M

[Suziannie]

Subbing in and catching up!!

 

[JulieODC]

Yay for entering the park before it opens! That's the best part of those ADRs if you ask me.

We seem to always do Crystal Palace every trip. The kids love the characters - and I think it got better as they got a little older. DS didn't want anything to do with the characters when he was two. But now he loves them!

And at CP while the first two characters always seem to come by as soon as we sit down, the last two seem to take FOREVER to come by. Throw in that little parade they do and it's always been a tight fit trying to get out before park opening.

I have a feeling we'll be back to CP in the future...hard to skip Pooh and friends! Even if it does get sticky!

Happy New Year!

Great PP pics in front of the castle. And I LOVE the one of your DD in her Mickey ears looking at the castle. Perfect!

Isn’t CP fun? (And, of course, it’s always awesome to get into MK before the park opens.)

I’m excited to hear about your MK morning.

Thanks! It was fun...hard not to like Pooh and the gang! CP was pretty too - nice and light and bright!

on the bus mojo.

Great photopass pictures.

That is a great picture of the castle with your DD looking at it.

Crystal Palace is a must do for Mark and I every long trip. But he is a huge Eeyore fan (he wears Eeyore ears) and I'm a huge Tigger fan. Plus I cannot resist the puffed French toast which I saw on the first plate of food in your pictures.

Can't wait to see where you go first after breakfast.

I forgot to mention the puffed French toast! That stuff was good!

Awwww that photo of your DD looking at the castle with her Mickey ears is adorable. That is an awesome photo.

I LOVE CP before park open. I feel the same as you... I'm more excited about being there before park open than actually dining with Pooh and Piglet. Sorry you didn't like the Mickey waffles. I do love the puffed French toast almost as much. The holiday decorations were super cool. Some of you photos are the same as mine last month.

I missed commenting on your FF dinner and Illuminations from your balcony. I'm so sorry that I skipped the FF dinner with my Dis pals last month since it looks really good. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.

What an awesome view of the fireworks from your balcony. Now that's the way to end and evening with a cocktail and Illuminations.

A cocktail and illuminations are hard to beat! I think that sealed the deal on YC becoming a new favorite!

Definitely make it to FF on your next trip -- it was one of our favorite meals!

Read all your updates! I can't imagine how awesome it must be to see Disney through your DD's eyes! I look forward to doing that ... over and over and over again because with kids, there's even MORE reason to keep going back!

BTW I'm so jealous you found the Mickey waffle maker! I searched 3 CVS stores, but there was nothing there. I heard the clearance sale started over the weekend, but I didn't make it out to the stores until Wednesday. Oh well. I guess we'll just have to get a regular waffle maker eventually! Oh, and I think that I might not like Mickey waffles either. I like big Belgian waffles that have crunch, but have a softer inside. Yum!

We loved Disney without kids...but seeing it through DDs eyes is really fun! Plus, we've tried a few new attractions and experiences that we usually skipped before she came along. I think it will be a new and different experience every time we go as she gets older!

The waffle maker find was AWESOME! It makes a thinner waffle that is more pancake-like --which we like! I found it on my 2nd CVS...and I was prepared to head to a 3rd

 

[JulieODC]

Wait... you can make your own Mickey Waffles AT HOME???? We need CVS in Canada.

Walking onto Magic Kingdom is emotional. Walking into a virtually empty Magic Kingdom before park open is... priceless. There really are no words.

Awww I LOVE that photo of your little one looking at the castle. "Candid" photos are my absolute favourite. That one is absolutely frameable. Precious.

The homemade Mickey waffles are awesome!! We've already made them twice...might become a new weekend thing!

I am definitely going to print that pic and frame it

Happy new year!

I really enjoy Crystal Palace. The food's good and the characters are adorable, but I absolutely love getting into the park early too! Great photo opportunities. Love the pic of your DD looking at the castle! So cute!

Thanks!! CP is definitely going to be a regular stop on future trips!

I love booking a Crystal Palace ADR before the park opens! Walking down empty Main Street is my favorite part.

I always feel like the characters take forever at the Crystal Palace, I think that place is too big or something. I don't think we've ever actually waited for all 4 before.

Glad to know we weren't just being super impatient! Well, let's be honest...its hard not to be impatient when you are about to head out to the park!

Following along! We took our DD when she was 2 also, and had a great time. Your DD is a cutie! I can't wait to hear the rest!

Welcome! 2 yrs was a fun age! Had its challenges, but definitely fun!

Subbing in and catching up!!

Welcome, welcome! Thanks for joining in!!

 

[JulieODC]

a

 

[JulieODC]

After that, we were pooped and ready to chill out for a little while. We got so much more accomplished than planned though – so we were happy campers! We started making our way out of the park…








As we made our way down Main Street, we couldn’t resist grabbing an iced coffee (with caramel! My fave!!) at Starbucks! This was a much needed caffeine boost, though DH thought it was weaker than our usual Starbucks. The large iced coffee was $3.72.






An obligatory balloon photo as we neared the exit…



And then, we hopped on the bus back to YC. I don’t recall having to wait too long, and it went straight to YC.

 

[JulieODC]

Epcot – Food & Wine Festival! (Monday, Nov 11th)

We spent a few hours relaxing in our room/on the balcony….and then decided to head to Epcot. This was the last day of the F&W festival, and we figured we’d just walk around and try a few things. We didn’t know what to expect in terms of crowds….but it was not bad at all! A few booths were out of items, but for the most part lines were non-existent, or very short.

Italy:
We got DD the Ravioli de formaggio all’emiliana in Italy, thinking it would be sort of like
Mac 'n cheese, but she didn't like it. I wasn't a fan either - too rich and just not all that interesting.


Brazil:
Next we got the Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onions, Avocado and Cilantro at Brazil. This was tasty! Just wished there had been a little more avocado on top.


Singapore:
We tried the Lemongrass Chicken Curry with Coconut and Jasmine Rice at Singapore. This was good - we loved the lemongrass flavor, and it had a kick to it. The chicken was very tender


China:
In China, we found our favorite snack of the night - Mongolian Beef in a Steamed Bun. Good spice in the sauce, the beef was tender, and the bun was soft and light. I could have eaten a few of these!


Side note: I made an take on this last week – I made Mongolian beef and sriracha mayo, and served it on a tortilla (someday I’ll get brave and attempt the buns!)


South Korea:
Next we stopped at South Korea and tried the Lettuce Wrap with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw and the Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce. We love kimchi and we're looking forward to these. Both were good - the kimchi was fairly mild. The mustard sauce on the hot dog was good, but I think we both liked the lettuce wrap a little more. I’m going to try to recreate these sometime too!

Cheese:
Our last stop was the cheese booth where we had the blue cheese soufflé with fig jam. Loved this ! Though, I rarely meet a cheese product I don't like. The blue cheese wasn't overpowering, and the fig was a nice compliment.



Along the way DH got a Unibroue la fin de monde in Canada and an Octoberfest in Germany. Both beers were from a regular stand, and weren't part of the F&W festival.

I had a Chardonnay from Australia, which was not overly oaky, and a Sauvignon Blanc from the cheese booth (which was sweet and not my favorite - I prefer a more citrusy/grapefruity Sauvignon blanc). Sorry I forgot to take beverage photos!

Overall we enjoyed tasting a few F&W items - and the crowds were manageable. We are spoiled with lots of great ethnic food at home, but it was fun to try some different cuisines at Disney!


After that, we headed back to YC, watched the Illuminations from bed, and were asleep quickly!


Coming Next: Epcot!!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Ahh so glad FP+ worked out so well for you.

Haha, yeah Jingle Cruise wasn't really all that much but I did appreciate the effort of doing something.

Wow, I'm impressed you little was so brave in Haunted Mansion. Not that it's really scary, but the stretching room can be pretty intimidating.

Wow, I'm impressed you little was so brave in It's a Small World... ah never mind, lol.

Hehe, it always makes me giggle with all the rides in Walt Disney World, It's the Carousel that still makes the kids the happiest. There's a certain charm in that.

Wow, I'm surprised that even though it was a Monday that the final Food and Wine was so quiet. Good for you though.

 

[JessM]

Wow what a great day at the MK! You guys accomplished a lot!

It's funny what rides kids like best. My little brother one trip wouldn't get off that dinosaur version of dumbo at AK! She looks so happy on the carousel.

I'm glad the last night of the F&WF wasn't too crowded! The food looks pretty tasty!

 

[wiigirl]

Awesome pics!

 

[RGirl]

Wow! Can’t believe all you got done in one morning! Fantastic! Days like that at WDW are just the best.

The carousel pics are adorable! I love that you and DD both have on Minnie tees - too cute!

Mmmm - I love Pecos Bill too. Yummy!!! I love the toppings bar with the onions and mushrooms and especially the shredded cheese (I can’t handle that liquid cheese goo ). We didn’t get to go this last trip - a few too many TS plans with the DxDDP.

Always love to hear about F&WF fun.

 

[Jackiemarie21]

Looks like a great day, you all got lots done!

All your food and wine snacks are making me so hungry!
Looking forward to more!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

What a great start to a report! I'm in!

Your daughter is adorable! She also appears to be one heck of a traveler - what a trooper!

I also LOVE the Crystal Palace pre-park opening breakfast. We've done it on our last two trips - I love the food, the characters are always great, and you can't beat walking up a nearly empty Main Street.

By the way, I just have to say I LOVE this:



Ah, so true.

 

[teekathepony]

Holy cow, you guys got a ton done at MK that morning! Great planning
Your F&W selections look so delicious. I'm a little disappointed that I missed out on F&W. Especially that cheese booth... yum!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

little late to the party, but joining! Congrats on the first trip report

glad things worked out with the flight - I would be a nervous wreck only leaving the house 1 hour prior to take off ... I am one of those people that expects the worst and usually wind up having a few hours to wait

great views from your room! Glad that it turned out to be what you were hoping for ... I love it when a plan comes together. Your first day sounds great - again, since I always expect the worst, we never plan a park day for arrival day an looks like that worked out for you.

Love the single-serve wine (plastic) glasses. They actually sell those at Citi Field (where the Mets play) and it works out well.

I must say I love the beer choices your husband has made. I haven't had the blue point white IPA but love their toasted lager, and Cigar City is a great brewery so can't go wrong there. Some places are still a bit lacking but Disney has made great strides the last few years getting at least a few good beer options at most places

Wow - so great that you can see Illuminations from your room ... sounds like you had pretty close to a perfect first night!

I totally get being more excited about the pre-park opening ADR than the meal itself. I mean, we did have 4 of them our last trip

Great castle pictures - I love that view from that area near CP where you got that great one of your DD!

that's awesome that all your FP+ / MB related activities worked out! Tend to only hear the stories where it didn't work, and I am happy to be hearing more and more positive stories of late.

You all got through so much that morning! Jealous of your low crowd levels.

Kids do love carousels, huh? That is a little cute and a little sad that she cried when she had to get off

That's great timing of your trip that you got to see the Christmas decorations but also hit the end of the Food & Wine Festival!

The Mongolian Beef in a Steamed Bun was my favorite from the festival as well!

It became a bit of a mission for me to find the stand that had the Unibroue la fin de monde - one of my favorite beers - and for some reason it was a challenge ... it wasn't really hidden or anything just not obvious to me for some reason. Oh well, I found it and was happy

Can't wait for more!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Wow that was a packed day! You got so much done!

Before our kids came along Tomorrowland Speedway was barely a blip on my touring plans radar. But now the kids love it so much that we have to go on it at least twice for each trip. So much so that I even have FP+ reserved for it for our upcoming trip in a couple of weeks!

Your pictures of all of the food item has gotten me very hungry! And it's not even 9am!

 

[JulieODC]

Ahh so glad FP+ worked out so well for you.

Haha, yeah Jingle Cruise wasn't really all that much but I did appreciate the effort of doing something.

Wow, I'm impressed you little was so brave in Haunted Mansion. Not that it's really scary, but the stretching room can be pretty intimidating.

Wow, I'm impressed you little was so brave in It's a Small World... ah never mind, lol.

Hehe, it always makes me giggle with all the rides in Walt Disney World, It's the Carousel that still makes the kids the happiest. There's a certain charm in that.

Wow, I'm surprised that even though it was a Monday that the final Food and Wine was so quiet. Good for you though.

I totally agree about the carousel -- simple but fun!

I was shocked that F&W was so doable that night - it was a nice surprise for sure!

Wow what a great day at the MK! You guys accomplished a lot!

It's funny what rides kids like best. My little brother one trip wouldn't get off that dinosaur version of dumbo at AK! She looks so happy on the carousel.

I'm glad the last night of the F&WF wasn't too crowded! The food looks pretty tasty!

Spoiler alert - but over the rest of the trip, we did a few more turns on the carousel! She loved it!

Awesome pics!

Thanks!

Wow! Can’t believe all you got done in one morning! Fantastic! Days like that at WDW are just the best.

The carousel pics are adorable! I love that you and DD both have on Minnie tees - too cute!

Mmmm - I love Pecos Bill too. Yummy!!! I love the toppings bar with the onions and mushrooms and especially the shredded cheese (I can’t handle that liquid cheese goo ). We didn’t get to go this last trip - a few too many TS plans with the DxDDP.

Always love to hear about F&WF fun.

DH was a sport -- we all had mickey/Minnie tshirts on that I got at Old Navy!

Yeah, cheese goo is not my thing either!

 

[JulieODC]

Looks like a great day, you all got lots done!

All your food and wine snacks are making me so hungry!
Looking forward to more!

Haha, I just read someone else's trip report and had the same thought --- all the delicious adult beverages were making me crave one!

What a great start to a report! I'm in!

Your daughter is adorable! She also appears to be one heck of a traveler - what a trooper!

I also LOVE the Crystal Palace pre-park opening breakfast. We've done it on our last two trips - I love the food, the characters are always great, and you can't beat walking up a nearly empty Main Street.

By the way, I just have to say I LOVE this:



Ah, so true.

Thanks so much for joining in! Welcome! DD was awesome on this trip -- she has her moments for sure, but she's pretty good!

Holy cow, you guys got a ton done at MK that morning! Great planning
Your F&W selections look so delicious. I'm a little disappointed that I missed out on F&W. Especially that cheese booth... yum!

All that planning paid off, that's for sure! Oh, and you can NEVER go wrong with cheese!

little late to the party, but joining! Congrats on the first trip report

glad things worked out with the flight - I would be a nervous wreck only leaving the house 1 hour prior to take off ... I am one of those people that expects the worst and usually wind up having a few hours to wait

great views from your room! Glad that it turned out to be what you were hoping for ... I love it when a plan comes together. Your first day sounds great - again, since I always expect the worst, we never plan a park day for arrival day an looks like that worked out for you.

Love the single-serve wine (plastic) glasses. They actually sell those at Citi Field (where the Mets play) and it works out well.

I must say I love the beer choices your husband has made. I haven't had the blue point white IPA but love their toasted lager, and Cigar City is a great brewery so can't go wrong there. Some places are still a bit lacking but Disney has made great strides the last few years getting at least a few good beer options at most places

Wow - so great that you can see Illuminations from your room ... sounds like you had pretty close to a perfect first night!

I totally get being more excited about the pre-park opening ADR than the meal itself. I mean, we did have 4 of them our last trip

Great castle pictures - I love that view from that area near CP where you got that great one of your DD!

that's awesome that all your FP+ / MB related activities worked out! Tend to only hear the stories where it didn't work, and I am happy to be hearing more and more positive stories of late.

You all got through so much that morning! Jealous of your low crowd levels.

Kids do love carousels, huh? That is a little cute and a little sad that she cried when she had to get off

That's great timing of your trip that you got to see the Christmas decorations but also hit the end of the Food & Wine Festival!

The Mongolian Beef in a Steamed Bun was my favorite from the festival as well!

It became a bit of a mission for me to find the stand that had the Unibroue la fin de monde - one of my favorite beers - and for some reason it was a challenge ... it wasn't really hidden or anything just not obvious to me for some reason. Oh well, I found it and was happy

Can't wait for more!

Thanks so much for joining in, and all your comments!! DH was so happy to see the beer improvements that have been made. The Unibroue is totally a hidden gem!!

Wow that was a packed day! You got so much done!

Before our kids came along Tomorrowland Speedway was barely a blip on my touring plans radar. But now the kids love it so much that we have to go on it at least twice for each trip. So much so that I even have FP+ reserved for it for our upcoming trip in a couple of weeks!

Your pictures of all of the food item has gotten me very hungry! And it's not even 9am!

Funny how you see things differently with kids along! I remember doing the Speedway as a kid, and being genuinely concerned that I would be a terrible driver someday because I kept hitting the bumpers.

 

[MiaBella05]

joining in

 

[JulieODC]

a

 

[JulieODC]

a