LIVE REPORT! Watch My Hair Frizz In Real Time! Win a Prize!

[MAGICFOR2]

Hey there! Sorry your knee has been hurting. Hope it feels better now.

I"m going with garlic shrimp, grape leaves, hummus with olives
and chicken rolls.

Thanks for taking the time to write! Hope you have a great day tomorrow.

 

[bankr63]

A few minutes later our buzzer lit up. That was fast. We gathered everyone together and met up with our first Ohana cousin. He was very friendly and explained the whole experience to us, but all the while all I wanted him to do was take the buzzer away from me. The vibration was driving me crazy (Hmmm. I’ll just leave it. It will give Ponzi something to do.), and there was no comfortable way to hold it.

We went into the emporium and Squid and I looked for the perfect gift for the prize. BUT… we didn’t find it yet. Squid said you should just figure out what Ponzi would like. C’mon readers! All three of you! Are you going to just hand it to him?

http://allears.net/dining/menu/spice-road-table/lunch-dinner

I just can't go there with your very friendly cousin, and vibrations driving you crazy, and you not comfortable holding it back. Nope, not going there I said...

Wait, I thought you were getting Ponzi the fish plague, or was that the avian flu, ebola...(no wonder I'm not trying to win!)?

Okay, I'll guess Fish Croquettes (do they have to be sustainable if Sheena's not there?), Calamari for the kid without the Stitched on ears (you know they can glue them right?), Hummus fries ('cause the calories don't count on vacation), and Brie Fondue ('cause that sounds way too good to pass up).

 

[pkondz]

How about no more than 3 ADRs per day (midnight to midnight), and none can overlap (assuming a 2 hour window each)? So yes, you could book at 6:00 8:00 and 10:00 for your party, but that's less likely if you need the breakfast or lunch. This is all hypothetical of course - leave the brains at Disney to figure it out - I am just saying they probably have the tools to make it sensible.

No matter what they do, someone's not going to be happy.
At least until some loopholes are figured out!

 

[pkondz]

Okay, I'll guess Fish Croquettes (do they have to be sustainable if Sheena's not there?),

 

[laura74]

Happy to be here, but would rather be in Disney with you!!

I'm in Essex county NJ! Are you in NJ too?

We are just south of Princeton.

Oh, shoot.

You mean we weren't supposed to swat them?

Sorry about that.

Maybe you can spare some of your millions of readers…

I'm more tired than I thought.

I first read that as "Our waiter was very attractive."

We were not at Tutto Italia.

Never been there. Isn't that over near Dover?

Kalamazoo

And because of that, I know my DDs would turn their noses up at it.

"It's burnt!"

Like when kids won’t eat the hotdogs with the lines on them?

Ten?? That sounds amazing!

And again... if I ordered it for the four of us, I'd be the only one eating it.

It was amazing and you would be up for the challenge.

And secretly... you hated them a little bit, right?

I’d much rather have the option to order an appetizer, but I guess I am not alone which is why Disney is giving the cheaper dessert option.

Huh. And here I thought it would be easier.

Just keep bringing 'em food.

That’s what I thought too.

Wow! Perfectly timed pixie dust!

Also found it funny since my original thought was "Bus to DTD then transfer", but I thought "No, they wouldn't be crazy enough to do that!"

I thought that maybe Epcot had late enough hours that you could do that.

It was a really great moment.

Can't wait! Thanks for the chapter!

Thanks for the breakdown!

I can. With MDE, they can stop you from making more than 3 FP+ reservations. Surely they can stop a party from making more than 1 ADR for each meal slot. If you don't have MDE, you pay a cancellation fee. See, easy!

That sounds reasonable. Is Disney reasonable?

I would never comment about a lady's behind.

Sagging or not.

I knew you couldn’t resist that one.

Gee, sorry to hear that your knee was bothering you this much.

Thanks, I probably wouldn’t baby it so much if I weren’t starting a new job. I don’t want to hobble on my first day. Orientation is in the city. Starting to get nervous already.

I can't even imagine.

So you have a short four night trip.

You save and save and save.

I can hear it now.

"So? Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's wonderful. But... how much was this?"

"$8,400"

"$8,400?? $8,400???? We need a new car and you spend over eight grand on four nights in a hotel????"

Clearly, there are people that do not worry about such things or Disney wouldn’t have built them. It’s a shame that they couldn’t have also built more traditional DVC units so more people could stay there.

Uh.... Um.....

Really at a loss for words here.

Ladies and Gentleman: A first!

How is that even possible?!?!?

That I’m so efficient or they are so lazy?

Actually, I sent you a PM (fine... a conversation. that sounds dumb. I prefer PM)

I had trouble replying from my ipad last night. Sent you a direct message over twitter.

Obviously pretty good, considering it happens every year.

Oh, you know what I mean, wise guy.

That's really too bad.

Especially when it bothers you to the point where you can't keep up with the others.

I was actually one of the faster walkers, which turned out to be a mistake. Damn you, Jillian Michaels and your jumping jacks!

I'm going to guess: Calamari, Hummus & Olives, Spicy Garlic Shrimp, Moroccan Lamb Sausage (although I'm a bit doubtful about that last one.)

Hey there! Sorry your knee has been hurting. Hope it feels better now.

Thanks for taking the time to write! Hope you have a great day tomorrow.

Thanks!

I just can't go there with your very friendly cousin, and vibrations driving you crazy, and you not comfortable holding it back. Nope, not going there I said... .

And here I gave you such a great set up…

Wait, I thought you were getting Ponzi the fish plague, or was that the avian flu, ebola...(no wonder I'm not trying to win!)?.

I am not sending a giant fish to Canada!

 

[laura74]

Sadly, only three of my five readers took a stab at my contest question.

We had to pick 4 dishes that gave us some variety including some the kids might actually eat. But first...

Drinks! Monkston and Wall-E had Shirley Temples, Jack ordered some Cypress something or other which is sort of a Pina Colada, but Moroccan and I ordered a glass of what else? Chardonnay. It turned out be a very nice wine and a relative bargain at $8.99 for a pretty generous pour.

Now what do we order?

Fresh Fish Croquettes - sundried tomato aioli and, black olive tapenade $10

These sound great but the kids will never eat it will yucky black stuff and Mickey doesn't like fish.

Spicy Garlic Shrimp - sauteed shrimp with dried chilies and fried garlic $10

We decided to get these even if the kids wouldn't eat them.

Moroccan Lamb Sausage - North African lamb sausage served with tomato, red onion and cilantro salad $9

Jack has never eaten lamb and didn't want to start here, especially after dealing with an upset stomach the day before.

Fried Calamari - with spicy harissa and capers aioli sauces $12

Of course we ordered these.

Hummus and Imported Olives - with cornichons and za'atar pita bread $10

This sounded amazing to me but it wasn't the popular choice.

Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves - fried capers, raisins and fresh nutmeg $8

Oh please. Mr. Squid is the only one who would be excited about this.

Harissa Chicken Roll - with spicy ketchup $8

We did get this because chicken and ketchup and kids.

Hummus Fries - cumin, cilantro and preserved lemon aioli $8

I guess we could have ordered this and tricked the kids, but alas, they can read.

Brie Fondue - Baked Brie with Rosemary Croutons $10

Of course we ordered this! Brie + Fondue + Bread!

So, we ordered Calamari, Shrimp, Chicken Rolls and Brie Fondue.

I'm going to guess: Calamari, Hummus & Olives, Spicy Garlic Shrimp, Moroccan Lamb Sausage (although I'm a bit doubtful about that last one.)

10 Points. Of course we did not order lamb sausage.

I"m going with garlic shrimp, grape leaves, hummus with olives

and chicken rolls.

10 points

Okay, I'll guess Fish Croquettes (do they have to be sustainable if Sheena's not there?), Calamari for the kid without the Stitched on ears (you know they can glue them right?), Hummus fries ('cause the calories don't count on vacation), and Brie Fondue ('cause that sounds way too good to pass up).

10 points

Do you want to hear my opinion on the dishes? Too bad. My thread.

Calamari: Very good, nice crunch, not greasy and they snuck in some breaded jalapenos for heat. Sauces were interesting.

Shrimp: Ok. It could have used more sauce or seasoning. I took the lemon from the chicken roll plate to help liven them up.

Chicken Rolls: Kids wouldn't eat them because there were too many ingredients. I wouldn't order again when there are other more interesting choices.

Brie Fondue: The winner! Melted brie with a chutney over it. How can you go wrong? If you order, ask them if they can bring extra soft bread. The croutons were too chewy for it.

After we ordered, Mickey texted that he now had the stomach bug and he was going to walk around rather than eat. Oh great. We just ordered all this food. I text Squid to come over and sit with us when he was done with his taboulleh.

This really was a lovely spot and relatively undiscovered. We got a table for five right away without a reservation. I don't know why more people don't eat here.

Squid came to our table to keep us company but didn't want to eat any of our food. The plates were small as advertised though, so we didn't really need any help after all.

Monkston has been itching to get a henna tattoo so after dinner we went to the store next door so she could get a dream catcher on her arm. I was a little alarmed because it's black when the put it on but I found out that the black comes off after a while to reveal the more subtle henna color.

We shopped a bit but decided to watch Illuminations as we walked back to the room. I wanted to put ice on my knee and Monkston was tired. We turned in early and Mr. Squid met Jack downstairs in the Belle Vue.

 

[MisterSquid]

Spice Road Table did have an amazing view. It was on the water and would have been a great place to watch Illuminations.. But we would have had to keep ordering drinks to hold the spot, and who wants to do that?

 

[KathyM2]

OH noooo not the dreaded stomach bug on vacation....I hope it passes quickly. Other than that...food sounds pretty decent...I want that brie...but I could eat a whole brie by itself lol. It's too bad the shrimp sounded better than it tasted though.

 

[bankr63]

Hummus Fries - cumin, cilantro and preserved lemon aioli $8

I guess we could have ordered this and tricked the kids, but alas, they can read.

Brie Fondue - Baked Brie with Rosemary Croutons $10

Of course we ordered this! Brie + Fondue + Bread!

Hello, what trickery is required? Hummus is made from Chick Peas which are really just very very small potatoes. Aioli is just a fancy way of saying mayonnaise. See, it's really just French Fries and Mayo...

I knew you wouldn't pass on the Brie.

Monkston has been itching to get a henna tattoo so after dinner we went to the store next door so she could get a dream catcher on her arm. I was a little alarmed because it's black when the put it on but I found out that the black comes off after a while to reveal the more subtle henna color.

Even Monkston is more adventuresome than me. I've never wanted to have a permanent tattoo; but have always wanted to try a henna design. Something kind of Maori in design, just to try it out...

 

[pkondz]

Maybe you can spare some of your millions of readers…

I don't seem to have quite as many as I used to, but I'll give you a shout out.

We were not at Tutto Italia.

:lauging:

Kalamazoo

You remembered!

Like when kids won’t eat the hotdogs with the lines on them?

OMG. It's like you were there!

I knew you couldn’t resist that one.

Hard not to!

I probably wouldn’t baby it so much if I weren’t starting a new job. I don’t want to hobble on my first day.

But on the other hand... "Oh, look at the poor gimpy lady. Give her a break and go easy on her."

Starting to get nervous already.

Relax.
1. you're at Disney. Enjoy that first, then worry if you must.
2. I'm positive you'll do just fine. Better than fine, actually.

Clearly, there are people that do not worry about such things or Disney wouldn’t have built them.

Clearly I am not one of those people.

Ladies and Gentleman: A first!

Just... So many, many ways to go with that.... none of them suitable for a family board.

I had trouble replying from my ipad last night. Sent you a direct message over twitter.

You did? But I got it here???

Oh, you know what I mean, wise guy.

It's so gratifying to hear you finally admit that I'm wise.

Damn you, Jillian Michaels and your jumping jacks!

Monkston and Wall-E had Shirley Temples,

And were completely wired for the rest of the night from the extreme sugar high.

Do you want to hear my opinion on the dishes? Too bad. My thread.

Yes! Yes I do!
Oh... too bad that you won't.

I don't know why more people don't eat here.

Too weird.
The vast majority want hamburgers and chicken fingers.

But I like the idea of small plates to sample several different things.

Monkston has been itching to get a henna tattoo so after dinner we went to the store next door so she could get a dream catcher on her arm

Cool! I remember when Elle got her first one. She was probably around six or seven.
She had a hat on with a ribbon... which smeared the ink.
We told her that her buttergly was now a stylized flower.

I was a little alarmed because it's black when the put it on but I found out that the black comes off after a while to reveal the more subtle henna color.

But we would have had to keep ordering drinks to hold the spot, and who wants to do that?

Who indeed??

but have always wanted to try a henna design. Something kind of Maori in design, just to try it out...

Good idea. Maybe something subtle, like this:

 

[bankr63]

Good idea. Maybe something subtle, like this:

 

[laura74]

Contest question for 20 points.


Where are we eating tonight? Hint: We are walking and we'd better behave. 10 points

Monkston and I have picked out what we are ordering. We are splitting an appetizer (see which one we liked best at spice road for hint) and splitting an entree for better variety, emphasis on variety. 10 points

 

[laura74]

Montague, maybe some tiger stripes like Mike Tyson's?

 

[pkondz]

Where are we eating tonight? Hint: We are walking and we'd better behave. 10 points

Hmmm....
You did say you had to behave... so I'll go with 50s Prime Time.

Monkston and I have picked out what we are ordering. We are splitting an appetizer (see which one we liked best at spice road for hint) and splitting an entree for better variety, emphasis on variety. 10 points

Appy I'll go with Fried Herb & Garlic Cheese
Mains... Mom's Fave Recipe Sampler.

 

[laura74]

Ponzi, I sent message to both because I couldn't reply to the conversation last night for some reason.

 

[pkondz]

Ponzi, I sent message to both because I couldn't reply to the conversation last night for some reason.

Never got the twitter one.
Of course I'm still new at that... so might have missed it somewhere.

 

[TGM]

Before I forget, I want to report on what happened last night.

How We Got On The Disney CIA List​

We (my mom, Sheena, and my dad, Druid, and I) went to the American Adventure Pavillion for dinner, before going to MK after Wishes. My dad and I Disney walked* to the Epcot monorail station. But, I did get to stop and take a picture of the reversed picture in Innoventions. I'll post a picture later. As we walked up the ramp to the station, we were directed to a row, and the monorail pulled up. We got on, and stood for a while. Is it just me, or does it feel like the monorail is going to fall off the track every time?

* Disney walk v. - to walk quickly to avoid slow tourists who do not know what they are doing

Anyway, we got to the park, and after a few minutes, we were DWing towards Casey's Corner, to get a picture. Every year we get a picture of me next to Casey (the one on the right, with the bat, not the one on the left) and we never really have a problem. Except this year. There were people and strollers, and scooters, and wheelchairs, and more people, and more scooters, and we moved them all until we had a clear view of the statue. We got the picture, and ran to Pirates of the Carribean. It said 15 minutes, but we walked on to the boats anyway. We went through with no problems, until the end. At the scene where the pirates are trying to get the key from the dog, we stopped! Then the CM at the end was staring at the ceiling, whistling, untill he slowly looked down, and noticed that everyone was gone. He pressed the button to let the next group off. They got off, then he was still staring at the ceiling (it's not very interesting), and whistiling, then he noticed we were waiting to leave, and he pressed the button, to bring us to the dock. The boat started to pull up, and stopped for about a second. The CM said "Please do not-" The CM did not finish his sentence before my dad jumped up and jump out of the boat. "-get out of the boat" The CM rolled his eyes, and muttered something under his breath, before letting the rest of us out. We went up the ramp, and started off towards HM. We got there, walked right on, and nothing exciting happened.

As I'm typing my dad is trying to get a squirrel out of the pool

Here's a blurry iPad picture


Anyway, we started walking towards Tommorowland. We went to the MILF, where my dad "had the urge to get up and dance". He was "that guy" once. Again, I will have a picture later. We got up from the most uncomfortable benches in the park, and DWed toward the TTA. I used my new tripod, and made a time
lapse of it. Have you ever made a time lapse? I'm filming a lot of them to compile into a video when I get home (the one in NJ not FL).

I'm starting to see how this can be so addicting

We headed off towards BTM, and got on within 15 minutes. we got off at around 11:30, so we headed towards Main Street, and the exit. Once we got outside of the gates, we started to walk towards bus stop 13. I saw the faint orange light on the bus that said SWAN & DOLPHIN & BOARDWALK, and I ran to catch it. The bus was filled, and if anybody that worked there saw how filled it was, the bus driver who let all of those people on would be fired. There were two people with a stroller in front of us, and I heard a muffled voice from the back of the bus, muffled by the hundreds of people on the bus. "Two more?" Apparently, the two people with the stroller had been separated from their family. The bus driver let them on, and my dad and I jumped on right behind them. The bus driver very VERY hesitantly let us on. He said "Fine, get off if you can't fit behind THAT line." I knew there was no way we were going to fit behind the line, but I also knew there was no way we were going to stand at that bus stop for another hour. So, we fit behind the line long enough for the bus driver to turn around, and turn the lights off.

Sorry I'm going out of order, I'll tell you about Monday in my next post.

 

[laura74]

Great story, TGM! It's nice to hear about your and your dad's misadventures. And I like how you coined Disneywalk.

 

[pkondz]

But, I did get to stop and take a picture of the reversed picture in Innoventions. I'll post a picture later.

Good... because I have no idea what that is!

Is it just me, or does it feel like the monorail is going to fall off the track every time?

Nope. Just you.

* Disney walk v. - to walk quickly to avoid slow tourists who do not know what they are doing

I like that!

There were people and strollers, and scooters, and wheelchairs, and more people, and more scooters, and we moved them all until we had a clear view of the statue.

Please tell me you moved them to another part of the park.
That would be entertaining to watch.

Then the CM at the end was staring at the ceiling, whistling, untill he slowly looked down, and noticed that everyone was gone. He pressed the button to let the next group off.

Someone's a tad in la la land.

The CM said "Please do not-" The CM did not finish his sentence before my dad jumped up and jump out of the boat. "-get out of the boat" The CM rolled his eyes, and muttered something under his breath, before letting the rest of us out.

I'm sure he just said, "Oh good. I'm glad that one guest had the foresight to begin disembarking."

We went up the ramp, and started off towards HM. We got there, walked right on, and nothing exciting happened.

"Nothing exciting happened"? "NOTHING EXCITING HAPPENED"??????
It's HM!! Is that not enough?????

Nothing exciting?????


I'm going to go lie down for a bit.

As I'm typing my dad is trying to get a squirrel out of the pool

Why? Had he just eaten within the last hour?

We went to the MILF, where my dad "had the urge to get up and dance".

I often have that urge when I see MILF too.

I used my new tripod, and made a time
lapse of it. Have you ever made a time lapse?

Cool! And no. I haven't

I'm filming a lot of them to compile into a video when I get home (the one in NJ not FL).

Thanks for clarifying that!

 

[laura74]

Hello from the kitchen table in room 4105 of the Boardwalk. This is going to be a very depressing and boring update, I’m afraid, especially since I can see the Magical Depress envelope from where I sit. I suppose all good things must come to an end.

I’m a little behind (ba-da-bump Ponzi), and recapping two days ago.

I got up early, not because we had FP+ reservations. Not because we were having breakfast at Trattoria on the Boardwalk. No, I had to get up early to work. Gasp! Work on vacation? I know. So unfair. I’m officially between jobs having just left my old one and starting my new one in a few days, but I still have freelance clients.

So, work, work, work, yada, yada, yada. I finished my project in a few hours. Guess who was still sleeping at 10:00? I’ll give you a hint…everybody but me! So, I did what any dedicated trip reporter would do and wrote an update. (This is getting meta, writing and update about writing an update.)

I didn’t feel too bad about wasting the day since there was a violent storm outside. I can’t believe they slept through it. Also, any reader of my reports know I know how to waste a day.

An hour later they finally awoke and after getting ready we walked over to Epcot. It was starting to get cloudy again and I was not in the mood for rain.

We were all hungry but couldn’t decide where to eat. I wanted to try the brisket burnt ends hash at the Smokehouse booth. We figured Monkston would find something she likes at the American pavilion.

Squid cannot pass by Morocco without getting a taboulleh so he stopped in quickly to grab one. We next went to the smokehouse and it started. Drip, drip, drip, drip. I will them to hurry up with my hash so I can run inside. Finally, dish in hand we go inside, where I grab a table and they get Monkston something to eat.

This is the first time we’ve gotten anything at Liberty Inn. The food just seems so boring compared to the other pavilions. Monkston got a cheeseburger and fries and we dug in. I enjoyed the hash. I always like those burnt pieces of meat and the jalapeno and white cheddar sauce were a nice accompaniment.

It was really poring now. We had a couple of FP+ for lesser rides. Soarin wasn’t until this evening. I imagined trudging through the rain to the front of the park and couldn’t imagine any of the rides available were worth it. So I went back to the hotel and left Squid and Monkston to ride without me.

As I was walking I heard my phone buzzing. It was Squid. “I don’t have any &#^@@*($& ponchos with me! I had 10 ponchos! Where are they? They aren’t in my backpack! ^#@*@()#&(%%$#!

Clearly, he’s not used to carrying a purse, because I would never leave the house without checking mine. In fact, I usually check to see that I have everything a couple of times.

So not being able to do anything about the ponchos, I listened to him rant and continued on through the river that was forming in World Showcase.

When I approached the resort, I saw that they had placed signs on the boardwalk that read “Caution. Floor may be wet.” I found this amusing because there is no doubt that everything was wet.

Shortly after I returned, a very wet Monkston and Squid walked through the door.

“I don’t know where all the ponchos went.” Squid said.

“There are three right on that shelf.”

“How am I supposed to know they’re there?”

“I don’t know. Because they’re visible?”

“What happened to the ponchos that were in my backpack? I bought 10 ponchos before we left.”

“You gave us three the other day.”

“Why would I give the two of you three ponchos?”

“I don’t know. We didn’t use them though. We bought new ones.”

“Of course.”

They put on the new Disney ponchos and set off again. And putting on the ponchos must have magically changed the weather because the sun came out.

I decided to just hang out on the balcony and read rather than chase after them. Truth be told, I was feeling a little down. My dad is still in rehab after his heart procedure. He has had a lot of ups and downs and we have been worrying about him. I’m especially down since my brother went home.

I called my Mom and that depressed me even more. She worries that he won’t get better but I still think he’s affected by the anesthesia. She worries that his heart was too weak. (We got a call the next day that he’s doing a bit better.)

So, I sit and read my book, alternatively enjoying the view from our fifth floor balcony, and worrying that by some bizarre series of events I could somehow trip and fall off it. I sit like that for a couple hours. Wow, look at that view of the lake! Oh my God, I am really high up. What would happen if I got startled and jumped up and accidently hurdled myself over the railing?

I realize these are not rational thoughts. I get panicky if Monkston gets too close to the railing on the second floor of the mall. But we argued for this view, and gosh darn it, I’m going to enjoy it if it kills me.

I got a text from Squid. It’s a picture of Monkston pointing to her four-year-old self on the legacy stones (or whatever they are called). Aw. That was from our first trip and we visit it every year. (You can see the photo on my twitter at @DisLaura74. You can even follow me if you want. Please?)

Now I was feeling even more sentimental. They’d better get back soon. (No, I’m not going to hurl myself over the balcony on purpose! I’ve just had enough alone time.)

Shortly, they returned and we headed back out to Epcot to ride Soarin and have dinner. You may remember that when we went to Sanaa an Epcot bus arrived. I was surprised by that because I didn’t think Boardwalk had bus service there. I suggested that we take the bus to the front of the park.

“What are you crazy? I don’t want to get on another bus ever again,” Squid says.

“But it will take us closer to where we want to go.”

So we walked to the bus stop and I see that the sign says “Bus service to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney Only.” Hmmm, maybe the other night was a fluke. We’d better walk.

I’m not normally such a baby about walking, but I don’t want my knee to be too swollen when I start work. I need to be on my game. But I don’t want to be the wet blanket that spoils the party so I don’t complain. Fit Bit is happy that I’m going to reach my 10,000 step goal.

Now, it’s pretty funny that Squid is anxious to ride Soarin. He’s always been deathly afraid of this ride. (I know.) The first time we rode it we were with my 80-year-old mother-in-law and my four-year-old daughter. The three of us smiled and laughed and utterly enjoyed it. Squid rode with his eyes tightly shut, quietly hyperventilating. I’m afraid of heights when left to my own devices (balconies, stairs, cliffs) but I’m fine on rides.

He has rode several times since and still found it terrifying. It’s not until recently that it doesn’t bother him. I guess because we’ve all become so used to high-definition images and Soarin is so hopelessly blurry, that he doesn’t find it as scary. That’s his explanation anyway. And he was feeling very brave about riding it now. (I know.)

We got in line for the first row (woo hoo!) and Squid asked if it’s the highest. “It’s the best,” I said.

The guy in front of us remarked that this ride at California Adventure is always a walk on. Interesting. Jaded Californians.

After riding without incident, we decided to get something to eat at Sunshine Seasons. Monkston ordered the chicken with black beans and potatoes. She is on a bean kick lately. She said her favorite meal so far on this trip was the black bean chili at The Wave. Squid and I ordered the fish tacos and he also got a strawberry shortcake, which always get rave reviews on the Dis.

Quick review: Chicken was ok but she gave high marks for the beans. I thought the fish tacos were really good and the spicy slaw provided a nice contrast. The potato salad was also good, vinegary rather than mayonaissy. I had a bit of the shortcake and it was delicious with soft cake and real whipped cream. Just the right amount of sweetness.

We decided to ride Test Track in the single rider lane since there was only a 10 minute wait. I’m proud to say my car won for speed. I guess all those hours spent commuting 120 miles a day paid off! I can’t wait for my new job 7 miles from home. I’m nervous about it but also excited.

We watched Illuminations as we walked back to our room. I got a glass of wine and sat on the scary balcony again. It was a beautiful night and we could see all the commotion on the boardwalk from our room. At 10 we heard fireworks. We looked over to our left and we could see Wishes, as clearly as if we were at California Grill. I can’t believe we didn’t discover this until our last night! This really was a great, sneaky upgrade!)

Tomorrow, we pack up and move to a larger villa for two nights. I know that sounds like a lot of trouble but on previous vacations we’ve done it multiple times. One time we stayed at 4 resorts in 9 days.