MagicBands + Margaritas + Muggles + Minions = TRP. New TR link is up! 10/31

[Chilly]

We got great seats at CP by being late, they let us sit right at the front in the part reserved for deaf guests.

Now WOC, we didn't do the package, we got FPs in the morning, and went pretty early to get a spot, but we had a rubbish view, not as bad for DH who is 6"3 but little 5"1 me could hardly see a thing.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Option 2. That brunch menu looks delish!
I'm all for keeping eating plans flexible at DLR. You've booked Blue Bayou, which is the main one.


They took over 10 hours to deliver your bags??? WOW! That's a new low.
Love the room view from the balcony.
Shame about the kids not being happy with dinner and Kolby melting down over the food. Glad that they all perked up again after being fed.
Glad you had great time at CP with your mom. Those are special moments indeed.

Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more.

 

[glennbo123]

So nice that you could see the CP with your mom.

 

[afwdwfan]

I have no useful input on an Easter trip to Disneyland, but it looks like a lot of fun! The plans look good. How soon will you find out the performance schedule? Is it something you'll know a few weeks out, or does Disneyland just kind of let the bands know when they get there.

There were NO bags in the room.

At all.

We had landed at 6:14 am.

It was now after 4pm.

DME is supposed to deliver your bags within 3 hours.

Wow. The one drawback to letting them do all the work.

It had been “delayed” due to the rain.
Um. Ok. The rain hadn’t hit until what, 3pm?

Do they always keep to the 3 hour delivery window if you arrive early in the morning?

I mean, it could be a case where they hold them and don't deliver them until check in time...

And like I was told by a CM during my near meltdown at check in last trip, even though Check in time is 3, your room might not be ready until 5.

Either way, I'm glad that it at least wasn't lost in limbo somewhere and they were able to get it to you so that you could get to your ADR.

Literally.

Sadly, they are all a little old to be allowed to do that so we spent the 30 minutes while we waited for our food making them straighten up and lean back, color on the placemats, versus being face first on the table.

Well, I don't know. Were they being quiet? Face down on the table isn't necessarily a bad thing!

And that is all I've got. For pictures that is. What I can't put into imagery is how magical it was to be there, to hear the story, to listen to the music and those amazing horns, with my mom. Worth every penny and I’d do it again in a heartbeat (though would like it better before Christmas, it was slightly odd to be there after the actual day).

I'm glad that you got to experience it, and enjoyed it! We've never wanted to attempt it in the past with our kids, but I think this trip, if we can get DD past the point of only having an outside voice and her habit of pointing and yelling "yook" everytime she sees something remotely interesting, we're going to go!

Which is a bummer. There is a goofy boardwalk villa design I LOVE that they have on a tee, and a tumbler, but not a mug.

Definitely a bummer. I'm sorry you weren't able to find your traditional mug, but like you said, no point buying just any old mug just to buy a mug.

There is a special holiday ending. It kept going. While we were too tired and comfy to get up, we listened to it boom away and gratefully drifted off once it was done.

I absolutely love the holiday ending. Now if I had flown in on a red eye and I was staying at the Boardwalk and trying to get some much needed sleep... well, I'm sure you could not only hear it but feel the shockwaves.

It would be great to have a room with a view of Illuminations, but I'm sure that on that night, it wasn't exactly what everyone wanted.

 

[KatMark]

Plans for April sound great. I'm following this closely as we are going to DL next year if all goes as planned.

I can't believe your luggage wasn't there.

Dinner at Rose & Crown looks yummy...and Mark loves that pudding (we'll be back there in September for sure).

I'm glad you enjoyed CP! We did too. Our line was also all the way back past Morocco. They need to do something about this!

I'm glad you and your mom had some alone time and I love the pictures on the bridge.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

What I had asked for (and yes, specifically by room number in order of preference because well, why not ask?) was a high floor, deep balcony, connected balcony, unobstructed view. Funny thing about the Boardwalk view rooms is that many have less than ideal balcony and viewing situations, either being under an arch or in some cases, only one small one for a 2 bedroom.

I received 2 out of three requests.

Not too shabby.

There were NO bags in the room.

At all.

We had landed at 6:14 am.

It was now after 4pm.

It had been “delayed” due to the rain.
Um. Ok. The rain hadn’t hit until what, 3pm?

Not.Buying.It.

Um...yeah...and the sun was in our eyes. During the rain.

Seated, we ordered drinks and perused the menu. And realized we had a problem. All day we'd been talking about Bangers and Mash.

They don’t offer those at dinner.

D'oh!

And the adults enjoyed adult beverages to get us through the pain. A gin and tonic for Mom, Pinot Grigio for Mel and Boddingtons for the rest of us.

Seems like that was your only recourse at that point.

And got in line.

The line for CP ticket holders was…

ALL THE WAY TO MORROCO!

At least the show was worth it!

I decided to try and fufill a mission.

A certain coffee cup mission


Zip

Zero

Zilch

Of interest

Boo! C'mon Boardwalk, let's step it up here!

We though they were over, that we’d heard the finale.
Guess what?

There is a special holiday ending. It kept going. While we were too tired and comfy to get up, we listened to it boom away and gratefully drifted off once it was done.

Nothing wrong with a whole lot of extra pyrotechnics!!

 

[MEK]

Those are great pictures of you and your mom. You were really ambitious to plan that for your first night.

No wonder all the boys were almost face first on the table. I'm sure I would have been too. Dinner sounds lovely and I'm glad you were all seated together.

Boo for bad Boddington's. I have tasted it where it just seems a little flat, but for the most part I love it.

Love the view from your room. It's just awesome . Nice and high and a perfect view.

Sorry you couldn't find the perfect mug. Sometimes you just can't rush these things.

 

[annmarieda]

Possibly buy our tickets if guest services is still open

Just curious, did you decide on the AP?

New Orleans Jazz Brunch at 1pm at Ralph Brennans.

I am almost sure this was one of the restaurants I was able to get a discount coupon for... we didn't end up going but I had it in case we wanted it.

Currently not planning to make dinner reservations, play by ear, figure we can likely walk in to Tortilla Joes or Naples unless we are in a park and something jumps out at us.

These are both Panita restaurants. They have a very good loyalty program. If any of you have a birthday in the month of April, it would be well worth taking the time (it doesn't cost) to sign up. They send a very generous meal voucher. We used dh's at Tortilla Joes. YUM on their table side guacamole!!! It is the best I have EVERY had in my life.

Questions for my Disneyland Peeps.
Do I need more dining reservations that this or will we be ok?
What should we absolutely hit for CS if we can?
Anything especially cool that I've missed?
I did look at the World of Color package but am leaning against it due to cost for the group.

Ok, so I am not sure I would consider myself a Disneyland Peep since I have only been a very few times. However we were there the summer before last. I forgot how much better the cs can be there. Difference I see between the coasts and dinning is this...

WDW has the majority of their visitors...visiting. Sit down meals become more important and hence the ts meals there are quite good.

DLR has a lot of locals...if not immediate those who are just driving in for the weekend. Since these people can go home for a sit down meal, cs becomes more important.

So Garden Grill in DCA was AMAZING! I was unable to decide on a sauce so was able to get all of them on the side.

Flo's drive in is fun and not half bad. (also in DCA)

In DL - get the fritters at Royal Street Veranda. One of my all time favorite disney snacks...

Also a favorite snack is the bacon wrapped asparagus at Bengal BBQ...

Although we did not eat there, I believe I have read that Jolly Holiday Bakery has some nice options.

Rancho del Zocalo has large portions and reminds me more of the kind of "mexican" food we get here. (is WDW more "authentic" )

 

[annmarieda]

What a day you had!! I am not buying that rain held up your bags either. Glad you finally got them, but it is a shame you had to call in order to get them. One thing I like about DME is the fact the bags "magically" appear in your room. Kinda takes away from that when you have to call for them.

Dinner sounds like it was good. I imagine it was hard for the kids... that is a long day. You are right though..just a bit to old to be allowed to sleep.

CP is wonderful isn't it?! What a nice thing to do just with you and your mom!

Great picture of you and your mom, btw!!

Oh.. I forgot to chime in about the WOC package in DLR. I am not sure if it is still offered, but we went the cheaper route and got the bagged lunches. Was more affordable, we still got priority seating AND is was actually one of my favorite meals of the trip. We got cool bags that the food came in too.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Poor kids (and poor adults), ya'll had to be tired by the time dinner rolled around. Sounds like the protein (and alcoholic beverages) were just what was needed to perk up the crew. We haven't eaten at Rose & Crown in years but have an ADR there for our upcoming trip.

One of these days, I'm going to make it to see the CP. I can just imagine how moving it is. I love the pictures of you and your Mom. They are so good!

 

[eandesmom]

Great storytelling, I'm feeling all the stress of no bags, having to rush to clean up and get to dinner, and the meltdown. How do the other kids take the meltdowns?

Depends. Sometimes they try to feed him, offer to share etc but most of the time they just ignore him. Eric has some pretty famous meltdowns too, just for different reasons, they are all used to each other and largely immune, they just roll with it.

Besides the exhaustion dinner sounded lovely and delicious. Bonus that sitting together wasn't an issue.

No one was exhausted, until we sat down! The key is to keep moving. It is funny though, it was a far earlier dinner than we usually book after a red eye and I do think that was a good thing.

So glad you were able to get some quality mom time

We did!

I forgot to comment about the DL plans. That trip is coming up quickly!

It was just a snack, but the garlic, cheddar pretzel stick was absolutely scrumptious. It was at the new Fantasy Faire at a little stand called Maurice's Treats, or something like that. They toast it up right on the spot, yummy!

And the cheese dog from Corn Dog Castle was delicious. Alison says the real corn dogs are fabulous too.

You don't need the WoC package to get good spots, you can get the FPs in the morning. I messed up and didn't get one, but still had a great spot on the bridge.

I didn't realize you could pull FP's that's cool! That pretzel stick sounds yummy!

The CP sounds lovely! It's a nice memory with your mom. There's something about a choir singing Christmas music that chokes me up.

Me too, it was lovely

Gotta love the TIW card.

Yes, we easily saved a couple hundred bucks this trip, close to $250.

Unbelievable that you had to call about your bags!

that floored me!

The poor sleep-deprived kids, I feel badly for them! At least they perked up with some dinner!

Oh they were fine until they sat down for an extended period of time and really it was just Kolby and Eric that almost did face plants. One meltdown and one plant and they were feeding off each other which didn't help. I didn't feel badly for them at all. Maybe that's mean but they were fine and it was obvious they were fine at the rate they perked up.

So THAT's what happened after we parted.

The exciting adventures of eandesmom and gang!

Yeah not buying the rain delay story. But glad the bags finally came. Great job on dividing and conquering and on the high floor and unobstructed view.

It all worked out well!

Sorry you did not find your special trip mug. I never picked one up either, didn't see one that caught my eye AT ALL. In fact I think other than the NYE pin I don't think I bought much else.

I didn't either. At least not at Disney. The kids bought a ton but honestly I didn't look much for me as I knew I'd be back in May and could shop to my hearts content solo.

Oh yes the special holiday tag!!!! I hope the booming was not a problem for super sonic hearing Jeff.

Oh it was. Mr. Cranky Pants was NOT happy.

I don't see the need for the WOC package. Just get a Fastpass for it. We did that and had no problems. You get a viewing area assigned. We showed up about 30 minutes prior to the show and had a good spot.

Very good to know!

We really enjoy the French Market for CS and Flo's V8 Cafe.

Thanks!

We're at the Boardwalk in May, and I keep thinking to myself "please don't be at the end of the labyrinth...."

Well, the thing about the labyrinth to me is that it's only really long...once. Then you figure out "your" stairs and it's quick and easy up and down. We almost never used the elevator and as a result it was absolutely fine. From the elevator though...we were about as far as could be. Not quite, but almost.

Wow, really? That long for you to get your luggage. That's not cool.

No, not cool. Especially since our room had been ready for hours. I think I got the text around 1pm. If it had just been ready right then at 4 or 4:30 I could see it but...

Yours is like the third TR I've read today where the line for the CP was back in Timbuktu.

It was CRAZY! I knew it could be but still was somehow shocked.

 

[eandesmom]

I like option 2.

I much prefer Naples to Tortilla Joe's. I find their food very salty. What about the UVA bar for dinner? Lamb burgers and garlics fries. Ask Alison, I know of what I speak.

I think I looked at UVA and wasn't overwhelmed...at least for the crowd I'm feeding on this trip but can look again. We've never eaten at Naples but it seems like it would please everyone. We did have lunch at TJ's back in 2010 and really loved it. Maybe because we went in with low expectations, it was a very spur of the moment thing, but we really liked it.

I do hope option 2 works out.

Steakhouse 55.

For breakfast it looks perfect. For dinner, with this group, this trip, this budget, probably not. Actually definitely not. Maybe in August though!

Please don't skip the Plaza Inn's fried chicken meal. It's the best CS in DL/DCA. By far.

Hmmn. That would negate going to Mrs. Knott's. I love me some fried chicken but not twice in one week.

Though I suppose I could have a pot pie at Mrs. K's....really it's as much about the biscuits and marionberry pie...

Whitewater Snacks for dinner? Or Hearthstone Lounge? Both have cheap, yummy fare. Storytellers can be reasonable too. Even Napa Rose if you stick to the appetizers and salads for a lighter meal. They make a killer Mai Tai. Amazing wine list. Kids welcome. Really it's nice but not that nice. It's still Disney after all. Steakhouse 55 for dinner would be good too.

Did I say not the miss the Plaza Inn's fried chicken?

Yeah, my kids don't do apps and salads or lighter meals. It depends on what the options are but...if the menu has entrees as well it is a mental battle with the E's that it drains me to fight. I am feeding vultures. And it's not worth the argument, better to find them something bigger, cheaper than try to make a smaller menu work. Unless that's all there is and there is enough that will satisfy them. Which makes Napa Rose and Steakhouse 55 not viable options at all. I did look at both of those and I can't see it working this trip, on this budget. Or Carthay Circle. Not this trip anyway. I'd rather have the treat meals be the easter brunch (which is pretty reasonable in comparison), Storytellers breakfast and Blue Bayou lunch. I think. I've not looked at Whitewater Snacks or Hearthstone though to know the options.

Oh, like Jenny said, Plaza Inn! Yum! Cove Bar at DCA is also another favorite. (You already noted Trader Sam's - another fun place!) I'm a big fan of the pomme frites at Café Orleans. Another place to try is cocktails at Carthay Circle downstairs in the lounge. Just beautiful!

I will remember that for Cocktails! It's funny, I LOVE the look of the menu at Cafe Orleans and could totally see eating there for dinner, lots of options and price points. But since we already have Blue Bayou and maybe Ralph Brennan's for lunch it just seems to similar.

We'll definitely need to try and meet up.

Ok, onto your review.

That was crazy about those bags not being delivered sooner to your room. Strange.

Especially given the fact it had been "ready" since around 1pm or so. One thing if it had jsut been made available right then at check in time but given it had been 2-3 hours...I wasn't buying it.

Very nice view from your balconies.

We enjoyed it very much! I'd enjoy it more in warmer weather but still, it was lovely.

I finally tried R&C for the first time in December so I know what you mean about that fabulous toffee pudding. It was so much better than I expected. I'd go again just for a Scotch egg and toffee pudding.

I think that would make a fabulous meal, maybe a small salad with it.

When we went to the CP show our first night we were in line almost an hour before they let us in and the line was between Japan and Morocco. Those are some crazy lines. I agree with you, it was such a wonderful experience. I'd love to do it again.

Crazy long

Hi Cynthia!
We are back and all caught up here. Your travel plans seem to shape up nicely. Love them!
And your update was fun too! Love that you had dinner at R&C and the photos are great.

Hi Karin! Welcome back!!!! We enjoyed R&C. I think I'd have liked it more if we were inside just given the time of year (it poured while we were eating so that was a bit odd) but I did enjoy the food. Not my favorite fish and chips but in general beer battered never is, I prefer the panko bread crumb style, I like a crunchy crust. I would definitely go back, probably for lunch.

We got great seats at CP by being late, they let us sit right at the front in the part reserved for deaf guests.

Now WOC, we didn't do the package, we got FPs in the morning, and went pretty early to get a spot, but we had a rubbish view, not as bad for DH who is 6"3 but little 5"1 me could hardly see a thing.

We had pretty decent seats even though we were at the back of the package line...right next to the handicapped row. Farther back but not obstructed at all. Good to know on WOC.

Option 2. That brunch menu looks delish!
I'm all for keeping eating plans flexible at DLR. You've booked Blue Bayou, which is the main one.

Blue Bayou is a huge sentimental thing for my folks and I, it was never an option to not go there. Dinner is ridiculously pricey though.

I really hope option 2 works out. That for brunch and then our traditional Easter dinner (grilled salmon) in the villa...perfect!

They took over 10 hours to deliver your bags??? WOW! That's a new low.

Can you believe that? I've never ever had to call for MDE bags.

Love the room view from the balcony.

I do have better pictures coming.

Shame about the kids not being happy with dinner and Kolby melting down over the food. Glad that they all perked up again after being fed.

Well they weren't unhappy with dinner, they were just displeased there were no bangers and mash and had to adjust their thinking. They all ate well and enjoyed it. Kolby was just melting down over not eating, not about the R&C or what was available, it was just one of those things and it resolved itself as we knew it would eventually. They were all fine, until they sat down for an extended period of time, it just caught up with them. They rebounded pretty well.

Glad you had great time at CP with your mom. Those are special moments indeed.

Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more.

It was wonderful. VERY glad we did it.

 

[eandesmom]

So nice that you could see the CP with your mom.

It was!

I have no useful input on an Easter trip to Disneyland, but it looks like a lot of fun! The plans look good. How soon will you find out the performance schedule? Is it something you'll know a few weeks out, or does Disneyland just kind of let the bands know when they get there.

They said about 2-3 weeks out so...4-5 more weeks? UGH. Makes it a little hard to plan around for sure.

Wow. The one drawback to letting them do all the work.

I've never had my bags NOT magically be there. It was very sad.

Do they always keep to the 3 hour delivery window if you arrive early in the morning?

I mean, it could be a case where they hold them and don't deliver them until check in time...

Well yes but...we checked in at 7am and the room had been ready since about 1:30pm or so. Rain didn't start until 3.

And like I was told by a CM during my near meltdown at check in last trip, even though Check in time is 3, your room might not be ready until 5.

True. Except ours was.

Either way, I'm glad that it at least wasn't lost in limbo somewhere and they were able to get it to you so that you could get to your ADR.

Seriously there was some momentary stress but at least the bulk of the group had stuff to change into so that was good (since they'd carried on).

Well, I don't know. Were they being quiet? Face down on the table isn't necessarily a bad thing!

When you are 5'6" yeah, face down is not a good thing. They were quiet

I'm glad that you got to experience it, and enjoyed it! We've never wanted to attempt it in the past with our kids, but I think this trip, if we can get DD past the point of only having an outside voice and her habit of pointing and yelling "yook" everytime she sees something remotely interesting, we're going to go!

My kids would have been meh about it. They'd have hated to stand in line, enjoyed the story, the music and the trumpets but not enough to override the pain of the wait.

Definitely a bummer. I'm sorry you weren't able to find your traditional mug, but like you said, no point buying just any old mug just to buy a mug.

Nope, it has to be JUST right.

I absolutely love the holiday ending. Now if I had flown in on a red eye and I was staying at the Boardwalk and trying to get some much needed sleep... well, I'm sure you could not only hear it but feel the shockwaves.

I didn't even know there was a holiday ending until the next day when Pat mentioned it. I still didn't connect the dots until later. At the time we were confused. And tired. But it was still kind of magical. In a loud, annoying way.

Quite sure Jeff didn't think it was magical.

It would be great to have a room with a view of Illuminations, but I'm sure that on that night, it wasn't exactly what everyone wanted.

No one saw it but me that night, and even that was only a peek.

Plans for April sound great. I'm following this closely as we are going to DL next year if all goes as planned.

for west coast travel!

I can't believe your luggage wasn't there.

It didn't even occur to me that it wouldn't be, and took a minute to register that "hey, something's missing!"

Dinner at Rose & Crown looks yummy...and Mark loves that pudding (we'll be back there in September for sure).

I'm glad you enjoyed CP! We did too. Our line was also all the way back past Morocco. They need to do something about this!

That pudding is to die for.

I'm glad you and your mom had some alone time and I love the pictures on the bridge.

Thanks! We were pretty darn happy, which I think shows in the pics

Not too shabby.




Um...yeah...and the sun was in our eyes. During the rain.

Yeah. They store them what, offsite until the room is ready?

Seems like that was your only recourse at that point.

Gotta do what you gotta do!

At least the show was worth it!

It was!

Boo! C'mon Boardwalk, let's step it up here!

Sadly, it wasn't limited to the Boardwalk. I hadn't been to WDW in 14 months. I swear, other than 2014 dated ones...there wasn't a single new, interesting mug. In fact some of the older cooler resort ones (DVC) were replaced by uber boring ones.

Hoping Flower and Garden and Star Wars weekend delivers. or Cali. Or both

Cuz you know, I have a mug shortage.

Nothing wrong with a whole lot of extra pyrotechnics!!

Unless you are supersonic hearing already asleep Jeff!

Those are great pictures of you and your mom. You were really ambitious to plan that for your first night.

We didn't have a choice. It was the last night for CP. It was definitely not my first choice but if we didn't do it then, it wouldn't have happened.

No wonder all the boys were almost face first on the table. I'm sure I would have been too. Dinner sounds lovely and I'm glad you were all seated together.

Ah, they were fine, it was an early dinner. But, we really should have MADE them all have a snack.

Boo for bad Boddington's. I have tasted it where it just seems a little flat, but for the most part I love it.

We've always enjoyed it before too. Who knows. Bad tap?

Love the view from your room. It's just awesome . Nice and high and a perfect view.

It was a lovely view! Better pictures coming

Sorry you couldn't find the perfect mug. Sometimes you just can't rush these things.

Nope. It has to be JUST right. I was bummed though.

 

[eandesmom]

Just curious, did you decide on the AP?

I did. I figure at a minimum I save $25. That is assuming they don't bridge the ticket so I am paying the difference between what I paid for my PAP and the Premium. If they do bridge it to the current DVC PAP promo price, I'll save quite a bit more.

That's assuming I do 4 days in April and 3 in August. The reality is I could end up doing 5 and 4 but who knows. Plus I'll get the 20% discount so that's all "extra". Or at least an extra 10% off as I think most places I'd have gotten 10% off anyway with DVC. Or at least some. So, it seems worth it, can't really see a reason not to do it. I don't need the free parking since we are staying at GCV but it's nice to know I have it if I want.

I am almost sure this was one of the restaurants I was able to get a discount coupon for... we didn't end up going but I had it in case we wanted it.

We had dinner there in 2010, it was our one splurge night. It was pricey, but yummy. We really liked it.

These are both Panita restaurants. They have a very good loyalty program. If any of you have a birthday in the month of April, it would be well worth taking the time (it doesn't cost) to sign up. They send a very generous meal voucher. We used dh's at Tortilla Joes. YUM on their table side guacamole!!! It is the best I have EVERY had in my life.

rats, no one in April. We went to Tortilla Joes in 2010 for a spur of the moment lunch and really liked it. Plus, mexican is just easy.

Ok, so I am not sure I would consider myself a Disneyland Peep since I have only been a very few times. However we were there the summer before last. I forgot how much better the cs can be there. Difference I see between the coasts and dinning is this...

WDW has the majority of their visitors...visiting. Sit down meals become more important and hence the ts meals there are quite good.

DLR has a lot of locals...if not immediate those who are just driving in for the weekend. Since these people can go home for a sit down meal, cs becomes more important.

I had not thought about it that way. As a general rule I find most CS to be meh so that's nice to hear! Whatever we had in 2010 was quite good but I know that they were technically special menu items for the DCA food and wine festival. Which is not much of a festival at all. And given that they haven't offered it since we were there...who knows! there is a lot of new stuff though that wasn't there back then and we were only at DCA.

So Garden Grill in DCA was AMAZING! I was unable to decide on a sauce so was able to get all of them on the side.

Flo's drive in is fun and not half bad. (also in DCA)

In DL - get the fritters at Royal Street Veranda. One of my all time favorite disney snacks...

Also a favorite snack is the bacon wrapped asparagus at Bengal BBQ...

Although we did not eat there, I believe I have read that Jolly Holiday Bakery has some nice options.

Rancho del Zocalo has large portions and reminds me more of the kind of "mexican" food we get here. (is WDW more "authentic" )

Ooh Fritters! I love fritters

What a day you had!! I am not buying that rain held up your bags either. Glad you finally got them, but it is a shame you had to call in order to get them. One thing I like about DME is the fact the bags "magically" appear in your room. Kinda takes away from that when you have to call for them.

It never occurred to me that they wouldn't be there

Dinner sounds like it was good. I imagine it was hard for the kids... that is a long day. You are right though..just a bit to old to be allowed to sleep.

Way too old, and it wasn't even 6pm. In the past we've had dinner ressies at 7 or 8 on our red eye arrival day. It's the stopping and sitting that kills them. Still though, I swear by it and this trip was no exception. We had a great first day. If the worst that happened was 1 missed FP+. one meltdown over food, one face almost in a table for 20 minutes and missing luggage for about 15 min...well I think we did pretty darn well! It was an ambitious day, more than I'd have liked but it's how the schedule worked with CP.

CP is wonderful isn't it?! What a nice thing to do just with you and your mom!

Great picture of you and your mom, btw!!

Thanks! I really like that picture. My hair had been soaked and all I had time for was a brush and a ponytail so I felt pretty grimy, glad it turned out as well as it did.

Oh.. I forgot to chime in about the WOC package in DLR. I am not sure if it is still offered, but we went the cheaper route and got the bagged lunches. Was more affordable, we still got priority seating AND is was actually one of my favorite meals of the trip. We got cool bags that the food came in too.

Yeah, they don't appear to offer that any more which is a bummer. It's the 3 sit down options at 32+ pp for lunch or 45+ ppp for dinner. Which after the NYE trip, I just can't justify. If it was the only trip this year it'd be different but...it's not. Eric's lucky to be going at all (as am I) and we are definitely scaling the cost down as much as possible. A few treats but...this one it s bit too rich for me.

Poor kids (and poor adults), ya'll had to be tired by the time dinner rolled around. Sounds like the protein (and alcoholic beverages) were just what was needed to perk up the crew. We haven't eaten at Rose & Crown in years but have an ADR there for our upcoming trip.

It's the slowing down that was hard on everyone. As long as we kept moving, we were fine. Food helped. A lot! It is always a long first day but always so so worth it for the time change. We've tried it the other way and it was a disaster beyond measure. I admit, I didn't feel bad for anyone except maybe my parents and heaven knows I didn't force them to take the red eye!

One of these days, I'm going to make it to see the CP. I can just imagine how moving it is. I love the pictures of you and your Mom. They are so good!

Oh it's so wonderful, you really should some day. Thanks, I really like the pictures too.

 

[saintstickets]

What I can't put into imagery is how magical it was to be there, to hear the story, to listen to the music and those amazing horns, with my mom. Worth every penny and I’d do it again in a heartbeat (though would like it better before Christmas, it was slightly odd to be there after the actual day).

CP is everything Walt would want for Disney and families. To DW and I, it outshines all of the tours, restaurants and everything else we have done at WDW. If you can't get in a Christmas spirit after watching, listening and taking it in, you need to get your pulse checked. So glad you got to enjoy it with your Mom. Anytime we are at WDW during the Christmas season, we will always make plans to see CP. Great update to your TR...can't wait for more!

 

[scottny]

The plans look good.
Good times so far at MK until that rain.
DL plans look good.
I always thought it was 3 hours from the text the room was ready or from 4pm. I could be way off on it.
R&C is always a favorite of ours.
Too bad you couldn’t find a mug.
All caught up again.

 

[franandaj]

Your DL trip sounds good so far. Brennan's sounds great, I might suggest Steakhouse 55 as I have heard really great things about it and the new chef.

The CS options for DL are far superior to WDW for the reasons mentioned above. Most of the locals don't like to plan reservations so as a result there are far more diverse selections.

Plaza Inn does have more than the fried chicken. There is a Cobb Salad that is mixed right on the spot. They also have a Pot Roast of sorts, (watch my PTR for our meal there on the last day of our staycation) and some pasta dishes. But with Mrs. Knott's planned I could see why you would skip it.

The bacon wrapped asparagus at Bengal BBQ is great but they also have a veggie skewer as well as beef and chicken.

There are some good options at Pinnochio's Village Haus, a BLT flatbread, a bratwurst, we had those and they were really good. There are other pizzas and stuff kids might like.

In DCA the Garden Grill is one of my favorites. I've had all the plates but the vegetarian and they're very tasty. Plus with Boardwalk pizza and pasta next door there are lots of options.

The corn dog palace is good for cheese and traditional dogs and they are huge!

Sounds like you're set on the DTD locations, but for August you should really consider the Uva Bar. It's one of the best secrets at DTD. They are also a Patina Group restaurant, one of my favorite chain restaurants. They are now in NYC and Orlando as well as LA.

I'll be back to comment on the TR update.

 

[franandaj]

First off that really bites that your bags didn't arrive while you were gone. But it's good everyone made do and worked it out and you didn't miss your ADR. Boo on the kids hitting the wall, but glad everyone just rolled with it and made it through. I'm sure the adult beverages helped.

What's a Boddington?

I'm so glad you and your mother were able to enjoy the CP and make the decision that everyone else would rather not so that you didn't have to deal with whiny kids, husbands, etc who wouldn't have enjoyed it.

Too bad about the coffee mug. Since you didn't find a Boardwalk specific one, does that mean you gave up your quest? I have a tigger mug which reads "Wired for another day" It's my favorite as it is big and shaped just right. I've considered buying more of that same style, but I have soooooo many coffee mugs and don't entertain with coffee, we have plenty at the new house if we ever do, so I'll just wash my one or two favorites!

That's great you were able to save so much money with the TIW. I'm surprised you didn't save more with the size of your crowd.

Great first day! Looking forward to hearing more!

 

[eandesmom]

CP is everything Walt would want for Disney and families. To DW and I, it outshines all of the tours, restaurants and everything else we have done at WDW. If you can't get in a Christmas spirit after watching, listening and taking it in, you need to get your pulse checked. So glad you got to enjoy it with your Mom. Anytime we are at WDW during the Christmas season, we will always make plans to see CP. Great update to your TR...can't wait for more!

It really is everything Walt would have wanted, isn't it!

The plans look good.
Good times so far at MK until that rain.
DL plans look good.
I always thought it was 3 hours from the text the room was ready or from 4pm. I could be way off on it.
R&C is always a favorite of ours.
Too bad you couldn’t find a mug.
All caught up again.

I always thought it was "within" 3 hours of you landing. I've honestly never thought about it in terms of when your room was ready though. I was super disappointed with the merchandise in general. Which I suppose was good, saved $$.

Your DL trip sounds good so far. Brennan's sounds great, I might suggest Steakhouse 55 as I have heard really great things about it and the new chef.

Steakhouse 55 would be fine for breakfast but isn't in the budget for dinner for sure. Maybe in August. I'm sure it's fabulous and if Jeff were along I might consider it but this is definitely more of a pub fare type trip. LOL!

The CS options for DL are far superior to WDW for the reasons mentioned above. Most of the locals don't like to plan reservations so as a result there are far more diverse selections.

Plaza Inn does have more than the fried chicken. There is a Cobb Salad that is mixed right on the spot. They also have a Pot Roast of sorts, (watch my PTR for our meal there on the last day of our staycation) and some pasta dishes. But with Mrs. Knott's planned I could see why you would skip it.

Well, Mrs. Knott's isn't set in stone but there is some sentimental attachment there.

The bacon wrapped asparagus at Bengal BBQ is great but they also have a veggie skewer as well as beef and chicken.

There are some good options at Pinnochio's Village Haus, a BLT flatbread, a bratwurst, we had those and they were really good. There are other pizzas and stuff kids might like.

In DCA the Garden Grill is one of my favorites. I've had all the plates but the vegetarian and they're very tasty. Plus with Boardwalk pizza and pasta next door there are lots of options.

The corn dog palace is good for cheese and traditional dogs and they are huge!

Thanks! In general I am not much of a CS fan so it will be interesting

Sounds like you're set on the DTD locations, but for August you should really consider the Uva Bar. It's one of the best secrets at DTD. They are also a Patina Group restaurant, one of my favorite chain restaurants. They are now in NYC and Orlando as well as LA.

I'll be back to comment on the TR update.

I wouldn't go so far as to say we are set on DTD, just that Naples and Tortilla Joe's do seem like good options. I don't plan to make reservations anywhere.
Uva does look good, though likely a bit better for snacks and drinks, it's possibly a bit limited on options but then again it will just depend on what folks are hungry for, it could definitely work. For the most part my goal is to spend as little as possible on food...within reason of course.

First off that really bites that your bags didn't arrive while you were gone. But it's good everyone made do and worked it out and you didn't miss your ADR. Boo on the kids hitting the wall, but glad everyone just rolled with it and made it through. I'm sure the adult beverages helped.

What's a Boddington?

the adults were in need of those beverages for sure. Boddingtons is a beer.

I'm so glad you and your mother were able to enjoy the CP and make the decision that everyone else would rather not so that you didn't have to deal with whiny kids, husbands, etc who wouldn't have enjoyed it.

Actually most of them would have enjoyed it but the package cost really dictated opting most out, plus the fact it was the arrival day after the red eye. We'd have done it differently if we could have but it was the last night for CP.

Too bad about the coffee mug. Since you didn't find a Boardwalk specific one, does that mean you gave up your quest? I have a tigger mug which reads "Wired for another day" It's my favorite as it is big and shaped just right. I've considered buying more of that same style, but I have soooooo many coffee mugs and don't entertain with coffee, we have plenty at the new house if we ever do, so I'll just wash my one or two favorites!

Well I wasn't looking for a Boardwalk specific one per-se, just one to fall in love with. I need another mug like I need a whole in my head but it is a tradition for a trip souvie...if I find the "right" one. I looked thoughout the trip not super hard mind you but I did look. Never found anything, at least not really. Considered one but decided it fell into the buying for the sake of buying one rationale and that didn't make sense. Love Tigger!

That's great you were able to save so much money with the TIW. I'm surprised you didn't save more with the size of your crowd.

Great first day! Looking forward to hearing more!

Well, that's after the cost of the card. Now that it is paid off, I will save more though since both Mary Ellen and I have one, it will really only come into play in September and a lot of that dining will be at F&W. Still, we will save some for sure.

 

[jedijill]

I'm taking notes on all the DL suggestions especially the food!

Something smelly fishy about the bag situation. Glad you finally got them!

Jill in CO