First Deluxe Stay, Best MK Mother’s Day, and We Can’t Figure Out When to Eat??! Our May 2022 trip report!

[WaltsMartini]

Welcome to the trip report! We had maybe our best trip to Disney to date on May 7 - 12. I’ll try to post the background of our trip/getting there and then each day as a separate post with pics. Read on for our experiences and thoughts on Southwest, Tiffany Town Car, the Polynesian, grocery orders, Genie Plus, and more!


Background

This trip was me, my husband, my son (6), and my daughter (4). DH is NOT a Disney fan, nor is he a fan of crowds or things that are “inefficient” - but he still managed to have SOME fun. My son has been to Disney once before as a 4 year old; this was my daughter’s first trip - at 40.5 inches, she is JUST tall enough for most of the good stuff! I am (obviously) a huge Disney fan - planning this Disney trip has been my hobby for over a year!

We rented DVC points and stayed at a studio at the Polynesian for five nights. We flew from BWI (not our nearest airport, more about that later) to MCO via Southwest and did town car service to/from resort. We had four day base tickets and the plan was one park per day - MK, Epcot, HS, and AK. We did purchase Memory Maker in advance.

To prep for this trip, I frequented the boards, consulted some Touring Plans, and stalked the MDE app for the two weeks before our trip to do pretend “dry runs” through my proposed plans to see what lines were like at each time of day for different attractions, and to see what LLs were available at certain times.

This was our first stay at a Deluxe, and I started planning/saving in January 2021. I got lots of advice from the credit card thread on the Budget board, and was able to use $1,100 in cash from Chase Ultimate Rewards to help defray the cost of the DVC rental. That plus some Southwest points made this dream trip a reality!

So that’s the background - here’s how the trip down went!

The Trip Down



We left our house at 7 a.m. for our 10:35 flight out of BWI. BWI is 1.5 - 2 hours away from us depending on traffic, but Southwest does not fly into our nearest airport. Because we were flying with rewards points, I felt the drive was worth it. We had no traffic other than the normal bumper to bumper on I-695, and after a bathroom pit stop for the kiddos (and DH who drinks 3 cups of coffee every morning!) we were parked and on the daily parking garage shuttle to the terminal by 9 a.m.

We have TSA pre-check and (knock on wood) it has been a godsend so far. Neither me nor DH has ever waited more than 5 minutes to go through security, and this trip was no exception. This, however, was the smoothest part of all our travels!


I LOVE flying Southwest, and I love how family friendly they are. However, a 10:35 flight on a Saturday to Orlando? Almost half the plane was families, most with children under 6, so that family boarding group was loooooong. We were delayed about 45 minutes on departure because of lack of flight crew (staff shortages everywhere - more on that later re: the food situation at Disney), but the plane loaded quickly and then it was wheels up to Disney!

Another reason I love Southwest - they have great in-flight entertainment that is FREE! DD watched Encanto and DS watched Sing 2. They also have the neat map/time feature that shows where you are geographically and how much time is left in your flight.

And the final reason I love Southwest - I used their credit card to get FREE flights for the whole family! That’s right, free. It helped that we didn’t go anywhere for two years because of the pandemic; however, if you wait for a really good sign-up bonus, I think you could earn enough points more quickly than that.


We landed in MCO at 1:20 p.m., and thanks to no checked baggage we walked off the plane and to the arrivals area to meet our town car as instructed. This was NOT on the lower level where I was used to going for Magical Express or car rental; rather, it was the same area where you get dropped off for your flight.

We used Tiffany Town Car to get to the resort. Roundtrip to the Polynesian was $195 for a Suburban as transport, plus 20% gratuity that we were responsible for giving to the driver. They do allow you to request what car seats you need, and will do a 15 minute grocery stop if you request it.

The driver sent me a text to call him once we landed; as I was walking off the plane he called me to tell him where I was. I’m sure he was doing this to be helpful, but it was a little pushy - I just got off a flight with two small kids who needed to find a bathroom, and I planned to call him after we got our bearings.



The car seats we requested - two boosters - were indeed installed. However, with the layout of the Suburban, one was in the middle of the back. I sat there with my daughter and there was no seat belt for my seat - something I didn’t discover until our driver had taken off like a bat out of he!! to exit the airport. On the way back to the airport at the end of the trip, they gave us an infant car seat - way too small for my daughter - and a booster, and again I had no seat belt. With tips, we paid $240 for the car service - I would not pay this again and will be trying Mears next time.

But - all’s well that ends well, and I arrived seatbelt-less but intact at the Polynesian - and that’s where the WOWs began! Next up: the POLY!

 

[WaltsMartini]

The Polynesian (or, my new spiritual home)

I have been to the Polynesian before. I’ve stalked the lobby, and we’ve had breakfast at Kona. However, pulling up for a stay is just SPECIAL. As soon as we walked forward through the porte cochere area with our luggage, a cast member with an i-Pad greeted us, provided leis, and said “welcome home!” I have to say with the waterfalls going, and the leis, and my kids’ excitement, I had a tear.

The cast member let us know our room was ready (I had received the text on the plane), but that we should see the front desk to finalize some things. We went inside and after a very short wait (less than 1 minute) I talked with the front desk, who asked if I needed my room number. I said no and that the person out front had said I needed to finalize some things - turns out our magic bands weren’t linking to our account, and they could see that. I appreciated them saving us the trek to our room and then back!



The cast member was very helpful getting the magic bands attached to my MDE account and gave the kids little Pumba and Timon coloring books while they waited. After a few minutes, we were on our way to Tokelau 2930, our home away from home for the next five days!



This is my first stay at a Deluxe, and let me just say again WOW. All Disney resorts I have stayed in have been immaculate, but the landscaping, the design of the longhouse buildings, and the signage really make the Polynesian feel special. I had watched resort walk-throughs on YouTube, and they just can’t do it justice.



We arrived at Tokelau and took the elevator with all our luggage to the second floor. The steps were on the exterior of the building, with two elevators inside. I think the elevator was original to 1971 - no updates in that thing! - but still clean and worked very well. One surprise for me was the lounge area on the second floor. We didn’t use it at all, but if you had multiple rooms and all wanted to meet somewhere, this would have been a good spot.



Finally - the room! I had looked at about a million pictures of the rooms and watched YouTube walk-throughs, so really no surprises here. It is a very functional space with the fold-up beds and the shower/sink separate from the full bath. I will say it felt like the full bath was really big - I wondered if they could have added maybe another foot to the actual living area and made the bath smaller - but overall a super functional space.



Also - the balcony. I had requested a first floor room because I am paranoid about kids being on a balcony and because my husband is a smoker and that way he could just walk across the grass and over to the smoking area. We got a balcony room and I decided to go with it, and holy crap on a cracker I’m hooked for life. Coffee in the morning, a beer in the evening, and a nice quiet place for the kids to play during our afternoon break - we did it all on the balcony and LOVED it. I told DH “I don’t know if I can ever stay in a room without a balcony again!”



We showed the kids their beds and did some unpacking, but they were SO excited to get to the pool that I finally gave up neatly stacking clothing in drawers and we headed to the Oasis pool (the “quiet” pool) right across from our longhouse. I do love this about travel - I woke up to a 52 degree rainy day in PA and by 3 p.m. was sitting in what felt like paradise!



Folks, the Oasis pool (along with the Great Ceremonial House) is my new spiritual home. I LOVE everything about this pool. Hawaiian music is piped in, there were always plenty of chairs, one end of the pool is zero entry, there is a hot tub separated from the pool area by lush foliage, the smell of roasted pork blows over from the main building, and there is a bar - woo hoo! DH got the Lapu Lapu that comes in a whole pineapple, and I got the Frosty Pineapple that was dole whip with spiced rum. DH LOVED the Lapu Lapu - I neglected to blend the rum with my dole whip and kept taking sips of straight rum, so it felt a bit Spring Breakish!



We swam and drank and lounged until about 5, then changed in the room and went to Captain Cook’s. They were allowing walk-up orders - at other points in our visit they were only doing mobile orders. I had the pork nachos and my husband had the Thai meatballs. He enjoyed his (so much he forgot to offer me a bite!) and I LOVED the pork nachos - that spicy mayo they put on it is probably not the healthiest but dang - so good!

At this point I realized I STILL hadn’t placed my grocery order. I had intended to place an Amazon Fresh order while we waited for the plane in Baltimore, but with keeping the kids entertained, getting breakfast, etc… it just never happened. I placed the order while we sat at Captain Cook’s - and got a delivery time of the next evening. It turns out the beer was holding up the order, so we removed that and got a delivery time of 10 p.m. - 12 a.m. I could have had it delivered from 6 a.m. - 8 a.m., but I knew we needed the breakfast stuff by 6:30 a.m., so I placed the order. At this point, what I SHOULD have done was contact bell services and let them know about my order. I did not - and stay tuned for what happened….

Back to dinner! Captain Cook’s outdoor seating area is adjacent to the Lava Pool, and once my kids saw that, it was pretty clear what they wanted to do the rest of the night. We headed back to the room to change back into bathing suits (good thing I brought two so no one had to wear a wet suit!) and we went back to the Lava Pool.



The Lava Pool features a slide that is actually a little scary! It is mostly in the dark and moves pretty fast. My kids were obsessed and must have went down it 10 times. However, my favorite part of the Lava Pool was the view of Cinderella’s Castle from the pool area. I could sit on the edge of the pool and watch my kids zoom down the slide and look to my right and see the Castle - HEAVEN!



A little after 7 we rounded up the fam and walked back along the beach to our longhouse. The beach areas are pristine - they keep them very well combed - but I do see the gripe about the Bora Bora bungalows eating up the view. And again, let me say how amazing and lush the landscaping is - they should offer a tour just on that!

The kids got a bath and then into jammies. Between the travel day, all the swimming/excitement, and also my husband enjoying the Lapu Lapus, they were in bed by 8 and zonked out by 8:30! I stayed up a bit to put some things away, get coffee ready, and just enjoy the balcony, and then headed to bed at 9 p.m. just in time to hear the fireworks.

One thing about the room - it is DARK with the lights off. I had brought a night light and put it in the bathroom for the middle of the night potty breaks, but if you have a kiddo who doesn't like the dark, definitely bring two or three to put in the bathroom, hallway, and maybe the main area.

Next up - our Magic Kingdom Day - that started at 2:30 a.m.??!

 

[WaltsMartini]

Magic Kingdom Day - and Mother's Day!

Our second day of our trip, May 8, was also Mother’s Day, and I was REALLY looking forward it. So much, in fact, that I woke up at 2 a.m. and whether because of the beverages or worry about Genie Plus, I could NOT sleep. Around 2:30 a.m. I decided I might as well purchase Genie Plus. And that’s when I figured out it didn’t work on my phone.

My MDE app looked exactly as it was supposed to. However, the button that said “Get Genie Disney Plus Service” and - nothing happened. It did not function as a button, no matter how many times I tapped.


I googled detailed instructions on Genie Plus and followed them - nothing. I re-started my phone, then made sure the app was updated - nothing. I went off of hotel wifi - nothing. I googled again, and finally found an article that explained the exact issue I was having - the button not functioning as a button. In that scenario, the woman had gone to the front desk and they had assisted.

To add to the drama, I couldn’t find my MK reservation. I was so used to looking in “Future Plans,” that I didn’t think to look for it in “My Day” - because even though it was 2:30 in the morning, it was indeed the day of my visit! So, in a panic, I tried to make another MK reservation, only to discover that there were NO MK reservations for the duration of our stay. People, I have never endured such drama hidden under the covers and making no noise as I did at that moment.

So, at 3 a.m., with crazy hair and in pj pants, I went to the lobby. The front desk staff was AMAZING. They did not seem to be alarmed at my crazed appearance, or that I couldn’t find my MK reservation, or that Genie Plus wasn’t working. She patiently showed me where to see my reservation, then added Genie Plus for the day. I did need a credit card for this, as the one-tap with Magic Band doesn’t work for this purchase for some reason. Luckily I have a pop socket on my phone (an iasw themed one!) and was able to give her my credit card. And, it’s a good thing that the MDE app can unlock room doors, because I hadn’t brought my Magic Band and would have been locked out of the room at 3 a.m.!

By the time all that drama was done I tried to get some sleep, but didn’t have much luck. I was up at 5:30 making coffee, balcony to get ready for the day, and around 6 started making noise to get everyone up. At 6:15 I called bell services and asked that the grocery order be brought up. It arrived - minus the case of water that Amazon had cancelled because of a defect (maybe leaking) - and it turned out none of the cold items had been refrigerated. We had cream cheese, butter, and half and half. I looked at the order and it had arrived at 11:15 - so at this point it had been sitting out for 7 hours. Please don’t judge us - we refrigerated it and ended up using it. All our tummies ended up fine (half and half sits in those little containers for days while unopened, right?) But again, I should have forewarned bell services.

At 6:57 my alarm went off to get ready to book LLs, and at exactly 6:59:57 I began refreshing MDE and grabbed an LL for Jungle Cruise, with earliest return time at 10:20 by the time I checked out. I then purchased an ILL for SDMT, and chose a return time of 11:10 a.m. I had an MK touring plan based on the Unofficial Guide and also based on stalking the MDE app over the previous weeks, and these times aligned with the plan, which was awesome!

We all had bagels or peanut butter toast for breakfast, then got dressed and did sunscreen. I was shocked - SHOCKED - that everyone was ready and we were out the door by 7:20! It is a testament to how excited my kids were for Disney, because at home no one leaves before 7:45, and my son doesn’t leave for school until 8:45.



We walked over to the Great Ceremonial House and boarded a Monorail almost immediately. The kids were VERY excited to ride, and when we arrived at MK they hadn’t begun letting people through the turnstiles yet. We had a bathroom run and then at 7:45 they began letting people onto Main Street.

We followed signs for early entry, which took us along the right side of the hub to the pathway that borders both Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, with Mad Tea Party directly ahead. Then - we sat. And sat. And sat some more. DH and the kids were NOT happy. 8:30 finally arrived and we booked it over to Peter Pan’s Flight. We boarded at 8:38, exited at 8:43 and went right over to iasw at the kid’s suggestion - I suggested we head straight for Haunted Mansion but didn’t make too big a point of it. We were on a boat by 8:46, and were done at 9:01.



We took a bathroom break at the Tangled bathrooms, snapped some pics, and went to get in line at Haunted Mansion. By this point it was about 9:10 and the posted wait for Haunted Mansion was 25 minutes, with people waiting outside the queue. We decided to try for an LL later and headed to Big Thunder, which had a 10 minute wait. We entered the queue at 9:13 and rode at 9:21. The kids LOVED it!

I also want to mention that both my kids wear glasses and have a pretty strong prescription. In advance of the trip I bought them “sports straps” for their glasses. Our optician recommended them and we found lots of options on Amazon. They had a variety pack with colors that matched both my kids’ glasses. They worked GREAT! The kids didn’t complain about them being too tight, they kept the glasses on, and it was easy to remove the strap after use.

We bypassed Splash at a 15 minute wait and headed towards POTC, which had a 5 minute wait. We entered the ride at 9:30, were on by 9:35, and then stopped in the store on the way out. We headed towards Magic Carpets, which had a 15 minute posted wait. We entered the queue at 9:50 and rode at 10 a.m.

At this point we had a weird lull - our Jungle Cruise LL wasn’t until 10:20, there weren’t any food places we wanted to hit up in Adventureland, and there weren’t any more attractions we wanted to do. We tried to board Jungle Cruise and were told we had to be within 5 minutes of our return time. So we walked through Swiss Family Treehouse. DS could have cared less, DD liked the little room set ups, and I loved the view! By this point, both kids were saying they wanted to go back to the hotel and that they were hungry. I told them that as soon as we rode JC, we would get a snack.



We mosied back to Jungle Cruise and hit up the Photo Pass person for a few shots, and by that point it was 10:15. As soon as we tapped in, I booked an LL for Haunted Mansion beginning at 10:45. We rode Jungle Cruise, then headed to Sleep Hollow. While in line a Cavalcade came by! These are so fun and I really hope Disney keeps them.

We got a nutella and fruit stuffed waffle and a funnel cake for a snack, and the kids ate Every. Single. Bite of it. DD actually licked the funnel cake plate. Everyone seemed refreshed after eating and sitting for a while. After we finished licking everything off our plates, we headed to Haunted Mansion, entering the queue and walking in at 11:15. After entering the queue, I made a character LL for Tiana at 4pm, and set my alarm for 1:15 to make another LL. The kids LOVED Haunted Mansion! My son especially thought the effects were so cool and kept asking how things work.



After HM we walked over to Mine Train and boarded at 11:40. Again, a big hit! My son yelled “Best Day Ever!” while we were riding, which makes a mom feel good. I was a little afraid DD would be scared, but was less concerned after Big Thunder. However, she was worried about her glasses strap being too loose (had been fiddling with it in line) and held onto them with one hand the whole time - poor kid!

We headed back to the hotel at the point for a swim and lunch. We rested in the room for about and hour and just watched tv, played on tablets, etc. We headed to Capt Cook’s for lunch around 1. Both DH and I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was very good. However, the restaurant was definitely suffering from lack of staff. Even after showing up for our mobile order, we waited for 20 minutes until our food was ready. This happened several times throughout the trip, and if I had only one gripe about the trip, it's that Disney really needs to get the food capacity thing figured out. While we were eating my alarm went off to make the next LL, and I grabbed an LL for Splash that started at 5 pm. I set my alarm for 3:15 to make another LL.



After a change, a swim in the Lava Pool, and then another change, we were ready to head back. It was 4 pm and we had LLs for Tiana (4-5 pm) Splash (5 - 6 pm) and Buzz (3:50 - 4:50 pm). I was feeling pretty good - until the monorail crapped out on us! We had boarded and were seated when we were told they did not know how long it would be, and that they recommended taking a bus. We walked down to the bus stop and waited 5 minutes, only to see the monorail start running. So we ran back up there and boarded a monorail. At this point it was 4:20 and I was starting to sweat the overlapping plans.

We went straight to Buzz and entered the queue at 4:30 - and there was quite the LL backup. Luckily it moved pretty quickly and we were on by 4:36. As this was our most recently booked LL, I made LLs for Space Mountain for DH and DS and Little Mermaid for me and DD. Next up we headed to see Tiana and arrived at 4:50 for our LL window of 4-5 - phew!

I am SO glad we did this, and also that we got an LL, as both sides of Fantasy Faire were at a 50 minute wait. The princesses were so great with the kids - as DD said, “They were the kindest girls ever!” The one thing that wasn’t great was there was no PhotoPass photographer there, nor was there one for the other character meets we had. I felt this was a big “miss” and I’m not sure that Memory Maker is a value anymore (more on that later).



Next, we headed for our Splash LL. We arrived at 5:20 and walked right on. Again, the kids loved it! Because DD is 4 I thought she would be more wary of the thrilled rides, but she loved it. We then headed in separate directions - DH and DS to the POTC store to buy a necklace that DS was obsessed with and then on to Space Mountain with LL, , and DD and me to Fantasyland to do Under the Sea with our LL.

Here’s the crazy part - there was a 10 minute wait for Under the Sea for LL, and no one in the regular queue! We still go on pretty quickly but that was crazy to see. We met up with the guys and all had Mickey bars, which ended up being our dinner (nothing wrong with that!)

By this time it was 6:30. We were right in front of Dumbo and it had a 5 minute wait, so we rode that, exited, and then had my son say “what about the playground inside?” So we entered the Dumbo queue again and this time only did the playground. We headed out the back entrance of Dumbo, hit Casey’s splash area, and left the park around 7 pm. After that it was some downtime in the room and everyone asleep by 9 pm.



I have to say that this was the best day I have EVER had at MK. We experienced 15 attractions and the longest we waited was 10 minutes. The crowd level was a predicted 5 but it felt like more of a 4 in the morning and late afternoon - def a 5 at midday though (see below pic!) of the sea of people up and down the hub and Main Street. I probably told my kids five times "this is the best Mother's Day I could ever ask for!"



I think this day was so successful because of the moderate crowd level and all the planning. I had stalked the MDE app so much that I felt confident how lines would build at different attractions and when different LLs would be available.

Also, can I mention that DD did not use a stroller?!! I had budgeted for stroller rental each day and assumed we would get one at some point during the morning. My Apple Watch said we walked 8.7 miles, so I am SHOCKED that she did not use a stroller. More thoughts on that later.

Next up - Epcot day!

 

[Isabelle12345]

Following!
What a great day in MK!
We too have had the chance to go to the Poly and we are now hooked!
Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Hubie]

Can't believe you made it all day what with the lack of sleep and early morning experience you had. Your day in the park really sounds successful though.

 

[footballmouse]

Sounds like the perfect day!

 

[JoyfulHeart]

Thanks for the info. We are going in June and hoping for a memorable trip, too!

 

[KailaH]

Cannot wait to read more! I am so jealous of your stay at the Poly! I hoping we can swing a deluxe for our February 2023 trip

 

[WaltsMartini]

Thanks for reading along so far everyone! I'm glad some of the park strategy stuff might come in handy!

So - Epcot Day!

After our fabulous MK day, I do have to say that we had a bit of a sophomore slump on Epcot day. We all got up the same time as the precious morning, with me up at 5:30 for coffee and then starting to make noise around 6. We were not purchasing Genie Plus for this day, so no need for me to run to the lobby in the wee hours to purchase. I did my refresh beginning at exactly 6:59:57, and got a Remy’s ILL with return time between 11:10 - 12:10. We had a Beaches and Cream reservation for 12:10, so I was super happy we got the time slot we wanted for Remy’s.

We left the room at 7:20 and walked over to the TTC to get on the Epcot monorail (we rode Monorail Coral - who knew?!) There was almost no one at the TTC - we were the only people walking through security, and we were able to get on the first monorail that came through. I have never taken the monorail to Epcot and didn’t realize we would loop through the park. I wasn’t able to snag pictures but the view from the monorail gives you a great view of the Epcot construction. And it looks like one big mud pit. Unless they speed things up I wouldn’t be expecting the walls to come down anytime soon



We arrived at the park at 7:50 and walked directly back and to the left to head to Frozen. A cast member in front of Creations was there to explain which way to go for Test Track and which way to go for Frozen. Maybe it’s because everyone was at Remy, or because it was an 8 am early open unlike the MK 8:30 early open, but there was hardly anyone there in comparison to MK rope drop.

We waited maybe one minute at that holding point, and then we headed back through World Showcase and reached Frozen at 8:04. At this point I was noticing some drag from the fam, and began to think that maybe a stroller would have been a good idea both the day before and this morning. But no one asked to be carried or complained about walking - they were just in sloth mode!

We rode Frozen, which DD loved, and then headed over to Test Track. We entered the queue at 8:35 with a 25 minute posted wait; factoring in a brief ride breakdown and then riding, we exited the ride at 9:06. This was the only time DH lost his temper with crowds. We had two people in front of us who kept glancing back as we entered the queue and began to walk through; I almost said “do you want to go behind us to wait for someone?” but didn’t - only to have SEVEN people from their party enter the queue in front of us after we had been in line for about 5 minutes. Not cool! Enter the queue with your whole party people!!!

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO1POmB-cIu0Ti9bO7Me5ASh2nmYQRNvcaTIT5j
After Test Track (which if I’m being honest, made my back hurt, middle aged lady alert) we headed over to Soarin’. It was a 10 minute posted wait, we entered at 9:18 and exited at 9:46. It is a long queue, but not THAT long, so the wait may have been more like 15 minutes.

At this point our “we can’t figure out when to eat!” thing kicked in. It wasn’t even 10 yet and we were all STARVING. We headed to Sunshine Seasons for breakfast and - no breakfast?!? They were open for grab and go type things but not a hot breakfast, and this made us a bit cranky. We headed out to the front of The Land pavilion and grabbed hot pretzels and a fruit and cheese plate from the stand there. The fruit and cheese plate was actually pretty good, and of course a pretzel is a pretzel.

By 10:10 our batteries were re-charged and we walked through the Butterfly House that is part of Flower and Garden. I can imagine this gets slammed with people and is VERY hot later in the day, but at this point it was really enjoyable!



By 10:19 we were entering The Seas with Nemo, which was a walk on (does any of that long queue ever get used??), and then played in the shark area and caught the 10:40 show of Turtle Talk with Crush. I had never done this before, and what a hoot! The kids sat up front and we sat back on benches, and the kids were SUPER into it. It was one of those Disney things that has jokes that appeal to kids and adults. I can’t believe this is a "walk in" - it's really good.

It was now 11 and we still had some time to kill before Remy’s and Beaches and Cream. We headed over to Figment - and it had a 15 minute wait that was actually a 15 minute wait - what? I think this is similar to the Under the Sea thing we experienced the night before - LL is driving people to certain attractions simply because they don’t have a line or are available. I asked DS “do you really want to do this?” and it was an emphatic “Yes!” - so we waited. I’m glad we did, because Joy was there to greet us afterwards!



We made it to Remy’s at 11:40 for our ILL. I really enjoy this ride; however, now that I’ve done an ILL for this twice (once this last November and again this trip) I don’t know that I would pay for the ILL again. I would probably rope drop Remy's and then head straight over to Frozen (of course with Cosmic Rewind opening, who knows how it will be best to plan the day).

After riding we headed out the back entrance of the park to walk to Beaches and Cream. For adults, this is not that far. For a 6 and 4 year old who walked 8.7 miles the day before and had not yet had a proper meal, it was eternity! We didn’t arrive at Beaches and Cream until 12:18 (had a 12:10 reservation) and we did have to wait a few minutes for a table.

My first impression of Beaches and Cream was NOISE! It is not a big space, lots of tile, and just very echo-y. My mental plan had been that we were going to have appetizers and then the Kitchen Sink, but DH said “I’m too hot to eat hot food and I think the kids are too,” so ice cream it is!

Guys, it’s a lot of ice cream. Not only is it a big bowl, that bowl is DEEP. It was fun to get - and delicious! If we do it again we agreed we would ask for the whipped cream to put on ourselves. They do 5 types of ice cream and all sorts of toppings, but you can’t really see what you’re getting because there is an entire can of whipped cream on top. Below is what was left after about 20 minutes - ice cream soup!



The kids loved it, we ate until we couldn’t eat anymore, and then grabbed an Uber back to the Poly. Our Uber was a Tesla - nicest Uber ever! We got back to the hotel around 1:45 and marinated in our fullness for a while. We headed to the pool at 2:30, because who doesn’t want to be in a bathing suit after eating a vat of ice cream?!?

DH decided around 3:30 that it was time to head back to the park. Mind you, this is the guy who hates crowds and doesn’t like Disney in general. I was actually feeling like we didn’t need to go back to the park. I think it’s all the walls that are making Epcot feel hotter and more crowded than before, and also the fact that the kids were not going to be down with going to food booths, which is usually my Epcot jam. But, in the words of DH, “it’s a waste of money not to go,” so back we went!



We left the hotel at 3:56 to walk over to TTC and we were back in the park by 4:09 - best part about Poly is the location!! We rode Spaceship Earth (if you’re reading this, thank the Phoenicians!) and then went to see the Pixar Shorts. Mickey is at the entrance and we were hoping the line would be manageable, but no such luck. There was no posted wait but I would estimate it would have taken 45-60 minutes.

The Pixar Shorts are really cool! It’s three shorts shown in 3-D; the theater seats have haptics and there is special lighting that syncs with the shorts. The kids really enjoyed it and of course there was a shirt that made me cry - Pixar gets me every time.

We mosied on back to World Showcase because DS wanted to see the Three Caballeros ride at Mexico. It had no line and for good reason - I joked that it’s like a budget version of iasw. What is the point of that ride? But the kids liked it, so yay.



At this point it was 6 pm and I was starving. While we had walked through World Showcase at 5:30ish to get to Mexico the lines weren’t super long at the food booths, but now they were all longish. The only one that wasn’t? The Impossible booth selling all vegan items. I had heard good things about the Korean Ribs and holy crap, they did not disappoint. They were delicious! Even DH, who doesn’t eat that type of thing, said “that looks and smells like real ribs.” Also, the view by this booth is one of the best in Epcot - hello again, Monorail Coral.



The only thing the kids wanted fwere big lollipops, not food. On DS’s first visit he ate a big lollipop by the Imagination pavilion fountains, and since exiting the Pixar shorts and seeing that fountain again, he had been jonesin’ for a lollipop. We headed into Creations and got them two ginormous lollipops, then boarded the monorail at 6:40 to head back to the hotel.

I always say “even a crappy day at Disney is a great day.” This certainly wasn’t a crappy day, but it did seem to lack some oomph. I am very much looking forward to the walls being down at Epcot - I think that will really change the vibe!

Next up - Hollywood Studios - and our strategy worked!

 

[KailaH]

5:30 for coffee

I could never wake up that early! Go you!

My first impression of Beaches and Cream was NOISE!

I was thinking of doing this on our Feb 2023 trip; however, I have heard mixed reviews. I'm kind of rethinking. Do you think this ADR would be good for 2 adults?

Our Uber was a Tesla - nicest Uber ever!

OMG! How lucky! My future sister-in-law has a tesla and I LOVE riding in it!

am very much looking forward to the walls being down at Epcot

Me too! My favorite memories of Epcot were in the early 2000s when innovations was in its prime! I definitely miss the old Epcot

 

[footballmouse]

A Tesla uber, nice! We always get the Kitchen Sink when we go to Beaches & Cream and kill it! Of course, I have 3 grown boys (men) so that really helps. I've heard their food is pretty good but we've only had the ice cream.

 

[WaltsMartini]

I was thinking of doing this on our Feb 2023 trip; however, I have heard mixed reviews. I'm kind of rethinking. Do you think this ADR would be good for 2 adults?

That’s a hard one - do you want to do ice cream, just lunch/dinner, or dinner and then dessert? I am almost positive they have a takeout window for ice cream if you just want ice cream. I think it would be a nice evening ADR for just ice cream and a stroll around the resort!

 

[KailaH]

That’s a hard one - do you want to do ice cream, just lunch/dinner, or dinner and then dessert? I am almost positive they have a takeout window for ice cream if you just want ice cream. I think it would be a nice evening ADR for just ice cream and a stroll around the resort!

I was hoping to do lunch/dinner with some dessert! We will probably share a meal

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Thanks for reading along so far everyone! I'm glad some of the park strategy stuff might come in handy!

So - Epcot Day!

After our fabulous MK day, I do have to say that we had a bit of a sophomore slump on Epcot day. We all got up the same time as the precious morning, with me up at 5:30 for coffee and then starting to make noise around 6. We were not purchasing Genie Plus for this day, so no need for me to run to the lobby in the wee hours to purchase. I did my refresh beginning at exactly 6:59:57, and got a Remy’s ILL with return time between 11:10 - 12:10. We had a Beaches and Cream reservation for 12:10, so I was super happy we got the time slot we wanted for Remy’s.

We left the room at 7:20 and walked over to the TTC to get on the Epcot monorail (we rode Monorail Coral - who knew?!) There was almost no one at the TTC - we were the only people walking through security, and we were able to get on the first monorail that came through. I have never taken the monorail to Epcot and didn’t realize we would loop through the park. I wasn’t able to snag pictures but the view from the monorail gives you a great view of the Epcot construction. And it looks like one big mud pit. Unless they speed things up I wouldn’t be expecting the walls to come down anytime soon

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We arrived at the park at 7:50 and walked directly back and to the left to head to Frozen. A cast member in front of Creations was there to explain which way to go for Test Track and which way to go for Frozen. Maybe it’s because everyone was at Remy, or because it was an 8 am early open unlike the MK 8:30 early open, but there was hardly anyone there in comparison to MK rope drop.

We waited maybe one minute at that holding point, and then we headed back through World Showcase and reached Frozen at 8:04. At this point I was noticing some drag from the fam, and began to think that maybe a stroller would have been a good idea both the day before and this morning. But no one asked to be carried or complained about walking - they were just in sloth mode!

We rode Frozen, which DD loved, and then headed over to Test Track. We entered the queue at 8:35 with a 25 minute posted wait; factoring in a brief ride breakdown and then riding, we exited the ride at 9:06. This was the only time DH lost his temper with crowds. We had two people in front of us who kept glancing back as we entered the queue and began to walk through; I almost said “do you want to go behind us to wait for someone?” but didn’t - only to have SEVEN people from their party enter the queue in front of us after we had been in line for about 5 minutes. Not cool! Enter the queue with your whole party people!!!
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After Test Track (which if I’m being honest, made my back hurt, middle aged lady alert) we headed over to Soarin’. It was a 10 minute posted wait, we entered at 9:18 and exited at 9:46. It is a long queue, but not THAT long, so the wait may have been more like 15 minutes.

At this point our “we can’t figure out when to eat!” thing kicked in. It wasn’t even 10 yet and we were all STARVING. We headed to Sunshine Seasons for breakfast and - no breakfast?!? They were open for grab and go type things but not a hot breakfast, and this made us a bit cranky. We headed out to the front of The Land pavilion and grabbed hot pretzels and a fruit and cheese plate from the stand there. The fruit and cheese plate was actually pretty good, and of course a pretzel is a pretzel.

By 10:10 our batteries were re-charged and we walked through the Butterfly House that is part of Flower and Garden. I can imagine this gets slammed with people and is VERY hot later in the day, but at this point it was really enjoyable!

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By 10:19 we were entering The Seas with Nemo, which was a walk on (does any of that long queue ever get used??), and then played in the shark area and caught the 10:40 show of Turtle Talk with Crush. I had never done this before, and what a hoot! The kids sat up front and we sat back on benches, and the kids were SUPER into it. It was one of those Disney things that has jokes that appeal to kids and adults. I can’t believe this is a "walk in" - it's really good.

It was now 11 and we still had some time to kill before Remy’s and Beaches and Cream. We headed over to Figment - and it had a 15 minute wait that was actually a 15 minute wait - what? I think this is similar to the Under the Sea thing we experienced the night before - LL is driving people to certain attractions simply because they don’t have a line or are available. I asked DS “do you really want to do this?” and it was an emphatic “Yes!” - so we waited. I’m glad we did, because Joy was there to greet us afterwards!

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We made it to Remy’s at 11:40 for our ILL. I really enjoy this ride; however, now that I’ve done an ILL for this twice (once this last November and again this trip) I don’t know that I would pay for the ILL again. I would probably rope drop Remy's and then head straight over to Frozen (of course with Cosmic Rewind opening, who knows how it will be best to plan the day).

After riding we headed out the back entrance of the park to walk to Beaches and Cream. For adults, this is not that far. For a 6 and 4 year old who walked 8.7 miles the day before and had not yet had a proper meal, it was eternity! We didn’t arrive at Beaches and Cream until 12:18 (had a 12:10 reservation) and we did have to wait a few minutes for a table.

My first impression of Beaches and Cream was NOISE! It is not a big space, lots of tile, and just very echo-y. My mental plan had been that we were going to have appetizers and then the Kitchen Sink, but DH said “I’m too hot to eat hot food and I think the kids are too,” so ice cream it is!

Guys, it’s a lot of ice cream. Not only is it a big bowl, that bowl is DEEP. It was fun to get - and delicious! If we do it again we agreed we would ask for the whipped cream to put on ourselves. They do 5 types of ice cream and all sorts of toppings, but you can’t really see what you’re getting because there is an entire can of whipped cream on top. Below is what was left after about 20 minutes - ice cream soup!

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The kids loved it, we ate until we couldn’t eat anymore, and then grabbed an Uber back to the Poly. Our Uber was a Tesla - nicest Uber ever! We got back to the hotel around 1:45 and marinated in our fullness for a while. We headed to the pool at 2:30, because who doesn’t want to be in a bathing suit after eating a vat of ice cream?!?

DH decided around 3:30 that it was time to head back to the park. Mind you, this is the guy who hates crowds and doesn’t like Disney in general. I was actually feeling like we didn’t need to go back to the park. I think it’s all the walls that are making Epcot feel hotter and more crowded than before, and also the fact that the kids were not going to be down with going to food booths, which is usually my Epcot jam. But, in the words of DH, “it’s a waste of money not to go,” so back we went!

View attachment 670122

We left the hotel at 3:56 to walk over to TTC and we were back in the park by 4:09 - best part about Poly is the location!! We rode Spaceship Earth (if you’re reading this, thank the Phoenicians!) and then went to see the Pixar Shorts. Mickey is at the entrance and we were hoping the line would be manageable, but no such luck. There was no posted wait but I would estimate it would have taken 45-60 minutes.

The Pixar Shorts are really cool! It’s three shorts shown in 3-D; the theater seats have haptics and there is special lighting that syncs with the shorts. The kids really enjoyed it and of course there was a shirt that made me cry - Pixar gets me every time.

We mosied on back to World Showcase because DS wanted to see the Three Caballeros ride at Mexico. It had no line and for good reason - I joked that it’s like a budget version of iasw. What is the point of that ride? But the kids liked it, so yay.

View attachment 670124

At this point it was 6 pm and I was starving. While we had walked through World Showcase at 5:30ish to get to Mexico the lines weren’t super long at the food booths, but now they were all longish. The only one that wasn’t? The Impossible booth selling all vegan items. I had heard good things about the Korean Ribs and holy crap, they did not disappoint. They were delicious! Even DH, who doesn’t eat that type of thing, said “that looks and smells like real ribs.” Also, the view by this booth is one of the best in Epcot - hello again, Monorail Coral.

View attachment 670127

The only thing the kids wanted fwere big lollipops, not food. On DS’s first visit he ate a big lollipop by the Imagination pavilion fountains, and since exiting the Pixar shorts and seeing that fountain again, he had been jonesin’ for a lollipop. We headed into Creations and got them two ginormous lollipops, then boarded the monorail at 6:40 to head back to the hotel.

I always say “even a crappy day at Disney is a great day.” This certainly wasn’t a crappy day, but it did seem to lack some oomph. I am very much looking forward to the walls being down at Epcot - I think that will really change the vibe!

Next up - Hollywood Studios - and our strategy worked!

From what I’ve been hearing, Genie plus really isn’t needed at EPCOT especially if your at a monorail or EPCOT area resort and this seems to prove it!

Those ribs sound amazing!

Also selfishly even with the construction EPCOT is still my favorite park. Idk why but it just is

 

[WaltsMartini]

Hollywood Studios Day

This was the day I was most anxious about. Spoiler alert - it was AWESOME!

I had gone with a friend in November and we had a crappy morning at HS, and so I spent lots of time planning this one. I had a list of attractions that were “must,” “would like to,” and “nice if it happens.” I made a touring plan, played it out in MDE a few weeks before our trip, and when that one wasn’t great I scrapped it and tried again. On the third time I had a good plan, and it played out awesomely in real life!

As with other mornings, I was up at the crack of dawn for coffee. Because we were buying Genie Plus again, I figured I would need to go to the lobby to purchase, and sure enough, the button wasn’t working. I went to the lobby at 5:45 and purchased from the awesome night staff - seriously, they don’t get enough love.

This morning I also did an Amazon Fresh order for beer and bagels - we knew we would want some breakfast that evening and one bottle of Kona was $9 at the Poly A case was $18.99! I selected a time that I knew we would be around that evening and with that taken care of it was time for LLs.

At exactly 7 am I grabbed RoR ILLs for DH and DS between 10:30 - 11:30, then got LLs for MMRR between 9:30 - 10:30. I did not try for Slinky. I was so stressed about everything I heard about later LLs for Slinky; our plan was to only do a half day on the park, and an LL 11 or after would have really messed with the day. I was so stressed about it I emailed Len Testa of the Unofficial Guide about what he would recommend - and he confirmed his tactic would be to not try for Slinky LL and just get there as early as possible.

In addition we had an ADR for Sci Fi at 11:35, so I was hoping that the RoR ILL would work out - another “phew!”

The night before, I did have a talk with the fam. I told them we would need to leave the hotel by 7:15 if we wanted to ride Slinky, and that if we didn’t want to that was ok and there were plenty of other things to do. DS REALLY wanted to ride, so everyone was in for an early morning. We were out the door by 7:15, grabbed an Uber, and arrived at the park at 7:40. They were already allowing people into the park and we headed straight back to Toy Story Land. A cast member with an “end of line” sign for Slinky was just last the entrance to TSL, and we got in line.



We only stood for about 5 minutes and the line started to move; after that point we moved slowly but steadily. At 8 am I placed a Woody’s Lunch Box mobile order with pickup window between 8:45 - 9:15, because after the last two days I had learned that we needed to eat a more substantial breakfast if we were going to actually eat lunch at lunchtime. The kids didn’t complain about this line - there was so much to see!

We boarded Slinky 8:18. We loved it but DD did NOT - she said after the first drop “Mommy, I don’t like this!” To her credit she did NOT cry. She loved Big Thunder, liked SDMT and Splash, but was not into Slinky. DS however asked if we could ride again!



We headed straight over to Midway Mania, entered the queue at 8:23 with a 5 minute posted wait, and we’re off the ride at 8:40. This was another crowd pleaser! The fam headed for Aliens while I waited for the mobile order - after we had waited so long for our mobile order at Capt Cook’s I didn’t want it to throw off our morning. The order was ready pretty quickly, and Saucers took exactly 15 minutes for the fam to wait and to ride. We had the breakfast totchos and a lunch box tart - really good! Also, k was very glad I placed the mobile order at 8; by 8:45 Woody’s was no longer taking walk ups and the mobile order window was 10:15 and after.

Afterwards we headed over to MMRR for our LL. We were about 5 minutes early and hung out in front of the theater. At 9:25 (5 minutes before our scheduled LL time - we learned that rule on this trip!) we entered MMRR. As soon as we tapped in I made an LL for Olaf starting at 9:40. DS had seen ToT and said he really wanted to ride; I also was hoping to get an LL for Millennium Falcon. However, return times for both were 1:50 and 3:30, and fiddle as I might I couldn’t get an earlier time.

Even with the LL we had some line time at MMRR but SO worth it! What a fantastic ride - classic characters, great music, “how did they do that?!” effects - a new classic!

We headed over to Olaf; as soon as we talked in I made an LL for the boys for Star Tours starting at 10 and an LL for the 10:30 Frozen show. Star Tours was at a 25 minute minute wait and no LL would have been needed for Frozen, but as we were leaving the park in the early afternoon we didn’t have much else to use them on.



Olaf was super cute! The wait was very short and the character himself was just adorable. However, no Photo Pass photographer again. After we took our quick pic with Olaf we went our separate ways - DH and DS to Star Tours and RoR and DD and I to the Vacation Fun movie and then Frozen Ever After.

More on Vacation Fun later - please let me tell you how Frozen changed my daughter’s life First, a word on entering the theater - we used LL and went in around 10:20 - 10:25 for the 10:30 show; the LL was actually for 10 am I believe. We were pushing it but it was fine for an early show. I think later in the day or for busier times of year you would want to arrive 15 min ahead of the show for LL and half an hour ahead of the show if no LL, maybe more.

They narrators steal the show - great adult humor and they keep things moving along. My daughter sang at the top of her lungs, was SO into it, and the look on wonder on her face when Elsa came out and it started to snow - priceless! I took a video (while crying) and sent it to my mom, who promptly told me she was crying. She was just so amazed by everything!

The show was over at 11 and we met up with the boys. I thought DH and DS would be raving about Rise - I had rode in November and thought it was the best attraction I had ever been on. They said, and I quote, “Yeah, it was cool. I thought it would be faster or more drops.” So underwhelming!



We still had an hour to kill before our ADR and the kids didn't want to see Muppet Vision, so we went to see the Vacation Fun short again since the guys hadn’t seen it. People - this is a gem! If you or your kids like the new Mickey Mouse cartoons, you will LOVE this short. It is original to the park and shows clips of previous trips you’ll recognize of you’re a fan of the new shorts (hello, Potatoland!) The kids loved it and I honestly didn’t mind watching it twice. As you exit the theater they have cute photo props from the cartoons.

Now it was time for our ADR, and we headed over to Sci Fi. The kids thought it was neat, they liked the clips - but it was FREEZING DS started complaining right way - I unfortunately had taken out the extra clothes out of our pack that day because DH had said “this bag is so full, do we really need all this stuff?” He sat there with his arms and legs stuffed in his shirt. The food took a good half hour to come after our initial seating at 11:35. The burgers were very good. However, by the time the food came my daughter was also saying it was cold, and halfway through her meal she started crying and saying she was so cold she couldn’t eat.



So - DH took both kids outside while I waited for our desserts. I had gotten the candy bar dessert, which is layered cake with whipped icing covered in a chocolate coating. It was fine - kind of dry and the icing lacked oomph. Save your stomach space for a Mickey bar or other type of ice cream. The kids’ sundaes that came with their meal came in paper cups, so I laid the bill and took the kids their desserts outside.

By this time it was 12:40. I wanted to check out there characters at Launch Bay and maybe hit some ships, but DH said the kids were lagging and that we should have one day where we didn’t push it. I had grabbed an LL for Midway Mania between 1:15 - 2:15 so the kids could ride again, and I was also slightly annoyed because I knew we weren’t coming back that evening, but everyone was still happy so I figured I shouldn't push it.

As we left the park, the kids saw the Skyliner. They had noticed it at Epcot and when we were entering the park that morning. DH, DS, and DD all asked if we could ride to Epcot and then catch the monorail back; I almost said yes until I thought it through and realized we’d have to transfer cars and then, once we got to Epcot, find a way to walk around to the front of the park to board the monorail because we didn’t have hoppers - so I’m glad I thought that one through. However, it did give me an idea for a split stay at a Skyliner resort on our next visit!

We took a bus back to the resort, relaxed in the room for about an hour, and then hit the pool (I’m sure you’re shocked!) I went to pick up my beer and was glad to have beer that I didn’t have to wait in line for and that was significantly cheaper!

This was our Disney Springs night, and we did not have an ADR. I had tried for T Rex and had not been able to get it, try as I might. We instead booked and ADR for Rainforest Cafe, and I signed up on Touring Plans for their reservation finder for TRex. A TRex ADR did become available, but it wouldn’t let me book until I cancelled my Rainforest res. I cancelled that, but in the meantime T Rex had disappeared - tried to book Rainforest again and that was gone too! However, I think it all worked for the best - the kids wanted to roam around and it was also nice to not have to by anywhere at a specific time.

I did try to do a mobile order for Polite Pig closer to when we left for the evening; they have an order online feature with walk-in pick up. I placed that order as we were leaving at 5:15.

We did initially want to take the bus from Poly, but it was going to be a 20 minute wait and DH wasn’t having it. We grabbed an Uber and it dropped us off where the path from Saratoga Springs enters Disney Springs, over by the Days of Christmas store. We had taken an Uber last trip and it dropped us off on the West Side, so this was nice!

My mission was to get some Gideon’s cookies, and my plan was to get on the virtual queue list as soon as we arrived. I left the fam at the Lego Store and booked it over. True story - I got lost and had to use Google maps to find my way there (It will always be Downtown Disney to me!)I made it over there, only to be told there was no virtual queue and it was standby only, with a wait of about 30 minutes.

With our pick up window for Polite Pig approaching I couldn’t swing that, so I headed back to meet everyone at the restaurant. The family met me there and I went to grab our food. I did not realize that we wouldn’t be able to eat at a table there - all said “reserved” and were for their “dine in” patrons only - those who had stood in line there rather than ordered pick up. We lucked out and found a table in the central plaza over by World of Disney, but that was a little annoying.

Polite Pig was EXCELLENT! I had the slider trio appetizer as my meal and it was great - each of their three most popular sandwiches in slider form. DD got some Mac and cheese. DH drank beer

Perhaps because he was drinking only and not eating, DH became extremely agreeable and said “you should do your cookie thing, when else are we going to be here” (every year if I get my way, but I digress!) So he headed back to the Lego Store with the kids and Inheaded back to Gideons - no map this time and I only made one wrong turn!

By the time I made it back to Gideon’s the line I was told the line was 45 minutes. They gave me a little card with their selections and some info. The line moved slow but there was a wall to sit on and the people around me were very nice. After waiting about 10 minutes I started to have second thoughts - I was wondering what the kids were up to, and I also wanted to shop! I started texting with a friend who is a huge Disney fan and swears by Gideon’s. In her words “you can get that stuff at shopdisney,” so I stayed!

I’m glad I did, because the kids joined me after I’d been waiting for 25 minutes. I was happy to see them, they got to pick out what they wanted from the little card, and most importantly, DS stayed with me - the max order is 6 per person, so he upped our max!



I had never seen pictures of inside Gideon’s - it is small but really cool! Check out the Gideon’s website, the whole story about their theme is on there. We got 9 cookies - cookies and creme, chocolate chip, peanut butter, and the cookie of the month, pb chocolate chip. They are GOOD. The kids were nuts about them, and I put my ziploc bags I brought to good use and double wrapped all the cookies for the trip home. I have five in the freezer as I type this! They did get the tiniest bit stale but spruce up with 10 seconds in the microwave after thawed. Next trip I’ll plan to get them the day before we leave.



After I secured all five pounds of cookies, the family informed me that they had picked out Lego sets and it was time to buy them. The fact that DH had quite a few beers was evident when I saw the size of the Lego sets - I said “how the he!! are we getting these on the plane??” The lovely salesman said “we can ship that for $12.95,” bless him. It arrived the Saturday after we got home - the exact sets they had picked out in the store, along with a Lego store bag, so it was as if we had bought them there. Very cool, and much easier than taking home on the plane.

I still wanted to go to World of Disney. We took a few steps into the store and immediately regretted it! By this point it was 8 pm and the store was a madhouse. We got the heck out of there!

So, with our dumbbell weight cookies, two huge Lego sets, and two tired kids, we finally left Disney Springs at 8:15 pm - which is usually bedtime for the kiddos. We all crashed when we got back to the hotel so we could be ready for our last day - Animal Kingdom and Ohana dinner!

 

[moonshadow]

Really enjoying your trip report. Patiently waiting for the next installment!

 

[cheshiregoofy22]

Love your report and your "pregame" research on MDE to get the best plan for each day is totally goals!

 

[snikki]

I'm really enjoying your report. Your research really paid off! Too bad about the early morning G+ issues. And I'm also a big fan of turtle talk. We still go and my kids are adults/teenager. I find it so funny. The interaction with the kids is great!

 

[natieya]

Did you make it to Animal Kingdom? I loved reading your trip report.