All the Pixie Dust! A May 2016 Trip - 1/24 FINALLY COMPLETE!

[kastoney]

Looks like a great morning/afternoon in Epcot. We encountered the same crazy lines for Joy and Sadness but agree it was worth it (though only once, we haven't been back since ).

Your lunch at Garden Grill looks delicious. Is this the same thing they serve at dinner? i don't know why but it looks different than what I've seen in the past and much yummier

 

[LindseyJo22]

Looks like a great morning/afternoon in Epcot. We encountered the same crazy lines for Joy and Sadness but agree it was worth it (though only once, we haven't been back since ).

Your lunch at Garden Grill looks delicious. Is this the same thing they serve at dinner? i don't know why but it looks different than what I've seen in the past and much yummier

it was super fun! And yeah, I'm glad we did it, but I'm not in a huge hurry to do that meet and greet again. I'm thinking I might try to see if we can get to Baymax on a future trip though - he had a really short line in the morning because everyone else was going for the Inside Out line!

And Garden Grill is really great - we've eaten there during both of our recent longer trips and had a hard time not making a reservation for our upcoming one! The menu at dinner and lunch is the same, but they made some changes last year by adding the sausage instead of the fish and changing the dessert. We aren't huge sausage fans, but the shortcake was great!

 

[Saphire5742]

Pretty sure this was the longest line we waited in the whole trip! Character lines tend to be long for me, at least compared to other stuff, so I try to do a character meal or something that is a little more interesting. But you can only meet these characters here, and I didn't think the line was really going to go down any time soon. I did really love the decoration in this room with the memory bank.

I think their line is always long. I decided to come back later before leaving the park as I didn't want to waste valuable morning time and still waited about an hour. But I really enjoyed the movie so it was worth it.

As usual, Will and I went for the utterly ridiculous in our car.

I like your tactic. Will have to keep this in mind.

Your GG meal looks so so goooooood!

 

[amberdc1987]

Awesome about Garden Grill. I have read nothing but wonderful things about there. We have it scheduled for our trip in Feb. It will be our first time there, so we are definitely stoked about it. That food looked super yummy.

 

[LindseyJo22]

Awesome about Garden Grill. I have read nothing but wonderful things about there. We have it scheduled for our trip in Feb. It will be our first time there, so we are definitely stoked about it. That food looked super yummy.

It was really great - I think we may even be adding it to our May trip reservations We just can't seem to skip it too many times

 

[LindseyJo22]

More Epcot!

After a very nice nap, we did a few more things in Epcot - first up, a ride with Figment!

Obviously that is not us - I should do more selfies or something I actually really enjoy this ride - it's cute and almost never has a wait, which is a definite plus!

Then we went to visit some of my favorite Epcot sea creatures - the manatees!

Kind of difficult to photograph, but I love hanging out and looking at them. They were playing a really ridiculous manatee song part of the time we were upstairs, which was kind of hilarious and kind of annoying. But at least the manatees were adorable

We also rode Nemo while we were in the area, but I didn't get any pictures of that - it's very difficult to photograph!

After the Seas, we managed to get another Test Track Fastpass, so we were off to do that!

We went slightly less ridiculous with our car this time

more hilarious ride photos!

We got some pictures in front of Spaceship Earth, and then decided to start heading toward World Showcase to get a spot for Illuminations.

We secured a spot kind of near the Mexico pavilion, and I got Will and I some tacos to split because we were a little bit hungry:

I love the Mexico quick service - these were tasty and remarkably fast considering there were already quite a few people hanging around for Illuminations.

We watched the show, which was fabulous as always, and then headed back to the Boardwalk for the night. But before we went to bed, we couldn't resist a late night snack!

We got one of the white chocolate apples with rainbow sprinkles. I'm not usually a huge white chocolate fan, but this was really great - the chocolate coating paired wonderfully with the tart apple, and I think the fancy apple was definitely worth the few extra dollars. We also saved a bit for the next morning, because we were still pretty full from all of our previous eating!

And then we were off to bed again - the next day was our last Disney day, but we had some great things planned to make it spectacular!

 

[fallonkendra]

I'm so late to this party, but what a wonderful trip you've had so far! That view from your room is awesome! I love that you got to do a Disney trip with your mom, I'd love to do that one day

 

[Elevationist]

Then we went to visit some of my favorite Epcot sea creatures - the manatees!

Yaassss! My babies! I love them so much!

Your ears are SUPER adorable!

 

[kastoney]

What I wouldn't do for one of those apples right about now. Were these at the Boardwalk Bakery?

 

[ArielSRL]

Ok, I was behind but I'm all caught up now! Loving the GG meal. We are planning breakfast there in June. I cannot wait. I've only heard good things and the boys will love the characters. Maybe we will do lunch or dinner on a future trip!

You guys got a lot done, even with the long Inside Out line. Confession time: we have never watched Inside Out! I was under the impression it is geared more for older kids than mine so we just haven't taken the opportunity. We also have never watched Big Hero 6. Oops. I promise I'm not really a bad Disney movie Mom...haha.

Those apples look delicious. At first I thought they were cake pops! Either way, yummy!

I know I keep saying this but I'm fairly certain I'm going to try for BC or BW on our trip after June 2017. We actually got WL this time and I am terribly excited!

Looking forward to your last day!

 

[LindseyJo22]

What I wouldn't do for one of those apples right about now. Were these at the Boardwalk Bakery?

Actually, these were at the general store thing where they have the t-shirts. Screen Door? I can't actually remember the name But they have a counter with cookies and candy apples and stuff. So good!!

You guys got a lot done, even with the long Inside Out line. Confession time: we have never watched Inside Out! I was under the impression it is geared more for older kids than mine so we just haven't taken the opportunity. We also have never watched Big Hero 6. Oops. I promise I'm not really a bad Disney movie Mom...haha.

We have a pretty good list of stuff we haven't managed to see yet, too. And I love Inside Out! I think it's got a lot for kids, but I also don't have kids, so I'm not the best judge

Big Hero 6 was also super great - I actually need to pick that one up soon since we don't have a copy of it yet.

I know I keep saying this but I'm fairly certain I'm going to try for BC or BW on our trip after June 2017. We actually got WL this time and I am terribly excited!

Woo hoo!!! We actually got BC for our May 2017 trip and I can't wait. Stormalong Bay!! And Cape May

 

[ariane37]

I've never tries one of those candy apples but I always look at them.... and then choose something else. Maybe now I'll actually pick up a white chocolate one later this month
I enjoy the Mexico QS too. I also enjoy the Mexico Avocado margarita

 

[LindseyJo22]

Finally Finishing Up!

Well, I have been about a million years late in actually finishing this. Sorry! Hopefully there is someone still here

I think in the future I'm going to just write the TRs out ahead of time and then upload more frequently if possible - we actually just did a short trip in January, and Princess Half weekend is so soon, so I've got more stuff to keep going if I can actually manage to write it up

On to the final day!

Before we did anything for our last day, I headed out for a run - this is easily the best place to run so far on property. We recently stayed at AK Lodge and that was not nearly as good!

Also wow, my pace has gotten a lot better - but this was also summer, so we'll see if it declines when it gets hot again.

Then, breakfast of champions - caramel chocolate covered apple

So good!

Pretty sure I went down to refill my mug and just enjoy the last morning. We weren't planning on a whole lot in the morning, but wanted to do a little bit of resort hopping. And I think we were also on the hunt for a t-shirt Will had seen that would have been perfect for his dad. So we were planning on hitting up Old Key West, Caribbean Beach, and anywhere else that seemed like it might have island-y shirts

A few Boardwalk pictures on the last morning:

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of our resort-hopping adventure until we got to the food

We decided to hit up the food court in Port Orleans Riverside for nostalgia's sake - Will and I both fondly remember staying here when it was still Dixie Landings, and mom and I would always get make your own pasta. Well, this time was no different! Mom and I split the pasta, and Will got some kind of burger that was pretty delicious for Disney food court fare. Plus, I got to bring my mug since it was a resort, so no extra drink cost!

Looking at this, I'm pretty sure the burger had some kind of brisket or barbecue on top of it! The pasta was definitely enough to split, and I still love being able to pick everything I want in it

We wandered around French Quarter for a while, and then headed over to my favorite Park:

Pretty sure we did Big Thunder Mountain, despite lack of pictures!

After we got off the ride, it was just the right time to see Festival of Fantasy come around Frontierland! I was so excited about this - we never seem to be in the park for the afternoon parade, and I had wanted to see this one for a while. Excuse some of the blurry pictures - they were a little zoomed in on my phone camera!

Apparently I didn't get a whole lot of photos, though I think I did take some video as well. This was such a great parade - and we got really lucky with our timing. We were able to get a pretty nice spot just walking up as the parade was coming toward Frontierland! I loved all the different floats and music and everything - it was so much fun! Especially the awesome dragon

After the parade, we apparently headed to Tomorrowland to do Space Mountain - why do I always get the first seat in this ride? It is so nerve wracking being in the front - I end up closing my eyes most of the time

And then it was back over to Frontierland for Splash (assuming my pictures are in order). This one was just mom and I - we had a fastpass, but there was some kind of backup in the queue and Will decided he didn't feel like waiting that long. We actually didn't end up waiting too long at all, and I really wanted to ride it again - plus, it's kind of nice to have a ride picture with just me and mom

We did a round on Winnie the Pooh and the Peoplemover too

Then I got this fabulous picture on Buzz Lightyear:

Seriously, what are we both doing? I never can get a decent picture here!

And I'm pretty sure that's about it for the rides! We had been going pretty hard for the week, and we were all kind of tired. So we decided to just hang around and wait to check in for our big finale - the Wishes Dessert Party!

Will and I decided that we might want something to eat that wasn't just dessert, so we got the oh so healthy corn dog nuggets from Casey's. This was the first time we'd actually tried them, and I think they will be a must do from now on - so so good! Way better than I expected!

We hung out for a while, and it took kind of a long time for them to start checking everyone in - but once we were checked in, we could start helping ourselves to the desserts - so I was perfectly happy!

We ended up at a great table right next to the railing as well

Some pictures of the buffet:

So overall, a nice selection! There was also a section with fruit, cheese, and crackers as well as a soft serve ice cream dispenser in the middle of the seating area.

My first plate:

Chocolate covered strawberries (of course), a mini cannoli, one of the strawberry things (don't really remember what this was now), an oreo mickey thing, and something else I don't remember

However, I do remember that all of these were super good! I really enjoyed the oreo things and the strawberries.

View from our table:

And post-party picture

Overall, I loved the party - at the time we bought our tickets, I think it was 49.99 or so a person. It was pricey, but not so expensive as it is now - I think it's gone up even more since we went.

The dessert selection was really nice, and I also really liked the fruit and cheese options to combat all the sugar. The chocolate covered strawberries were amazing and high quality, and most of the other desserts were very good. I generally stayed away from the cupcakes and rice krispies, but for pickier eaters I think they are good options to have. The sparkling cider toast was a nice touch, though I do wish they had some bottled water instead of Florida tap water as a drink option. I ended up having a decent amount of lemonade or some other drink just to avoid the gross water

Overall, I think this was a good value for what we wanted - a special way to end a very special trip. However, this has now pretty effectively priced us out for the foreseeable future. This is now $79 per person for the Tomorrowland Terrace seating, and $59 for the Plaza Garden viewing. We actually considered doing it for our May trip to celebrate my in-laws' anniversary, but the price was just insane when we were talking about 6 people. Instead, we are doing a Tusker House lunch for everyone, and even with us covering an extra meal it would be cheaper than us covering one ticket to the Dessert Party. I know you are getting a great view of Wishes, and the desserts are good - but to me they are not $79 good. The garden view might be an option for us if we want to do it again, but at the rate these parties are increasing in price I just don't know.


After the party, we headed back to the Boardwalk to get ready to head home


Last Morning

Mom headed out very early on the Magical Express - but Will and I couldn't leave without our farewell breakfast in France! This is one of my favorite parts about being in an Epcot resort (and having APs). I went down to refill my mug and enjoy the view, and soon enough we were heading through the International Gateway and having this deliciousness:

We got the apple and Brie sandwich to split, and then I got the strawberry tart and Will got a beignet (pretty sure that's what it is).

These were so yummy The apple and Brie sandwich could have been warmed up a bit, and it would have been even better. But I loved the nutty bread it was on. I also really enjoyed this tart - it had a nice whipped cream filling, so it was light and delicious! The beignet was also pretty good, though I tend to lean more toward the fancy pastry side than the donut side here

We really enjoyed our breakfast, but sadly it was then time to leave, so we packed up and headed back home - but not for long!

Thank you for staying with me through the ridiculous length of this report! I am going to try and write up our January trip so I can post it more quickly And I know I'm going to do at least a dining review for February because it will be our first time using the Dining Plan (and I really want to do a comparison to see how efficient we were).

Hopefully I'll catch up on everyone else's TRs soon as well!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I enjoyed reading along. Thanks so much for sharing your trip with all of us.

 

[cinderkelly]

Looks like you had a really great last couple of days.

I love that Boardwalk view so much, especially when all the lights are on at night .

Wow the food from POR looks really good, and huge portions! I stayed there back when it was Dixie landings also, that seems like forever ago.

The fireworks dessert party looks awesome, but you're right, that price hike kinda takes it out of the running for me too.

Feburary will be here before we know it!

I enjoyed your report!

 

[hswillia07]

Thanks for sharing - I"m glad you had such a great trip!

 

[ArielSRL]

Seems like a nice, relaxing last MK day! Glad you got to see the parade. We didn't see it in June and probably won't next June bc we schedule midday breaks. I guess I could push a break one day and stay in the park and see it then leave after but my youngest still naps and I want to avoid meltdowns, which we did last trip...so I'm afraid to try.

The dessert party looks good but I'd never pay the $79 it is now. I might do $59 but not this upcoming trip. I am planning the Star Wars one instead. It's comparable in price, I think, and it includes alcohol. Besides I think it's more valuable to have a good viewing spot for it bc of the projections. Wishes has many good spots. I'm glad you guys got in on the lower price.

Was your breakfast at Les Halles? You may have mentioned that was your favorite breakfast place earlier in the TR, but if so, I forgot! we have never eaten there but plan to in June!

Great finish! Link here if you start one for your other trips!

 

[LindseyJo22]

Seems like a nice, relaxing last MK day! Glad you got to see the parade. We didn't see it in June and probably won't next June bc we schedule midday breaks. I guess I could push a break one day and stay in the park and see it then leave after but my youngest still naps and I want to avoid meltdowns, which we did last trip...so I'm afraid to try.

The dessert party looks good but I'd never pay the $79 it is now. I might do $59 but not this upcoming trip. I am planning the Star Wars one instead. It's comparable in price, I think, and it includes alcohol. Besides I think it's more valuable to have a good viewing spot for it bc of the projections. Wishes has many good spots. I'm glad you guys got in on the lower price.

Was your breakfast at Les Halles? You may have mentioned that was your favorite breakfast place earlier in the TR, but if so, I forgot! we have never eaten there but plan to in June!

Great finish! Link here if you start one for your other trips!

It was! Getting there in the afternoon made it possible to catch the parade - we usually do an afternoon break, even without kids to deal with. We need naps!

I'd love to do the Star Wars dessert party at some point, but we've got some pricier stuff planned for our upcoming trips, so it'll have to wait a bit I think.

And yes, I should have mentioned that! Les Halles is a great breakfast We didn't do it on our most recent trip since we were in Animal Kingdom Lodge, but it's very convenient when we're at the Epcot resorts.

 

[Saphire5742]

A great last day of your trip.
Thank you for sharing your trip with us.
And best of luck in the Princess Half