She's Five at Riverside - A September 2014 Trip Report (Completed 2/27)

[WDWKOOK]

This was a great post full of the cutest photos ever! I had seen a couple in your PTR, but now seeing all of the BBB photos was a treat. I loved how everyone wanted to take her picture when she came out. She must have felt like a true princess. I imagine this was worth everyone penny.

It was interesting knowing the background on the stylist who was in the DCP. That is a very unique DCP experience. And, it's nice knowing that the fingerprinting issue was resolved since your last trip.

Will you be using any of the post-BBB photos for your Christmas card?

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Allie is such a cutie and she looks like she is super sweet.

My dd9 isn't into princesses that much and is more of a tom boy. Do you think she would still like BBB?

Thanks! She is a sweetie.

Melissa says all girls enjoy being fussed over, so it could be fun for her. You don't have to wear a Princess dress to do hair and nails. You can see some of the options online.

Allie looks ADORABLE! Glad she had a great experience!

Thank you, we all really enjoyed BBB. It was a good start to a great day, and there's a lot more to come.

This was a great post full of the cutest photos ever! I had seen a couple in your PTR, but now seeing all of the BBB photos was a treat. I loved how everyone wanted to take her picture when she came out. She must have felt like a true princess. I imagine this was worth everyone penny.

It was interesting knowing the background on the stylist who was in the DCP. That is a very unique DCP experience. And, it's nice knowing that the fingerprinting issue was resolved since your last trip.

Will you be using any of the post-BBB photos for your Christmas card?

Aww, thank you. We still had to spend time choosing our favorite pictures to show since we took A LOT of them. BBB was fun for everybody and totally worth it.

The stylist (Amber) was great, and it is neat how DCP cast members definitely add to our Disney experience.

Good question on the Christmas card. Melissa isn't that organized to have the pictures picked yet, but it will get done sometime this year. We always want to use lots of Disney pics on Christmas cards, but then it looks like that's all we did all year...

Also, congratulations on the updated ticker. Having a trip planned is neat, and spring break on Bay Lake should be great.

 

[kastoney]

Wow, what a great visit to BBB. Love the rock star hair, I'd never seen that one done before. No wonder Allie was the center of so much attention, she looks amazing. I love the picture of her looking in the mirror, that's some artistry there.

We've yet to tackle BBB. We've never planed a trip for more than 6 months out do getting a ressie is impossible. One of these days....

 

[kaelalala]

love the BBB photos! looks like she had a great time there. I can't imagine it will be long before the boutique starts offering an Elsa-style braid

 

[Marsheliz]

Allie looks like her mama's twin with those glasses. How adorable!

And I am loving your Let it Go shirt!

Love the photo of grandpa and grandma watching Allie get made over. Proud grandparents huh?

She looks so sweet all done up in her BBB ensemble. I bet she felt like a real princess. I hope to someday have a girl to do this with <3

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Wow, what a great visit to BBB. Love the rock star hair, I'd never seen that one done before. No wonder Allie was the center of so much attention, she looks amazing. I love the picture of her looking in the mirror, that's some artistry there.

We've yet to tackle BBB. We've never planed a trip for more than 6 months out do getting a ressie is impossible. One of these days....

Ahh yes, it was a great part of the trip. The mirror picture is my favorite too, and it is one of the PhotoPass pics.

Getting the reservation early to do it in MK was totally worth it to us, but we did have the trip reserved for a year.

love the BBB photos! looks like she had a great time there. I can't imagine it will be long before the boutique starts offering an Elsa-style braid

Yes, she had a ball and the CMs were great. We're glad you enjoyed following along, and there's much more to come.

Allie looks like her mama's twin with those glasses. How adorable!

And I am loving your Let it Go shirt!

Love the photo of grandpa and grandma watching Allie get made over. Proud grandparents huh?

She looks so sweet all done up in her BBB ensemble. I bet she felt like a real princess. I hope to someday have a girl to do this with <3

Aww, I know, we think her glasses are so cute. She was reluctant to get them, but they help her now that she's reading at school.

Melissa says thanks, that's her favorite Frozen shirt.

Grandma and Grandpa are super proud and were excited to get to be there for BBB this year.

She loved the attention and getting to be a princess. It is cute now, but having a girl might not sound like such a great idea in about 10 years, so we'll see. At that point we might be willing to trade... Hopefully you'll get to experience both though.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I really like the picture of Main Street that you took from the castle steps. How lucky you were to catch the fire engine right there and without a huge crowd.

I love your BBB pictures. We will be back to WDW in January with "other" grandchildren and our only granddaughter is going to have the BBB treatment. The faces of your parents tell how enjoyable this event is for grandparents. I can't wait.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

I really like the picture of Main Street that you took from the castle steps. How lucky you were to catch the fire engine right there and without a huge crowd.

I love your BBB pictures. We will be back to WDW in January with "other" grandchildren and our only granddaughter is going to have the BBB treatment. The faces of your parents tell how enjoyable this event is for grandparents. I can't wait.

Yeah, we just had to throw that picture in. For being after 9:00 the crowds weren't bad at all yet. I think the first wave of crowd had passed.

We're glad you had fun on your recent WDW trip, and can look forward to returning in January. Watching BBB is great fun for parents or grandparents, so it will be great. Have a wonderful time, and be sure to go over and do the photo shoot afterward in the shop across the way.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Next up was lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern, a real favorite from our trip two years ago, and the one restaurant we regretted not repeating last year.

We didn't have a long wait for lunch but while we waited Allie insisted on having her picture taken in front of the fireplace.


Then she wanted to take pictures of her own.


We were seated in the front near the window, and quickly began looking over the menus. I decided to be my usual self and order the cheeseburger, since I am known for ordering cheeseburgers wherever I can, yet I had been more adventurous last time and still wondered about the burger.

I got the pot roast and was so glad I did, it was delish.


I really enjoyed my burger, so I think I made the right call as well. It seemed funny to order a burger at a nicer restaurant like that, but it was really good and had a unique bun that was very tasty.

For dessert everybody but Grandma ordered the Oohey Gooey Toffee cake, which is one of our favorite dessert dishes anywhere. Grandma got the chocolate cake and she enjoyed it too.


This restaurant is amazing for lunch and a great way to get out of the heat for a minute and relax in the middle of the hustle that is the Magic Kingdom around lunch time.

After lunch we headed for another fastpass, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin.


Grandma watched as Allie, Melissa, Grandpa, and I rode it.


Allie told me that I didn't have to ride it if I was too scared but I decided since she was so brave about riding Haunted Mansion that I could be brave too.

Aww, she is so sweet. After Aladdin we said goodbye to Grandma who was going to head back to the resort. Allie enjoyed showing her bugs and snakes from the gift shop.


We had fun with the giant rubber spider and another one that walked when you put it down. I love that Disney doesn't mind you playing with the toys

Yes, it is neat that everybody gets to play. After the gift shop, we decided to explore the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse. Allie loves the Tarzan treehouse at Disneyland and was excited to check this one out.


We basically just followed her up and back down but it was fun. She said she liked this version better than Disneyland and I agree. I miss the original version of this attraction at Disneyland.

By now we saw that it was almost time for the parade, and we were able to get a nice spot right up front while Grandpa found a wall to sit on not far away.


I was so happy we were going to catch the parade and it was so worth it.
They did a great job with all of the new floats and the dragon is AMAZING.


Now if they could just do something with the soundsational parade at Disneyland that would be great...

Lol, yeah, that might be one we have heard a few too many times, especially that day we followed it through the park. I still wake up to nightmares of the "Soundsational" music repeating over and over... Seriously, it was like we listened to the parade ending like 20 times.

Anyway, the parade was great, and one of the coolest events of the trip was when Anna and Elsa went by on their float. Since Allie was right up front they could see her, and noticed her pink hair. Anna even made a gesture imitating the hair. It was really cool.






Allie loved the attention.

It was nice to get a spot right up front, and to not have to wait long for the parade. It was a very enjoyable experience.




After the parade was over we....

...headed toward New fantasyland on our way around the park. Allie had decided before we left home that she wanted to get a Dumbo popcorn bucket, and had collected money from Melissa's aunt and Grandma in the office at work so she could get one during the trip, so she decided that now was the time.



She had about 5 dollars from Easter I think that she had saved then she walked around my office and convinced everyone else to donate to the Dumbo Popcorn bucket cause. She was so proud she got to buy the bucket all by herself with her own money. She ate pretty much all of the popcorn herself too.

The crowds were picking up so we didn't choose to wait to ride anything in Fantasyland, but we did decide to go hop on the Peoplemover.


I really like the people mover for the relaxed view of the park and a place to rest the feet.

As we were in line we caught a glimpse of Matt and Dani, another couple whose trip reports we follow and who once again was at WDW the same time as us.
After the Peoplemover we were about done, so we decided to shop on the way out so that Allie could give Grandpa gift ideas for her upcoming birthday. Not surprisingly Olaf and an Anna / Elsa flip doll were on her list, but she said what she wanted most was a Sofia the First tea set.


Grandpa took note and we made our way out of the park.

While Grandpa was headed back to POR, we decided to take this opportunity to do some resort hopping and check out a new resort for us, Old Key West. We waited at the OKW bus stop for just a few minutes before getting on a bus at 4:38, and we got off at the first bus stop right at 5:00.


When we got to OKW we weren't sure where to get off the bus but I noticed that the main pool was fairly near the first bus stop so we hopped off and walked over the bridge toward the main lobby and pool.


We found the lobby and gift stop and enjoyed walking around. The resort had a nice quiet relaxed feel to it, and we both agreed it might be a nice option some day. In the gift shop Allie made friends with two Cast Members, one of which was from Brawley, a town near where we go to the sand dunes in California. They chatted and played with Allie for a bit, and even gave her a special set of Tinkerbelle pins which came with one to keep and one to give to someone else.


Allie talked to them for quite a while and showed them her baby yeti sleeping in the dumbo popcorn bucket. I really liked the laid back feel of OKW. It seems like a huge resort though. I could see ourselves staying there though. I loved the sand castle pool slide and the playground looked like fun.




We got mug refills while exploring the area. This was the fourth resort that we filled our mugs at, and there were lots more to come. I was aiming to beat our record from last trip, when we visited seven resorts.


After we were done exploring we wanted to head to Downtown Disney to do some shopping before dinner.

We headed down to the boat dock at 5:40 to catch a boat to Downtown Disney.


Read more as our evening adventures are continued in the next update.

 

[Marsheliz]

I remember doing LTT when I was younger but I have never done it with " my now family" LOL. It does look like a neat place to try one day.

I was so dissapointed when the rain ruined that parade for us in June- I am so looking forward to seeing it on our next trip.

OKW really does look enjoyable. One of my favorite parts of our Disney trips, is the resort hopping!

 

[vleeth]

I love that she got donations for her dumbo popcorn fund. That is too cute.

 

[Wood Nymph]

OKW looks like a really nice resort. The villas look huge and the boat to DTD would be convenient. We were supposed to have breakfast at OKW with a couple of Dis-er's, but it got switched to Whispering Canyon Cafe at the last minute. Someday I hope to visit some of the other resorts.

I tried the pot roast at LTT last week and it was delicious. We haven't had a bad meal there yet

The parade looks great. I still haven't seen it yet but hope to get a chance in January. The only trouble with it is that it is right at nap time.

 

[kastoney]

If I'm tracking the trip right we actually ate at LTT the same day as you all. Think our ressie was around 1215 or 1230. This was our first time there and we really enjoyed it too. Toffee cake is definitely one of the best deserts in the world.

Allie and her dumbo popcorn story is way to cute. I can just imagine her panhandling through the office to buy popcorn ; )

Your pics of old key west are great. I'd never seen that sandcastle area before. Agree on it being crazy spread out though. We rode the bus through a fee years ago just to check it out (key west is one of our other fav vacation spots) and I was shocked by the number of bus stops.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

I remember doing LTT when I was younger but I have never done it with " my now family" LOL. It does look like a neat place to try one day.

I was so dissapointed when the rain ruined that parade for us in June- I am so looking forward to seeing it on our next trip.

OKW really does look enjoyable. One of my favorite parts of our Disney trips, is the resort hopping!

Yes, LTT is great, especially at lunch. At dinner it is a buffet, and we haven't tried that. You will love the parade, it is well done.

We love resort hopping as much as hanging out in the parks. It is all Disney, and all impressive and fun.

I love that she got donations for her dumbo popcorn fund. That is too cute.

She figured out what she wanted, and knew that we usually say they are too expensive, so she was ready ahead of time.

OKW looks like a really nice resort. The villas look huge and the boat to DTD would be convenient. We were supposed to have breakfast at OKW with a couple of Dis-era, but it got switched to Whispering Canyon Cafe at the last minute. Someday I hope to visit some of the other resorts.

I tried the pot roast at LTT last week and it was delicious. We haven't had a bad meal there yet

The parade looks great. I still haven't seen it yet but hope to get a chance in January. The only trouble with it is that it is right at nap time.

We did like OKW, and it's location was very similar to POR, but a little closer to DTD. Visiting the other resorts is always a lot of fun, and they each have something special about them.

The parade is worth a visit, perhaps right before hopping on a boat to WL for nap time.

If I'm tracking the trip right we actually ate at LTT the same day as you all. Think our ressie was around 1215 or 1230. This was our first time there and we really enjoyed it too. Toffee cake is definitely one of the best deserts in the world.

Allie and her dumbo popcorn story is way to cute. I can just imagine her panhandling through the office to buy popcorn ; )

Your pics of old key west are great. I'd never seen that sandcastle area before. Agree on it being crazy spread out though. We rode the bus through a fee years ago just to check it out (key west is one of our other fav vacation spots) and I was shocked by the number of bus stops.

Our LTT reservation was for 12:55 on Tuesday September 16th. We might have been there at the same time. .

Allie is really good at figuring out a way to get what she wants, and can be pretty resourceful.

The playground, lobby, and store are all near the first bus stop and boat dock, so visiting is pretty easy. We were really surprised at how huge SSR was and how long of an internal bus ride that was, and OKW does at least seem smaller than that.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Next up was lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern, a real favorite from our trip two years ago, and the one restaurant we regretted not repeating last year.

I've never tried LTT for lunch, only dinner when they serve a "family style" meal. Have you also tried it at dinner? If so, did you prefer lunch? I wasn't super crazy about dinner.

We didn't have a long wait for lunch but while we waited Allie insisted on having her picture taken in front of the fireplace.

She knows a good photo op when she sees one

We were seated in the front near the window, and quickly began looking over the menus. I decided to be my usual self and order the cheeseburger, since I am known for ordering cheeseburgers wherever I can, yet I had been more adventurous last time and still wondered about the burger.

Looking out at the guests walking by sounds perfect! I like that you stick with what you like.

I got the pot roast and was so glad I did, it was delish.

So you would recommended it? It wasn't "chewy?" I love a good pot roast.

This restaurant is amazing for lunch and a great way to get out of the heat for a minute and relax in the middle of the hustle that is the Magic Kingdom around lunch time.

You've convinced me!

Allie told me that I didn't have to ride it if I was too scared but I decided since she was so brave about riding Haunted Mansion that I could be brave too.

Awww, that's cute.

We had fun with the giant rubber spider and another one that walked when you put it down. I love that Disney doesn't mind you playing with the toys

So true. I bet most of us have a photo or two taken in a gift shop, especially wearing a funny hat. Maybe they should put some PP photographers in them. Is this the gift shop you were in or the one next door?

"Island Supply - Apparel, hats, grass skirts, leis, jewelry - closed 10/22/14. A new store will take its place later this year."

Anyway, the parade was great, and one of the coolest events of the trip was when Anna and Elsa went by on their float. Since Allie was right up front they could see her, and noticed her pink hair. Anna even made a gesture imitating the hair. It was really cool.

These are precious photos! I just love their reaction to Allie and her hair. It was so special that they picked her out from amongst all those people in the crowd and made her the center of their attention for a moment. How wonderful that you captured all of this.

Allie had decided before we left home that she wanted to get a Dumbo popcorn bucket, and had collected money from Melissa's aunt and Grandma in the office at work so she could get one during the trip, so she decided that now was the time.

She is quite the entrepreneur - I love it!

She had about 5 dollars from Easter I think that she had saved then she walked around my office and convinced everyone else to donate to the Dumbo Popcorn bucket cause. She was so proud she got to buy the bucket all by herself with her own money. She ate pretty much all of the popcorn herself too.

I bet that popcorn never tasted better since it was bought with her hard earned money

I really like the people mover for the relaxed view of the park and a place to rest the feet.

It was down for a rehab in June/July so we really missed it. DD and I have a game where we wave at guests beneath us and in passing PMs (much to the chagrin of DH) and we see who we can get to smile and wave back. I know it's silly, but it's our little game and it's fun when guests smile and wave back. I love that ride!

In the gift shop Allie made friends with two Cast Members, one of which was from Brawley, a town near where we go to the sand dunes in California. They chatted and played with Allie for a bit, and even gave her a special set of Tinkerbelle pins which came with one to keep and one to give to someone else.

Allie is well known for making friends with the CMs in the gift shops. Remember Boutiki?

Allie talked to them for quite a while and showed them her baby yeti sleeping in the dumbo popcorn bucket.

We got mug refills while exploring the area. This was the fourth resort that we filled our mugs at, and there were lots more to come. I was aiming to beat our record from last trip, when we visited seven resorts.

That sounds like fun. Do you have a favorite drink refill location?

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I LOVE that hair - Allie looks like a princess rock star!

I adore lunch at LTT. A trip is simply not complete without Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake.

I may have to break my usual resolve and stand and watch the 3:00 parade - everyone has such great things to say about it.

I never realized you could refill your mug at other spots?! That's good information to know...

 

[GrandCalifornian]

I've never tried LTT for lunch, only dinner when they serve a "family style" meal. Have you also tried it at dinner? If so, did you prefer lunch? I wasn't super crazy about dinner.

Looking out at the guests walking by sounds perfect! I like that you stick with what you like.

So you would recommended it? It wasn't "chewy?" I love a good pot roast.

We have never done LTT for dinner, but based on other reviews we have read it seems to be totally different. We really do enjoy it for lunch, since the food has always been great for us and you can't beat the location. It just seems to work out great for us to have a nice inside lunch in the middle of a MK day.

Melissa says the Pot Roast was great, and she knows her pot roast. She wouldn't like it to be chewy at all. She says it is was better than Cracker Barrel's which she also frequently gets.

You've convinced me!

That was easy. Really though it is worth a visit.

So true. I bet most of us have a photo or two taken in a gift shop, especially wearing a funny hat. Maybe they should put some PP photographers in them. Is this the gift shop you were in or the one next door?

"Island Supply - Apparel, hats, grass skirts, leis, jewelry - closed 10/22/14. A new store will take its place later this year."

Interesting. We were in both shops, and it sounds lie we'll have something new to check out next time.

These are precious photos! I just love their reaction to Allie and her hair. It was so special that they picked her out from amongst all those people in the crowd and made her the center of their attention for a moment. How wonderful that you captured all of this.

It was a neat experience. We all were excited that she clearly noticed Allie. Parade CMs do such an amazing job, but this was over the top.

She is quite the entrepreneur - I love it!
I bet that popcorn never tasted better since it was bought with her hard earned money

She was quite enthusiastic about the bucket itself, since we often get popcorn, but don't splurge on the fancy container. I think she ate the popcorn faster so she could play with it more, and soon baby Yeti had a new place to ride.

It was down for a rehab in June/July so we really missed it. DD and I have a game where we wave at guests beneath us and in passing PMs (much to the chagrin of DH) and we see who we can get to smile and wave back. I know it's silly, but it's our little game and it's fun when guests smile and wave back. I love that ride!

Yes, we love the peoplemover, and we miss it here in CA. Waving at everybody sounds like fun.

Allie is well known for making friends with the CMs in the gift shops. Remember Boutiki?

Yes, her multiple interactions with Shelly at the Poly were an amazing part of the trip last year. Nothing rose to that level this time, but Allie does enjoy meeting and playing with CMs.

That sounds like fun. Do you have a favorite drink refill location?

Oooh, now that is a tough question. We seem to most enjoy the drink breaks in the middle of the day as a break from the heat and busyness of the parks. Last year Beach Club was perfect for this on our way from HS to Epcot. Mara is another favorite, assuming that we get to stay inside the building. Our sentimental favorite though is Roaring Fork at WL, where the vast majority of our refills have come from, usually on the way back to the room from the boat. Ahh, sounds relaxing.

I LOVE that hair - Allie looks like a princess rock star!

She loved it too, and it held up really well. When we did take it out she was able to wear it again, which she enjoyed.

I adore lunch at LTT. A trip is simply not complete without Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake.

Mmm Hmmm, I am still kicking myself for not ordering it during our first visit there because I am not really a huge toffee fan. I won't make that mistake again.

I may have to break my usual resolve and stand and watch the 3:00 parade - everyone has such great things to say about it.

It is a neat parade, the flats were impressive and it just didn't feel long at all, so it is worth it, especially if you can walk up and watch it.

I never realized you could refill your mug at other spots?! That's good information to know...

Yes, this was a change with the new RFID chip mugs. Before then the official policy was that the mugs were only good at your resort, but with the RFID implementation Disney makes it clear that they are fine to fill at any resort. It means we wind up carrying the mugs with us during the day, but we often find it to be worth it.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

When we left off we were headed from OKW to DTD on a boat.


It was a nice ride, and we met a family with 8 kids and frequently visits WDW. The boat from OKW drops off on the East side, so we got to explore the shops over there that we rarely make it to.

When we got off the boat we were trying to figure out how a family that large could visit WDW that often and I thought about hiring them to be our financial advisers.

The kids were cute, and obviously having a great time. When we got off the boat we went exploring, since we had never made it all the way to that end of DTD. Melissa found a running store, so we had to check that out.


There were a couple of things I wanted but I decided not to get anything. It turns out that was a good thing because I haven't been out for a run since we got back from Disney

Ugh, yeah, we have had some post trip laziness after building up to it for months. We have also been really busy with other stuff, and the weather has been cooling down, and now the time change, and...

Anyway, we walked around the lake.


Allie was on a mission for the Lego store, where she posed with the figures outside


and then spent a long time making custom minifigures inside. This has become a favorite activity of hers at the Lego store in CA's DTD. She likes putting together different people, usually with "dresses" instead of regular legs.


She spent so much time perfecting her little people we had to buy them.


But escaping the Lego store for $10 after 45 minutes of fun is a pretty good deal. Then we continued through DTD, stopping at Basin to check out the soap. Allie really likes this too, and must have smelled almost every type in the store.


We purchased a few different "flavors" and continued the loop.


We really needed to get our Christmas tree ornament ordered, it's tradition. So we picked out what we wanted and I stood in line while Paul took Allie outside.


It took me about 30 minutes to get it all done.

Before the ornament shop Melissa grabbed a mystery grab bag from one of the stores, and was pleasantly surprised to find all kinds of good stuff inside, including a stuffed Hallie the Hippo from Doc McStuffins.


I probably wouldn't buy something like that because not knowing what you were going to get would drive me nuts, but Melissa enjoyed the surprise and it worked out to be a good deal.

Allie had fun with me opening it and I like surprises

While Melissa waited to drop the ornaments off for personalization (which you can only do from one line in that store) Allie and I went outside and she posed with the pooh characters on the bench.




Once she was done it was almost 8:00. We had intentionally not set an ADR for dinner, since we didn't want to have to meet a certain schedule and we were planning on eating at Trail's End at Fort Wilderness, which is usually pretty easy to get in to. Because it was so late, we decided to head straight there from DTD, while Grandma and Grandpa headed there from POR.


We had a quick trip from DTD to Fort Wilderness, and we arrived at 8:23.

When you get to Ft. Wilderness by bus you get dropped off at the other side of the resort so you have to ride an internal bus to get to TE. It was drizzling a little but we didn't end up too wet.

Meanwhile we were texting back and forth with Grandma and Grandpa, and experiencing some confusion about whether we'd eat at Fort Wilderness. They weren't super hungry, and were unsure about having a big buffet. Since that was the day we had planned for Trail's End, we decided to do it anyway since we needed dinner somewhere, and eating there gave everybody the option of eating as much or as little as they wanted.
five)
We arrived to TE before them and since they still weren't sure if they were going to eat we asked if we could be seated whether they wanted to eat or not. This didn't seem to be a problem and it didn't take long before we were taken to a table big enough for everyone which was good because it was still drizzly out.


The CMs at Trail's End were super accommodating, and had no problem giving us the bigger table. As we were seated we got a text that Grandma and Grandpa were on a boat over from MK, and they arrived a few minutes later.

Dinner was delicious. I particularly liked the smoked sausage that night. They have a good variety of comfort food and it's all pretty tasty.


I loved it as well. My favorite was the baby back pork ribs, but the sausage was great and they had two different types of macaroni and cheese. I love this restaurant, and it is the only place we have eaten during every single one of our WDW trips.

Grandma and Grandpa wound up eating too, and enjoyed it as well. They had considered saving the table service credit for another day when they might be more hungry, but both had a great meal. We all enjoyed the dessert options, which included soft serve that we put on top of brownies or cobbler.

After dinner we headed to the marina to get on a boat headed for our home resort for every other WDW trip, Wilderness Lodge.


I was expecting to feel some sort of pang of wanting to stay there when the boat pulled up but I didn't get that feeling at all.
The construction was interesting to see though but I'm glad it didn't effect our vacation at all.

We stopped by Roaring Fork for a mug refill (which brought the resort total to five) and then headed up the ramp to check out the lobby. Allie stopped on her bridge for a picture.


We visited the Mercantile where we both considered shirts and sweatshirts but we didn't end up with anything.

It was fun to look around though, and while I enjoyed being there I didn't feel bad about not staying there. It was fun to visit, and will be fun to stay there again, but POR worked great for us this trip. We hung out a bit in the lobby and then headed to the bus stop at about 10:45.


We waited for a bit and got slightly concerned that we would have to wait for a DTD bus, but a MK bus arrived and we hopped on right at 11PM, and were in front of MK by 11:05.


It was late but we had a great full day. We rode the bus back to POR and before we headed back to the room I needed to stop at the front desk to get my PIN number fixed. I hadn't been able to use my Magic Band for anything but park entry because it kept saying my pin was wrong no matter which one I tried.

While she did that I got some pictures of the nearly empty lobby.


I chatted with a CM from Purdue who was part of the college program, and she pointed out that the cities listed on the ceiling are all real cities on the Mississippi river except two, and I was able to guess which two.

It turns out the two false names are "Riverside" and "French Quarter"

It didn't take long to reset my pin so I could buy my own food. I don't know if you've noticed yet but my life pretty much revolves around food and when it's time to eat next.

Then we grabbed a home mug refill at the Riverside Mill just as it closed and headed back to the room, where we found that the maid had rearranged Allie's dolls on the beds.




Unfortunately she was zonked already but we carefully moved them to the bench so she could see them when she woke up.

We were tired too, and we were all asleep before long. Looking back, we had a full fun day, and since we were able to do a bunch of different things it might have been my favorite day of the trip, but there were still lots more to come and it had some great competition.

It was a great day. Sometimes looking back those long days sometimes feel like they were two days.

Yes, without our notes we took during the trip I wouldn't think that some of those things could have possibly fit into the same day.

Up next we head to a water park after sleeping in...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Sounds like a fun - if long - day! Sometimes those long days can feel like two days even while you are living it and you find yourself say "wait, that was just this morning that we did that?"

Love the Lego store and I would say leaving there after only spending $10 is definitely a victory.

I think I would be too nervous to do the grab bag - but looks like there was some good stuff in there. I never actually knew they did that anywhere - seems like a fun idea

Funny that you have eaten at Trails End every trip and we have never eaten there - just goes to show you how many options there are and how many different ways to have a WDW vacation

Glad you didn't feel upset about not staying at Wilderness Lodge once you got there and were, in fact, really happy about staying at POR

 

[Wood Nymph]

She spent so much time perfecting her little people we had to buy them.
But escaping the Lego store for $10 after 45 minutes of fun is a pretty good deal.

Once she was done it was almost 8:00. We had intentionally not set an ADR for dinner, since we didn't want to have to meet a certain schedule and we were planning on eating at Trail's End at Fort Wilderness, which is usually pretty easy to get in to. Because it was so late, we decided to head straight there from DTD, while Grandma and Grandpa headed there from POR.

We had a quick trip from DTD to Fort Wilderness, and we arrived at 8:23.

It was fun to look around though, and while I enjoyed being there I didn't feel bad about not staying there. It was fun to visit, and will be fun to stay there again, but POR worked great for us this trip.

Your evening at DTD looked like fun. I agree that $10 for custom made Legos is a bargain. Do they have comfy chairs for parents to sit in while the kids play with the Legos?

I can't believe that you made it to FW from DTD in that short of a time. Was it a direct bus?

We love eating dinner at Trail's End. The fried chicken is my favorite. Even when you aren't too hungry it seems easy to eat a lot. Originally we had dinner plans there on our last trip, but it worked out better to eat at Whispering Canyon Cafe on our Halloween party night, so we switched it.

We stopped at the WL when we were staying at the YC in September. DH wanted to spend some time in the lobby, soaking up the atmosphere. There is no other place like it in WDW, although AKL would come close.

I like to bring a refillable mug to the parks, too. They are easy to carry and we often do a little resort hopping. It is nice to have them with you when getting off the boat at WL or walking around the Epcot resort area.

I'm glad that POR is working out so well for you.