Hijinks & Shenanigans but not much Mayhem@The Dark Side+Disney:Link to DL/Hawaii TR

[natebenma]

I thought it was CHH. but I couldn't remember why you didn't eat there. What were those other chaperones thinking???

I've never had the salmon, it sounds good and my DS12 LOVES salmon. I guess we'll have lunch there next month. Yes next month we'll be back. I can't wait!!!

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I forgot to say I saw the line for HM like that in July too. OMG it was insane I have NEVER seen it that long either.

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The main reason the chaperones wanted to go to Cosmic Rays is that we had Space Mountain Fastpasses, so they wanted to be close to use them after lunch. We were coming from Mickey's Philharmagic, so we would have had to back-track to CHH.

Hooray for going back next month!!! Will you be going to F&W or MNSSHP?




That wasn't the last time we would see the HM line like that!

We LOOOVE the Columbia House! It's a nice escape and the food is great. It is my usual lunch spot when I'm there

The ambiance is just fantastic there! I love the food, but I think it is the calm, quiet seating that really makes this my favorite MK CS place.

We always sit in that same spot at CHH! I love people watching out that window! Love that tuna sandwich

That's actually the first time we have been in that alcove. The other times we have been there we have taken wooden booths just as you come up the stairs. The boys went to find seats while we ordered and we had trouble finding them!

CHH = Best Tuna Sandwich ever (and one of the most relaxing dining atmospheres in all of Disney!)

Annnndddd....I love mom of the year stories. Can't wait!

Mmmm- The Tuna Sandwich totally rocks!!! Now I order it as "tuna sandwich" because once I said "Lighthouse sandwich" and got the hummus. Which was good, but not nearly as good as the tuna.

The best part about the Mother of the Year story... I am NOT the star of that chapter.

Yay I was right!! Good to know the answers to at least some of life's questions Then again I may be known to obsessively read your trip reports so maybe no surprise that I knew where you wanted to have lunch Thanks to you I ate at that wee table upstairs in July with my daughter and simply loved the view! It's so peaceful up there it really does give you a little break from park craziness while you eat-what could be better

I am so glad CHH did not disappoint. I swear, people don't know about it! I hope it remains a hidden gem.

MMMMMM Columbia Harbour House. This is an absolute must do for me each and every trip. I love the upstairs seating too.

Ben ordered my fav with the chicken/fish combo. So good!

Can't beat the variety of the "surf and turf"!

I've never eaten at CHH before! We're landlubbers for sure, but some of those dishes look really yummy. I have always wanted to try eating there but the menu scared me off. Maybe this trip?
Glad you got your re-do! Not much worse than looking forward to something so much and not getting it.
Holy lineups batman! That's one busy HM!

There are some non-seafood options. The chicken tenders are good there, and Nate really likes the mac & cheese. Really good hummus sandwich. Can't remember what else, I go for the tuna.

Joined in a few days ago. I like to get caught up before posting. Since I have been behind won't say to much. When I started reading I was getting a little upset that my 2 week trip has been cut down to one so no UV next year. Bright side if we were doing 2 weeks I wouldn't have looked up BC and would have never read this TR. (Ok never might be pushing it.) Can't wait to read the rest of your trip and learning more about BC on your other thread. I do think you do a great job on both.
Sandy

Sandy!

Thanks for joining in and for the kind words about the FAQ thread.

Sorry to hear about the shortened trip, but I hope you adore staying at the Beach Club.

Yay! CHH made the cut! I couldn't believe how big the dining area was upstairs in CHH. I'm a new fan of that place. I forgot about the apple cobbler and skipped it this trip. Doh!

That's a crazy long line at HM! Wow!

I'm glad you tried CHH. What a great place. On our visit in 2011, I forgot to get the apple cobbler for Nate and had to go back in line and reorder one.

I knew it! (Although for a moment I wondered whether you would sacrifice it for BOG, but I quickly dismissed that silly idea!) I'm going to get back to CHH someday - tuna sandwich looks great and our oldest would love the clam chowder. But you know how my husband feels about counter service . . .

I knew you knew!

You were equally outraged when you learned my group ended up at Cosmic Rays!

BOG was very tempting, but that would mean stepping foot into NFL.

As far as CS places go, I think CHH is the most like a table service place in terms of relaxed seating and atmosphere. Well, maybe BOG is closer, but as stated above, haven't been there or done that!

I took your advice and skipped all of the Universal stuff. Nothing against Universal...but we just don't do it anymore because we can't handle all the roller coasters, etc., and I'd much rather read about Disney.

I love your pictures of the Beach Club...your view was spectacular. I'm sorry I didn't love it. It could have a combination of things -- a lot of rain, buses that never came, unfriendly and unknowledgable CM's. Perhaps I will give it another try on another day and feel differently.

Love your time at the MK. Great planning, great lunch choice.

The Universal stuff is in there mostly for people who haven't been and want to know what it is like.

The Disney stories are better!

Not everyone loves the BC, and that is ok. That's why there are so many Disney resorts for everyone's different tastes and preferences.

The day was going well up to that point...

Columbia Harbor House is a favorite of the Catho72 family as well! I always get the tuna salad sandwich too. I had never eaten there until I took the KTTK tour and its where we stopped for lunch. Even our son who is not a big fish eater likes CHH.

Mom of the year story? How dare you leave us hanging like that! Can't wait to hear all about it.

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Like I said, I'm glad that this year I have some competition in the Mom of the Year contest!

YAY for the do over! I remember the Cosmic Rays fail. So happy CHH delivered. I love that place. Definitely a decent chance we will hit it in December...though I'd love to think we are back at the villa making lunch...it may well not happen as much as I'd like!

CHH is our go-to place at MK! I really have been looking forward to eating there for more than a year! It had been two years, 2011 since we last ate there.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

We will be doing F&W not MNSSHP. My kids are not into parade and fireworks anymore ( I know you can relate ) so I don't think MNSSHP is worth it for us anymore.
We are excited about F&W though... Our first time.
My DH's best friend is visiting in FL for a few days and they went to US/ IOA. The line for FJ was 20 min. At 11:00!!!! Can you believe it!!??? They also went to EP yesterday and ate at yummy restaurants. I am so jealous and was calling and texting all day.

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[elphie101]

Hope all is going well with you! How was your school year? Are you still part time over at Disney?

We are happy that we have added a little bit of a change to our Orlando trips.

All is defintely well! Sadly my time with Disney is over It was a good run while it lasted!

So I spent such a long time thinking you hadn't updated - but really I just forgot to subscribe Duh doy! Good thing I found you again and I'm all caught up!

Your Beach Club room has me drooling - Beach Club is my dream hotel (for now) that I would run straight to if I had the money! And you got such a divine room!

CHH > Cosmic Rays - even if I did want something from Cosmic Rays I would go to CHH (for chicken) or Pecos Bills (for burgers) first just for the atmosphere! I'm so glad you finally got your lunch there!

Can't wait for more!

 

[DrMomof3]

I'm a little behind (vacation + Jewish Holidays = very behind!) but getting caught up. What a lovely room at Beach Club! I can see the balcony of my room at Boardwalk in your pictures!
My Nathaniel was very disappointed when he wasn't picked for the wand selection. That stinks that the "star" of the show couldn't speak English.
I love Magic Kingdom. I agree that there is something special there.

Amanda

 

[natebenma]

We will be doing F&W not MNSSHP. My kids are not into parade and fireworks anymore ( I know you can relate ) so I don't think MNSSHP is worth it for us anymore.
We are excited about F&W though... Our first time.
My DH's best friend is visiting in FL for a few days and they went to US/ IOA. The line for FJ was 20 min. At 11:00!!!! Can you believe it!!??? They also went to EP yesterday and ate at yummy restaurants. I am so jealous and was calling and texting all day.

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Sounds like a fun upcoming trip! I would so love to be at Disney for Food & Wine!

That is amazing about the wait times for your husband and his friend! I always thought that September/October would be the perfect time for a trip to Orlando with the crowds and weather.

All is defintely well! Sadly my time with Disney is over It was a good run while it lasted!

So I spent such a long time thinking you hadn't updated - but really I just forgot to subscribe Duh doy! Good thing I found you again and I'm all caught up!

Your Beach Club room has me drooling - Beach Club is my dream hotel (for now) that I would run straight to if I had the money! And you got such a divine room!

CHH > Cosmic Rays - even if I did want something from Cosmic Rays I would go to CHH (for chicken) or Pecos Bills (for burgers) first just for the atmosphere! I'm so glad you finally got your lunch there!

Can't wait for more!

That's too bad that you are not working at Disney any longer, but now you can just enjoy it like the rest of us!

The Beach Club is awesome and that is totally the best room I have had there.



Cosmic Rays just stresses me out with all of the different ordering pods and crowds.

Columbia Harbor House definitely transports you to another place and time!

I'm a little behind (vacation + Jewish Holidays = very behind!) but getting caught up. What a lovely room at Beach Club! I can see the balcony of my room at Boardwalk in your pictures!
My Nathaniel was very disappointed when he wasn't picked for the wand selection. That stinks that the "star" of the show couldn't speak English.
I love Magic Kingdom. I agree that there is something special there.

Amanda

That's cool that you can see your Boardwalk balcony. Can't wait to hear/see stories and pictures from your stay. When you have time.

The wand show definitely sets a lot of kids up for disappointment!

No matter how old you are, Magic Kingdom is an amazing place!

 

[dtr_angel]

I'm all caught up again! Excited that you are to the "bright side" portion of your TR Your room view was amazing!! I cannot wait to stay at the Beach Club. I'm positive it will be part of our "year of Disney" that is coming up soon... Oh how I miss those FPs that were good anytime after the window opened. Sigh...

 

[Ninja Mom]

Peep.

I love me some CHH! That fried shrimp is da BOMB!

I'm thinking for my next trip in the fall we will be eating there by crook or by hook, or line or sinker or WHATEVER!

~NM

 

[HockeyMomR]

Dee - I am playing Dis catch up. Hectic work week trying to get caught up before next week and Disney!

Agree 100% on CHH love it. That alcove is the best and a family favorite. And I do hope Ben's class is smarter about their food selection in a couple of years, you must show them the light OK now I am trying to figure out how to squeeze in a lunch at CHH next week as we have BOG reserved for lunch next Wednesday.

P.S. - we have dinner plans with Teena next Thursday at Cape May. So looking forward to seeing her.

Rebecca

 

[jenseib]

I haven't been to Columbia house in a few trips too. I think Aug. 2011 is my last time. I do love the tuna there. Now I need to get there just for that reason alone!

 

[MeeskaMomma]

Joining in I am still catching up, but I love what I read so far. I love reading trip reports from families with boys. We are a young family right now (My son is almost 3), but I grew up in a household of all girls so I feel like it gives me a glimpse into what to expect as our family grows

The beach club looks great! I am already dreaming of staying there when my son is older. Right now he is all about the cars suites at AoA!

 

[MEK]

So I feel like I already read your last update, but maybe I just forgot to reply. Who knows with me these days.

I love CHH and I love to sit at that exact spot and gaze out the window. Wow - that is one HUGE line for HM.

Glad everyone enjoyed lunch!

 

[natebenma]

Once again, the start of school, work and life issues have caused me to get behind here and on everyone else's reports. Hope to do some catch-up today.

We have fun fall day on tap- Mark will make his second apple pie of the season, we hope to have our final swim of the season and there's football, of course! No Patriots this Sunday, but we will watch any game that's on.

Boys have a day off from school on Tuesday for the primary election- voting is at the high school- Mark is taking the day off and we are going to the Rochester (NH) Fair.

I'm all caught up again! Excited that you are to the "bright side" portion of your TR Your room view was amazing!! I cannot wait to stay at the Beach Club. I'm positive it will be part of our "year of Disney" that is coming up soon... Oh how I miss those FPs that were good anytime after the window opened. Sigh...

When you are ready to stay at the Beach Club, let me know! I can help you with anything you need to know!!!

I am enjoying writing about the Disney part of the trip. I have some fun stories coming up.

We dealt with the FP return restrictions, but we didn't like it!

Peep.

I love me some CHH! That fried shrimp is da BOMB!

I'm thinking for my next trip in the fall we will be eating there by crook or by hook, or line or sinker or WHATEVER!

~NM

It is such a TS-like QS. The food is always great there. Love it!

Dee - I am playing Dis catch up. Hectic work week trying to get caught up before next week and Disney!

Agree 100% on CHH love it. That alcove is the best and a family favorite. And I do hope Ben's class is smarter about their food selection in a couple of years, you must show them the light OK now I am trying to figure out how to squeeze in a lunch at CHH next week as we have BOG reserved for lunch next Wednesday.

P.S. - we have dinner plans with Teena next Thursday at Cape May. So looking forward to seeing her.

Rebecca

I hear you on the catch-up!

I am so excited for you for your trip next week! Please give Teena a hug for me! We had the most amazing dinner with her in July.

Have a fantastic trip!!!

Joining in I am still catching up, but I love what I read so far. I love reading trip reports from families with boys. We are a young family right now (My son is almost 3), but I grew up in a household of all girls so I feel like it gives me a glimpse into what to expect as our family grows

The beach club looks great! I am already dreaming of staying there when my son is older. Right now he is all about the cars suites at AoA!

So glad you are joining in!

Yes, this is definitely a trip with a male-focus. You won't find any princesses here!



I love the Beach Club, and it has been perfect for my boys since our first trip there- the boys were 8 and 11. For you, I can definitely see the allure of the Cars Suite. AoA looks amazing!!!

I love the name of your trip report- I will go over and check it out.

Did you know I put the "Dee" in OCD?

So I feel like I already read your last update, but maybe I just forgot to reply. Who knows with me these days.

I love CHH and I love to sit at that exact spot and gaze out the window. Wow - that is one HUGE line for HM.

Glad everyone enjoyed lunch!

I know exactly what you mean! I will read a lot of updates, then go off to do something else, fully intending to come back and comment, and then...

You give a mom a muffin.



CHH is a hidden gem for sure.

 

[natebenma]

I hope to get another chapter of my Disney trip written today or tomorrow- I am looking forward to sharing the Mother of the Year story!

In the meantime, for those of you who want to follow the Universal portion of the trip, here are links to chapters about the NYC area of US, lunch at Richter Burger and the new Transformers ride.


A City That Doesn't Sleep

A San Francisco Treat (Lunch was not as bad as I expected)

More Than Meets the Eye!

.

 

[MeeskaMomma]

All caught up! Harbor House looks great. We by far prefer a non crowded restaurant. I hadn't thought about that resauraunt. This is why I love reading trip reports.

I also love the comics in each section. I look forward to reading more!

 

[jenseib]

Caught up with Universal updates. I have to laugh because I was told b y many that Reichter burger was not so great too. I even wrote it in our planner to stay away from it and Skip read through it on our flight down and that it was terrible I put that. Then of course every time we went by it he wanted to stop there and eat. We never did though.

 

[natebenma]

All caught up! Harbor House looks great. We by far prefer a non crowded restaurant. I hadn't thought about that resauraunt. This is why I love reading trip reports.

I also love the comics in each section. I look forward to reading more!

Columbia Harbor House is definitely worth a try. It is a different counter service from the others at MK.

I'm glad you are enjoying the comics. I have fun collecting them and it is nice to have a place to use them.

Caught up with Universal updates. I have to laugh because I was told b y many that Reichter burger was not so great too. I even wrote it in our planner to stay away from it and Skip read through it on our flight down and that it was terrible I put that. Then of course every time we went by it he wanted to stop there and eat. We never did though.

I was kind of fuming when we ended up here for lunch when I had my heart set on Thunder Falls Terrace. Hmmm... does that story sound familiar to anyone?

 

[natebenma]

After a satisfying lunch, we returned to the park. It was sprinkling out. We took the little cut-through from Liberty Square to Adventureland to use our Jungle Cruise FP. Alas, the ride was shut down due to weather. There were some rumbles of thunder.

We decided to take a journey through Swiss Family Tree House to kill some time in the area.

This is not a must-do every year, but it wasnt brutally hot and there was no line.



















We checked on Jungle Cruise when we were finished, and it was still a no-go. We figured that Splash and Big Thunder were probably down as well, so we thought we would check out Haunted Mansion.


Here is what it looked like on our way:





The rain started coming down harder. We ducked into the Liberty Belle docking area, put on our ponchos and added ourselves to the line for HM. It was about as long as the line we had seen from our table at Columbia Harbor House. 40 minutes. We made it under the awning after 10 minutes and eventually made it to the new interactive queue area. Since we hadnt been through this before, we walked that way.

















After enjoying our time with 999 Happy Haunts, it was still raining. We had FP for JC and BTM, but we figured they were both still closed, so we ventured into Fantasyland. We briefly considered Its a Small World, but the line was practically to the outside, so we skipped it.

Heres a few pictures of New Fantasyland. Spoiler Alert! This is as close as we got!









Our destination was The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. As we got into the line (20 minutes according to the posting), it started pouring again while we were in the outside, uncovered part of the queue. There was a mom with three kids behind us. None of them had ponchos, so we let them go in front of us so they could get under cover sooner. The girl may have been 9 or 10. The boy was a little younger. And an 18 month old who was very squirmy. And needed a diaper change. The mom struck up a conversation with us. She was complaining that a lot of stuff was shut down and the lines were really long. We asked where she was staying. She said she didnt know.

The line moved very slowly.

We had been in line for around 20 minutes and the line just stopped moving. Rumors were swirling up and down the line that the wait was going to be about an hour. Parents with young kids started getting concerned and were asking the CMs lots of questions like when the line was going to move, how much longer, is there a restroom nearby.

We talked about getting out of line and trying to do something else, but we figured all of the outdoor stuff was probably shut down and anything else would have really long lines. We decided to wait it out.

At some point, we noticed the mom and baby in front of us were gone. Im guessing they left the line for the bathroom, but the other two kids were still there in line. Line started moving and it was maybe another 10 minutes or so when we arrived at the CM who asks "How many in your party?"

The kids in front of us said "2" and we said "4". So the CM said "6?". We said "No, they are 2 and we are 4." She said "I don't understand." We answered "We are not together. The mom was in line, she left with her younger child." "Is she coming back here?" "No idea"

The confused CM let us by. Not sure what happened with the two kids- maybe she had them wait with her for the mom. Or let them through the ride.





Next: Pooh-Karma (Continued in Next Post)

 

[natebenma]

We rode Pooh and were blessed with good luck for the rest of our afternoon and evening- we called it Pooh Karma. Pooh-Karma made up for the incredibly long, frustrating line and the horror of witnessing a child-abandonment.

We walked over to Frontierland





Rain had stopped and we were greeted with an open Big Thunder Mountain. We handed over our Fast Passes, and the boys were seated in the front row, baby!

Pooh-Karma!!!













We passed by Pirates and decided to ride that.

We finished on Pirates around 5:45. The hour-long wait in line for Winnie the Pooh had really thrown off our afternoon. We have a 6:30 dinner reservation for La Hacienda in EPCOT. We have Fast Passes for Jungle Cruise in our pocket (no expiration time since the attraction was closed earlier).

What to do???

Ride, of course!





















Not all of the effects on the attraction were working and there were some pretty funny quips. Unfortunately, the only one I remember was about the shield-wielding dancing natives who were motionless as we passed

It looks like they are playing freeze-tag


We rushed out of MK









We climbed the ramp for the express monorail and BAM- right as we got there, a train pulled up.

Pooh-Karma!









We had equal luck with the monorail to EPCOT.

More Pooh-Karma!

What time do we make it to EPCOT and are we able to keep our dining reservation?


Next up: Thats No Way to Teach Us a Lesson!

 

[jenseib]

The Mom left the line???? Holy cow. Did the kids seem to know anything where she went. A bit scary!

 

[KatMark]

What a lot of Pooh-Karma after the start of your afternoon.

I can't believe a mother left her two kids there. I know it's Disney, but still?

Front row on BTMR...awesome.

You really lucked out with the monorail with all the horror stories of it stopping for long periods of time.

Anxious to hear if you make it to your dining reservation.