Exclusive Baby Gorilla Photos! (plus bonus Trip Report) - June '15 - completed 10/23 - Page 31

[Clarf]

Ew, gross about the lizard. Gross . Gross. I would have felt bad for him too, though. Poor lizard.

I am so glad you like the Mine Train! I know it's gotten mixed reviews, but we absolutely loved it. Maura still talks about the end and how she found the witch looking in the window. Got our FP+ for August!

We also loved LIttle Mermaid. Our hairdresser told the kids before we went last year that Ursula was his girlfriend and instructed them to say hi to her for him, and they sure did! They kept saying "Ursula, we know Randy! He says hi!" That ride holds a special place for us.

And meeting Ariel in her grotto is awesome. We had a great m&g with her. Nice to see Kristin got in on the shot, too!

Yay for Haunted Mansion. Everything about that ride is great. Glad the rain came to keep people away so you had short lines. We're like you. We keep plugging through in the rain.

 

[KathyM2]

The lightning holds off, and we're on!

Yay!!! That's so perfect that you got on in time!

The ride itself isn't exactly a thrill ride, but it's pretty fast

Still torn about whether my DD would be brave enough for this or not and whether to get an FP+...

cool video gimmicks in the standby queue with Scuttle,

I loved these!

it's one of those rides that plays the vital role of only having to be visited once per trip.

We went on four times lol. But I can see how others might think once is enough lol

Frog Toggs rain coats,

Oooh never heard of those...will have to look it up! We need some coats...

coordination with the Magic Bands

Now THAT would be really cool...would add something for people who don't love this ride...although...I do...despite the ear-worm effect.

My Mansion and I. Joined

My fave too...can't get enough.

the wi-fi is STILL an issue.

Ugh...that is so frustrating.

 

[Someluck]

I don't gross out easily, but c'mon. Dead lizard. Smushed. Under my bare foot for a good 50 yards of running.

---this just made me shiver. I would have trouble shaking it off! But it makes a great story.

 

[nilla]

Awesome updates! A lizard...in your shoe? Gross. But a great memory none the less.

It was bad. Couldn't wait to get back to CBR to wash off my lizard foot. I hope that never happens again.

I am glad you enjoyed the mine train! It was our kids' first roller coaster and they thought it was so awesome! I wish it was a tad bit longer though.

Agreed, but I think the cave scene sort of makes up for that. Sort of.

I just realized we never went on the Little Mermaid ride!! Oh well, there is always next time

You only really see it if you are trying to see it, so it's not surpising you missed it! And yeah, now you have an excuse to go back!

We actually never got caught in rain while we were there except our very last night on our way to 'Ohana! Lighting in the area did alter our plans to ride Test Track one day, but other than that...nothing! I do have a huge stock of dollar store ponchos though. You can never have enough of those things lol.

I forget how much our trips overlapped. The doom-and-gloom forecast was largely overblown, which was wonderful!

Ew, gross about the lizard. Gross . Gross. I would have felt bad for him too, though. Poor lizard.

Well, at least he's now immortalized in this Trip Report.

I am so glad you like the Mine Train! I know it's gotten mixed reviews, but we absolutely loved it. Maura still talks about the end and how she found the witch looking in the window. Got our FP+ for August!

Great! We ride is at least once more in the trip, so there will be more to say about it. But yes, it's great

Yay for Haunted Mansion. Everything about that ride is great. Glad the rain came to keep people away so you had short lines. We're like you. We keep plugging through in the rain.

A few years back, we got stuck in a downpour in Animal Kingdom, and crowded around near the restrooms to stay dry. The funny part was we had just come off Kali River Rapids.

Still torn about whether my DD would be brave enough for this or not and whether to get an FP+...

Get one, just in case. They go fast. You can switch it later if she won't ride.

We went on four times lol. But I can see how others might think once is enough lol

We did ride it at least once more on this trip

Now THAT would be really cool...would add something for people who don't love this ride...although...I do...despite the ear-worm effect.

I want them to add in the Disney characters, like they originally did in Hong Kong!

I don't gross out easily, but c'mon. Dead lizard. Smushed. Under my bare foot for a good 50 yards of running.

---this just made me shiver. I would have trouble shaking it off! But it makes a great story.

Only if you didn't live it! It was awful.

Alright, let's head to Epcot!

 

[nilla]

 

[nilla]

Day 3 - Wednesday - Epcot

Itinerary:

• Sleep in, past Rope Drop
• Early rides in Futureworld, then back to World Showcase for most of the rest of the day

FastPass+:

• Mission: Space: 9:20-10:20am
• Test Track: 10:25-11:25am
• Spaceship Earth: 2:45-3:45pm

ADR:

• Biergarten, 6:20pm

 

[nilla]

Kristin and the kids want to sleep in again (who are these people, and what did they do with my family?), but I'm not having it. Well, I guess I'm somewhat having it. Not much of a choice in the matter.

Nevertheless, I'm the first one up (as always), waking at 8:00 to Baymax again. Our first FPs are for Mission: Space at 9:20, so we have some time before the one-hour window expires.

I'm up and ready well before the slackers, so it's down to Caribbean El Cent- um, I mean Old Port Royale for iced tea mug refills. The tea still comes from the old-school metal dispenser. Yeah, you can't RFID us, Disney!

One the way, more photos are, of course, in order.









And in I go...



Hey, it's Caribbean Panchito's!



I'm not backing down on that name, remember. Anyway, I get the kids chocolate muffins, fill the mugs, and take more pictures.







I'm in love with this resort already! Now, it's time to head back.

 

[nilla]

But first, pool shots!

Since we didn't take any photos while swimming so far, I grabbed a few of the near-empty pool:















We'll be here again soon.

 

[nilla]

Back at the room, Emily shows me her press-on nails.



"For real princesses." Yes, the box actually makes that claim.

Finally, we're all ready, and it's getting late. 10:00, to be exact. We have exactly 20 minutes to get from Caribbean Beach to Mission: Space. Do we make it?



Well, possibly. We're not through the gate yet. Besides, it's 10:20 now. FP window is closing. Now.

But wait - how did we get here?

Funny you should ask! Well, not really funny. Not really anything. However, we got to the bus stop, and the Epcot bus arrived second, after only 5 minutes of waiting! We could possibly do this.

It's about an 8-minute ride, IIRC, from CBR to Epcot, so we're there quickly. Of course, the drop-off at Epcot is awful, but I'm becoming a pro at "spot the quickest bag check line", and we're inside in no time.

We actually reached Mission: Space AFTER our window closed, but found out you get 5 minutes leeway in either direction. Nice!



So in we go, and we pick Orange Team - Spin Until You Puke, as always. I'm not lying when I say I can't ride Green Team anymore. It's just...lacking.

Anyway, we spin, we refrain from puking, we land successfully on Mars, and we arrive back at Epcot. What a trip!

Opting not to get involved in the interactive stuff in here, we head back outside. One more shot!



...and it's off to Test Track. Man, not liking that cloud up there. Let's hope!

 

[nilla]

Our nick-of-time arrival for our last FPs means we can use our Test Track FPs immediately. The girls immediately get to work:



Dylan and I opt for "pure power" in our design:



How do you like that, hippies?

Wait, the girls' design is even LESS efficient!



Alright, you win. Onto the ride we go, for a nice, leisurely ride around the track. Ahhh...relaxing.



While I really like the car design part of the new Test Track, I must say I like the actual ride much less. I miss Bill McKim. I miss the Belgian blocks. I miss the actual context of the wild skid-out and tighter subsequent turn in the beginning of the ride.

The scoring is fun, but I think they should award points based on combinations of stats at each checkpoint, so you don't really know ahead of time who is going to win. Or just bring back Bill McKim and the corrosive gas to the face and forget this ever happened.

I'm probably making it sound worse than it is. It's still one of the better rides, and clearly, to me, the best in Epcot. But I miss the crash test dummies!

 

[nilla]

*deep breath*

Ok, I'm better now. But look at the sky:



Of course, you already knew it would look like that, because I used that for the day header. Anyway, it's looks much nicer in other directions:







Wait, not the last one. Let's try again:



If you can't tell, we're back in World Showcase now, heading over to the France pavilion for lunch at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie.

But first, more rain clouds!



Oh, and the UK!



Wow, not looking good.



There's the Eiffel Tower!



I heard from one of the performers at the Laugh Floor last year that this is located in Ohio (and, oddly enough, Massachusetts the year before), but that's somewhat close to France, right?

These clouds I'm ok with:



The ones on the right, not so much.



No worries - we're going inside to eat, anyway. Let's go!

 

[nilla]

...get more pictures!



Ok, I'll only subject you to one. There were two. Very similar.

Anyway, time to eat!



This place has rapidly become one of our favorite Quick Service locations in all of WDW. The place isn't crowded yet, but we still show ourselves to be "those people", with Dylan and I getting our food while Emily and Kristin hold a table.

Here's what we got:



Dylan got Le Coq Sportif, with a side of Canoe Canoe mustard and a the Tea de Si Vous Plait.

I got the Beau de la Bridges, and then cut a bad joke short and told you what we really got.

Dylan got the Jambon Beurre, which plagiarizing Disney's website allows me to tell you that it's a "Ham and Cheese sandwich with Dijon Mustard Butter on a Demi Baguette". It's on the top right. His dessert was the eclair.

He didn't really eat much of his sandwich, which is very odd for him. Sandwiches usually get devoured.

I went for the Poulet au Pistou ("Chicken Breast with Cheese, Tomato, Red Onion and Pesto"). And the Duo ("White and Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake"). The dessert was out of this world. The girls got food, too:



Oh. wait. That's mine from a different angle. Here are theirs:



No, that was Dylan's.



And those are our desserts again. Seriously, this isn't funny.

Even less funny is the fact that, due to some horrible oversight, we never took a photo of Kristin's Croque-monsieur or chocolate raspberry whatever-it-was (there is a ? in my notes), or of Emily's Quiche and...well, I have no clue what that was. Wow, this is just BAD Trip Reporting.

Alright, let's get out of here before we mess something else up!

Lunch was wonderful, by the way! We recommend this place to anyone capable of carrying a 45 lb., solid gold tray around.

 

[nilla]

Hold on, don't you want to look around the shop first?

Emily gets a Kidcot Duffy...



Dylan joins the Guardian Angels...



Conversely, Emily tries on a beret...



And I snap a photo to show the massive girth of our 70 lb. backpack.



Water is the difference maker. But remember, hydration is everything. Only Dexatrim and water before prom.

Kristin gets the Kidcot CM to write a message on a postcard in French, then out we go. A few more shots of France...





...a quick sit through the movie (Kristin's favorite, btw)...

...and it's off to Morocco!



We did have a bit of sibling ugliness prior to entering the theater, but all got resolved and we enjoyed the show, as always. Just have to keep those two separated. But we're in Morocco now....trying to figure out what there is to do in Morocco...

(next update)

 

[cdhale]

I am loving this trip report and all your fabulous photos!

But can you share your secret about spotting the fastest bag check line? Or would that defeat the purpose?

 

[jdd]

But first, pool shots!


We'll be here again soon.

What a fantastic shot! All these pictures are really getting me psyched - 10 more days!!!

 

[mjmstd1]

All caught up! Love your report so far. You are a very entertaining writer.
Thanks for all the CBR info/pics. I stayed at CBR WAY TOO LONG AGO and have been debating on going back there but we have wound up at CSR the last 2 trips and have really liked it. We're staying at Pop next year with our dance group but I might be eyeing CBR for the next family visit.
I have heard so many mixed reviews on 'Ohana so I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. It's on my radar for next time.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Glad you enjoyed 7DMT ... I think the best part is how it is just in the middle of both old and newish Fantasyland and you see all the scenery (including the Castle) fly past as you zip around. I also love that the animatronics in the cottage scene are recycled from the old ride.

Kristin insists we get a picture with actual people in it. *Sigh*...ok.

I always remember it being point of contention b/w my mom and dad in that my dad wanted to take scenery shots and my mom insisted that every picture had to have people in it (granted, this was back in the day of actual film cameras so it "wasting" a picture was a much bigger deal.)

Ariel's Ride (the real full name is just too long to type) is pretty cute and the kids seem to enjoy it. When the wait is low we might hit it up a couple of times but generally once a trip is enough. The queue is cute though with the little interactive crab game.

With all the different things to see, the relatively slow nature of the ride, the fact is is a "dark ride" that isn't dark, and how old it is, IASW much be the most photographed thing at any Disney park (well, maybe the Castle) - amazes me how every trip I find some other unique/odd thing in there to get a picture of (though the platypuses threatening to throw their own eggs at you still is probably tops)

I am with you about the Haunted Mansion - one of the best. Heck, I have this on the back of my car:


But what brand lizard was it? either way, pretty gross ... guess at that point the raid was a good thing as easy to wash your foot (glass half full scenario)

So wait, they get to sleep in and you go out and come back with chocolate muffins? What is the motivation for them to get up early again?

Your pictures definitely make the resort common areas seem really nice - love the set up of the stores as it looks like you are at an outside market. Like the setup of the pool too - that area with the cannons looks pretty cool. Definitely heard mixed things about Caribbean Beach (most negatives were due to scale/spread of resort and transportation issues) but seems like you are enjoying yourselves.

That is a pretty quick trip all the way through turnstiles to Mission Space. I've heard tales of upto 15 minute post grace period, but wouldn't want to chance it just to confirm.

That spot in front of the fountain in France is one of my favorite spots for pictures - especially at night. Your food from lunch looks good too - always good to have a counter service option you like with relatively low crowd levels

 

[nilla]

I am loving this trip report and all your fabulous photos!

But can you share your secret about spotting the fastest bag check line? Or would that defeat the purpose?

Look for the lines with lots of kids, because they typically don't have bags! It's not perfect, but it seems to work

What a fantastic shot! All these pictures are really getting me psyched - 10 more days!!!

Thanks! The resort is beautiful. 10 days? Wow! Have fun!

All caught up! Love your report so far. You are a very entertaining writer.
Thanks for all the CBR info/pics. I stayed at CBR WAY TOO LONG AGO and have been debating on going back there but we have wound up at CSR the last 2 trips and have really liked it. We're staying at Pop next year with our dance group but I might be eyeing CBR for the next family visit.
I have heard so many mixed reviews on 'Ohana so I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. It's on my radar for next time.

You can't go wrong with either CSR or CBR, if you ask me. I love them both. Also, I think the food at 'Ohana is great, and the place itself is a lot of fun. Try it!

Glad you enjoyed 7DMT ... I think the best part is how it is just in the middle of both old and newish Fantasyland and you see all the scenery (including the Castle) fly past as you zip around. I also love that the animatronics in the cottage scene are recycled from the old ride.

It is a great location, and I agree that it's cool that they brought some animatronics over from Snow White's Scary Adventures, which I do miss.

With all the different things to see, the relatively slow nature of the ride, the fact is is a "dark ride" that isn't dark, and how old it is, IASW much be the most photographed thing at any Disney park (well, maybe the Castle) - amazes me how every trip I find some other unique/odd thing in there to get a picture of (though the platypuses threatening to throw their own eggs at you still is probably tops)

I like the monkey playing bongos, to be honest...if you can believe that. But the platypuses are some of my favorites, too. I love that whole ride.

I am with you about the Haunted Mansion - one of the best. Heck, I have this on the back of my car:
View attachment 109448

I have that, too! Scraped off my "other car is a monorail" one to put it on. Kristin asked why I didn't just put it on the other side of the car, but I told her that would confuse people. So what IS your other car, exactly?

But what brand lizard was it? either way, pretty gross ... guess at that point the raid was a good thing as easy to wash your foot (glass half full scenario)

The heavy rain was done by that time, so I had to put up with it until we got back to CBR. Man, I'm glad that night's over!

So wait, they get to sleep in and you go out and come back with chocolate muffins? What is the motivation for them to get up early again?

GREAT point.

Your pictures definitely make the resort common areas seem really nice - love the set up of the stores as it looks like you are at an outside market. Like the setup of the pool too - that area with the cannons looks pretty cool. Definitely heard mixed things about Caribbean Beach (most negatives were due to scale/spread of resort and transportation issues) but seems like you are enjoying yourselves.

I like the spread and size of the resort! Also, that it wraps around a lake, like CSR.

That is a pretty quick trip all the way through turnstiles to Mission Space. I've heard tales of upto 15 minute post grace period, but wouldn't want to chance it just to confirm.

Yes, I wondered about that, too! I think Disney understates things intentionally.

That spot in front of the fountain in France is one of my favorite spots for pictures - especially at night. Your food from lunch looks good too - always good to have a counter service option you like with relatively low crowd levels

It's small, however, so it's, at times, hard to find a table. Fantastic food, though.

Thanks for reading, everyone! More updates will be coming in the next several days. I already have them partially written. Stay tuned!

 

[KathyM2]

Yeah, you can't RFID us, Disney!

This made me laugh...because Disney would RFID us right down to our underwear if they could lol

get 5 minutes leeway in either direction. Nice!

Phew!!

we refrain from puking

I'm not sure I could...haven't been on this since I was a kid...trying to decide if I'd be able to do it now...motion sickness seems to have gotten much worse with age...

massive girth of our 70 lb. backpack.

That's a big bag...must get a little sore after a few hours...

Just have to keep those two separated.

I can certainly relate to that...my kids fight constantly...it's a real drag.

 

[ksromack]

I had sworn off Mission Space....but the last time we rode i do not believe it had 2 options. I was catapulted into space and clearly did not have adequate training for that mission! I was "off" for a good 4 hours afterwards. So the green side is the side that doesn't make you "green"? Do tell!