I Can Spot Frozen Fireworks Anywhere! Aug. '14 TR Updated 7/12

[Missyrose]

Great update! I'm really looking forward to trying Via Napoli when we go in October! Looks delicious! Sounds like you guys had a fun (although, super hot!) Epcot adventure!

You guys are going to love Via Napoli, we can't wait to take you there!

Loving your report so far. Your pictures are beautiful!

Thank you so much!

Glad your dad enjoyed Mission Space and everyone had fun on Test Track. I liked the picture of Franklin taking a picture of the ride photo camera

I just saw one of those new corvette's on the road the other day - very nice looking!

La Cava really is the best - though is rather small with how crowded it can get (though, it wouldn't feel the same if it was some big, huge space

How nice of that manager to bring you that appetizer plate! Knowing 'Ohana was coming up, I think just splitting that might have been enough

There are two places I wish Disney could find a way to expand: La Cava and Beaches and Cream. I know making them bigger might take away some of the charm, but it would make getting a table at either sooooooo much easier!

Cute Test Track photo! I'm glad everyone enjoyed themselves on the ride.

Not gonna lie, I don't think I could pace myself at a place like Via Napoli! I had fried risotto balls in Italy, and they were sooo good. Never thought to order them at VN, but we might have to try them on our next trip. Yum!

Your Italy trip looked like so much fun, I can only imagine how yummy the food was! Pacing yourself at Via Napoli is definitely a tall task.

That explains why I didn't know what the lotus blossom band was in the Disney princess collection. I've never seen Mulan.

I just painted the Mickey heads on the other bands.

Your afternoon in the World Showcase looks like fun. It also looks really hot!

I love guacamole. I think I would need three servings of guac to make it through one serving of chips.

OMG, those bands look amazing! So creative!

This update reallllllly made me miss Epcot, but mostly World Showcase!

I miss Epcot all the time. Especially during Food and Wine Festival time, it was so hard not being there this year!

The GF suite looks lovely! So nice to have all that space on vacation.
As always, Franklin's photos are so good. The Mine Train pics are so pretty. I always like the glowing gems! It is so magical.
Your photos with Maleficent came out amazing! I really do enjoy character photos and I think there are quite a few I would stand in a 2 hour line for if I was in the mood. I think I would do it for Flaura, Fauna, and Merryweather. An probably the 7 dwarves too. And Maleficent is just such a classic, so I would want that photo too.
Thanks for always writing trip reports. I love reading them.

VGF was beautiful, I've found myself daydreaming about our next stay there. You are so right, Flora, Fauna and Merriweather would totally be worth the line. Olaf may be up there too, right now.

Looks like a fabulous Epcot day! I just love World Showcase, I could spend a whole week there--especially during Food & Wine I can't believe we somehow failed to make it to La Cava! Must get there next trip. Same for Via Napoli--I passed on it for a couple other restaurants and I wish we'd eaten there!

You must go to La Cava and VN on your next trip! I've said it pretty often, I could spend all day at Epcot and not ride a single thing -- and be the happiest person on the planet.

Enjoying your TR! Especially your pictures/experience at VGF. We have sent our paperwork in to the title company on a VGF contract and are awaiting closing! Should happen by the 15th at the latest, but both we and the seller sent our paperwork in on 11/24, so we're hoping it happens sooner than that!
Hope to plan a trip for the 1st week of February and hoping for availability at VGF, although we wont be in Disney's reservation system for a few more weeks, so we'll probably be lucky to get anything at all.
I really enjoy seeing all of Franklin's terrific photography! My dh is an amateur photographer.

Excited to hear about the rest of this trip as well as your December trip!

Let me be one of the first to say, "Welcome Home!" I hope you enjoy your DVC experience as much as we are. And don't forget, add-onitis is real and very contagious.

Stopping by to catch up....

Wow, that show was a little wild for Disney! I'm thoroughly enjoying your TR's!

Your pizza at Via Napoli looked great!

Thanks Bridget!

What a great day at Epcot, despite the heat. Loved your pics of mission space. I'm prone to motion sickness so I've never done it, so this was my first time seeing the inside. Your TT ride pics are classic. Especially love the hitchhiker playing along with the group.

Mmmm la cava and via napolli on the same day. Epic in my mind. I'm stuck on the avocado margarita, but I'll have to try the jalapeño some day as I love a spicy drink. The pizza as usual looks awesome and how nice of them to comp an appetizer.

Can't wait to see how Ohana goes down. I'm thinking it sounds like it may just be dinner for 2.

Franklin loves the avocado margarita too, and the the blood orange one for that matter. It's always a tough decision for him at La Cava! We've got dinner coming right up, so stay tuned!
​

 

[Missyrose]

Welcome back, friends! We last left off with Franklin, Chelsea and I dead asleep in naps after a really fun (and brutally hot) morning at Epcot. You might remember from the last chapter that Franklin and I had warned everyone to not over-eat at Via Napoli at lunch because we had a big dinner ahead at ‘Ohana… and no one listened to us (I can’t really blame them too much, though, Via Napoli’s food is just that good!)

My cellphone woke me from my slumber, it was Dad. He and Michelle were still really full from lunch and he wanted to know if we could cancel dinner.

Me: No, Dad. They’ll charge us $10 per person if we cancel.

Dad: Can we make it a later reservation?

Me: No, Dad. This restaurant booked up six months ago, there’s no wiggle room in the reservation time.

I offered to let him and Michelle skip dinner and Franklin, Chelsea and I could go (skipping ‘Ohana was never going to happen for Franklin and I, we love it too much!), but Dad said they’d go (grudgingly).

We got to ‘Ohana about 10 minutes before our ADR and waited in the construction-rimmed ‘Ohana waiting area. Though I will say that the giant white wall in the middle of the lobby had been painted a more Poly-friendly shade since May and they had hung really beautiful renderings of what the Grand Ceremonial House would eventually look like.

Also, the scrims with foliage printed on them to hide the pool construction kind of cracked me up.

We were seated about 20 minutes past our ADR time and the ‘Ohana newbies got, er, lei-ed.

Raise your hand if you’re shocked that Franklin ordered a Lapu Lapu? No? None of you? Gah, we might be becoming predictable.

The food quickly arrived by the boatful.

Chelsea is a vegetarian, and I’d never seen the ‘Ohana vegetarian options, but they were seriously plentiful.
She had wonton chips with three different dips.

And a tofu stir-fry.

Us carnivores enjoyed the usual suspects.

Franklin and I agreed it was the best pork we’d had at ‘Ohana in years. And we didn’t miss the chicken one bit.

And although we were all pretty stuffed already, we couldn’t possibly let one morsel of the bread pudding go to waste.

The dessert was such a hit that we made it for Thanksgiving dessert! We paid the bill and rolled ourselves outside to get the car. Who liked their first trip to ‘Ohana?

Smiles all around! We couldn’t linger at the Poly though, we had a very important (and chilly) date waiting for us. What time was it?

It was time for me FINALLY get to see the Frozen fireworks in person. Look, I know there are plenty of people who are sick of Frozen already. But I’m not, I love the movie. I don’t know what it is, but that movie just clicked for me. The music, the beautiful animation, Idina Menzel, it was all just a home run for me. And now it was time for Frozen Summer Fun!!!

Franklin scoped out the spot he wanted and set up his tripod.

I snuck off to the stores and bought my new Elsa Magic Band. Yes, I know, I’m addicted to Frozen merchandise.

Soon, it was time for the show!

One of the things I loved most about the Frozen fireworks was how well the stage show with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf worked with the fireworks.

​

 

[Missyrose]

I was enraptured. The fireworks themselves were phenomenal, but paired with the music from Frozen was just perfection. And then Elsa cued up the “Let it Go” finale… and the tears came.

Michelle looked over at the end of the show and saw the tears falling down my face. “Are you crying?” she asked. Yep, I sure was. I’d spent weeks helping people plan their visits to see the Frozen Summer Fun at DHS and I was so happy to finally be there and see it myself. I was also crying because I had just fallen madly in love with a fireworks show. Forget Hallowishes, regular Wishes and Illuminations, Frozen fireworks had just sailed right to the top of my “favorite Disney fireworks” list. I mentally started finding more nights during this trip to see the show a few more times.

Dad and Michelle dropped us off back at Grand Floridian and we could hear crackling as we walked into the villas. It was time for Wishes!

We thought about running over to the dock, be all three of us were beat and we could kind of see through the trees from our balcony. So that’s where we watched from.

That’s where our evening ended, so that’s where our chapter ends as well. But don’t fret, we have our much-awaited Universal day up next. It’s Diagon Alley time! But first, did any of you get to see the Frozen fireworks this summer? What did you think of them?
​

 

[starousse]

Your O'hana dinner has gotten me very hungry!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

the chips and dips for the vegetarian option at 'Ohana look really good - do you recall if they tasted good? Wasn't much of a fan of the lettuce wrap so wondering if one could get that instead

I loved, loved the Frozen fireworks - especially down the main street where they have the snow shoot off from the roof tops. I mean, Let it Go!, Snow, Fireworks, in Disney - pretty darn perfect!

our view (you can see the snow going off):

 

[ElenaJane]

So much deliciousness in one day, for all the senses! I am glad to see the hummus dips. That was not offered when we went to 'Ohana.

Yeah, I have shed many a happy tear at WDW. I was shedding a tear or two at the MK opening show and my mom saw me and was like "Are you crying?!?". Yep, deal with it people.

 

[khertz]

I'm glad everyone was able to "toughen up" and make it through a delicious meal at 'Ohana.

The Frozen fireworks look REALLY amazing! I am also not sick of Frozen, but that probably has to do with the fact that I don't have a little girl obsessed with all things Frozen to ruin it for me. Paxton likes it just enough to satisfy my adoration for it without it becoming too much. I so wish we could have visited to see all the Frozen stuff at DHS!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I've said it pretty often, I could spend all day at Epcot and not ride a single thing -- and be the happiest person on the planet.

When we were there in October we ate at Via Napoli and never rode a single ride at Epcot the whole trip. We had the best time, too. I just love their pistachio gelato.

Who liked their first trip to ‘Ohana?

We ate their only once and the food was delicious. Two of our grandchildren were with us, age 5 and 3 at the time, and it was adorable watching them participate it all the activities they have for the kids.

It was time for me FINALLY get to see the Frozen fireworks in person. Look, I know there are plenty of people who are sick of Frozen already. But I’m not, I love the movie. I don’t know what it is, but that movie just clicked for me. The music, the beautiful animation, Idina Menzel, it was all just a home run for me. And now it was time for Frozen Summer Fun!!!

We had a lot of fun at DHS in September with all the Frozen activities. We were staying at the YC on that trip and we must have walked to DHS and back at least three times. Besides seeing the most awesome fireworks ever, totally worth the walk, we checked out the ice skating and build a snowman building, watched the parade and joined in the Sing Along. Even my husband enjoyed himself. Part of it was just having something new to do and see at DHS. But the characters and music are great, too. We really enjoyed ourselves. I would love it if they brought the fireworks back.

 

[sunnysideup3]

Hello! I've been reading along and just commenting for the first time (I have a HORRIBLE habit of that!). I loved your Frozen Fireworks pictures, they're beautiful! And that room at VGF....WOW. That split bathroom is just heavenly.

I love the report so far and look forward to reading more!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

What a day Missy! Pure awesomeness (not sure if that's a word but if it isn't it should be ) from start to finish
Can't believe you will be there again in no time at all

 

[Missyrose]

It's time!

We leave for Disney again tomorrow! We hope you'll follow along on our trip on (and like) our Facebook page:
The World of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy.

You can also follow us on Instagram:

Missy's Instagram


Franklin's Instagram

And I'm also on Twitter.

We hope you'll join us!​

 

[khaleesi]

Look, I know there are plenty of people who are sick of Frozen already. But I’m not, I love the movie. I don’t know what it is, but that movie just clicked for me. The music, the beautiful animation, Idina Menzel, it was all just a home run for me.

I feel the exact same way!!!

Hope you're having a great time on your trip!!!

 

[a742246]

Missyrose, you always make the best trip reports!

 

[Missyrose]

Missyrose, you always make the best trip reports!

Awww, thank you so much!​

 

[Missyrose]

Welcome back, friends! We last left off with dinner at ‘Ohana, followed by Frozen fireworks at Hollywood Studios -- it was the perfect evening!

We had big plans for this morning, it was time to finally see Diagon Alley!

We were a bit delayed getting to Universal because I was dumb enough to leave Franklin and my tickets in the villa, so we got halfway to Universal and had to turn around, oops! So we got to Universal a bit later than we’d hoped, but it turned out to be fine.

Everyone was happy to be there!

We had a new member of our crew this morning, Michelle’s other daughter Kim -- she lives in the Orlando area.

We made our way into Universal Studios.

My dad isn’t a Harry Potter fan, so we started with an attraction we knew he’d like: Transformers!

I had waited long enough. It was time to head to London.

The Simpsons stuff looked really cool across the water (spoiler alert, we didn’t get over there on this trip. Maybe in December when we have two days at Universal).

Back to the matter at hand, the details in the London portion of Diagon Alley are fantastic. The building facades are beautiful!

​

 

[Missyrose]

Let’s go in, shall we?

The queue for Escape from Gringotts had escaped from the bank.

I got a return time for my disability card and we went in search of treats. Ice cream, to be exact. Breakfast of champions, right?

Butterbeer ice cream. Life’s most perfect food.

The interactive wands looked really cool!

​

 

[Missyrose]

We stopped to watch the dragon do his thing.

We decided to take our treats on the train to Hogsmeade.

Universal is making a fortune off park-to-park tickets.

“Make a little magic…” Well don’t mind if I do.

Platform 9 ¾, please!

​

 

[Missyrose]

We boarded, the theming on the train was perfect. You felt like you were on the train from the books and movies!

The voices and silhouettes outside the cabins are spot-on.

“Now pulling into Hogsmeade station.”

We stashed our stuff in lockers and headed for Forbidden Journey.

We did single rider. One by one, Dad, Chelsea and I came off the ride, but Franklin was nowhere to be found. Apparently, the ride stopped and he was stuck for a bit (in one of the parts where you’re flat on your back). They gave him a return pass to come back and ride the ride again later.

That’s where we leave off for now, but there’s still more wizarding fun to come. So stay tuned!
​

 

[BridgetR3]

LOVE IT!! Daigon Alley looks amazing!! I definitely need to get over to Universal. So you've been in August and in December? Which is better? I would think the cooler temps would be better but I also have heard that USO has a few water rides?

Thanks for the updates! I was having withdrawals!

 

[ach222]

Love the Universal reviews! Looks like you guys had a great time