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

[choirchic]

Hello Everyone! We just got back and I can't wait to share our fun with you!

We are two 30-somethings who spent our 4th Anniversary in The Happiest Place on Earth! It was just the two of us, and it was our First Experience with Free Dining! We had fun figuring out how to use all of our credits and are VERY thankful for all of the wonderful tips given by the people here on the DIS!

My husband is a budding amatuer photographer, so we took a LOT of pictures! Until he gets them uploaded for me, here's a sneak peak at what to expect...

All of our Favorite Experiences Including:

• MNSSHP
• Extra Magic Hours and Night Pictures in the Parks
• Broken Mickey Ears
• American Idol Addiction
• Drinks around the World
• Disney Design-a-Tee
• Characters in Flight
• Disney Bus Fiasco and Personal Escorts
• Jellyrolls
• Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich Obsession
• Dead Flip Flops and Crocs

Food Reports from the following:

• California Grill
• Casey's Hot Dogs
• Tony's Town Square
• Main Street Bakery
• Starring Rolls Cafe
• Hollywood and Vine
• Tune In Lounge
• Earl of Sandwich
• Sanaa
• Tusker House
• Rainforrest Cafe
• Flame Tree BBQ
• Coral Reef
• Beaches and Cream
• All Star Music Resort Dining
• O'Hanas

I hope you Tune in! If you'd like to see the Cast Of Characters, check out my Pre Trip Report here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2175852

 

[Disneymoon09]

I'm in! Cant wait to hear about Cali grill and some others that we have Dec. ADR's for. Especially Sanna, I've tried to get one there but no luck.

 

[choirchic]

Yay! My first Reader! My Husband has just started sorting through the pictures so I hope to start posting sometime this week!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Signing on for more! We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in Disney this August. Looking forward to reading all about your Disney adventures!


Lisa

 

[choirchic]

OK everyone...pics are uploaded! I should be able to start posting this evening! Stay tuned!

 

[ScrappyRN]

Happy Anniversary, I can't wait to see your pics!!

 

[choirchic]

I'm so happy to finally get this started!

DH and I decided to drive this year since we only live in Charlotte. I drove the first half to Savannah...we stayed overnight with some friends, and the next morning he drove the rest of the way. All in all, the drive was not bad...I95 terrifies me, but I was actually able to do it since the southern stretch is not NEARLY as bad as it is up near the DC area...

I started to get excited as the road signs started to appear...

,

It wasn't too long before we arrived at our destination! This year we stayed at All Star Music...it was our first time on property in more than five years! We were very excited!

,

(yes that is rain you see on the windows in the first picture...But that wouldn't spoil my fun!!!)

We got there a little before 2pm and our room was ready! For those of you that are able...I HIGHLY recommend online check in. It was a breeze! There was no waiting in line. I went right up to the counter, got my folder, and it was off to our room.

Up Next...Towel Animals, Transportation, and the California Grill!

 

[choirchic]

As I said, our room was ready when we got there, so we took our parking pass and headed over to our area. We got to stay at the Jazz Inn on the bottom floor. I had originally wanted to stay in the Broadway Section, but after seeing where Jazz was located, I was thankful not to have to do as much walking to our room at the end of the day!

When we got there, these little guys were there to greet us...

,

I had heard about the Towel Animals, but didn't want to expect anything. It was a nice addition!
As we walked into the room, we found this one waiting for us on the bed:

(Anything shaped like Mickey Mouse makes me smile )

After Freshening Up and Changing, it was off to the California Grill to celebrate our 4th Anniversary! I can't tell you how happy I was to have gotten this ADR!

We took Disney Transportation over to MK, and then took the Monorail over to the Contemporary. I'm a Big Fan of Disney Transportation because it allows you to enjoy your vacation and not have to drive everywhere...that being said, buses from the All Stars tend to be a little more crowded then the rest of the resorts so just give yourself time and be patient!

As we were waiting, my Husband took this time to start taking pictures...

Next up...dinner time! Yum Yum and then Some!

 

[choirchic]

So after an adventure in Disney Transportation, we finally made it to the Contemporary. Our ADR was for 7:40. We got there before 7:20 as I was told to get there early and request the window...well, we got seated almost immediately! A nice Cast Member came around to ask us where we were from, and she took this picture for us...

And this was the view from our table...

We were on the dining plan, which we knew would cover our entrees and dessert, but I really wanted to try the Sushi as I had heard it's some of the best on property...let me tell you that it was some of the best we've had! We ordered "The Snake in the Grass" and it was absolutely delicious!

For our entrees I ordered the Beef Filet, which was served with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Zucchini. This was not the best steak I've ever had, but it was definitely tasty.

My husband ordered the Grilled Pork Tenderloin that was served with Goat Cheese Polenta, Button Mushrooms, and a Zinfandel Glaze. Let me tell you, when I tasted this I was sorry I had ordered the Filet...this was moist, delicious, and cooked perfectly. We both thought the polenta was amazing and my husband wants me to try to make it at home! YUMM-O! (They also served it shaped like a Mickey Head!)

Now it was time for desssert! My Husband had the Plumb Cobbler. This was quite unique and tasty. I think it was the special dessert on the menu that night...

I ordered something that I think was called the "Dream Trio" It was Chocolate Mousses with some type of Orange Sauce, Cheesecake with a Pistachio Crust, and Strawberries in a Mojito Sauce...this too was Yummy!

At this point in the meal, it was just barely 9:00 and I had stretched our meal out just about as much as I could. The fireworks weren't until 10 so we decided to grab some comfy chairs in the lounge and grab a couple drinks. My husband had a Mai Tai, and I had some Sangria. Both packed a punch, but were quite tasty!

As we were sitting there, I couldn't believe it but we got the munchies...probably because of all the delicious smells around us. So we decided to get something simple and shared a 3 cheese Flatbread. Let me tell you, I could have had 4 of these bad boys! they were DELICIOUS!!!

It was almost 10 so we decided to venture out onto the observation deck to watch the show. My husband had brought his tripod to take some pictures, but was only able to snap a few before it started to rain. It was still a lovely show. Here's one that we were able to snap...

There were two things I need to point out that I don't recall seeing on these boards before I picked this restraunt:

1) I didn't know the view of the fireworks from up here was so far behind the castle...This took me a bit by surprise, but you get used to it after the first few shots. I DO prefer the view in front of the castle better, but this was an awesome experience.

2) Leaving after the Fireworks is a complete disaster...it was just like leaving a park at the end of the night. The crowd was a little crazy. We waited for 3 elevators before getting on, and the one we were on was jampacked. If we do this again, I would definitely go to the bar for another drink while the crowd passes by.

Once we left the hotel, we took the Bus to Downtown Disney (in an effort to avoid traffic from the MK) From there we took a Bus back to All Star Music. All in all, it was a wonderful place and I think we will definitely try to eat here again!

Next up...First Full Day in MK!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Happy Anniversary! Well, happy past anniversary but you know what I mean.

You guys had a great view from your table. Tell your hubby that I love the picture he took of the Magic Kingdom. Beautiful!

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

Hello,

I would like to read more. Your pics are amazing. Happy Anniversary. Our 20th anniversery is next Sept. I'm trying to convince DH we could go to WDW w/o the kids just this one time. We'll see.

California Grill looks amazing. DO you have to dress-up? You both looked nice.

 

[choirchic]

Happy Anniversary! Well, happy past anniversary but you know what I mean.

You guys had a great view from your table. Tell your hubby that I love the picture he took of the Magic Kingdom. Beautiful!

Thank you very much and welcome! He wishes we could have gotten some of the fireworks, but the rain got in the way of our plans...there's always next time!

Hello,

I would like to read more. Your pics are amazing. Happy Anniversary. Our 20th anniversery is next Sept. I'm trying to convince DH we could go to WDW w/o the kids just this one time. We'll see.

California Grill looks amazing. DO you have to dress-up? You both looked nice.

Thanks! An adults only trip is something special, and I think a great way to celebrate your Anniversary! As for the California Grill, you don't really have to dress up. It's a Signature Restaurant and they supposedly have a dress code, but we saw people there in jeans as well as park attire...We chose to dress up because it was a special night out for us!

 

[choirchic]

After getting in from Dinner the night before, we discussed the next day and decided we were going to sleep in, and then spend our first full day in the Magic Kingdom and enjoy their Extra Magic Evening Hours. This was a great plan!

We took our time waking up and getting ready, put on our Anniversary Pins, grabbed some water from the hotel, and headed over to the park around lunch time. I have to say that the Magic Kingdom has always been my favorite...there's just something about walking through the entryway and seeing the castle. It gets me every time...

Here's my classic Castle Pose...

We then walked straight up Main Street to our usual Lunch Destination, Caseys!

We ordered our usual...my husband loves their Hot Dogs and I Love the Corn Dog Nuggets, so we each used a counter service credit and got a meal...

After our meal, it was time for a short walk through the rose garden and then over to Tomorrowland. We couldn't resist stopping for a few pictures though...

Two of our most favorite things to do over here are try to outscore each other on Buzz Lightyear and ride the TTA, so that's what we did!

After riding these my feet started feeling funny...after a little more walking around, I noticed that my Flip Flops were toast! The soles were completely broken! Disney had killed my flip flops, and it was only the first day!

I have to tell you though, that these shoes were almost 3 years old...but they're old and comfy so I was very sad! I knew I needed to buy another pair of shoes, so we quickly cut over to Adventureland to visit the Croc Kiosk...I missed my Flops already, but I was finally gonna get a pair of Mickey Crocs so I was excited!

Here's the damage done...

And here are my new happy feet...Crocs are SO comfy!

Once my feet were happy again, we walked around Adventureland, rode a few rides, then cut over to Frontierland and rode some more. There was practically no wait on any of the rides. I think the longest wait was 10minutes for Pirates. We love going this time of year! We took a water break and decided it was just about time to head up to Tony's for dinner, so we hopped on the Train and made our way back round to Main Street.

We stopped to enjoy some of the Halloween Decorations, and realized that it was almost time for the Flag Ceremony. If you haven't already seen this, I highly recommend it...

After watching this, we we went over and checked in for dinner at Tony's...stay tuned!

 

[MickeyisBeast]

Great job! I'm joining in! Love the Mickey Crocs!

 

[teedee]

Loving your report so far. Also love the Mickey crocs. I got a pair of Mickey head croc flip flops last time I was there that are the most comfy flops I've ever had, I LOVE them.

Terri

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

Great new Crocs!!!! Can't wait to hear what you thought of Tony's. We like it there.

 

[choirchic]

Great job! I'm joining in! Love the Mickey Crocs!

Loving your report so far. Also love the Mickey crocs. I got a pair of Mickey head croc flip flops last time I was there that are the most comfy flops I've ever had, I LOVE them.

Terri

Great new Crocs!!!! Can't wait to hear what you thought of Tony's. We like it there.

Welcome!

Seriously...these are my new favorite shoes! They got me through the rest of the trip, and now I'm wearing them at home...I don't even care how dorky they look! I like Mickey and I'm proud!

 

[lilmissie]

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

 

[choirchic]

So then it was time for dinner! I got us an ADR at Tony's...for those of you who followed my PTR, you know that DH and I consider this our place. It has such a bum wrap here on the DIS, but I'm here to tell you that it has gotten consistently better through the years...this year was the best so far!

And now for the food...although it wasn't included on the dining plan, we ordered the Tomato and Mozzarella salad as an appetizer. It was alright...when we eat this at home we usually have it with Olive Oil and I thought that was the only thing it was missing. We were also given bread (which I always forget about!)

Now for the Entrees...I ordered the Chicken Parmesan. This was my first time trying this here. It seemed to be the only thing that people really recommend trying so I did, and I was NOT disappointed! It was HUGE, cooked PERFECTLY, and DELICIOUS!

DH had the Spaghetti and Meatballs, it too was good. I'm too particular about my meatballs to order them out (as I'm part Italian and love to cook my own) but he said it was pretty good. Maybe not the best he had, but definitely tasty.

Now for Dessert...I ordered the Sugar Free Sorbet of the Day. Today's flavor was Green Apple. Oh my gosh, this was cool, refreshing, and full of apple chunks and flavor! I couldn't believe it was Sugar Free!

DH ordered the Cheesecake of the Day. Today's flavor was Pumpkin Cheesecake. He said he loves this...he shared a small bite, and I too thought it was yummy. (notice the Lady and the Tramp pic on the plate...that's made with cinnamon!)

All in all, we were quite happy (yet again) with Tony's. I'm quite sure we'll be going back again next year.

After dinner we walked up to the hub for a little bit and took a few pictures...

We still had a little bit of time to kill before the fireworks, so we decided to split a snack before grabbing a spot for the show. I had heard about the fresh made Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches at the Main Street Bakery so we decided to give them a try...well, this was the beginning of an addiction. They are FABULOUS!!!

Before:

And After:

We tore that thing up!!! This was one of many!!!

Next up: Wishes, Extra Magic, and fun with Photos!

 

[mymainmouse]

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!