cheshiregoofy22
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2015
Loving your report!! I get all excited when i check and see an update! Thank you!
5, 4, 3, 2, FUN! 02/28 - 03/04 Disneyland Trip Report *Completed 4/18*
- Thread starter mindylee847
- Start date
mindylee847
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2012
Glad you conquered your fears and did the swinging cars ... but I assume once was enough
We loved the Cove Bar! I must say though that they messed up my wife's drinks too (the first one so badly she had to send it back, and the 2nd was ok, but not great) so wonder if that is a bit of a trend there. I just got beer and no issues with that. The Lobster nachos are amazing - but yeah, definitely not for someone who doesn't like shellfish
Bummer about not getting to do that drawing class - that was a great line-up of characters to draw! But great you got to meet Oswald and Newsie Mickey! Those were definitely two characters I would have liked to meet (but no one else in the family had interest so I lost out)
Your meal at Tratoria looks great! I had read mixed (or even below) of that place prior to our trip but based on your review and some others I now kinda wise we did that instead of Carthay as our WoC package. Oh well - another reason to go back!
That is great you got such a good spot for WoC - it really is a great show (though I agree with you about Star Wars and Frozen parts not flowing as well - that is one complaint I hear from people that have seen the new and older show is that the older one flowed better as a complete show)
Wow, I can't believe that hostess shoed you away with her hand! definitely not the best start to the morning
So glad you enjoyed Hyperspace Mountain. having gotten to do Ghost Galaxy I now really want to do the Hyperspace version!
I actually told my husband I'd give it another shot on the Fun Wheel next time as long as it is a STATIONARY car!! That swinging one is the worst.
I've never heard any complaints about the Cove Bar so I thought it was really weird and assumed it must have just been an off time for them - I mean, I did door bust the place.
And you should definitely insist on seeing Oswald and Newsie Mickey next time! Oswald had no wait when we went to see him and we didn't wait too long for Mickey! I hope you can convince them!
Definitely do Tratoria if you can! It was one of my favorite experiences of the trip!
I've always wanted to do Ghost Galaxy, but I feel like the Star Wars version was just perfect!
Thank you! We were in Downtown Disney every day. It was the only way back and forth so we'd browse through shops each night on the way back.
Gosh that is so true - Disneyland mornings are absolutely perfect!! What better way to start your day??
I'm headed to DLR for the first time ever, and my first solo trip too, I'm solid with planning WDW but this is a whole new ball of wax for sure! Thank you for your TR it is making it much easier to figure some things out for sure!
Thanks for joining!! I hope I am helping you and if you have any questions I will try and answer! You'll have an amazing time! I'm usually a WDW goer myself so this was definitely a different, more laid back approach to planning. You'll get it!
Thank you!! So glad you are enjoying it!
mindylee847
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2012
Quick and crazy update! My husband and I decided on a last minute WDW trip to check out the Flower and Garden Festival at the end of May and for his birthday!!! 
We figured we could squeeze in another trip really quick so why not? We are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge - our first deluxe! Just wanted to share.
Day 3 - Part 2: Super Meet and Greets!
I last left you off as we were entering the Launch Bay! On our way in, we noticed the line for the Jedi Training. This line was COMPLETELY insane. It wrapped all around the Launch Bay building so I definitely suggested running for that if you want to sign up your kiddos!
We headed straight over to meet the characters. It was just about 10 AM at this time so there was barely a line for Kyle Ren.
I really liked the added touches to the queue, but I most liked how you couldn't even see the character until it was your turn. Kylo walked up to us and was INCREDIBLY intimidating. He saw us and waved us in and said "Come".
You end up making stupid faces because you're so intimidated:
So this was pretty cool. He's very in character... but I could see how little kids wouldn't enjoy this at all. He was very direct and short just like in the movie. I heard that he does throw tantrums sometimes if you say the wrong thing and could even boot you out of the room! So be careful.
After visiting the dark side, we headed over to the light. This queue was also set up in a similar fashion.
Ahsoka's lightsaber!!! I wish I had more time to check these out but there was NO LINE to meet the wookie!
This was one of my favorite meet and greets hands down! Chewy was wonderful! He gave the best hugs and was super nice.
I definitely recommend seeing him.
After that we toured around the rest of Launch Bay checking out the details.
Here's the cantina where I heard you can meet a specific Bounty Hunter... but he wasn't around - must have been out doing his job!
After that we headed up to Superhero HQ!
The queue for Thor was extremely detailed and even had a story line where you traveled to Asgard. It was really amazing.
There was a show where he asked a little boy to pick up his hammer and everything. It was adorable. When it was our turn, he told Mike to be one of his good friends, Iron Man, and for me to be Black Widow.
Next up was one of my favorite superheroes of all time - Spider-Man!! This queue actually had a bit of a wait. I think we were in line about 20 minutes here. TOTALLY worth it.
We were having a deep discussion here:
I just love Mike's face in this picture. Clearly excited!
After Mike telling Spider-Man that we were off to sell his pictures to J. Jonah Jameson, we walked around headquarters some more.
We checked out both of the shops here and then realized we needed some food. La Brea had not filled us up properly! We headed straight for Galactic Grill.
We ordered both specialty lemonades.
The Dark Side - All-natural Odwalla Lemonade and strawberry, with a souvenir light-up Death Star.
The Light Side - All-natural Odwalla lemonade and Granny Smith apple, with yogurt meteors and a souvenir light-up Millennium Falcon.
Both of these were great! I drank most of the dark side though because the light side was pretty sour for my liking - but Mike LOVED it. I really enjoyed those little "meteors" in his drink!
We also ordered the vegetarian option here.
Wicket's Wicked Veggie Sandwich - Portobello and vegetable sandwich served with fresh fruit or French fries
Weirdo.
As we were eating, the Jedi show began. We watched only a few minutes of it but it was well done and pretty exciting!
We came across a fun photo op of a ride I knew I wouldn't be able to ride with my TMJ. We did it and it was really fun!
Next, we headed over to Toon Town. We hadn't been in Toon Town for quite a while since it's gone from Disney World now.
There was quite a bit of construction being done so that was weird to see. We were headed towards Roger Rabbit. It had a posted wait time of 20 minutes, but we waited no more than 10. I also received the special red card on this ride to track the wait time!
I love Roger Rabbit, but this ride is pretty dizzying. I'm glad we didn't wait too long for it but the queue was really great with lots of detail!
Coming up next - our first Disneyland afternoon!
We figured we could squeeze in another trip really quick so why not? We are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge - our first deluxe! Just wanted to share. Day 3 - Part 2: Super Meet and Greets!
I last left you off as we were entering the Launch Bay! On our way in, we noticed the line for the Jedi Training. This line was COMPLETELY insane. It wrapped all around the Launch Bay building so I definitely suggested running for that if you want to sign up your kiddos!
We headed straight over to meet the characters. It was just about 10 AM at this time so there was barely a line for Kyle Ren.
I really liked the added touches to the queue, but I most liked how you couldn't even see the character until it was your turn. Kylo walked up to us and was INCREDIBLY intimidating. He saw us and waved us in and said "Come".
You end up making stupid faces because you're so intimidated:
So this was pretty cool. He's very in character... but I could see how little kids wouldn't enjoy this at all. He was very direct and short just like in the movie. I heard that he does throw tantrums sometimes if you say the wrong thing and could even boot you out of the room! So be careful.
After visiting the dark side, we headed over to the light. This queue was also set up in a similar fashion.
Ahsoka's lightsaber!!! I wish I had more time to check these out but there was NO LINE to meet the wookie!
This was one of my favorite meet and greets hands down! Chewy was wonderful! He gave the best hugs and was super nice.
I definitely recommend seeing him.After that we toured around the rest of Launch Bay checking out the details.
Here's the cantina where I heard you can meet a specific Bounty Hunter... but he wasn't around - must have been out doing his job!
After that we headed up to Superhero HQ!
The queue for Thor was extremely detailed and even had a story line where you traveled to Asgard. It was really amazing.
There was a show where he asked a little boy to pick up his hammer and everything. It was adorable. When it was our turn, he told Mike to be one of his good friends, Iron Man, and for me to be Black Widow.
Next up was one of my favorite superheroes of all time - Spider-Man!! This queue actually had a bit of a wait. I think we were in line about 20 minutes here. TOTALLY worth it.
We were having a deep discussion here:
I just love Mike's face in this picture. Clearly excited!
After Mike telling Spider-Man that we were off to sell his pictures to J. Jonah Jameson, we walked around headquarters some more.
We checked out both of the shops here and then realized we needed some food. La Brea had not filled us up properly! We headed straight for Galactic Grill.
We ordered both specialty lemonades.
The Dark Side - All-natural Odwalla Lemonade and strawberry, with a souvenir light-up Death Star.
The Light Side - All-natural Odwalla lemonade and Granny Smith apple, with yogurt meteors and a souvenir light-up Millennium Falcon.
Both of these were great! I drank most of the dark side though because the light side was pretty sour for my liking - but Mike LOVED it. I really enjoyed those little "meteors" in his drink!
We also ordered the vegetarian option here.
Wicket's Wicked Veggie Sandwich - Portobello and vegetable sandwich served with fresh fruit or French fries
Weirdo.
As we were eating, the Jedi show began. We watched only a few minutes of it but it was well done and pretty exciting!
We came across a fun photo op of a ride I knew I wouldn't be able to ride with my TMJ. We did it and it was really fun!
Next, we headed over to Toon Town. We hadn't been in Toon Town for quite a while since it's gone from Disney World now.
There was quite a bit of construction being done so that was weird to see. We were headed towards Roger Rabbit. It had a posted wait time of 20 minutes, but we waited no more than 10. I also received the special red card on this ride to track the wait time!
I love Roger Rabbit, but this ride is pretty dizzying. I'm glad we didn't wait too long for it but the queue was really great with lots of detail!
Coming up next - our first Disneyland afternoon!
missangelalexis
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2012
How exciting that you're going back to WDW in just a couple of months! AKL is my dream resort to stay at!
Cool pics with Kylo Ren and Chewy! And Thor's setup is pretty neat.
Love the Matterhorn photo op pics!
Cool pics with Kylo Ren and Chewy! And Thor's setup is pretty neat.
Love the Matterhorn photo op pics!
cheshiregoofy22
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2015
Yay! You're going to WDW at my all time FAVORITE time! Flower & Garden Festival is AWESOME! 
Great pictures! (Millennium Falcon Face! - ha!) Thanks for another terrific update! Happy DL afternoon! (yikes, exclamation point overload...can't help it.)
Great pictures! (Millennium Falcon Face! - ha!) Thanks for another terrific update! Happy DL afternoon! (yikes, exclamation point overload...can't help it.)
mindylee847
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2012
I really never expected to be able to stay there for quite a few years! I was actually looking at staying at POP or All Star Movies and my husband just said to check out the prices for AKL with the Spring Discount and it's totally affordable for us for the long weekend! Also - this means I can finally get the AKL mug! Mike said I couldn't have it until I stayed there.
The Matterhorn photo op was so much fun! I loved being able to play around with different poses and what not.
Yay! You're going to WDW at my all time FAVORITE time! Flower & Garden Festival is AWESOME!
Great pictures! (Millennium Falcon Face! - ha!) Thanks for another terrific update! Happy DL afternoon! (yikes, exclamation point overload...can't help it.)
I'm totally into exclamation points too! Disney is just way too exciting!!!
I'm so excited to experience Flower and Garden Festival. We'll be spending two of our three days there!!
mindylee847
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2012
Day 3 - Part 3: Bippity Boppity!
After visiting Toon Town, we decided to swing by the castle.
We had never done the walk through before so we decided to do that. We clearly didn't have much of an agenda since we knew we had another two days in the parks so it was really a go with the flow kind of day.
I definitely enjoyed this. I thought it was a nice added touch to the castle. It wasn't too crowded and it was pretty easy to get through.
After that we started wandering around again. We figured we'd head towards Critter Country to check out the wait times for Pooh and maybe get another snack. On the way, we saw Louis walking over to the boat so we followed him!
After that amazing meet and greet, we got distracted!
The wait was maybe about 20 minutes. This ride is clearly superior to the one in Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Pirates is one of my top favorite rides and this one is really just fantastic. Although, it is missing the mermaids which I think is a great touch in WDW. Definitely a chilling experience.
After that, we made our way over to Haunted Mansion.
The wait time was around 25 minutes and I knew I couldn't stand there for that long without getting too into my head about my dad's suicide so we got fastpasses.
Time for a happy ride to get outta my head!
The wait was posted as 5 minutes and I think that's about as long as we waited.
I loved the upgrades to this ride. I remember finding this ride severely lacking back in 2008 but I think they've definitely touched it up over the years - unless I just am remembering it totally wrong! The story line for this Pooh ride is much more like an acid trip than the story in WDW that flows more along with The Many Adventures. Apparently I'm pretty particular about my Pooh rides. I do like that this queue doesn't have the disgusting honey wall that all the kids touch and lick, so that was a huge plus! 
Time for a snack!
We usually don't have regular marshmallows because of the horse thing but Mike really wanted a rice krispy treat so I told him to cheat a little.
I got the cake pop that was shaped like a bumble bee!! It was so chocolately and so moist - it was heaven!!
We had some more time to kill before our fastpasses so we wandered back towards Fantasyland.
Mike was in love with the sword shop they had. I had to tell him no multiple times.
Next up was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride! We waited about 15 minutes or so.
I really like being able to wait outside in California. The fresh air is so welcome compared to being in a stale, smelly, air conditioned tight corridor like so much of WDW.
After our trip to hell, we walked down a path to find another character!! There was a character attendant at the end of the line so we were a little disappointed and asked if the line was closed. He let us squeeze in as the last family! As we waited in line, we saw that a duck had claimed the castle as his.
We met the Fairy Godmother!! She was so wonderfully sweet and so adorable. Although, she did remind me a bit of Robin Williams and his Mrs. Doubtfire character. Nonetheless, absolutely perfect.
Next up we headed to the Haunted Mansion. I was okay... for the most part, until we got in the stretching room.
*Warning: Please scroll to the next picture if you don't want to read about my dad's suicide.*
I got into the stretching room and focused on the pictures. I kept telling myself that this was just a moment to get through, that my dad made a choice for just a moment in his long journey as a soul and spirit. This doesn't represent him, nor do the sounds of the plank dropping properly represent how he did this. He jumped down the attic hole, not by releasing a chair with a thud. Everything will be fine. I shoved my fingers in my ears and shoved my face into my husband's shoulder. It wasn't enough to block the sounds. I found out what I really hate about the audio... how it talks about how there is no way out. How desperate that can make someone and how that is how my dad felt. That this was literally the only way. I just started to cry. It was over in seconds, but it felt like hours. We waited until the crowd pushed through as I get pretty claustrophobic in that room with all the shoving and bottlenecking and I wiped my tears and continued slowly into the line.
Mike tried pointing out all of the details we had missed since we've only ridden the ride during Halloween when Jack takes over the mansion. I really tried to focus on that and appreciated what he was doing. I stopped crying and made it onto the ride. We unexpectedly stopped right in front of the celebration in the dining hall and I felt as if it were a sign from my dad. As if, everything is okay now. It put a wave of relief over me and I got really excited to see the Hat Box Ghost coming up.
The Hat Box Ghost was SOOOO cool. I'm glad I made it onto this ride and was able to see him. I don't think I'll be able to go on this ride for a while though, but I'm glad I did it the once.
I'm going to stop there for today. Coming up - our dinner and night activities!!
After visiting Toon Town, we decided to swing by the castle.
We had never done the walk through before so we decided to do that. We clearly didn't have much of an agenda since we knew we had another two days in the parks so it was really a go with the flow kind of day.
I definitely enjoyed this. I thought it was a nice added touch to the castle. It wasn't too crowded and it was pretty easy to get through.
After that we started wandering around again. We figured we'd head towards Critter Country to check out the wait times for Pooh and maybe get another snack. On the way, we saw Louis walking over to the boat so we followed him!
After that amazing meet and greet, we got distracted!
The wait was maybe about 20 minutes. This ride is clearly superior to the one in Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Pirates is one of my top favorite rides and this one is really just fantastic. Although, it is missing the mermaids which I think is a great touch in WDW. Definitely a chilling experience.
After that, we made our way over to Haunted Mansion.
The wait time was around 25 minutes and I knew I couldn't stand there for that long without getting too into my head about my dad's suicide so we got fastpasses.
Time for a happy ride to get outta my head!
The wait was posted as 5 minutes and I think that's about as long as we waited.
I loved the upgrades to this ride. I remember finding this ride severely lacking back in 2008 but I think they've definitely touched it up over the years - unless I just am remembering it totally wrong!
The story line for this Pooh ride is much more like an acid trip than the story in WDW that flows more along with The Many Adventures. Apparently I'm pretty particular about my Pooh rides. I do like that this queue doesn't have the disgusting honey wall that all the kids touch and lick, so that was a huge plus! Time for a snack!
We usually don't have regular marshmallows because of the horse thing but Mike really wanted a rice krispy treat so I told him to cheat a little.
I got the cake pop that was shaped like a bumble bee!! It was so chocolately and so moist - it was heaven!!
We had some more time to kill before our fastpasses so we wandered back towards Fantasyland.
Mike was in love with the sword shop they had. I had to tell him no multiple times.
Next up was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride! We waited about 15 minutes or so.
I really like being able to wait outside in California. The fresh air is so welcome compared to being in a stale, smelly, air conditioned tight corridor like so much of WDW.
After our trip to hell, we walked down a path to find another character!! There was a character attendant at the end of the line so we were a little disappointed and asked if the line was closed. He let us squeeze in as the last family! As we waited in line, we saw that a duck had claimed the castle as his.
We met the Fairy Godmother!! She was so wonderfully sweet and so adorable. Although, she did remind me a bit of Robin Williams and his Mrs. Doubtfire character. Nonetheless, absolutely perfect.
Next up we headed to the Haunted Mansion. I was okay... for the most part, until we got in the stretching room.
*Warning: Please scroll to the next picture if you don't want to read about my dad's suicide.*
I got into the stretching room and focused on the pictures. I kept telling myself that this was just a moment to get through, that my dad made a choice for just a moment in his long journey as a soul and spirit. This doesn't represent him, nor do the sounds of the plank dropping properly represent how he did this. He jumped down the attic hole, not by releasing a chair with a thud. Everything will be fine. I shoved my fingers in my ears and shoved my face into my husband's shoulder. It wasn't enough to block the sounds. I found out what I really hate about the audio... how it talks about how there is no way out. How desperate that can make someone and how that is how my dad felt. That this was literally the only way. I just started to cry. It was over in seconds, but it felt like hours. We waited until the crowd pushed through as I get pretty claustrophobic in that room with all the shoving and bottlenecking and I wiped my tears and continued slowly into the line.
Mike tried pointing out all of the details we had missed since we've only ridden the ride during Halloween when Jack takes over the mansion. I really tried to focus on that and appreciated what he was doing. I stopped crying and made it onto the ride. We unexpectedly stopped right in front of the celebration in the dining hall and I felt as if it were a sign from my dad. As if, everything is okay now. It put a wave of relief over me and I got really excited to see the Hat Box Ghost coming up.
The Hat Box Ghost was SOOOO cool. I'm glad I made it onto this ride and was able to see him. I don't think I'll be able to go on this ride for a while though, but I'm glad I did it the once.
I'm going to stop there for today. Coming up - our dinner and night activities!!
missangelalexis
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2012
I'm glad you enjoyed the castle walkthrough!
Great pictures with Louis, what a cool M&G!
The Winnie the Pooh treats you got are SO cute!
I'm sorry to hear you had a tough time with the stretching room at HM
But Mike sounds like he is a great source of comfort <3 and I'm glad you got to enjoy the ride (and Hatbox Ghost) after that!
Great pictures with Louis, what a cool M&G!
The Winnie the Pooh treats you got are SO cute!
I'm sorry to hear you had a tough time with the stretching room at HM
But Mike sounds like he is a great source of comfort <3 and I'm glad you got to enjoy the ride (and Hatbox Ghost) after that!
TheMaxRebo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2008
The Launch Bay looks really cool and glad the character encounters were still good. I was glad to see Kylo Ren came off as intimidating as I was wondering how that would be in person as he obviously is physically smaller than Darth Vader, so just wasn't sure if the same feelings would be there
I really liked the Roger Rabbit queue but was a little disappointed with the ride itself. Not bad, but just not as great as I was hoping
Love that Matterhorn photo op!
Sorry to hear how the stretching room got to you but obviously very understandable. I am glad Mike was there for you to help you focus on the details and that you were able to see the stopping by the party scene as a positive sign! I am glad you got through it! .... and got to see the Hat Box Ghost! I too thought he was very cool but felt it would have been even better if more of a special location for him and you got more time to take him in
I really liked the Roger Rabbit queue but was a little disappointed with the ride itself. Not bad, but just not as great as I was hoping
Love that Matterhorn photo op!
... um, licking? Kids do that?!?!?I do like that this queue doesn't have the disgusting honey wall that all the kids touch and lick, so that was a huge plus!
Sorry to hear how the stretching room got to you but obviously very understandable. I am glad Mike was there for you to help you focus on the details and that you were able to see the stopping by the party scene as a positive sign! I am glad you got through it! .... and got to see the Hat Box Ghost! I too thought he was very cool but felt it would have been even better if more of a special location for him and you got more time to take him in
OregonMomToWDW
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2012
So many posts since I have been away. Love that you booked a quick trip to WDW. Glad you rode Haunted Mansion, although it sounded a bit rough for you. I am super excited to ride Hyperspace Mountain. We have never waited in the Thor line and he will be gone by the time we go in June. We have done Captain America a few times. He has us do the Avenger poses too. I am excited for the Star Wars meet n greets. It looks like fun.
I should get to work. Thanks for the updates.
I should get to work. Thanks for the updates.
mindylee847
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2012
So this is only true for some marshmallows but because they contain gelatin, they can contain some animal parts. People say it's horse hooves, but I think the norm in the US now is certain pig parts are used in the creation process. But who really knows? I find contradicting articles all the time. I'm not fully sure of what/how they are exactly made but I usually just avoid marshmallows in general because of this. I usually will get the vegan marshmallows at the store if I even need them in the first place - we don't eat a lot of sweets at home. 
lwanthony
Music Man
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2009
My wife and I love the castle walk through! it's a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds for a few minutes, and there are quite a few charming touches of magic in there.
As for the snacks, if you have never tried the peanut butter cookies from Poohs corner you have to do it! they are a bit of heaven on earth. so moist and yummy!!!!!!!
Still lovin' your report, you guys are touring just like my wife and I do and it's fun to follow along!
-Lane
As for the snacks, if you have never tried the peanut butter cookies from Poohs corner you have to do it! they are a bit of heaven on earth. so moist and yummy!!!!!!!
Still lovin' your report, you guys are touring just like my wife and I do and it's fun to follow along!
-Lane
buttercup3
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2015
Good for you for going on HM anyway- It sounds like it may have actually helped with the healing process. I just want to say I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your experience and not just skipping over that part!
mindylee847
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2012
Thank you all for being so supportive. I feel like being open and honest about what I'm going through is really helping me and I'm glad that you are all willing to listen to/read what I'm saying. It really means a lot to me. This community is so amazing.
Day 3 - Part 4: Painting the Night!
I last left you off with us riding Haunted Mansion. After that, we didn't have more than 30 minutes until our dining reservations at the Blue Bayou. I went over to the podiums to check in but was told to come back when they had only 10 minutes left to go. Disneyland is definitely a way different experience when it comes to dining. I was really finding that the CMs doing check ins just did not have the same sort of magic as others and were annoyed with me more than anything for bothering them "early". So we went about our ways and wandered around the shops in the area. I went back at ten minutes before our reservations and forgot to mention that I was celebrating graduating - kept forgetting that. But she got a phone call and put up a finger so I just walked in to the waiting area and sat there instead. I didn't have time to deal with her attitude - and I wouldn't let it bother me. I was about to eat at the Blue Bayou!
We didn't wait more than five minutes until our name was called and we headed in. I did not request a water table, so of course that's not what I received. We were kind of in the middle in view of the kitchens and the bayou at the same time. These tables were CLOSE together. So close that I could hear all the other conversations around me and I probably could have reached out and touched other people's tables. The servers couldn't even walk through the tables and they had to go around the long way to get to the people. The kitchen was also really loud and we could barely hear the bayou sounds that you hear going through on Pirates.
We did receive the light up menus.
We received the bread service pretty quickly and our server was really nice overall - she just seemed super rushed. Not the type of service I was expecting.
The sweet potato bread was literally magic. This was probably my favorite part of the meal. If you're one of those "skip the bread to eat more of the food" kinda people, don't do that with the sweet potato bread!
We put in our entire order right away - appetizer, entree, and dessert. I ordered a flavored lemonade here. I feel like I had quite a few options and went with peach, but I can't remember if that is accurate or not. Mike just got plain ol' water.
We both ordered the Blue Bayou House Salad. Nothing to write home about here. Typical salad.
Mike ordered the Pan-Seared Salmon.
Pan-Seared Blackened Salmon - Cajun-spiced, served with Herb Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, Tomato-Caper Relish, and Basil Beurre Blanc
This was really good. I'm normally not a salmon person but Mike insisted that I try a bite. Yum!
I ordered the only vegetarian option on the menu - the Portobello Mushroom and Louisiana Popcorn Rice.
Portobello Mushroom and Louisiana Long-Grain Rice - Served with a Roasted Corn, Sun-dried Tomato, and Bell Pepper Macque Choux, Seasonal Vegetables, and Balsamic Reduction
This was horrible. There was so much balsamic taste to this dish that I could not even stomach it. The mushrooms were a bit too hard to easily cut so it was a lot of work to just eat a mushroom. This is a problem for me because I have bad wrists and some elbow issues. In traditional fashion, Mike and I traded plates since he could handle more of the balsamic taste than I could.
I say this is tradition because when we ate at Cafe Orleans in 2008, the vegetarian dish I ordered there was absolutely disgusting. So he gave me his salmon then and he ate my monstrosity. Then he proposed! What a horrible dinner but such a happy ending.
Our server came by and noticed we had switched and asked if he would like her to just bring out a second salmon instead but Mike isn't one to waste so he said no. So don't feel bad about him eating my mess. He had the choice to opt out and get the delicious salmon!
Next up was dessert.
I ordered the Lemon Creme Brulee Tart.
This was good but Mike ended up eating most of it.
He ordered the 8-Layer Hazelnut Chocolate Cake.
And of course, I ate most of that. These were good. I'm not really super into sweets (most of them always contain milk/cream) so others may love these more than I did.
I believe we were outta there within 45 minutes to an hour. We primarily did this for the reserved viewing for the fireworks which I will talk about later. Based solely on the food and atmosphere here for me, I don't think I'd go back. If we had had a water table, perhaps my views would be different but if you can't even make one veggie dish alright I tend to not be interested in coming back. It's just some veggies, guys! I felt rushed and crowded the entire time... and like I said, the kitchen was so loud. The atmosphere was really ruined.
Welp, onwards!
We decided to tour around on Main Street for a while and scope out where the reserved area was and also just start looking for a present for my mom as a thank you for watching the cats.
We really wasted a lot of time shopping. To the point where it was already almost 7. So I walked over to the reserved seating section and just sort of starting lining up behind two other families. A CM came over and told us to go waste some time in the shops or something as they wouldn't start seating until 7:30. We decided to head over to Tomorrowland to pick up something I'd been dying to get.
I picked up my BB-8 sipper cup and it was about 7:15. No real time had passed at this point but we walked back over as we were ready to just sit and wait for the parade. We noticed a slightly longer line of people now waiting for the spot so we got in line too. The CM came over again pretty angrily and told us to disperse and go do something else. What else was there for me to do?? I paid for a spot to place my behind and I was ready to do so after two and a half days of lots of walking. The street was filled with people sitting already (not in our section) so what's the harm?
The line kind of dispersed into the middle of the street blocking people who were just trying to leave or shop. This was a mess. There was a man who was angry who had paid for the third time for this reserved spot and he said that every time they do this he always ends up standing still and that he wouldn't move. Well, I didn't pay for a standing spot. I paid for prime curb view - or so I thought? Or at least somewhere I'd still be able to sit.
People lined up and then were yelled at again. This happened ever 3 minutes or so. The CM said that the line wouldn't necessarily start next to the sign and could start anywhere in the vicinity. This didn't make sense to me... why wouldn't it start off to the side of the road... not in the way?
Well... guess what? it started randomly in the middle of the street behind a lady with a glow light. So a mad rush was made to get in line behind her. I feel like there was some actual shoving. This was insane. Plus all the random people not in line kept walking by and it was too chaotic for me to really deal with.
Luckily we were one of the first people in this line and received a curb spot, but most of the people ended up having to stand behind us and were even told that they were in charge of not letting random guests into the reserved space???
People were not pleased. Having just spent however much money on dinner, being told to go away multiple times, and then being stuck standing and having to be their own guards for that space??
Based off of this experience alone, I would absolutely not recommend the Blue Bayou package. My claustrophobia was at its peak here (and in the restaurant) and the whole thing was just way too stressful. I would have preferred to just grab a sandwich from the Jolly Holiday bakery and snag a seat on the curb myself an hour and a half early. I would have hated to be one of the people stuck standing too. You were allowed to sit but were told you had to stand 10 minutes before the parade started.
There was also a woman with a son who absolutely needed to sit due to a disability and was SO completely stressed out over this entire situation. She clearly didn't make it in the line quick enough so we all tried to squeeze so he could sit next to us. One of the CMs did finally notice this and escorted them to a handicap spot. At least there was that....
I tried to focus on how excited I was for the parade. I was stuck next to Grumpy though who would not stop complaining and actually saying really rude things to the CM. Hey, I was mad too but I wasn't going to actually yell at them for doing what management told them to do. I've considered writing at email to Disney to let them know how I felt about this, and maybe I still will... has anybody else had an experience like this for the PTN package?? Maybe we just had a really bad night. I can't imagine what this is like when it's really crowded.
I did take this really awesome picture of BB while we were waiting, though.
Eventually the parade started and it was AMAZING!!! This is by far my favorite parade that Disney has at the moment. It was beautiful and the music is so perfect.
My pictures don't do it justice.
After the parade was over, we scooted into the middle of the street. We should have probably gone up a bit more as I couldn't see the projections on the castle that well, but from here we were able to really enjoy the projections on the Main Street buildings. This was a far better experience than it was on Sunday night from the E-Ticket Club. The projections are really such a big part of this show. I really loved seeing Nemo too!!
After that we headed out... probably walked through World of Disney again that night on the way back to the hotel and hit the hay. Another great Disney Day!! (Minus all the stress.)
I was really pumped for the next morning because the Easter Egg Hunt was starting!!!
I feel like being open and honest about what I'm going through is really helping me and I'm glad that you are all willing to listen to/read what I'm saying. It really means a lot to me. This community is so amazing.Day 3 - Part 4: Painting the Night!
I last left you off with us riding Haunted Mansion. After that, we didn't have more than 30 minutes until our dining reservations at the Blue Bayou. I went over to the podiums to check in but was told to come back when they had only 10 minutes left to go. Disneyland is definitely a way different experience when it comes to dining. I was really finding that the CMs doing check ins just did not have the same sort of magic as others and were annoyed with me more than anything for bothering them "early". So we went about our ways and wandered around the shops in the area. I went back at ten minutes before our reservations and forgot to mention that I was celebrating graduating - kept forgetting that. But she got a phone call and put up a finger so I just walked in to the waiting area and sat there instead. I didn't have time to deal with her attitude - and I wouldn't let it bother me. I was about to eat at the Blue Bayou!
We didn't wait more than five minutes until our name was called and we headed in. I did not request a water table, so of course that's not what I received. We were kind of in the middle in view of the kitchens and the bayou at the same time. These tables were CLOSE together. So close that I could hear all the other conversations around me and I probably could have reached out and touched other people's tables. The servers couldn't even walk through the tables and they had to go around the long way to get to the people. The kitchen was also really loud and we could barely hear the bayou sounds that you hear going through on Pirates.
We did receive the light up menus.
We received the bread service pretty quickly and our server was really nice overall - she just seemed super rushed. Not the type of service I was expecting.
The sweet potato bread was literally magic. This was probably my favorite part of the meal. If you're one of those "skip the bread to eat more of the food" kinda people, don't do that with the sweet potato bread!
We put in our entire order right away - appetizer, entree, and dessert. I ordered a flavored lemonade here. I feel like I had quite a few options and went with peach, but I can't remember if that is accurate or not. Mike just got plain ol' water.
We both ordered the Blue Bayou House Salad. Nothing to write home about here. Typical salad.
Mike ordered the Pan-Seared Salmon.
Pan-Seared Blackened Salmon - Cajun-spiced, served with Herb Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, Tomato-Caper Relish, and Basil Beurre Blanc
This was really good. I'm normally not a salmon person but Mike insisted that I try a bite. Yum!
I ordered the only vegetarian option on the menu - the Portobello Mushroom and Louisiana Popcorn Rice.
Portobello Mushroom and Louisiana Long-Grain Rice - Served with a Roasted Corn, Sun-dried Tomato, and Bell Pepper Macque Choux, Seasonal Vegetables, and Balsamic Reduction
This was horrible. There was so much balsamic taste to this dish that I could not even stomach it. The mushrooms were a bit too hard to easily cut so it was a lot of work to just eat a mushroom. This is a problem for me because I have bad wrists and some elbow issues. In traditional fashion, Mike and I traded plates since he could handle more of the balsamic taste than I could.
I say this is tradition because when we ate at Cafe Orleans in 2008, the vegetarian dish I ordered there was absolutely disgusting. So he gave me his salmon then and he ate my monstrosity. Then he proposed! What a horrible dinner but such a happy ending.
Our server came by and noticed we had switched and asked if he would like her to just bring out a second salmon instead but Mike isn't one to waste so he said no. So don't feel bad about him eating my mess. He had the choice to opt out and get the delicious salmon!
Next up was dessert.
I ordered the Lemon Creme Brulee Tart.
This was good but Mike ended up eating most of it.
He ordered the 8-Layer Hazelnut Chocolate Cake.
And of course, I ate most of that. These were good. I'm not really super into sweets (most of them always contain milk/cream) so others may love these more than I did.
I believe we were outta there within 45 minutes to an hour. We primarily did this for the reserved viewing for the fireworks which I will talk about later. Based solely on the food and atmosphere here for me, I don't think I'd go back. If we had had a water table, perhaps my views would be different but if you can't even make one veggie dish alright I tend to not be interested in coming back. It's just some veggies, guys! I felt rushed and crowded the entire time... and like I said, the kitchen was so loud. The atmosphere was really ruined.
Welp, onwards!
We decided to tour around on Main Street for a while and scope out where the reserved area was and also just start looking for a present for my mom as a thank you for watching the cats.
We really wasted a lot of time shopping. To the point where it was already almost 7. So I walked over to the reserved seating section and just sort of starting lining up behind two other families. A CM came over and told us to go waste some time in the shops or something as they wouldn't start seating until 7:30. We decided to head over to Tomorrowland to pick up something I'd been dying to get.
I picked up my BB-8 sipper cup and it was about 7:15. No real time had passed at this point but we walked back over as we were ready to just sit and wait for the parade. We noticed a slightly longer line of people now waiting for the spot so we got in line too. The CM came over again pretty angrily and told us to disperse and go do something else. What else was there for me to do?? I paid for a spot to place my behind and I was ready to do so after two and a half days of lots of walking. The street was filled with people sitting already (not in our section) so what's the harm?
The line kind of dispersed into the middle of the street blocking people who were just trying to leave or shop. This was a mess. There was a man who was angry who had paid for the third time for this reserved spot and he said that every time they do this he always ends up standing still and that he wouldn't move. Well, I didn't pay for a standing spot. I paid for prime curb view - or so I thought? Or at least somewhere I'd still be able to sit.
People lined up and then were yelled at again. This happened ever 3 minutes or so. The CM said that the line wouldn't necessarily start next to the sign and could start anywhere in the vicinity. This didn't make sense to me... why wouldn't it start off to the side of the road... not in the way?
Well... guess what? it started randomly in the middle of the street behind a lady with a glow light. So a mad rush was made to get in line behind her. I feel like there was some actual shoving. This was insane. Plus all the random people not in line kept walking by and it was too chaotic for me to really deal with.
Luckily we were one of the first people in this line and received a curb spot, but most of the people ended up having to stand behind us and were even told that they were in charge of not letting random guests into the reserved space???
People were not pleased. Having just spent however much money on dinner, being told to go away multiple times, and then being stuck standing and having to be their own guards for that space??
Based off of this experience alone, I would absolutely not recommend the Blue Bayou package. My claustrophobia was at its peak here (and in the restaurant) and the whole thing was just way too stressful. I would have preferred to just grab a sandwich from the Jolly Holiday bakery and snag a seat on the curb myself an hour and a half early. I would have hated to be one of the people stuck standing too. You were allowed to sit but were told you had to stand 10 minutes before the parade started.
There was also a woman with a son who absolutely needed to sit due to a disability and was SO completely stressed out over this entire situation. She clearly didn't make it in the line quick enough so we all tried to squeeze so he could sit next to us. One of the CMs did finally notice this and escorted them to a handicap spot. At least there was that....
I tried to focus on how excited I was for the parade. I was stuck next to Grumpy though who would not stop complaining and actually saying really rude things to the CM. Hey, I was mad too but I wasn't going to actually yell at them for doing what management told them to do. I've considered writing at email to Disney to let them know how I felt about this, and maybe I still will... has anybody else had an experience like this for the PTN package?? Maybe we just had a really bad night. I can't imagine what this is like when it's really crowded.
I did take this really awesome picture of BB while we were waiting, though.
Eventually the parade started and it was AMAZING!!! This is by far my favorite parade that Disney has at the moment. It was beautiful and the music is so perfect.
My pictures don't do it justice.
After the parade was over, we scooted into the middle of the street. We should have probably gone up a bit more as I couldn't see the projections on the castle that well, but from here we were able to really enjoy the projections on the Main Street buildings. This was a far better experience than it was on Sunday night from the E-Ticket Club. The projections are really such a big part of this show. I really loved seeing Nemo too!!
After that we headed out... probably walked through World of Disney again that night on the way back to the hotel and hit the hay. Another great Disney Day!! (Minus all the stress.)
I was really pumped for the next morning because the Easter Egg Hunt was starting!!!
cheshiregoofy22
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2015
Wow! I was stressing because we really wanted to try BB but it's closed when we're visiting - not stressing anymore! Thank you for that!! Glad you managed to get a place to watch the parade - and a BB-8 cup. Wicked cute. From what I've been reading, I think a lot of folks have been having trouble with that reserved parade area and its seemingly odd policies. Hopefully they'll make it work better soon! Glad you didn't let it spoil your evening. Thanks again for your report and all the great pictures!
OregonMomToWDW
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2012
Sorry that the entire Blue Bayou dining package seemed a bust. I will be prepared to do the hour and half sitting. I will probably feel like I need a break. Love the BB-8 sipper cup.
disneyguy4life
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2015
I am envious of your trip. My last trip in 2013 my wife and I did the World of Color package at Carthay Circle. The Prime seating really wasn't worth it. The food was good but I wouldn't do that again. You are a trooper. It can be really hard to deal with bad management, ill tempered guests, etc. when you know you are paying good money for it. But you handled yourself well. I can't wait to hear more about your trip and your take on the Easter egg hunt. I've heard it is okay.
wehrengrizz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2015
Thanks for continuing a great TR!! I'm loving seeing all the detail you include, and you've reaffirmed my plan to NOT do PTN dining packages...I'm not sure on WOC, I'm really trying to decide if the special viewing area is worth food I might not care about LOL! I love your BB-8 cup, my problem is at least 3 of my 5 kids will want one if I get it and bring it home haha! I'm hoping your CM encounters became a little more bearable on the rest of your trip, sounds like you had a couple of bummer experiences in that department!
missangelalexis
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2012
I'm sorry to hear your experience at Blue Bayou wasn't a good one
Wow, the reserved area sounds so chaotic! I'm very surprised to hear this and there are definitely a lot flaws that they need to work out!
I'm glad you enjoyed the parade though, and the fireworks the second time around!
Wow, the reserved area sounds so chaotic! I'm very surprised to hear this and there are definitely a lot flaws that they need to work out!
I'm glad you enjoyed the parade though, and the fireworks the second time around!
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