It's a Great Big Beautiful Trip Report

[Circusgirl]

Congrats on the dream fastpass! I'll bet you were great in the Laugh Floor. I wish I could have seen that. I know I say this ever post, but we love all your pictures.
Less than two months to go until the next one!

It is such an incredible luxury to have the next trip be so soon!!!

 

[Marshay]

Are you doing the postcards for YOMD? I did for a while and won some Dream Ears. Of course, with the cost of postage, they were fairly expensive Dream Ears...

Alas, I only did a few cards and then stopped. I actually don't use stamps that often since I pay most bills electronically. Silly excuse, I know but that's why I stopped.

Congrats on the dream ears -- but since you can't buy them (right?) in the stores, they are truly priceless!

 

[Circusgirl]

Alas, I only did a few cards and then stopped. I actually don't use stamps that often since I pay most bills electronically. Silly excuse, I know but that's why I stopped.

Congrats on the dream ears -- but since you can't buy them (right?) in the stores, they are truly priceless!

It actually really was fun to get the package in the mail. The ears came with a nice card. Printed on the back of the hat part is "Live Your Dream" - always good advice. Especially since one of my most recurrent dreams is to...(wait for it) go to Walt Disney World!

 

[Circusgirl]

More September 6th - Still in the Magic Kingdom, early afternoon

After the Hall of Presidents it was time to get on the high seas for some swashbuckling glee so I walked through the cool caverns of Pirates and asked to be in the front of the boat since there was no line to speak of. (One of my only complaints about solo travel here is that they always stick me in the back of the boat on Pirates.) I love the tradition of the dark ride. It used to be that dark rides were dark. Perhaps it is due to the advent of digital cameras and cell phones but now flashing lights and glowing screens disturb the immersion in the show of the ride. It drives me crazy! It’s a SHOW, people! You are not by yourself in the ride! There are people all around you being bothered by your activity! Your pictures are going to be mediocre to terrible! Grrrrr. It is hard to annoy me this much, but I hate the distraction and disruption of the blinding flashes going off. Sometimes I wish I could just get off the ride. This was no exception. The dreaded flash people started in right away and I knew that it would be an irritating trip.

Disgruntled by the appalling rudeness of the camera wielding public I stomped up the ramp off the ride and into the sun of the plaza. Hmmmph. Maybe I needed something to eat to counteract my ultra grumpy mood. I went through Pecos Bill’s but none of the food called to me. As I emerged into the wild west the popcorn smell from the Frontierland cart pulled me right over. Armed with salty crunchy goodness I decided it was time to carry out another of my missions and eat at Cosmic Ray’s. The popcorn was perfect to fuel a train ride to Toontown on my way to lunch with Sunny Eclipse. I had time to finish the popcorn before the train arrived at the Frontierland station. I climbed aboard the red and cheerful train and enjoyed watching the back sides of rides. The awkward old style natural history museum displays of Native Americans along the way took me back to the Disneyland of my childhood.

I cruised through Toontown, admiring the stretchy-squashy architecture (it brings out my deep desire to live in Whoville) and noticed how much hotter it was getting. I was glad to get into the air conditioned haven of Cosmic Ray’s. I truly intended to find a healthy lunch option, but somehow ended up with a cheeseburger and iced cappuccino. I stocked up on tomatoes and pickles from the fixings bar so at least there would be vegetables. There are no pictures, most likely due a combination of a mildly overheated brain and excessive hunger. Sonny Eclipse crooned while I munched. The food was of major averageness but I enjoyed the silly show which is full of ba-dump-bump vaudeville humor, the Catskills of the Future.

I gave away my apple slices to the family next to me (so much for the healthy lunch!) and went back out into the now intense sun.

Mickey’s Philharmagic was close and a show was about to start. I wasn’t wild for this show the first time I saw it but because people raved about it I decided to give it another try. I sat in the front row and whether it was feeling more immersed because of that or being in a different mood than the first time I saw it, I loved it this time.

The obligatory Donald Duck bursting through the ceiling picture:

When I exited the gift shop after checking out the CD selection the heat and the crowds had built to the point of unpleasantness so I decided to abandon park and go back to the Caribbean Beach. I could return later to use my Dream Fastpass (still untouched) before going to the California Grill for dinner. I took the tram out to my car even though I was parked in the very closest row of Minnie that regular people park in just so I could be in the shade while getting there.


When I got back to the resort I walked over the Cay to check on the progress at the pool.

They had removed all the shielding covers from the fences and there were just a few areas where there were paint cans and evidence of work still going on. I had a Disneyversation with a couple from Key West who were on a last minute visit due to a mandatory Hurricane Ike evacuation. They decided to make the best of it, get out early, miss the traffic and go to Disney World. Now that's my idea of disaster management.

I went in to Old Port Royale and asked a CM about some malfunctioning locking (or not so locking) pin backs that I had purchased yesterday. I was surprised that they didn’t work and didn’t know what to do. She checked with her supervisor and then said I could bring them back and they would exchange them for another package. I went back to my room, got the offending backs and trekked back over the Cay. By the time I got to the pin area, another CM was on duty. I spent a tiresome number of minutes with her trying to prove to me that the backs did work, which they didn’t, no matter what she did (she would do something to the back and say, "Ok, now it's fine" and then I would pull it right off, which we did for a ridiculous number of iterations), while I kept saying that the other CM had already told me I could exchange them. We struggled for a while and I finally prevailed. It was a very un-Disney encounter.

I walked back to my room, nibbled on my Rice Krispie extravaganza from Goofy’s and settled in for a short but most satisfying nap.

Stay tuned for:
More Magic Kingdom
California Grill

 

[nts4wdw]

More awesome pictures! I think Chuck and I are definitely leaning toward CBR for our summer trip this year. Our stay in December will decide it!
Sorry about your bad pin back experience! Still sounds like you are having a good time, though.

 

[Circusgirl]

More awesome pictures! I think Chuck and I are definitely leaning toward CBR for our summer trip this year. Our stay in December will decide it!
Sorry about your bad pin back experience! Still sounds like you are having a good time, though.

I'm hoping you'll have a fantastic time at CBR! I know how much you love POFQ but I think you'll find many things to enjoy about CBR.

The difficult CM experience really made me appreciate again how uniformly outstanding most Disney experiences are. In the regular world it wouldn't have been unusual, but at Disney it really stuck out!

 

[KigerKat]

Your pictures look like they should be on the Disney website! Amazing!! You must have a great camera.

I love reading your trip report! It's getting me so excited for my trip in 2 weeks!!!

 

[TigerKat]

LOVE your pics of CBR!!! Our first two trips to WDW we stayed at CBR and fell in love with it. It's truly like a separate little beach vacation within your vacation....KWIM? We're trying POFQ next month and just praying that we enjoy it, being from New Orleans, kinda makes me wonder how authentic it will feel to us.

 

[KigerKat]

LOVE your pics of CBR!!! Our first two trips to WDW we stayed at CBR and fell in love with it. It's truly like a separate little beach vacation within your vacation....KWIM? We're trying POFQ next month and just praying that we enjoy it, being from New Orleans, kinda makes me wonder how authentic it will feel to us.

I just noticed your screen name - almost the same as mine!! Too funny!!

 

[TigerKat]

I just noticed your screen name - almost the same as mine!! Too funny!!

I hadn't noticed it before!

 

[Mrs. Fleagle]

Still here and reading CircusGirl!

Sonny Eclipse is one of our FAVORITE things! We love eating there and the kids don't consider it a true trip unless we see our friend Sonny!

Great pics! I have a strange craving for something with um.....some butterscotch.....and a little banana and flaky pastry? I can't believe I never had that before. I'm so sorry I missed it!

Can't wait for the next installment.......

 

[Circusgirl]

Your pictures look like they should be on the Disney website! Amazing!! You must have a great camera.

I love reading your trip report! It's getting me so excited for my trip in 2 weeks!!!

Thanks, KigerKat! I use a Nikon D70.
Two weeks out is definitely time to start jumping up and down in excitement!

LOVE your pics of CBR!!! Our first two trips to WDW we stayed at CBR and fell in love with it. It's truly like a separate little beach vacation within your vacation....KWIM? We're trying POFQ next month and just praying that we enjoy it, being from New Orleans, kinda makes me wonder how authentic it will feel to us.

I love the CBR for exactly that reason - it gives me almost everything I love about a tropical vacation. I lived in Boston for years, so when I visited I was escaping the cold and snow and loved landing in a tropical paradise.

I'll be really interested to hear about how your experience is at POFQ. Disney is so skilled at capturing the details and feelings of a place and evoking its essence, but New Orleans is incredibly special and complex!

I just noticed your screen name - almost the same as mine!! Too funny!!

I hadn't noticed it before!

We might have to separate you two so we don't get confused!

 

[Circusgirl]

Still here and reading CircusGirl!


Sonny Eclipse is one of our FAVORITE things! We love eating there and the kids don't consider it a true trip unless we see our friend Sonny!

Great pics! I have a strange craving for something with um.....some butterscotch.....and a little banana and flaky pastry? I can't believe I never had that before. I'm so sorry I missed it!

Can't wait for the next installment.......

Hi Mrs. Fleagle!

Maybe we should start a campaign to bring back the Adventurer's Club and have them serve the Banana Butterscotch Buzz Buzz Buzz!

I had never seen the Sonny Eclipse show and vowed that I would go this time - I'm so glad I made it!

 

[Marshay]

Thanks so much for my day in MK!!! I love to read your TR and pretend I'm with you all the way.

I agree those pesky flashes in POTC were quite annoying! Popcorn appetizer was delicious...and I can't believe you passed up (if you're going to be bad anyway), those french fries with melted cheese sauce -- YUM! Last trip I was so good -- no fries or hamburgers...until I saw they had that melted cheese to use with the fries -- and then I lost it!

 

[Circusgirl]

Thanks so much for my day in MK!!! I love to read your TR and pretend I'm with you all the way.

I agree those pesky flashes in POTC were quite annoying! Popcorn appetizer was delicious...and I can't believe you passed up (if you're going to be bad anyway), those french fries with melted cheese sauce -- YUM! Last trip I was so good -- no fries or hamburgers...until I saw they had that melted cheese to use with the fries -- and then I lost it!

I'm so glad you're enjoying the trip - it's really fun to have you along!
I never even saw the french fries with melted cheese sauce option! I'll have to put that on the list for next time.
Maybe I'll skip the cheeseburger and go right for the fries...

 

[Circusgirl]

September 6th - What? More Fun and Food? Absolutely!

After my brief nap I took a much needed shower and got dressed up for my next excursion. I had an 8:50 reservation at the California Grill (with Wishes at 10 pm) so I had a few hours to do a quick shopping errand at the Grand Floridian, use my Dream Fastpass at the Magic Kingdom and then get to dinner. I headed over to the Contemporary. The DDE card is good for three free hours of valet parking with dining and that was just about right for my plans. Princess in the house! It would be nice at the end of dinner and the long day to have my car be right there.

I admired the Mary Blair murals while waiting for the Monorail. Hello, five legged goat! I took the resort loop, relishing the view across the lagoon and the familiar announcements. I jumped out at the GF and stopped in Basin. I have a tradition of getting some yummy smelling bubble bath or milk bath for relaxing end of day soaking while here. They had my favorite almond-coconut milk bath at a happy 10% discount with my AP.

I listened to the fabulous big band in the lobby for a few minutes (now there’s a sweet gig) and then got back on the Monorail for the short hop to the Magic Kingdom. The crowds seemed enormous compared to last night and this morning although realistically they were still light.

I ticked off my Fastpass rides, first Big Thunder:

then Peter Pan:

and then Winnie the Pooh. We stopped a couple of times in the Hundred Acre Wood, mostly in the Heffalump nightmare part.

I had skipped Splash Mountain, not wanting to sustain a dousing in my cute outfit. Unfortunately Space Mountain was down, so I took another swing at saving the power supplies at Buzz and thank goodness broke through my score barrier before I developed Space Ranger thumb syndrome.


Goodnight, Castle!

Then I cruised back down Main Street and on to the resort Monorail for the short ride to the Contemporary. I wound up with enough time enough to shop a bit at the Concourse shops. I like the selection and atmosphere at the Fantasia Shops, as they have a wide variety of things in a much less crowded frenetic atmosphere than some of the park shops. I decided to get a red t-shirt featuring a super sparkly sequined Minnie Mouse and a shorty Tink hoodie in bright pink. I started chatting with the CM cashing me out about our favorite places in the world and it turned out she once worked for my other favorite hotel/recreation company, Rockresorts. Created by Laurance Rockefeller, they featured a handful of some of the most architecturally stunning resorts on the world’s most beautiful beaches. The Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii is one, and Caneel Bay on St. John is another. They have long since been owned by different companies, but Laurance was a visionary like Disney and the purity and strength of the vision still makes the experience powerful and unique today.

I took my shopping bag and went to the second floor podium to check in for dinner. I have always had at least a short and sometimes prolonged wait to be seated here, but this time my pager started humming and flashing while I was still in the elevator on my way up to the 14th floor. The CM took me all the way through the restaurant and around the corner into a room past the last of the main room tables. I wasn’t thrilled with the location, as the view over the Lagoon and MK are part of what I count on during meals here. Then came the distressing news that the Banana Butterscotch Buzz Buzz Buzz was no longer on the menu. I was stunned, as it has been a fixture forever. Pulling myself together, I forged on and started with the Lobster Bisque Soup.

It was creamy, slightly spicy and had a clean briny flavor of lobster, unmistakably a soup of the sea. The crusty hot sourdough bread was a perfect vehicle to enjoy the last drops of soup before the arrival of my main course, Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta and Button Mushrooms and Zinfandel Glaze.

The perfectly grilled pork was juicy and bursting with flavor, a toothsome grilled surface concealing tender pork beneath. The polenta elevated humble corn to stratospheric heights of cheesy intense melt in your mouth goodness. This is another dish like the filet at Jiko that I have a hard time not ordering. I always have ample leftovers, a total bonus. Mushrooms are one of my few food dislikes, so no news from that section of the dish. If they were as good as the rest of the entree, they were fantastic.

Between dinner and dessert it was time for Wishes. My favorite seat for this is actually in the lounge in one of the little tables pressed up against the windows, but they were all occupied so I stepped out onto the walkway outside. There weren’t any marriage proposals like the last time I was here, but the sweet positive hopefulness of the show is always a tear magnet.

Then it was time to navigate through my disappointment over my dessert loss to pick another sweet ending to the meal. My CM highly recommended the replacement dessert, “The Original”, butterscotch brulee with chocolate and banana cakes, sautéed bananas and crisp fried plantain chip.

I was game to try it, but found it ordinary. After the semi-frozen brulee and outstanding crispy thin layers of pastry combined with the bananas in melty sugar sauce of the original there was nothing here that excelled. The bananas were only a vague echo of the old dessert, and the little cakes and creme brulee were fine but not fabulous. While the old dessert was a symphony, this one was a forgettable flip side single. When the CM asked how I liked it, I told her it didn’t live up to the late lamented BBBBB. She seemed genuinely disappointed.

We interrupt this trip report to bring you a late-breaking update. This just in from the menu listings on allears.net:
The Banana Butterscotch Buzz is listed on an updated 9/08 menu!! Brief pause for happy dance of joy and general jumping around in delight! The “Original” is also on the menu - perhaps they are having a dessert showdown! I vote for the Butterscotch Buzz!!!! Yahoo if it’s true!
Dance over, now back to our trip report already in progress:

I retrieved my car from the valet and headed home. I had gotten so cold in the AC that I wore my new sweatshirt and actually turned on the heat in my car. I walked through the little gardens and pathways to my room and immediately drew a bath so I could enjoy my almond-coconut bubbles. By the time I got done luxuriating, stretching, and downloading and looking at my photos it was 1 am again. I packed a beach bag in case I decided to go to Typhoon Lagoon in the morning. I never want to go to sleep when I’m here but I reluctantly turned out the lights on another day. Then I remembered that it was only the end of my second full day and I was content to drift to dreams.

 

[Marshay]

Wow -- this whole day sounds so lovely!!!

So are your dream FPs good for just that day or are they good anytime?

I never thought of bringing (or buying) some luxurient bath soaps for a good bath at the end of the day...I think I will try that next time -- esp since we do 1BR DVC and they have a whirlpool tub!

Oh, yes that pork tenderloins is perfect! My DH had that the last 2 times we went and we both enjoyed it. I don't remember what I had but I know I liked it to. I like to order something different each time since the 2TS restaurants make just about everything so wonderful!

What a great way to see the fireworks! I like getting a window seat but there's something extra special to me to go outside and feel the wind and hear the booms.

Glad to hear they {may} have brought back your dessert...that will be mine next time we go....Hmmm, with that ice cream sundae concoction and now the butterscotch banana treat, will be there room for anything else??

yeah! It's only your 2nd day -- I love that feeling when you've had a great time already and there's still so much more to go!

 

[TigerKat]

Great update! My DH's favorite dessert is the Banana Butterscotch Buzz also, let's hope it's coming back!

 

[nts4wdw]

What a lovely day!! It was a great Disney Day!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Sounds like a perfect day! California Grill sounds and looks yummy!!