The Best Laid Plans...A Commando does WDW

[agavegirl1]

Day Four:
THE PLAN:



Before heading to bed on Sunday night (Day Three), we had decided to forgo Rope Drop for EMH at Animal Kingdom on Monday Morning. In fact, we decided to skip AK altogether that morning.

One thing that helped make this decision (besides our midnight bedtime) was the fact that during our AK visit Saturday afternoon, we cancelled our Tusker House ADR. While wandering around, we read the menu for Yak & Yeti and thought that would be a better fit. The CM at the desk told us walk-ups would be available.

With no ADR to get fined for, we slept in, ate breakfast at the Food Court, then went to Epcot earlier than planned. We explored Future World for a while, just enjoying our surroundings. We found a few photographers. We tasted sodas at Club Cool. By this time I was the one who was bored and was waiting impatiently for our FP+ to open at 4:15. We rode Spaceship Earth and were stuck at the very top, watching our beautiful “Spaceship Earth” in a sea of stars for about 2-3 minutes. I thought it was a great addition to the ride!


After our ride, we headed over to The Seas for a ride with Nemo and Friends. After what seemed like an endless walk, we boarded with no line at all. That has to be the longest, weirdest queue ever. After riding (yawn) we explored the tank exhibits, taking our time. We thought about Turtle Talk but with a 25 minute posted wait, we opted to head to our Soarin FP+. Our plans called for riding Mission Space with a FP+ at 6:15 but DBF had “been there done that” enough for one trip. We made our way to World Showcase.



We had a 7:15 ADR for Monsieur Paul. We had been looking forward to this for awhile. French cuisine is not easy to come by in our neck of the woods. It was lovely to be seated in a quiet venue with well-dressed servers and real tablecloths. Once upstairs in the restaurant, we felt we were no longer in a theme park, our window table looked out on a crowded “French” courtyard.
We knew what we planned to order…duck for DBF and potato crusted snapper for me. We asked for a wine that would go with both and without caring about price, took the suggestion.
Here are the only other food pictures I remembered to take.








DBF decided to try dessert. I was stuffed.

We made our way slowly to the exit after our dinner, enjoying Illuminations in the background. We were greeted once again by the most crowded bus stop at Epcot. After a 45 minute wait, we wearily rode back to Pop Century.
A note about our resort choice…our previous trip in 2010, we stayed at the Beach Club for Food and Wine. We loved the location but hated the price. This trip, price won out. We could not justify paying 40% more than we had four years prior for the convenience of location. We may not scrimp on direct flights, but the room was an easy choice.



Obstacles Identified: Spontaneous party breaking out. Be flexible. Lack of attractions at Epcot: Try to enjoy the atmosphere.

I was proud of myself for giving up my AK morning without a fight. Although I was getting bored with Epcot, the relaxing pace of Day Four recharged my batteries a bit.

 

[agavegirl1]

Following along....I am a commando as well and my family love it that they know what we are doing next .... This being said .. I do leave time to just explore ...and take little breaks throughout the day ... Stopping for drinks is a must How were the interactions at prime time .... We have ADRS there as well .. Hoping for some great fun with our two 10 year olds ... DH and I have been there with our oldest daughter who had a blast but this is the first time for the two younger ones to go .... We leave a week from today for the magical land ... Can't wait to hear about your next fun filled day

Prime Time will be perfect for your family. Your server will cue off of you as to how much you'd like to interact. You can request a server that is really into the role at check-in as well.

I read a really great thread on the DIS regarding drinks to try in the World. We had the blood orange Margarita at La Cava our first night and it was yummy.

Have a Magical vacation!

 

[agavegirl1]

In deciding what drinks I might want to try while on vacation, I consulted this thread on the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies Forum...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3243986&highlight=getting+your+drink

From the posts, I made my own list which I kept in a Word document with all kinds of tips and ideas.


Drinks to try:
Avocado, Blood Orange and Jalapeno Margarita at La Cava- Mexico Pavilion- Epcot (now premixed, maybe skip)
African Margarita at Dawa Bar next to Tusker House- Animal Kingdom (now premixed maybe skip)
Substitute for premix margarita, kiosk margaritas – no tip, less money
Antioxidant Cocktail from resort lounges
Buy a bottle of Vodka in Norway and send to room.
Red Stag lemonade at American Pavilion-Epcot
Sugar Cane Mojito at Tusker House-Animal Kingdom

The DIS is a wealth of information. Whenever I'm reading and planning, I keep my Word document open to quickly add tips, tricks, ideas, stuff to pack etc.

 

[agavegirl1]

I want this "golf cart" from Pop Century...

This Dino from the Designated Smoking Area


Asia



My Favorite Ride...


Old People Kissing (Ewwww as the kids would say)

 

[micheypl]

Day Three: I Embrace the Magic The Plan: http://s601.photobucket.com/user/wcrechs/media/LightroomthruOrlando-12-1.jpg.html I had done it. I stalked the ADR Cancellation thread for October for months. I had one elusive ADR that I really, really wanted. A pre-opening Crystal Palace breakfast. I had asked DBF who is favorite character was and he answered “Pooh”. Winnie the Pooh was a serious childhood memory for him. Me, not so much. I would have loved to dine at the Castle. He, however, would have gotten that “look”. You know ladies, the one where they are trying to be nice but it is obvious that Disney Princess dining will result in embarrassing ribbing from everyone at his workplace and he hopes nobody takes a picture of him with Cinderella. Let me just say, that if you can snag a pre-opening reservation inside the Magic Kingdom, you can pull yourself out of any plan failure funk you were experiencing. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom around 8:05 AM for our 8:30 breakfast. The friendly CM checked us off her reservation list and we were in. The PhotoPass/Memory Maker/Whatever they call them now photographers were out in full force along Main Street with no waiting. Everything was decorated for Halloween and it was beautiful. I was stricken with a serious case of Disney Magic. We took advantage of every photographer as we made our way to the Crystal Palace. Check it out. I threw a couple of my own pics in here as well. http://s601.photobucket.com/user/wc..._4817915581306_8910739660125402792_n.jpg.html http://s601.photobucket.com/user/wc..._4817916061318_1352452082119630201_n.jpg.html http://s601.photobucket.com/user/wcrechs/media/LightroomthruOrlando-10-2.jpg.html http://s601.photobucket.com/user/wcrechs/media/LightroomthruOrlando-9.jpg.html

Awesome pics ... We love Chrystal palace ..so glad you snagged a pre-opening Crystal Palace breakfast ADR. Winnie is one of my favs as well

 

[LuvEeyore]

Joining the fun.

 

[micheypl]

We arrived at Crystal Palace, enjoyed a five minute wait on the veranda and were seated promptly. Our server explained the character interaction circuit to us, we ordered coffee and juice and were off to sample a hearty breakfast. DBF was happy he was not forced to tour on a granola bar and coffee for a change. He also got his picture taken with Pooh. http://s601.photobucket.com/user/wcrechs/media/LightroomthruOrlando-11-2.jpg.html My faith in planning restored, we completed our meal (after having asked for the check immediately upon ordering as any good Commando would do) and headed right for Adventureland. The plan called for riding Jungle Cruise or Pirates. We did both. I was intoxicated by the Magic. I love it when a plan comes together. I was giddy with my own success and I realized I might be setting myself for an emotional fall if I didn’t tone it down a bit. After riding our two planned rides we headed to Tomorrowland for Buzz, Astro-Orbiter and Space Mountain. We rode Buzz, skipped the Orbiter and went directly to Space Mountain. A posted 25 minute wait and it was exactly 25 minutes. http://s601.photobucket.com/user/wc..._4817916181321_9202132867689725200_n.jpg.html This gave us exactly 8 minutes to get to the tail end of our window for Seven Dwarves Mine Train via FP+. We made it with 5 minutes to spare. I was feeling confident but standby waits building so quickly in the morning on a recommended day were making me a bit uneasy. http://s601.photobucket.com/user/wc..._4817916461328_2637819125740518278_n.jpg.html We each grabbed a Pork Shank at Gaston’s for our Quick Service lunch and noticed that the line to meet him was really long. He wouldn’t even be out there for almost a half hour. This was the only character I had hoped to meet that didn’t have a FP+ option. I immediately determined that this was not going to happen this trip. Side Note: Pork Shanks at Gaston’s are very good but very rich. Splitting one would have been a good idea. This will come into play later in the day. Next on the plan was Haunted Mansion. The posted wait was 25 minutes. It was closer to 20 but it was still a long time to me. I have a “bad” ankle. It makes it hard to stand for a long time. Twenty minutes is getting toward the limit and having waited 25 for Space, I did a lot of leaning on walls, fences etc. Next we rode Small World with a 15 minute posted wait time that was accurate to the second. We hoped to ride Pooh next but at 45 minutes, this was not happening. We had a FP+ for 12:20 for Enchanted Tales with Belle and headed there instead. Now this is a very cute attraction with great special effects. I was most impressed with the Lumierre and Wardrobe animatronics. Loren, loved the mirror effect. He is still trying to figure it out. I actually know how the tech works but won’t tell him. (Insert maniacal laughter here). One thing we both agreed on … this attraction has zero repeatability for adults. We then walked into Philharmagic with a 5 minute wait and relaxed in the AC in an actual chair. I always love this attraction but it was the last time for DBF I’m afraid. We wanted to get to Adventureland before the parade. At this point, DBF began to experience “gastrointestinal distress”. We walked and walked behind the parade ropes to get to the restrooms near Splash as fast as we could. Whew! Made it. We then rode BTMRR at the beginning of our 2:55 FP+ and exited as the parade was starting. The crowds were crazy in that area so we decided to sneak behind the parade viewers toward the park entrance to head to Epcot. When we reached the area in front of the Railroad Station, the parade had just arrived there. We couldn’t leave the park but we got a great view of the parade. The CMs had roped off an area for handicapped viewing. Because no wheelchair peeps had shown up, they took down the ropes just as we reached the area. http://s601.photobucket.com/user/wcrechs/media/LightroomthruOrlando-27-1.jpg.html After our fortuitous parade viewing, we headed to the Monorail. We had a plan. World Showcase with Biergarten for dinner. It was Sunday night, World Showcase should be less crowded than Friday….right? Ummmm……nope. We had planned to see all the movies in World Showcase but only managed to accomplish Impressions de France. Well, it is my favorite. Just getting around in that area was time consuming. So many people. We headed managed to get a few photographers to take our picture then headed to our ADR. Biergarten. First of all, we both love German food and DBF is 100% of German decent with relatives still living there. We were seated at a table with three other couples. Two couples were enjoying the communal table seating and two couples did not. We were in the former group. We really enjoyed the experience and it is on the “repeatable” list. After dinner, while Illuminations was still going on, we headed to the exit. The Pop Century bus stop was already crazy busy. We waited almost 40 minutes to finally get on a bus. We got back to the resort and decided to mix ourselves an adult beverage with refillable mug mixers and head to the Pop Century smoking section in the 50’s. A dangerous foray into “unplanned activities”. We ended up staying up until midnight talking to other guests including a couple of former CMs. It was fun and that particular smoking area entrapped more guests than just us over the course of our stay. Ahhhhh….the best laid plans….. Obstacles: Standby lines building early. Adjust expectations. Food and Wine crowds. Prioritize activities. Fun people at your resort. You’ll see. Day Three was my most Magical day. I felt good. I was able to adjust without resentment because so much of my plan….”came together”.

What an awesome day !!! Sorry to hear you were not able to meet Gaston ... But you received pixie dust for your parade viewing .... You were able to get a lot accomplished .... Enjoying your posts very much ...

 

[agavegirl1]

Joining the fun.

Welcome aboard!

 

[agavegirl1]

What an awesome day !!! Sorry to hear you were not able to meet Gaston ... But you received pixie dust for your parade viewing .... You were able to get a lot accomplished .... Enjoying your posts very much ...

The parade viewing area was uncrowded and I could see everything. I didn't take a lot of pictures of the parade because I'm one of those people who prefers not to view it through a screen. As for characters, I am seriously thinking of dragging a daughter or three for a character specific visit. I think the 26 year old son would rather die.

 

[agavegirl1]

Day Five (Where we do Epcot with AM EMH)

The Plan:




Well, already being sort of bored with OUR favorite park, we are rested, refreshed and coming down from a lot of butter infused French food.
We make it! Yes! How could you not sleep well after a French Dinner. We slept like, well people who had indulged in French food and wine. Our annoying wake up call (AKA Stitch) reminded us we had several appointments to make so we did.

Again, armed with a half a breakfast bar and a cup of coffee (you would think we would know where this was going) we headed out to the bus stop for Epcot. This one was a huge test of “The Best Laid Plans”.


Yes! We were there early enough for Epcot EMH.

We headed to Soarin for a Standby ride. Wait time was 15 minutes. It was close at about 10. The plan was to ride Test Track but….the wait by this time was 25 minutes. At this point, the usual problem reared its ugly head. We were HUNGRY. We decided to have breakfast at Garden Grill. It had just opened. We were in the pavilion, we had a Test Track FP+ for another time. We ate.

DBF got a breakfast platter but I opted for cranberry bread pudding with milk. Somehow I had been neglecting carbs on my trip and this just sounded right.

Our plan required us to then walk all the way across to Test Track and ride. Well, both of my Wait time Apps indicated more than 20 minutes because breakfast had not been in the plan. We skipped Test Track and went immediately to Sum of all Thrills. This was a big deal to both of us.
It actually took a little walking around to find. It isn’t easy to see. We both agreed, we could just do it over and over and have a new ride in Future World each time. A great attraction and if you like thrill rides, you have to do it.

We had Mission Space listed after that, twice. In case you haven’t noticed…DBF is really BORED with the regular ride offerings in Epcot.

However…If you have been reading along…this is Tuesday. We had a “Behind The Seeds” tour scheduled for 10:30. I used my Disney Visa to get the discount. This is a relatively inexpensive tour that is only about an hour long and the guide we had was great!

A few Behind the Seeds moments…








When we finished our tour, we crossed the courtyard and did Ellen’s Energy adventure as planned, We arrived a minute or two into the preshow but it was basically a “walk on”.

We enjoyed the ride, despite the parts that didn’t work and headed to out lunch at the Food and Wine Kiosks.

After sampling about three things (lines already long), we decide to ride the Monorail to the MK. We had plans to go to Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor but with a 35 minute wait, not happening.

So we ride our first FP+ ride instead. Space Mountain. By this time I am realizing how rough this ride is. We had ridden the Disneyland version in 2012 and it is much smoother. My neck was telling me I am getting too old for this ride. Fortunately, a little tour on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority was just what I needed.

We then proceeded to Frontierland for our Splash FP+ and as usual, I was the only one in our boat to get wet. This has been an ongoing phenomenon with DBF and I over our 3 trips to Disney Parks. I get a chance to dry off while waiting Standby for Haunted Mansion, about 35 minutes, 15 minutes longer than my “bad” ankle can handle. I was in pain.

Due to my ankle throbbing, we decided to skip our FP+ for Pirates and go to the pool at POP. The pool soak was just what I needed to ease the pain and we were refreshed for our next adventure…Dinner at Shula’s.

My plan called for taking the bus to DHS and taking the boat to the Dolphin. When we got to the bus stop, a nearly empty Epcot bus was waiting. I thought, why not? We can just walk through Epcot and over to the Dolphin! Wrong. DBF could, but I was dying! Not only did my ankle start throbbing again, but I developed shooting pains through my right hip and down to the back of my knee. Sciatic pain. Because I tend to favor my left ankle when walking a lot, my right side bears the brunt of the impact and this happens. It had only happened one other time in my life and that was walking all over Florence, Italy. We had to slow down considerably with me resting on every other bench to stretch.

We somehow managed to make to our ADR in the nick of time only to wait 20 minutes for our table. Standing up. Finally an alert hostess noticed my discomfort and brought me a chair. The restaurant was full of conventioneers from the “pest control” industry. Many were carrying tote bags emblazoned with a mouse with the standard circle and cross-hatch on them. “No mice”. Tell that to Mickey, I dare you.

We were seated at a two top in a quiet back room and were treated like royalty by our server. We both enjoyed our Surf and Turf and cocktails. It was a fantastic dinner. But it was not $328 including tip fantastic. No Disney Gift Cards accepted. Luckily, we had won the money for this dinner on a football board at the VFW. Woo Hoo!


We took a taxi back to Pop Century. Taxis are great for aching feet. I wrapped my ankle and we mixed ourselves a couple of adult beverages. We met up with a few regulars of the 50’s Smoking Area party and recounted our day. Apparently, one of the regulars had been there the night before until 5AM. Wonder if he got much park time this trip.


Obstacles Identified: My body. I am not as resilient as I used to be. We really needed to slow down and recognize my walking limitations. Hunger. We need to eat an actual breakfast every day. Boredom: The typical rides were used to enjoy are becoming “old hat” to us and we need to find new experiences or go elsewhere for a while.

If it hadn't been for my pain, Day Five would have been a good mix of planning and flexibility in which I could find satisfaction.

Wednesday coming up including a plan for...doing laundry.

 

[agavegirl1]

Before I recount my planned morning off for laundry and pool time, I'd like to tell you a little about packing for Pop Century.

Because the closet and drawer space is minimal, I packed an over-the-door shoe caddy, a hanging closet shelf and a collapsible circular hamper. DBF used two of the three drawers. I used one drawer and the hanging shelves. The shoe bag was used for...shoes. I know some people use these for toiletries, but I had a hanging toiletry bag for those. This really enabled us to completely unpack the suitcases, nest them and store them out of the way.

Another tip for, well tips. I got 100 hundred dollar bills before leaving and pre-loaded decorated envelopes for Mousekeeping. I kept ten of them on hand at all times for taxi drivers, luggage handlers etc. Rather than carry quarters in M&M containers as some suggest, I just grabbed some ones and used them for the laundry.

Just a couple of obsessive planning tips for you.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Enjoying your trip report so far! I love the way you have it laid out with the plan and then the reality and then the recap at the end of the day. I think that's how my brain works too. Looking forward to reading more!

 

[agavegirl1]

Enjoying your trip report so far! I love the way you have it laid out with the plan and then the reality and then the recap at the end of the day. I think that's how my brain works too. Looking forward to reading more!

ArwenMarie...I am honored you have joined in reading my humble report. I have never done one before and I am having "fun" with it. I have never seen a trip report with spreadsheets so I thought...okay, that's me!

 

[Disney Commando]

I will admit that every time I see that Golf cart at POP, I look to see if the keys are in it


Last trip we were talking about The Behind The Seeds Tour, while we were on the boat ride part, we were saying that all the fruits and veggies were impressive while riding by in the boat, but up close they have to be amazing g

I think that is a star fruit you are holding, but what does your DBF have

 

[agavegirl1]

I will admit that every time I see that Golf cart at POP, I look to see if the keys are in it


Last trip we were talking about The Behind The Seeds Tour, while we were on the boat ride part, we were saying that all the fruits and veggies were impressive while riding by in the boat, but up close they have to be amazing g

I think that is a star fruit you are holding, but what does your DBF have

Fearless leader, that is actually a starfruit. Allowed to grow to its potential.

And it is a worthwhile and of note:. If you are BORED with Epcot, it might get you out of that funk. It is what the original Land was about Once Upon A Time.

And, you can sign up while on site. You may get a same day reservation.

 

[Disney Commando]

Fearless leader, that is actually a starfruit. Allowed to grow to its potential.

And it is a worthwhile and of note:. If you are BORED with Epcot, it might get you out of that funk. It is what the original Land was about Once Upon A Time.

And, you can sign up while on site. You may get a same day reservation.

Wow that is like Jurassic Park size, I think I will have to do this tour in April looks very interesting, Thanks for sharing

 

[agavegirl1]

After searching my memory banks, I think the giant "starfruit" may actually be a type of melon that has no nutritional value but is used as a "filler". Might have to look that one up. But the Behind the Seeds tour does bring you up close and personal with some impressive food.

 

[agavegirl1]

I will get back to this ASAP. I have training seminars all weekend and I helped at the preschool yesterday. Life does mess with your posting plans. I have a classe tomorrow for 8 hours so, look for an update Sunday.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Another tip for, well tips. I got 100 hundred dollar bills before leaving and pre-loaded decorated envelopes for Mousekeeping. I kept ten of them on hand at all times for taxi drivers, luggage handlers etc.

Wow, I bet the 100 recipients of your "hundred dollar bill" tips were very appreciative!

 

[agavegirl1]

Wow, I bet the 100 recipients of your "hundred dollar bill" tips were very appreciative!

HaHaHa...didnt' realize how that may have looked. I followed the DIS guidelines and tipped Mousekeeping $1 per day per person in the room plus $1. So for us, $3 per day. Our Mousekeepers were actually pretty appreciative. Since were a couple of grownups and had no stuffed Disney characters with us, they left us extra shampoo and towels for the pool daily.