It's a Jolly Holiday with Katiebell and Brrt!

[Diamondintheruff]

Need some help with my Star Wars trivia. What are the things called that Brrt is sitting on?

Gosh it is a good thing I am a speedy reader so I can keep up with you. You should win the faster trip report updater on the boards.

Sounds like you had a blast at dinner. I imagine if I took my picky eater there he would get the veggies with whip cream!

 

[Katiebell]

Need some help with my Star Wars trivia. What are the things called that Brrt is sitting on?

Gosh it is a good thing I am a speedy reader so I can keep up with you. You should win the faster trip report updater on the boards.

Sounds like you had a blast at dinner. I imagine if I took my picky eater there he would get the veggies with whip cream!

Good morning Diamond Brrt was on a speeder bike, which was featured in the third Star Wars movie, Return of the Jedi -- there was a very exciting chase scene on them through the forest on the moon of Endor. And the huge tank like vehicle in the next pick is an AT-AT, All Terrain Armored Transport.
I play video games, too. Yes, I am a total geek.

I guess I'm doing so many updates because it's taking the sting out of being home from Disney, at least a little bit. I feel like I don't want to forget a minute of the magic...

If you ever want to try PT50's, but want to avoid the veggie-drama, you can always ask for a server who won't hassle you. But the kids at the tables around us seemed to get a huge kick out of seeing their parents being scolded for elbows on the table or tattling.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Great report Katie! I love DHS!! So would you recommend Starring Rolls for a CS meal then? We are looking for a good CS place in DHS.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

I guess I'm doing so many updates because it's taking the sting out of being home from Disney, at least a little bit. I feel like I don't want to forget a minute of the magic...

And I'm going with the opposite approach. The longer I take with my trip report the longer I get to enjoy it.

Thanks for the star wars info.

 

[Katiebell]

So the next morning, we decided to take the boat to Downtown Disney. There are a lot of ways to get around WDW -- car, taxi, bus, boat, monorail, walking -- depending on where you need to go and how much time you have to get there. Buses are usually faster, but boats are more relaxing and fun, so we opted for the boat:

We found out that the different launches use different colored flags for each resort -- yellow flags were for Port Orleans. Good info to remember to make sure you are on the right boat!

Here's a view of the new T Rex restaurant that will be opening soon:

I liked the mountain; it kind of reminds me of the Matterhorn at DL. I wonder what this restaurant will be like -- maybe giant Bronto-burgers like Fred Flintstone ate?

Breakfast in our room was coffee and a banana, so we went for lunch at Wolfgang Puck Express. Brrt ordered chicken penne pasta, which came with a salad; I ordered the pepperoni mushroom pizza, and we shared both:

The pizza was perfect, we both loved it The pasta was good, but kind of bland and mild; salt definitely improved it. The CS meals on the DDP came with fountain drinks, but I have to be really careful about drinking local water anywhere we travel (severe tummy troubles ) and DH has to drink a LOT of water (doctor's orders), so even though it wasn't really included, the CM let us have bottled water as our beverage anyway I wanted creme brulee, but they were out of it so I had a brownie. It was pretty good, especially for a prepackaged brownie. DH had chocolate frozen yogurt topped with blackberries, and that was great!

And of course, he shared a few bites with me, thank you Brrt

We were on a shopping mission for souvenirs for friends: Tigger stuff for Cheryl, Daisy stuff for Lori (hard to find!), and pirate pins for Lia. Lia has a HUGE PoC pin collection that she keeps in one of those big pin books. She photocopied all of her pages of pins, and said, "OK, if you find any I don't have, get me those and I'll pay you for them when you get home." Tall order, she had PAGES full of pins! But it was fun looking for them, like a scavenger hunt.

So, Brrt channeled his inner pirate once again for the Great Pirate Pin Hunt:

After searching several stores, we found TWO she didn't have And Tink watch for me, a Tigger plush toy and antenna ball, a book on how to draw the Disney Fairies, postcards, a Daisy pin...and Jack Sparrow hair for Brrt! Well, that calls for a celebration! We headed over to Raglan Road, admiring the Lego sculptures on the way:

Me and my favorite

Raglan Road is special to us because it's an Irish pub, and our very favorite trip outside of Disney was a week we went to Ireland in 2005 -- we'd love to go back! It's really beautiful inside, and the food is great, too. We had reservations for dinner there the next night, for my birthday.

It was time to go to Epcot, so off to the bus stop we went.

Next Installment: Illuminations -- Best Seat In the House!

 

[Katiebell]

Great report Katie! I love DHS!! So would you recommend Starring Rolls for a CS meal then? We are looking for a good CS place in DHS.

Yes, I recommend it, with a few cautions...I understand they have limited hours, so they might not be open during dinner hours. I think they close late afternoon. The other thing is the sandwiches are pre-made, so make sure you like everything that's on them. The turkey sandwich had some kind of green sauce on it -- maybe artichoke basil mayonnaise? I just asked Brrt and he called it "messy tasty green stuff" We thought it was very yummy, but I can imagine a picky kid might be alarmed. But the menu on AllEars says the selections change daily, so just ask what's on them. The bakery selections were very, very good -- Brrt's oatmeal cookie was HUGE and had interesting tidbits in it, kind of like trail mix, and my tiramisu was heavenly Several DISers have reported that you can ask for the grapefruit cake that's served at the Brown Derby, and sometimes they can get a piece for you -- but I think it's more expensive than the other pastries they usually serve. Which makes sense, because it would cost you $8 if you ordered it at the Brown Derby.

And I'm going with the opposite approach. The longer I take with my trip report the longer I get to enjoy it.

Thanks for the star wars info.

Oh, I know...savoring the memories for as long as you can! After I finish this trip report, I might do an abbreviated "dining only" report for the dining thread...then once I have prints made, I'll scrapbook those (one of my other obsessions ). By that time...should be close to our (hopeful) December trip to DL!

 

[TakeMe2Disney]

Lovin the report so far! It's one of my favorite...DH and I are still dying over Brrt's response to the "cousins" at Prime Time. We've gone there every trip and that's one of the best we've ever heard!

 

[Katiebell]

I really love Epcot. I mean...really REALLY love Epcot. I love the sights, the music, the shows, poking around in the shops, talking to the CM's about their native countries, all of it. I was reading about the changes they will be making to DCA, and found out that they had originally envisioned a West Coast version of Epcot, but it was scrapped and they built DCA instead. I do love the California theme, but I wish they could find room for an Epcot-experience for us, too. Maybe the fabled third gate will bring us something like that after they are finished with the DCA makeover...

So...back to Epcot, and this time we took the bus from DTD to the Beach Club and then walked in through the International Gateway. It was too early for our dinner reservation (I purposely made it later in hopes of timing it with Illuminations), so we went to Future World for a while. Now, a lot of people scorn the changes to Spaceship Earth (like the switch to Judi Dench's narration), but we thought they were great. And the interactive cartoon about your future at the end was hilarious! I couldn't stop laughing And it changes depending on the answers you give:

It was hysterical to watch Brrt whip off those little space age sunglasses and strut across screen. And we both looked so...svelte and...unisex!

It was getting late, so we started back toward the UK:

We caught a little bit of the British Invasion show again, then checked in at the Rose & Crown, but it would be a little while.

I told them that I knew we couldn't specifically request a patio table or wait for one, but if one became available, we'd definitely like it. The CM at the podium asked if we were celebrating a special occassion, and I said, well not tonight, but it's my birthday tomorrow. He said, we'll see what happens! He gave us a pager, and we went into the pub to wait.

And had a pint. And had another And I was feeling a little tipsy I went to check on where we were on the list, and the CM gave me a birthday button and sang Happy Birthday to me! Shortly, we were seated at our table on the patio

I had heard great things about the cheese plate -- [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Irish Cheddar, Mushroom Brie, and Stilton Pastry with individual accompaniments -- so we decided to try that:

Amazing I was a bit skeptical about the onion jam, because I am most definitely not an onion fan, but it was...sheer decadence...Brrt proclaimed it a "gastonomic titillation" (I was groping for adjectives to use other than "yummy" and "delicious" )

Brrt had the [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]herb-roasted lamb[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] with Guinness barbeque sauce:

I had the steak and fish:

Both fabulous. Then we stepped out to the viewing area to watch the fireworks. We could have seen them from our table, but the view was better closer to the lagoon:

We finished off our meal with Bailey's Irish Coffee Trifle for Brrt and Sticky Toffee Pudding for me...mmmm...

The couple at the table next to us was celebrating an anniversary, and the servers came out with a special dessert for them, and one of them sang a beautiful verse of "When You Wish Upon A Star" He had a great voice, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up in one of the Disney shows...

Next installment: Birthday Celebration at Animal Kindom!

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[Katiebell]

Lovin the report so far! It's one of my favorite...DH and I are still dying over Brrt's response to the "cousins" at Prime Time. We've gone there every trip and that's one of the best we've ever heard!

Welcome aboard! Please watch your step, and take small children by the hand...glad you are enjoying my ramblings and millions of pics!

Yeah, one of the many reasons I love Brrt so is his quick wit and great sense of humor Nothin' like having a fella who can almost always make you laugh

 

[Katiebell]

I did it!!! Booked Disneyland Hotel for 12/12-12/16, Whoo hoo!!! We're going to Disneyland!!!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Way to go girl! Have you started packing yet?

 

[mari360]

HI KB Sorry so late to join the party but i have caught up and LOVE it.....

Greygoose lemonade slushies, le cellier, parades.... oh how I miss WDW.....

Can't wait for more.....

 

[Katiebell]

Way to go girl! Have you started packing yet?

Hon, I haven't even finished UN-packing from Disney World Maybe I'll just keep everything that's clean in the suitcases and have a headstart...

HI KB Sorry so late to join the party but i have caught up and LOVE it.....

Greygoose lemonade slushies, le cellier, parades.... oh how I miss WDW.....

Can't wait for more.....

Mari!!! Good to see you..."Hold on to your hats and glasses...'cause this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness!!!"
Wow...did you read through all 6 pages in one sitting???

 

[mari360]

Hon, I haven't even finished UN-packing from Disney World Maybe I'll just keep everything that's clean in the suitcases and have a headstart...



Mari!!! Good to see you..."Hold on to your hats and glasses...'cause this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness!!!"
Wow...did you read through all 6 pages in one sitting???

It took me all day... but i did it..... I started yesterday morning and finished last night.....

 

[Katiebell]

It took me all day... but i did it..... I started yesterday morning and finished last night.....

Such dedication! Well, I'll give you a chance to catch your breath today...gotta go to work...but I'll try to do the next installment tonight. Have a great day

 

[Jana49]

Katiebell, you really should think about writing travel brochures for Disney! The way you describe the things you experienced is awesome. I can't wait to read about your birthday celebration at AK!

You're already booked for DL in Dec? Whoo Hoo!!!!!!

 

[Katiebell]

Katiebell, you really should think about writing travel brochures for Disney! The way you describe the things you experienced is awesome. I can't wait to read about your birthday celebration at AK!

You're already booked for DL in Dec? Whoo Hoo!!!!!!

Thanks Jana -- glad you are enjoying the report! When I was in high school, at one point I wanted to be a tour guide at Disneyland (before I wanted to be a writer for Rolling Stone magazine, ). If I'd stayed in the LA area, I might have applied there, but I moved to Northern CA instead to go to college. I really can't imagine living in Los Angeles again, but I'm wondering what it would be like to retire in Orlando and work part time for the Mouse. I've also thought about becoming a Disney travel agent -- probably wouldn't pay great, but the travel perks would be nice.

 

[Katiebell]

So, bright and early, we hopped on the bus and headed over to:

My big goals for the day were riding Everest twice, seeing Nemo and Lion King, and lunch at Tusker House.

First things first -- set out to conquer Everest. The stand by line was only about 10 minutes; we grabbed Fast Passes right away so we could ride again later:

EEK! It's the YETI!!!

YAY! I love this ride!!! What a way to start the day!

Next we went to the Finding Nemo musical. Really well done -- they used puppets, but the actors were on stage with them, and you could see their facial expressions, acting out the roles of the characters. It worked really well -- and the costumes, sets, puppets, and music were all first rate:

If you haven't seen this, I highly recommend it You'll find yourself humming "In The Big Blue World" for the rest of the day.

We went back to Everest again (this time in the very front row!), then rode Kali River Rapids (I was smart and brought rain ponchos). As we were exiting the ride, a lady in line saw all the drenched people and said, "Oh, man, I wish I'd brought a poncho," so Brrt pixiedusted his poncho to her

We shopped around a little and bought some souvenirs:

We saw the famous "Devine":

And we made our way over to Tusker House for our lunch reservations.

Next episode: A Feast Before the Festival

 

[JoBird]

Alright ms. KB-
tell me exactly where Devine was 'cause I have yet to see her!!!!!
And- was the Yeti moving- swiping his arm towards you, or was he being still?????
I've heard he's broken and not moving, so just wanted to know.

Cool about riding up front- it's the absolute BEST way to ride it.

OMG- I leave in 16 days! I can't believe it!

Jo

 

[Katiebell]

Alright ms. KB-
tell me exactly where Devine was 'cause I have yet to see her!!!!!
And- was the Yeti moving- swiping his arm towards you, or was he being still?????
I've heard he's broken and not moving, so just wanted to know.

Cool about riding up front- it's the absolute BEST way to ride it.

OMG- I leave in 16 days! I can't believe it!

Jo

Let's see...we had ridden Kali, shopped in the Yak & Yeti store (kind of confusing that they have a TS, CS, and gift shop all named the same thing! ) We had turned the corner near that huge monkey play structure:

and were walking along the stretch toward Tusker House. There was a woodsy type area on the left, and we saw a crowd gathered, snapping pics. I think she typically emerges from that kind of background, because she blends in so nicely:

Was the Yeti moving? I have no clue! I was taking pics like crazy on a speeding coaster, and honestly, a lot of them look like this:

There is a part where just the silhouette of the Yeti moves across a screen:

As for the big animatronic guy -- I don't really know if he was moving, or if it just seemed like it because we were moving so fast...I didn't even realize I HAD a pic of the Yeti until I was posting last night, and playing with the lighting on some of the pictures.

16 days, you are down to the wire!!! I looked at the calendar yesterday, and it's only 10 weeks until our DL trip!

Dang, I think I'm hopeless.