Disney to the Rescue - A Walt Disney World Trip Report

[family3indisney]

Wow, the bugs would send me over the edge. Can handle the love bugs but not roaches. I was scarred for you reading your story but glad it worked out.

 

[Jaybird6]

Wow, the bugs would send me over the edge. Can handle the love bugs but not roaches. I was scarred for you reading your story but glad it worked out.

Thanks! I was scared, too!

I din't know what I would have done if I had not thought to call Disney and see if they had anything available.

 

[Jaybird6]

Day 4 - EPCOT, Part 2 (August 15th)

I am so glad that we decided to cover EPCOT over two days, instead of trying to see it all in one. We got up early, again, and made our way to the park. First up on today's Touring Plan was Test Track and Mission: SPACE. We had decided the night before that since we enjoyed Green so much, we would try Orange today. I brought some crystallized ginger with us, just in case it upset our stomachs.

The wait for Test Track was so short that we grabbed Fastpasses and rode it twice. The first time we pretty much walked right on. We were the only ones in the car!

A car to ourselves.

While we waited for our Fastpass window, we jumped in line for Mission: SPACE Orange. I felt so brave trying something I was so worried about. When we rode Green last night DH and I were the only ones in the "pod". This time we were with a young boy and his father. Originally his mom and sister were going to ride, but the little girl decided it was too scary. The boy ended up being the commander, and when the spotlight hit him DH and I saluted him. He got a kick out of that.

At first, I really enjoyed the ride. I got a thrill feeling that "liftoff" gravity. Once we started our decent onto the planet, though, I started to feel nauseous. I stopped enjoying the ride and started concentrating on breathing and not being sick at that point. I was super glad when the ride finally stopped. DH said he wasn't quite queasy, but wasn't feeling too hot, either. We decided to sit for a moment outside the shop and munch on some ginger. We both decided that we were glad we tried Orange, but agreed that we never would again. After a little rest, and the assurance I wasn't going to be sick, we headed back to Test Track with our Fastpasses.

We didn't get our car this time, but still enjoyed the ride. My tummy wasn't too happy with the outside part after Mission: SPACE, but I still enjoyed it.

As you can probably see, I tried to raise my arms for the photo this time since I knew where the camera was, but didn't get them up fast enough. Oh well, it's still a cute picture.

Speaking of pictures - I was disappointed that this was the only ride that you could get a free photo with using PhotoPass. We had some really cute pictures on other rides, but $15 (or whatever it was with the PhotoPass "discount") is a little too pricey for me.

After Test Track, we skipped Innoventions and headed to Ellen's Energy Adventure, which I really liked. I thought it was cute, if a little outdated. The movement to the "theatre" didn't make my stomach feel any better, though, and at one point I had to close my eyes and lay my head down on DH's shoulder.

Next on the Touring Plan was Spaceship Earth, but the line was super long, so we headed to the World Showcase via Mexico.

Mexico.

The Mexican Pavilion.

I thought the Mexican pavilion was beautiful! The nighttime scene is so cool and original. We looked at some of the shop offerings, then got on the Gran Fiesta Tour. I love Donald Duck, and The Three Caballeros was one of my favorite cartoons growing up, so I really liked this ride. I loved the little animated clips and floating thorough the different areas looking for Donald.

After Mexico, we headed to Norway.

I knew I wanted to ride the Maelstrom, but DH wasn't sure since he isn't a fan of boat ride with drops. I talked him into riding it, and he ended up liking it. This seemed to become a pattern, as you will continue to see.

Next up was China:

I was pretty hungry at this point, and since DH doesn't get too hungry in high temps I decided to stop here and get some pot stickers and egg rolls.

Yum!

Here was the view from our little outdoor table:

We did a little more shopping in China before moving on.

Loved these teapots. They had so many kinds!

I really wanted to get a small set of the red and black bowls, plates and spoons.

We almost picked these up, but decided not to.

We were already getting a little worn out from the heat and walking, so we didn't spend much time in Germany, Italy and The American Adventure. I took a couple of pictures, and we kept wandering.

Germany.

Italy.

American Adventure.

We took our time in Japan, mostly because we love Japanese culture. We got some snacks, then wandered through some stores and the Spirited Beasts display. We also caught a little of the drummers.

By this time we were pretty worn out, so we decided to head back to the resort to relax. We were meeting one of the girls I grew up with for dinner, and we wanted to be fresh and ready for that night.

I was about 2 o'clock when we got back to our room. We tided ourselves over with some of our yummy Japanese snacks, and napped a bit.

Kiwi Gummies and Cocoanut Pocky. Yum!

My friend recommended a Cuban place for dinner, and since we had never had Cuban food we jumped at the chance. The restaurant was in Orlando, and it was called Numero Uno Cuban Restaurant. It was so good catching up with my DFriend who I had not seen in 10 years! And the food was amazing! DH said the only bad thing about the Cuban food was that he'd never be able to find any in Michigan, and he knew he would crave it.

We headed back to the resort around 8:30, and got ready for bed. The next day we were tackling Animal Kingdom, which neither of us had ever been to, and it was supposed to be the hottest day of our trip - nearly 100*!

Next Post - "Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms. -George Eliot"

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

It looks like your trip has started off well, aside from the resort issue at the beginning! I am enjoying reading about it.

 

[Jaybird6]

It looks like your trip has started off well, aside from the resort issue at the beginning! I am enjoying reading about it.

Thanks! I should have an update up this weekend

 

[Jaybird6]

Day 5, Part 1 - Animal Kingdom

I think of all the parks, I was most excited to visit Animal Kingdom. There were two reasons for this: I had never been there before this trip, and I am a huge animal park fan. I love being able to see animals up close and personal, and enjoy taking pictures of them to enjoy later. I was also excited to ride Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids.

When planning for this trip I had heard that Animal Kingdom was a 'hot' park because of the plant life and general layout of the park. Of course, the day we plan to visit ends up being the hottest of our entire trip with temps reaching around 100*. We were also a little worn out already since we are so out of shape. Our legs were still complaining about our abuse of them over the last two days, but we tried our best to enjoy the day.

We arrived at the park before rope drop and were able to catch the opening show. I thought this was super cute, especially since EPCOT doesn't really have a show at opening.

One thing I didn't realize was exactly how huge this park is. Once the rope dropped, it took what seemed like FOREVER to get to EE. We walked as fast as we could, but fatigue set in quickly. This was the first day I had to ask DH to wait a moment while my muscles relaxed and I took a breather. We finally reached the ride, and grabbed FPs before heading to DINOSAUR. Again, it felt like it took us forever to get to DINOSAUR, but the crowds were much thinner in Dinoland.

We really liked DINOSAUR, but didn't know how rough of a ride it was. This is probably one of the most bumpy rides ever but it was super fun, and that made up for it.

After DINOSAUR, the touring plan had us go to Kali River Rapids - another super long walk. DH and I agreed that we wouldn't use a touring plan in this park again since it is so spread out. The walking back and forth made us miserable, especially in the heat. We both agreed that Kali was fun, but too short. Of course, we got pretty wet, and only after we were soaked did we see any PhotoPass photographers, so we are a bit soggy in our pictures.

After Kali, we got FPs for the Safari and headed back to EE to ride. Another long walk later, and we reached the mountain.

We both really enjoyed this ride. I was surprised that DH liked it so much, since originally he wasn't sure he was even going to try it. He doesn't like rollercoasters, especially if they have big hills. But, he liked this one. The disco yeti was a bit disappointing, but it was better than being crushed under a broken one

I was getting hungry by now, so we stopped and got some egg rolls for a snack/lunch. There were ducks wandering around the tables, and DH decided to feed them some scraps. They were super cute, and would "beg" for more by quacking at DH.

Beggars.

From DH's point of view.

Now, it was time for my favorite part of the park: the Kilimanjaro Safari! This was an amazing ride for me. I loved being so close to the animals, and I was amazed at how many were out and about even with the scorching heat. I took so many photos here, it isn't even funny. Here are some of my best shots:

Crocodiles... or were they alligators?

I took a ton of pictures of the giraffes. They were so close - within 10 feet of us at times!

I have a series of photos with this rhino laying down to take a cool mud bath.

Lazy lion.

Cheetah resting under a shade tree.

Warthog in its burrow. So cute!

This isn't even a drop in the bucket of the Safari photos I have. I enjoyed this ride so much, and was surprised in the quality of photos I got using my sports setting on my camera, since it's just a point and click. After the safari we were feeling a bit rested, so we decided to walk through the Pangani Forest Trail. Again, I was amazed in the amount of animals we were able to see.

We had no idea what was in the water when we first reached the tank, then he just swam right past us.

This gorilla was sleeping against the glass. I could have reached out and touched it.

This gorilla was down in an open pit. I had to lean over it to take this shot. I love this photo.

The meercats were so cute. They were watching a bird flying above them.

We were pretty exhausted at this point, so we decided to head back to the resort. As we reached Discovery Island, we saw It's Tough to be a Bug and decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, we got there just as another show was loading, so we had to stand in the waiting area for at least 20 minutes. I wan't sure my legs were going to be able to take it, but just when I was about to give up the doors opened. I'm glad we stayed, because the show was super fun! I was glad to see that Hopper seemed to be working fine, too.

After the show, we heading back to the resort for some rest before our dinner reservations in DTD that night.

Overall, I really enjoyed Animal Kingdom. I know many people feel that there is not enough there worth spending any real time on, but I wish we hadn't been so tired and could have walked the Maharaja Jungle Trek and seen the stage shows. I am looking forward to spending more time there, without the walking back and forth due to the touring plan, next time.

Next Post - " Lost time is never found again. - Benjamin Franklin"

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I love Animal Kingdom! It really is a different type of park.

I am notorious for taking a ridiculous amount of photos in Animal Kingdom. You got some nice ones! I love the one of the meerkats looking up at the bird. I also loved the one of the ducks looking up at your DH.

And I do believe that's a crocodile.

 

[Jaybird6]

I love Animal Kingdom! It really is a different type of park.

I am notorious for taking a ridiculous amount of photos in Animal Kingdom. You got some nice ones! I love the one of the meerkats looking up at the bird. I also loved the one of the ducks looking up at your DH.

And I do believe that's a crocodile.

I really liked Animal Kingdom! I hope to spend a whole lot more time there next time.

 

[Jaybird6]

Sorry about the super long break between posts. *Hand slap* I'll try to get another one up this week, if possible.


Day 5, Part 2 - Dinner at DTD and Dinner at Paradiso 37

After spending the morning and afternoon in the sweltering heat at Animal Kingdom, we spent a little down time in our room. Our feet were exhausted, and we were both pretty worn out. We had reservations at Paradiso 37 in DTD for 8:15p.m., but were so tired we almost called and canceled. I had been looking forward to trying this restaurant since it was so different than the restaurants we would usually try, so we decided to go out anyway.

We had never taken the Disney bus system, so we decided that we would leave early and take a bus to DTD. We left around 6:30, and the bus was practically empty. We weren't sure which stop to get off on, so we just decided to get off at the first stop and walk through DTD to the restaurant. It was fun seeing all the different stores and restaurants. DH especially liked the Lego sculptures outside the Lego store.

We got to Paradiso 37 pretty early, around 5 minutes to 8:00 p.m., but we were seated right away at a patio table.

Paradiso 37.

The View from our table.

Our server, whose name I don't remember, was very friendly and told us about the specials for the night including a cocoanut pineapple mojito. I'm not a huge mixed drink fan, and have never had a mojito, but it sounded so yummy that I ordered one.

Cocoanut Pineapple Mojito

The drink was pretty yummy, but not worth $10.

We decided to just order appetizers and desserts, since we weren't super hungry, and told our server so. I knew I wanted to try their Caribbean Fish and Crab Fritters, and we decided to try their Mexican Dipping Trio as well.

Caribbean Fish and Crab Fritters.

Mexican Dipping Trio. Chili Dip, Queso Dip, and Guacamole Dip.

I was a little disappointed with the fritters . They were not a crisp on the outside as I had expected, and not as tasty as I hoped. The dips were yummy, but nothing special. After we ate our food, our server brought out a dessert menu for us to peruse. We knew almost immediately that we wanted churros and sopapillas. So we waited for our server to return. And waited. And waited...

The whole time we were waiting other servers came and went, and there was a man with a clipboard watching for open tables. Every time he would pass our table he gave us a dirty look like, "Why are you still here? You're not eating anything." I was getting frustrated; we were tired and totally ready to leave but hadn't seen our server in over 30 minutes. Finally, another server asked if we were done with our dessert menus. I told him we were, but that we would like our dessert to go. He said he would lit our server know. While we had been waiting, the table behind us had been seated with 6-8 people. They had been waiting as well, and decided to leave after not being served at all!

It took another 15 minutes for our dessert and bill to come. So, in total, we waited at least 45 minutes to get dessert (it felt like more). I was quite frustrated at this point. Our meal had been so nice up until now, but I felt forgotten about. We left feeling disappointed, and for the first time EVER in my life I did not tip the server. When I look back at it, I feel badly about not tipping at all, but at the time I was sure in my choice.

After we left the restaurant we went straight to the bus depot to go back to CSR. This time the bus was full, and we had to stand and try not to fall over as the driver turned. That wasn't very fun, and was enough that DH didn't want to take the bus if possible for the rest of the trip. I didn't think it was that bad, but his anxiety was bothering him quite a bit being that close to other people.

Overall, I don't think we will try Paradiso 37 again. The food wasn't anything spectacular, the live music was a single singer/musician who never strayed from Jimmy Buffet and his contemporaries, and the service was lacking. Here are the damages for this meal:

Sprite - $2.99
Mojito - $9.95
Dip Trio - $7.99
Fritters - $9.50
Churros - $5.99
Total with Tax - $38.79

The next day we planned to hit Hollywood Studios and then back to DTD for dinner at Raglan Road.

Next Post - "Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the drug store, but that's just peanuts to space. - Douglas Adams"

 

[Jaybird6]

I was just looking at my posts, and was wondering about the size of my photos. Does everyone like the smaller or the larger photos? I've been resizing them to make them smaller but every once in a while I forget. That's why some are larger than others.

Just wondering what everyone thought.