"How Can The Second Trip Be As Good as the First??" (We're baaaack-- 9/1!)

[Queenofallthings]

Jasmine and Zach have the same love of Starbuck's...they too know her by name and just chat while making her drink....I looked at her one day and said "really, they know you?" to which she pointed out that my lady at Tim Horton's knows me...touche!!

Sounds like a great plan for IOA/US....I figure as long as you get in the rides you haven't done and your other favorites, it's a great day! We haven't been to these parks since 2002 but we only bought one park/one day tickets so we will only be in IOA

 

[klacey1]

I went on the BTF ride once and didn't care for it. Love the movies though. My favorite part of the Simpsons ride is before it even starts, when you're getting in the car and Homer says 'I'm going to keep making noise until you sit down!' and starts making all these crazy sounds. I love the queue too, especially Patty & Selma.

HAHA-- I had forgotten about that! I remember thinking the bit with Apu and the "free refills" was funny. It's been three years since I've been-- I'm excited to relive those small details!

I love your AK outfit. It is really cute!!!!!

I stayed at Royal Pacific. It's been awhile, but it was a lovely hotel. I also picked it because it was the least expensive, but also really pretty. I loved the whole tropical theme. The restaurant there is also really good. Jake's, I think. The universal express pass is awesome. You will love it! Enjoy your stay. The path to the parks is relatively short and so pretty. Enjoy the walk!

Thanks! That's one thing that is just amazing about US-- the close proximity of the parks to the hotels. I'll be so excited to WALK over! The express pass will be sooo nice!

Jasmine and Zach have the same love of Starbuck's...they too know her by name and just chat while making her drink....I looked at her one day and said "really, they know you?" to which she pointed out that my lady at Tim Horton's knows me...touche!!

Sounds like a great plan for IOA/US....I figure as long as you get in the rides you haven't done and your other favorites, it's a great day! We haven't been to these parks since 2002 but we only bought one park/one day tickets so we will only be in IOA

Haha-- I guess it's kind of the same thing as me being BFF's with a girl in the Coach store (not that I buy something everytime I go in, like Zach/Jasmine and Starbucks, lol). It's nice to be a known and appreciated customer!!
We honestly probably could have gone with just the one park tickets, but I miss US! Plus, I know Zach will enjoy more rides there. Hopefully having the express pass will make the day less hurried!

 

[klacey1]

** This post is text-heavy and picture-light, sorry!!
So, yesterday at work, I got the following text from Zach: “So stressed. Only the World Showcase is keeping me sane.” I grinned and laughed out loud-- I'm so glad Zach has grown to love Disney the way I do. We both work pretty stressful jobs (definitely him moreso than me) and this vacation is so needed-- the plotter in me is so happy I've indoctrinated him with such Disney-fever lol.
I was going to say that I'm really looking forward to this day, but really, what day am I not looking forward to?! (Except obviously that one horrible day that's too sad to mention.) We'll head to the MK today! I'm sure crowds will be low, what with PM EMH the night before. Beyond heading to Space and Buzz first, I'm not sure what we'll do this day. We'll obviously hit our favorites-- BTMRR, Splash, Pirates, HM...Depending on what we got to on our first MK day, I want to make sure we get to some of our low-crowd attractions like Country Bears, Tom Sawyer Island, TTA, and CoP that are easy to say “we'll do later” and totally forget about. We love the atmosphere of the MK (obviously!) and I hope we'll take this day kind of slow and take lots of pictures and soak up the magic.
Speaking of pictures, I'll be matching Cinderella Castle in this top: (Please ignore the shorts. I originally thought the tank was much lighter-- until I laid it out for this picture. I'll be wearing it with khaki shorts instead!

At some point, Zach will of course want a treat from the Main St. Bakery and I'll have to make the tough decision of joining him or having another Dole Whip! Life's tough moments.
For lunch, I've always wanted to get an IASW view at Pinnochio's. Or, if it's open (never seems to be when we're there), I'd like to try el Pirata or whatever it's called now-- especially if Zach wants to go to Sunshine Seasons instead of La Cantina on our Epcot day. I love Mexican food and need to get my fix somewhere!
We'll leave the MK around 3 to change at POR-- we'll kick up the fanciness a notch, because we'll dining signature-style tonight! I am obsessed with this dress! I think the color is subdued and earth, just like the WL-- which is where we're be eating!

Sorry for the blurriness!
If we leave POR by 4:30, we should have plenty of time to catch the bus to MK and boat to WL for our 6:00 ADR. We're so excited by Artist's Point's menu-- we might just have to spring for an OOP appetizer. Zach has his eye on the spring pea risotto with crispy pork belly! All of the entrees look great, too. I might have to try the buffalo, just to go for something different. We're clearly skipping dessert, due to later plans.
Once we get back to the MK (this should be a sunset boat ride-- how romantic!), I'll want to stick close to Tomorrowland. We have a 9:00 PM date with the Wishes Dessert Party! I know the tables are preassigned, but I'd still like to line up around 8:45. I hope our table is near the front-- I'm pretty sure we called close to when the August dates were opened up. Zach has the impression that people will remain seating the entire time (which they should). Not wanting to burst his bubble...I haven't exactly corrected him, lol. He'll be happy to have a table for most of the time-- standing at the rail for 20 minutes won't kill him!
The desserts look so yummy-- I can't wait to try a little bit of everything. Wishes is at 10:00, which is when the park closes (obviously). I've heard some WDP patrons gets lucky and are lead by a CM out an exit behind the Main St. stores so they don't have to deal with the craziness of everyone leaving at once. That would be great!
I'm sure we'll end this night super full but happy! We'll need to go to bed early-- our next day will be our last full one, and a busy day at that!

 

[Nermel9]

LOL I love when Brandon randomly says things to me about Disney too, once in a while, he'll text me at work and say "is it time for Disney World yet?"

I can't wait to hear what you think of Artist Point, I'm so excited to eat there too!

You should line up a little early for the Dessert Party, they check you in while you're in line and give you your table number and everything, so once they start letting people in, you're ready to go. And it seems like the tables for 2 are right in the front, we had the best table there when we did it last year!
Unfortunately, people do stand up when Wishes starts, which is kind of annoying, because I wanted to just stay at our table, but we ended up getting up anyway. It's a lot of fun, and the desserts are really good!

 

[jenny105]

DOLE WHIP!!!!!

I've never seen El Pirata open. Never. If all else fails, there's a taco salad in Pecos Bill's.

Hmmmm, I'll have to check out Artist Point's menu. I love WL and really want to go back there. I'd like to have dinner at a signature place on my birthday and right now I have my heart set on Narcoosee's (lobster and being seated out on the lagoon? yes please!). Off to the menu page I go!

How much is the Wishes DP? That could be another birthday treat for myself

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

I used to love the Jaws ride when I was younger, too. That, Earthquake and Twister were my favorites at US. I think Riverside Mill stays open until 11:00 if I remember correctly (or at least, that's how long they actually cook the food. It's probably truly open later, but I'd plan on getting there by 10:45 to make sure you actually get to eat).

Oh my gosh, I LOVE that red dress. You have a great sense of style. I think you're going to love the Dessert Party! And yes, definitely get there early! When we went we lined up about 10 mintues early and the line was LONG. It took us forever to get in. Also, it seems that all of the tables for two are in the front, so you should have a great view, and Zach might actually get his wish! With the exception of one family, everyone at our party stayed seated!

 

[Queenofallthings]

I think your right on the money girl, it should be very low crowds after EMH evening the night before! I love it when it's not so crowded at MK...I prefer that day to just wander around at my own pace to just take it all in WS and MK....the two places I must have some down time to just enjoy!!!

 

[DrMomof3]

I've heard good things about Artist's Point. Can't wait to hear about it! I've never been to WL and I think I would really like it.

Amanda

 

[Oliquig]

That dress is too cute. I am going to try to get a reservation to the dessert party, so you'll have to report back!

 

[klacey1]

LOL I love when Brandon randomly says things to me about Disney too, once in a while, he'll text me at work and say "is it time for Disney World yet?"

I can't wait to hear what you think of Artist Point, I'm so excited to eat there too!

You should line up a little early for the Dessert Party, they check you in while you're in line and give you your table number and everything, so once they start letting people in, you're ready to go. And it seems like the tables for 2 are right in the front, we had the best table there when we did it last year!
Unfortunately, people do stand up when Wishes starts, which is kind of annoying, because I wanted to just stay at our table, but we ended up getting up anyway. It's a lot of fun, and the desserts are really good!

I'm really excited for the dessert party!! I wanted to have some different things this trip so we're not comparing it constantly to our 2009 vacation. Do you think 8:45 is a good time to line up for a 9:00 reservation?

DOLE WHIP!!!!!

I've never seen El Pirata open. Never. If all else fails, there's a taco salad in Pecos Bill's.

Hmmmm, I'll have to check out Artist Point's menu. I love WL and really want to go back there. I'd like to have dinner at a signature place on my birthday and right now I have my heart set on Narcoosee's (lobster and being seated out on the lagoon? yes please!). Off to the menu page I go!

How much is the Wishes DP? That could be another birthday treat for myself

I wanted Narcoosee's SO badly, but DBF held out for CA Grill, then AP. I hope we get there eventually, though-- the surf and turf looks delish! The dessert party was about $46 including tax for both of us, which I think is fair for unlimited desserts/drinks and a great view of Wishes!

I used to love the Jaws ride when I was younger, too. That, Earthquake and Twister were my favorites at US. I think Riverside Mill stays open until 11:00 if I remember correctly (or at least, that's how long they actually cook the food. It's probably truly open later, but I'd plan on getting there by 10:45 to make sure you actually get to eat).

Oh my gosh, I LOVE that red dress. You have a great sense of style. I think you're going to love the Dessert Party! And yes, definitely get there early! When we went we lined up about 10 mintues early and the line was LONG. It took us forever to get in. Also, it seems that all of the tables for two are in the front, so you should have a great view, and Zach might actually get his wish! With the exception of one family, everyone at our party stayed seated!

Thanks for the info on Riverside Mill! We should be good to get dinner there, then. Thank you! I love that dress too-- so comfy! Ohhh, I hope our party is like yours!! We'd be thrilled if we could sit and relax the whole time!

I think your right on the money girl, it should be very low crowds after EMH evening the night before! I love it when it's not so crowded at MK...I prefer that day to just wander around at my own pace to just take it all in WS and MK....the two places I must have some down time to just enjoy!!!

I completely agree with you! The WS and MK really warrant wandering around slowly and taking in the fantastic details.

I've heard good things about Artist's Point. Can't wait to hear about it! I've never been to WL and I think I would really like it.

Amanda

I obsess over pictures of WL-- I hope seeing the inside in person convinces Zach to stay there next trip!

That dress is too cute. I am going to try to get a reservation to the dessert party, so you'll have to report back!

I will definitely give a thorough review of the dessert party! I hope you can get a reservation!

 

[klacey1]

All I can think about is if I am this excited and unable to focus on work this week...next Monday/Tuesday will pretty much be a wash! All I can think about is our trip-- and for some reason, I'm also freaking out about forgetting stuff. I am the queen of lists and organization and never forget anything! Still, I'm managing to drive myself (and Zach) crazy about forgetting stuff. I'm sure I'll feel better once I start packing and can cross things off my lists.
I am definitely a last minute packer-- usually the night before our trip. This year, though, since we're staying at my dad's Tuesday night, I'm going to try to finish everything up on Saturday.
So, we did our first round of Target shopping this past weekend! Why is it always so easy to drop $100 at that store?! I even couponed this trip! We picked up:
-moisture-wicking socks for Zach
-razor blades/Schick Intuition blades (the latter for me, obv!)
-travel sized toothpaste and sunscreen (the latter for my carry-on and park bag)
-full sized shampoo/conditioner/body wash to pour into my bottles from the Container Store. I have not had much luck in the past with reusable travel bottles (one I bought from Duane Reade leaked in my carry-on for seemingly no reason last winter when I flew to South Carolina-- this was before I got on the plane!)
The shampoo and conditioner are color-protectant, which the woman who dyed my hair demanded I buy. Apparently spending a week in Florida only a week and a half after you get your hair done isn't the best idea. I thought this was more than enough time to prevent again fading, but apparently not! I actually won't mind if it fades a tiny bit before our trip-- I wanted a rich dark brown and it's almost black. I'm extremely pale, so it looks a bit severe. I want our PhotoPass pictures to come out well!
We also picked up headphones for me (the ones that came with my iPod have been slowly dying-- I want to make sure we can watch TV episodes/listen to music during our flights!) and snacks/food for the work week. Upon second thought, we decided to wait until next weekend to buy magazines (so they'd be as recent as possible) and snacks for the plane/room (because we'd probably eat them...). Since I didn't add them to my shopping list, I also forgot to buy a cheap pair of sunglasses to wear around the parks-- next weekend!
Today was 8 days until boarding that plane to the happiest place on earth!!

 

[Queenofallthings]

I feel really good if I only spend a $100 at Target on our weekend girl's trips...it's usually much more...I love that store so much!

cant' believe 8 days for you...so excited!!!!

 

[MEK]

Your MK day sounds so great! (an busy). I love Artist's Point! It is really one of my favs and I am looking forward to returning there in December.

And then the dessert party - fabulous!!!!


Great day!

 

[Oliquig]

One week! You must be going crazy, I am and I'm months away from going.

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

I LOVE going to Target right before a trip! So much fun!

 

[klacey1]

I feel really good if I only spend a $100 at Target on our weekend girl's trips...it's usually much more...I love that store so much!

cant' believe 8 days for you...so excited!!!!

It would be super easy for me to spend so much more-- I always have to restrain myself at Target!! You're even closer! Our trips are so soon!

Your MK day sounds so great! (an busy). I love Artist's Point! It is really one of my favs and I am looking forward to returning there in December.

And then the dessert party - fabulous!!!!


Great day!

I am sooo looking forward to that day! Lately, I've heard nothing but great things about AP.

One week! You must be going crazy, I am and I'm months away from going.

I am seriously on another planet! I find myself just drifting through the work day. Thankfully, only 3 more work days to go!

I LOVE going to Target right before a trip! So much fun!

I know!! A Target trip is always fun, but Target before Disney means the trip is almost here!

 

[klacey1]

Six Days! Six Days! Six Days!
We are officially UNDER ONE WEEK. I have been so distracted the past couple of weeks! We booked this trip so long ago and now it's finally almost here! I actually have a ton to take care of at work since the end of the month is a very busy time for us, so I really need to buckle down and stop looking at the Disney Food Blog and Allears during the day!

In honor of six days away, I put together a couple of lists: the six attractions I'm most looking forward to, six foods I can't wait to have, and the six souvenir shops I can't wait to hit up!

Obviously, no one does attractions like Disney. I love the detail they put into each of their rides-- everything is an experience. The ones I'm MOST looking forward to are...
6. Haunted Mansion: This is definitely a ride I could experience a hundred times and see something new every time. I love looking at the different details in each room-- I can't wait to see the queue additions!
5. Maelstrom: No joke! I am definitely a thrill ride junkie, but there is something about this Norway attraction that I just love! I think it's really entertaining, and just a bit strange. Perfect for me! Zach and I will randomly turn to each other and say "You are not the first to enter. Nor will you be the last" in deep Norwegian accents (or at least our version of Norwegian accents) and crack up. The things we find funny...
4. Toy Story Midway Mania: There are some hyped things (cough Soarin) that I'm not crazy about, but in my mind, TSMM totally deserves the love! We laughed all the way through it last trip-- I'm hoping to ride it more than once this time!
3. Splash Mountain: I don't mind waiting a half hour or more for this ride since it's so long! The climb up the mountain is lengthy, which is great. I have the music on my iPod and love playing it in the car. Hearing the music here only makes me want to experience the actual ride even more!
2. Test Track: From the line to the pre-show to ride itself, I love every second of this attraction. It has great surprises and a little bit of thrill-- this is probably Zach's absolute favorite.
1. Space Mountain: This was my favorite when I was younger; I have memories of my grandmother being put in the first car and thinking that was absolutely hysterical. I can't wait to see the changes that have been made. No matter what, I'm sure I'll still love it! I haven't ridden it since 2006-- too long!

Because I am absolutely a glutton and loooove food, I obsess over our Disney food choices. I'm really looking forward to all of our meals, but the food I really can't wait to have is...
6. Carrot Cake Cookie: I already love Writer's Stop and can't wait to try this staple! I love whoopie pies and carrot cake, so this looks perfect for me!
5. Peperoni pizza from Pizza Planet: Now, I live in NY and am really picky about pizza, but we LOVE Pizza Planet! Last time, our pizza was "well-done," just the way I like it!
4. Sunday Roast from Rose & Crown: I love meals like these, but my roasts always turn out way too dry, even with gravy. I'm sure R&C's won't be!
3. Dole Whip: Pineapple ice cream (not a float), please! Another hype that I can totally get behind! (Actually, probably the only DIS-hype that I'm not crazy about is Soarin. Oh, and AKL. Variety is the spice of life, people!) I love pineapple and think this is sooo refreshing and just sweet enough.
2. Truffle Mac & Cheese side at Artist Point: I don't care if I have to pay a surcharge to sub out my side for this. The pictures alone make me drool. I love good mac & cheese (I'd rather go hungry than touch the stuff from a box) and LOVE truffles/truffle oil. I have a feeling I'll lick the bowl this comes in!
1. Skillet at WCC: Obsessing over the idea of endless cornbread, pulled pork, mashed potatoes and more. Cannot wait for some hopefully good BBQ!

Since my goal is bring home more mementos to remember our trip by, I'm really excited to visit the following gift shops:

6. MouseGears: I thought their selection was fab-- especially of picture frames, which are a souvie favorite of mine!
5. Main St. Confectionary: Now, I understand this isn't a gift shop per say, but there's tons of snack items (like the Mickey head chocolate covered pretzel) I love here! We were saying that it would be fun to buy a bunch of snacks to enjoy after we get home to ease the post-Disney blues!
4. Kitchenwares store at DTD: I love fun plates and stuff in the kitchen since we usually dine pretty casually-- I'd love some cups or plates to remind us of our trip for years to come.
3. World of Disney: They have a great book selection! I'd love to add a coffee table book to our collection.
2. UK gift shops: I don't know any of the names of the gift shops here, but I love the unique items they have. I have no idea what I'll buy here (if I do at all), but I remember loving a lot in 2009.
1. Giant Japanese gift shop: (Again, don't know it's official name) I can't wait to pick a pearl again. They make the ceremony so fun and it's a souvenir I can incorporate into my everyday!

3 more work days, 2 more suitcases to pack, and 1 more Target trip to make before WDW!!!

 

[Nermel9]

Wow your trip is SOOOOO close!

Love your top 6 lists! I love Maelstrom too, it's so much fun! And I definitely need to try one of those carrot cake cookies!

I can't wait to go shopping for all of our travel supplies, it's one of the things that really lets me know the trip is close, I usually start doing it when we're under a month!

 

[DrMomof3]

I've already had multiple Target trips and I still have 8 days to go. I'm getting excited with you!!!

Amanda

 

[jenny105]

for being less than a week away!

I'm with ya on the Soarin thing. I will never understand why there is always a 60+ minute wait or why it runs out of FPs so quickly. It's a relaxing ride, true, but it's just a simulator! I don't get the hype about Fantasmic either.

I also loooooove Pizza Planet. But prefer Dole Whip FLOATS. Pineapple juice is yummy.

Can't wait to read all about your trip!! So excited for you!