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

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 78: At Disney - Day 7: Magic Kingdom
Some MK Rides​

After the parade we had a bit of time before our dinner ADR - and figured being in Magic Kingdom and all it made sense to fit in some more rides and use up some rider swaps we had.

First we headed to Frontierland for a ride on Big Thunder Mountain - and I was able to ride in one car with both Olivia and Peter (the former seeming more into this whole thing than that later, but they both really enjoyed it and after the trip Peter deemed it one of his favorites)

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and then over to Splash so I could use the rider swap from the other day when we ran out of time for me to ride - all three of us fit in the rear seat. I think this is a pretty good overall Ride photo as everyone in the car, er, log, is making good faces - though no one tops the guy in the black shirt

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While we were riding it was Judi's turn to watch Emma in the play area there

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We then started playing the - what ride per the wait time apps is showing the lowest waits that we have interest in ... so we made a quick stop in Adventureland for another ride with the Pirates... and more poor pictures from me, so just one to prove that we were there:

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Then we headed to Tomorrowland for a ride on one of Judi's favorites (mine too - but one of the few she makes specific requests for). But first we saw a relatively lonesome CM that we started chatting with who shortly was giving the kids tons of Mickey stickers

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But then on to the ride - which is of course, the People Mover! I do love that picture of Peter as you can see the Train as well

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Up next - another "new to us" Dining experience

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 79: At Disney - Day 7: Magic Kingdom
Put our magic to the test!​

So where was this dining location? Well, none other than Be Our Guest! We had eaten lunch here before but I was never able to score a dinner reservation before this trip so I was pretty excited to check it out. (Must admit I was also excited to have an adult beverage inside Magic Kingdom - though I know there are mixed feelings about that).

We arrived and checked in and had a little bit of a wait on the bridge

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While we were waiting the girls had to use the rest room and we were able to go inside to do so - so I got a picture of them in front of the stained glass window, figuring this way we didn't have to worry about it after the meal.

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After not too long (I'd say less than 15 minutes past our ADR time) our name was called. Olivia was very excited to get to carry Lumier to our table. I didn't get a great photo of the room and where we were seated until later but we were in the main ball room in the area by the windows, but more towards the middle, so not right at the windows (but close enough to take in the snowing effect)

First the rose shaped napkin, which is a nice touch, and then the beer and wine list

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I started with a Saison Dupont and Judi has a Dry Rose

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Then we got bread and butter and our host walked through the room quickly (too quickly for me to get my camera ready and thus a pretty terrible shot)

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Up next - some food! Will it live up to expectations?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 80: At Disney - Day 7: Magic Kingdom
We dine!​

Judi and I started with appetizers, I got the potato Leek soup which I really liked and Judi got the Garden Salad which she liked but wasn't super special (but definitely fresh and light which was nice)

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For the kids, Emma got the Beast's Casserole (which is a fancy name for somewhat fancy mac-n-cheese) which I think she liked but she didn't eat too much of. Peter got the Kids grilled cheese with Turkey Noodle Soup - he really liked this (he is a huge fan of soup with grilled cheese and I thought this was a good version of both). Olivia got the Kid's Steak since that is sort of her go to. It was definitely pretty solid and she did a pretty good job with it

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For her entree, Judi got the roasted Lamb Chops (she often will get lamb when it is an option) - and she was quite happy with this. I kept debating on what to get and ultimately opted for the Sauteed Shrimp and Scallops - I was definitely happy with my choice, very rich, and would get it again. We both got another drink, getting the wines that were the recommended pairing per the menu. Judi was debating between that and another and our server let her try both which was nice - but she did go with the recommended paring. In the photo of Judi with her red wine you can get a sense of where our table was located

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Once I was done I took some time to wander the restaurant a bit to check out some of the other rooms - it is quite the pretty restaurant with tons of great details

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up next - dessert, we meet the Master, and a bit more MK time

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 81: At Disney - Day 7: Magic Kingdom
Try the gray stuff!​

Then it was dessert time! I do love how they come by with the cart so you can see the options up close. We each got something different and then cut them into small pieces so we could basically each try everything.

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We got a Strawberry Cupcake, a triple chocolate cupcake, a lemon cupcake, and eclair, and the gray stuff which was on top of a brownie

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The Triple Chocolate continues to be my favorite there. A lot of us like the strawberry cupcake and the gray stuff on the brownie was a good way to have it (I liked that better than last time when we had it as a topping for a cupcake).

We then paid and then took our receipt to show so we could meet the Master in his study

Peter was the one most ready to meet the Beast so he went up first (he looks so small in comparison)

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Then we all went up - he was very sweet with Emma and we did manage to get a nice family picture

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Overall we really enjoyed our meal here. Very good (if not phenomenal) food in a wonderful setting. We also had a very pleasant server who seemed legit happy to be there. Now, hard to say if it is worth all the craziness to get an ADR for dinner here, but we are definitely glad we got one and will be back at some point.

After dinner we were starting to wear done but had just a bit more energy so decided to ride Dumbo again (I really wanted to ride it at night - I love how it looks with the lights on and with the water, etc.).

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We then took the train around one last time for Peter to the front of the park, saw the crowded Main St. and head out for the night (it was pushing 9 at this point, was a long day with no break and we wanted to get a fairly early start the next day)

Coming up next - we are already at our last Disney day ... but we do fit a lot into it and then we still have the drive home!

TTFN

 

[missangelalexis]

So apparently I missed your update from a few weeks ago- sorry about that!

Great pics with Mickey, I'm glad the interaction was great!

Glad you finally got to see Festival of Fantasy! Great pictures! (I agree, nothing can compare to Paint the Night )

Peter's face on BTMRR has me giggling...looks like misery between 2 smiling faces glad it's one of his favorites now though!

The guy in the black shirt looks like he has his hands on his hips and is crowing like Peter Pan.

I'm glad you got to try dinner at Be Our Guest! I loved seeing all your pictures. Peter does look so tiny next to the Beast!

Love the pictures from Dumbo! Taking the train to the front of the park was a smart idea too.

Sounds like a great rest of your day!!

 

[amberg93]

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 ...

Yeah, I can feel that. I like FoF well enough but it doesn't blow me away either. Honestly, I'd rather be hanging out at a nice resort instead.

Peter's face here kills me.

everyone in the car, er, log, is making good faces - though no one tops the guy in the black shirt

I can agree with that

While we were waiting the girls had to use the rest room and we were able to go inside to do so - so I got a picture of them in front of the stained glass window, figuring this way we didn't have to worry about it after the meal.

That's actually a super smart idea and the picture came out super adorable.

Peter was the one most ready to meet the Beast so he went up first (he looks so small in comparison)

He is tiny in comparison but you got such great pictures!

Now, hard to say if it is worth all the craziness to get an ADR for dinner here

That has been something that has held us back. Especially with the quick service option available, but then we do miss out on meeting the Beast so... I'm sure we'll do it sometime. Marie says maybe when we go with her family she'll want to do it.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

So apparently I missed your update from a few weeks ago- sorry about that!

Great pics with Mickey, I'm glad the interaction was great!

Glad you finally got to see Festival of Fantasy! Great pictures! (I agree, nothing can compare to Paint the Night )

Peter's face on BTMRR has me giggling...looks like misery between 2 smiling faces glad it's one of his favorites now though!

The guy in the black shirt looks like he has his hands on his hips and is crowing like Peter Pan.

I'm glad you got to try dinner at Be Our Guest! I loved seeing all your pictures. Peter does look so tiny next to the Beast!

Love the pictures from Dumbo! Taking the train to the front of the park was a smart idea too.

Sounds like a great rest of your day!!

haha - no worries - hard to keep up with everything!

Glad I am not the only one that prefers Pain the Night

I love that picture too - definitely got a number of pictures of Peter making funny faces this trip

I love night time at Dumbo - easy to take nice pictures there I think

definitely a look day but a good one - we knew it was our last time at MK so wanted to make the most of it

Yeah, I can feel that. I like FoF well enough but it doesn't blow me away either. Honestly, I'd rather be hanging out at a nice resort instead.

Peter's face here kills me.

I can agree with that

That's actually a super smart idea and the picture came out super adorable.

He is tiny in comparison but you got such great pictures!

That has been something that has held us back. Especially with the quick service option available, but then we do miss out on meeting the Beast so... I'm sure we'll do it sometime. Marie says maybe when we go with her family she'll want to do it.

I am glad we got to see FoF and it is definitely a solid day time parade ... guess I was just expecting more based on the gushing over it I have seen from others

Gotta love Peter's faces most of this trip ... I do appreciate how well my kids' personalities show up in their photos

Thanks! I think it is a cute picture of the girls

Thank you - I wasn't sure how the kids would do with beast given how big he is but Peter was super up for it

I think it is definitely worth trying BOG for dinner at leas at least. Just being in the space with the nice table settings and stuff - it just feels "fancy". A t the same time I don't think it is something that "OMG MY VACATION IS RUINED!!!" if you don't get in to it

 

[rteetz]

Love your ride photos! Big Thunder and Splash are my favorites.

I am glad you got to go to BOG for dinner. It is a favorite of mine. I have done it 3-4 times now. I will forever love the grey stuff.

 

[SarahDisney]

I love your Splash Mountain photo. It's always nice when everyone in the picture is entertaining.

I'm glad you guys enjoyed BOG! It's definitely a nice experience, and the details are so incredible. And the beast is such a gracious host, posing for pictures with all of his guests.

 

[amazingact21]

It was interesting to read that you prefer Paint the Night over FoF. The latter is a pretty popular parade on the boards, so it was kind of a breath of fresh air to read someone with a different perspective. While I absolutely love FoF, I never saw Paint the Night and therefore won't compare them based on youtube videos. But I think if the nighttime show ever appears again I'll go into it with an open mind.

BTMRR and Splash...two MK classics.

Nice review of Be Out Guest. Sounds like everyone was happy with their food choices, even if they weren't worth the "I gotta reserve at 180 +10 day mark!" craze that surrounds the restaurant. I've only tried the gray stuff on a cupcake before (at a lunch) but I'm happy to hear it worked better on a brownie. I wasn't a huge fan of it on the cupcake, either.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Love your ride photos! Big Thunder and Splash are my favorites.

I am glad you got to go to BOG for dinner. It is a favorite of mine. I have done it 3-4 times now. I will forever love the grey stuff.

Thank you! definitely love that Splash ride photo and largely for people that aren't in my family .... I do wish they had a ride photo for Big Thunder

BOG definitely has that feel of a "special" meal - something that you can do at Disney and really no where else.... the details are amazing! And I found the food overall to be, while not the best we have had at Disney, really quite good and worth of the space

I love your Splash Mountain photo. It's always nice when everyone in the picture is entertaining.

I'm glad you guys enjoyed BOG! It's definitely a nice experience, and the details are so incredible. And the beast is such a gracious host, posing for pictures with all of his guests.

thank you and I agree!

I think "experience" is the best way to describe BOG - it isn't just a meal. And was really neat to meet the Beast there. We met him once a few trips ago when he met with Belle in France and I remember my kids being really intimidated by him, so glad they did pretty well with him this time

It was interesting to read that you prefer Paint the Night over FoF. The latter is a pretty popular parade on the boards, so it was kind of a breath of fresh air to read someone with a different perspective. While I absolutely love FoF, I never saw Paint the Night and therefore won't compare them based on youtube videos. But I think if the nighttime show ever appears again I'll go into it with an open mind.

BTMRR and Splash...two MK classics.

Nice review of Be Out Guest. Sounds like everyone was happy with their food choices, even if they weren't worth the "I gotta reserve at 180 +10 day mark!" craze that surrounds the restaurant. I've only tried the gray stuff on a cupcake before (at a lunch) but I'm happy to hear it worked better on a brownie. I wasn't a huge fan of it on the cupcake, either.

It definitely could have been one of those things where it got built up too much in my head so nothing would meet my expectations - also I just love Paint the Night - something about the energy and music of it, I could watch it 100 times and not get tired of it

Definitely glad to have gotten on Splash since I didn't the first time in MK when the others did - and BTMRR is definitely a family favorite

I think overall we very much enjoyed BOG and are glad to have gotten in for dinner.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 82: At Disney - Day 8: EPCOT
Jumping with Joy!​

Friday woke, bringing with it our last day at Disney and it also meant we would be checking out of Bonnet Creek - so I thought I would first share my thoughts on the resort. Overall I thought it was pretty good. I know, not a ringing endorsement. The grounds were very nice and the location was great. Our room was quite large and while some updates would be nice, everything was in good shape. I think for me the issue I had was it had it's own vibe - it felt like a lot of people on vacation there vs staying there for their vacation at WDW. We have stayed at other time shares in the area and they didn't give me that same vibe. There were a lot of large families having big group parties and grilling and taking up the pool and lazy river, they had cabanas that people would be at all day - and one time I saw a family in one with a very active hookah.... so I don't know, I think it just wasn't really my scene. We enjoyed it but I think there are other places I liked better - though this could be another case of expectations being set really high based on how much I see people raving about it.

Ok, so back to our morning. This was one day I wanted to get up and out early as we had a specific goal to do first thing when we arrived at EPCOT. However with a relatively long day the day before and needing to be backed and checked out of the hotel we just couldn't manage it. I think being at the end of the week and every a bit tired and perhaps cranky (including me) it wasn't the best moment of the trip. But we survived, and got out and over to ECPOT and pulled into our spot at 9:26 according to the time stamp on this photo (I always take a picture as I am terrible at remembering where we parked). So not terrible all things considered (for a 9am park opening) but a bit later than I was hoping for.

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Our goal - the Inside Out meet and greet with Joy and Sadness. Going into the trip this was the one meet that the kids said was a high priority for them so it was a must do - and the one we got custom outfits for - but also one I read up was having relatively long waits. So Judi brought the kids over to get in line while I made another important stop - for some Starbucks!

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In the end we waiting almost 40 mins in lin - definitely our longest wait of the trip - but I can say with 100% certainty that it was worth it. The characters took so much time with us and just created a lot of memories.

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I am sure it is set up this way in that Joy is the first one you meet so of course the kids go in to hug her and Sadness is behind looking, well, sad, that no one is hugging her - but the kids made sure she got some love as well. It also led to one of my favorite parts of the trip (in part, at least, because I enjoy puns) in that Olivia was jumping with excitement and Joy started jumping with her ... so I was able to say that Olivia was literally and figuratively "jumping with Joy"

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For the group photos it also started out cute as Joy took time to pose everyone to ensure a good shot - but I think it worked out as we got some good pictures.

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We were hoping to have time after this meet to go across and meet Baymax, but we were running really short on time for the window for our first FP so had to skip that.

Up next, lots of Living with the Land

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 83: At Disney - Day 8: EPCOT
Hidden Mickey Mother-load!​

As mentioned, our window on our first FP of the day was rapidly closing so we headed right over to the Land pavilion and the Soarin' attraction more specifically

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This was the first time we would be seeing the Soarin' Around the World version - we normally ask to sit in row B1 anyway and heard it was even more important with this version so we were sure to do that. I first went with Peter and Olivia while Judi took Emma on Living with the Land.

I did like how on the pre-show they had the map of the locations you would be going to - and of course I am glad the kept Patrick.

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And I managed a picture of Olivia taking a picture of me right after our flight - with Olivia giving a thumbs up and Peter a Thumbs down as he tends to do until you call him on it and he grins and changes his mind

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So what did we think? I loved it - I thought it was really fun and enjoyed a lot of the new scenes. Funnily, compared to other things (like Festival of Fantasy) this might be one thing were previous reviews lowered my expectations. Specifically talk of really obvious CGI and bad cut screens, etc. - but to me there was only one scene that was very obviously CGId and the cut scenes worked for me just as well as the hard cuts the previous version had

I do think it would be nice if they would periodically bring back the original version (or have like 1 theater showing that one or something) - and I do think they should also create a few more scenes but then randomize them like they do with Star Tours

We then switched and I took Emma on Living with the Land while Judi took the older two back on Soarin' - though Emma fell asleep on me during the ride and I had her sleeping on me in the waiting area at the exit from Soarin' After that though, Olivia and Peter indicated they wanted to ride Living with the Land, so we did that again. So these pictures are from the various trips.

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I caught this warning sign and thought it was very specific about asking you out of EPCOT (guess you could still go to the other parks though)

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They always have such neat things to see - and love that it does change up quite often

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But one of our favorite things about this ride is all the Hidden Mickeys they have ... I believe between the various rides we counted 11 - here are just a few

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Also noticed the sign for the Behind the Seeds tour. I think this is one we would like to do on a future trip and I think the kids would really love it and like getting "behind the scenes" a bit and just do something a bit special

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Up next - lunch ... and more Living with the Land

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part 84: At Disney - Day 8: EPCOT
Sunshine Seasons​

It was now time for lunch - well, a bit early (around 11:20 or so) but we didn't do much for breakfast and with Sunshine Seasons right there we thought it made sense to grab lunch now. Sunshine Seasons is one of our favorites as there is always a lot of options for everyone. It took a little while to get everything for everyone as, of course, people wanted different things from different areas, but it worked out in the end.

I actually got the kids Mongolian Beef meal as it has more than enough food for me and is cheaper than the adult version. The kids split some mac and cheese, a bagel (since Olivia would have bagels at every meal), and tomato soup, and Judi got a seared tuna salad. We also got a creamsicle cupcake and, my favorite, the strawberry shortcake

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Everything was very good - really can't go wrong here and portions are large so we can share and not spend a fortune.

After this we decided to switch it up ... and ride Living with the Land one last time (what can I say, it is a family favorite and, in our opinion, one of the hidden gems at WDW)

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I do love the quotes they have on the walls in the queue - especially the ones from kids, like this one

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Oh, and we found another hidden Mickey:

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After this we decided it was time to finally leave the Land Pavilion as we did have our next FP coming up - which was for Spaceship Earth. Apparently this time I didn't feel the need to take many pictures as it goes right from waiting in line out front, to building our future.

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We hadn't yet placed the energy shuffleboard game (or whatever the official name is) so we took some time to do that (as you can see, Emma had to "help")

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And with that we were done with Future World - but not with EPCOT as we then headed into World Showcase - but that is coming up next!

TTFN

 

[MarbleBob]

Mmm... Strawberry shortcake for the win!!!!

 

[katt789]

Looks like an awesome morning! Still haven't met Joy & Sadness! It's a must do for next trip!
I was clearly not paying attention on Soarin, though, we rode in Shanghai, I totally didn't notice the CGI....or dont remember it at least lol!
That creamsicle cupcake looks amazing!!!

 

[rteetz]

Looks like a great start at Epcot! We waited quite a while for Joy and Sadness as well but like you said it was worth it! They were a really fun meet and greet.

Soarin is a lot of fun. I can't wait to do it with little/no wait at the DIS party. Living with the land is a favorite of mine as well.

That cupcake looks awesome!

I have never even noticed that shuffle board game.

 

[annie170]

Interesting observations regarding Bonnet Creek. Would you stay there again?

I think we waited a good hour to meet Joy and Sadness this past January. You're right, it was worth it. Definitely one of my favorite character meets.

I love the new Soarin' Around the World. We were lucky enough to ride it twice and requested the top row center for the best viewing. Soarin' has always been my favorite ride in all of WDW and I was pleased with the change.

You guys must really like Living with the Land!

It looks good, but I have yet to eat a meal at Sunshine Seasons. The number of fantastic quick service options in WS prevent this. One of these days I will try that strawberry shortcake.

 

[missangelalexis]

Last mornings are tough! But all things considered, you still got to the park at a good time.

I love that pic of the Starbucks lined up with the kids juices.

Joy & Sadness seem to be pretty consistent with providing great meets! The pics are adorable!

Glad you enjoyed Soarin!

Haha sounds like Emma sure got her fill of Living with the Land clocking in at 4 rides! I can definitely tell its a family fave

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Mmm... Strawberry shortcake for the win!!!!

It's just soooo good. And nothing super special or unique about it - just so tasty!

Looks like an awesome morning! Still haven't met Joy & Sadness! It's a must do for next trip!
I was clearly not paying attention on Soarin, though, we rode in Shanghai, I totally didn't notice the CGI....or dont remember it at least lol!
That creamsicle cupcake looks amazing!!!

I think you would love them - they really seem to embody how you would expect the characters to act based on the movie ... really great interaction

Haha, well, the one scene that I could tell was the Taj Mahal - and you are not allowed to fly over it so the only way they could have that in the film was to do CGI ... but the way some people were going on about it I thought it was going to look terrible and fake throughout but I thought it all looked pretty good!

The creamsicle cupcake was very good for what it was - but just doesn't compare to the strawberry shortcake to me

Looks like a great start at Epcot! We waited quite a while for Joy and Sadness as well but like you said it was worth it! They were a really fun meet and greet.

Soarin is a lot of fun. I can't wait to do it with little/no wait at the DIS party. Living with the land is a favorite of mine as well.

That cupcake looks awesome!

I have never even noticed that shuffle board game.

I am glad the meet and greet with Joy and Sadness definitely lived up to our expectations/hopes so I was happy about that - especially since that was the one the kids were most looking forward to

I know! It will be great to ride Soarin' a bunch at the party ... hopefully at least once with Pete and/or his mom. Though I must say getting on Test Track is a priority for me as well since I am yet to ride it!

The shuffle board game is the one my kids always gravitate towards! It is pretty fun (though like a lot of Future World the technology could use a refresh/update)