back into Tomorrowland. It was actually pretty funny how mad he got and we had to work really hard not to laugh at his pain. We had told him about what the ride entailed beforehand and showed him videos on YouTube of people riding with nightvision on and he insisted he wanted to do it. So much for that!

We decided to follow up what Alex insisted was a near-death experience with two low-key attractions . First up, the Carousel of Progress. We saw this for the first time last year and I was sure Alex would be bored out of his mind, especially with the length of it. We went late at night so he’d be more likely to just fall asleep if he got bored rather than whine and try to move around. To our surprise he sat in rapt attention for the entire thing and asked to see it again as soon as it ended. There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow has been one of our favorite songs ever since.

After the CoP, we hopped on one of our greatest loves – the Peoplemover. Paging Mr. Morrow…

Peoplemover pics!

…to be continued…

 

[ariane37]

And the deed is done It didn't even hurt, did it?? LOL I'm glad your first Disney bus ride was quick and painless!

OMG how soaked the kids are in that picture! I hate being that wet there but hey, it happens. I'd probably have made the same decision to go with everyone else rather than take the time to put ponchos on; that RD time is critical. It stinks you missed the end of the opening show but there's always next year

Alex hating Space reminds me of Chris hating TOT last year, and how we couldn't stop laughing at his terrified face in the ride photo! I'd love to get him on it again this year just to add a little giggle to our day. We won't win Parents of the Year but it's worth it for us

Oh, and while the Barnstormer is a good first roller coaster for young kids I can't be bothered standing in line for even 10 minutes for a ride that lasts 30 seconds!

 

[ArielSRL]

Ah...the day we were supposed to see you but missed you bc we were running late (again)...lol. I guess we missed the rain! Sorry you guys got so soaked!

You guys got all that done before we even got to MK, so there ya go, another person promoting the title of my TR! Haha. We are joining the ranks of Rope Droppers next year, darn it!

Glad you are no longer DBVs!

So funny about Alex. Sounds like AJ with Mine Train. I still laugh about it now as I try to convince him to ride next year. Of course, my hubs says he's not riding the "thrill" rides except BTMRR (wait, you'll ride that but not other thrill rides??) so I guess AJ has a partner in that respect. I can't wait til Will, my daredevil, is tall enough!

 

[ALEXandFAB]

You got so much done! Even soaking wet, it looks like so much fun! I'm actually kind of looking forward to Barnstormer

I had a chuckle reading about your son's experience on Space Mountain because it reminded me of something we went through with my son at Disneyland's Space Mountain:

My son's been riding Space Mountain since right around the time he turned 4 and was tall enough to ride. He's a dare-devil and has never been scared of any Disneyland rides. When he was 6, we attended Mickey's Halloween Party and he INSISTED he was ready to ride Ghost Galaxy. We showed him pics and video and asked him over and over again if he was absolutely sure. He said he was.

Well... We hop on and he's screaming and crying from the moment the first scary image pops up to the time we deboard at the end of the ride. He kept saying how he couldn't BELIEVE we would let him get on that ride Like it had been our idea! Oh man! And the dirty looks we got from a few people for being "those" parents leaving a scary ride with a hysterical child

 

[1Grumpy9]

I am finding that the older I get the more I hate Space Mountain, but I still somehow keep going on it...LOL!!!

I love CoP and the TTA. I think it has something to do with my memories of my childhood when we would go with my grandparents and we would go on both.

I always carry rain ponchos with me for that reason that you don't know when the rain is going to start. I took them in 2014 and we didn't even need them, but I went for one day in 2013 and my friend and I forgot them and it poured when we were at EPCOT and by the time we got to MK, it had stopped raining and the sun was starting to come out.

 

[pucknasty]

Oh my gosh you guys got soaked!

I'm always a fan of Space Mountain until I get halfway through it and then my thoughts are "who told me this was a good idea?!" But by the end of it I'm a happy camper!

 

[MICKEY4EVER!]

Great updates! I love all the details and how you describe everything. Takes me back!

Looking forward to more.

 

[disny_luvr]

Way to push through and visit with Joy and Sadness. I don't blame you one bit for scooting through the line; I would've done the same.

I love Spaceship Earth! My boys always want to play Power City, too.

I'm glad you enjoyed Via Napoli. DH and I ate there on our adults only trip a few years ago and didn't care for it. We may have to give it another try on an upcoming trip.

Isn't walking "home" (AKA Beach Club) awesome after a long day?!?! Such a great perk of that resort area!

Now, back to read your Day 4 update.

 

[disny_luvr]

You sure did a lot in a short time. We are rope drop people, too.

We rode Dumbo at night this trip and loved it! We were actually on it during Wishes and it was great to watch the fireworks from a different perspective. When I ride rides at Disney, I love to watch the expressions on my boys' faces. Unfortunately, since I was busy watching the fireworks I feel like I missed watching my little guy and enjoying the ride with him, if that makes sense. Also, since it was later at night, the play area was closed and my boys were disappointed.

 

[Jfsag123]

Sorry I'm so delayed in responding!!! I have been swamped with work and then went out of town. I'm going to try to have another update up soon.

And the deed is done It didn't even hurt, did it?? LOL I'm glad your first Disney bus ride was quick and painless!

OMG how soaked the kids are in that picture! I hate being that wet there but hey, it happens. I'd probably have made the same decision to go with everyone else rather than take the time to put ponchos on; that RD time is critical. It stinks you missed the end of the opening show but there's always next year

Alex hating Space reminds me of Chris hating TOT last year, and how we couldn't stop laughing at his terrified face in the ride photo! I'd love to get him on it again this year just to add a little giggle to our day. We won't win Parents of the Year but it's worth it for us

Oh, and while the Barnstormer is a good first roller coaster for young kids I can't be bothered standing in line for even 10 minutes for a ride that lasts 30 seconds!

We really did get soaked! The kids looked so funny I had to take that picture. We dried out relatively quickly, though.

We already have Alex committed to ride Space again next year and I can't wait to see his reaction again lol. Our mutually agreed on family rule is everyone rides everything at least once per trip. This means they will do things they hate like ToT and Space, and I will do things I hate like It's Tough to be a Bug and Mission:Space Orange.

Exception is the Barnstormer! However, they are fine to let me sit that one out because Cora likes riding alone. We have never actually stood in line for it, though - always gone when it's a walk-on! I can't imagine spending significant time waiting for it.

Ah...the day we were supposed to see you but missed you bc we were running late (again)...lol. I guess we missed the rain! Sorry you guys got so soaked!

You guys got all that done before we even got to MK, so there ya go, another person promoting the title of my TR! Haha. We are joining the ranks of Rope Droppers next year, darn it!

Glad you are no longer DBVs!

So funny about Alex. Sounds like AJ with Mine Train. I still laugh about it now as I try to convince him to ride next year. Of course, my hubs says he's not riding the "thrill" rides except BTMRR (wait, you'll ride that but not other thrill rides??) so I guess AJ has a partner in that respect. I can't wait til Will, my daredevil, is tall enough!

I wish I had a daredevil kid! I am alone in the family in that respect. DH typically hates thrill rides, but loves them at WDW for some reason. He will avoid the tamest rollercoasters at Six Flags, but wants to do Expedition Everest and Rockin Rollercoaster multiple times at WDW.

You got so much done! Even soaking wet, it looks like so much fun! I'm actually kind of looking forward to Barnstormer

I had a chuckle reading about your son's experience on Space Mountain because it reminded me of something we went through with my son at Disneyland's Space Mountain:

My son's been riding Space Mountain since right around the time he turned 4 and was tall enough to ride. He's a dare-devil and has never been scared of any Disneyland rides. When he was 6, we attended Mickey's Halloween Party and he INSISTED he was ready to ride Ghost Galaxy. We showed him pics and video and asked him over and over again if he was absolutely sure. He said he was.

Well... We hop on and he's screaming and crying from the moment the first scary image pops up to the time we deboard at the end of the ride. He kept saying how he couldn't BELIEVE we would let him get on that ride Like it had been our idea! Oh man! And the dirty looks we got from a few people for being "those" parents leaving a scary ride with a hysterical child

No shame in looking forward to Barnstormer. Everyone in my family likes it but me.

And lol on the Ghost Galaxy story! It's funny how they do that. I remember feeling like "that parent" too and I just wanted to yell "no really, he was EXCITED about this!"

 

[Jfsag123]

I am finding that the older I get the more I hate Space Mountain, but I still somehow keep going on it...LOL!!!

I love CoP and the TTA. I think it has something to do with my memories of my childhood when we would go with my grandparents and we would go on both.

I always carry rain ponchos with me for that reason that you don't know when the rain is going to start. I took them in 2014 and we didn't even need them, but I went for one day in 2013 and my friend and I forgot them and it poured when we were at EPCOT and by the time we got to MK, it had stopped raining and the sun was starting to come out.

Oh my gosh you guys got soaked!

I'm always a fan of Space Mountain until I get halfway through it and then my thoughts are "who told me this was a good idea?!" But by the end of it I'm a happy camper!

We don't have any nostalgia reasons for loving CoP and TTA, but somehow we just really do. I didn't even see them during my trips to WDW and DL as a child. They just feel so classically Disney, though.

We always carry the ponchos too and didn't need them once on our trip last year (that was nice...). We had them on us, but didn't want to take the time to deploy them and so got soaked.

Great updates! I love all the details and how you describe everything. Takes me back!

Looking forward to more.

Thank you! I hope to have more ready very soon!

Way to push through and visit with Joy and Sadness. I don't blame you one bit for scooting through the line; I would've done the same.

I love Spaceship Earth! My boys always want to play Power City, too.

I'm glad you enjoyed Via Napoli. DH and I ate there on our adults only trip a few years ago and didn't care for it. We may have to give it another try on an upcoming trip.

Isn't walking "home" (AKA Beach Club) awesome after a long day?!?! Such a great perk of that resort area!

Now, back to read your Day 4 update.

I appreciate the scooting support. I got a couple of weird looks, but was beyond caring lol.

And we really did enjoy Via Napoli, but I can also see how not everyone would due to the style of their pizza.

OMG, walking "home" was amazing! We had had the walking experience before with BLT and MK, but that's a much longer walk. This literally was a few minutes outside the gate. Like, back in our hotel room within 10 minutes of the final blast of Illuminations. I felt so spoiled!

You sure did a lot in a short time. We are rope drop people, too.

We rode Dumbo at night this trip and loved it! We were actually on it during Wishes and it was great to watch the fireworks from a different perspective. When I ride rides at Disney, I love to watch the expressions on my boys' faces. Unfortunately, since I was busy watching the fireworks I feel like I missed watching my little guy and enjoying the ride with him, if that makes sense. Also, since it was later at night, the play area was closed and my boys were disappointed.

We tend to try to accomplish a lot in the mornings because we know we won't be as productive later in the day. Meeting characters takes up a bunch of time - I don't know what we'll do with all of our extra time once we stop having to work so many meets into our days!

I'll bet Wishes is beautiful from Dumbo. But I also totally know what you mean about wanting to see the kids' faces. I'm like that with rides, shows characters, the whole lot. One of my favorite pictures from our first trip is of Alex's 2-year-old face as he watched Illuminations for the first time. And I love the reaction shots the photopass photogs get when you round the corner and the kids first spot the characters.

 

[ALEXandFAB]

I remember feeling like "that parent" too and I just wanted to yell "no really, he was EXCITED about this!"

EXACTLY!

"I'm a good parent, I promise!"

 

[Jfsag123]

Day 4 – June 9: Magic Kingdom/Disney Springs, part 2

We departed Tomorrowland at this point and headed back to Fantasyland to use our 2nd FP. Princess time! (again…)

Cinderella talked to the kids about how they got to WDW and asked about traveling in a pumpkin. This may have been the best Cinderella we’ve seen. Yes I know there is only one.

I think Rapunzel talked to the kids about wanting to paint the walls of Princess Fairytale Hall. Whatever she said, they thought she was hilarious.

Next we decided to grab an early lunch. We don’t mind eating early and it helps us avoid the crowds, so we generally shoot for eating around 11:00am. Even though we travel during heavy crowd times, we’ve never had a problem with overcrowded QS restaurants due to eating at off-times. If we miss our 11:00am by too much, we will grab a snack from a little stand and come back around 1:30. No noon hour eating for us without an ADR!

Can you guess where we went?

I miss the BBQ chicken flatbread Pinocchio Village Haus had back in 2013. None of the current options sounded super appealing to me so I got a Caesar side salad and mooched off the kids’ fries. The kids, of course, got chicken nuggets again and Rees got one of the flatbreads, though I can’t remember which one.

After lunch we headed over to our final pre-booked FP of the day and Cora’s favorite ride in MK – Haunted Mansion!

Ooh, look at us, we’re so grim.

Now we’re happy!

Now we’re apparently trying to go the opposite direction from the Hitchhiking Ghost. Maybe that’s a good thing?

Needless to say, we had some fun with photopass here. I also had to take a shot of my own of the kids with the list of wives because why not?

While in line for the Haunted Mansion, I booked a 4th FP+ for us to go on a journey through a world of laughter and a world of tears. I know for many folks the ride tends more towards the latter, but we love it’s a small world. No trip would be complete without us doing this at least twice. I had read that they had added the StoryMaker ability to the end of the ride and sure enough, there were our names on the goodbye screens when we got to the end. I kind of felt bad for the other people in our boat as we were on both screens.

I swear these say “goodbye charles (Rees’ first name), kelley, and cora” and “goodbye alexander.”

Apparently my ability to take a photo from a slowly moving boat leaves something to be desired.

At this point we were ready to head out for a break, as it was getting hotter and more crowded, but we caught the 12:30 Move it, Shake it Party on our way. The kids were thrilled as they LOVE Zootopia and this is currently the only place to see Judy and Nick – do something about this before we come back next year, Disney!

Here are the kids somewhat confusedly trying to shake a tail feather.

Content that our tail feathers had been adequately shaken we made our way to the exit and to the Beach Club bus bay. And we waited…and waited…and waited… We watched bus after bus go by for different resorts – some resorts had 2 or 3 buses go by before we finally got one. However, once it came we confidently boarded, Disney Bus Virgins no more.

The day was a bit overcast again by this point and I snapped these shots as we walked in.

We had a little down time at the resort (kids=Stormalong Bay), then decided to head back out for the evening. However, it decided to briefly start pouring down rain again just as we were about to leave, so we spent a little while more at BCV until it let up.

We had originally planned to go back to MK, but decided to hold off since we’d have 3 more MK days the following week and would be staying at BLT which would make for a much easier trip to that park. Instead, we decided to keep our bus streak alive and hopped one to Disney Springs. Again, our wait was short and the times board was exactly accurate. We had good luck with buses from the resort.

We walked through the new area, but pretty much headed straight to our old familiar stomping ground so the kids could pick out their hats. Our tradition is that they each get a new hat each trip. Our first trip was Cora: RD-D2, Alex: Woody. Trip # 2 was Cora: Buzz Lightyear, Alex: Sorcerer Mickey. This time it was all about Pluto and Goofy.

We had dinner at Earl of Sandwich, then went over to Goofy’s Candy Co. Unfortunately, I had to cut our night short as my toe was killing me and I had not gotten a wheelchair at Disney Springs. Because of this we missed out on continuing something else we had wanted to establish as a tradition – picking out ornaments from the Christmas store! May have to order them from the Shop Disney Parks app this year.

The kids picked out a Goofy candy apple to share and kept it wrapped on the ride back to BCV. We decided to let them eat it outside at the resort. They thought it was pretty much the best thing ever.

And then the sillies got to Cora

We went back up to the room and settled in for a quiet and restful night, which was just what we needed. We popped some popcorn and put on a movie – Bye Bye Birdie, as the kids are really into musicals right now, then called it an early night.

 

[disny_luvr]

I'm so glad you posted! I was wondering where you've been. Life happens, I totally get it!

I love your pictures with the characters and watching how your kids get into interacting with them.

We love IASW, too. We ride it several times each trip. The new goodbye screens at the end of the ride were a big hit with my boys. I knew they had been added, but they did not, and it was a real treat seeing their reactions the first time.

Darn rain! I'm glad you were able to recover your day with a trip to DS.

Yay for early nights! Those are needed every once in awhile when at Disney. I know my family has to rejuice every couple of days.