"It's Time for the MONORAIL PUB CRAWL!" April 2013 Trip Report**COMPLETE 7/14

[rachel09985]

Hi Rachel! I'm bummed they didn't have the pistachio crème brulee when we went to the Wishes Dessert Party - they only had the regular kind that wasn't that great. Your photos are fabulous!!

Goodness! That serious CM at the store with the Vinylmation - uhhh ok so he's a "by the rules kinda guy" well then!

I must try one of those jalepeno pretzels some day, they sound really good. I'm glad you showed the center but I don't see any jalepeno!

So is MK going to have another kind of fireworks show during the week of the 4th?? Since they have a nightly fireworks show I'm curious what you know.

No they aren't having Wishes from the 1st through the 7th!! GRR! I am so mad! I love Wishes and have to see Wishes so I have to move everything around and our last day (the 8th) see Wishes instead. I planned that to be an all Epcot day but not anymore. Oh well! The fireworks on the 3rd and 4th are 360 degrees while the other days are just 180 degrees.

The jalapeno pretzels are good but the jalapeno is very mild. I like spicy so it could be more jalapeno for me but they are still pretty good!

 

[rachel09985]

We got in line for Pocahontas, which is moved to the pathway between Africa and Asia. She used to be outside of Festival of the Lion King. Now she has a background of the Tree of Life, which is so pretty!

Emme made a friend in life and we had a British dad behind us. I just listened to his accent the entire time, because I love British accents!

I took these photos right outside the line.







Here is Emme and her friend! They were adorable!



Next was my time with Pocahontas! She was funny and cute and asked if I arrived here by canoe!







Kind of funny because I am wearing the same Snow White shirt now!





When we got out of line we saw Devine on the same path! She is just amazing.



Patty was craving a beer so she went to the bar in Africa and I watched Emme. She found the drums and wanted to play on those! It was adorable watching her.











Next up: Safari!

I leave for Disney in 9 days!!! I am soo excited! I plan to get this TR done by then so then I can start my new TR when I come back

 

[rachel09985]

It was time to redeem our fastpasses for the safari! We had a reservation at 1:30 at Saana.





I just love these trucks but can you imagine how much gas they use!???



Okapi!



Pretty purple flowers



One of my favorite views is this view, right when you come on the open safari.



This is the best view for giraffes!







Next up was the elephants. Last time I saw them we saw something inappropriate (lol) so I was happy it wasn't visible this time!









Okay- so here is where I don't have any pictures of Animal Kingdom. But I do have a story to tell!

After the safari we headed to the exit and I saw the kiosk that had the lanyards. I decided to buy one for my pins- I got just a blue one that has Walt Disney World on it.

Then Emme saw the lanyard with the princesses on it. She wanted the pretty pink necklace! So Patty told her she already got a toy but if she would rather have the necklace she could exchange the Ariel toy. Emme said yes so Patty picked out some pins for her and got the pink lanyard.

So Patty exchanged that and then we started walking.

Then the meltdown started!

She didn't realize she couldn't have the necklace AND The Little Mermaid toy. Once she realized that the little mermaid toy was gone the epic meltdown started. She was just crying and crying and crying!

It got worse so Patty made her go in time out with her in the corner. They sat there for a while until she calmed down.

While Patty was in there I witnessed something horrible!

I saw a woman hit her 10 year old son across the face and it was not a light smack. She hit him hard. And then she pushed him hard. Luckily he didn't fall but he almost fell.

I mean, really, what is wrong with people?? You are going to abuse your kid in public!? I felt bad for him!

So Patty and Emme came out and she was still crying a little bit. We just decided to go to dinner and then ignore her. However, she still kept crying harder and harder! I tried to comfort her but it didn't help.

Once we got in the car she finally fell asleep, she was just a tired little girl!

Patty and I decided we were going to return the lanyard for another Ariel thing ASAP! Haha. Anyways, that was the first real meltdown we had. She was just a tired and hot little girl.

When we got to Kidana, which we got a little lost, we just kept her in the stroller and she slept, which was good for her!

Next up: Saana!

 

[scottny]

Speaking of France CS have you seen pics about the new france ice cream place? I am too excited for that!

I did and so am I.

We had the couch last time at the Tea, it wasn’t too bad but I do prefer the tables.
We are doing the tea again in December and cannot wait.
A monorail pub crawl sounds like fun.
Nice pics of the character statues.
Tiki birds are so much better now without Gilberts annoying voice.
The party sounds like fun and nice pics of the fireworks.
COP is one of my favorite rides.
The Jalapeno Pretzel is amazing. Love that snack.
Nice safari pics.
Meltdowns are never good.
Ooh Sanaa. YUM!
Great updates and pics.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Haha, I love British Accents too. I just wish I could pull one off convincingly. I'd love to walk around a Disney park just speaking with an English accent the whole time.

Isn't it so wonderful how kids can just "make friends" instantly?

Wow, that's the same Poca I met like 3 years ago. Nice to see she's still around.

Oh god, I actually got chills reading about the woman hitting her son. NOT COOL! I just hate that so much. What scares me is if this woman would do that in public, what might she do in private. So not cool.

 

[KatMark]

All caught up again. Because I'm behind on all of my subscribed threads, I can't comment on everything. But I did read all of the updates and am loving all of the pictures.

 

[marDgreen88]

Pocahontas is back to her old spot now! Hahah I guess they moved her temporarily...? Weird!

Love your safari pics! Omg, the meltdown doesn't sound good haha but it's so understandable for kids to have bad moments in Disney. I can't believe the woman that slapped her son though! Terrible.

 

[rachel09985]

Up next is a new place for me : Sanaa

We finally found Kidani Village then we valeted the car. Emme was still a little weepy so we hoped she would fall back asleep. We looked for the ariel toy in Kidani but they didn't have it.

We checked in and basically got sat right away.



Watch out for the hidden mickey.



The restaurant wasn't too busy at lunch. We came from Animal Kingdom, so it was a short drive.

We got sat at a nice table that overlooked the savannah!



First a little background about me and this type of food. I literally have only had Indian/African a couple times in my life. I really like it but I don't eat it ever. I was excited to try this place because I don't get to try new cuisines at home. So therefore, all of this is coming from someone who doesn't eat this type of food! So bare with my reviews!

I started with the Mango Malawi margarita. This was good but I didn't enjoy the paper straw with this. It wasn't anything different from a standard mango margarita. I thought the tangerine liqueur would make it special but it wasn't that special. It filled me up too!

Malawi Mango Margarita - frozen blend of Tequila, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, Mango Puree and freshly squeezed Lime Juice $9.75



Next we ordered the trio of dips. The breads we ordered were naan, spiced naan, and onion kulcha. The dips were Cucumber Raita, Tamarind Chutney, and coriander chutney.





I really loved the spiced naan! It had a spicy kick and I love spicy things. Both naans were thinner than I thought, but delicious. The onion kulcha was thinner and had onions in between the bread. All breads were delicious with my favorite being the spiced naan.

Out of the dips I liked the cucumber raita the best. The coriander chutney was good as well. The tamarind chutney was nasty! It tasted like black licorice. I hated it. The cucumber raita was nice and cool, like a tzatziki sauce. I don't really remember much about the coriander chutney just that I liked it.

For my entree I ordered the slow cooked in gravy with the spicy durban chicken and the shrimp in green curry sauce with the basmati rice.

Spicy Durban chicken



Shrimp in green curry sauce



First the good:

I loved the spicy durban chicken. It did have a nice spice and the taste was great. I loved it.

Then the bad:

I hated the shrimp in green curry sauce. It was horrible. The green sauce was like a thick custardy sauce that wasn't remotely spicy. I tried the sauce with the rice but it was so bad that I just picked the shrimp out and ate them. They were nice and big shrimp! I wish I would have got spicy durban shrimp and chicken!

This friend came to our window to say hello!



For my dessert I ordered the trio with the tropical fruit kulfi and two orders of chai cream. I really thought I would love the chai cream so much.





Unfortunately this didn't really do anything for me. I liked the flavor of the chai cream but it wasn't the consistency I thought it would be. I thought it would be like creme brulee but it was more like chipotle sour cream consistency. A little too thin. The tropical fruit kulfi wasn't great either. It was just a little square of ice cream with fruit sauce on the top. Dessert bust!

All in all I loved the spicy durban chicken and the spiced naan, very much! It wasn't my favorite disney restaurant, but I want to go back and try more things! I loved the atmosphere and the trying something new aspect.

I am very glad I tried it here and I still crave those two things I liked!

Few pics of the gorgeous restaurant

 

[wiigirl]

Great pics!

 

[rachel09985]

I did and so am I.

We had the couch last time at the Tea, it wasn’t too bad but I do prefer the tables.
We are doing the tea again in December and cannot wait.
A monorail pub crawl sounds like fun.
Nice pics of the character statues.
Tiki birds are so much better now without Gilberts annoying voice.
The party sounds like fun and nice pics of the fireworks.
COP is one of my favorite rides.
The Jalapeno Pretzel is amazing. Love that snack.
Nice safari pics.
Meltdowns are never good.
Ooh Sanaa. YUM!
Great updates and pics.

I am doing the tea in December tooo! When is your december trip??

Haha, I love British Accents too. I just wish I could pull one off convincingly. I'd love to walk around a Disney park just speaking with an English accent the whole time.

Isn't it so wonderful how kids can just "make friends" instantly?

Wow, that's the same Poca I met like 3 years ago. Nice to see she's still around.

Oh god, I actually got chills reading about the woman hitting her son. NOT COOL! I just hate that so much. What scares me is if this woman would do that in public, what might she do in private. So not cool.

That is funny that is the same Poca you saw! Yeah, I know, it was pretty crazy to see that in public. I don't know what is wrong with people.

All caught up again. Because I'm behind on all of my subscribed threads, I can't comment on everything. But I did read all of the updates and am loving all of the pictures.

No worries!! Thanks sooo much for reading!!!!

Pocahontas is back to her old spot now! Hahah I guess they moved her temporarily...? Weird!

Love your safari pics! Omg, the meltdown doesn't sound good haha but it's so understandable for kids to have bad moments in Disney. I can't believe the woman that slapped her son though! Terrible.

I never knew that was her normal spot. Good to know to keep looking for her there. No meltdown was not good but she got over it and was a happy girl at night.

Great pics!

Thankss!!!

 

[rachel09985]

After Sanaa we left to go back to the hotel. We had plans to go swimming in the pool. We had to take advantage of the pool sometime during our trip.

When we got back I took out my new pins from Animal Kingdom.

I got the princess shoe pack.



These are the three single pins I got from AK.



I took a picture of me with my new pins and sent the picture to my sister and it said "I am officially a disney tourist!"



Me and my sister are going on a trip in March. I am taking her for her 21st birthday. I am so excited!

After this we get our swimsuits on and headed to the pool!

At first I didn't want to get in the pool because I just wanted to sit out and enjoy the sun but the only seats available were right by these bushes and there were soo many bugs and birds in these bushes that I couldn't sit there anymore.

I ended up getting in the pool but first I went to the bar to decided if I wanted a drink but I passed.

I took some photos of the adorable Emme first!



The pool was pretty nice. A little small but nice.





Emme is a little fish.







I love this picture!! She found a leaf and was so happy to show me



Patty went to get her a free life vest and after she got back I got in the pool. However, pretty soon it started to get very cloudy!

And then we heard the crack of thunder! As soon as that happened they made us all get out of the pool because lightning was close.

So we walked back to the main building.









Patty had to pay her bill so she did that and I looked the gift shop.

This was a cute sundress.



This chandelier in the main building is gorgeous!





I loved this lobby! So regal looking



When we went to leave to go back to our room this is what we saw!!



Definitely no leaving. So we just decided to eat something quick while it stopped raining.

I was going to get something hot but i decided to get cheese nibs instead with a pop.



These were sooo good!!! They tasted soo much better than cheez its!



Emme got noodles for her meal. They wouldn't let Patty get broccoli! They don't want kids to eat veggies or something. They were going to charge her an adult price just to add broccoli.





After her meal I was giving her some of my cheese nibs. She was obsessed with those!!! She was eating them like they were candy.

It finally stopped raining so we left back to the room to get ready for dinner.

 

[Wood Nymph]

It's nice to see pictures of POR. It looks like a nice resort. It also looks like the place isn't very busy. They must either all be in the pool or at one of the parks.

I bet Emme wanted to play with your pins.

 

[rachel09985]

After the pool we got ready for dinner because we were eating at Flying Fish!

I didn't really want to deal with disney transportation so I decided we were going to cab it!

I had to call about 20 minutes before and I asked for a cab with a carseat in it.

After we got ready we made our way to the front. We let POR know we were waiting for a cab with a carseat and then they called this van over that was waiting for us.

The original carseat that was in there didn't work so luckily he had just a seat in the back.

He took us to the Boardwalk; it was about 15 dollars. It is so nice not to rely on disney transportation when you are going resort to resort. I still will put up with it in order to not have to rent a car.

It was kind of confusing to get to the ground level of the boardwalk but we made it. Such a pretty hotel!

We finally found it!



I checked in and the check in person was really nice. I think he was nice as in flirting with us though. LOL. He asked us how long Patty and I have known each other and we were like 4 months! Haha, that was funny. He thought we knew each other for a long time.

The boardwalk area is gorgeous too with the reflections off the water.







First thoughts of the restaurant was that it was GORGEOUS!!! Easily the prettiest restaurant on property.



Our server was awesome!! She was soo enthusiastic and nice.

There is two areas of a bar where you can sit and have dinner too.





The bread and butter wasn't anything special. I think it had olives in it, which I wasn't a fan of (patty do you remember what was in it??)





I ordered the pinot grigio wine flight.





I know that I liked the one on the right the best. It was very light and good. The one on the middle was so bitter and dry!

For my appetizer I ordered the tomato/mozz salad.

Fresh Mozzarella di Bufala - Florida Yellow Beefsteak, Ugli-ripe and tiny grape Tomatoes, aged Balsamico, Exotic Peppercorns, Petite Basil, and Sicilian Olio Verde $15.00



OMG WOW! This is one of the best things I have ever had in my life!!! The tomatoes were incredible, especially the red beefsteak tomatoes. They were like melt in your mouth delicious and so buttery,especially paired with the olive oil. The fresh mozzerella was heavenly as well paired with the balsamic. It was heavenly! I dream about this salad. It is ridiculous to spend $15 on an appetizer but it was worth it.

Patty's app- some sort of tuna.

Yellowfin Tuna Tartare and Crispy Tempura Tuna-Vegetable Sushi Roll - Hijiki and Wakame Seaweed, Yuzu Tobiko, Wasabi Foam, with Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce $18.00



I ordered the pairing with the char grilled steak and the potato wrapped snapper.

Signature Flying Fish Cafe Entree Duo:
Char-crusted Angus NY Strip Steak and Potato-wrapped Red Snapper $47.00

Individual descriptions:

Idaho Potato-wrapped Red Snapper- over a rich Leek Fondue with a Veal Glace de Viande, Red Wine-Cassis Butter reduction

"Char-crusted Angus New York Strip Steak" - Fingerling Potatoes, Hericot Vert, young carrots, and bermuda onions with Classic Sauce Foyot



The steak was cooked perfectly but I am not a fan of char grill I have come to realize, and this was heavily charred. The potato wrapped snapper was very good but I wasn't a fan of those leeks. Tasted good but I didn't like the texture. The snapper was so juicy and that potato added a really nice crisp. The sauce was called foyot which is a bernaise. It went well with the steak. The green beans were excellent and so crispy but not too crispy.






We passed on dessert even though I really wanted the PB&J Creme Brulee. I figured I could get something at MK. Our bill was still ridiculous even with TIW. The most I have ever spent on dinner.

All in all we had a great meal here!! The ambience, service, and appetizer was all amazing. My entree was very good but not amazing and didn't match my feelings for the appetizer.

I can't wait to go back to Flying Fish!!

 

[rachel09985]

I LEAVE IN 2 DAYS FOR DISNEY WORLD!!!

EEEP! I am soo excited, and still changing my ADRs! LOL.

I haven't started packing. We have to leave for the airport at 5am on Tuesday! I am soo excited!

Corey and I need a break especially with him losing his job so I am excited that we will have this break. We are both excited.

I went to Target and bout $1k worth of gift cards! LOL! That is funny. I am so nervous to lose them.

If you don't follow me on instagram follow me! My name is rachel9985.

I planned to finish this TR before I left but I am not sure if I will now. Time just went too fast! I probably have about 4-5 updates left.

Maybe I can finish up tomorrow, if not, I will have two TRs going on for a bit.

Talk to you when I come back!

 

[SRiley1985]

I LEAVE IN 2 DAYS FOR DISNEY WORLD!!!

EEEP! I am soo excited, and still changing my ADRs! LOL.

We leave on Sunday and I just can't stop doing it either. There needs to be a Dis support group for compulsive ADR changers!

Your comment about the bill for Flying Fish being ridiculous is the reason I keep flopping back and forth on our Yachtsman reservation. When we are at home, going to Outback is an expensive meal for us, like 80 bucks. Yachstman will totally blow that out of the water!

 

[JulieODC]

Loving your trip report!! Enjoy your trip!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Love all of the pins you got, especially the princess shoes. Have you seen the ornaments they made like those? So cute!

Nice pictures of Port Orleans-I have never been there before so it's cool to see the pictures from there. Also, the ones of the Boardwalk make me miss it there. I love the Boardwalk!

Have fun on your trip!

 

[rachel09985]

It's nice to see pictures of POR. It looks like a nice resort. It also looks like the place isn't very busy. They must either all be in the pool or at one of the parks.

I bet Emme wanted to play with your pins.

She did want my pins! And then her mom bought her some. POR was very quiet! I loved it! I am used to the loud pop century.

We leave on Sunday and I just can't stop doing it either. There needs to be a Dis support group for compulsive ADR changers!

Your comment about the bill for Flying Fish being ridiculous is the reason I keep flopping back and forth on our Yachtsman reservation. When we are at home, going to Outback is an expensive meal for us, like 80 bucks. Yachstman will totally blow that out of the water!

I know! I literally look at reservations every day. Yeah that is how I am! We never spend a lot for food here. We normally get half price apps somewhere or use a coupon. The thought of spending over $100 for dinner gives me the heebie jeebies. But it is vacation so you deserve a splurge a couple of times a year.

Loving your trip report!! Enjoy your trip!

Thanks soo much!

Love all of the pins you got, especially the princess shoes. Have you seen the ornaments they made like those? So cute!

Nice pictures of Port Orleans-I have never been there before so it's cool to see the pictures from there. Also, the ones of the Boardwalk make me miss it there. I love the Boardwalk!

Have fun on your trip!

Yes I love those shoe ornaments too! They are very pretty. I should buy one of them to match. I loved these pins bc they matched the comforter at POR.

 

[scottny]

My mouth is drooling from the food pics at Sanaa.
I made that mistake with the green sauce the first time too but now I order the spicy Durban everything.
I have the recipe for the spicy Durban chicken but I need to try making it one day.
We will be there 12/2-12/13
I love POR. Thanks for the pics.
Flying Fish is yummy.
Okay I am following you now on Instagram.
If I do not make it back have a MAGICAL trip.

 

[rachel09985]

After dinner we were headed to Magic Kingdom for PM EMH. They were open till 1am and we planned to stay the whole time.

With our bellies full we left Flying Fish to grab a bus going to MK.







Emme was sooo hyper on the bus! She was like climbing all over everything.

As you know the Boardwalk bus stops at a lot of resorts- all of the epcot area resorts. So it took forever. About halfway to MK we heard this pounding on the bus. It was pouring rain outside. It was such heavy rain. I was so bummed and hoped it would stop. I checked the radar and it didn't look good.

We got quarantined at MK waiting for busses to leave so we could get in to a spot and unloud. It probably took about 20 minutes to pull in. Meanwhile we got to watch Wishes on the bus! That was kind of cool.

When we got off it was still sprinkling but it wasn't raining too hard. However, it was soooo cold. The temp majorly dropped and we were shaking. We had to get warmth somewhere so we went into the emporium to try to find hoodies.



Patty had to get the little mermaid toy for Emme so that is what she did. I did not get a hoodie because I wasn't about to spend $55 on one. While Patty was waiting in line I took Emme out to watch Celebrate the Magic.













After we done watching the show we went on some rides. It was sooo nice being there for PM EMH. There was no waits for anything. We walked right on Pooh, although Emme got a little distracted by the toys.



This thing was sooo cool. I swear that wasn't there last time. I loved moving those things over the rail. It reminds me of those toys at the doctors office when I was little where you move those beads over the wires.





This is really a neat ride. I love how the car moves differently in each room.



I heart Eeyore.











It said 20 minutes but it was not 20 minutes.