Once, Twice, Three Times to Disney!?! - Updated (finally!) 7/22

[allysetraskos]

A PRINCESS!!
How fantastic, Congratulations!!

 

[I_Luv_Stitch]

Aww congratulations!!! How amazing you'll have a prince and a princess!! What lovely news! Luke looked so happy!!

 

[amberdc1987]

I just found your report. I can't wait to read more. Congratulations on your little girl! Girls are so much fun (I have 2). Keep it coming.

 

[khertz]

Congrats on the princess!! I love having one of each!

 

[Dugette]

First off, congrats on the soon-to-be princess! You're in for a world of fun! (And I'm glad Luke is so excited - I'm sure he will be a great big brother!)

Back to update I missed - that ride on the carpets with Aladdin and Jasmine and camel spit sounds like a very special memory. Love those unplanned moments that stick out in your memories from the trip.

Yeah, give the Tiki Room some more time. Last month at Disneyland, Izzy really enjoyed it. So, maybe about 3.5 years old is the turning point?

Ugh, sorry your mom was feeling sick and I don't like where this might be going...

 

[schmass]

Congratulations! We also have a little boy and baby girl and it is so much fun! I'm glad Luke is excited!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

I love your baby announcement!
And going through your past trip report your son Lukes little pooh bear overalls are the cutest things I have ever seen!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Congratulations on your coming princess!

Thanks!

A PRINCESS!!
How fantastic, Congratulations!!

Thank you!

Aww congratulations!!! How amazing you'll have a prince and a princess!! What lovely news! Luke looked so happy!!

Thanks! He was thrilled!

I just found your report. I can't wait to read more. Congratulations on your little girl! Girls are so much fun (I have 2). Keep it coming.

And

Congrats on the princess!! I love having one of each!

Thanks! We didn't really have a preference, but are very excited to experience the other side of things!

First off, congrats on the soon-to-be princess! You're in for a world of fun! (And I'm glad Luke is so excited - I'm sure he will be a great big brother!)

Thanks! I think he is going to do awesome! He really, really wanted a little sister so he was thrilled that baby is a girl!

Back to update I missed - that ride on the carpets with Aladdin and Jasmine and camel spit sounds like a very special memory. Love those unplanned moments that stick out in your memories from the trip.

I have a few moments that I remember thinking in that moment how happy and blessed I am.

Yeah, give the Tiki Room some more time. Last month at Disneyland, Izzy really enjoyed it. So, maybe about 3.5 years old is the turning point?

Ok. Maybe we will re-try it this fall then.

Ugh, sorry your mom was feeling sick and I don't like where this might be going...

Yeah... It's not good.

Congratulations! We also have a little boy and baby girl and it is so much fun! I'm glad Luke is excited!

Thank you!!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Thanks everybody for all the congrats! We are super excited and Luke is very happy that he got his wish. He had been telling us since he found out that he only wanted a sister. Glad that worked out for him! Things have been a little crazy with house stuff and reveal party, but planning to get back to it this weekend.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

He had been telling us since he found out that he only wanted a sister. Glad that worked out for him!

Glad that Luke is happy. I know our oldest really wanted a little sister so we were so relieved when we found out our third was a girl ... we were dreading having to tell her it was another brother

 

[DisneyParkLover]

An abbreviated afternoon with a decreased travel party

When we left off, my mom was sick and so my parents had just left. Not wanting to lose our lunch deposit, the rest of us headed over to Liberty Tree Tavern. I had been very excited about this reservation, but with my parents gone and Luke and I still feeling mediocre I was no longer really feeling like it. If it hadn't been for the $50 deposit, I probably would have cancelled it. But we tried to make the best of the situation and headed over to the restaurant. We took a seat in the waiting area and only waited about 5 or 10 minutes before our party was called.

Since I didn't have much appetite and I knew I wanted to have dessert, I decided to just get the fried cheese appetizer to share with the boys.




We all enjoyed this, especially Luke. That boy loves his cheese (he must get that from me!). James ordered the Tavern Battered Fish and Chips - served with house-made tartar sauce and lemon.




He liked this, but didn't think it was as good as the fish and chips from Epcot. We ordered Luke a barbecue chicken flatbread pizza kid's meal with fruit.




Sadly, very little of this got eaten. I had a few bites of the flatbread and it was fine, but nothing special. Luke just picked at it because he still wasn't that hungry. We thought he would enjoy the fruit, but he loves all fruit except melon and this was 99% melon. His dislike for melon is another thing he gets from me, so I didn't want it either. I had saved some appetite for a dessert that gets a lot of Dis-love - this beauty:



Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake - vanilla cake with a gooey toffee filling, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce! This dessert is right up my alley. I love toffee and caramel! However, on this day, this was just good and not awesome. I think on a regular day this would be a hit, but I still wasn't feeling the best. But I would definitely try this again.

After lunch, we went over to use our next fastpass to ride Peter Pan. Some pictures of my boys goofing off in line:








After that, the line was short for it's a small world, so we went ahead and hopped in line. We probably waited about 15 minutes before we boarded the happiest cruise to ever set sail.




Luke loves this ride! Definitely one of his favorites. Next we were going to visit another of his favorites - the Pooh ride! But we got almost to the front of the line and the ride closed down. We waited a few minutes to see if it would reopen, but then they closed the line and made everyone exit. So we headed over to ride Little Mermaid instead. The line was only about 10 minutes and then we were headed "under the sea".








And a couple of my boy "taking it all in"":






He really was fascinated with all the the pretty colors and fish! Next we headed over to use our last fastpass at Seven Dwarves Mine Train.



I rode first, and was on and off within just a few minutes. Next it was James' turn. But he really wasn't that interested in riding, so we skipped his turn and went over to the tea cups. Luke really loves watching the little mouse pop out of the top of the teapot. Here he is watching for the mouse:




And another where I was almost able to get his attention away from the mouse to take a real photo!




Next we went over to the Tomorrowland Speedway. I believe we got a 4th fastpass for this and we had a very short wait. A couple very mediocre attempts at "we-sies":






After the speedway, we were pretty hot and tired, so we decided to call it a day. We called my dad to pick us up. I believe our resort had a shuttle but I think it had limited hours, so it was easier for him to just pick us up. We took a quick monorail ride up to the Ticket & Transportation Center.






We took a seat on a bench at the front of the parking lot and told him to meet us there. A couple pictures while we waited:





(I love that you can see us and the umbrella in the reflection on Luke's "shades" )

My dad had some trouble locating us and we saw him whiz by on the adjacent road a couple times. After that, he still couldn't figure out how to get back to where we were, so he pulled over on the other side of the road and we walked across to meet him!

My mom was resting back at the resort, so we decided to carry on with our dinner plans without her. We headed over to Boston Lobster Feast!

This is always a favorite and we didn't want to skip it since it was the only night we had available to go. But Luke and I didn't eat much and it was a bummer that my mom didn't get to go. So it wasn't as much fun as it usually is, but we still had a good time.

Up next: Day three - will my mom be better? Will she join us at the parks? Is the stomach virus finished with us finally?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Bummer that the day was a bit of a downer with how you were feeling and with your mom being sick. I have heard they are pretty understandable in not charging the ADR deposit fee if there is a legit reason (such as someone being sick) so I suspect you could have gotten out of your lunch ADR un-charged, but I definitely would have been like you and concerned about getting charged.

Double bummer about them closing Pooh - but glad Luke liked Under the Sea!

Sorry your dad had issues getting to where you were to pick you up, but glad you eventually figured something out

Glad you got in your dinner at Boston Lobster Fest (I recall that being a big one for you) but do wish your mom made it too

 

[ariane37]

I just don't like reading about the stomach virus After getting it in Nov. I was nervous during our entire January trip that it was going to hit me again. And I'm sure it'll be on my mind when we go back this November........

We haven't been to LTT lunch in a few years, but I certainly remember the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake! Sorry you couldn't fully enjoy it. If you didn't get back another time this trip, it's something to add to the "next time" list

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Glad that Luke is happy. I know our oldest really wanted a little sister so we were so relieved when we found out our third was a girl ... we were dreading having to tell her it was another brother

Same here! We didn't care, but were glad it was a girl since Luke wanted a sister SOOOO badly!

Bummer that the day was a bit of a downer with how you were feeling and with your mom being sick. I have heard they are pretty understandable in not charging the ADR deposit fee if there is a legit reason (such as someone being sick) so I suspect you could have gotten out of your lunch ADR un-charged, but I definitely would have been like you and concerned about getting charged.

I will remember that next time (although, hopefully there is no next time for the stomach virus!). It worked out fine, and since we decided to stay at the park it was nice to have a cool, quiet place to eat.

Double bummer about them closing Pooh - but glad Luke liked Under the Sea!

Pooh is a definite favorite of his, and it was a bummer since they closed it right as we got to the front of the line.

Sorry your dad had issues getting to where you were to pick you up, but glad you eventually figured something out

It wasn't too surprising, since he is very navigationally-challenged!

Glad you got in your dinner at Boston Lobster Fest (I recall that being a big one for you) but do wish your mom made it too

We really love this place. I know it is not for everyone (it is not fine dining by any means!), but the food is always consistently good - the lobster and the lobster bisque are worth the cost by themselves!

I just don't like reading about the stomach virus After getting it in Nov. I was nervous during our entire January trip that it was going to hit me again. And I'm sure it'll be on my mind when we go back this November........

I agree! Here's hoping neither of us have to go through it again!

We haven't been to LTT lunch in a few years, but I certainly remember the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake! Sorry you couldn't fully enjoy it. If you didn't get back another time this trip, it's something to add to the "next time" list

It is definitely on the list to return to! Only problem is, when you have been on this many trips and have this many people that each have their own favorites, you get a lot of "must visits". So I only get a couple dining slots each trip to try new places or revisit ones that didn't quite make the must do list!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Day 3 - Up with the sun to get to Epcot!

So on this day we woke up bright and early! Here are my dad and hubby up and ready to go:






My mom woke up feeling somewhat better. She was not 100%, probably not even 50%, but she was no longer "actively" sick (to put it politely). So being the trooper she is, we decided to proceed with our planned Epcot day. What a champ! She toughed it out and she even drove! And a couple pictures of my super cute boy ready for a day at Epcot:






We had intended to make rope drop, and since we were all up early, we had no trouble getting there with time to spare! It was a beautiful day to go to Disney!






We were let in a few minutes before 9 and stopped for a photo right away.




Wish I was there now! With that taken care of, we figured we'd better rush and beat the crowds to our first stop....









Hahahaha! That's why I love fastpass plus! With our rides already booked, we enjoyed taking a leisurely approach to the morning. It was nice having this area of the park almost completely to ourselves!






We were one of the first ones on the ride this morning!




I especially enjoy looking around The Seas before the crowds arrive. I hate being packed in there like sardines and Luke loved having free reign to run a little!










The manatees are one of my favorites, so I loved seeing them so active and having their breakfast!






After running around for a little bit, Luke started trying to run out the door, so we decided it was time to move on to something else! Fortunately, our fastpass time was open for Soarin', so we made our way over to The Land. My parents rode first while James, Luke, and I rode Livin' with the Land.










I know I have said it before, but I love this ride! So underrated in my opinion! We finished our boat tour of the gardens and then my parents got done with Soarin' a few minutes later and we switched. James and I had a few minutes to wait in the fastpass line, so we entertained ourselves taking pictures of each other.








We had a great time Soarin' over California (as always!). I am so bummed that this is going to be closed for our April trip. It is one of the few "big" rides that you can ride while pregnant and it is closed. It's also kind of bittersweet that they are changing the movie. I am so excited to see what they do with it and I know that it will be awesome. But I am a little sad that the current movie will not be shown any more since I really love it. Okay, pity party over.

After we got done with Soarin', my parents and Luke had finished Livin' with the Land (part 2) and were waiting for us. We headed out of The Land and next door to visit a friend of mine - .











I really enjoy this ride. I think it is cute! Maybe because I am a kid at heart or maybe because I don't remember the previous iteration of this ride that everyone loved so much? But either way, I'm in the minority that likes it. And I not ashamed!


Up next: we head into World Showcase for some Food and Wine fun!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I am with you and enjoy having FP+ so you know you have your "big" rides set and don't need to rush with the pack in the mornings. I'd much rather stress before the trip getting things set than stress during the trip to grab the paper FP (though I also get why some people with different touring styles preferred the old way)

That's actually a really great idea to go over to the seas building first to let the little ones have some room to run around and see the fish, etc.

We love Living with the Land! Tempted to do the "behind the seeds" tour as well as I think my kids would like it

After seeing Soarin' over at Disneyland with the digital projection I am just really looking forward to that aspect of it being upgraded at WDW (though I am really excited for the new movie too!)

I think I get underwhelmed by Figment because a) I loved the original with the Dreamfinder, etc. and 2) it just could be so much better than it is - just newer animatronics, etc. ... plus they took away all the cool activity type stuff they used to have upstairs. So I think that is what so many people dislike about it - more for what it isn't but could be/used to be

 

[Dugette]

You got a lot done, despite not feeling well at MK. Sorry the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake couldn't make it all better.

Nice Epcot morning. I'm sure Luke loved the empty space to run around in the Seas. And we also love Living with the Land!

 

[DnA2010]

Newbie on board really enjoying your report so far, Luke is such a cutie!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

I am with you and enjoy having FP+ so you know you have your "big" rides set and don't need to rush with the pack in the mornings. I'd much rather stress before the trip getting things set than stress during the trip to grab the paper FP (though I also get why some people with different touring styles preferred the old way)

I can definitely see why people liked the old way, but FP+ works so much better for us. We can have rides planned for our first day when we arrive late, we don't have to arrive right at rope drop, and we don't have to run all over the park to grab fastpasses only to retrace our steps to return to those rides later.

That's actually a really great idea to go over to the seas building first to let the little ones have some room to run around and see the fish, etc.

We like to enjoy some of the places that get crowded while the park is still mostly empty!

We love Living with the Land! Tempted to do the "behind the seeds" tour as well as I think my kids would like it

We definitely want to do this someday when the kids are old enough!

After seeing Soarin' over at Disneyland with the digital projection I am just really looking forward to that aspect of it being upgraded at WDW (though I am really excited for the new movie too!)

I am super excited for the changes, just a little sad since I loved the old movie.

I think I get underwhelmed by Figment because a) I loved the original with the Dreamfinder, etc. and 2) it just could be so much better than it is - just newer animatronics, etc. ... plus they took away all the cool activity type stuff they used to have upstairs. So I think that is what so many people dislike about it - more for what it isn't but could be/used to be

I think this is why I like it. I don't remember it before, so I only judge it for what it currently is.

You got a lot done, despite not feeling well at MK. Sorry the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake couldn't make it all better.

Nice Epcot morning. I'm sure Luke loved the empty space to run around in the Seas. And we also love Living with the Land!

The Toffee Cake was delicious, but I just wasn't up for it. The empty Seas and Living with the Land were both awesome!

Newbie on board really enjoying your report so far, Luke is such a cutie!

and thank you!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Enjoying the Flower and Garden Festival!

When we left off, we had just finished journeying into imagination with Figment. We had worked up an appetite, so we were ready to sample some of the delectable treats from the Outdoor Kitchens! But we couldn't pass up a quick stop for some photos of the beautiful scenery!






I love all the gorgeous flowers they plant for this festival. It makes an already pretty area even more beautiful! I kind of wish they had it decorated like this all time, but then I guess it wouldn't seem as special! I love it when we go in the spring and get to enjoy it. Very excited that we will be there for Flower and Garden in less than 3 weeks! We usually go in the fall, so we don't get to Flower and Garden as much as I would like.

We also took a quick photo of my sweet boy looking cool in his Mickey sunglasses drinking from his Mickey cup!




And with that, we were headed off to World Showcase to start snacking around the World! I will warn you now that I didn't take any notes, so I will have to work off of my photos and memories. And I won't remember the things my parents had that I didn't try, so I will have to add in their thoughts later on.

Our first stop was...




Urban Farm Eats! We sampled the Ghost pepper-dusted tilapia with crisp winter melon slaw and mint oil featuring The Original Sauce Man’s Kick It Up Rub and got two Crispin Blackberry Pear Ciders to wash it down.




The tilapia was excellent! I would have liked even more heat, but James thought it was just right. It had a definite kick and a great flavor. The cider was also delicious and was fruity and refreshing on a hot day.

We started making our way to our next booth, but I had to make time to stop and photograph some topiaries.








Love the Disney details. I can't believe how amazing these are! Our next stop was at Fleur de Lys for the Confit de Canard, Pommes de Terre Sarladaise – Pulled Duck Confit with Garlic and Parsley Potatoes.




We pulled over to a table in the shade to enjoy this as it was quite hot this day. I believe my parents may have stopped and gotten some fish and chips from Yorkshire County Fish Shop and brought them over here to eat. However, I have no photographic evidence to support that, so I could be wrong. I do know, however, that the duck was really good. The potatoes were a little bland and didn't add much to the dish, but any potato is a good potato in my book!

Luke was not interested in the Outdoor Kitchens and promptly fell asleep.



(I love that he is still clutching the Mickey cup!)

Our next stop was at Botanas Botanico. We ordered two things here - the Cachapas with Farmer’s Cheese and the Coconut Tres Leches.




I really liked the Cachapas. I thought it was something different, but still with familiar/comforting flavors. I thought the cake was okay, but it just wasn't really my thing. Everyone else enjoyed it though, so it must have been pretty good.

I wanted a dessert that was more my style, so I hopped over to Taste of Marrakesh for Pistachio Baklava.




Now this was delicious! So good. I wish I had some right now. I needed some more savory food though, so we continued on. Our next stop was at The Smokehouse. We hit this booth pretty hard and got three items - Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash with White Cheddar Fondue and Pickled Jalapeños, “Piggylicious” bacon cupcake with maple frosting and pretzel crunch featuring Nueske’s® Applewood Smoked Bacon, and Billy’s Chilies Beer.




Let's start at the bottom and work our way up. The beer was not that great. We love chilies so we wanted to try this, but neither James nor I really enjoyed the flavor. Next up was the cupcake. This was okay, but not great. I love the salty/sweet combination, so I thought I would love the maple and bacon flavor. You know, like when you accidently get the syrup from your pancakes on your bacon and it is delicious? But this didn't have enough bacon flavor, the frosting was too sweet, the cupcake was a little dry and the pretzels were a weird addition (thought they would add a nice salty kick, but no such luck). It was still okay, but I probably wouldn't get it again.

So now on to the good - the hash. OMG! This was amazing. Such a great combination of flavors with the cheddar fondue and the jalapenos. This was probably my favorite thing at the festival. I am so glad they are bringing it back this year!

In the midst of all the sampling, I had to make another detour for more flower and topiary pictures.










Next up was Florida Fresh for Shrimp and stone ground grits with andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes and cilantro and Florida Blueberry and Lemon Curd Tart.



The drink pictured is a Red Stag Lemonade from the America Pavilion. I love these! My second favorite Epcot drink after the Cider and Black in the UK. (And it moves up to number one on a hot day as it is so refreshing!) Both items from the Florida booth were awesome! If the hash was my favorite item of the festival, the shrimp and grits would be a close second. So good! The shrimp were really big and fresh. And all the other flavors worked really well with the grits. The tart was delicious too. The fruit flavors were really nice and paired well with the tart for a not too sweet dessert.

We were all pretty full by this point and it was really hot, so we decided to catch the boat to Future World. A few pictures from the boat dock:







That's all for now folks! Next up we finish off the afternoon with some rides and a fantastic dinner!

 

[tortilla24]

Enjoying the Flower and Garden Festival!

When we left off, we had just finished journeying into imagination with Figment. We had worked up an appetite, so we were ready to sample some of the delectable treats from the Outdoor Kitchens! But we couldn't pass up a quick stop for some photos of the beautiful scenery!






I love all the gorgeous flowers they plant for this festival. It makes an already pretty area even more beautiful! I kind of wish they had it decorated like this all time, but then I guess it wouldn't seem as special! I love it when we go in the spring and get to enjoy it. Very excited that we will be there for Flower and Garden in less than 3 weeks! We usually go in the fall, so we don't get to Flower and Garden as much as I would like.

We also took a quick photo of my sweet boy looking cool in his Mickey sunglasses drinking from his Mickey cup!




And with that, we were headed off to World Showcase to start snacking around the World! I will warn you now that I didn't take any notes, so I will have to work off of my photos and memories. And I won't remember the things my parents had that I didn't try, so I will have to add in their thoughts later on.

Our first stop was...




Urban Farm Eats! We sampled the Ghost pepper-dusted tilapia with crisp winter melon slaw and mint oil featuring The Original Sauce Man’s Kick It Up Rub and got two Crispin Blackberry Pear Ciders to wash it down.




The tilapia was excellent! I would have liked even more heat, but James thought it was just right. It had a definite kick and a great flavor. The cider was also delicious and was fruity and refreshing on a hot day.

We started making our way to our next booth, but I had to make time to stop and photograph some topiaries.








Love the Disney details. I can't believe how amazing these are! Our next stop was at Fleur de Lys for the Confit de Canard, Pommes de Terre Sarladaise – Pulled Duck Confit with Garlic and Parsley Potatoes.




We pulled over to a table in the shade to enjoy this as it was quite hot this day. I believe my parents may have stopped and gotten some fish and chips from Yorkshire County Fish Shop and brought them over here to eat. However, I have no photographic evidence to support that, so I could be wrong. I do know, however, that the duck was really good. The potatoes were a little bland and didn't add much to the dish, but any potato is a good potato in my book!

Luke was not interested in the Outdoor Kitchens and promptly fell asleep.



(I love that he is still clutching the Mickey cup!)

Our next stop was at Botanas Botanico. We ordered two things here - the Cachapas with Farmer’s Cheese and the Coconut Tres Leches.




I really liked the Cachapas. I thought it was something different, but still with familiar/comforting flavors. I thought the cake was okay, but it just wasn't really my thing. Everyone else enjoyed it though, so it must have been pretty good.

I wanted a dessert that was more my style, so I hopped over to Taste of Marrakesh for Pistachio Baklava.




Now this was delicious! So good. I wish I had some right now. I needed some more savory food though, so we continued on. Our next stop was at The Smokehouse. We hit this booth pretty hard and got three items - Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash with White Cheddar Fondue and Pickled Jalapeños, “Piggylicious” bacon cupcake with maple frosting and pretzel crunch featuring Nueske’s® Applewood Smoked Bacon, and Billy’s Chilies Beer.




Let's start at the bottom and work our way up. The beer was not that great. We love chilies so we wanted to try this, but neither James nor I really enjoyed the flavor. Next up was the cupcake. This was okay, but not great. I love the salty/sweet combination, so I thought I would love the maple and bacon flavor. You know, like when you accidently get the syrup from your pancakes on your bacon and it is delicious? But this didn't have enough bacon flavor, the frosting was too sweet, the cupcake was a little dry and the pretzels were a weird addition (thought they would add a nice salty kick, but no such luck). It was still okay, but I probably wouldn't get it again.

So now on to the good - the hash. OMG! This was amazing. Such a great combination of flavors with the cheddar fondue and the jalapenos. This was probably my favorite thing at the festival. I am so glad they are bringing it back this year!

In the midst of all the sampling, I had to make another detour for more flower and topiary pictures.










Next up was Florida Fresh for Shrimp and stone ground grits with andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes and cilantro and Florida Blueberry and Lemon Curd Tart.



The drink pictured is a Red Stag Lemonade from the America Pavilion. I love these! My second favorite Epcot drink after the Cider and Black in the UK. (And it moves up to number one on a hot day as it is so refreshing!) Both items from the Florida booth were awesome! If the hash was my favorite item of the festival, the shrimp and grits would be a close second. So good! The shrimp were really big and fresh. And all the other flavors worked really well with the grits. The tart was delicious too. The fruit flavors were really nice and paired well with the tart for a not too sweet dessert.

We were all pretty full by this point and it was really hot, so we decided to catch the boat to Future World. A few pictures from the boat dock:







That's all for now folks! Next up we finish off the afternoon with some rides and a fantastic dinner!

Your food choices look incredible!