"Let's Ride Every Ride in WDW" - The Trip Where Everything Went Right (April 2018)
- Thread starter Greg Lembrich
- Start date
Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Chapter 12: Finishing the Day Back in Norway (and the FEA Dessert Party)
The drive from HS to Epcot was smooth, and soon we were passing through the taps on our way to the sphere for our second spin of the day around Spaceship Earth. My daughter made sure to choose some different options at the end so we would get a different video of our future to enjoy.
Next we leisurely made our way up to World Showcase for the FEA Dessert Party. We showed up a few minutes before 8 PM (when the party was scheduled to begin) and only had to wait behind one large family checking in ahead of us before being welcomed in. The party was held in a great, exclusive location on the plaza (between and behind the twin gift shops as you come into WS) right along the railing around the lagoon. We were soon taken to our table, where we were seated with a mother, daughter (5 years old), and grandma. The girls made friends quickly, and largely kept each other entertained.
The dessert offerings were robust, and there was also a large table with cheese, fruit, crackers, etc. Each dessert had a Frozen theme, usually named after a character. There was also a stand where a CM was making caramel popcorn with liquid nitrogen, which was cool (literally and figuratively), and my daughter loved the fact that you could breathe smoke out through your mouth and nostrils after eating it. There was a table featuring scooped ice cream, a s'mores pudding creation (totally delicious, but sweet enough that it should come with a pre-emptive prescription for diabetes meds), and a salted caramel cottage pudding. In addition to an array of juices, there was also a bar with several choices of beers and wines (the event is open bar). There was also a PP photographer on hand.
Everyone at the party, both guests and CMs, was very friendly and seemed to be in a celebratory mood (no comment on whether the open bar may have played a role in setting that mood). Our table, like most of the others, was right up against the railing around the World Showcase Lagoon, so we had a perfect view of Illuminations. CMs also passed out glasses just before the show that made the fireworks look like snowflakes, which was a cool tie-in to the Frozen theme.
Illuminations is a good show, but I feel it may be getting a bit dated and an update, if not a complete overhaul, might be in order. Maybe it's just that after seeing the grandeur of HEA, the bar is raised too high. Regardless, the view of Illuminations from the party location was perfect, and it was great to be able to sit down the whole time, enjoying unlimited desserts and drinks as we watched. My Android was having battery issues that night, but I was able to snap some photos from my work iPhone.
Chapter 12 continued in the next post
The drive from HS to Epcot was smooth, and soon we were passing through the taps on our way to the sphere for our second spin of the day around Spaceship Earth. My daughter made sure to choose some different options at the end so we would get a different video of our future to enjoy.
Next we leisurely made our way up to World Showcase for the FEA Dessert Party. We showed up a few minutes before 8 PM (when the party was scheduled to begin) and only had to wait behind one large family checking in ahead of us before being welcomed in. The party was held in a great, exclusive location on the plaza (between and behind the twin gift shops as you come into WS) right along the railing around the lagoon. We were soon taken to our table, where we were seated with a mother, daughter (5 years old), and grandma. The girls made friends quickly, and largely kept each other entertained.
The dessert offerings were robust, and there was also a large table with cheese, fruit, crackers, etc. Each dessert had a Frozen theme, usually named after a character. There was also a stand where a CM was making caramel popcorn with liquid nitrogen, which was cool (literally and figuratively), and my daughter loved the fact that you could breathe smoke out through your mouth and nostrils after eating it. There was a table featuring scooped ice cream, a s'mores pudding creation (totally delicious, but sweet enough that it should come with a pre-emptive prescription for diabetes meds), and a salted caramel cottage pudding. In addition to an array of juices, there was also a bar with several choices of beers and wines (the event is open bar). There was also a PP photographer on hand.
Everyone at the party, both guests and CMs, was very friendly and seemed to be in a celebratory mood (no comment on whether the open bar may have played a role in setting that mood). Our table, like most of the others, was right up against the railing around the World Showcase Lagoon, so we had a perfect view of Illuminations. CMs also passed out glasses just before the show that made the fireworks look like snowflakes, which was a cool tie-in to the Frozen theme.
Illuminations is a good show, but I feel it may be getting a bit dated and an update, if not a complete overhaul, might be in order. Maybe it's just that after seeing the grandeur of HEA, the bar is raised too high. Regardless, the view of Illuminations from the party location was perfect, and it was great to be able to sit down the whole time, enjoying unlimited desserts and drinks as we watched. My Android was having battery issues that night, but I was able to snap some photos from my work iPhone.
Chapter 12 continued in the next post
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Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Chapter 12: Finishing the Day Back in Norway (and the FEA Dessert Party) (continued)
A few minutes after Illuminations ended, we were escorted as a group over to Norway, where we went through the FP line (it didn't matter since the park was closed at that point and there was no one left in standby) and onto the ride. FEA had been our first ride of the day, and we had been on the first boat of the morning. Now it seemed fitting that it would also be our last ride of the day, in one of the last boats of the night.
A few minutes after Illuminations ended, we were escorted as a group over to Norway, where we went through the FP line (it didn't matter since the park was closed at that point and there was no one left in standby) and onto the ride. FEA had been our first ride of the day, and we had been on the first boat of the morning. Now it seemed fitting that it would also be our last ride of the day, in one of the last boats of the night.
After riding FEA, we were able to stick around Norway for a bit and take some photos as the whole area was empty. I am even worse with the iPhone than with my Android, but here are some photos nonetheless.
Overall, I thought the FEA Dessert Party was a very good experience. The desserts were tasty, there was unlimited beer and wine, the view of Illuminations was perfect (and it was great to be able to sit down the whole time), and we got a no-wait ride on FEA. I would recommend it to others if you feel like this would be up your alley.
Epcot had closed as Illuminations began, so by now the park had really cleared out. After being the first people into Epcot that morning and feeling like we had the park to ourselves, it was really cool to have a similar feeling on the way out. Our day had really come full circle, and we loved every moment of it.
It was an awesome Day 3! We rode all the rides in Epcot and HS (again) at least once, so our quest for all 46 was successfully completed. The day went exactly according to my plan, except better. Yet again, everything went right
Day 3 Stats
Parks visited: EP and HS
Rides: 18 (13 different, with 3 rides on RnRC, and 2 rides each on Mission Space, Spaceship Earth, and Frozen Ever After)
Progress towards goal of riding every ride in WDW: 46/46 We did it!!!
Miles walked (according to my FitBit): 12.73
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Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
My daughter is nowhere near as lucky as I am
We did have an amazing trip, and were lucky that her school's spring break fell later than most this year. We really benefitted from pretty low crowds all week. Next year her spring break is the week before Easter, so we will probably not get as lucky at DLR, but I'm hopeful that with enough planning we can overcome it. Regardless, I'm sure we'll have a great time again. Thanks for following along!
cajunfan
Welcome to the DIS where wishes come true.
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2003
Enjoying your report!
I am an LSU alim, so Geaux Tigers!
And I think this is a great color scheme, lol.
Congrats to you and that cutie pie of a daughter completing the challenge!
I am an LSU alim, so Geaux Tigers!
Thanks! I hope the guys at Parkeology get around to making t-shirts available. They have a very cool design.
I agree that my daughter IS amazing. But, I do have to admit I'm a little biased
I hope to write up the rest of our trip later today. Thanks for following along!
And I think this is a great color scheme, lol.
Congrats to you and that cutie pie of a daughter completing the challenge!
Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Thursday 4/12/18
Chapter 13: Be Our Guest and a Magical Morning
After a good night of sleep at the Red Lion, we had another early wake-up for our final park day. We had an 8:30 Be Our Guest reservation, but were planning to show up early, enter with the rest of the PPO ADRs, check in as quickly as possible, and hope to be served promptly. The goal was to finish breakfast in time to line up for 7DMT pre-RD, ride that before or soon after the park opened, and then quickly go over to PP and ride before the line got too long.
We left the Red Lion around 7:10 AM, drove to the TTC, took the resort monorail to MK, and tapped our MBs at 7:35. They let us in with everyone else with PPO ADRs at 7:45 and we hustled to the back of the park pretty quickly. In fact, at 7:55 we were the second group to check in at BOG.
After checking in we waited just outside the castle doors until 7:59, when a flock of CMs came out to clap as the doors opened and we entered. We had ordered in advance online, so just needed to pay at the kiosk and take our seat. We claimed our preferred table in the West Wing, got our drinks, and our food arrived almost immediately. The breakfast food at BOG is serviceable, but not something you would seek out but for the location.
We didn't rush through our meal, but did not delay either, and were finished by 8:30. We exited BOG and headed towards 7DMT. As we started to turn the corner, a CM stopped us and told us that the line was forming along the fence. We turned around and saw just two other people there (a mother and daughter), so we went and stood behind them. As the minutes ticked by, more and more people streamed out of BOG and lined up behind us. In the 20 minutes or so after we got in line, the queue stretched back almost to BOG. A CM was supervising the front of the line, and he made sure that no one cut the line or went past him into Fantasyland, while another CM monitored the back of the line and directed the guests coming out of BOG. There was also a smaller line forming on the other side of the Carousel of guests wishing to go to PP first.
At 8:55, CMs moved the line around the corner to just outside the 7DMT entrance. The back of the line was back towards Pooh heading in the direction of the Mad Tea Party. Soon the RD crowds started arriving as well, and they joined the back of the line. At exactly 9:00, a CM walked us briskly through the standby queue and on to the ride. My daughter and I were in the second row of the first mine car of the day.
We were off of 7DMT by 9:05 and went directly to PP. Unfortunately we were behind the RD crowds, but the line was not too bad. It only took us about 20 minutes to get to the front, and my daughter enjoyed some of the new elements in the queue like the kids' bedrooms along the way. By the time we finished riding PP it was only about 9:30.
The PPO ADR at BOG turned out be a winning strategy. Having the two consistently longest line rides in MK complete in the first 30 minutes while still having our 3 original FP+ really helped to open up our day. We felt like we were ahead of the crowds with the wind at our backs for hours afterwards.
After PP we made the short walk to the Haunted Mansion. There was no line for standby to speak of yet, but the weather was gorgeous so we took a few minutes to enjoy both the humorous tombstones and interactive elements in the queue on our way in. After HM, we had hoped to go on Pirates but it was down. So we headed across the park to use our first FP of the day at Space Mountain. The initial RD rush had passed, and things in Tomorrowland were pretty calm when we got there. Soon we were rocketing off.
After Space, I was confident we could FP the rest of the rides we wanted in MK for the day, so we stayed in Tomorrowland for Carousel of Progress and PeopleMover, two of our sentimental favorites. With the day heating up and a few hours until our lunch reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table, we decided to stop at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlour on our way across to Frontierland.
In the next chapter, we will visit some more of our favorite spots in MK and finish up with lunch in the Castle.
Chapter 13: Be Our Guest and a Magical Morning
After a good night of sleep at the Red Lion, we had another early wake-up for our final park day. We had an 8:30 Be Our Guest reservation, but were planning to show up early, enter with the rest of the PPO ADRs, check in as quickly as possible, and hope to be served promptly. The goal was to finish breakfast in time to line up for 7DMT pre-RD, ride that before or soon after the park opened, and then quickly go over to PP and ride before the line got too long.
We left the Red Lion around 7:10 AM, drove to the TTC, took the resort monorail to MK, and tapped our MBs at 7:35. They let us in with everyone else with PPO ADRs at 7:45 and we hustled to the back of the park pretty quickly. In fact, at 7:55 we were the second group to check in at BOG.
After checking in we waited just outside the castle doors until 7:59, when a flock of CMs came out to clap as the doors opened and we entered. We had ordered in advance online, so just needed to pay at the kiosk and take our seat. We claimed our preferred table in the West Wing, got our drinks, and our food arrived almost immediately. The breakfast food at BOG is serviceable, but not something you would seek out but for the location.
We didn't rush through our meal, but did not delay either, and were finished by 8:30. We exited BOG and headed towards 7DMT. As we started to turn the corner, a CM stopped us and told us that the line was forming along the fence. We turned around and saw just two other people there (a mother and daughter), so we went and stood behind them. As the minutes ticked by, more and more people streamed out of BOG and lined up behind us. In the 20 minutes or so after we got in line, the queue stretched back almost to BOG. A CM was supervising the front of the line, and he made sure that no one cut the line or went past him into Fantasyland, while another CM monitored the back of the line and directed the guests coming out of BOG. There was also a smaller line forming on the other side of the Carousel of guests wishing to go to PP first.
At 8:55, CMs moved the line around the corner to just outside the 7DMT entrance. The back of the line was back towards Pooh heading in the direction of the Mad Tea Party. Soon the RD crowds started arriving as well, and they joined the back of the line. At exactly 9:00, a CM walked us briskly through the standby queue and on to the ride. My daughter and I were in the second row of the first mine car of the day.
We were off of 7DMT by 9:05 and went directly to PP. Unfortunately we were behind the RD crowds, but the line was not too bad. It only took us about 20 minutes to get to the front, and my daughter enjoyed some of the new elements in the queue like the kids' bedrooms along the way. By the time we finished riding PP it was only about 9:30.
The PPO ADR at BOG turned out be a winning strategy. Having the two consistently longest line rides in MK complete in the first 30 minutes while still having our 3 original FP+ really helped to open up our day. We felt like we were ahead of the crowds with the wind at our backs for hours afterwards.
After PP we made the short walk to the Haunted Mansion. There was no line for standby to speak of yet, but the weather was gorgeous so we took a few minutes to enjoy both the humorous tombstones and interactive elements in the queue on our way in. After HM, we had hoped to go on Pirates but it was down. So we headed across the park to use our first FP of the day at Space Mountain. The initial RD rush had passed, and things in Tomorrowland were pretty calm when we got there. Soon we were rocketing off.
After Space, I was confident we could FP the rest of the rides we wanted in MK for the day, so we stayed in Tomorrowland for Carousel of Progress and PeopleMover, two of our sentimental favorites. With the day heating up and a few hours until our lunch reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table, we decided to stop at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlour on our way across to Frontierland.
In the next chapter, we will visit some more of our favorite spots in MK and finish up with lunch in the Castle.
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Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Chapter 14: Laughing with Monsters and Dining with Princesses
After our ice cream break, we walked over to Frontierland and used our remaining FP+s for rides on Splash and BTMRR.
Does anyone know why they don't put a camera for ride photos somewhere on BTMRR? I think it would be a good addition.
Pirates was still down, so we took the raft across to Tom Sawyer Island. The fort had been closed on Tuesday due to the extreme weather, but all of TSI was open today. My daughter again loved exploring the cave and the mine, as well as crossing the bridge and checking out all the different nooks and crannies around the fort.
While at TSI I noticed on MDE that Pirates had just opened, and I was able to grab a FP. I am glad it came back up because I would have been disappointed to leave without another trip on my favorite ride. We rode the next raft back to shore, walked down to Adventureland, and were soon Yo Ho Yo Ho'ing our way through the Caribbean.
Our last stop before lunch was Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, my daughter's favorite show at WDW. I had snagged us a FP so that we could be assured a seat near the front in hopes of my daughter getting picked for one of the audience participation gags. We were seated in a prime location, and I was even one of the people shown on the big screen before the show started, but another very cute little girl sitting directly in front of us ended up being the one chosen to play along. My daughter was delighted nonetheless because you could still see us on the screen, and she laughed her way all through the show.
At last it was time to check in for our lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table. We hadn't been to CRT since my daughter was just shy of 3 years old, so she didn't really remember it except from the pictures and was very excited to be able to go up inside the Castle. First we went into the receiving room, where we were greeted by Cinderella. She took a few minutes to answer my daughter's questions and pose for photos.
We then took the staircase upstairs to the main dining room. It really is a spectacular space! Last time we had a table more toward the middle of the room, so could not get a good view outside of the castle. But this time we had a table right by the window looking back toward Fantasyland, which was fun.
Our waiter, Saeed, was very friendly and helped us choose from among the menu items. He also brought a magic wand and some crayons and games for my daughter while we waited for our food.
Chapter 14 continued in the next post.
After our ice cream break, we walked over to Frontierland and used our remaining FP+s for rides on Splash and BTMRR.
Does anyone know why they don't put a camera for ride photos somewhere on BTMRR? I think it would be a good addition.
Pirates was still down, so we took the raft across to Tom Sawyer Island. The fort had been closed on Tuesday due to the extreme weather, but all of TSI was open today. My daughter again loved exploring the cave and the mine, as well as crossing the bridge and checking out all the different nooks and crannies around the fort.
While at TSI I noticed on MDE that Pirates had just opened, and I was able to grab a FP. I am glad it came back up because I would have been disappointed to leave without another trip on my favorite ride. We rode the next raft back to shore, walked down to Adventureland, and were soon Yo Ho Yo Ho'ing our way through the Caribbean.
Our last stop before lunch was Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, my daughter's favorite show at WDW. I had snagged us a FP so that we could be assured a seat near the front in hopes of my daughter getting picked for one of the audience participation gags. We were seated in a prime location, and I was even one of the people shown on the big screen before the show started, but another very cute little girl sitting directly in front of us ended up being the one chosen to play along. My daughter was delighted nonetheless because you could still see us on the screen, and she laughed her way all through the show.
At last it was time to check in for our lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table. We hadn't been to CRT since my daughter was just shy of 3 years old, so she didn't really remember it except from the pictures and was very excited to be able to go up inside the Castle. First we went into the receiving room, where we were greeted by Cinderella. She took a few minutes to answer my daughter's questions and pose for photos.
We then took the staircase upstairs to the main dining room. It really is a spectacular space! Last time we had a table more toward the middle of the room, so could not get a good view outside of the castle. But this time we had a table right by the window looking back toward Fantasyland, which was fun.
Our waiter, Saeed, was very friendly and helped us choose from among the menu items. He also brought a magic wand and some crayons and games for my daughter while we waited for our food.
Chapter 14 continued in the next post.
Last edited:
Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Chapter 14: Laughing with Monsters and Dining with Princesses (continued)
As we ate at CRT, the princesses began coming around to our area and making their way to our table one by one. Aurora was first.
Followed by Snow White.
Then Ariel and Jasmine.
Each of the princesses really took the time to talk to my daughter and interact with her, as well as pose for pictures. The food was not our best meal of the trip, but better than I expected. My daughter especially enjoyed being able to decorate her own cupcakes for dessert.
After we had finished lunch, we exited out through the receiving room where we had entered. It must have been between seatings as the room was otherwise empty. So my daughter took the opportunity to sit (with her newly acquired wand) on Cinderella's couch in the photo area.
I was sure our old pal Cindy wouldn't mind
Our MK itinerary now complete, we headed down Main Street and out of the park to the monorail. We were planning on a great night at AK ahead, but first it was back to the motel for some rest.
In the next chapter, we return to Everest and Pandora.
As we ate at CRT, the princesses began coming around to our area and making their way to our table one by one. Aurora was first.
Followed by Snow White.
Then Ariel and Jasmine.
Each of the princesses really took the time to talk to my daughter and interact with her, as well as pose for pictures. The food was not our best meal of the trip, but better than I expected. My daughter especially enjoyed being able to decorate her own cupcakes for dessert.
After we had finished lunch, we exited out through the receiving room where we had entered. It must have been between seatings as the room was otherwise empty. So my daughter took the opportunity to sit (with her newly acquired wand) on Cinderella's couch in the photo area.
I was sure our old pal Cindy wouldn't mind
Our MK itinerary now complete, we headed down Main Street and out of the park to the monorail. We were planning on a great night at AK ahead, but first it was back to the motel for some rest.
In the next chapter, we return to Everest and Pandora.
Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Congrats on all 46!!
It was an awesome time to go!!HS sounded like a ghost town. Very unusual!!
The dessert party sounds great!!
Thanks! We have had very good luck at HS with crowds. Even when we have planned to go on low crowd days, the crowds still end up even lower than predicted. It makes for a very pleasant experience. Not only are the lines for rides shorter, but the shows are less crowded, there is less of a wait for food and snacks, the walkways are more open, etc. I'm sure this will all be a thing of the past once TSL, and then SWGE, open and the masses flock to HS, but we enjoyed it.
We really liked both of the dessert parties that we attended, and would recommend both or either.
Lesley Wake
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2017
Loving your TR. You and your daughter are so cute together and I'm sure you've made great memories! Reminds me of when my dad took me and my uncle took my cousin for a day at Disneyland (we live less than an hour away)!
Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Thanks Lesley Wake. I am enjoying your TR too. And my daughter and I are planning to go to DLR next April. We're going to try to ride all the rides there as well!
Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Chapter 15: Return to Everest and Pandora
After we got back to the Red Lion, for the first time on the trip I joined my daughter in taking a mid-afternoon nap. We were both excited for our night in AK to come, but knew we would need our rest to be fresh. Especially since we hoped to take advantage of shorter lines just before park close to try to ride both NRJ and FoP again. After a luxurious 2 hour nap, we were up and headed out on the way to AK.
I had grabbed us an early evening FP for EE as we were having lunch at CRT earlier in the day, so Everest was our first stop. As usual, we waited an extra train or two to secure our front row seats.
As soon as we had tapped at EE, I grabbed a Dinosaur FP and modified it to start right away, so headed straight to Dinoland from Everest.
My daughter really wanted another ride on Primeval Whirl, so I snagged a FP for that next. During our ride, I really hammed it up about how dizzy I was getting, to my daughter's extreme delight I then booked a FP for KRR, but my daughter stopped for a photo op on our way out of Dinoland.
We then had a nice, and relatively dry, ride on Kali before grabbing another FP for EE. We again sat in the front row, although this time our on-ride photo did not come through. With the sun now mostly set, we grabbed another Kali FP and went back for another run on the raft.
At this point FP distribution was complete, but we wanted one last ride on Everest, so we went standby. Most of what crowds there were in AK were either heading to the first ROL show of the night or still in Pandora, because the standby line was only about 10 minutes (even though it was posted higher). It was actually the perfect amount of time to enjoy the outstanding queue in, my opinion, one of the best themed rides at WDW.
For our last ride on EE, as with RnRC the day before, my daughter wanted to switch it up and ride in the very back row. It was a little rougher than the front, but I didn't find the experience to be that different. She loved it as usual.
At this point it was only 8:30 PM and we were still going strong. So we decided to head into Pandora, experience the world at night again, and at least ride NRJ before the park closed. We got to the entrance to NRJ around 8:35 with the wait posted at 40 minutes. I figured that was probably at least a little inflated, but even if not we should have time to ride and still get in line for FoP before the park closed at 9:30. Turns out the 40 minutes posted wait time was very inflated, because the line moved rapidly and we were boarding our boat just 15 minutes later.
We exited NRJ and made the short walk over to the FoP entrance. The 110 minute posted wait made us reconsider briefly, but given what we just experienced at NRJ, we were confident that the actual wait would be less. We got on line right around 9 PM and hoped for the best. Regardless, we would be finishing our last park day with another ride on the great Flight of Passage.
Going in the standby line for FoP also gave us the chance to experience the incredible ride queue, which we had not seen the first time we rode since we went through the FP line with our tour. The queue added so much to our understanding and anticipation for the ride, and ultimately we enjoyed FoP much more the second time having experienced the queue. Plus the actual wait from the time we entered the FoP standby line until we were assigned our room was just 35 minutes!
We had an incredible ride, and I was able to position myself a little better this time, so I was more comfortable on the banshee. My daughter decided against the 3D glasses entirely this time, but still had a blast on the ride. I went into this trip skeptical of whether FoP would match the hype, but it certainly does. A flat out amazing ride! If Disney can match FoP with some of other superheadliner attractions coming in the next few years, it will truly take WDW to the next level as a destination for cutting edge rides. Fingers crossed.
We were in the gift shop by 9:45 and bought my wife a very nice World of Pandora tea mug. We very briefly considered heading over to catch the 10 PM ROL, but both quickly decided that FoP was the perfect end to our last day in the parks.
Yet again, our day had gone exactly according to my plan, except even better. We had a chance to ride all of our favorite rides in MK again, have fun meals at BOG and CRT, catch another Laugh Floor, and then have a perfect night at AK, with all of our favorite rides there again (including both Pandora rides). Like every other day of our trip, everything went right!
Day 4 Stats
Parks visited: MK and AK
Rides: 19 (16 different, with 3 rides on EE and 2 on KRR)
Progress towards goal of riding every ride in WDW: 46/46 (plus we went back and rode half of them at least one more time)
Miles walked according to my Fitbit: 12.05
After we got back to the Red Lion, for the first time on the trip I joined my daughter in taking a mid-afternoon nap. We were both excited for our night in AK to come, but knew we would need our rest to be fresh. Especially since we hoped to take advantage of shorter lines just before park close to try to ride both NRJ and FoP again. After a luxurious 2 hour nap, we were up and headed out on the way to AK.
I had grabbed us an early evening FP for EE as we were having lunch at CRT earlier in the day, so Everest was our first stop. As usual, we waited an extra train or two to secure our front row seats.
As soon as we had tapped at EE, I grabbed a Dinosaur FP and modified it to start right away, so headed straight to Dinoland from Everest.
My daughter really wanted another ride on Primeval Whirl, so I snagged a FP for that next. During our ride, I really hammed it up about how dizzy I was getting, to my daughter's extreme delight
I then booked a FP for KRR, but my daughter stopped for a photo op on our way out of Dinoland.We then had a nice, and relatively dry, ride on Kali before grabbing another FP for EE. We again sat in the front row, although this time our on-ride photo did not come through. With the sun now mostly set, we grabbed another Kali FP and went back for another run on the raft.
At this point FP distribution was complete, but we wanted one last ride on Everest, so we went standby. Most of what crowds there were in AK were either heading to the first ROL show of the night or still in Pandora, because the standby line was only about 10 minutes (even though it was posted higher). It was actually the perfect amount of time to enjoy the outstanding queue in, my opinion, one of the best themed rides at WDW.
For our last ride on EE, as with RnRC the day before, my daughter wanted to switch it up and ride in the very back row. It was a little rougher than the front, but I didn't find the experience to be that different. She loved it as usual.
At this point it was only 8:30 PM and we were still going strong. So we decided to head into Pandora, experience the world at night again, and at least ride NRJ before the park closed. We got to the entrance to NRJ around 8:35 with the wait posted at 40 minutes. I figured that was probably at least a little inflated, but even if not we should have time to ride and still get in line for FoP before the park closed at 9:30. Turns out the 40 minutes posted wait time was very inflated, because the line moved rapidly and we were boarding our boat just 15 minutes later.
We exited NRJ and made the short walk over to the FoP entrance. The 110 minute posted wait made us reconsider briefly, but given what we just experienced at NRJ, we were confident that the actual wait would be less. We got on line right around 9 PM and hoped for the best. Regardless, we would be finishing our last park day with another ride on the great Flight of Passage.
Going in the standby line for FoP also gave us the chance to experience the incredible ride queue, which we had not seen the first time we rode since we went through the FP line with our tour. The queue added so much to our understanding and anticipation for the ride, and ultimately we enjoyed FoP much more the second time having experienced the queue. Plus the actual wait from the time we entered the FoP standby line until we were assigned our room was just 35 minutes!
We had an incredible ride, and I was able to position myself a little better this time, so I was more comfortable on the banshee. My daughter decided against the 3D glasses entirely this time, but still had a blast on the ride. I went into this trip skeptical of whether FoP would match the hype, but it certainly does. A flat out amazing ride! If Disney can match FoP with some of other superheadliner attractions coming in the next few years, it will truly take WDW to the next level as a destination for cutting edge rides. Fingers crossed.
We were in the gift shop by 9:45 and bought my wife a very nice World of Pandora tea mug. We very briefly considered heading over to catch the 10 PM ROL, but both quickly decided that FoP was the perfect end to our last day in the parks.
Yet again, our day had gone exactly according to my plan, except even better. We had a chance to ride all of our favorite rides in MK again, have fun meals at BOG and CRT, catch another Laugh Floor, and then have a perfect night at AK, with all of our favorite rides there again (including both Pandora rides). Like every other day of our trip, everything went right!
Day 4 Stats
Parks visited: MK and AK
Rides: 19 (16 different, with 3 rides on EE and 2 on KRR)
Progress towards goal of riding every ride in WDW: 46/46 (plus we went back and rode half of them at least one more time)
Miles walked according to my Fitbit: 12.05
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MiracleCream
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2017
I’ve got to say I’ve really enjoyed this TR. the research and planning was just amazing to read. It gives me hopes I can be this efficient in my next trip to wdw! Our challenge isn’t doing all the rides but maneuvering the holiday crowds last week in November!
Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
That is a whole different challenge. As with most things at WDW (and in life), good planning is key. I think if you have a good touring plan, take advantage of RD to have shorter waits in the morning, use your FP+ to get you to lunch time, then either do low and no wait attractions in the afternoon or take a break, and take advantage of the dwindling crowds before park close, you can still have a fun and productive day even when parks are more crowded. Good luck! And thanks for following along on our trip.
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Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Thanks. Have a great time at FEA! If you have good weather, it will be a magical night.
MiracleCream
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2017
Great tips I will note! Part of the challenge for us is the older kid is special needs so we try to plan for that. We even splurged on the contemporary resort theme park view to watch fireworks from there and t be able to walk to MK. We did this our first time last year and it’s helped a lot.
Greg Lembrich
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Friday 4/13/18 (Departure Day)
Chapter 16: A Farewell Breakfast at Chef Mickey's
We were able to sleep a little later on Friday as we had no PPO ADR or RD to race off for. As I mentioned back in Chapter 1, it has become a family tradition to eat at Chef Mickey's on our Departure Day. We like this because it is a fun thing to do that does not require a park ticket, and also because it gives us something to look forward to even as we are packing to go home.
After packing, my daughter and I checked out of the Red Lion, which served us very well on the trip. We drove to the Contemporary and checked in at Chef Mickey's. The last time we were at CM's was in November when it was being held in the Convention Center while the usual location was under renovation. That was a very different experience, and didn't quite have the same feel because of the surroundings. Now it was good to be back under the monorail.
We showed up right at our reservation time and were called in almost immediately. A few quick photos and then we were shown to our table.
The breakfast offerings were as I remembered, with lots of options to choose from and pretty good quality overall. As usual, it felt quite crowded, but that's to be expected for such a popular character meal. We had a chance to enjoy our breakfast and even go back for seconds before the characters made their way to our area. Our server was very attentive, refilled our drinks several times, and did a good job of keeping us updated as to when to expect the characters to arrive in our area.
Once the characters started coming, they came in pretty rapid succession, with a new one arriving just moments after the prior one had departed. Our table was near the window, which was nice, but created a bit of a glare in some of the photos. Pluto was first to arrive, followed by Donald.
Goofy was next. He and my daughter got a good laugh when she pointed out that they had something in common: they were both missing their front teeth
Next came Minnie.
And finally the main mouse himself, Mickey!
This was a great way to finish off our time at WDW! After breakfast, we spent a few minutes walking around the Contemporary and BLT before returning to our rental car for the drive to MCO. We had plenty of time before our flight, so took one last spin around some of the main roads around the parks on our way out. We stopped to fuel up the rental car as we got closer to the airport, and then dropped the Dodge Grand Caravan off at Alamo when we arrived.
I had never flown Spirit before, so was not really sure what to expect. As my father-in-law likes to say, the key to happiness in life is low expectations. This would actually make a fairly decent slogan for Spirit Airlines. What savings we got by flying Spirit that wasn't wiped out by the exorbitant luggage fees was certainly negated by the very small, cramped seating on the plane. Fortunately I had bought my daughter a few puzzle books that she liked in the airport bookstore, so that kept her occupied for most the return flight. We took off and landed later than expected, but it wasn't too bad.
My parents, who also live in NJ, picked us up at the airport, which was nice. They dropped me off at home and then took my daughter to stay with them for the rest of the weekend. After spending the week with daddy at Disney World, she would then be pampered and spoiled by her grandparents for the weekend. Not a bad spring break And I certainly appreciated the chance to rest at home and catch up on work and other real life stuff that I had successfully avoided even thinking about while down in the Disney bubble.
--------
Overall, it was a truly phenomenal trip that exceeded all of my expectations. We set a pretty aggressive agenda of rides and other activities that we wanted to do, but with lots of good planning and some good luck we were able to do everything we wanted and more, having a great time in the process. The opportunity to spend this precious time with my daughter was priceless, and since coming back I have genuinely noticed that the trip seemed to bring us closer together. Writing this TR has been lots of fun too, not only for the great feedback I have been getting here, but also because it has been fun to remember and relive all the great times we had. Most nights my daughter and I have been reading one chapter together before she goes to sleep, and it gets her very excited.
Our lives move fast, and kids grow up even faster. As parents, we so rarely get the chance to slow down and, despite our best efforts, we miss a lot along the way. Vacations are a wonderful opportunity to catch up with each other, to do things together, to recenter, and to remind ourselves of what really matters. Sometimes it is a day at the beach, or a few days in the mountains, or a week exploring museums and big cities. For my daughter and me, this time it was 4 crazy days running around WDW riding every ride in all the parks. And I wouldn't have traded it for anything. It was truly the trip where everything went right not only because we did everything we set out to do, but because we got to do it all together.
Thanks to all of you who have followed along on our journey!
Final Trip Stats
Park days: 4
Parks visited: MK, AK, HS, and EP
Rides: 88
Our goal of riding every ride? 46/46, accomplished in 2.5 days (and then we went back and rode our favorite half of them again)
Total distance walked over our 4 park days: 50.41 miles
Laughs, smiles, and hugs: Too many to count
Chapter 16: A Farewell Breakfast at Chef Mickey's
We were able to sleep a little later on Friday as we had no PPO ADR or RD to race off for. As I mentioned back in Chapter 1, it has become a family tradition to eat at Chef Mickey's on our Departure Day. We like this because it is a fun thing to do that does not require a park ticket, and also because it gives us something to look forward to even as we are packing to go home.
After packing, my daughter and I checked out of the Red Lion, which served us very well on the trip. We drove to the Contemporary and checked in at Chef Mickey's. The last time we were at CM's was in November when it was being held in the Convention Center while the usual location was under renovation. That was a very different experience, and didn't quite have the same feel because of the surroundings. Now it was good to be back under the monorail.
We showed up right at our reservation time and were called in almost immediately. A few quick photos and then we were shown to our table.
The breakfast offerings were as I remembered, with lots of options to choose from and pretty good quality overall. As usual, it felt quite crowded, but that's to be expected for such a popular character meal. We had a chance to enjoy our breakfast and even go back for seconds before the characters made their way to our area. Our server was very attentive, refilled our drinks several times, and did a good job of keeping us updated as to when to expect the characters to arrive in our area.
Once the characters started coming, they came in pretty rapid succession, with a new one arriving just moments after the prior one had departed. Our table was near the window, which was nice, but created a bit of a glare in some of the photos. Pluto was first to arrive, followed by Donald.
Goofy was next. He and my daughter got a good laugh when she pointed out that they had something in common: they were both missing their front teeth
Next came Minnie.
And finally the main mouse himself, Mickey!
This was a great way to finish off our time at WDW! After breakfast, we spent a few minutes walking around the Contemporary and BLT before returning to our rental car for the drive to MCO. We had plenty of time before our flight, so took one last spin around some of the main roads around the parks on our way out. We stopped to fuel up the rental car as we got closer to the airport, and then dropped the Dodge Grand Caravan off at Alamo when we arrived.
I had never flown Spirit before, so was not really sure what to expect. As my father-in-law likes to say, the key to happiness in life is low expectations. This would actually make a fairly decent slogan for Spirit Airlines. What savings we got by flying Spirit that wasn't wiped out by the exorbitant luggage fees was certainly negated by the very small, cramped seating on the plane. Fortunately I had bought my daughter a few puzzle books that she liked in the airport bookstore, so that kept her occupied for most the return flight. We took off and landed later than expected, but it wasn't too bad.
My parents, who also live in NJ, picked us up at the airport, which was nice. They dropped me off at home and then took my daughter to stay with them for the rest of the weekend. After spending the week with daddy at Disney World, she would then be pampered and spoiled by her grandparents for the weekend. Not a bad spring break
And I certainly appreciated the chance to rest at home and catch up on work and other real life stuff that I had successfully avoided even thinking about while down in the Disney bubble.--------
Overall, it was a truly phenomenal trip that exceeded all of my expectations. We set a pretty aggressive agenda of rides and other activities that we wanted to do, but with lots of good planning and some good luck we were able to do everything we wanted and more, having a great time in the process. The opportunity to spend this precious time with my daughter was priceless, and since coming back I have genuinely noticed that the trip seemed to bring us closer together. Writing this TR has been lots of fun too, not only for the great feedback I have been getting here, but also because it has been fun to remember and relive all the great times we had. Most nights my daughter and I have been reading one chapter together before she goes to sleep, and it gets her very excited.
Our lives move fast, and kids grow up even faster. As parents, we so rarely get the chance to slow down and, despite our best efforts, we miss a lot along the way. Vacations are a wonderful opportunity to catch up with each other, to do things together, to recenter, and to remind ourselves of what really matters. Sometimes it is a day at the beach, or a few days in the mountains, or a week exploring museums and big cities. For my daughter and me, this time it was 4 crazy days running around WDW riding every ride in all the parks. And I wouldn't have traded it for anything. It was truly the trip where everything went right not only because we did everything we set out to do, but because we got to do it all together.
Thanks to all of you who have followed along on our journey!
Final Trip Stats
Park days: 4
Parks visited: MK, AK, HS, and EP
Rides: 88
Our goal of riding every ride? 46/46, accomplished in 2.5 days (and then we went back and rode our favorite half of them again)
Total distance walked over our 4 park days: 50.41 miles
Laughs, smiles, and hugs: Too many to count
Last edited:
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Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
