How Soon is Too Soon? A March '17 TR *7/6 Brunch at Cali Grill*

Episode III: Up, Up, and Away

Like most travel day posts, this one is a little photo light until I actually got to Florida.

My flight was scheduled to depart the Green Bay airport at 6:30, with the boarding process beginning at 5:50. We left the house at 5:00, right on schedule and were greeted by some fairly icy roads. Lucky for me, my partner in crime, Eric, as in charge of delivering precious cargo (me) to the airport and is an expert winter weather driver - I, on the other hand, am not. I arrived at the airport at 5:20, and had checked my bag and made it through security by 5:26. Man, do I love Green Bay. We were off to a good start.

The boarding process was easy, and after a quick break to de-ice the plane, we took off about 5 minutes later than planned, but were still scheduled to arrive in DTW 15 minutes early.

When I landed in Detroit, I was FAMISHED, and knew there was no way I could wait for Disney food. I went to Plum Market (highly recommend if you're ever in DTW. If you have more time, check out the breakfast burrito at Long Horn Steakhouse. To. Die. For). Anyway, I ordered a breakfast burrito and called the nights special guest star to let them know all systems were a go. Not 30 seconds after I hung up the phone, did I get a text that my flight was delayed about an hour. Well...no big deal, and the good news was that the incoming plane was already IN the air, and the weather in Detroit was clear. I decided to take advantage of the great tables/charging ports at Plum Market and finish my much neglected pre-trip report with my Day 4 plans. I never got to Day 5 unfortunately. By the time I finished my update, it was time to go find my gate. By the time I arrived, the incoming aircraft had landed and passengers were deplaning. It was almost go time!!

I boarded with Zone 1 (I have lowly Silver status with Delta, and declined an 'upgrade' to a middle seat in Comfort+) for this little beauty...

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My favorite seat on the plane is by far the Exit Row seat with no seat in front of it. As a side note, I was SUPER excited to be traveling for fun vs. work, because it meant I got to wear stretchy pants to the airport instead of business dress. The only bummer about this seat, is unless you have a REALLY long cord on your headphones, you can't take advantage of the in-seat entertainment. I planned ahead, and downloaded Moana for the flight. I didn't get a chance to see it in theaters. It was really hard to wait until my flight to watch it, but I LOVED it. What a beautiful movie.

About an hour and a half into my flight, something exceptionally rare happened, and I took. a. nap! I can NEVER sleep on airplanes, so this was GREAT! Maybe, it was the stretchy pants.

When I landed in Florida, I made the mad dash to the Fake-o-Rail...
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And then made my way over to Side B...
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Down the escalator and then the elevator to Level 1 where I followed the signs to Magical Express...

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I tapped my MagicKeeper...

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And was directed to Line Number 7 for Pop Century.

It was less than a 5 minute wait before I was climbing aboard...
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Once on board, I let my guest star know I was on my way and they informed me they were already headed to the hotel. In hindsight, it would have worked better for them to pick me up from the airport, however, this was planned pretty last minute. It worked out fine in the end.

In what felt like no time at all, I was passing under this gorgeous sight...
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Not a good picture, I know. I promise, they only get better from here.


While I was on the bus, I got a special text message:
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(Ignore the timestamp, as I just uploaded it tonight).


I had already done online check-in about 30 days out, and two days before I arrived received an email that said I was eligible to receive my room assignment via text message on the day arrival and could entirely bypass the front desk. This worked great! So well, in fact, I never even went to the front desk until the last day of my trip when I paid my shopping tab with Disney gift cards.

Once we arrived at the resort (we were the second stop after Art of Animation), I headed towards my room, where my special guest was already waiting!

Up Next: Who is my special guest? Trader Sam's Grog Grotto. Drinks Around the Seven Seas Lagoon and Disney After Hours.


Joining in here! Really enjoying your trip report. Congratulations on your remission, wishing you continued good health :flower3:

Looks like a ton of legroom on that seat,I'm also waiting to watch moana till my next flight, I always save a new show/movie for my flights.

Thanks for the magical express pictures, I always screw up somehow when we land in MCO and wind up on the wrong side of the terminal, I'll use your pictures as a visual guide next time. :P

Yep, I can never nap on a plane either. :cloud9:

Looking forward to reading more, marina :-)
 
Aw yeah they wont do it during the parties and that's usually when we go :sad2: maybe next year!

Maybe! I do hope they bring this event back, but keep it limited so it still feels like a special experience!

Excellent trip report so far...

Thank you and thanks for stopping by.

Joining in here! Really enjoying your trip report. Congratulations on your remission, wishing you continued good health :flower3:

Looks like a ton of legroom on that seat,I'm also waiting to watch moana till my next flight, I always save a new show/movie for my flights.

Thanks for the magical express pictures, I always screw up somehow when we land in MCO and wind up on the wrong side of the terminal, I'll use your pictures as a visual guide next time. :P

Yep, I can never nap on a plane either. :cloud9:

Looking forward to reading more, marina :-)

Thank you so much for your kind words. I will be doing a blog post about the Magical Express in the very near future. I remember when I was a first timer, I was so confused and even with my pamphlet from Disney, we were just all turned around.

Great trip so far! I look forward to reading more about it.

Thank you! New update coming tonight!
 


Episode VII: Disney After Hours (Part 3)

After enjoying a nearly empty Philharmagic, it was time to head over to a brand new ride for me - another Disney first. We narrowly missed the opening of this ride on my last trip, so I was really excited to try out...

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The Seven Dwarves Mine Train. While the wait time was posted at 20 minutes (by far the longest we saw) we were moving and on the ride so quickly, I didn't even get a chance to take any pictures in the queue!

I absolutely LOVED this ride and found it to be worth the wait. I was surprised by how smooth the ride is. One of the reasons I hate BTMRR and refuse to ride it is because I feel like I get tossed around like a rag doll. I could have ridden this over and over again, but alas, our journey needed to continue, so off we went to...

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Why...the Journey of the Little Mermaid of course! While I still needed to figure out my camera settings, I managed to get some good shots on the ride.

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Prince Eric's castle is so beautiful at night!

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We headed further into New Fantasyland, and not much was happening at Gaston's tavern...

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We made our way towards our final destination of the night...but not without stopping to take backside of the castle pictures...

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Is this not the most beautiful site you’ve seen? And as you can tell, completely deserted.

Finally, we reached our final destination...

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That ten minutes is a complete fib. This ride was also a walk on. For the first time ever, I experienced motion sickness on a ride. I've rode space mountain about a million times in my life...and it's never been an issue. But I did not enjoy this ride on this evening. We took a quick spin on Buzz Lightyear, well, because we could. And while Emily definitely beat me, it was unanimous that we both sucked at this game.

The smell of popcorn lingered in the distance so we each got a soda and a water, plus a popcorn (all included with the price of admission). I NEVER eat popcorn at home, not even at the movies, but Disney popcorn is delicious!

At this point, it was approaching 11:30. We literally had nothing else we wanted to ride so we slowly made our way down Main Street. The Emporium was the only shop open, so we quickly browsed our way through. I don't think either of us was in a shopping mood. Unfortunately, when we got back to the hotel that night and were looking at our passes, we discovered there was limited edition merchandise available only at the event, which we did not happen to see at the Emporium. Bummer!

We also discovered that the monorail was not running to either the resorts or the TTC (we were parked at the Poly still). I know. Rebel rule breakers we were. We did ask when we arrived at the Poly and they told us it was fine to park there (we paid for valet) while we went to the Magic Kingdom.

Anyway, we had to take a bus, which stopped at Wilderness Lodge first, before arriving back at the Poly and heading back to the hotel. At this point, as you can tell from lack of pictures - we were both beat. My lack of sleep and travel day had definitely gotten to me. Thankfully, its a much shorter drive back to your resort when you are driving yourself.

We made it back to the room and I was pleased to find out my bag had been dropped off and my Garden Grocer order delivered. They were even kind enough to put the refrigerated items (coffee creamer and soy milk) away in the fridge. In the past, I remember having to call down to bell services to have the Garden Grocer items brought up, so this was nice, especially since it was about 12:15 when we finally arrived back.

Final Thoughts on Disney After Hours

I know a lot has been said on the boards about the price tag of this event. We found that to be more than reasonable. Truthfully, I would have paid twice what we did to attend. We were able to ride everything we wanted to and had 30 minutes to spare. This is by far the closest I will ever be to being the only person in the Magic Kingdom.

I think some may be disappointed if they're comparing this event to the Halloween or Christmas parties. This event is simply about access - there are no special character meet n' greets, no parade and no fireworks. Some have compared it to the Evening Extra Magic Hours from a few years ago. I'm not sure what nights they went...but the park was significantly less crowded than during EMH. The longest wait we had was for Philharmagic and it was because we missed the show start time. Everything else was a walk on and they very quickly removed anyone from the park who was not part of the event. At many times we were the only people in sight, which being at night was almost eerie. We loved it and hope they continue to offer this event on a limited basis!

My only complaint, if I had to make one, was they only offered ice cream and popcorn as a snack. It was very chilly/windy on our night and while I would have adored a Mickey Bar, it was too cold for one. It would have been nice to have other options. But seriously insignificant and in no way hampered our evening!

Up Next: A Magic Kingdom Morning, Lunch at Be Our Guest and My Most Exciting Disney Adventure Yet!
 
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Joining in!! You got on so many rides in such a short amount of time! That totally makes it worth it, in my opinion. Just wondering what was the normal park closing time that night?
 
Joining in!! You got on so many rides in such a short amount of time! That totally makes it worth it, in my opinion. Just wondering what was the normal park closing time that night?

Definitely! We did more in those three hours than a solid full day in the parks, including arriving at rope drop. The night we were there, Wishes was at 8 and normal park closing was at 9. I can't speak from personal experience, but non-event guests were cleared out of the park lightning quick compared to what's been described on the boards. There was no lingering or shopping that was going on at all. By the time we were off Splash Mountain (we started at Jungle Cruise immediately after Wishes) the park was completely deserted.
 


Great finish to your after hours review/update. If they are offering it during our trip we might do it since it will be more crowded than any other time we have gone.
 
Great finish to your after hours review/update. If they are offering it during our trip we might do it since it will be more crowded than any other time we have gone.

Stamp of approval! Far better than any extra magic hours one could have. I'm not sure I would do this on an arrival night again, however it was the only option. I suppose it all depends on your own stamina and if you have the ability to sleep on a plane.
 
I am seriously impressed with how much y'all got done! After Hours is definitely something I'll have to remember/consider in the future. :)
 
I also found 7DMT much smoother than BTMR! I really like that about it.

Loved reading about your After Hours experience and your thoughts/review. You got so much done and it looked like the park was mostly empty! I'd definitely consider shelling out the money for a ticket someday if the timing is ever right on one of our trips.
 
Episode VIII: Things Other Than Rope Drop at Magic Kingdom

If you followed along on my very weak example of a PTR, you knew that my plan was to take advantage of EMH (which I never do, but did this trip due to it being so short) at the Magic Kingdom this day. Well...I was really, really, really tired. So I experienced another Disney first - sleeping in late! I didn't get up till 8:30 AM (only 7:30 my time, but still!) and by the time I was park ready and said goodbye to Emily, it was just after 9:30. I hopped in the car and, unfortunately had to make a little detour off property - another Disney first. I managed to forget two crucial items - Face wash and hairspray - neither of which one can live without in Florida for 5 whole days, so off I went to...

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Walgreen's. We've all been to one before, but I have to say - this put a damper on my morning. I always have found Walgreen's to be expensive, but it was fully TWICE the cost of what a Walgreen's at home charges for these two items. Twenty-five dollars later (you read that correctly) I was on my way and my mood was much improved when I saw this lovely sight...

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I experienced another first - a Disney traffic jam! It did take me about 5 minutes to make it through those magical gates and head for the parking lot at the TTC. I parked in Mulan 133 - which is fairly far back for that early in the morning...

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And decided to walk to the TTC vs. take the tram. The tram did beat my by a good 5 minutes, but you can never get too much walking in when you're at Disney.

I made it through bag check and the ticket line relatively quickly and bypassed the train station which, at the time, was still completely under wraps.

I made it to Main Street, and this beautiful site...

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And by beautiful, I do mean the castle, and The Emporium, also under wraps. I made my first (of many) attempts at taking a picture of the balloons on Main Street...

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I wandered towards Adventureland to get some daytime pictures...

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And on to Frontierland...

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Past the Haunted Mansion...

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Before winding up (again) at the Tangled Restrooms, which I humbly nominate for the best restroom in the city.

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Remember how Peter Pan was a walk-on the night before? Not anymore...

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I wandered about New Fantasyland for a few minutes before I headed off to my lunch destination.

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We tried lunch here in 2014, and it was pretty meh. However, the ambiance cannot be beat, Beauty and the Beast is my favorite animated movie, and with the live-action release just around the corner, I decided to give it a shot. I took advantage of doing the pre-order online and was thankful I did. Even though it was not as insane as it was a few years ago (not that long after opening, where the standby lines were routinely 90+ minutes), the place was still very busy. When I left, the line was about halfway down the bridge.

It did take about 10 minutes to complete the check-in process as there was a large party in front of me and the lady was not at all computer/ipad savvy. I confirmed my order (roast beef sandwich, lemon raspberry cream puff and a soda). She confirmed the cream puff was no longer included with the dining plan (which I already knew) and I used my first snack credit of the trip.

I cannot resist the urge to sit in the ballroom...

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However, the other rooms here are still beautiful...

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I sat down at what I believe was either the exact same table we had three years ago, or the one directly next to it...

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My food arrived and I went after the roast beef sandwich first...

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I was somewhat irritated to discover the horseradish cream (which is listed on the menu itself, not like it was an extra condiment) was not actually served on the sandwich, but needed to be requested at the drink station and retrieved and dished out by a cast member. Um...that would have been nice to know. After the hassle though, I'm sad to say that this just wasn't very exciting. The roast beef was really good quality, but the horseradish cream was much more sour cream than horseradish (I'm sure to be palatable to all) and the sandwich was very blah. However, the fries WERE delicious, and I am not even a French fry or potato fan. So I ate those as instead.

For dessert, I chose the lemon cream puff. And PSA - I've never met a lemon curd I didn't thoroughly enjoy (unless we're talking about Raglan Road, in which case I'm going to change the subject...because it's still too fresh three years later).

On my last visit I was highly disappointed in the Lemon Meringue cupcake for its overall lack of lemon curd.

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This baby delivered!

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The cream puff itself was pretty dry, but I was in buttery, citrusy heaven so didn't care that much.

Overall, I love the atmosphere at lunch. The food is fine, and a great value on the dining plan for a quick service credit. Next trip, I will plan far enough in advance so we can snag a dinner reservation.

After lunch, I made my back towards a different castle...

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Back down Main Street to City Hall...

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Where my greatest Disney adventure yet awaited me...

Can you guess what it is?
 
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I also found 7DMT much smoother than BTMR! I really like that about it.

Loved reading about your After Hours experience and your thoughts/review. You got so much done and it looked like the park was mostly empty! I'd definitely consider shelling out the money for a ticket someday if the timing is ever right on one of our trips.

I felt it was worth it for what we paid ($126) but later found out that tickets were as low as $89 if you had an AP or DVC discount!
 
Yikes we had to go to Walgreens on our first trip (needed cold meds and blister band aids, eyeliner had fallen out of the bag, etc). Our trip there came to almost $80! I've never been to a Walgreens at home (we have them but not too close to where we live) so I wasn't sure if that was the norm.
 
Yikes we had to go to Walgreens on our first trip (needed cold meds and blister band aids, eyeliner had fallen out of the bag, etc). Our trip there came to almost $80! I've never been to a Walgreens at home (we have them but not too close to where we live) so I wasn't sure if that was the norm.

No, definitely not the norm. They aren't as cheap as say, Wal-Mart, but the one right outside the Main Gate (besides being a pain in the patoot to get to) has QUITE the price gauging racket going on. If I had time to waste, I would have put my items back and gone to one further off property.
 
Final Thoughts on Disney After Hours

I know a lot has been said on the boards about the price tag of this event. We found that to be more than reasonable. Truthfully, I would have paid twice what we did to attend. We were able to ride everything we wanted to and had 30 minutes to spare. This is by far the closest I will ever be to being the only person in the Magic Kingdom.
I would totally do this if it was in the budget. It sounds amazing!! Thank you for your thoughts. I hope they have it the next time my family goes.
 
No, definitely not the norm. They aren't as cheap as say, Wal-Mart, but the one right outside the Main Gate (besides being a pain in the patoot to get to) has QUITE the price gauging racket going on. If I had time to waste, I would have put my items back and gone to one further off property.
We were actually at one nearish Universal. Maybe they're all like that around there?
 
Oh yay, what a fun trip report so far!

I cannot imagine being at MK late and soaking wet - you two were troopers!

Also, I am dying for that lemon curd now. I love all things lemon and all things curd.
 
Great update and pictures! The sandwich did look rather boring imo. But when are roast beef sandwiches ever done up?
 

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