Oh It's A Jolly Holiday With Katie! - Beach Club / Grand Floridian

[pkondz]

And you're trying to tell me that us females are hard to understand?!?! I'm honestly baffled at some of the things that are occurring in that boys brain. He's weird

That picture he posted makes total sense.
You don't get it? Really?

Hahah! When I'm tired I scour the internet, save pictures, and CROP THEM. It's my way of dealing with delirium. Don't judge.

Okay. I won't judge.



Much.

I have to be really careful when I drink, because I'm a super lightweight, and I get TERRIBLE hangovers! I have friends who will stay out drinking until 3 or 4am, then get up for work at 8! HOW??!

I can tell you that!




Sorcery.

He has no shame!!! But I doubt he'd do the hula class, that might be a step too far, even for him

You never know until you blackmail him into it.

Shrimpcident must be applicable to a variety of situations, right?

Prawns. Shrimp. Short people.

Sure. Tons of situations.

Out of context, this sentence is hilarious

That's my life motto, actually.

 

[blklotus]

I have to be really careful when I drink, because I'm a super lightweight, and I get TERRIBLE hangovers! I have friends who will stay out drinking until 3 or 4am, then get up for work at 8! HOW??!

I can tell you that!


Sorcery.

I love everything about this exchange. That is all. It makes me think of Gob Bluth -- it's an ILLUSION!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Okay this photo looks like Jamie is taking out the trash! Did he get a job at the Poly you didn't tell me about?

Haha, so it does! he was always carrying that bag around, it had our ponchos and a couple of bottles of water in it I've talked him into getting a rucksack this year, so that we look like PROPER tourists

Yeah they really should have closed it! I would have been super upset to have stayed there when it was like that! So so messy

Omg, imagine spending all that money to stay on a construction site?! Why Disney??!! I'm not very assertive, but even I would probably ask for a couple of nights worth of a refund, if not moving resorts completely. Ergh I'm glad it's on the mend!

Okay I'm not going to say the first thing that came into my head but wow that's a tongue!

I totally thought the same thing! Particularly because of the placement of the.. pole.. he's holding.. Aaaand, we'll never see it in any other way

Spoken by a true girl! "Yeah sure these heels make my toes bleed but they look amazing so who cares!"

Ugh I guess the umbrella anecdote really does sum up my entire life.... ALL shoes hurt my feet! But I still wear them anyway?! Usually with the intention of drinking the pain away

This is so perfect!!! LOL! I showed it to Jamie and he lolled too That's actually what he looks like hahaha. Such a great film!

Katie that is so mean! And by that I mean HILARIOUS! How in the heck has that boy survived?!

I know right, how has he made it to 25?!? I guess he just doesn't eat shrimp, EVER. To be honest I don't remember the last time I had shrimp outside of Ohana.. But I mean, at least I know not to eat the legs??? Surely that's just common sense!?!

They actually wrap them really well, I have bought several before and I just told them that I was taking them back to England and they just added some extra wrap and they were fine

This is good to know, thanks! Maybe I'll buy something this year after all, that shop is perfect, and incorporates my two great loves... Disney and Christmas

That is beautiful, but I think I would go for this:

I mean its only $37,500! Hey, I might buy two!

$37,500??!?! WOW! I'll pop down to Hobby Craft and get some glitter and sequins and make you one instead!

Why doesn't Disney have more merc for the rest of its movies??

RIGHT! Such a pain for people like me who like the obscure films.... Yet there was an entire store in DHS dedicated to Frozen...

So pretty!

Thank you! Haha that face

I was at WDW July 11-21, and only now found this post. I visited DHS twice on this trip but Starring Rolls was closed both times, as I got there in the evening. So I'll have to wait until next year to try one of their cupcakes.

Yeah Starring Rolls seems to have very odd closing times?! I think it was pure luck that we came across it while it was open. Definitely keep it on your must-eat list though!

That view is just breathtaking, wow I would love to stay at the GF one day.....

Isn't it! I was obsessed with the view, I took pictures of it every morning, to the point where I probably didn't get as many photos of the actual room as I would've liked..! Doh.

That is a wonderful thing about FP+, you pick the time you want to be at an attraction and you don't have to rush if you don't want to!

I agree! Of course, there are some days where I wish I could get FP after FP for Splash Mountain, but I generally approve of FP+!

I am as well, it is very helpful, especially during more busy times of year, including Spring Break - which helped my friends and I out so much!

Yay I'm glad it helped you! Sometimes I think I'm biased for liking FP+ because I visit at quiet times of the year where FPs aren't always necessary, so it's good to know that you found it useful during spring break too!

Oh gosh, I feel so badly for children who are that frightened on rides....

Me too!! That was me on the Haunted Mansion when I was 4 years old Thankfully I didn't see any parents forcing their child kicking and screaming onto the rides.. I hate that!!

Katie, you are so right, that looks like magic, so I believe you when you say it tastes like magic! Definatley on my "Must Eat List" the next time I am in Disney!

Yes you MUST keep this on your list!!! It's sooo delicious, it's making me hungry just thinking about it... drooooool

YES! I was in Disney in August 2014, a month before you and Jamie were there, and yes it was a mess. Gosh, there was really no good way of hiding how much of a mess the POLY was! I am so happy to see it all back in shape again! Also, make sure when you are there, you go to the Dole Whip stand by the pool! It is so cute!

It was awful wasn't it! I thought it really distracted you from the Polynesian theming.. I just couldn't imagine I was in Hawaii! Thankfully it's looking great now though! But it's still not finished... Hopefully the construction will be hardly noticeable when we stay there next month..!

Oh my gosh, this looks and sounds delicious! Katie, you always seem to make me hungry when I'm reading oyur TRs!!!

Haha I know! The worst thing about reading TRs is that I always want to eat everything in my house

This is amazing! This looks like something to try, of course, when I'm legal to drink!

I really hope that you can turn 21 in Disney World, and have the Lapu Lapu as your first legal drink

This is good to know, thanks for the info. After looking at all of your pictures, and reading your reviews, this is something that I really think I want to try the next time I'm in Disney! I have always heard mixed reviews about it , but now it is on my list of places to try!

Yay! i really recommend it if only for the bread pudding alone!!! Sure, it would be a very expensive piece of bread pudding... But I think you can have as much as you want..

I have the exact same bracelet, color and everything! I LOVE the Disney Alex and Ani bracelets, they are so pretty! I love collecting them as well!

Yay Alex and Ani twinsies they're so cute aren't they! Which other ones do you have? I have this silver WDW one, a silver Epcot one, and a gold Mickey's Fun Wheel one I'm hoping to get the "when you wish upon a star" Jiminy Cricket one this year, in gold I think.. I love it!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

I have to preface this by telling you that I have tried to reply on 2 separate occassions and got so frustrated that I gave up. I cannot figure out how to multi-quote and reply to all the different stuff I want to reply to. Computer-ing and the interwebs are not one of my strong suites

Oh booo! I am also technologically challenged, I feel your pain! also, for multiquote, you can highlight some text with your mouse/mousepad and and option will come up to quote it! It's pretty smart

So anywho...first things first: That picture of Jamie at the Poly had my straight up
That is hysterical! I can only imagine being in the parks with you two. It would be so much fun!
Unless Jamie is one of those types that clams up around other people, in which case I would have to torment him until he comes out of his shell

It's so funny isn't it!!! I crack up every time I see it Hahah aw I love that we could have a lot of fun making Jamie do dumb things..!!! Aww haha he'd probably keep slightly quiet to begin with to leave the Disney nuts to chat and catch up, but he definitely doesn't clam up ...that doesn't mean you can't torment him though

I am drooling over the Ohana photos! I am considering going there next trip but it's SO much food and with my surgery I just feel like it'd be a waste for me to attempt eating there. Which is a bummer because I LOVE the potstickers and the steak. Those were my 2 favorites last time! And the dessert obviously I want a Lapu Lapu! Maybe I will settle for eating at Kona since I can order a Lapu Lapu there too

Oh no your surgery? I guess it is pretty pricey if you weren't able to eat much, but oh my life it's delicious. Maybe when we go to Disney at the same time I'll smuggle you out some free food I've never eaten at Kona before, I will be next month though! I'm so excited

You followed a group of people to their car in the parking lot
Omg...they were probably thinking "why are we being followed???"

Hahaha I know, they were probably a bit freaked out!! But everyone's done that before, right?! RIGHT GUYS?! I know I have several times When I started at my new University I had no idea where to go so I just followed a random student-looking guy....into a big business park FAIL!

I loooooooove that Christmas store in DTD...although now I suppose I should get used to calling it Disney Springs? It'll probably be officially Disney Springs by the time I go in 2016. So many changes! I can't handle it!

Oh yeah, Disney Springs! What the heck, that sounds so weird! I'll be calling Downtown Disney for years I'm sure. It's so weird that they're changing the name of Hollywood Studios too?! My parents are still calling it MGM I can't get used to all of these changes.

LOVE your Alex and Ani bangle! I want some Disney ones too! They're so cute

Thank you! They are really cute! I also have a silver Epcot one, and a gold Mickey's Fun Wheel one

Can't wait to read the next update & see what it is you need to check off your list!

It should be up in the morning! I can't believe how long it's taken me to write this darn thing I've really enjoyed writing it though!

Bahhhh! I can not be done reading all your updates...? I have countless hours to waste here at work and I was just getting into it. Anywho, I'm diggin' your report and already antsy for the next installment. The GF is sooo pretty. It's doubtful that we will ever stay there but your photos make my dreams a little more precise. LOVE Jamie's Ohana statue face! How can he be so embarrassed when some of the first photos we saw of him included wet butt? Hahahaha Just tell him he's bad to the bone and we all think so; he'll get over it. Probably.

Hey, thanks so much for reading! I'm glad you've been enjoying it! I love the GF too, and I really love the room refurbs they really took a risk making such a drastic change, but I think they totally pulled it off Hahaha, it's funny actually, because he was more than willing to show his wet butt to the camera! Although I think he thought this Trip Report would only be read by me Ooops! And I've finally got 3 updates to post in the morning, yay

I just started reading your trip report, couldn't resist when I noticed y'all were there at the same time my fiancé and I were there. Loving it so far!

That's so cool! Did you look out for yourselves in the background of my pictures? That would be funny And thank you for reading!

I've been reading for days ... Finally caught up
I've loved it!
cant wait for the rest.

Thank you! I'm so glad you've enjoyed it. I have three updates coming in the morning - finally!

I am loving your trip report! You and Jamie are so funny, you remind me of my fiance and I, I think we'd make great friends.

Of course we would! Dis friends make great friends I'm really glad you've enjoyed the report, I really thought I'd only be writing it for myself to look back on, but to have others enjoying it too is so nice!!!

I love your report....you two are so cute! You're making me wish I had been that put together at your ages! LOL

Thanks so much!! Although I'm not sure how "put together" we're coming across - we do a lot of dumb things!! Well, Jamie more than me

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Super cool! I had no idea you could see the castle from this restaurant.

Isn't it pretty! I really liked our view, since the tables right next to the window overlooked all of the construction outside... We're going to California Grill this year and I really want a window seat to see the castle clearly while we eat!

I gotcha girl.

I knew you would girl

Ugh i'm a sucker for noodles. And meat.

Me too.. well, just food in general...

Because there's nothing else there remotely as cool as the Lapu Lapu! That drink is everything.

I know!!! It's so tasty too. But now that Trader Sam's has opened downstairs I'm questioning my Lapu Lapu loyalty..! I mean, Trader Sam's has alcoholic Dole Whips..

Always remember. Beauty before pain in everything

Hahah a female's motto for life... I actually poked myself in the eye with my mascara brush the other morning.. I'm destined to be one of these creepers from Hercules:

You are horrible!

Yet I approve

Hahahah this gif I need to watch Dumb and Dumber again like ASAP.

Need this like now!

There must be a recipe somewhere! I would probably do a terribly job and ruin the bread pudding experience though

OMG! I made these on Sunday for DH's coworkers. Red Velvet cupcakes, Cheesecake frosting topping on the top, surrounded by a vanilla frosting, then, rolled in toffee bits I kept 4, 2 for me and 2 for DH but had I kept more, they would have been devoured.

Omggg you MADE red velvet cupcakes with cheese frosting??! You are 100% wife material, I'd be trying to put a ring on it right now if Dan hadn't beat me to it

Then seconds later you post it like the awesome person you are

Our relationship is based on trust and respect... Two things I have thrown out the window when writing this TR

Shoot the way they pack them, they have to! They literally would put like, what felt, half a large roll of that packing paper in for our ornaments because we bought at least 5 this last trip and it took us forever to take them out of the packaging.

Thanks, this is good to know!! Maybe I'll risk it this year? Lu said she bought some and brought them back across the pond and they travelled fine! So maybe I should save up some extra pocket money..

Great report!
My daughter just got back from two months in London. She fell in love with Digestives and brought them home for us where they were quickly consumed! Last week we were in Walmart and she spotted them in the cookie section. She was thrilled. Granted, they did not have her favorite, caramel, but she was very excited for chocolate.

​

That's so cool! I hope your daughter had a great time in London! I've not had the caramel ones in a long time, but I'm obsessed with the chocolate ones They actually sell them in the UK pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase, which I find funny. They're so mundane over here, but they're 'showcased' at Disney World I guess they deserve it though

LOVING your TR! Can't wait for more!!!

Hey, thanks so much!! I've got three updates to post in the morning

YES to Ohana

We have our reservation there this trip and it's all I could think about. A few of my friends and I headed out to Harry Potter trivia last week and the place served the thai noodles as family style and they were so close to the ones at Ohana, but it wasn't all you can eat!! It was so sad, I just kept saying "Guys, we're going to eat these at Ohana, it's going to be great. All you can eat noodles"

Hold up, Ohana food AND Harry Potter trivia?! Can I join your friendship group?! That sounds so fun!

I love that store so much. Last year I bought my sister a tinker bell show ornament and the heel was made of just a wand. I was so nervous about it snapping in half and our flight is only about 2 hours. When I was in London I bought a tea cup and THAT had me crazy paranoid. We wrapped it like crazy so I definitely feel your pain.

That sounds like a cute ornament, everything in there is so precious If I buy something this year I'll be sure to ask them to use extra wrapping

Great pictures!! Looks like an amazing trip

Thank you! It was so amazing

I just got back yesterday and bought another 20 disney baubles lol ( I already have 6 from my last visit) and honesty I've not had a single broken one yet so go for it and buy some . We also bought a gorgeous photo from the art shop of ellie and carl from up.
Love Downtown disney.
Saw your bracelet too, they're gorgeous also

26 baubles! That's amazing I need to start my collection! I have a Mickey shape from Disneyland Paris and a pickle from the Germany pavilion at Epcot so far - I definitely need to up my game!! Do you have any pictures to share?! That's reassuring that none of yours have broken, maybe I'll go for it this year
Oh wow, you bough 20 christmas decorations AND some art from the Art of Disney store?! That sounds like a dreamy haul

Your trip report is awesome and hilarious. And now I am also hungry for 'Ohana.

Haha, thanks so much! I'm glad you've enjoyed it Oh I know, Disney food pictures are the worst form of torture!

I just recently found your trip report and am now anxiously awaiting the next update! I just have to say you and Jamie are adorable. Thanks for sharing your story with us!

Aww, thanks so much! It makes me so happy that people are enjoying it, I genuinely thought I'd be writing it just for me to look back on, but I LOVE that others are enjoying it too And I have 3 updates to post in the morning

Totally great idea. I'd ride that!!!


Enjoying your trip report! You guys seem so fun!

I know, right?! It could fly over the Jungle Cruise, and through the middle of the Enchanted Tiki Room and Pirates?! OK, maybe that's a bit too ambitious but it would be so cool! And I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for reading

Oh my goodness, I'm obviously super late but I'm definitely joining in! I just finished the intro and I love it already!

Can't wait to keep reading!

Yay, I'm glad you're here!! Better late than never I have some more updates coming in the morning

 

[TheLittleKatie]

I would be HAPPY to let you de-leg my food at Ohana ANY day!! Just give me the shrimp, why do I have to have the legs too? It's like, I'm paying for this meal, I shouldn't have to do that kind of work guys!!!

I mean, are they serious?! Do they want us to go to the ocean and catch the shrimp ourselves too?! JEEZ!

How funny that you mention the Jiminy Cricket Alex & Ani -- I JUST TODAY bought the Cinderella one I've been stalking online AND the Jiminy Cricket one AND since it was over $75 I was able to get free shipping!!! I suppose I shouldn't be that excited about spending that much money on only two bracelets, but I've been torn all day between being super happy and super disgusted with myself.

Yay go you!!! So jealous which Cinderella one is it? No no no don't be disgusted with yourself, money is meant to be spent, it's its destiny!!! LOL reminds me of that friends episode, "You need to buy this old tree so that it can fulfil its Christmas destiny..!!"
(Incase you live under a rock )

Just know that if you ever need anything from the US Disney Store just let me know and I'm on it!!

Omg you are the BEST, that's so nice! Thank you! I ordered two Alex and Anis from the US Disney Store and the shipping cost a fortune, but I'm not surprised, because they were delivered in a HUGE box?!? Like, they could totally have just put them in an envelope with a bit of bubble wrap and only charged me a couple of $s?! THIEVES! Thank you for this offer!!!

OMG, FIREWORKS CRUISE! That would be so amazing! I'm always so jealous of everyone when I read about them in people's TRs! We could do a fireworks cruise, then go to Ohana where Jamie could eat shrimp legs and we could laugh and laugh...WITH him, of course. Not at him. Because we're kind, sweet ladies and not at all mean spirited.

I know!! I'd love to do a fireworks cruise, though I think it would be so much better with a group of people, rather than just like two people Ahh we have to get these plans together

That picture he posted makes total sense.
You don't get it? Really?

That's my life motto, actually.

In any situation kids, always remember, "you can't look cute pulling shrimp appendages out of your mouth."

I love everything about this exchange. That is all. It makes me think of Gob Bluth -- it's an ILLUSION!

GOB He's one of the greatest characters ever created for TV Like I hate him, but I LOVE him. 90% of my favourite AD moments come from Gob.

"My brother wasn’t optimistic it could be done, but I didn’t take “wasn’t optimistic it could be done” for an answer." - favourite moment from anything ever. Whilst he's in a harness being lowered by a crane in a dramatic fashion, I LOL every single time

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Day 11
(September 12th 2014)
Hakuna Matata
Part 1 – It’s gonna be King Simba’s finest flinggg!

Good Morning Orlando!

Today I’d pencilled in a day at either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, but Jamie had a feeling his contact lenses were going to cause him some trouble in the water, so we went back to Animal Kingdom instead!

I woke up at 7am, but fell back to sleep until 9:15am.
We were getting pretty lazy!
But we’d done pretty much everything we wanted to do at Animal Kingdom, so I didn’t feel guilty.

We ended up having another slow morning.
We left for Animal Kingdom at 11am and arrived at around 11:30.
Which worked out great because Festival of the Lion King started at 12!

We breezed straight through the tapstiles, so we had half an hour to kill.

(Side note: Does anyone know about the semi-secret entrance to Animal Kingdom?! We didn’t use it today, but I think it would come in handy during busy times! Let me know if you want to hear about it, and I’ll show you on the map!)

We watched these guys in the Oasis for a while, they’re so pretty!

“The boys in the back are called Macaws…”

“Because of their claws?”

“No! Because they’re Macaws!”

Then we moved on, and got a cute photopass picture in front of the Tree of Life!

Ugh, I really wanted to just include the following photo:

But I’ll be honest with you all..

In reality, THIS is what we were looking at:

Soooo much constructionnn

I wonder if there will ever be a time where they just leave EVERYTHING in Disney alone for a year or so..?!

Anyway, we moseyed on over to Africa

It was super hot at this point.
We joined the long line to get into the theatre and we couldn’t wait to get into the air conditioning!

Everybody raves about the new Harambe Theatre, but honestly I have mixed feelings about it.
It’s really pretty, for sure.
But the seating bothers me a bit. The gradient just isn’t steep enough! It can be quite difficult to see properly, especially for those of us who are a little smaller – and particularly children!

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I remember the old theatre having much steeper seating?

I don’t know, it’s great other than that anyway!

Plus the show is PHENOMENAL so that more than makes up for it!

“Today we’ve come to town for a big celebration, and you my friends are invited to join in the fun!”

"Let every creature go for broke and sing
Let's hear it in the herd and on the wing
It's gonna be King Simba's finest fling!

Oh, I just can't waaaaaaaaait…

To be king!”

How cute is Pumbaa!

…And these guys are even cuter!!

Jamie and I were laughing at Simba’s resting b**** face..
Or maybe he's just totally judging Timon for stealing the lime light.

(This is one of my favourite Disney songs!)

L.O.V.E.

I’ve always had trouble deciding whether I prefer Festival of the Lion King or Finding Nemo the Musical, but right now I think the Lion King just edges out.

(But when I watch Finding Nemo again in September, I’m sure I’ll claim THAT is my favourite… I’M FICKLE.)

I really feel like there's no "highlight" to this show, because the entire thing is amazing!
There are segments/songs in Finding Nemo the Musical that lose my attention, but I love every single second of Festival of the Lion King!
Also, this is one of Jamie’s absolute favourite things at Disney!

We left the show with big smiles on our faces.


Click for Day 11, Part 2!​

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[STLMickeyMom]

We STILL have never seen festival of the lion king. I want to see it!! Love the pics!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Day 11
(September 12th 2014)
Hakuna Matata
Part 2 – Warning! Florida shower in range!

As we were leaving Festival of the Lion King it started to drizzle a little bit.

Of course, you can guess what happened next.

DOWNPOUR.

We were on our way to Everest, but the rain was torrential! So we ducked into King Louie and Baloo’s meet spot.

We realised that our Animal Kingdom visit wasn’t going to be very productive!

We had moved down the ramp (still covered) to take some of these scenic photos, and we realised that the main meet and greet area had completely flooded.

I was wearing sandals and Jamie had on some silly fabric shoes that completely saturate in about 3 seconds, so we tried hard to avoid the flooding, but we couldn’t escape, IT FOLLOWED US.

Our feet ended up getting soaked.
But we found it pretty funny.
Only in Disney would you still be able to smile with squelching feet.

The rain eased off a little so we decided to continue on over to Everest, but obviously it was closed.

So we headed over to Dinosaur.

We thought that everyone would have the same idea, since it’s one of the few sheltered attractions at Animal Kingdom, but there was only a 10 minute wait

Say hi to socially awkward dino-fish.

In line I was laughing at Jamie because he hadn’t held his flimsy poncho together under his chin, so it had let the rain in to look like he’d drooled all down his shirt

Dinosaur was super fun as usual. But I really do think I could sit and watch that pre-show all day. It cracks me up so much.

“Don’t worry about that asteroid, you’ll be in and out of there before it even breaks the atmosphere.”

We had a great time searching for the Iguanodon. There were some pretty terrifying sights on the way though...

“Oh, a Carnotau- OMG YOU GUYS! WATCH OUT FOR THAT PLANT OVER THERE.”

Well, at least WE think we’re funny...

It was still raining as we left Dinosaur, so we decided to head out of the park.
Thumbs down for an unproductive Animal Kingdom visit!
Oh well. That’s what you get for visiting in September!

The journey back to the hotel felt pretty long.
We stopped at Blizzard Beach and the Wilderness Lodge before we made it back to the Grand Floridian.
But we were back by 2:30pm.

We realised we were really hungry, so we went straight to Gasparilla Island Grill to get food!

Jamie ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich.
(“Grilled Chicken, Ham, Gruyère Cheese, and Lettuce on Fresh-baked Ciabatta.”)

And I had a Pepperoni Flatbread:

We were real hungry, so we also had a Sausage and Pepperoni Stromboli to share!
(“Hand-stretched Dough stuffed with Sausage, Pepperoni, Onions, Mushrooms, and Mozzarella.”)

This was all really tasty, and cheap! Gasparilla has some really unique, and inexpensive quick service options. It’s a good place to get lunch if you’re spending a day resort hopping.

After lunch we went back to the room and I napped from 4pm – 5:30pm!

GLORIOUS.

When I woke up it was almost time to head to Epcot! We had a fastpass to use from 6-7pm.

Thankfully we had a little time, so we spent it sat on the floor together blow-drying our wet shoes.

(It totally worked!)

We headed out the door at 6 and got the Monorail to Epcot.

We arrived at Epcot at around 6:30pm and grabbed a photopass picture.
It was a beautiful evening!

Then we made our way over to our first fastpass.

Well, MY first fastpass…

YAY.

There was literally one other family in the Character Spot, so the fastpass was completely pointless! But it was a great meet and greet regardless!

Jamie wasn’t too bothered about meeting the gang, so he hung back to take some more pictures.

Mickey was first!

I went straight up to him and said

“Mickey! You look lovely and smart!”

And he did this:

He’s such a modest mouse!

He was lovely and he gave me two kisses

Next up was Goofy.

He greeted me with a huge hug! He’s so cuddly.

What a guy!

And last, but definitely not least, was my girl Minnie.

I have no idea what this conversation was about, but we both seem very invested in it!

She’s such a Princess I love her. Mickey needs to put a ring on it ASAP!

Click for Day 11, Part 3!​

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[tinkerbell1991]

26 baubles! That's amazing I need to start my collection! I have a Mickey shape from Disneyland Paris and a pickle from the Germany pavilion at Epcot so far - I definitely need to up my game!! Do you have any pictures to share?! That's reassuring that none of yours have broken, maybe I'll go for it this year
Oh wow, you bough 20 christmas decorations AND some art from the Art of Disney store?! That sounds like a dreamy haul

These are some pictures I have of my new baubles. They are a mixture of Disney and Universal.

I also took a picture of my Carl and Ellie buy from the art shop as I love Up!

I wasn't too sure if you saw these in the same shop but we also bought Beauty and the Beast and the 7 dwarves in the shadow boxes. They light up and just look magical.

enjoy!

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Day 11
(September 12th 2014)
Hakuna Matata
Part 3 – RIP MAELSTROM!

After meeting my favourite Disney pals it was nearing 7pm, so we headed over to our next fastpass at Test Track!

But first I stopped in Mouse Gear and bought my jumper!

I love it!

I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be men’s or not, it's quite a large fit, but I really didn’t care, I had my eye on it from the start of the trip!

I can wear it a lot here in England because it’s cold for 95% of the year!

YAY.

Next stop: Test Track!

Jamie designed our car today:

“What shall we go for? Power?”

Erm, OF COURSE.

I like to crank the power right up. The car I designed last time had an efficiency score of just 7 (sorry environment), and our final score was 208, which I thought was pretty good.

But we did end up trying to balance it all out a bit to see if that had an impact on the score…

The people next to us had made a hilarious car that looked like a stroller..!! They were funny.

I was trying to shoot a bit of video footage to send to my family because they haven’t been on Test Track since the refurb, but none of it turned out very well.

But I find this clip pretty funny, because I massively underestimated the jerkiness of the ride, and you can see the moment I realise, "This was a terrible idea.."

Note to self: Filming yourself on a fast ride turns out very unattractive

Well, balancing out the scores seemed to pay off! 214!
Jamie was very happy that he beat me.

Next we headed over to World Showcase!
We grabbed a photopass picture on the way, and the photographer told us to do silly faces.

I did silly, but tried to make sure it would still be a nice photo.

Jamie, on the other hand, did this.

Also, I don’t know why they always hand you these frames?!
However, I do like the idea of only colourising the inside of the frame, and having the outside black and white – but I have no idea how to do it… Any tips would be appreciated!!

Sunsets at Disney are 100 times better than sunsets at home.

On this day (September 12th 2014), we had just learned that Maelstrom was going to be renovated into a Frozen attraction…!!!
My opinion? I understand Maelstrom has somewhat of a ‘cult following’, but it is kinda weird and deserves an overhaul.
HOWEVER.
A Disney film set in a fictional place has NO business whatsoever in World Showcase!!!
I’m not a huge fan of Maelstrom, but in my opinion, having Frozen as Norway’s main attraction is ABHORRENT (one of my favourite words )
It feels like the big guys are focussing solely on $$$. The authenticity of World Showcase is being disregarded - I think it defeats the whole point of it!

I'm really hoping for the best out of this bad situation. I hope it's going to be real features of Norway with the Frozen characters built in, but right now I'm just imagining snow and ice palaces and Olaf... and that is not OK.



BUT MOVING ON.
WE RODE MAELSTROM!
For the last time EVER!

It was quite busy because this was the first day the closure had been announced!
But we were at the front of the line in around 20 minutes.

Who else is creeped out by this face?
…YOU KNOW WHICH FACE.
The one smiling whilst staring into your soul and gutting a fish.

We got front row yay.

And, it wouldn’t be a water-based ride if THIS didn’t happen to Jamie…

Seriously, HOW does this happen on Maelstrom!?!?

When we left Maelstrom it was around 8:10pm.
I had really wanted to do Sum Of All Thrills on this trip since I’d never done it before, but Innoventions was already closed.
So that’s something to check off the list this year

Instead we headed to our 8-9pm fastpass at Spaceship Earth.
Of course, it was totally unnecessary.
There was nobody there!

Even after my 1.5 hour nap, the planetarium in Spaceship Earth still makes me sleepy!
That, and Dame Judy’s lovely soothing voice

We exited Spaceship Earth at around 8:40pm and we realised everyone was starting to gather at World Showcase for IllumiNations, so we decided to check out the wait time for Soarin’.

15 minute wait!
WOO!

And we actually walked straight through to the loading area.
You cannot complain when your only wait involves a video of Patrick Warburton
(Katie’s weird crush #428.)

We had a grand old time on Soarin’.
We were on row 1 – YAY!
I always seem to end up chatting away to the person sat next to me while we’re waiting to take off.
And two Soarin CMs on two separate occasions have told me they like my dress/skirt.
Soarin’ is a place of friendship!

We left The Land at around 9 and IllumiNations was in full swing!

MAGICAL.

I was considering buying a World Showcase t-shirt I’d seen in the Germany Pavilion, so we made our way round there, but the store was already closed.
We decided to try to beat the post-firework rush, so we headed back to the monorail.

Here’s one the best things about Epcot at night, and if you disagree, you’re wrong:

I want my dream house to have a dream garden with dreamy light up paving.

We hopped on the monorail, and arrived back home at 10:05pm.
Coming back to this hotel is just the best thing ever.

I love the décor at the Grand Floridian, but when I look at these two framed pictures I feel like I’m in a dream… Maybe even a nightmare…:

(ETA: As pkondz said:
"That decor was from the budding serial kid from Maelstrom's room."
)

Since we had a late lunch, we only just realised that we hadn’t eaten anything in 7 or 8 hours. So we made our way around to Gasparilla again (it’s open 24 hours!)

We bought a turkey sandwich to share and took it back to the room.

It was delish!

We weren’t very tired since we’d napped earlier on, so we watched some TV, and I downloaded some photopass pictures to send to my parents.

Although the rain kinda messed up our Animal Kingdom visit, we were very satisfied with our evening at Epcot!

I was starting to get a little sad though…

Only 3 more full days left!



*End of Day 11*

Click for Day 12, Part 1!​

​

 

[Sailormoon2]

Only 3 more full days left!

And I am sad, as that means this TR will also come to an end

 

[STLMickeyMom]

Man, I jumped the gun replying earlier! Sorry to split your updates.

We love those light up sidewalks in Epcot too! You could have some light up fun now if you have a balcony or anywhere you put potted plants or outdoor furniture. There is glow in the dark spray paint you can use to paint pots or stones. You can find it at craft stores or home improvement stores (Michael's or Home Depot type places--not sure what your equivalent would be). They "charge" in the sunlight during the day and glow at night for supposedly a few hours. I haven't tried it yet, but it's on one of my Pinterest boards so you know I'll get to it eventually

 

[pookersmom]

I love it that you have a weird crush on Patrick Warburton -- I rather have one too. It's his voice, I think, for me? I met him back in May at Denver Comic Con. He's so funny. I'd have liked to post a photo for you but they were charging something like $100 for photo ops so... no.

Why are late night turkey sandwiches so delightful?

 

[NittanyKK]

I just read your TR in a few days and am all caught up... You two are adorable and your trip sounds amazing!

As a side note, I enjoyed your sense of humor all throughout your trip reports but you definitely had me at the usage of the term "food baby". My boyfriend is overly obsessed with saying this and everytime it makes me laugh. Good to know it's internationally appreciated

Can't wait to read the rest of your TR! Getting me super excited for my trip in October, wooooo.

 

[LanaBear-ox]

I can't believe you're nearly at the end of your TR!

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Yeah Starring Rolls seems to have very odd closing times?! I think it was pure luck that we came across it while it was open. Definitely keep it on your must-eat list though!

Yes, if they would stay open through the whole afternoon and evening, they would get a lot more customers! I do already have it on my list for April next year, at least for dessert if I can't fit it in for a meal.

I can't believe you're nearly at the end of your TR!

Don't worry; they have another trip next month, so there should be a new TR soon!

 

[blklotus]

(Who else is creeped out by that face?)

(…YOU KNOW WHICH FACE.)

If you're not weirded out by this creeper, you're a total sociopath. Not only is he creepily trying to make eye contact, he's doing it whilst creepily gutting a fish. NO THANK YOU, CREEPY MAN CHILD! (Also, how many more times do you think I could use a derivation of the word "creep" in that sentence?)

Here’s one the best things about Epcot at night, and if you disagree, you’re wrong:

Would people actually disagree with your statement? This is AMAZING and I want this at my house immediately!!

 

[Leshaface]

I noticed you updating yesterday so decided to wait until today

so we went back to Animal Kingdom instead!

(Side note: Does anyone know about the semi-secret entrance to Animal Kingdom?! We didn’t use it today, but I think it would come in handy during busy times! Let me know if you want to hear about it, and I’ll show you on the map!)

Uh, please do tell!

“The boys in the back are called Macaws…”

Aw I was going to quote the rest of the song but you did it for me

Yeah, I like the cropped picture better. So tired of seeing construction walls at BOTH WDW and DLR. Will it ever stop?!

Everybody raves about the new Harambe Theatre, but honestly I have mixed feelings about it.

I agree. I really liked the old theater. I liked that it was tucked away back there in a 'wooded' area.

…And these guys are even cuter!!

Jamie and I were laughing at Simba’s resting b**** face..

Definitely resting b**** face

I kinda wish that AK offered tours just to jump on the trampoline and do acrobatic stuff. I'd sign up!

I know it's pouring, but it looks gorgeous!

Poor Katie.

Say hi to socially awkward dino-fish

Yes! I truly want to know what the others in your car thought when they saw this picture. Like, "did we miss something on the other side?!"

This was all really tasty, and cheap! Gasparilla has some really unique, and inexpensive quick service options. It’s a good place to get lunch if you’re spending a day resort hopping.

For reals! I wished we had visited sooner than our second to last day.

After lunch we went back to the room and I napped from 4pm – 5:30pm!

So you woke up late AND you were still able to take a nap?! You're pretty amazing.

Thankfully we had a little time, so we spent it sat on the floor together blow-drying our wet shoes.

Gah, you even in your spare time, you two are still so romantic!

I love these 2 pictures!

She’s such a Princess I love her. Mickey needs to put a ring on it ASAP!

I can wear it a lot here in England because it’s cold for 95% of the year!

I'm seriously jealous. I love cold weather!

I quoted your TT video - SO HILARIOUS!

Note to self: Filming yourself on a fast ride turns out very unattractive

You actually look super adorbs!

Ah the good ol' constipation look. Always a winner!

However, I do like the idea of only colourising the inside of the frame, and having the outside black and white – but I have no idea how to do it… Any tips would be appreciated!!

That would be cute! Sorry no idea. Wait, I think Photobucket allows you to do that?



Did it work?!

ETA: it's showing up on my computer as splashed in the middle, but when I post the PB link, it shows the original picture..

having Frozen as Norway’s main attraction is ABHORRENT (one of my favourite words )

Good word

The authenticity of World Showcase is being disregarded - I think it defeats the whole point of it!

Exactly! I don't mind the 'hints' of Disney that they place into the pavilions, like the character meets. This is a full blown attraction.

You cannot complain when your only wait involves a video of Patrick Warburton
(Katie’s weird crush #428.)

me too.

Here’s one the best things about Epcot at night, and if you disagree, you’re wrong:

I LOVE IT! I'd love to have this on my walkway up to our door. I'd be much more happier everyday!

I would run far far away!

 

[jamieann]

Here ya go! If you want it in higher quality you can send me the original file =)