Disney Killed my Flip Flops, but man I'm Full! Our Anniversary Trip! W/Final Recap!

[teedee]

OH my, that ice cream sandwich looks delicious!! Can you use a snack credit for them or do you have to buy it? Either way I'll have to try one on my December trip.

Terri

 

[choirchic]

I am loving your trip report so far. We were there the 11th-19th.
I know what you mean about Tony's , it gets a bad rap here on the Disboards but it is one of our favorites. Go figure.
Your pictures are great! Can't wait for the rest of your report!

Thanks! I'm glad someone shares our opinion of Tony's...it really isn't all that bad.

OH my, that ice cream sandwich looks delicious!! Can you use a snack credit for them or do you have to buy it? Either way I'll have to try one on my December trip.

Terri

Not only are those Cookie Sandwiches ONE Snack Credit, but you get your Choice of Cookies and Ice Cream too!!! I couldn't believe it!

Interesting TR! I am subbing to hear more about your trip! Definatly excited for an update!

Thanks and welcome!

 

[MEK]

Not only are those Cookie Sandwiches ONE Snack Credit, but you get your Choice of Cookies and Ice Cream too!!! I couldn't believe it!

Wow! That is one awesome use of a snack credit! I will have to remember that for next trip! My DH and I just got back from a short 4 day anniversary trip. We had a blast, too.

Love your TR so far. Looking forward to reading more. I hope to start my TR soon, but haven't even downloaded the pics yet.

 

[choirchic]

Well it was just about time for Wishes, and DH was looking forward to setting up his Tripod and catching a few shots of the show...he's a budding amateur photographer (in fact, he was frequently being mistaken for a photopass photographer...it was kinda funny. ) Here's a pic...

Anyways, we found a spot on Main Street and settled in. It wasn't the best spot, but we enjoyed it none the less. I think the Pics turned out better then he thought they would...Here's the start:

(a little secret about Wishes...Way back when DH and I were still dating I took him to Disney World for the First time...it was here, right at the start of the fireworks that he told me he loved me! My eyes still get a little misty when they start!)

Anyways, back to the show...

Then he caught this one of Tink...

And just a few more until it was over...

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You really won't find a better fireworks show then in Disney!

After the show, we chilled a little bit and let the crowd pass us by...Then we started to make our way around the park so DH could take some night shots during the Extra Magic Hours. Here are some of my favorite shots:

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After these were taken, we pretty much made our way back up to Main Street and were calling it a night...but not before a couple more shots out front!

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We then hopped a bus back to the resort and settled in for some much needed sleep after our first full day in the parks!

Up next: Day 2 in the Parks at the Studios, including Starring Rolls Cafe, Hollywood and Vine, and our new found Idol Addiction!

 

[deslynnpatterson]

WOW i love your castle pictures from at night!! What kind of camera do you and your hubby have? Its awesome I am enjoying your trip report so far I really need to start mine LOL!! This week i hope!! I am currently dealing with disney Depression LOL!!! The food at cali grille looks delicious!!! I am sorry about your poor flip flops but the crocs look really comfy!! I cannot wait to read more

 

[mikamah]

Great trip report so far. Glad I found it. Your pics are awesome, especially the castle shot with tink. Love them. Can't wait to hear more. That is too sweet your memory of the first 'I love you'.

 

[MEK]

Your DH's pictures are exactly why I want to really learn how to take pictures. They are absolutely fantastic. Really some of the best Wishes photos I have seen on the boards. Kuddos to him. thank you for posting. Wow!

 

[Disneymoon09]

Love the pictures! Df and I have a ADR at Cali Grill for our wedding night! So excited to see wishes (we have never seen) from the observation deck, then to see them again from the park.

 

[choirchic]

WOW i love your castle pictures from at night!! What kind of camera do you and your hubby have? Its awesome I am enjoying your trip report so far I really need to start mine LOL!! This week i hope!! I am currently dealing with disney Depression LOL!!! The food at cali grille looks delicious!!! I am sorry about your poor flip flops but the crocs look really comfy!! I cannot wait to read more

I too am dealing with Disney Depression! It helps to know we're going back again next year! I have a basic little pocket point and shoot camera, but his is the Nikon D80...that's what the god shots were taken with.

Great trip report so far. Glad I found it. Your pics are awesome, especially the castle shot with tink. Love them. Can't wait to hear more. That is too sweet your memory of the first 'I love you'.

Thanks! I'm a sentimental girl, but I love Disney World...what else can I say!

Your DH's pictures are exactly why I want to really learn how to take pictures. They are absolutely fantastic. Really some of the best Wishes photos I have seen on the boards. Kuddos to him. thank you for posting. Wow!

You're welcome! I'll be sure to tell him!

Love the pictures! Df and I have a ADR at Cali Grill for our wedding night! So excited to see wishes (we have never seen) from the observation deck, then to see them again from the park.

That's so exciting! Congrats! I hope you enjoy your night!

 

[choirchic]

We got back from a long day in MK and found these guys waiting for us...

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We were very happy with housekeeping this trip, they did a really nice job and there was always some sort of surprise waiting for us! For being at a Value Resort, I was highly impressed!

We slept in again the next morning and after we got going, we decided to head over to the Studios. I love most of the attractions here, but I gotta say that I think this is one Park that needs a makeover...things just seem a little disjointed, and some things are just getting old. Nonetheless, we still had a good day!

After shoving most of our stuff into a locker for the day, we headed over to Starring Rolls for Lunch. This was one my my choices...my husband says it's ok, but I really like it for some reason! I ordered the Veggie Pita, DH got the Turkey Foccacia. We both got drinks, chips and a Fruit Tart for dessert....All of this as a Counter Service Credit for each of us. The food was refreshing, not too filling, and it hit the spot on a hot afternoon.

After lunch, we decided to head on over to the American Idol Attraction to catch a show. I'm a big fan of the show, so I couldn't wait to see what the hype was about...

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This guy warms the Crowd up...

And this is Disney's version of Ryan Seacrest...

Can't forget the Judges...these guys were funny! Just like the real show!

At this point we decided to sit back and enjoy the show...I was pleasantly surprised. The people they picked could sing and we had a really good time watching them. I felt like I was watching an episode of the show! After voting (which is pretty cool) we decided that we were definitely going to get back in time to see the Finale!

After our first Idol Experience, we wondered around the park and rode some rides...Here are a few pics from throughout the day:

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(This made us laugh...they totally made the statue of him in a sweater!)

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And for my personal favorite...

"A-Net-Full-Of-Jello" get it!

After a little more walking around, we decided we should try to get dinner somewhere if we were going to make it to the 7pm Finale Show of Idol. We did not have ADR's anywhere for this day, so we decided to stroll over to 50's Prime Time to see what the wait was...well, they were completely booked. Bummer. So I walked next door to see if there were any openings at Hollywood and Vine...they could take us in 15mins so we said sure! This wasn't our first choice, and I hadn't heard anything good about this place so I was kind of hesitant.

Stay tuned to see what we thought...

 

[teedee]

Wow, you're pics are fabulous! I especially loved your fireworks photos. My sil has that same Nikon, I'm going to make sure he brings it on our June trip! I'm also still loving your tr, can't wait for more!

Terri

 

[choirchic]

Wow, you're pics are fabulous! I especially loved your fireworks photos. My sil has that same Nikon, I'm going to make sure he brings it on our June trip! I'm also still loving your tr, can't wait for more!

Terri

Thanks! DH took most of the pics...he's the photographer in the relationship. If your SIL does bring his camera, I highly suggest he bring his tripod. Tell him not to bother with a locker, just check it with guest services until he's ready to use it...it's free!

 

[choirchic]

So I hadn't read one good review of Hollywood and Vine on these boards...or anywhere else for that matter so I was a bit hesitant about dinner. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised! It's nothing extravagant, and doesn't really have any flair, but the food is typical, All American, and familiar. That made for a good combination in our books!

I'm a big fan of Pull-n-Eat Shrimp so I was in heaven!
There were Salads, Breads, Meats, and plenty of Desserts! Here are a few shots of our plates...

It was also here that I discovered the Magical Star cocktail! LOVE IT!!!

Now it was time to explore Dessert! I neglected to take a picture of the offerings but I was in heaven. There was Ice Cream and Sundae Toppings, Mini Cheesecakes, Brownies, and what became my personal favorite...Key Lime Tarts! Here are a few shots!

I would definitely eat here again. This place had a very chill atmosphere, everyone was nice, and we enjoyed a nice break from the heat.

After dinner it was time to stroll on over to Idol for the Finale! A cast member that we met earlier in the day suggested that we get there early for this show. I'm really glad we did, this was definitely the most crowded performance of the day. Once we got in, we got to watch Seven awesome singers belt it to try and win our votes. It was an AWESOME show!

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This guy won our show...We voted for him! He did a really good job! I forget the title of his song, but I think it was something by Daughtry.

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After the show, we made our way around the park to take some night shots during Extra Magic Hours.

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It was fun spending some time in this park at night...it was nice and quiet (aside from Toy Story Mania - man that place was packed!) After getting our fill of pictures, we made the trek back to the All Star Bus Stop and headed back to our room.

Next up - Day 3 in the World - Characters in Flight, Sanaa, and MNSSHP!

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

These have been fabulous updates!!! The pics are great. DH is our photographer. I think it is great that he takes care of it, then I can just enjoy myself.

I'm glad you liked HandV. We were there once and it was fine. We like 50s PTC a little better.

Can't wait for more.

 

[mymainmouse]

Your husband is an amazing photographer!:
I think I am suffering the same Disney depression as you and the other person. My husband kept telling me I was out of it last week. I don't have anything to plan for at the moment. It is extremely depressing.

 

[choirchic]

These have been fabulous updates!!! The pics are great. DH is our photographer. I think it is great that he takes care of it, then I can just enjoy myself.

I'm glad you liked HandV. We were there once and it was fine. We like 50s PTC a little better.

Can't wait for more.

Thanks for following...We definitely like 50's PTC better, but H&V was not as bad as I thought it was going to be by the reputation it has.

Your husband is an amazing photographer!:
I think I am suffering the same Disney depression as you and the other person. My husband kept telling me I was out of it last week. I don't have anything to plan for at the moment. It is extremely depressing.

Don't worry...the first step in treatment is admitting you have a problem, and I guarantee there's a LOT of us right there with you!

 

[choirchic]

Our third full day in the World put us at Tuesday, September 15th...

We took our time getting up because we knew we weren't going to a park today...we would be going to the MNSSHP later that evening so we wanted a chill afternoon! We ended up spending some time in Downtown Disney!

Our First stop was the Design-A-Tee Store. We had a lot of fun here. Sizes go up to 5x so us "Pooh Sized" people could really have some fun! We started out just playing around, but my husband had a great idea for matching shirts so we decided to go ahead and buy some. You'll have to wait to see them because we didn't wear them until our last day, but I can give you a little sneak peak...

We then made our way over to Earl of Sandwich for a quick meal. I neglected to take pictures of the food but I can tell you that this is one of our favorite Counter Service Restaurants on property so we rarely ever miss it when we're there!

After letting our food settle, we walked over to see if the Characters in Flight Balloon was running (as it was kind of windy today) We had to wait about 20mins but we were able to buy tickets!

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This thing is so much fun! The view from up there is not to be missed. It was well worth it's $16 per adult price tag. Be prepared to wait because it is hit or miss because of the wind, but this is a Definite Must See. I think the next time we do it, we'll try to ride at night.

After our balloon adventure, we walked over to the busses and grabbed one going to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I had a late lunch/early dinner ADR at Sanaa planned so we could have a good meal before heading to the Halloween Party. We both thought Sanaa was one of the most relaxing places that we have ever eaten. If you're lucky, you might get to see one of these guys (or gals )

I once again forgot to take pictures of our entrees but I can at least describe them. I ordered the Tandoori Chicken (which is quite similar to a greek chicken pita sandwich) and DH got some sort of Pork Chop with Sauce and Fresh Spinach. Neither of us had ever had food like this, and we really enjoyed it. It was light, tasty, and refreshing!

You readers will be happy to know that I remembered to take pictures of our Desserts!

I ordered the Coconut Rice Pudding and DH ordered the Sampler.
This was a good combination of things because it allowed us to try a little of everything.

The Rice Pudding was quite unique. This was Cold, and only mildly flavored. The sampler had Mango Pudding, Egg-Less Chocolate Cake, and Cardamom-Butter Cake. All Three were yummy. DH's favorite was the Mango Pudding, I thought the Cardamom-Butter Cake was tasty.

When you order dessert, just remember that they will not be anything like our typical American "sweet" desserts. They are only mild flavored and rely on the flavor of the ingredients rather then sugar. Just wanted to warn you so you could enjoy them better...

We had some time to kill before heading over to the Halloween Party, so once we finished dinner, we wandered over to the Lodge to take some pictures. This place is Beautiful! I hope to one day get to stay here!

If you ever get the chance to visit or stay here, don't get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Disney. Take time to look around!

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After taking in the sights, we strolled on down to the bus stop to head over to the Magic Kingdom for the party!

Next up: MNSSHP!

 

[mymainmouse]

I just realized we were at DHS on the same day. We went to the American Idol show at 11 or so. A woman won the show we went to. She was a music teacher from Georgia. I guess from your post that she didn't win that night. She had a pretty voice.

The balloon ride looks really cool. It is amazing how close Spaceship Earth looks to Downtown Disney.

That dessert looks tasty. I might have to put Sanaa on the list for next year.

Great update!

 

[mymainmouse]

Don't worry...the first step in treatment is admitting you have a problem, and I guarantee there's a LOT of us right there with you!

Well, now that I have admitted that I have a problem I think the best fix would be to plan another trip.

 

[MEK]

I love your updates. It sounds like you had such a great job. I was wondering how the singers at AI would be in September, because they were really good in June. I thought they might drop a notch or two with the lighter crowds.

I also enjoyed dinner at H&V. I thought they had a great variety of food and I love shrimp, too.

More fab pictures from your DH. The balloon ride looks fun and Sanaa sounds yummy. I really want to eat there.

Can't wait to see the Halloween party pictures!