How I Survived 11 Days at WDW with a Disney-Resistant Husband **2/20 THE END **

[cdotla]

Ok, this is my first time commenting on your tr but I have followed it along from the beginning! First, the title makes me laugh everytime! A Disney resistant husband! Love it! I don't know what I'd do if my DH was resistant! I've officially trained him that Disney is our only vacation spot. He's onboard now, after about 3 Disney trips. Although he did give me a scare when he suggested we go to the beach instead next year. I about had a heart attack and then gently reminded him of all the fun Disney has been in the past for us. Whew! Crisis averted!

Your kids are adorable and it looks like you had an amazing time together. And how fun to have that special alone time at Epcot that you did. A little slice of heaven, right? I've really been enjoying your updates! Great job!

Well thank you so much for continuing to read along, and thank you as well for posting!

You are so lucky to have a spouse who finally "gets it"! Although my husband isn't quite there yet, he does enjoy certain parts of Disney very much. And you are right...highs and lows included, we still had an amazing trip!

The solo time for a couple hours in Epcot on my birthday was a nice little treat as well!

Love the update. I can't wait until your next installment as the two things mentioned are things we are doing on our upcoming first trip!

Thanks! Unfortunately, I slipped. We had a Narcoossees dinner to tell everyone about, but it wasn't until the next nite. The dinner on Night 8 was at California Grill. So you will have to hang on just a little bit longer for Narcoossees.

We love Coral Reef too and I can't wait to eat there again in 26 days!!!! The Mahi Mahi is delicious!

I agree! I can't find a single fault with Coral Reef. It was one of our favourites!

Your Jiko meal looks great! I want to try Jiko but it seems like such a pain to get there if you don't have a car. My other concern is my intense dislike of curry. I've tried thai curry, Indian curry, etc. I'm pretty reasonable about trying new foods. I like spice in my food. And yet I have never found a curry that I can even tolerate, much less like. It's one of my few food weirdnesses. I won't even set foot in an Indian restaurant unless I absolutely have to because the smell bothers me so much!

That's great that you had such a yummy meal at Coral Reef. I'll confess that I've stayed away because of the mixed reviews but maybe we need to try it for ourselves. I love most seafood!

Amanda

Hey Amanda...I think I said this before, but the main reason why I get a rental is (1) to ensure I have full control over whether I make rope drop in the mornings, and (2) to enjoy evening dining in the resorts. There is something about getting dressed up for a nice dinner and then having to get on a crowded bus and travelling all over WDW before finally arriving at your destination that can take away from that experience.

Believe it or not, rental cars are much cheaper than round-fare taxi fare to dinner each nite. I typically pay around $25/day for our rental cars using discount codes. Some of the best money spent on the whole trip IMO!

As for Jiko, you have to try it!!! While I am not opposed to curry, I can tell you that I donlt recall it featuring in anyone's meals the evening we were there. There was no curry taste in anything I ate the entire meal, and I don't recall smelling curry at all in the restaurant.

I think people have a fear or hesitation about Jiko that is unwarranted. I really didn't find the menu all that exotic to be honest. Certainly if you are not an adventurous eater, and wanted something "normal", you would have no difficulty with the choices.

I bet once you finally get there you will be very happy you gave it a try!

I really should have eaten dinner before reading your report on Jiko.....I can tell you this is one restaurant we will be visiting for sure next summer. We were trying to figure out where we would have an adults only evening and I`ve just decided it will be here!!!

Great pics of all the kids....so adorable!! Glad you got another night at DTD...and I would have had a ghiradelli sundae too....hey, we can`t go to DTD and not, rightÉ

Hey Queenie! You won't be disappointed with Jiko - that is for sure! And if you haven't been to the Animal Kingdom Lodge before either, that will also be a special highlight for you as well! It is wonderful!

Looks like you had a fantastic birthday!
I will definitely try Jiko soon.

As mentioned, you won't regret it! It is yummy, and perhaps one of the nicest themed/decorated restaurants in all of WDW.

California Grill remains my favourite restaurant in all of WDW, with Jiko a close second. However, I much prefer the decor in Jiko.

 

[cdotla]

I'm so glad that you had such a wonderful birthday dinner!! And the Coral Reef looks amazing as well!! Figment--how fun! We took our girls on the Figment ride for the 1st time in May! They LOVED it!! It brought back memories for me!! Can't wait to read more!

Hey Becky! Yes, Coral Reef was great! If you haven't tried it, put it on the list...it is a good one!

I definitely need to learn to incorporate more lazy mornings into our trips, yours sounds heavenly

The picture of the Mahi Mahi brings back fond memories of that dish, it was so good! I'm still bummed that I missed the lobster ravioli on the menu, that would have been my choice if I had seen it. If you remember from my report, we loved the food and atmosphere at Coral Reef but our service was not so good. I totally agree with you though that everyone needs to make up their own mind about a particular restaurant, people's tastes and experiences are different

Hey Michelle....it was a real great idea taking Day 8 "off" so to speak. Although we briefly got to Epcot in the afternoon, it was mostly to eat and then just to pick a pearl. Great relaxing day for all. I need to remember this tip myself on future trips as I always tend to overplan as well!

I remember reading about your lack-luster service at CR. Our server was the exact opposite. It is amazing how much that can affect your whole dining experience! Hopefully you can give it another try in future. If for nothing else, just to try that lobster ravioli! I kid you not - it is one of the best dishes I have ever tasted at WDW! And we folks up here in Atlantic Canada know our lobsters!

What a nice birthday dinner! I love all of the cousins pictures-- so nice that the kids got to hang out! Also, LOVE Katie's dress! Does she want to share her Lilly wardrobe with me?
Seems like this Epcot day was really nice! I completely agree with you about Disney. Most people LOVE Ohana-- we hated it. I heard lots of negative things about Coral Reef, and like you guys, we adored it! It was the best dinner of our trip.
Can't wait to hear about Narcossee's-- on the top of our list for our next trip!

Yes, it was incredible to see how quickly those cousins bonded! Really great part of our trip!

And yes, Katie's Lilly P wardrobe comes out in full force on these Florida trips. There is no better place to wear Lilly than Florida!

As for Narcoossees, you will have to wait until Day 9 for that review. Sorry about that! I goofed...we actually ate at California Grill on Day 8. I will have that review up this weekend.

Subscribing! Spent all morning reading what you've posted so far. Can't wait to hear the rest!

Oh, where do you get all your daughter's cute outfits? My 3yo needs some for our next trip.

Hey there! Thanks so much for posting, and Welcome!!! Hope that you continue reading!

As for Katie's outfits - most of the custom outfits were made by the many talented folks on etsy or ebay. The non-customs tended to be mostly Janie and Jack or Lilly Pulitzer. If there is something in particular you were interested in, just let me know. In February/March of next year I will actually be selling most of our Disney customs on ebay as Katie has sadly outgrown most of them.

Wonderful update, my husband loves Jiko (in fact he loved it so much our last night at AKL..he called to see if he can have it as a room service...a Jiko CM come to our room to give us the menu for that night and we ordered. It was wonderful. My son loved the playground and the pool at AKL. We did enjoy our stay at AKL but I hated the beds and the buses).

Wow...Jiko room service. Now we are talkin'!

The pool and playground certainly were impressive at AK. But I can see why you would hate the buses from that resort. I can't imagine staying there without a car to be honest.

What about the beds there were so bad??? We have never stayed at AK, but Katie really wants to. I enjoy the resort, but for some reason it isn't high on my list of places to stay.

Great updates. Jiko looks very yummy! Glad you got some more shopping and ice cream!!

Jiko was great, that is for sure. And you can never go wrong with a sundae from Ghirardelli.

I've been to Coral Reef once and loved it!

I'll have to try the Lobster Ravioli next time! YUM

Definitely try that Lobster Ravioli...it is divine!!!

 

[cdotla]

I'm glad you enjoyed your birthday dinner. It was thoughtful of your SIL to see that you got the items you wanted for your birthday.

We also enjoyed Coral Reef when we went. I think it was my husband's favorite meal of our trip.

Thank you! And glad to hear you also had a great time at Coral Reef!

what a great update and birthday!!!!!!!!! All around good stuff and a lovely lovely next morning. I agree, you have to try things for yourself. Jiko is on our May trip list and I can't wait for it!

Cynthia, you will LOVE Jiko. Have no doubt there!

Yummmm....JIKO......we also had an excellent meal there last month- it was my third visit, and I think it was fabulous! The Taste of Africa is what they serve every night on the CL (or at least most of it). So when we went we didn't order that, we had a goat cheese flatbread and the duck, both of which were incredible.

Great way to spend your birthday!!

E

Can't wait to get caught up on your recent TR. (Actually I think I still have to finish the last day of your girls trip too!) Looking forward to getting this one wound up so I can go back to reading!

What a treat if they serve the Taste of Africa in the CL! That is awesome!!

Wonderful updates! I have yet to try Jiko, but it's HIGH on the list for a future date night, or when Henry is old enough to sit at least a bit still in a restaurant over dinner.

Sounds like a pretty perfect day here too - relaxing at the pool and Epcot. GREAT picture of your DH with the kids in Bruce!!!

I like that picture of Chris and the kids in Bruce as well!

You will really like Jiko. We took the kids to all of the signature dining. Not to say that we escaped every meal without a stern warning at some point in the night, but for the most part, things were absolutely fine and I was very happy to have them there. We tended to eat between 5:30-6pm, and we were certainly not the only diners with children. I think it is generally understood that if you want to eat with as few kids as possible, book the later seatings.

Even though Chris' mom was with us, and had offered to take the kids one evening so that Chris & I could enjoy an evening out alone together, there wasn't one experience that I didn't want the kids to be there too. All of our meals were planned early enough to allow us to catch either Fantasmic, Illuminations or Wishes afterwards and the thought of them not being there beside me was enough to forgo date night so that we could enjoy everything as a family.

Don't get me wrong - I have enjoyed WDW without the kids many times on solo trips. However, when they are with me, I seem to always want to share each and every experience with them!

Love the pictures of your family at AKL and Jiko. Great memories of the cousins together.

That food looks beyond yummy! Jiko and California Grill are on the top of my list of places I HAVE to try soon. Haha!

I agree with you that as much as the reviews might be helpful sometimes the best thing is to try it for ourselves. I was a little hesitant about Coral Reef also but honestly have no complaints about it. My mouth starts watering just thinking about that mahi- mahi and the chocolate wave. Hmmm....

Have a great week!

Q
PS. Congratulations to your husband for running the marathon. What a great accomplishment.

Thanks Queila! Yes, Chris has received lots of congrats for running the Half as well as he did. A couple of our friends and neighbours, who have been running for years and who finished well behind Chris in the run have dubbed him the "elite" runner. I think it is actually great to discover a sport relatively late in life (Chris really only started running well into his 40's), and not only love it, but excel at it.

I still haven't found something like this yet, but then again, I am also still a number of years away from 40!

Found your report and I have enjoyed reading every line. I am all caught up and cant wait for the next installment!

Great! Thanks so much for taking the time to post! And WELCOME!!!

I checked your TR at the most perfect time. I loved reading about your meal at Jiko because I am really looking forward to eating there in May. But what's with the burnt bread?

And yours was the second great review I read about the Coral Reef. Those ravioli look amazing. Yum!

How great to have a quiet morning just to relax.

Oh yay! You, Cynthia, and "the girls" will have a great time at Jiko. I couldn't think of a better place to relax and have fun with a bunch of girlfriends. While I love California Grill, I think Jiko is a little more relaxed and private.

Only downside of my meal, as you mentioned, was the burnt bread.

And if you think that lobster ravioli from Coral Reef *looks* good, you should see how it tastes!!! That photo can't even begin to convey how delicious it is!!!

I have been following (lurking!) along with your report the whole time. I am really enjoying it. You have a beautiful family. I can't wait to hear about your 'pick-a-pearl' experience. My daughter (17) did this in Japan as well and loved it! She actually got two pearls in her shell! It's such a great experience and souvenir from WDW.

Hey there! Thank you so much for posting and saying hi! So glad to have you along!!!

This was the first time that we had actually done pick-a-pearl too and we loved it. More on that shortly!

 

[cdotla]

Sorry for the delay since my last update. I was intending to get an update up this weekend, but all of the Halloween activities with the kiddos has put me a little behind schedule.

I will try to post an update tonite, but at the latest, I will get one up Monday nite!

 

[cdotla]

Pick a Pearl in Japan

Who doesn't love the Mitsukoshi store in Japan? Even non-shoppers in the crowd are won over by this awesome store. There is so much to look at, and so many adorable trinkets to buy. I always fill up on the kids stocking stuffers each year in this store.

Believe it or not, after all of these years, and many hours spent browsing inside this delightful store, we had never participated in perhaps the store's most visible and popular activity - Pick-A-Pearl. I had wanted to wait until Katie would be old enough to appreciate the experience, and at 7 years old, it was finally time!

Before our trip, I had purchased a beautiful carriage pendant shaped like Cinderella's stagecoach. I got the idea from a great Disser, the very resourceful and clever RinkyTinky.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Princess-Carria...172?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b4bd928c


The entire Pick-a-Pearl experience was wonderful. We all loved it! Even Chris and Declan were very interested and excited by the whole thing.

The Cast Member manning the pick-a-pearl station was amazing! She added so much to the experience. She made every single person who picked a pearl that day feel so special, and put so much into the ceremony afterwards.

Be forewarned: there is usually always a fairly large line-up at Pick-a-Pearl. We had to wait for at least 6 people to choose their pearls and go through the ceremony before it was finally our time. However, we enjoyed watching the others choose their pearls almost as much as we enjoyed our own experience.

Finally Katie's number was called and it was her turn to pick a pearl!

First she was instructed to choose one of the oysters from the tank. As soon as she selected, she was assured by the Case Member that she was a lucky, lucky girl.

Then it was unfortunately time to sacrifice the poor oyster to obtain our precious pearl.

The Cast Member skillfully cut that oyster open, hunted and fished out the pearl, cleaned it up, measured it, and then put it on display for all to see. All the while cheerfully chatting and talking with the crowd of people watching, and focussing special attention on Katie.

Then she performed a special ceremony with beating drums to celebrate Katie's luck in picking her pearl.

This was a very special and wonderful experience for the whole family. In fact, we liked it so much, we ended up returning to pick two more pearls before our trip would come to an end.


UP NEXT: Dinner at California Grill

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Wonderful update, we never did the pick a pearl too. I want to try it for my son b/c I think he would like the picking of the pearl (I might let him make me a necklace or just keep it for future...let him pick one everytime we go to Disney and when he is old enough he can give all the pearls to his future wife or special girl and tell the story of everytime he goes to Disney he picks a pearl)...

 

[klacey1]

I love picking a pearl-- I had mine set onto a ring that I wear almost everyday. It's the perfect practical souvenir. I love the pearl carriage you picked out-- I've seen it on a bunch of Diser's TR's and definitely have to get one for myself for next year!

 

[cdotla]

Wonderful update, we never did the pick a pearl too. I want to try it for my son b/c I think he would like the picking of the pearl (I might let him make me a necklace or just keep it for future...let him pick one everytime we go to Disney and when he is old enough he can give all the pearls to his future wife or special girl and tell the story of everytime he goes to Disney he picks a pearl)...

What a great idea! I never thought of that for a boy before. Believe it or not, there were 2-3 older boys (maybe 12 or 13) in line ahead of us picking pearls. I had no idea what they were going to do with them - they seemed a little young to me to be getting them for girlfriends, and there were no girlfriends in sight. Maybe they were bringing them home to someone for souvenirs.

I love picking a pearl-- I had mine set onto a ring that I wear almost everyday. It's the perfect practical souvenir. I love the pearl carriage you picked out-- I've seen it on a bunch of Diser's TR's and definitely have to get one for myself for next year!

I have seen some beautiful pearl rings as well. But I think that all of us Dissers who purchased that Cinderella stagecoach cage pendant can be traced back one way or another to RinkyTinky. She found those things!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

What a great idea! I never thought of that for a boy before. Believe it or not, there were 2-3 older boys (maybe 12 or 13) in line ahead of us picking pearls. I had no idea what they were going to do with them - they seemed a little young to me to be getting them for girlfriends, and there were no girlfriends in sight. Maybe they were bringing them home to someone for souvenirs.

I read it somewhere in the Disboard where the mom has 2 daughters and 1 son (the son felt left out so she started letting him pick a pearl and saved it).
Then I read another Thread where the son made a necklace from all the pearls he has been picking and gave it to his finance (he gave it to her on her first trip with his family)

 

[Tinker_Tam]

I am so excited to do Pick a Pearl now. Dh bought me a gift card for my birthday with strict instructions it was to get myself a pearl. I also bought my cage from E-bay. This is one of the things I am looking most forward to when we go to Epcot. I remember when I was little my mom did it at Sea World, when there was still one in Ohio. It was so much fun there and I bet Disney is only better!

 

[PrincessInOz]

All caught up. Great updates of Jiko and Coral Reef. Love the food porn shots and the pick a pearl is amazing!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[ronnmel]

Pick-a-pearl looks like a great activity.

 

[Wicket's Mom]

I did the pick a pearl thing at Sea World, this was before Epcot existed. I had it made into a ring which I love. A friend gave me a canned oyster pick a pearl for my birthday which I put into one of those cages from eBay. Those are great.

Glad to see despite the Bad & the Uglies that there were many Goods!

 

[MaryAz]

What a nice looking pearl! thanks for posting the link-need to get those for our Dec trip!

 

[cherokeemamma]

Hi Trish!
I am sorry I haven't been on much lately. Between kids, school, church and other activities....wow! life has been busy! But, I am finally all caught up with your TR and from what I have read it looks like you guys were having a great time!

If time allows, it is great to have a relaxing day at WDW. We had a short fall break this year and drove to WDW for a one day trip (a couple of weeks ago) and then over to Cocoa Beach for 2 days before heading home. It was fun but wow, was it tiring. Waaaay too short! I am all for the longer trips. The longer the better!

I would love to try Jiko at some point in the future. I would love to go with just DH and have the deluxe dining. We could finally try all of restaurants we have always wanted to try. One day.... We also love the Coral Reef! I was leary to try it myself because of all the bad reviews. I think every restaurant has its ups and downs and it is just a matter of when you hit it. For the most part we have had great experiences and good food at Disney restaurants. The food pics are great... definitely making my mouth water.

I love the pictures from Thanksgiving. The pumpkin races look like a hoot! I am guessing those are actual (huge) pumpkins that are hallowed out?! What fun! Also, great pictures of the kids. I love the one with your DD in a tree...beautiful! Can I ask a silly question? What is a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for you? Do you also eat turkey, dressing, etc...?

I am definitely going to do the Pick-a-Pearl on our next trip. I have seen it but never took the time to look into it. How do they charge you? Is it based on size or is it a flat fee? Thanks for sharing the link for purchasing the carriage! Great idea!

Looking forward to more....TTFN
Happy November!
Darlene

 

[LilAnn]

I am finally all caught up. Phew. I have to say before I forget that I absolutely LOVE your christmas card! It's gorgeous! You really did get some great family shots.

I'm glad that you liked Coral Reef. We were apprehensive when we tried it and ended up really enjoying it as well. I think I also had the mahi mahi, which I don't usually like, but was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.

And I have to agree with someone else who mentioned it, but I love the kids clothes. I'm sure you would have quite a few eager buyers just on the Dis alone if you decided to get rid of some (like me ) I love how color coordinated you guys are sometimes. I don't think I could manage that with my husband.

 

[3timesmom]

Hi! I found your TR yesterday and could't stop reading it!...I finally caugh up and now I'm waiting for more... Love your pictures!!!!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

I have to add also, that I love the clothes that your daughter wears. I'm a Lilly fan myself & have several dresses, etc. They are my favorite Florida wear.

 

[norybell]

Pick a Pearl sounds so fun! I'm always tempted, but I think I'll wait until I have a daughter to share it with.

 

[Bethislucy]

Just came upon your report. I've enjoyed reading it.