kathymc's May 5 - 12 trip report w/photos

[kathymc]

Cast of Characters

Kathymc – that would be me, 39 years old, LOVES Disney, trip planner extraordinaire, 11 trips and counting
Danny – my DH of almost 10 years, 40 years old, Likes Disney, hey, at least he agreed to DVC
My Mom and Dad – she’s just about as bad as me, he’s happy that she’s happy, they both leave it all up to me.

Saturday May 5
Had a very early flight – 6:20 am so we were up at about 3:45, and of course I couldn’t sleep so I think I got about 2 hours sleep. My father in law dropped us off at the airport in Manchester and we met mom and dad there. Flight was about 2 ½ hours. Got the luggage and the car right away and very easy and off to find our home for the next two nights – Pop Century.

Wow – when we go there, there were so many people in the lobby and the line to check in had about 30 people in it. Room wasn’t ready so we just left everything in the car and headed right to AK after arrival and headed to Tusker House for lunch. DH and I got the roast chicken and my mom and dad got the wrap and chowder. Had to wait a while to find a seat. Everything was really good as always. I can’t believe they are going to change this over to a buffet. It’s always been one of our favorite lunch spots.

It was pretty warm out today and we were hoping to take things slower this trip, so we were just going to do a few things so we headed over to Lion King first. Still such a wonderful show but we all noticed that they just didn’t seem to be as powerful singers as in the past – and they didn’t do the fire dance. Headed over to Expedition Everest for about a 30 minute wait. Park is a lot more crowded than I thought it would be. The ride was awesome and the themeing is just incredible! I kind of got scared on the backwards part – I swear it felt like we went upside down! Great ride! Then we went over to see the new Nemo Show – hot wait in line for about 20 minutes. What another great show. Very talented performances and just a different type of show. Went over to Dinosaur and called it a day. We were trying to take it a little slower than normal this trip and it worked out pretty well today.

Back to the hotel to check into the rooms. We had Rooms 6221 and 6222 in the 70s overlooking the lake and the big YO-YO. It’s a really cute hotel. Walked around a little and Danny and I head over for a quick swim and a nice frozen mudslide – it was windy and got a little chilly so we didn’t stay long. A mamma duck and her 5 babies were hanging out around the pool looking for some free snacks.

Dinner tonight was at Shula’s. My DH had been wanting to eat here for a long time and our expectations were high. They bring over the menu written on a football! We all started with a martini or a cocktail as we waited for the waiter to bring over the cuts of meat. We all picked the filet. I would have liked to try something different but the cuts were all too large! We ordered two of the potatoes and the potato pancake. We could have all shared just one potato they were so large. We ordered a nice bottle of wine, large wine list. Only bad/weird thing about the night was they brought the wine out really early, while we still had our cocktails so it just sat there for a while before our meals came out. Other than that, service was top notch and we all agreed that the filet was probably the best cut of meat we had ever had and all were cooked to perfection. Would we return – probably not, just because it was really quite expensive. But for a special treat – it was worth it.

We were too full for dessert. My dad’s glass slipped out of his hand and shattered on the table and he cut himself. So he’s using a white napkin to stop the bleeding and it is going all over the place. The bus boy is running around trying to find napkins and alcohol swaps. The manager comes by to make sure everything is OK and we are giving dad a hard time for making a scene. So if you were sitting around our table that night and had to witness the bloody mess (not really) sorry about that! Headed back to the hotel for the night

 

[kathymc]

DAY 2
Sunday May 6th

Up around 8ish and head to the food court for some of that yummy Nescafe coffee. Got ready and then head over to Universal for about 11:00. Headed right over to the Mummy – WOW – that was awesome! I could have left the park after that! Then over to Shrek – what a funny show and cute pre-show. I got a yummy ham and cheese croissant at the bakery and everyone else got burgers at the diner. Saws T2 and then caught the monster makeup show – very funny and kind of crass – definitely not in Disney anymore. Then to men in black and then over to IOA.

Danny and I got in line for the Hulk and waited almost 35 minutes but a storm was coming in so they shut it down. Went and sat inside and had a beer while waiting for the storm to pass. Got back in line when it opened but then it shut down again. We waited about 35 minutes until we got on. We love this ride so it was worth the wait, but had definitely cut back on the time we had left in the parks. Then we did Spiderman which I still preferred over Mummy.

It was still kind of yucky our so the last thing we wanted to do was the water rides so we put on our water shoes and head to Popeye. Get there they are closed – they say head to Dudley – so we go there - he said nope it was closed but that Popeye had just opened – so we head back to Popeye and go on and get soaked. Then we head to Jurrasic Park and on the way back Dudley had reopened so we got on the last ride of the day. Danny and I were pretty soaked – mom and dad wore ponchos (wimps) – so we were hoping to buy a towel to dry off with but all the shops had already closed! So we dry off with paper towels and change into the dry clothes we brought and head off in search of dinner.

Decided to try Bubba Gump (we’ve been to a couple of them but mom and dad haven’t)
They said wait was about 30 minutes so DH and I went to the Endangered Species store - I love that store. Got some adorable puppies in pocket books for my nieces of their dogs. (they absolutely loved them!) Head back to Bubbas and they just called our names.

Had a pretty good meal of shrimp and more shrimp but they didn’t do any of the fun stuff like trivia like they did at other ones. Had some yummy fruity drinks and apps and then we all got either crab stuffed shrimp or the bucket of trash.

Back to the Pop and we walked through the store – have a night cap and off to bed.

 

[kathymc]

DAY 3
Monday May 7

We hemmed and hawed over doing the dining plan but for $38.99 per person we just decided to go ahead and try it and it started today. Got up around 8:00 and walked around the hotel for video and pictures. It’s really cute but just too many people around. When we were leaving we walked by the Magical Express area and it was pure chaos!

Pack up and off to our move to OKW. We had never stayed here but with the cheaper points we were able to make it a longer trip. Room was ready for us so we move in. What a great room! Really big and pretty with a huge balcony. It was too close to the road though (which we really didn’t notice until we returned to the room that night) and really close to a bus stop and smaller pool. I was a little ticked because I asked the lady that was checking us in if you could hear/see the road and she said nope. We had already settled in some so we just said we would stay there. It was a third floor 2BR, #5230.

MK day today so we headed to the bus stop and the bus came right away!

Bus service was good all week – its just a long trip with all the internal bus stops. WOW was MK crowded. I thought this was supposed to be a slow time. Head straight to our favorite – Space Mountain. 30 minute wait - mom says its her last time on it – but she says that every time. Got a fast pass for Buzz and then to try the new Laugh Factory – kinda cute but even this was a 30 minute wait! Then off to Buzz and I got the highest score! Mickey’s Philharmagic next – what a terrific show, I love watching all the little kids grab for things (well, I do it too, but they are cuter.) Pooh had a 45 minute wait – no thanks!

Head over for lunch at Cosmic Rays. All four of us got the chef salad. Really large and fresh and we all had the carrot cake for dessert which was surprisingly good. Then off to Haunted Mansion, FP for Big Thunder and get in 40 minute line for Splash. Got seats in the way back so we didn’t get too wet. Then back to Big Thunder. Dad didn’t ride so mom was in the seat by herself and sliding all over the place and laughing like crazy. What a fun ride.

We went over to Tom Saywer’s Island which we have never done (well I did once when I was a kid but don’t remember it) Really cute caves and tunnels and the fort where we shot the rifles. It was kinda fun.

Dinner was at Kona café for 6:25 so we hit the monorail over. We’ve had great breakfasts here and lunch on our last trip so we were anxious to see how dinner would fare. Everyone had different apps. From the chowder to the wings to the pot stickers to the crab cakes everything was yummy. My dad and I got the mahi-mahi. I didn’t really like it at first but it grew on me when all the flavors mixed. Danny got the shrimp and scallops which were pretty good and my mom got the steak which she said was delicious. We all had some tropical drink and enjoyed our meals. For dessert Dad got the apple pie thing, mom and I got cheesecake and DH got the Kilauea Torte – wow if you like chocolate – that’s the one for you. I also got a smoothie but was so full I could hardly touch it. Everything was really great and we’d definitely return again.

Head back to the MK to catch the parade.

Got a great spot down at the hub where everyone had to sit down – so we were the last row behind them that stood up and could see the parade perfectly. We just hung out at that spot for Wishes – beautiful as always.

Follow the herd back to the busses – didn’t have to wait that long for a bus to show up and head back to OKW. I got off to get some stuff at the store before it closed. Used some snack credits to get donuts, milk, water and tonic. Back for a night cap on the balcony and off to sleep around 12:00 – had a great day!

 

[kathymc]

Tuesday May 8th"]

Off to Epcot today at around 10:00. Went to get fast pass for Soarin’ with a return time of 2:15! Wow – it’s crowded! The flowers are really pretty and they are everywhere!

I’m not too sure of the order of everything we did but we did Mission Space – Green! We all loved it – I was afraid it would be too tame but it was great! Did nemo with a 30 minute wait – kind of cute but don’t think I need to see it again. Met an interesting guy in line who was a retired NYC cop who talked some about 9-11. Walked around taking in all the topiaries.

Time for lunch. I don’t think I had ever even thought of going to the Tangierine Café before, but there are a couple of trip reporters that tout this as one of the best meals in Epcot. I’m up for that so it made the list this trip. Everyone got the Shwarma lamb and chicken platter (I got just chicken.) It’s a ton of food and really quite tasty. We all got a Moroccan beer and the baklava for dessert. If you are looking for something a little different – give it a try.

Over to Soarin which was fun as always. We waited about 45 minutes for Test Track as it kept breaking down (what else is new?) Then did Mission Space again. Did some shopping in Mouse Gears where I got a cool sweatshirt then we went to look for the spot where you if you have a Disney Visa you can get a free character picture but walked into the character spot instead (I don’t remember the real name) They told us the Visa one had closed and that they were closing in a few minutes but if we were quick they’d let us meet the characters. First was Mickey and Minnie, they were kissing and so cute. Then Goofy and Pluto. Pluto kind of pushed my father and he was falling into us and we were all laughing. And then Chip and Dale. We seriously flew through this in like 5 minutes and it was a riot!

Head off to the worlds. I bought a plumeria root (which is just starting to show some leaves!) from a booth for the Flower and Garden Show. We met the artist that does the Mickey beach scenes that show up in allears newsletters occasionally. Contemplated buying one for $245 but we didn’t.

Saw Off Kilter – I wish their shows lasted longer – and once again I forgot to buy the CD.

Then off to dinner at our favorite restaurant – LeCellier.

This was our 4th or 5th dinner here. I started with the special martini with the glow cube – YUM. Mom had a cosmo, dad had a cold beer and DH had a cocktail. We were pooped and parched and so when we got our drinks we all made varying sounds of aahhh – and yummm at the same time and laughed.

DH started with the cheddar soup and the rest of us got the tomato stack. Now we haven’t had good/ripe tomatoes around where we live for a while, so while we were only eating a tomato, you would have thought we were eating chocolate soufflé! We were all oohing and ahhing over how good these tomatoes were. We all decided on the filet and everything was delicious. For dessert mom and I had the crème brule and DH and dad got some berry shortcake thing. They were good but I think we were too full to truly enjoy. Another great meal.

Had a very nice server who told us to go up the stairs at Canada for a view for Illuminations. It was a good spot and would be perfect if you were the first ones there to get up front at the wall. We had left our backpack/jackets in a locker at the gateway (we never needed them) so DH and I walked back to get them. Kind of sad that we couldn’t just walk home (we own at BCV) Then head out of the park. Busses have been running pretty good. Back to the room for a nightcap and off to bed. Another wonderful day.

 

[kathymc]

Day 5

Wednesday May 9th

Slept a little later today and then spent the day by the pool at OKW so we got lunch at Goods to Go. I got a ham and cheese sandwich and everyone else got burgers. They make them fresh so they were better than standard park burgers. We all got ice cream or pie for dessert. (you can go back later to get the ice cream which was nice) Played in the water and the water slide and just hung out for a few hours.

Changed and then went to the Poly to ride the boats – we had a great time and Dad got soaked. It was a really nice relaxing day but we got a little bit too much sun.

The other place I was really looking forward to was Raglan Road. Its gotten mixed reviews on the boards so I told my family I wasn’t sure what to expect. Well we all had great meals and a wonderful night. Our reservations were for 8:00. We got their a little early and checked in and got called right away. I didn’t want to sit right away as I didn’t want to feel like we had to leave before the music started. My DH told them we really wanted to be there for the band and she said. Oh then wait a little because I have you in the room away from the band. So we wait another 5 minutes and get brought to our table – Right in front of the band! We were afraid they would be too loud for mom and dad but they loved it.

Check out our seats!

So on to the food. DH and I got the scallop forest to share and mom and dad both got the drunk chicken. The chicken was a little dry, but the scallops were yummy (but really not enough scallops for the price.) Dad got the fish and chips which he loved, mom got the sesame seed haddock, which when it came out she made a funny face at, but when she tasted it she said it tasted much better than it looked. DH got the steak which was ok and I got the It's Not Bleedin' Chowder. At first it was ok but once again, once the flavors mixed it was really good. The mussels were too big for me to eat but there was plenty of other fish and scallops to eat instead.

Dad and DH had pints of Guiness and I had the beer flight. I liked the Smithwicks (?) the best so I ordered a pint after I finished the flight. They all had Irish coffee after the meal. For dessert mom and dad both got an apple pie/tart thing and DH and I split the sampler. It had the bread and butter pudding, the dunbrody kiss (chocolate mousse) and I think a berry and ice cream shell. OMG! I would just come back here just for the dessert. It was fantastic! Just before our desserts came, the band began to play and we had a great time singing and clapping along. This was definitely a great night.

Walked around a little and then luckily caught a bus right way. Chatted for a while back in the room and then off to bed.

 

[kathymc]

Day 6

Thursday May 10th"]

Today is MGM day. Basically walked right on to RNR and TOT – now that what I am talking about. The other place my DH has wanted to go to was the Sci-Fi. I hadn’t heard much good things about it so I thought we would try it for lunch. What a cute place and mom and dad really enjoyed it. We got onion rings and spinach dip and BLT soup and just shared between all of us. Soup was quite good! On the recco of the waitress we all got the Rueben. She said it would be the best we ever had. Well, it wasn’t – it wasn’t bad. Just we have had better. Everyone had Sundays and I had a chocolate shake for dessert.

We did the animation tour specifically so that we could do the learn to draw part that I missed last trip. This was so much fun. The first one was goofy and then we went back in again and did Donald – those didn’t come out as good though. I got a Mickey tattoo on my arm – I love it! We did the muppets, movie ride and little mermaid and had an ice cream, for a snack. The guy at the cart was telling me I had no snack credits left and of course I did so he just gave all of them to me for nothing - oh well.

Off to Fantasmic! – we wanted one more ride on RNR but it was now a 30 min wait. Kind of full so we never even had dinner that day, just a pretzle and a beer at Fantasmic. Chatted with a firefighter from Tampa as we waited for the show. Great show as always. Back to the balcony for a few drinks and off to bed.

 

[kathymc]

Day 7

Friday May 11th

Went to the Grand Floridian Café for breakfast. All of us had mimosas to start – they were huge! DH got steak and eggs and the rest of us got eggs benedict – they were the best I have ever had. Such a pretty place and everything was delicious. Had a sweet waitress and all of us cleaned our plates. We paid for this meal out of pocket. We had planned on paying for everyone for Mother’s Day but Mom and Dad wanted to pay for it for us.

We got to ride in the front of the monorail over to MK to catch a bus to AK.

Off to Animal Kingdom again to catch the Safari, Kali and one more time on Everest. Met a nice family from Canada that passed the 30 minute wait in line.

Danny got a Mickey Pirate tattoo on his arm – he’s slowly being converted Back for a quick cool off in the pool and then head to dinner at Olivia’s.

We all started with some fruity drinks and either got crab cakes or wings which were good – wings were really spicy. Dad got the pork chop that he kept raving about and the rest of us got the prime rib. It was just ok and mine was really quite fatty. Danny got a long island ice tea that was gross and had the waitress take it away. I got key lime pie that was yummy. I forget what everyone else got for dessert. So this was probably the worst meal of the trip. Not bad but not that great.

Over to Epcot to walk around a little for EMH. Rode space ship earth with no wait but everything else had over 45 minute waits! So we just walked all the way around the world and tried the yummy frozen drinks from France. I preferred the orange one. Got our traditional shot of Yaeger and beer in Germany. I love Epcot at night,

Got back to the room around midnight - sad that it’s the last night. Had the concierge print out our SW boarding passes – A’s – Cool! Start to pack and off to bed.

 

[kathymc]

Last day - Boo Hoo

Saturday May 12th
Our last day. Up early to pack and bell services comes by to get our bags at 10:30 to hold for the day. I hadn’t gotten my mom anything for mothers day (we were going to treat her to breakfast but they paid for us instead) So I picked her up a cute rice crispy treat that was a heart and said Mom on it – felt kind of bad cause I used a snack credit for it. She loved it!

Head off to MK

I could believe we hadn’t done Pirates yet so we head there first. Short wait and really cool additions. I can’t believe how real Captain Jack looked. I even got a halfway decent photo (no flash!) We waited a few minutes for the Pirate tutorial to start – this was so cute and funny! The guy acted and looked just like Jack. The kids were so cute and had to swordfight – they were so funny!!

We have two counter services left and a handful of snack credits. (we didn’t feel hungry enough most days for snacks so most of our credits went for tonic, milk, water and donuts for the room) Went for lunch at El Pirata y el Perico. It’s never been open when we’ve visited. We all got tacos or taco salad. These were really good! You can really load up the toppings at the topping bar (you should have seen how large some people were making them.) The dessert was a yummy ice cream bar.

Head over to see the Hall of Presidents to catch W one last time. And then head out to downtown to do some shopping. Spent a while in World of Disney (we always do) Got some stuff of course – mugs, polo for DH, shirt for me, a tie and a throw. I got another tattoo of Tink on my ankle. Went over to the art story and saw an original of the Mickey Beach scene for $7,000! Bought an ornament and then for supper we grabbed some sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich and a huge cookie and brought them back to OKW – 3 Scuddettos and one Full Montagu. We just grabbed a cold beer and ate them by the water before it was time to catch our flight home. Cleaned up in the showers by the pool and changed for our flight home. Used our last 4 snack credits in the gift shop on bags of nuts.

Couldn’t find a gas station and we were running last so we ended up having to shell out like $70 for gas! That stunk. Flight home was at 8:20 and it went by quickly. FIL picked us right up at 11:00 and we were home shortly after.

Do I think the dining plan worked for us – yes, we probably saved money but all in all it was too much food as we would never have so many apps and desserts (we don’t really do sweets.) Will we do it again, I am not sure. Even with the hot weather and all that walking DH gained 5 pounds and I gained 1 ½.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Fantastic photos! Epcot ones were especially pretty.

 

[Busymom85]

Great trip report. Love the pictures. Sounds like you had a great time.

 

[AlyssinWonderland]

Great trip report! Thanks for giving reviews on the resturants. I'm having a tough time picking out where we should eat! Thanks for writting! I'm glad you had a good trip!

 

[lynn71092]

I HAVE to see Capt. Jack when we go in August.
I'm going through Johny Depp withdrawal.....

 

[IATink]

Great report and pictures! I am so excited to go to Le Cellier this summer. We have never been there and I am really looking forward to it. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!