10 Reasons Not to Bring Kids to Disney World (But I Will Next Time) - A Whirlwind January Solo Trip (Final Thoughts - 3/23)

[jrmint427]

I’m glad my report reminded you to turn off slack! I’m so bad at disconnecting but the greatest gift of this trip was 3 days not thinking about work at all other than that half hour, which never happens!

Disney (combined with being Disney tired) is a great distraction! I also struggle but found it easiest on our last trip to Disney.

You’ll read it soon, but AH is fantastic! Our night wasn’t sold out so don’t know what it’s like if it is but it was a dream!

I'm so glad to hear that! We're going over Spring Break so I think it's likely our event will be sold out. I'm hoping it's still worth it!

In real world news, my brother’s canvas print arrived!

That's great news!

She basically said I was going to get my own pod and I could choose any position I wanted. So no wait, walk on! I don’t know why the CM outside said the wait time was correct. Maybe she didn’t know or maybe they have to?

That's so cool you got your own pod! I wonder if they're not allowed to say it's shorter just in case you actually end up waiting the posted time?

A friend on Instagram told me I should have done Chewie mode.

I didn't know there were multiple modes! I need to research now... what is your favorite position? I have only been on this once and was a pilot (which I was terrible at).

As you can see, it was pretty empty. The CM stayed with me while I looked but I end up just taking a quick picture and leave.

Were there tables with seats aside from the bar? We're going to Oga's for the first time on our next trip but I'm a little nervous it won't be a relaxing break if we need to stand the whole time.

Ok, hot take. I thought it was only okay and don’t get why this sells out so quick normally and gets extremely long lines. Maybe I just prefer more thrilling coasters.

I have wondered about that too. I wonder if it's because there are so few rides at HS, and even fewer if you consider some people won't ride things like ToT or RnRC because they're too thrilling, or for people who get motion sickness, a few rides are out for them. There just aren't as many options at HS for rides.

 

[Christinagizzy!]

Totally worth it! I missed the shows at HS but for me as a Californian, I’d replace a regular day of HS or MK with an AH event.

Hope you get to do it one day!

That sounds like A Great idea!!!!! instead of a regular ticket. Less people, treats along the way and the parks are nicer at night. Loving the sound of this. Thank you for the advice.

 

[Ann-CA]

I didn't know there were multiple modes! I need to research now... what is your favorite position? I have only been on this once and was a pilot (which I was terrible at).

I think pilot is probably most fun. I am pretty terrible at all of them though.

Were there tables with seats aside from the bar? We're going to Oga's for the first time on our next trip but I'm a little nervous it won't be a relaxing break if we need to stand the whole time.

I don’t really remember how full they are. I know they have tables but wasn’t sure if they were all used. But during an AH, I’m sure you can ask for a table and just wait for it.

That sounds like A Great idea!!!!! instead of a regular ticket. Less people, treats along the way and the parks are nicer at night. Loving the sound of this. Thank you for the advice.

Hope you get to do it! Next time if I go with my kids, I’d leave my husband and kids to sleep and do this! Unless my kids are old enough and wanna do everything with me.

 

[Ann-CA]

Day 2, Finishing After Hours @ HS

This might be a little out of order, but for those reading curious about the AH experience, I thought I’d share a little bit more.

One selling point is unlimited snacks. At this event, I’m not fully sure where all the snack carts were. I will tell you that Toy Story Land had two areas that were fully stocked, almost right next to each other. They just had tons of boxes of popcorn out. Then they have Mickey Premium bars, Mickey Ice Cream Sandwiches, and strawberry fruit bars out. For drinks, they had Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Water. CMs just set them out so you can just walk by and grab whatever you want.

When I went out near Hollywood Blvd later, I saw they had some items but not as much as in Toy Story Land. I didn’t see other stations that evening so not sure where else to get them.



After my first go at TSM, I grab a sandwich and a box of popcorn. I head back into line for TSM to ride again and try to improve my score. The popcorn was really salty. I might have grabbed a water too but halfway in the line, I couldn’t eat anymore popcorn so I tossed it.



My second round was just a little bit better. I think a partner with common strategy would help me do better. I couldn’t ring the alien spaceship by myself.

Again, I wasn’t best in vehicle. Oh well.

My photos start getting less and less here since I start doing repeats.

I head back to SDD to ride again. I figured it’s a headliner so I should maximize my ride. This line takes me 17 min. Again, not totally wowed by the ride by still fun.

At this point, I decide I’m done with TS Land, and want to head towards ToT. It’s about 11:30 at this point.

The park felt light but not deserted as you can see below as many people head out the park. I think that’s the ideal balance. I’d feel a little bothered if it was a ghost town.



I decide I have enough time to hop on MNMRR again. As I head out, I see Jiminy and Stitch. There are probably a dozen people in each line so I don’t stop. I know there are more characters out but I didn’t see them as I was prioritizing rides.

Then, I make my way to my final ride. When I booked this event, I was looking forward to riding SDD and RnRC. Unfortunately, RnRC was scheduled to be down for refurbishment after I bought non-refundable tickets. I might have skipped it and not bought tix if I’d known it was down. I’m very glad I didn’t know it’d be down, since I was really pleased with the event and would’ve hated to miss out.



ToT is on the other side of the park, so I decide to make this my last to maximize my time.

I’ve been on DL ToT a ton, and then have had a few chances to ride GotG version. I really like the new version (regular over Halloween overlay). I’m glad they changed it to the new theming.

But I was looking forward to riding ToT again. WDW has a different mechanism. DL only goes up and down whereas WDW actually moves.




I find this ride mechanism more exciting than the DL version. I’m glad they have the two options on two sides of the Coast.



I go a second time right after. I end up sitting in the same seat both rounds which was a little bit of a bummer, but it’s okay!

As I get off and out of the ride, it’s 11:58 or so, I see some people try to walk fast though to get into the ride again, but they didn’t make it.

I finish my way out of the park. The one snack stand that was left ran out of most items. I grab a Diet Coke to take back to my hotel room.

It was a great night! My next post will be some thoughts on AH, but I’m about to take off on my flight home from my work trip, so that’ll have to wait until later.

 

[jrmint427]

But I was looking forward to riding ToT again. WDW has a different mechanism. DL only goes up and down whereas WDW actually moves.

Thanks for sharing more about AH! I’m so excited to give it a try. I didn’t know this about ToT at DL! I think the movement at the beginning makes the ride exciting.

 

[Ann-CA]

Day 2 - After Hours Total Stats and Thoughts

I really enjoyed AH, more than I expected to. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed HS as a day park, particularly as a DL veteran. The rides are too similar to what we have. But the experience of a low-attendance park was really a lot of fun. Particularly since I’m a west-coaster on PST, it was ideal since I had a lot of energy at night.

In total for my park time, I did 12 rides, and one sit-down meal. I probably could’ve cut out the meal and done Fantasmic instead. I rode every ride that HS offered at least once and I also rode SDD, TSM, MMRR, and ToT twice, all in a 4-5 hr block. I also got 3 bottled drinks, 2 Mickey bars, 1 sandwich, and 1 box of popcorn (didn’t eat them all, but did get them!)

I’ve heard HS is a hard park to do because there are so many heavy hitters but few rides overall. The next AH is tomorrow evening. If I were to buy a day ticket, it’d be $169. Genie+ tomorrow would be $22. RotR ILL would’ve been $20 (though I did go on that before park closed so I’m not going to count that cost). That combined would be $191. The AH event for tomorrow is $175. I really think I got on more rides on the 5 hours than I would’ve done in a whole day. If I cut out the three rides I did prior to AH, I still did 9 rides in a 3 hr block. Plus, you get those snacks, which would’ve cost maybe $30-$40.

I think it’s well worth it!

I mentioned it in a comment somewhere but if I go next time and an AH were available, I’d do it again. I’d probably do MK. The second fireworks show sounds great, and there are more rides available.

I will finish out describing the day.

I had such a blast. AK was already an incredible morning/afternoon. But I had done a whole other park which was also so fun. The day couldn’t have gone better!

I had left my home around 48 hrs ago by this point. But I had done all 4 parks and all the new rides I’d never experienced before. I remembered thinking to myself I was well ready to go back to my kids the next day. Even though I could’ve enjoyed a longer stay, everything I’d set out to do, I did! That’s a good feeling.

My park portion of my trip was over. I passed by the Skyliner, which does not run after AH. At this point it’s about 12:45am.



I get to the bus station (and yes, a downfall of Values is that their stop seems to always be the furthest! Though I find out the next day there are definitely upsides for the buses at Values). They combined the lines for all the AS resorts.



I don’t remember how long we wait, but it can’t be that long since at 12:59, I’m taking this picture back at AS Sports. AS sports is the first drop off which I’m grateful for!



I head to my room, take a shower, and get ready to sleep soundly. The park portion of the trip was over but I still had nearly a whole day before I’d head back home! The best part is no alarm the next day, but I was looking forward to my day 3 plans.

Day 2 Stat Summary:
2 parks: AK and HS
Total steps: 32,780
Miles: 13.87
23 rides
4 attractions

 

[elaine amj]

Hmmm…you make a compelling argument for AH. Especially for someone only going for 1-2 park days with almost no multi-day discount. It’s always sounded so $$ to me in comparison to the multi-day tickets I always buy.

 

[Ann-CA]

Hmmm…you make a compelling argument for AH. Especially for someone only going for 1-2 park days with almost no multi-day discount. It’s always sounded so $$ to me in comparison to the multi-day tickets I always buy.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention I’d do this if you have limited time and doing a short trip, and I’d do this instead of a park day. I think if you have a long, lingering trip, it’d be a different deal!

But I’ve read a few reports of people with not as good experiences at HS. But usually it’s when a ride broke down. I think I had an especially smooth night!

 

[jrmint427]

I’ve heard HS is a hard park to do because there are so many heavy hitters but few rides overall. The next AH is tomorrow evening. If I were to buy a day ticket, it’d be $169. Genie+ tomorrow would be $22. RotR ILL would’ve been $20 (though I did go on that before park closed so I’m not going to count that cost). That combined would be $191. The AH event for tomorrow is $175. I really think I got on more rides on the 5 hours than I would’ve done in a whole day. If I cut out the three rides I did prior to AH, I still did 9 rides in a 3 hr block. Plus, you get those snacks, which would’ve cost maybe $30-$40.

This is a good way to look at it! I’m hoping we can do as much during the AH (including the 7pm start time) as we would in a normal full day there. I’d be happy to ride each ride once and maybe ToT twice!

But I had done all 4 parks and all the new rides I’d never experienced before. I remembered thinking to myself I was well ready to go back to my kids the next day. Even though I could’ve enjoyed a longer stay, everything I’d set out to do, I did! That’s a good feeling.

That is amazing!

I passed by the Skyliner, which does not run after AH. At this point it’s about 12:45am.

I’m glad you posted this, I thought we would take the skyliner back but good to know it will need to be a bus.

 

[Ann-CA]

Day 3 - Departure Day

My final day was here. My flight was leaving around 7 at night, so I still had nearly a whole day. My Mears Connect was picking up around 4:30.

No alarm this morning and I was up at 8:30. My body needed a little extra sleep, though it really wasn’t that late considering I didn’t sleep until nearly 1:30 and this would’ve been 5:30 am PST.

I pack up my stuff, which doesn’t take too long. I was still formulating my plans for the day, but with me being able to get out the door by about 9, I decided to just head out.





I really didn’t explore AS Sports well. I was on the South side of building 1 so there really wasn’t an opportunity to see the theming without going out of my way. My two days were packed so I just never got to it.



I first drop off my bag at luggage services.

I stop by End Zone Food Court to pick up my first and only breakfast item of the whole trip.



Just bacon. It’s fine, nothing spectacular.

They have some artwork kids can do.



On my way out, I stop by the gift store to see if there’s anything I might consider buying. One of my goals that day was to get some souvenirs for my kiddos.

I saw these balls printed with different characters and kept that mentally in my head.




I go outside and my bus favor has ended. I must’ve just missed a bus since the next one is 20 min away.

I had asked the luggage services CM about where Mears picked up. It’s right at the front end of the bus area. Wanted to make a note so it’d be easier when I get back.



My bus eventually arrived. It was a super long bus which was good since the line was long. I was first headed over to MK. This was mid morning, and I noticed that the line was much longer than when I tried to leave for rope drop. And there at a LOT more kids than when I leave earlier.



Next door is Disney Springs bus. It posts that they start at 10 but this is 9:15 or so and they’re running already. Lots of people heading that way. I had debated going there first but didn’t know buses would be going that early.

I know the resort was full because my first day, the CM told me it was super busy. But I found the bus lines to never be too bad.



We make our way to the Magic Kingdom. I get flagged again for additional security, and make my way over to transfer to my destination for the morning.

 

[Ann-CA]

In real world news, an interesting development has come about.

I fully went on this trip in January imagining that I wouldn’t be returning to WDW until my kids were much older, ideally when my daughter was 7, since that’s the age they can get on single rider lines. We’d likely go with my brother and his kids.

My husband and I are considering relocating to Korea in the next 2 years so we figured this might be when we come home for a trip.

This past weekend, when I was on my work trip, I was with the husband of my friend who works for Disney who gave me the park hopper. We talked a little bit about my trip.

When I got back to CA, my friend texted me and said she had talked to her husband, and they wondered whether we’d want to go with them to WDW next year before we move to Korea. She LOVES my kids. She’d be able to get discounted rooms and we could get 3 of us in with her for the parks. His dream hotel is probably WL (which will be the subject of the rest of today’s post), and I’d love to stay there but we’re exploring different options and pricings. Even the CM discount on a deluxe might be pretty high. My son will be in TK but I think we’ll likely just pull him out and try to go in off season.

So now we’re in possible planning mode for a trip sooner than I had expected. She doesn’t know WDW as well so I’ve been throwing out different lodging options. Any thoughts on super fun places for kids but also that won’t be super loud in theming (the husband doesn’t love too much stimulus. They enjoyed AKL last time they went)?

Day 3 - Wilderness Lodge

I was planning on this last day to visit WL. It’s probably most my jam when I think about the environment I love the most. I’d love to live in a place like the Pacific Northwest.

I wanted to explore unique transportation options so I decided to take advantage of the water options. It was pretty easy to locate though I wasn’t 100% sure I was in the right place as I was the only one in line.



I’m King of the Boat!





It was a gorgeous trip! The cabins along the river would be a dream stay.



My main goals were to just explore the resort. I love themed spaces. I might have mentioned this already, but my favorite part about visiting Las Vegas is seeing the theming on hotels. I realize why WDW is extra attractive to me is because they do that on their resorts, but even better than Vegas!







What a relaxing space! It was a bit smaller than i had imagined, but I guess that’s a good thing compared to the sprawl of many resorts.

I walk over to Geyser Point. There are some seats right near the water front that aren’t part of Geyser Point but it’s actually quite warm and these seats are unshaded. GP isn’t open yet but I see a couple sitting on some of the patio seats up there.

Having learned from before to just ask, I go to a CM working and ask him if it’s alright to sit down and he tells me no, that they weren’t open yet. I debate walking away or asking why the other couple was sitting there and opt for the first when he comes back and asks if I meant to just sit. He apologizes and tells me to go ahead and sit, as long as I left before 11.



I regularly take spiritual retreats and many friends asked me whether this trip was that. While I think somebody could make a trip to WDW a retreat, I knew my trip wasn’t that. It was about experiencing the parks.

But since I had two days of go, go, go, I wanted to take this morning to slow down and connect more with God. So I spent some time there sitting, going through an audio guided scripture reflection, and enjoying some more silence. 11 is almost there, so I get up and head to the geyser to see if I can catch it.




It starts small and low but got taller and taller. It blew for quite some time! Supposedly I’ve been to Yellowstone as a toddler but don’t remember. So I have no idea what scale we’re talking about in comparison. Anybody know? Not too many people were watching, understandably since it’s mid-morning. If you ever head there and happen to be there around the top of the hour, I think it’s worth a brief stop!

 

[Ann-CA]

Day 3 - Wilderness Lodge (cont.)
I headed in towards the actual lodge rather than the outside area. But on the way, caught so many beautiful areas.





I finally head inside to Roaring Fork. Pretty sure I refill my mug with another disappointing drink. Something catches my attention.


Oh my goodness, these bear claws are huge. The photo does not do it justice. I had seen Molly and Alan get one on Mammoth Club but videos cannot help one understand the massiveness of these. Considering my diabetes, I pass. Perhaps if I were with a huge crowd, I’d try a bite. They do look good.

I head into the lobby. It’s grand yet relaxing.






Whispering Canyon is right on the side of the lobby. It’s not super full, but you definitely hear the antics going on. I think that’d be something I’d love my kids to experience. It seems like it could be a core memory!

I take a peek into the gift store to see what they have. One of my goals was to buy gifts for my kiddos. I had seen the balls earlier, but wanted to see what else was around.
I didn’t actually take a picture of it but I found this!



I wondered whether I could find it later but I decide I’d rather not risk that, so I make my first purchase of the day. (I did not find it afaik and it’s sold out online as you can see!) If you see something you want, just buy it!

I begin my accumulation of stuff as I continue my day.

 

[jrmint427]

Any thoughts on super fun places for kids but also that won’t be super loud in theming (the husband doesn’t love too much stimulus. They enjoyed AKL last time they went)?

I would have recommended AKL as fun for the kids because of the animals there! WL is my favorite though, I love the train room, the boat to MK, and the restaurants there. If looking for a moderate, we liked POR, less theming/it felt quieter, but not as special for kids.

Whispering Canyon is right on the side of the lobby. It’s not super full, but you definitely hear the antics going on. I think that’d be something I’d love my kids to experience. It seems like it could be a core memory!

Whispering Canyon was so much fun! Our kids loved it. We went for their birthdays and the whole restaurant sang happy birthday to them which was a core memory for sure.

 

[Ann-CA]

Day 3, To Disney Springs!

The Candyland game I bought was too big to put into my backpack, but I’m pleased with my purchase. (And that probably ends up being the thing I’m most glad I bought my kids - my son isn’t great at the game—- he jumps ahead to random spots, but the game board is beautiful and reminds me of this trip!)

I’m off to acquire more souvenirs and items to take home to my family to help them get a little taste of this trip!

So it’s off to Disney Springs! The last time I came here was when it was still Downtown Disney and was much much smaller. It’s been fun to see it grow as I watch videos and such. I’m not a huge shopper but I was looking forward to checking it out.

I make my way to WL bus stop, which is much much smaller than at AS. The buses are all 15+ minutes away according to the digital board, which I hadn’t noticed much of until earlier in the morning since I had had so much bus favor.



I end up waiting maybe ten minutes rather than fifteen since the bus comes a little early!



As we’re driving, I find us make another stop briefly after we start going. I actually am not paying attention where we stopped, but a couple across from me explains that the bus picks up on a loop.

As much as AS Sports doesn’t have many options for transportation, I do think it’s buses are mostly run well and efficiently, and it generally doesn’t run on a loop (and if it did, Sports is the first one to drop off and last one to pick up so you don’t feel it!)

We make our way to DS and I take specific note, no security in after we get dropped off, which i was relieved about since I had been getting stopped all the time.



When I originally got my ADRs, I had made one for Homecomin’ for this day. There was a BLT salad I was really interested in trying alongside the thigh high biscuits. Well, along the way, I found out my sugars weren’t great and they removed said salad off the menu. I still kept the ADR but that morning, I decided I’d do a snack crawl around DS and cancelled the ADR. Maybe I’d still like to try it with more people next time!



While I had a very specific task for Disney Springs that had to be completed, I decided I’d get my first snack of the day. I headed to the Street Food side of Morimoto.



I was here to get the famous ribs!



These were pricey ($15) but less pricey than if you ordered from the restaurant. I had heard so many good things about them.

I’d say they were good, not great. I’m sure in the restaurant they come out hot and crispy. You can see they’ve been sitting out under a heat lamp, so while they’re warm, they don’t have that fresh cooked feel. The flavors are delicious, sweet and slightly sticky, and the meat is fall off the bone.

People say at Disney World you should probably find cuisines not as familiar to you. I think I agree. I do love Asian flavors especially fusion ones. But we have so many here in LA that it’d take a lot to really wow me. This tastes similar to the wings I got from Nomad Lounge the other day. I think at $8 or $10 I’d be raving, but $15 feels a little high.

Side note: if you do love this type of sticky sweet fried meat goodness, if you’re ever in San Francisco, I highly recommend San Tung. It’s a tiny (but well-known) restaurant in Sunset district of SF. It’s probably the area you can still park safely without getting broken into. But they have these “Dry-fried” wings (or beef or shrimp or calamari or chicken chunks), and they are amazing. I haven’t had them in at least ten years but when I think about this type of flavor, that is the spot to compare them all to! Side note over.

I go around the corner for my big task of the day.



I must acquire Gideon’s for my husband. He was the one who encouraged me to take this trip and I couldn’t have done it without him and the in laws helping to watch them. When I asked him what he wanted, he said Gideon’s. He’s watched so many videos in the background, he knew this was a thing!

When January 1 came around and saw the cookie of the month, I knew I had to had to get this for him. It was a Maple Walnut Chocolate Chip. My husband loves maple and he loves walnut.

The lines about 50 deep. It moved quickly and within 15 min, I’m at the front.



It’s a neat store. I’d seen pictures and videos. What I wasn’t sure of was how they did orders. They have the displays of the cookies and cakes but you order at the register.



I don’t remember how much I order, but it ends up being quite a bit. I still have 4 in my fridge, I brought 3 to work to share with my colleagues, and I’m pretty sure my husband and I had 2 when we got back, since we tried maple walnut and the coffee cake. I also bought a bag of cookie bites (white chocolate covered bride of Frankenstein).

I mention this since I’m pretty sure the employee let me go over the 7 cookie limit. I didn’t know it existed until I got home and read other people’s posts about needing more than 1 person to buy extra cookies. I think I bought 8 on the first round and then ended up adding an extra to fill out the box and she never said anything! I wasn’t meaning to break the rules.

While in the theme parks, it still felt busy, the Gideon’s line that day was never long. I think that’s probably a better indicator that mid January weekday is still low season and why she sold me extra cookies. In fact, it’d been open for maybe 2 hours at this point, and coffee cake was still available, she was even pushing me to it!



Here is my bag. I stick my Candyland game in it. It’s pretty darn heavy, and that ends up biting me in the butt later. I wish I had waited to buy the cookies later because I didn’t realize how heavy they’d be but this was a priority. You don’t know what you don’t know!

With main goal accomplished, I continue onwards in my DS exploration!

 

[Ann-CA]

A West Coast Detour - Villas at DLH, Palm Breeze Bar, Pixar Pier Hotel and Ballast Point Brewery

Taking a slight break to do a quick recap of my past weekend. One of my best friends turned forty this year, so for her birthday, I decided to take her to a conference, and it happened to be in Anaheim. She asked if we’d want to do a meal at Downtown Disney or one of the hotels during our break.

We decided on Palm Breeze Bar during our afternoon break. We weren’t sure how parking would work (whether they’d validate for our meal) but we headed to DLH parking lot and they let us in.



It was both of our first time to explore the new Discovery building. It was a lovely spot! Didn’t take many pics, but you can see the Mary Blair style artwork. This one was taken by one of the CMs near the bar. She wasn’t waitressing but she helped handle our validation. She said she loved taking photos and she did a great job!

We sat at the Palm Breeze Bar away from the pool. It was slightly chilly but there were heat lamps. We were right near the monorail slides at DLH but they were currently under refurbishment.

My friend ordered a cocktail and I ordered a Diet Coke. I totally thought I took pics of the food but I didn’t.

Well, here’s her drink! She enjoyed it. She said it was pretty strong.



We ordered the Charcuterie Pizza and Southwest Salad and shared. Both were excellent! Pizza definitely surpassed my expectations. They validated for 3 hrs free parking.

We walked around DLH. I saw another YouTuber I follow who works at Trader Sam’s (Lisa from Bill and Lisa - they mostly focus on food travels though occasionally do Disney stuff) and said hi. If only I had the chance to run into the ones I watch from theme parks!

We decide to head to Pixar Pier Hotel. My friend went the day before but I wanted to check out more of the hotel. I didn’t know a ton but decided to head up to the pool deck.

As soon as we got outside, we saw a character! It was Bing Bong!


It was fun to have a random character interaction not in the park. It was fun to explore the pool deck. Lots of cool features and the theming is so well done - little nods to Pixar everywhere! No pics as I wasn’t intending to post, but worth checking out if you’re in the area.

They have little lawn games themed. This one is themed after the short Bao. It’s little steam baskets that you’re supposed to throw buns into. They didn’t have balls out but I’m sure CMs would’ve gotten them had we asked but we weren’t resort guests and we were just exploring so we didn’t.



We walked over to the pool. It’s much smaller. One of the CMs asked if we wanted to come in and take a closer look, so we did!

We checked out the splash pad and slide. It’s smaller than the DLH one but the slide is actually quite a bit longer than it looks at first.



That was end of day 1 of Disney break!

Today was Day 2 and our conference ended at 12:30, so we decided we’d head back to Downtown Disney again.

There were tons of reservation that morning but by the time we got there, almost everything was gone. We decided to check out one of the restaurants that didn’t take Disney reservations. We ended up at Ballast Point Brewery. There were no waits for bar seating or patio seating. We ended up waiting about 5 min for a normal table.



I like beer but rarely get it because usually it’s just too much and I’m trying to reduce carbs. I was hoping at FotA to find a beer and get the tasting sample size but never found anything I wanted. At Ballast Point, they had the option to get a 4oz pour for $5, so that’s what I did.

I ordered the Calm Before the Storm. “Calm Before the Storm came from a quest for a warm weather alternative to our Victory at Sea Imperial Porter. Like its more robust cousin, we infuse a punch of flavor using cold brewed Caffé Calabria coffee and a hint of vanilla. But this time, we added it to a lighter-bodied golden cream ale. The end result is a surprisingly bright, coffee-forward beer that’s perfectly refreshing.”

I normally wouldn’t get something coffee-forward but I liked the idea of a cream ale. The coffee was there and noticeable but not overwhelming. I liked this. 4oz was perfect for me. My friend ordered a cider also.

For food, I ordered Blackened Fish Tacos with seasoned jicama and she got the Pulled Pork Nachos.





I enjoyed the tacos and really enjoyed the jicama side. I might have to make it myself. I tried some of my friend’s nachos and they were good too, but I probably wouldn’t get for my own meal. Food and Wine at DCA started yesterday so they had some special offerings also.

We were glad to give it a try!

I also grabbed a few Earl sandwiches for my husband. It was my first time at the location near the park entrance rather than near the parking lot for Downtown Disney. It started to rain! Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad and I made it back to my car.

Downtown Disney parking is $10 for first hour even with validation but you get 6 hrs total with table service. Hotels are free for 3 hours. It seems these hotel bars count. YMMV but I think it’s a better option to eat at one of the lounges at hotels and try to get validation and then walk around DD. It used to be free to park first few hours but I guess they’re trying to curb Magic Key holders from parking there and going to park for an hour.

Anyways, thought I’d share on some alternative Disney adventures. Will return to WDW soon, though we have a 2 day trip to Legoland this week for my son’s birthday and then a day trip to DLR in 2 weeks, so maybe you’ll see a few other deviations!

 

[Ann-CA]

Back to regularly scheduled programming…

Day 3: Disney Springs - Polite Pig and World of Disney

On my way out of Gideon’s, I placed an order at Polite Pig. I was going to continue my snacking around DS, and thought I should have some veggie! So I ordered the Crispy Brussel Sprouts with whiskey-caramel sauce from Polite Pig for $6. I had seen Molly from Mammoth rave about them, so decided to give them a go.



Verdict: I do think they were good and could see why Molly liked them. They were quite sweet though, and not the best brussel sprouts I’ve ever had. Polite Pig seems like a good place to eat. I’d definitely consider getting this as a side. (I keep throwing out alternate places, but I think the best place I’ve ever had for brussel sprouts is the Panama 66 cafe at the San Diego Museum of Art at Balboa Park. They have an amazing Honey Brussel Sprouts.)

Then I head over to World of Disney to find some more souvenirs to take home.



I’m going to post photos with random stuff I liked or considered. This’ll probably max out this post so I’ll post what I actually buy on the next post.



There was a bunch of Disney100 merch on sale!



I considered these but they only had very large or very small. (Think maybe size 5-6 and then size 13)

 

[Ann-CA]

Day 3: World of Disney cont.

Here’s what I actually take home.

I can’t get it directionally correct, but this is for my brother. He loves Oswald and has a tattoo of him. This was Disney100 sale merchandise so was half off!





These next two are individual gifts for my son and daughter - a park bus figure and Belle jewelry.

I’m looking around debating whether I wanted something for myself. I mean, do I get clothing- but I wouldn’t wear it normally. I’m about to give up, then I saw these!





They’re super cute melamine bowls. I do wish they were more dishwasher and microwave safe. They won’t leach anything but they could get damaged, but my husband has been putting them in the dishwasher anyways.

At this point, I have a lot of stuff. My cookie bag was super heavy. Now I add these new items. I try to consolidate to make it easier to carry but the Gideon’s bag starts showing some wear and tear in a corner. Oh well, the day must go on! I had two more goals in Disney Springs!

I’d pass by the Lego Store first and took some photos of things I think my kids would enjoy!






I also pass by T-Rex Restaurant. I know people suggest to avoid places like Rainforest Cafe but I loved Rainforest growing up. If they had it at DLR still, I’d be there! This looks like a lot of fun for kids!



Off to my last two tasks of the day at Disney Springs (so I think. I wish I had planned my time here better because I realize later I skipped something I had intended to do).

 

[jrmint427]

As soon as we got outside, we saw a character! It was Bing Bong!

I had no idea you could meet Bing Bong, how cool!!

 

[Ann-CA]

I had no idea you could meet Bing Bong, how cool!!

Yah! And with the photo background, it seems like he was a permanent fixture. He was super fun.

 

[Ann-CA]

Day 3: Summer House and Jaleo/Pepe, Disney Springs

While my main objective was to get Gideon’s, I also decided I wanted to do a head to head comparison of cookies. With Summer House on the Lake having opened recently, I decided to buy some home also.
I did also have a reservation here at some point. The food looked good! I find it funny this is supposed to be a “Santa Monica” joint but they don’t have this restaurant in CA. I do enjoy CA style cuisine, which is why the menu looked fun, but it seemed silly to eat at CA inspired food in FL.

But I did want to get some cookies!



I didn’t quite do a head to head. Since I got so many cookies already, I only got two, and Oatmeal Scotchie and a Lemon cookie. In hindsight, I wish I had gotten a chocolate chip krispies for a more true apples to apples comparison with Gideon’s.

After we tried Gideon’s and Summer House, my winner is Gideon’s. My husband liked the Scotchie but it was really brittle. The lemon cookie was too sweet and too soft for my liking. I ended up cutting into like 25 little pieces and freezing them and that texture was better for me. As for Gideon’s, I enjoyed the Maple Walnut but I think my husband’s favorite was the Coffee Cake! I preferred the slightly salty, not as sweet, cookie dough texture. It was a good balance of crispy and soft. If the line isn’t crazy, I’d go back!

I went ahead for one last snack of the day. I also had briefly considered going to Jaleo. Jose Andres used to have his Bazaar restaurant in Beverly Hills. Every time I saw the menu, it sounded so interesting. But I never made it and it closed. While I prefer the Bazaar menu to Jaleo, it still sounded like a fun meal. But as a solo, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to taste a variety of foods, so I passed.



I did go to Pepe for one item I would gotten had I sat down at Jaleo. Chicken croquettes (aka chicken fritters)! They were $9. I ordered and they gave me a buzzer.



There is a restaurant out here in LA area called Porto’s. They’re supposed to open at Downtown Disney soon. If you ever visit DLR once they’re open, I definitely suggest a stop! I’m sure there will be a line since even their normal shops have long lines! In any case, my favorite savory tem there are their chicken croquettes (for sweets, you must get their cheese rolls!) I’ve never had them anywhere else so I was excited to stop and try this one.

I probably waited about 5 minutes for them. Unlike Morimoto’s sticky ribs which are under a heat lamp, these came out fresh and hot!



OMG, they were sooooo good! Right up there for one of the best items I ate on this trip. If you’ve never had one, it’s a creamy chicken mixture inside a lightly breaded crispy exterior. This one was piping hot. The inside was savory and creamy, which contrasted super well with the crispy shell. It doesn’t look much but it was amazing. Better than Porto’s.



If you want a unique snack, highly recommend this! And it came with 5 so it was a pretty good value. Actually, I just went back to look at the menu, and it says it was $6! That’s even better!

At this point, it’s just before 2 and I still have about 2 hours before I have to be back at the hotel. It’s some time but not a ton. I decide to go resort hopping some more.
I start to look for the friendship boats to try to hit up one of the hotels. The maps are confusing. I see three piers around Disney Springs, but after visiting one, I realize they only load on the way other side near Planet Hollywood. With my heavy bag, there was no way I wanted to walk back that way. So I decide I’ll Lyft to one of the resorts.

I look at the app, and the Wait and Save feature shows only $5.99, nearly $2 cheaper than a regular ride. I’m not in a huge rush and it looks like I still have maybe a 5-7 minute walk so I order the Lyft.

The guy arrives immediately! I guess a bunch of people just park in the lot nearby. I book it over but I’m still pretty far away. But I have this terribly heavy bag digging into my hand also.

Fortunately, the driver waits to press he’s arrived, probably knowing it’d be hard since he could see where I was and I’d only have a few minutes before I start getting charged waiting time.

That stop felt super far but I make it into the vehicle. And get off my feet and put my stuff down for a little bit. This ends up being a brilliant idea!



It’s a short 5 minute drive, but it saved me a ton of walking and probably saved me a ton of time before heading to do some exploring!