July 2012. Yes it was hot. Yes it was crowded. Yes it was FUN! ***COMPLETED***

[Disneychix]

OMG! That food looks soo good!

OMG! That rain looks terrible!

 

[KatMark]

Suzi, I'm playing catch-up again (darn kids coming in over the weekend and monopolizing my time ).

Great and fun update. Sorry about the rain, but good you got to see our favorite purple dragon and got a few other things done. Your meal at Via Napoli looks so good (I love the look of Dani's pizza); we are going for the first time in December. I'm not sure what I'll order because red sauce and I don't always see eye to eye, but I'm looking forward to trying something there.

You girls did great for such a long day.

 

[solana131]

Ugh! That rain looks familiar from our Epcot day. Definitely not fun!

Great pictures on Spaceship Earth!! Glad Dani liked Figment! It's one of our favorites in Future World.

I've heard such great things about Via Napoli! Everything looks so yummy!! It's on the top of our list of places to try next trip!

Yeah, the downpours were not fun, but we were prepared. We both had flip flops instead of sneakers, we had ponchos, we were fine. And that was the only time all week we had rain right up until we were loading on the ME bus back to the airport. We lucked out big time!

Glad to hear there is another Figment lover out there. He gets a bad rep around here for some reason. But he is old school and I think that's why I like him...I remember him from when I was little.

Oh you must try Via Napoli! It was wonderful. It was just beautiful inside too...not sure why I didn't bother to take decor pictures But it was great.

I loved the updates Suzi... The food at Via Napoli looks TDF!!! The pistaschio gillato especially!

I know how rainy days in Epcot go - that could have been our day there as well. I am glad you all had a good time anyways.

Oh D, the pistachio was awesome! So creamy and little bursts of crunch from the nuts. Yum!

Yeah, what is it with Epcot and rain? In Feb that was the only place we found rain too

OMG! That food looks soo good!

OMG! That rain looks terrible!

Yep, the food was great! And the rain wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. We were prepared and made the best of it

 

[solana131]

Suzi, I'm playing catch-up again (darn kids coming in over the weekend and monopolizing my time ).

Great and fun update. Sorry about the rain, but good you got to see our favorite purple dragon and got a few other things done. Your meal at Via Napoli looks so good (I love the look of Dani's pizza); we are going for the first time in December. I'm not sure what I'll order because red sauce and I don't always see eye to eye, but I'm looking forward to trying something there.

You girls did great for such a long day.

Thanks Kathy. I understand...those "darn kids" come before the DIS for sure

Oh, I think you will find lots without red sauce at VN. The 4 cheese was very yummy. Actually, I think I got that backwards...I think Dani had the pepperoni and I had the white one. She ended up with only 2 pieces of the 4 cheese, so that must've been the way of it But anyway...it was yummy. They also have really great looking pastas too, but my mind was set on pizza that day. Make sure you save room for dessert because they have some good ones there.

We didn't do as well as I had wanted that night. The original plan was to hop back over to MK for evening EMHs that night, but we were just too tired and we knew we would be there first thing in the morning anyway, so we just crashed instead.

 

[jennyjinx3]

We love love love Via Napoli too! I have yet to try those balls though, they look lovely!

 

[Lidian]

Looks like you had a great first day! You got quite a bit accomplished with those insane crowds!

 

[solana131]

We love love love Via Napoli too! I have yet to try those balls though, they look lovely!

Oh the risotto balls were so yummy! Very glad we tried this place. I think it will have to go on our "must do" list at least every other trip!

Looks like you had a great first day! You got quite a bit accomplished with those insane crowds!

Yes, yes we did I am very proud of myself and my planning. I think Dani thought I was a bit crazy at times, but she was a trooper and kept right up with me the whole week.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Oh Great. Another restaurant that I'm going to have to put on my to-eat list. I'm just going to need about 5 days in Epcot just to be able to try all of the food and restaurants that I've had my eye on.

 

[solana131]

Oh Great. Another restaurant that I'm going to have to put on my to-eat list. I'm just going to need about 5 days in Epcot just to be able to try all of the food and restaurants that I've had my eye on.

I would say "I'm sorry", but I'm not. It is worth a try for sure! But I agree with you....Epcot has too many great places to try. I tried to convince hubby that we needed to take an adult only trip for a long weekend, but he isn't a fan and doesn't think it would be fun without our son. He said "what on earth would we do?" I said "Eat our way around Epcot"! Seriously...stay at Beach/Yacht/Boardwalk and just go to Epcot every night for dinner. Sounds like a good trip to me

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Dani really got a kick out of these

And finally...

Subbing. I just love the Spaceship Earth cartoons they are a hoot.

 

[solana131]

Subbing. I just love the Spaceship Earth cartoons they are a hoot.

Welcome aboard!

Yeah, they are pretty funny My first attempt was in Feb with my little guy. He wasn't tall enough for the camera to find him, so the first time I did this I looked like I was by myself. This time was much more fun Dani and I laughed the whole way down the "golf-ball".

 

[jennyjinx3]

I would say "I'm sorry", but I'm not. It is worth a try for sure! But I agree with you....Epcot has too many great places to try. I tried to convince hubby that we needed to take an adult only trip for a long weekend, but he isn't a fan and doesn't think it would be fun without our son. He said "what on earth would we do?" I said "Eat our way around Epcot"! Seriously...stay at Beach/Yacht/Boardwalk and just go to Epcot every night for dinner. Sounds like a good trip to me

YES!! My DH is the same....kind of sweet but frustrating at the same time!! Right now he won't even think of going without his girls. i would love to go with just him and I someday...

 

[solana131]

YES!! My DH is the same....kind of sweet but frustrating at the same time!! Right now he won't even think of going without his girls. i would love to go with just him and I someday...

This Sept is our 10th anniversary. I thought that would be the perfect time to take a long weekend, but he didn't want to. So I went in July with Dani instead...huh...I showed him now didn't I?

 

[solana131]

I was very excited for this next day. Our first day waking up in the most magical place in the world! And it was Magic Kingdom day! And it was EMHs this morning! All good things. So I had warned Dani that we would get very little sleep because I planned on fully utilizing both morning and evening EMHs. She said she was on board with this....we will see...

EMHs were at 8am and I wasn't sure how bad the buses would be since we had never stayed at a bus resort before, so I set the alarm for 6:30. I got up and showered then woke Dani up. She opted to shower at night so it would save us time in the mornings, which worked out great all week.

So at 7am we were at the food court. I got a cheese danish

And Dani got a bagel. Not sure where my bagel picture is, but I'm sure you have all seen a bagel. The danish was very yummy. Moist and chewy pastry with a creamy sweet cheese filling. Yum yum yum. We both had the sweet tea at almost every meal. Wish they would give us some kind of juice with the refillable mugs...but the tea is good too.

So at 7:15 we were ready to go. We ran back to the room to deposit our mugs and were at the bus stop by 7:20. We got to the Magic Kingdom right as the welcome show was starting.

I was very excited to see this. I didn't think they would do an opening ceremony on EMHs. But we squeezed our way over to the side so we had an easier entrance and settled in to watch with tears in my eyes. I don't know what it is about that darn show, but I cry every time. I thought I got teary in Feb because I was so excited to share this whole thing with my son for the first time....but nope...it happened again in July

So after we got through the craziness that was Main Street on a 9 out of 10 crowd day, we headed straight for Space Mountain!

We walked right on twice in a row. After that I told Dani my back needed a break. It was a lot less bumpy 20 years ago! I looked around TomorrowLand, but most of the other things were walk-on even later in the day, so I knew we should head to FantasyLand.

We rode Pooh, Peter Pan and this little beauty

I don't think Dani was very impressed with IASW. She didn't want to ride it again anyway....ahhh teenagers...

I had completely forgotten that some rides weren't open during morning EMHs. So we tried to go over to FronteirLand and saw the rope across the way. Still didn't dawn on me, so we walked all the way over through the castle to try to get in from AdventureLand. Yep you guessed it....it was roped off there too. How could I have forgotten this?? And I call myself a DISer

But it was close enough to park opening that we just went back over to the FantasyLand rope and waited. It was actually 9:05 before they let us in. Boy is that a madhouse?! Why do they do that? Why can't they just have the rides closed and when park opens you can be there already? What's the point of EMHs if you don't get ahead of the crowds??

Ok, rant over...so we followed the masses to the Splash/Thunder Mountain area. We grabbed FPs for Splash and rode BTMRR twice. Oh I missed this ride when it was down in Feb. I can't wait to go back with my little guy and have him ride it!

Here we are on Splash

We are in the front. I know....bad picture, but I couldn't get close enough through all those little tour groups They were obnoxious!

After our escape from Brer Fox, we ran over to the Haunted Mansion. We stopped at the cart by the Country Bears to get an ice water. A picture of Dani along the way.

This ride was a first in 20 years for me and it didn't disappoint. I loved it. I can see why I was so scared of it when I was little and I'm glad I didn't bring Bradey on it in Feb, but maybe the next time we go he will be able to handle it.

After visiting the ghosties, it was about 10:45 and we were ready for a snack break. We walked through FantasyLand and saw that Mickey's Philharmagic was just about to have another show, so we hopped in there to cool down. It was great as usual (I just love that show) and when we came out we turned right and walked through the castle.

I had heard all about those cream cheese pretzels, so we walked over to TomorrowLand and grabbed a couple at the Lunching Pad. We knew we would probably head out and go back to the hotel for a break after, so we went over to the TomorrowLand Terrace restaurant to eat our yummies.

It was so peaceful because that particular restaurant wasn't open yet. It was a nice break to call my little man at home and see what they were up to. He was camping with my parents while I was away. He wasn't too interested in talking to me, but it was good to hear his voice. It was only the first day and I was really missing him

But this little baby cheered me right up. OMG was this good! Soft and warm and sweet, but not too sweet. I will definitely be making this one of our "must haves" from now on.

After our little pit-stop we were ready to hit another few rides. We walked over to AdentureLand, but Jungle Cruise already had an hour wait So we continued on by to Pirates. That was walk-on, but unfortunately we got behind another big tour group. This one was girls and they loved to cheer. We had a very loud boat ride and got stuck near the end with the chanting latin girls really annoying us.

By the time we got out of there, we were ready to head back to the French Quarter. We stopped in the Island Supply store in AdventureLand. Dani bought a Mickey head anklet and we were on our way out.

Up next....our mid-day break including a walk up to Riverside and a crazy surrey bike ride.

 

[KatMark]

Great update, Suzi. I love EMH's at the MK...you can get so much done before the crowds pile in at 9 a.m. Don't feel bad...I've forgotten in the past that you can't go to certain areas because it's roped off.

Mark is dying to try that pretzel in three weeks, and I'm going to show him a picture of it when I get home tonight.

LOVE the picture on Space Mountain (I can't do it once, let alone twice in a row anymore).

Tour groups.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I love the sweet cream cheese pretzels. If you like them you should try the jalepeno cheese one at AK too. BTW I also heard they have the sweet cream cheese ones in Epcot in the Fife & Drum. I can't wait to have another one.

 

[DMGeurts]

Great update! So glad you tried the Sweet Cream Cheese Pretzel... Believe it or not - it goes really well with a frozen Coke.

Bummer that you couldn't get ahead for SM and BTMRR... I forgot they weren't open for EMH either. Sigh.

Loved your update - can't wait to hear more!

D~

 

[solana131]

Great update, Suzi. I love EMH's at the MK...you can get so much done before the crowds pile in at 9 a.m. Don't feel bad...I've forgotten in the past that you can't go to certain areas because it's roped off.

Mark is dying to try that pretzel in three weeks, and I'm going to show him a picture of it when I get home tonight.

LOVE the picture on Space Mountain (I can't do it once, let alone twice in a row anymore).

Tour groups.

Yep, EMH was our friend this week for sure. Crowds were crazy!

I can't believe in all your trips you haven't made Mark try the pretzels! Yum

Yeah, Space really cracked me hard this time. It didn't stop us, we went back to it again and again since it was Dani's favorite ride. She still doesn't know what it's called...when she tells people what she liked best she always says "that dark space rollercoaster" I think I just went too fast for her to comprehend names and such

I love the sweet cream cheese pretzels. If you like them you should try the jalepeno cheese one at AK too. BTW I also heard they have the sweet cream cheese ones in Epcot in the Fife & Drum. I can't wait to have another one.

I meant to try the jalapeno ones too, just didn't feel up to it when we were at AK. And I have a hard time finding my way around AK, so I didn't want to put any side trips in the equation Next time.

Great update! So glad you tried the Sweet Cream Cheese Pretzel... Believe it or not - it goes really well with a frozen Coke.

Frozen cokes aren't my thing. I just can't get over the feeling of them on my tongue We pretty much stuck with ice water while we were at the parks to cut down on $$. Plus, it was so hot out...we needed the water.

 

[RHMH]

Solana - you are taking DD nd I down memory lane. We want to go back so bad... DD and Lucy have started the agenda for next year.. It's fun to watch Midori go through the motions of planning and Lucy learning. Midori has taken in so much in the past 12 visits, she can plan and agenda all by herself. No more planning for me, I'll let Midori take over from here on out.

I can see July 2013 visit will be a super visit for Midori since Lucy is going.

 

[Angies1274]

Yay! So glad Dani liked Space Mountain and that you were able to ride twice in a row. That's how it was when we went on our last trip which is why we were so surprised at the wait when we went in July.

I completely agree about the rope that blocks off Frontierland. We stood waiting one time and the people running over there when they took down the rope was crazy.

Yum! That pretzel sounds really good! I'll have to remember that for next time.