3,298 miles, 10 breweries, and 1 Mega Meet - a July '16 Trip Report *New 6/5/17 - Link to new TR!*

[TheMaxRebo]

I really want to try Skipper Canteen, but I nervous about the menu. I am not a big meat eater and their entree menu is heavy on the meat. Everything looks so good in the photos though. I think I might try it out and just go for a couple of the appetizers.

If you eat fish there are a few options, but agree, for vegetarians there aren't a ton within the entrees - a few more on the appetizers, I agree, with the noodle salad and falafel option

 

[amazingact21]

I'm happy to hear Skipper Canteen's was a positive experience. I'll admit, as soon as I heard the menu, I was worried it wouldn't do well in the MK. People tend to be afraid to venture away from burgers and fries.
I gotta say, the kid's meals look fantastic! That steak and brocolli plate would go over well with my children. I wish more Disney restaurants offered those kind of options, because even kids get sick of chicken and fries after awhile. (At least, mine do.)

Oh man, I was cracking up over the water story. That's hilarious, especially the "diet water" bit.

 

[MarbleBob]

Dude, I'm so far behind on catching up with various trip reports, it's not even funny. But stoked to come back and see you are still at it!

And timing couldn't be better, just a few days ago, I booked another course with the Disney Institute... Stephanie and I will be back in May. I won't have any extra days, so I'll only have a couple evenings after class, but one of them will be in MK. I was trying to decide if I'd rather have dinner at the resort (staying at GF but would walk to the Poly for Kona or something), or if I'd prefer to eat in the park. I was waffling about whether or not I would want to try the Skipper Canteen or not (since I won't have a lot of park time), but I think you just sold me on it. And now I'm off to go see if we can still get a reservation...

(Oh, and P.S. -- I started at TR for our Aulani trip last summer a while back and I'm 99% finished... if you are ever inclined to take a peak, the link is in the signature )

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm happy to hear Skipper Canteen's was a positive experience. I'll admit, as soon as I heard the menu, I was worried it wouldn't do well in the MK. People tend to be afraid to venture away from burgers and fries.
I gotta say, the kid's meals look fantastic! That steak and brocolli plate would go over well with my children. I wish more Disney restaurants offered those kind of options, because even kids get sick of chicken and fries after awhile. (At least, mine do.)

Oh man, I was cracking up over the water story. That's hilarious, especially the "diet water" bit.

I agree about a lot of people being hesitant to try new things - especially with families on vacation as if one person int he family won't try it, well then the whole family can't try it. Also, given the price point I think people were worried about trying it, not liking it, and paying more than what something they know they like would cost.

Kids meals are great there and definitely different options but nothing too out there. I did see the kids meals at the new food location in Pandora look like nice alternatives too so looking forward to those

the diet water was one of my favorite points - but I think it was topped by the animals coming to the watering hole

Dude, I'm so far behind on catching up with various trip reports, it's not even funny. But stoked to come back and see you are still at it!

And timing couldn't be better, just a few days ago, I booked another course with the Disney Institute... Stephanie and I will be back in May. I won't have any extra days, so I'll only have a couple evenings after class, but one of them will be in MK. I was trying to decide if I'd rather have dinner at the resort (staying at GF but would walk to the Poly for Kona or something), or if I'd prefer to eat in the park. I was waffling about whether or not I would want to try the Skipper Canteen or not (since I won't have a lot of park time), but I think you just sold me on it. And now I'm off to go see if we can still get a reservation...

(Oh, and P.S. -- I started at TR for our Aulani trip last summer a while back and I'm 99% finished... if you are ever inclined to take a peak, the link is in the signature )

Hey Matt - good to have you back!

that is great you have another Disney Institute session coming up - your first one looked great and i know you said you got a lot out of it. I'll have to check out your Aulani trip report as well!

I hope you can get an ADR for Skippers - the food was really cool and I think you would like the vibe of the place

 

[afwdwfan]

(including the social events - so getting to show my colleagues from Europe and Asia what we do in America - and yes, a brewery will be involved).

So you're trying to convince them that the US has good beer?

They now have beer and wine here though I think some fun tropical drinks would fit better.)

I totally agree. That's exactly what I'd be in the mood for in that particular setting.

When the server initially asked him if he wanted some water he said "it's so hot out there I'd could use 2 glassed of water". Well, the server took this to heard and came back with at least 6 glasses of water for him. then a few minutes later another server came by saying "I heard you were thirsty, here's a glass of water" ... and then another ... and then another. Then someone saw him and that he might need some straws and dropped about 20 on his table. Then one dropped of some "river water" (which was some concoction made with blue powerade and 4 or 5 other things). Then another came by and said they were concerned about all the calories he was taking in with all the water so gave him a "diet water" - which was an empty glass. This picture is from part way through this but in the end he wound up with about 12 glasses of water. ... and there would be more fun with him later! (the kids obviously thought this was the greatest thing ever)

That's great! I'd assume they tend to be good about "reading" the table the way they do at WCC or 50's to play up the antics or tone them down. I'm glad you had some good entertainment though.

For their food Peter got the kids Smiley's Little "Croc" of Chicken Noodle Soup - which was some of the best chicken noodle soup I have ever tried and was a huge bowl. Olivia got the kids Sizzling Savanna Grilled Flank Steak which was a nice piece of meat, especially for a kids meal. Emma shared form everyone a little bit. Definitely a fan of the kids options here

That looks awesome. I seriously think I could just eat off the kids menu.

I'm glad you enjoyed your meal there!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

So you're trying to convince them that the US has good beer?

I totally agree. That's exactly what I'd be in the mood for in that particular setting.

That's great! I'd assume they tend to be good about "reading" the table the way they do at WCC or 50's to play up the antics or tone them down. I'm glad you had some good entertainment though.

That looks awesome. I seriously think I could just eat off the kids menu.

I'm glad you enjoyed your meal there!

haha - well, I have a bit of a reputation within the company as the beer guy so they are fully expecting some beer to be part of the trip - fortunately we have a great brewery, Captain Lawrence, 10 mins from our office

I assume some mixed drinks will come eventually but they wanted to start with "just" wine and beer

I think so - the person at that table was definitely animated and friendly with the servers, etc.

Definitely a good kids menu - and I definitely have eaten off the kids menu in the past at some other restaurants - though usually counter service ones

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 75: At Disney - Day 7: Magic Kingdom
Com'on let's be a Choo Choo​

We then were off to our next FP stop which was actually something we hadn't done before - that was a meet Talking Mickey!

While waiting in line I took in some of the amazing signs and memorabilia they have around

​

Oh one thing i forgot to mention that Judi's finger had been bothering her - not sure if it was a bug bite or bee sting or just a rash or something but it swelled up. So she went to first aid and they put some cream on it and this very elegant wrap with some ice

Then it was our turn and while I love the look on the kids face when they meet a princess or whomever, but I will never forget the look on their face the moment Mickey spoke to them. Just such a neat experience.

We got some good picturrs:

​

But the best was when Mickey asked the kids to act like a Choo Choo train with him. I am very thankful the photopass photographer could sense it coming gave me the heads up to switch to taking video.

​

Before we were done I took pictures of some more cool memorabilia. Loved the wizard hat and also, trunk from Hong Kong, and especially the letter from Toad Motors

​

Up next we finally see Festival of Fantasy .... does it live up to the hype for us?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 76: At Disney - Day 7: Magic Kingdom
Play time, then a Festival of Fantasy​

After meeting Mickey we wanted to make up to the kids from the past when we didn't have time so we went to the Dumbo play area - I was tasked with following Emma. Which started out not so bad as she was content in the little kid area ... but that didn't last long as she wanted to play where the big kids were. I love that play area but it isn't always easy to keep track of your kid there!

​

We then went to line up to see the Festival of Fantasy. If you recall my past trip reports you know this is our second trip to Walt Disney World since the debut of the Festival of Fantasy parade - but the prior trip it rained and we only got to see the Rainy Day Cavalcade. That did lead to one of my best Disney memories due to an amazing CM - but that is a story for a past trip report

So we walked over to Frontierland figuring we could get a good spot and we could get some snacks from Sleepy Hollow. The main thing we wanted was the iced coffee floats but apparently they no longer serve them there - so I got a few ice cream cookie sandwiches and then a lemonade with wildberry foam - both really hit the spot on a hot day (though the ice cream sandwiches got a bit messy)

​

Then we saw the marching band come by - just as they were finishing up a rendition of "Let it Go" (just can't get away from it)

​

We also noticed we were right across from two CMs that were signing all the songs that played during the parade - it was really fun to watch them

​

Then it was time for the parade to start!

​

I really loved all the big expressions a lot of the dancers showed so I had a lot of close up pictures of them

​

First float was for Beauty and the Beast - and behind them on the float were Tianna with Naveen and the Frozen sisters

​

Then into the Rapunzel float - which was very inventive and lots of good characters with it

​

​

And then Ariel - I loved the guys with the fish spinners on their side - the guys doing it were really into it and seemed to be enjoying themselves

​

up next - the rest of the parade.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 77: At Disney - Day 7: Magic Kingdom
More Festival of Fantasy​

Next was the Peter Pan float - always lots of fun with Peter

​

The the Brave float - and Merida was especially expressive

​

And then the Sleeping Beauty / Malificent section which I was especially looking forward to. I love the blue fairy face-palming and I am glad I capture the dragon breathing fire

​

And then into the finish of the parade with the Pinocchio float

​

and then we end with Mickie and Minnie

​

So what did we think? It is a pretty darn good parade. I think it might have been one of those things where it got built up too much from all the super positive review that it didn't blow us away ... or maybe just that Paint the Night has ruined all other parades for us

Coming up next - more MK fun and another new-to-us restaurant for dinner

TTFN

 

[Terra Nova guy]

We then were off to our next FP stop which was actually something we hadn't done before - that was a meet Talking Mickey!

While waiting in line I took in some of the amazing signs and memorabilia they have around

It's a fun meet. My family met him at the Halloween party a couple years ago. The only downside is that the queue was empty, so I didn't have time to look around. Thanks for the pictures, it's cool to see some of the old posters.

Before we were done I took pictures of some more cool memorabilia. Loved the wizard hat and also, trunk from Hong Kong, and especially the letter from Toad Motors

Darn, I really can't remember seeing this stuff. I guess I need to slow down a bit, it seems like we're always in a rush. I would have loved to see that Toad Motors letter!

Up next we finally see Festival of Fantasy .... does it live up to the hype for us?

I hope you enjoy it! I thought it was fantastic.

EDIT: Ha ha, you posted your parade report as I was typing

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

The main thing we wanted was the iced coffee floats but apparently they no longer serve them there - so I got a few ice cream cookie sandwiches and then a lemonade with wildberry foam - both really hit the spot on a hot day (though the ice cream sandwiches got a bit messy)

​

Ice Cream sandwiches are on my hit list for our next trip! And the lemonade looks yummy.

We love that parade. It is one of my favorites. But we have not seen Paint the Night yet... We also used to do the fastness area, which I miss...

 

[emmysmommy]

Hi Phil!! Stopping by and glad to see your latest TR still in full swing with all the fun and adventures. ;-) The girls' Minnie dresses are adorable. (Am I in a time warp? Emma was just a tiny thing when I met you and your family.)

Since I haven't seen much written about Skipper Canteen it was cool to compare notes since I haven't seen much skip antics from our servers. The water shenanegans was a riot. Glad you enoyed it. Disney did such an awesome job with the theming.

You are a wealth of information! I wasn't aware of the 20th DIS-versary when we are there in May/June. Coincidently, we are in Epcot on 6/1 most of the day. If our paths cross I'd love to say Hi!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It's a fun meet. My family met him at the Halloween party a couple years ago. The only downside is that the queue was empty, so I didn't have time to look around. Thanks for the pictures, it's cool to see some of the old posters.


Darn, I really can't remember seeing this stuff. I guess I need to slow down a bit, it seems like we're always in a rush. I would have loved to see that Toad Motors letter!


I hope you enjoy it! I thought it was fantastic.

EDIT: Ha ha, you posted your parade report as I was typing

haha, yeah, sometimes it is good to have at least a little bit of a line to take in the details.

Int he room there were a lot of really cool things - I sort of saw that letter from Toad Motors by accident but thought it was a neat find!

Well, I mentioned it in the subsequent posts but in summary, I thought FoF was a very good parade but something that perhaps had gotten built up too much in my head from all the super positive reviews I had read. Also fell short of Paint the Night to me. I did appreciate how expressive a lot of the dancers were in it

Ice Cream sandwiches are on my hit list for our next trip! And the lemonade looks yummy.

We love that parade. It is one of my favorites. But we have not seen Paint the Night yet... We also used to do the fastness area, which I miss...

The ice cream sandwiches were quite good (but messy) - still wish they had the iced coffee floats though

If you get a chance to see Paint the Night I can't recommend it enough - so good! It is a bummer they got rid of the FP area for the parade - I know a few people that really enjoyed that option

Hi Phil!! Stopping by and glad to see your latest TR still in full swing with all the fun and adventures. ;-) The girls' Minnie dresses are adorable. (Am I in a time warp? Emma was just a tiny thing when I met you and your family.)

Since I haven't seen much written about Skipper Canteen it was cool to compare notes since I haven't seen much skip antics from our servers. The water shenanegans was a riot. Glad you enoyed it. Disney did such an awesome job with the theming.

You are a wealth of information! I wasn't aware of the 20th DIS-versary when we are there in May/June. Coincidently, we are in Epcot on 6/1 most of the day. If our paths cross I'd love to say Hi!

Hi Brenda! hope all is well! Thank you! I did think those dresses were pretty cute and something they could wear again no problem. Yeah, Emma is 2 1/2 now and talking up a storm and full of personality - time really does fly by!

It seems like the Skipper antics are more hit-and-miss / infrequent than, say, the servers at 50's Prime Time - but when they do something it seems to be pretty great

Wow, that would be great to see you! I am only going down for 2 nights, so will spend 5/31 in Animal Kingdom to see Pandora and then on 6/1 will be Disney Springs and then monorail resorts before heading over to the party. I plan to get to the front of EPCOT by like 9:30 so if you are still around / coming out after Illuminations maybe we could meet up then (or if you are going to the party obviously then as well)

 

[Imagineer5]

Oh man that looks awful! LOL hope it helped, though!

I am very thankful the photopass photographer could sense it coming gave me the heads up to switch to taking video.

So cute!! Glad they loved talking mickey

but that didn't last long as she wanted to play where the big kids were. I love that play area but it isn't always easy to keep track of your kid there!

HOW is Emma old enough for the big kid area at Dumbo!! Aww!! She looks so little all the way up there.

So what did we think? It is a pretty darn good parade. I think it might have been one of those things where it got built up too much from all the super positive review that it didn't blow us away ... or maybe just that Paint the Night has ruined all other parades for us

Oh I just love FoF!! Such gorgeous colors. Great pics! Were the kids having fun?

 

[afwdwfan]

Oh one thing i forgot to mention that Judi's finger had been bothering her - not sure if it was a bug bite or bee sting or just a rash or something but it swelled up. So she went to first aid and they put some cream on it and this very elegant wrap with some ice

Wow... that's a big ice pack. But it's nice to see that they were prepared and able to help her.

Before we were done I took pictures of some more cool memorabilia. Loved the wizard hat and also, trunk from Hong Kong, and especially the letter from Toad Motors

Nice touches. There's so much to look at in there, but I'm usually too busy watching Mickey to look around.

(though the ice cream sandwiches got a bit messy)

They're so good, but yeah, they would be an absolute mess on a hot day.

So what did we think? It is a pretty darn good parade. I think it might have been one of those things where it got built up too much from all the super positive review that it didn't blow us away ... or maybe just that Paint the Night has ruined all other parades for us

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think it is a great parade, although I don't know that it is something I have to see. I think part of the reason it has such great reviews is the fact that it is a vast improvement over the old parade, but I'm sure it doesn't hold a candle to Paint the Night.

 

[rteetz]

I have yet to meet talking Mickey. Looks like a fun meet tho!

Those cookie ice cream sandwiches are a great snack. I had one while watching the muppet show.

I haven't seen PTN in person but I love festival of fantasy as a day time parade.

 

[SarahDisney]

I've only done Talking Mickey once (and he actually wasn't talking that day ... which makes me very angry, but that's a different story entirely), and I didn't really pay attention to any of those details signs - they're so cool! And I love the choo choo train - 2/3rds of the kids look very excited about it! (Emma not so much...)

I actually have never seen the whole Festival of Fantasy parade. I've seen bits and pieces, but I never really take the time to sit down and watch. It definitely looks visually interesting, but ... from what I've seen, I'm not sure it measures up to the hype.

 

[katt789]

Ahh! Okay, so I am BACK after a super long hiatus…aka..I finally have a computer again!!

First off! YOUR NEXT TRIP!! I'LL BE THERE TOOOOO!! We're going May 27-June 5th for Steven & I's birthdays!! AND we're staying at Art of Animation!! NICE AND CLOSE!! Though our park days don't line up lol, 31st we'll be at DHS, with MK on the first!



Second….here we go…I have no idea where I left off so I'm starting at the AK/Tusker House chapter!!I LOVE Tusker for the more African options that they have! So much yum!



OMG HIDDEN MICKEY…I NEVER KNEW THAT BEFORE!! THE MORE YOU KNOW!! Man oh man, ROL seriously took forever to open…I'm still bummed I missed JB, it looked awesome watching online. I'm also super impressed with how quickly the show itself was thrown together, and how well it was done for something done so quickly! And….we totally bailed on ROL to get a last minute Hoop Dee Doo resso because… #priorities UGH, we also were to broke by the end of the trip to try the Nomand Lounge! UGH, I NEED TO GO lol, also that gin, mint drink sounds AMAZING



Okay, amazing trip video! Also I SQUEALED when the hoop dee doo segment popped up at the start, JUST LOOK AT THOSE BABIES! Amazing cast you got! Lol.



Yay for Akershus…also LAWL, *someone* was definitely late for work that morning…or called in…there definitely should've been someone else there, lol! Also love the breakfast buffet there! SO many different options! I really liked the FEA ride! Though we completely missed the sign that summarizes the ride, that would have been so helpful! Lol. UGH ELSA YAS! I miss her…

Man oh man do I miss Epcot too! UGH, I know we were like, just there, but STILL, we spent SO much time at MK and definitely not enough at the other parks!

OKAY BUT THAT ICE CREAM GM THING IS SOMETHING I MUST HAVE!!! It's sold where the ice cream is yes? Definitely getting it next trip



YAAAS LA FIN!!!! SERIOUSLY THE BEST BEER!!!! I'm so happy to have easy access to it at home, bahahaha!!! Also is it weird that I miss that beer cart? At least like, wearing that skirt…it just twirled so well, lol. Also all the Norway cm's chatting it up with the kids makes me REALLY wish I'd been able to do merch/kidcot instead! I would've LOVED that, I mean food & bev had it's perks, but I wish it had been an opportunity, or that Canada's pavilion was more travelled, and thus we got to talk to more kids/families lol.



Okay…now I'm crying over Snow white…I just miss them all so much… We ate at Spice Road to watch Illuminations after our last day of work, so it definitely holds a special place to us! Glad you enjoyed it!



SPEAKING OF THINGS I CRY OVER AND AM MISSING FOREVER!!! THAT WELCOME SHOW WILL ALWAYS BE ON THAT LIST! It was just so classic, so cute, brought a tear to my eye, and made me happy they did it from the train station because it's one of my favorite places & Walt loved trains so much. NOW, the new one's cute, but meh. I completely understand safety wise, why they would do it, it also cuts down on performer costs since the trolley kids aren't in the new one. AND, it gives me time to go get Starbs before the park is officially open, and there's time to ride something/meet a character before the first trolley show now, BUT STILL.



That chocolate crossoint is something I DREAM of, esp early in the morning hours when they're fresh & still warm. Mmmm….i want like 12 right now….

OMG that interaction with the guy at skipper canteen is great! We ate there last trip and really enjoyed it!



Okay…but FoF is downright amazing. Lol. Though, so is Happiness is Here, and I honestly can't chose. Also, did you see PtN in HKDL? I can't remember, we found it to be good, but definitely not up to par with DLR's, which is interesting. I think it's more to do with the energy from the audience, and all the cheering & yelling that goes on in California!



Great updates, I'm stickin with it now & excited to read more!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Oh man that looks awful! LOL hope it helped, though!

So cute!! Glad they loved talking mickey

HOW is Emma old enough for the big kid area at Dumbo!! Aww!! She looks so little all the way up there.

Oh I just love FoF!! Such gorgeous colors. Great pics! Were the kids having fun?

It did - it definitely looked like a bit of overkill but I guess what they had to deal with it

They definitely enjoyed Talking Mickey - I wasn't quite sure how they would react experiencing it for the first time

Well, she is still pretty small for the areas - but if her big brother and sister can do it so can she! (at least she thinks that)

Thanks! I think the kids enjoyed the parade - I recall Peter specifically calling out the names of all the characters as he saw them

Wow... that's a big ice pack. But it's nice to see that they were prepared and able to help her.

Nice touches. There's so much to look at in there, but I'm usually too busy watching Mickey to look around.

They're so good, but yeah, they would be an absolute mess on a hot day.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think it is a great parade, although I don't know that it is something I have to see. I think part of the reason it has such great reviews is the fact that it is a vast improvement over the old parade, but I'm sure it doesn't hold a candle to Paint the Night.

Yeah, I am glad they were able to do something and while it looks a bit large it was nice it was something that was wrapped as opposed to her having to use her other hand to hold an ice pack on it or something

I definitely had to go back and forth between watching Mickey and checking out the room - glad I noticed at least a few of the neat details

That is a good point about the improvement over the old parade and also that it is all brand new as opposed to recycling floats, etc.

I have yet to meet talking Mickey. Looks like a fun meet tho!

Those cookie ice cream sandwiches are a great snack. I had one while watching the muppet show.

I haven't seen PTN in person but I love festival of fantasy as a day time parade.

Talking Mickey is definitely cool and definitely one of those "Disney Magic" things

Definitely enjoy a good ice cream sandwich!

Not sure if it is the music or what but PtN has such a positive energy to me that it will be hard to beat - but FoF is definitely a quality parade ... I think just one of those things where expectations probably got raised above reasonable expectations

I've only done Talking Mickey once (and he actually wasn't talking that day ... which makes me very angry, but that's a different story entirely), and I didn't really pay attention to any of those details signs - they're so cool! And I love the choo choo train - 2/3rds of the kids look very excited about it! (Emma not so much...)

I actually have never seen the whole Festival of Fantasy parade. I've seen bits and pieces, but I never really take the time to sit down and watch. It definitely looks visually interesting, but ... from what I've seen, I'm not sure it measures up to the hype.

oh no - bummer about non-talking talking Mickey! yeah, Emma wasn't quite sure what was going on but the other kids really had fun!

FoF is definitely a very good parade but I think it really got hyped up and probably to unrealistic levels which definitely impacted my view of it

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Ahh! Okay, so I am BACK after a super long hiatus…aka..I finally have a computer again!!

First off! YOUR NEXT TRIP!! I'LL BE THERE TOOOOO!! We're going May 27-June 5th for Steven & I's birthdays!! AND we're staying at Art of Animation!! NICE AND CLOSE!! Though our park days don't line up lol, 31st we'll be at DHS, with MK on the first!

Hi Katt! Glad to see you back and thanks for all the comments!!!

Wow, that's awesome we will be there the same time. And while not going to MK that day I do plan to be in the area on June 1st resort hoping a bit (geyser point for dinner and then drinks at Trader Sam's ... if your plans could fit that would be cool!

Second….here we go…I have no idea where I left off so I'm starting at the AK/Tusker House chapter!!I LOVE Tusker for the more African options that they have! So much yum!

OMG HIDDEN MICKEY…I NEVER KNEW THAT BEFORE!! THE MORE YOU KNOW!! Man oh man, ROL seriously took forever to open…I'm still bummed I missed JB, it looked awesome watching online. I'm also super impressed with how quickly the show itself was thrown together, and how well it was done for something done so quickly! And….we totally bailed on ROL to get a last minute Hoop Dee Doo resso because… #priorities UGH, we also were to broke by the end of the trip to try the Nomand Lounge! UGH, I NEED TO GO lol, also that gin, mint drink sounds AMAZING

I am excited to get to see Rivers of Light but we did enjoyed JB quite a bit (I think knowing what it was going in helped vs thinking it was going to be like what they were promising for RoL). I really liked the dancers - though I am sure you would have a better idea if they were actually good or not but I thought they did good and had good energy, etc.

Definitely make time to try the Nomad Lounge - very cool vibe and I bet one Pandora opens it will have good energy there too!

Okay, amazing trip video! Also I SQUEALED when the hoop dee doo segment popped up at the start, JUST LOOK AT THOSE BABIES! Amazing cast you got! Lol.

Yay for Akershus…also LAWL, *someone* was definitely late for work that morning…or called in…there definitely should've been someone else there, lol! Also love the breakfast buffet there! SO many different options! I really liked the FEA ride! Though we completely missed the sign that summarizes the ride, that would have been so helpful! Lol. UGH ELSA YAS! I miss her…

Man oh man do I miss Epcot too! UGH, I know we were like, just there, but STILL, we spent SO much time at MK and definitely not enough at the other parks!

OKAY BUT THAT ICE CREAM GM THING IS SOMETHING I MUST HAVE!!! It's sold where the ice cream is yes? Definitely getting it next trip

Thank you so much - I have fun putting the trip videos together. It felt like we had a really good cast for Hoop Dee Doo - so good to know that actually was the case

We like the breakfast at Akershus a lot too - and breakfasts are cheaper as far as character meals go, so works for us!

We loved that Ice Cream Martini - and considering how much GM they put in it, felt like not too expensive (I mean, good booze, good ice cream? What's not to love?)

YAAAS LA FIN!!!! SERIOUSLY THE BEST BEER!!!! I'm so happy to have easy access to it at home, bahahaha!!! Also is it weird that I miss that beer cart? At least like, wearing that skirt…it just twirled so well, lol. Also all the Norway cm's chatting it up with the kids makes me REALLY wish I'd been able to do merch/kidcot instead! I would've LOVED that, I mean food & bev had it's perks, but I wish it had been an opportunity, or that Canada's pavilion was more travelled, and thus we got to talk to more kids/families lol.

Okay…now I'm crying over Snow white…I just miss them all so much… We ate at Spice Road to watch Illuminations after our last day of work, so it definitely holds a special place to us! Glad you enjoyed it!

SPEAKING OF THINGS I CRY OVER AND AM MISSING FOREVER!!! THAT WELCOME SHOW WILL ALWAYS BE ON THAT LIST! It was just so classic, so cute, brought a tear to my eye, and made me happy they did it from the train station because it's one of my favorite places & Walt loved trains so much. NOW, the new one's cute, but meh. I completely understand safety wise, why they would do it, it also cuts down on performer costs since the trolley kids aren't in the new one. AND, it gives me time to go get Starbs before the park is officially open, and there's time to ride something/meet a character before the first trolley show now, BUT STILL.

La Fin is definitely one of my favorite beers - we have a grocery store chain near us that specializes in craft beer so they have a large selection of Unibroue beers but it's great to get while at Disney. That beer cart is one of my favorite places to stop in all of WDW!

We likes Spice Road quite a bit - and I am glad it worked out with a good view of Illuminations

I do love anything that has a connection to trains due to how much Walt loved them (and then added to it how much my dad did as well) - see: the model train set in EPCOT. Still bummed never properly saw the prior welcome show - though I do get from a logistical reason why having it inside the park is better

That chocolate crossoint is something I DREAM of, esp early in the morning hours when they're fresh & still warm. Mmmm….i want like 12 right now….

OMG that interaction with the guy at skipper canteen is great! We ate there last trip and really enjoyed it!

Okay…but FoF is downright amazing. Lol. Though, so is Happiness is Here, and I honestly can't chose. Also, did you see PtN in HKDL? I can't remember, we found it to be good, but definitely not up to par with DLR's, which is interesting. I think it's more to do with the energy from the audience, and all the cheering & yelling that goes on in California!

Great updates, I'm stickin with it now & excited to read more!

Glad you enjoyed Skipper's Canteen - we really liked it but would like to check out some of the other rooms more

I did see PtN in HKDL - twice actually - I really liked it b/c I think it was neat to take it in with the different languages. Also, the fact is was much less crowded than out in California helped a lot. I think the actual parde itself is better in DLR (like, they definitely "plussed" it) but in some ways I liked the overall experience better at HKDL (but I think the fact that it was just crazy crowded when we went to DLR had a lot to do with it)