We arrived back at the hotel later than I had originally intended.
(Happens to me a lot, LOL)
It was close to 2pm by the time we got back to the room and found a VERY bored Dr. Jekyll. He was a little impatient because he thought we'd be back around noon, but he was still in Jekyll mode and being fairly nice. Kassidy wanted to go swim because it was RIDICULOUSLY hot. Our dinner reservations were for 4:45 at Le Cellier, a reservation that I completely lucked out in finding at nearly the last minute before our trip and absolutely refused to miss. (Same with my Ohana ressie the next night, and Tusker House the next morning. I completely SCORED with reservations the last week before we left.)
I knew better than to go to the pool. I did. We should have just taken about a 45 minute nap and gotten ready and left, but me and my stellar time management skills decided we could go to the pool for an hour to appease the kiddo.
We ended up being there for an hour but the kiddo, of course, threw a mini fit. She wanted to stay at the pool, she didn't care about Le Cellier. Well, Mother Nature agreed with me that dinner was the way to go, when at that moment she began to rumble and the skies opened up in downpour.
Thank you Mama Nature!
Unfortunately, it still didn't help my timing. A series of unfortunate events occurred. I figured if we caught the bus to Epcot at exactly 4 or very close to, we could still make it on time to Le Cellier.
We stepped out of our room: Attempt #1.
DH noticed about 5 steps out of the room that I had deoderant stains covering the length of my burgandy sundress.
So I ran back inside and switched it out, being super careful to not mark this one.
Stepped out of our room: Attempt #2
Got about halfway to the bus stop, rounding the corner of building 6A, when Dr. Jekyll decided that he needed to change his shoes real quick because they were bothering him. We could just go ahead to the bus stop and he would meet us there.
He turned around, Kassidy and I turned the corner, and we saw the Epcot bus just pulling into the bus stop.
It would be another 20 minutes before the next bus arrived. We were SO not going to make our reservation.
Well, maybe. See if the bus didn't have to pick up any
ECV's, which, no flames please because I have nothing against but they take longer to load and that wasn't going to help me at that point, the other bus stops were clear, our bus dropped off at our actual CSR stop closer to the main entrance, and we ran as fast as our flip flops would take us, MAYBE we'd make it within 10-15 minutes of being late. I'm chronicly late to my reservations, so I figured 10 minutes would be no big deal. Right? RIGHT???
Mr. Hyde wasn't convinced. He was shaking his head at me and making little comments about my chronic disorganization and lack of time management skills. I snarked back about how we would have made it if someone wouldn't have needed to change his shoes, which was meant with more comments and a glare. Not to the level of the night before, but Mr. Hyde had returned and kept making comments about how we weren't going to get in for dinner and it was my fault and we were wasting our time rushing now.
I plastered a smile on my face and just kept repeating "It will be ok, it will be ok, even if they don't let us in, we'll just grab dinner from somewhere else in the WS, but they will probably still let us in, it will be ok."
Mr. Hyde just shook his head and kept explaining to Kassidy the importance of time management skills.
Dude, I get your point, ok. You can shut up now. ( I didn't say that, but I should have.)
We stopped at our two other CSR stops, with no pick ups
, and I got excited because at this point my 10-15 minutes late was still theoretically possible.
That is, until we turned right and headed for Blizzard Beach, because as I mentioned earlier for some ridiculous reason at CSR those two parks share a bus when everywhere else on property it's the AK bus it shares with.
Oh brother, here we go.
Me: "Well, ok, we'll still go and ask if they will honor our reservation, the worst they can say is no."
Hyde: "They aren't going to, you pretty much screwed this one away."
Me: "It's Disney, they hate to tell you no for anything, they will probably still let us in, we just may have to wait longer."
Hyde: *crickets* *eye roll*
Kassidy: "Omg Mommy, they aren't going to let us in, what are we going to do??? What are we going to do???" (on repeat)
Little traitor.
It was still raining pretty hard when we arrived at Epcot so we threw on our ponchos and trudged through the puddles toward Canada. I think we arrived around 5:25. Our reservation was for 4:45. Not good, but I thought it was still worth a shot. Mr. Hyde stood behind me and snickered because he was so sure they would say no.
To my great surprise, they let us in. Not only that, but they sat us IMMEDIATELY. And with SMILES!
SCORE 100 FOR TEAM CASEY!
I freaking love Disney.
I can't say enough positive things about Le Cellier. We walked away so impressed with our experience that I sent an e-mail to wdw guest services after we got home to tell them just how pleased we were. A big part of the reason was Jill.
If I had a picture of Jill from Ontario, our server, I would insert it here with little twinkling stars photoshopped around her and The Carpenter's "Close to You" playing in the background. She was the BEST server we have ever had. EVER. In addition to just being super nice, she suggested the exact perfect things for Dr. Jekyll to order that made him happy. He loved all of the bread offerings, he loved his beer flight, he loved his salad, he groaned in pleasure at his bone-in rib-eye, (which he normally would never order because he doesn't like fattier steak and has a weird thing about eating meat that is still attached to a bone.) He grew happier and happier every moment that we were there. Mr. Hyde died with a steak through the heart, and Dr. Jekyll prevailed. At the end of the meal he thanked me for making that reservation and said that he had just had the greatest overall dining experience of his entire life.
When we left it was still raining, but DH felt like looking around a little bit. We explored the Brittish pavillion, which for some reason Kass and I have never done, and Jekyll fell in love with all the Guiness stuff, bought a cool bottle opener, and struck up a conversation with the CM at the register about an air show that DH went to in England once. Kassidy wanted to go to Japan, which I was totally down with because the Japan pavillion is my favorite place in the world. We went to the Mitsokoshi so Kass could pick a pearl, which is a tradition for us. She always picks the nastiest, ugliest looking oyster and it usually pays off. Our first trip she picked one with a huge pearl, second trip she picked one with a very rare silver pearl, and this time she picked one with a HUGE SILVER pearl. The thing is massive, she was so proud of herself. I know you can pick a pearl at several other places around Orlando but the Japan pavillion is by far the best. I love that they make a big deal about it and cheer and beat the drum and stuff, it just makes it more special.
Now, Dr. Jekyll WAS having a good time now, I promise, but that doesn't mean that he was used to walking so much. When we spoke later, it turns out that was another part of our problems from before. He just couldn't physically keep pace with Kass and I and go go go constantly for 12 hours a day with all the walking and the heat. So, we were headed to EMH over at Hollywood Studios via the boat launch, but he was complaining a little about all the walking. Rather than let that annoy me I took a step back and tried to be understanding. WDW is really overwhelming for a first timer, even if said first timer's spouse tried as she might to explain what a WDW vacation meant.....
.....any hoooooooo....
We stopped and bought him a beer from the champagne cart in France before we headed for the boat. I was sure you could just walk through the IG with a beer, but apparently not. He had to finish before we left, so we strolled through the gift shop at the entrance to the IG while we waited. Once again, to my great surprise, Dr. Jekyll picked out a Grumpy mug that he had taken a liking to and bought it, stating that he "guessed it was time to stop being so stingy, huh?"
We made it over to DHS very close to 9pm, and I admit, even I was a little beat at this point, but I was determined to get Jekyll on some rides since he really hadn't had much of a Disney experience in that respect yet. It stopped raining when we got there,
, and we beelined it for the Tower of Terror which was a walk on, probably because the first Fantasmic was going on still. I figured as soon as Fantasmic let out that area would be mobbed, so I wanted to get there ASAP.
Jekyll had no idea what to expect on the TOT. He heard people screaming from the outside, but he had no idea what actually went on in the inside. He commented on how cool the queue was, with all of the old stuff and how the detail was great. We got in our elevator and were seated in the row in the back with me on the end next to the cage and Aaron next to a stranger about the same age as us with a couple of girls. I had no idea what happened during the drop sequence because I couldn't tell from my vantage point, but I heard a male screaming, and then hysterical laughter from various people. Turns out, Jekyll wasn't expecting that first drop, so when it went down he immediatelly yelped and grabbed the guy next to him's leg, which caused that guy to scream, which caused the chain reaction of laughter from Jekyll and everyone else to my right.
Jekyll said that was one of the most fun experiences he had ever had, he loved it.
After that Kassidy literally dragged him over to the Rock and Roller Coaster, which he thought was fun but a little too jerky in the neck area for him. By now it was around 10pm, and Jekyll was pretty beat but Kassidy was still raring to go. He said he would be fine if he could just have another beer but unfortunately the only beer he could find on that area of the park was Budwiser or Bud Light which he refuses to drink. We decided to call it a night, despite Kassidy's protests, but we had a really early Tusker House the next morning so eventually caved in and stopped whining.
I called that day a major victory. We had a really great evening, and everything stays really good from now on with the exception of one very short Hyde appearance the next morning due to a really long line, sleepiness, and hunger. But I'll get to that soon....
In all honesty the times that I consider DH to have ruined something during our vacations because of his attitude and hissy fits, he has never said he was wrong...never. I am so happy that your DH has seen the light! I do think the heat when at Disney has a lot to do with the attitudes and can make or break a vacation, it truely drains you of all energy and zaps the tude. 
Welcome to the Brand New Trip Report of Sunshine and Rainbows!
I was so excited. 
Sometimes the waste of money is worth it to see the smiles...and to stop the whining. 
CSR is like a "deluxe" Moderate, and can't wait for the next installment of your adventure 
