Are you freaking kidding me?! A Magical Proposal and Trip! Aug/2012 TR

[dmoore718]

Getting caught up!!! We also got engaged at WDW...at Epcot, after Illuminations! Now we enjoy taking pics at our proposal spot with our 3 daughters!!! Enjoy!!

 

[princessbride6205]

Love the trip report! Congratulations on your engagement!!

 

[DisneyDreamingInMI]

I'm very late to the game but am joining you for the rest of your report. I've really enjoyed reading so far - it looks like you had a wonderful trip. And congratulations on your engagement! How wonderful that the Photopass photographer was able to capture all those wonderful memories for you! You guys make an adorable couple and you seem so very happy!!!

 

[cbeeindisney]

Lovin the report! I teared up more than I would like to admit during the proposal lol Can`t wait to see the rest of your trip!

Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to writing more soon!

You had me at Butterfinger cupcake...

That's some good stuff!

All caught up.

The proposal pics were great.

Seems like fun times.

Looking forward to more.

Thank you!

It was the best trip! Thanks for reading along!

Getting caught up!!! We also got engaged at WDW...at Epcot, after Illuminations! Now we enjoy taking pics at our proposal spot with our 3 daughters!!! Enjoy!!

Aw, that must've been perfect! Congratulations on a very magical engagement (regardless of when it was!) That's so perfect! Maybe we will be doing the same thing in the future!

Love the trip report! Congratulations on your engagement!!

Good! I'm glad you like it! Thank you and thank you for reading along!!

I'm very late to the game but am joining you for the rest of your report. I've really enjoyed reading so far - it looks like you had a wonderful trip. And congratulations on your engagement! How wonderful that the Photopass photographer was able to capture all those wonderful memories for you! You guys make an adorable couple and you seem so very happy!!!

Thank you so much! Well, I'm glad you're here now and reading We had a lot of fun, that's for sure, and I can't wait to tell more about it! Thanks for joining in!

 

[cbeeindisney]

I'm so sorry, I have been getting some very nice responses to my first trip report and our engagement, so thank you- but I have been unable to take time out to write more posts, but I promise I will jump right back in and have more soon! I can't wait to share more about our great trip with you and I hope to post more soon! Stay tuned!

 

[cbeeindisney]

After a great day in Cape May looking at wedding venues, I decided that I HAVE to add onto this trip report! A little bit of wedding planning and a WHOLE lot of back to school has prevented me from doing so, so I'm back and ready to march onto Restaurant Marrakesh! After a very rainy day in AK, it was nice to get back to POP and relax, shower, and nap before heading out again into the World. DF and I woke up and were happy to see that not only had the rain stopped, but it was beautiful out! Isn't that the beauty of Florida?!

Morocco is at the top of our list of favorite pavilions, although I really couldn't pick a definitive favorite, but it's up there! I love the idea of going through these tunnels and stumbling on a hidden shop or restaurant. It's just a unique experience! Here are some pictures from our tour in Morocco...

Restaurant Marrakesh is easily our favorite restaurant in all of WDW, I don't find too many comments about this eatery, but it was a great find for us and we'll keep going back whenever we're there! My sister and brother-in-law had tried it on their honeymoon and said they really disliked it, so DF and I went back in 2009 with an open mind to try it out- boy, were we happy we did! No wonder I always say how different our (DF and I) tastes are from my sister and her husband! I remember I had the shish kabobs with hummus, and I had never tried hummus before, now I eat it all the time! DF had the lemon chicken and was equally happy with his meal! This time we went for some new dishes and were just as happy!

Our view from inside the restaurant..

Our bread to start-

DF's meal-

He ordered the chicken kabobs and was very happy with his meal- he had never had couscous before and couldn't stop eating it!

My meal was the couscous m'rouzia fassi-

I can't pronounce it, but I can tell you it was my favorite meal of this trip!! Get this dish!!! It was wonderful- the beef was braised in caramelized onions, honey, raisins, and topped with an egg all on top of couscous- just a plate of deliciousness!

To wrap up our meal, we decided to get the bastilla for two, we had this our first time here and we loved it-

He put a candle in their for our engagement celebration- our waiter was so nice and funny! He made the dinner even more pleasurable for us! He took a picture for us and put his fez on me

Like I said, this is a must-do repeat restaurant for us! If you haven't gone, GO! Live entertainment, belly dancer, great staff, even better food!

After dinner, it was still pretty early and a really nice night, so we decided to take a tour and walk through the boardwalk and walk through the Swan hotel. We decided to be a bit spontaneous and caught the Friendship boat to HS, since this would most likely be our last time in that park, so hey! why not?

The sign looks so nice at night! This really was an impromptu trip to HS and we really just went to get some last minute pictures before we went back to the resort. I tried to convince DF one last time to ride TOT, but he said no way and I didn't feel like waiting without him, so we grabbed a few last shots from the Photopass photographers and headed home with our bellies full and happy

 

[scottny]

yum. I do agree about Marrakesh.

Sounds like a good night so far.

 

[cbeeindisney]

I feel terrible about not finishing my first TR, I have literally just started to get back on the Disboards after a bit of a hiatus, but I want to jump back in and finish up the report! I started about a month after I got home, the hurricane came to NJ, I switched jobs, got a few long-term substitute teaching positions, in the midst of hopefully getting another new job, and here I am, a bit side-tracked, but now ready to go!

I hope I still have some followers, because this was really a great trip for us! I hope those of you that are worried about going in August, worried about the heat, the rain, the crowds, etc... know that whenever you go, you will have an awesome time, because it's the best place to be in the world, even in 110 degree heat and surrounded by sweaty bodies! Anyway, I left off on a night in Hollywood Studios. We had park hopped, starting in AK, then jumping to Epcot for dinner (Marrakesh, YUMMO!) and then ending in HS by boat. Talk about making the most of a day!

I'll leave off HS with a couple more pictures, because I LOVE this place at night, the lights and the streets are so nice at this time! This was also the last time seeing this park for the remainder of the trip, so I was trying to remember it for another couple of years.



From our travels to Tattooine... Da Da Da Da Da Da Da (That sounded like Star Wars when I wrote it..)



And then comes Grumpy, whoever said a Disney vacation is relaxing anyway? He's a little tired (and tired of my camera!)



So as you can see, it's morning time and we are headed to MK!!! Yayy!!! For the last time, NOOO!!!

This time, we wanted to get to everything that we had missed. Again, if you're worried about going in August-don't! We got to everything that we wanted to get to that first day, so we were just going to ride things again, see and ride things that we didn't mind skipping over before. One of those rides is this...



I don't know how you feel about this one, I like it, but I can also do without it. That being said, I feel guilty going to WDW and not going on it. It's nostalgic and a tradition, but it's eh in my book.



I seriously have to put this on my bucket list, I have no idea why I haven't gone on the Riverboat by now, but I always look at it in awe and say "I really need to go on that next time!" Well, we didn't, but I took a picture, so that's kind of the same thing, right?



And if you remember me saying about DF on our first time around in MK, he cursed me through the entirety of SM, (right after he proposed, how sweet of him!) He was petrified! Guess what? He wanted to go on again, and this was one of two rides that we rode AGAIN in the park! I'm so happy I converted him and he's not such a big baby!




The two kids behind went on without their parents and they were so cute (and brave!) I loved hearing their conversation and their anticipation as we rode through, it made the ride really fun for us. We love going as adults and being alone and have that flexibility, but this is really what makes Disney such an awesome place-there are so many times that you see children that are seeing or doing things for the first time or again, or you catch some of their conversations and you can see and hear that they are having the best time, you see their great reactions, funny moments, and it's one of those times that I get really excited to have my own kids and to be a part of that someday! And to have someone as excited about Disney as me in the family! This kid won't know what's coming to them!

Anyways, aside from my crazy, little side-note, we stopped in the Harbour House for some lunch (and air-conditioning!)

DF had the fried fish and broccoli (at this point, he said he had to skip the fries and try to fix his veggie deficiency from this trip! Me on the other hand, I'll take a healthy heap of potatoes any day!) He said it was okay, but really, a QS meal in MK is just that, a QS meal.


I had the fried shrimp and I really liked it, it was a switch-up from the normal chicken nuggets that I would get, so it was good! The chocolate cake was mmm mmm good!


A few goodbye pics...


I love Main Street balloons, I will get one next time! I don't know where I'm going to put it, but they make me happy and I love looking at the balloon bunch and wishing I had one!


And, oh yeah, I'm leaving this trip wearing a souvenir I picked up in MK...



This was different for us, because I usually end all of my WDW trips with MK, but it was time to say goodbye and it always gets me a little emotional, because I never know when I can come back!

Next up, another park hop over to Epcot for a wunderbar meal in Germany! See you soon!

 

[WrenMatilda]

Love this trip report! Congratulations!

 

[Anna114]

 

[cbeeindisney]

Love this trip report! Congratulations!

Thank you!

Thanks for joining in!

Back to that same night, we jumped on over to Epcot (or took the Disney bus), and got ready for a new restaurant experience at the Biergarten. But first, I got some advice from a CM at HS to try one of these babies, and yes, it was worth taking the advice!



If you are in the France pavilion, get a Grey Goose slushie, if you are not in the France pavilion, go there and get a Grey Goose slushie! It was dee-licious! I'm not big on drinks or alcohol, but I have two exceptions to this 1. be in Disney 2. and if it comes in slushie form. And this covered both of those exceptions!

I absolutely love the both China and Japan pavilion and their shopping areas. I could go crazy in there! I still haven't picked up one of the Japanese tea sets that I have my eye on, but until then I just love browsing and (surprise!) taking more pictures!



So peaceful in that shop isn't it? Love it. And it just so happened that it started raining and we were stuck here for a bit while the rain cleared! Oh darn!



Next up on our little drinking journey around the world before dinner was La Cava del Tequila. I had read many things about this little destination in the Mexico pavilion and I was super excited to try it out! It feels like a little hole in the wall to the right when you walk into the pavilion, but the decor is very nice, light is low, nice ambiance, relaxed feel, perfect for a quick drink and snack!







We ordered guacamole and chips to share and DF ordered a beer and I ordered a Tequila Sunrise. We enjoyed the rest and drink break. We got to get off our feet and slow down for a bit and that was nice! I recommend this little joint, get a drink, take a break, get some chips and have a few laughs (at least that's what I did! I told you I'm not a drinker and two drinks in- I was tipsy and giggly!) As we were leaving, we saw Donald coming in, it must've been raining outside, because he usually sets up shop outside the pavilion. We lined up right away! I am not a big fan of parents that assume that we are not as anxious to see a character as the kids and therefore, push them in front of us on line- I know we are two adults, and I understand we don't have children of our own, but I am just as excited to see the characters. It just gets me upset, that's all. We would never call out these people, it's too much to have a confrontation with someone when you're in the happiest place on earth. Anyways onto the duck...



I was really happy that we got to see and take pictures with so many characters this time around, the princesses, Mickey and Minnie, Chip and Dale, Donald, Baloo, King Louis, makes me happy

Another stop in the shops in Germany to pick up my bracelet, we collected these as we went through the pavilions, mine are the USA and German bracelets, (I wish they had an Irish one so I could cover all of my background) and my Italian DF is the other wrist.



And here were are...our final destination! Biergarten,



I have been so excited to try this restaurant, but also a little nervous- I knew it was a buffet and DF has crazy allergies. Cucumbers, bananas, hazelnuts, coconuts, melons, raw carrots, peas, the list goes on... so we talked with the chef and he was very nice and told him what to eat and he would bring him desserts from the back so it didn't mix with the watermelon or anything else he may be allergic to. With spoons going back and forth between foods, we didn't want to take any chances. We probably wouldn't do a buffet again, just because it's too worrisome, because they were very accommodating.



We started with the German beer flight to really kick my tipsiness up a notch


Yum, yum, good.

My reservation was for 5:30 so that we would catch the 5:45 show.



And then onto this.. Sorry for it being so dark.
Chicken Schnitzle, German sausages, baked salmon, red cabbage, sauerkraut. Pretty good.



But I really couldn't wait to get to this buffet...



I was so full and I had such high hopes, but I could only manage to eat some of the pudding. Good stuff!



I don't think it'd be worth it for us to go back again, unless we were with a bigger party or kids. I'm glad we tried it, I'm glad I finally saw the interior, but the food was just ok, and I would rather pick somewhere else to go. The entertainment was great, the interior was awesome, and "2 out 3 ain't bad."

We called it the end of another park day and went back to our little POP room and went for a night swim in an almost empty computer pool. Can you believe it was August?!

Up next, a little more POP, a little more Epcot, a little more Disney Stick around!!

 

[cbeeindisney]

Even though we're exhausted, sleep-deprived, and out of money, we don't want to go!!

Needless to say, this was a bittersweet morning, and we were headed to the parks for our last full park day! As I had said, MK is my usual last sight before leaving any Disney vacation, however Epcot has become a shared favorite between DF and I. This park was the park that got DF from "Disney is just for kids" mentality to "I don't ever want to go anywhere else" mind-set. So it's special and we love it!

So we began our morning like all the others, in Classic Hall with a POP breakfast. I don't know if I wanted to wait 'til the last day, so I would have something to look forward to, but I have been craving one of these since our vacation was booked and I waited so long to get it . Here it is, the official...

POP waffle!!



Where else can you get one of these in Disney? Nowhere, just for those special POPers!

Watching some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse..



and watching DF finish his POP breakfast, an egg croissant, cheese, and bacon. Can't go wrong with this one! Had this earlier on the vacay and it was very good!



Really, there's no better way to start any morning!

WARNING: Last Day= Crazy photo lady! Need to remember everything!!







This was where we stayed, 3rd floor...









Ok, that's enough of my POP montage.. we were on our way to DD for the very last time!





Still have not gotten my own candy concoction here, but I looked on to see some scrumptious things being made and this'll be on my Disney bucket-list next time around!!



I've said this before, but I LOVE shopping for Christmas decorations and ornaments, DF thinks I'm nuts when I bring home another ornament, in the middle of summer, for a tree we don't own yet, I'm nesting and preparing for our beautiful Christmas tree in our someday home!! He wouldn't understand! So this combines, my favorite two things, Christmas and Disney! Needless to say, I go a little crazy in here! We got many more ornaments to add to our first night collection!



It was a beautiful day, we were very lucky! I would've been really bummed if we had a rainy day (for some reason that only happens when we're in AK).



We really just walked around a bit, got some last minute purchases, and then went on over to Epcot, our real destination!

Next up...a very Epcot day

 

[LisaKeys]

Glad you're finishing up your TR! Enjoying the photo's and the food reviews. I read the last 4 posts including yesterday's.

You must see Finding Nemo next time you visit AK. It's an excellent show! You won't be disappointed. Very beautiful and heartwarming.

Looking forward to your final day in Epcot.

Hope to read you soon.

 

[cbeeindisney]

Glad you're finishing up your TR! Enjoying the photo's and the food reviews. I read the last 4 posts including yesterday's.

You must see Finding Nemo next time you visit AK. It's an excellent show! You won't be disappointed. Very beautiful and heartwarming.

Looking forward to your final day in Epcot.

Hope to read you soon.

Thank you! I'm glad someone is reading along!

We actually saw Finding Nemo, not this last time, but in 2009 when we first went together. I agree, it was a great show, definitely Broadway caliber!

 

[disneysunshine85]

Just read your whole trip report. Sounds like an awesome trip! congrats on your engagement!!!!

 

[cbeeindisney]

Just read your whole trip report. Sounds like an awesome trip! congrats on your engagement!!!!

Thank you, it was a really great trip! Glad you're reading!

 

[mkissa]

Congrats on your engagement! I am really enjoying your review.

 

[cbeeindisney]

Congrats on your engagement! I am really enjoying your review.

Thank you!! I appreciate you reading!

Okay Disers, this is it. The bittersweet ending to our awesome Disney vacation. We were so happy to be able to take this trip, this was our first big trip that we paid for on our own! There is no way I could have imagined that this trip would turn into an engagement celebration! Seeing MK that first big park day and being proposed to in the same day was a big bag of emotions and happiness and it was a dream come true!

We were on our way to Epcot, as I have said, MK is my usual last sight before leaving DW. That last sight of the balloons down Main Street, the train station, and a tearful farewell to the castle is the perfect ending, however Epcot is a mutual favorite between DF and I. Epcot was the park that got DF from the "Disney is just for kids" mentality to the "I never want to go anywhere else when we go on vacation!" state of mind! So it has a special place

Here we are...

EPCOT!





It was a beautiful day, sun was shining, sky was blue, and, of course, there was the heat! But by this time, DF and I considered ourselves to be officially recruited to the Disney World in August fan club! With cooling bands around the wrist, fans with misters, LOTS of water, and the occasional dump of ice water in my hat to cool off, we were good to go! All that being said, if we had kids, this would be a totally different story- if I had to carry a child in that heat or push a stroller uphill, I might die that time of year!

Yep, I would've like to take a jump in here-





We skipped through Future World and went right to WS! Who doesn't love WS?! I don't think there are people exist who can say they don't love it!! There's shopping around the world, drinking around the world, snacking and eating around the world, oh, and did I say shopping around the world? I think I lost all my money here on this trip! Today, we were doing our snacking around the world, with a side of drinking!

We went the unusual way and hit Canada first. We were on our way to our first snacking stop! Can you guess where we are going? Here's a hint...

"There goes the baker with his tray like always, the same old bread and rolls to sell. Every morning just the same since the morning that we came,
to this poor provincial town."

Let's get through some eye-candy first before we get to our foodie destination!







Here's our dinner stop, but first...



we could hardly wait for France's Patisserie We decided to begin and end our WS tour in a very French way, oui oui!

DF stepped outside to find a seat, because we knew we wanted to take our time and enjoy our selections! Seating is hard to come by at this stop, but now I know they moved, expanded, and there is ample seating at their new location, so we are excited to go next time! DF was outside, so that means I get to make the final decisions

How to choose, sweet or...



savory?



I'm a sweets girl all the way!

Here's what I decided on-

Ham and cheese croissant, is YUM!



Toasted French bread with cheese and tomatoes, this was ok, but I liked my other choices more!



Cream and puff pastry, what is there not to love?



This was my favorite by far! The Napoleon, love, love, LOVE!



Chocolate eclair with chocolate cream filling, was so so good! Never had chocolate filling inside of an eclair before and it was perfection!

 

[cbeeindisney]

So we stuffed our faces, and got up to walk it all off and eat more at the next pavilion! We walked through the Japan pavilion and DF bought me another souvenir

Let's see which one I picked...



I love blue- this one was so pretty, and the the lady at the counter put my name in Japanese on it.



And we walked outside and were fortunate to catch the show! So exciting!



We headed to Germany, so DF could get a German beer, while he did that, I went into the Karamel Kuche! Did I mention that DF and I were in the same German class in high school (however, we never spoke to one another , strange how things work out!) So anyways, we try to pretend we can still speak German, we probably sound ridiculous to those passing us by, but we try! I met DF in the seating area right outside of the Biergarten with this..

German beer and pretzels should be on everyone's Disney bucket list!



And I got this from the Kuche (kitchen)

Caramel covered in dark chocolate, sprinkled with Sea Salt!



This was very good, however, I wasn't able to finish it- very rich, and I already had my fill of sweets from France, but I just had to try a little!

We walked through to Mexico and here's DF with more beer (this time Norwegian) and a sombrero! This is what they mean when they say multicultural, right?

 

[cbeeindisney]

By this time, it was time to walk back to France for our dinner reservation. We had an early ADR, so that we could get back to the room, pack and maybe go for a swim.

Chefs de France is our traditional last night meal for many reasons, DF loves it here, it's beautiful at night, and it's romantic. I was looking for this restaurant to redeem itself for me, I liked it, but it's not my favorite meal and last time, we had a waitress that wasn't very nice and I was hoping for a waiter that would make me forget about that! I was also excited to see Remy!

Pretty, pretty, pretty.



We were given these pretty yellow menus..



and a nice loaf of warm French bread with butter.



I began with French onion soup with melty cheese. Loved this!



We got repeat meals, DF got the roasted chicken, he loves this meal!



I always have such high hopes for the macaroni and cheese, because it sounds so darn good, and I always hope I'll like it more, it was the same and I had the same reaction to this dish. It was good, definitely not the best meal I've had in Disney.



I really just wanted dessert anyway

Creme Brulee, my favorite! This is always delicious! We committed a terrible food reviewers crime, we ordered the same dessert! We love it too much!



Remy came around! The man pushing the cart, however, stopped at every table around us, and went right by us I still got a good picture though!



It was still very light out when we got out, so we took one more picture with our Photopass, and headed back to POP!



I have to admit, I was a little sick of the kissing pose! I asked every Photopass photographer to pose us, since I pre-ordered the CD, I want as many different pics as possible, and since they saw our Just Engaged buttons, that seemed to be the "go to" pose, some are cute, but how many pictures do you want of you two kissing? Take a look at DF's face, the photographer had us hold this pose for a long time!

Ok, so we hopped on one of our POP buses and got back to our room to pack, SO SAD

We got our bathing suits on and went for a night swim, again in the computer pool, we might have been 2 of 4 people in the pool this night!







DF high-fived Mr. Potato Head goodbye and we reluctantly went back to our rooms, getting in bed shortly after, early, early wake up call for an early plane ride home to NJ in the morning.



You would never believe how many takes this took to get this shot, I did one too, but it was much more embarrassing and I'd rather throw DF under the bus first!

Undeniably, it's hard to go home after any vacation, but leaving a Disney trip goes through many stages, and is unlike any other. First denial, "We'll be here for 8 days, it'll be so long until we have to go home!" And of course, it flies by! Next, sadness, "But I don't want to go home!" Then, withdrawal. This is the worst one! Withdrawal symptoms include, constantly pricing a vacation, scrolling the Disboards- jealous of others' countdown tickers, daily talk of Disney (annoying all family members and significant others). And eventually, anxiousness for yet another happy vacation to the World!

Right now, I'm anxious! It may be a ways away, but we are getting married in Nov. 2014, and in the summer of 2015, we will be in Disney for our honeymoon and it'll be here before we know it! And we'll start all over again Until then, I hope you enjoyed my first trip report!! Thank you so much for reading along