Montana Invades the World! Oct 12-22 (**PICTURES NOW**)

[Montana Disney Fan]

Day 4 : Epcot

Vacation Begins! We checked out of the Palms at 9 am and checked into OKW and were in our room by 9:40. It was awesome. We’ve done this three time now and we always get a room. It’s just awesome! I’m so glad they have been able to get our room to us so early in the morning.

We got unpacked and off to Epcot we go. It’s the food and wine festival and that’s why we come. It’s Saturday now and I’m a little worried about crowds but I’m excited to down wine and food from around the world.

This didn’t happen. We drove to the Beach Club and parked there so we could show the kids the beach. There was a sign that said no parking for Epcot. I told the gate attendant that we were DVC members, showed my card, and no problem, he let us in.

We parked and walked into the Beach Club which was pure mayhem. People and cast members everywhere. It grated my nerves just to walk thru the lobby. Out the back we went to the pool and lake area where we let the kids play on the abandoned beach. After that we walked into the back side of Epcot, got our stroller without delay and grabbed a beer at Canada.

Moan Boy had been insisting on Test Track since the moment we landed and he knew it was at Epcot so we wandered that way not thinking much about it. We arrived to see the 40 minute wait sign and a throng of people. I got fast passes for 2 hours later but that wasn’t going to set with the boy so we got in line. The ride broke down twice and we finally rode it one hour and 10 minutes after getting in line. It almost ruined the day but we kept it together and just moved on.

We went to Soarin’ to get Fast Passes at about 12:30 p.m. only to find out that they were sold out for the day. The standby line was 90 minutes long! So much for Soarin’. I suggest people who want to ride this get Fast Passes immediately after entering the park.

The crowd was horrible today! I couldn’t believe it. We had to wait 20 minutes for Maelstrom which is the second lamest ride ever built (The boat at Mexico is the worst) but my kids love it so we waited.

After that we did the boat at Mexico (yes, I know ) then went to Le Cellier for the first time for a late lunch (we had ADR’s). Le Cellier was great! Cheese soup? Yes. Beef and Barley soup? Yes! It was all good. We each had a glass of Pinot Noir also. When the bill came the wine was not on it. I told the waitress and she said to not worry about it! I said, “OK”. The total bill for two glasses of wine, two soups, and a shared steak burger was $25 thanks to our Disney Dining Experience card. Heck, I spend more than that at McDonalds for this crew!

The crowd was unbearable so we left early to relax in our new room and finish unpacking. We also had to prepare for ‘Ohana’s that night.

We arrived early for ‘Ohana’s II haven't been to the Poly in years and forgot how gorgeous it is) and had a Mai Tai and a glass of wine while we watched the Notre Dame vs. USC football game on the big screen (I’m still upset that Notre Dame lost). We were sat a short time later and enjoyed one of the best dining experiences of our lives. It was great. The kids ordered from the childrens menu and me and the wife ate the “feast”. The entertainment was fun and we had a nice window seat with view. Very relaxing, great service, and very good food. 4 ½ stars in my book.

Finally, we headed to Goodings for Groceries since it’s close to OKW. Everything is WAY expensive here and I suggest most folks find an alternative. It IS convenient, but that’s about it. They didn’t have our pop we like or our fruit loop bars

Other than the ridiculous crowds, it was a great first day ON PROPERTY.

Summary

Test Track – This is my son’s favorite ride but it drives me crazy. There is no way to ride it other than Fast Pass. Stand by is horribly long all the time and is usually longer due to frequent break downs. I’ll give it 4 stars though since he likes it.

Le Cellier – Book in advance because you can’t get in otherwise. Its very good food and the service rocked. See above for review.

’Ohana’s – It was a good day for food for our family as this place was as awesome as Le Cellier. Everyone raved about it and it was very relaxing. 5 stars!

Goodings – Avoid at all costs. Has convenience to the DD area but that’s it! 1 star.

Notre Dame Loses – 0 stars! I’m still upset!!!!!!

 

[Danadisney]

Thanks for the "live" reviews...I am sitting in Indiana smiling like I am in WDW!! Enjoy your trip! Keep them coming and we will keep reading!


Dana

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

Hurricane Wilma is expected to ruin my vacation! Im soo P/O'd!!

 

[MazdaUK]

Really enjoying your reports!

Moan Boy had been insisting on Test Track since the moment we landed and he knew it was at Epcot so we wandered that way not thinking much about it. We arrived to see the 40 minute wait sign and a throng of people. I got fast passes for 2 hours later but that wasn’t going to set with the boy so we got in line. The ride broke down twice and we finally rode it one hour and 10 minutes after getting in line. It almost ruined the day but we kept it together and just moved on.

EXACTLY the same thing happened to us -first time in a WDW park as well! DS(5) had been on and on about this ride since seeing the planning video - OK, he moaned and wailed all the way round (its too hot, its too cold, its too fast) but now says its way cool and his favourite!

I'll tell DH that even experienced visitors get caught out here and he'll be well chuffed!

BTW for UK visitors Goodings didn't seem that expensive - dearer than Walmart yes, but in the UK we're used to adding on the cost of gas if we have to drive far out of our way. If you come to the UK don't try shopping in Waitrose without medical support

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

Day 5 : Epcot, yet again

Moan Boy shows up in the room at 4:30 a.m. “Uhm, No! I don’t think so” as I marched him back to his room, Loud Girl was on the crapper. This is good as it means she won’t have to go right before we board Soarin’. Moan Boy came back at 6:45 and climbed in bed with us. I looked at the clock and decided I could live with this so he got to stay. We all fell back asleep until 8:15 then we got up and got ready for Epcot again.

We arrived at Epcot and bee lined straight for Soarin’ Fast pass. It worked! We got a return for around 11:30. Next we went to Ellen’s Energy ride which the kids like. We walked over to Spaceship Earth (kids call it Epcot Ball) and the line was 30 minutes. Ya right! We walked away from that and returned later in the afternoon when there was nobody on it at all. The ride is very relaxing and I can usually catch about 10 minutes of sleep.

We then went to World Showcase and had a wonderful snack at the Germany kiosk that sells bratwurst and beer. The kids actually ate the sourkraut which blew me away! The Lowenbrau beer was good and the bratwurst was even better. I love this place. We always eat on the picnic tables out by the Epcot lake. It’s peaceful and nice.

We next rode the boat ride at Norway again and the kids loved it again. The bus full of Disney characters came rolling by so we took lots of pictures of it and headed towards Soarin.

Soarin was awesome. We walked right on. We were in row three and you could see the feet of others dangling overhead. I think maybe row 2 or 1 would be better however, in row 3 you always think your feet are going to hit the trees and stuff. Pretty darn cool! Top notch ride and my daughter is 3 and loved it.

We had fast passes from the day before for Test Track and decided to see if they would work today. They did! I even pointed out the date to the gal at the entry way and she just waved me right on. Woot! Moan Boy got to ride his favorite ride again! I wonder how many people have done this before?

After TT we had to go back the Land for lunch at the Garden Grill with Mickey and friends. I have to say, this was the biggest surprise for me so far on the vacation. The food was GREAT (even though the presentation suffered) and the children loved the character interaction. 5 Stars all the way even if the food looked like garbage when it was brought out and the restaurant needs updating BAD! Quality of food was Top Notch!! The wine went down pretty smooth also

After that we were tired and headed back to the room and maybe a swim. Loud Girl got scared when mom was putting on the sunscreen (level 400 or something) as mom stated that the sun could “burn” you. GREAT! Now she won’t leave the room. I went to the pool alone as Moan Boy played with his Kermit and mom fell asleep on the couch (too much wine at lunch is my guess).

The pool was very nice at OKW and I had a little cocktail while I was there chatting with the guy who rents the boats. I think I’ll take the fam out on one of those boats this week before we leave.

I mailed the postcards and went back to the room. The gang met me at the stairs ready to go to Downtown Disney. I was shocked! Usually I have to prod them to get them moving. Off to DD we went.

Everyone talks about how horrible Cpt. Jacks restaurant is but we tried it anyway. We loved it! My wife and I shared the Twin Lobster Tails and they even put them on two plates for us. The kids had hotdogs and mac & cheese and also enjoyed it. For an appetizer, we all shared the spinach and artichoke dip with corn chips. It was really good and the service was great also. We had a window seat with a nice view and overall it just couldn’t have been better. 4 ½ stars for sure.

We also had Ultimate Marguerites at the Cpt. Jacks kiosk near the boat ramp. They are simply the best and we only drink them at DD when we vacation. It’s a treat for us both.

We were all tired and beat from the day so we packed it in early, hit the room, and relaxed.

Summary

Soarin’- Now one of our family favorites. WE LOVED IT! Get fast passes early though or you won’t ride it. The Land, once barren of people, is now JAMMED! What a hoot! 5 Star ride.

Garden Grill -5 Stars again! One of the best experiences at Disney ever. Tuesday is the Princesses at Akershus. Great food but weak presentation and the restaurant is dated but WHO CARES! Mickey and Chip sat with us and at lunch and threw our bread at each other!

Cpt. Jacks – Marguerites 5 Stars – Restaurant 4 ½ stars. Great time, service, food and view. Cant understand the poor ratings.

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

Picture Time - More Pictures on PAGE 3 & 5

This was taken at the Garden Grill.

After finishing our bratwurst and beer, mom is very happy.

Loud Girl with her mouth actually closed. A rare moment.

Outside the Poly before ‘Ohanas.

Out behind the Beach Club after the first day of Epcot.

Bald Eagle at the bird show at AK.

Our room at the Wyndham Palms.

Another Garden Grill special moment.

MORE PICTURES ON PAGE 3 & 5

 

[disneydreamer1970]

Thank you for the trip report so far and the pictures!! They are great!! I am so excited for my next visit in January!!!

Trish

 

[Hermosa11]

totally enjoying your adventure ................great read so far!!

 

[deejohn]

Thanks for the great trip reports...and clairifications from DW. I am also the planner, so I know what a lonely and unforgiving job it can be. Keep up the good work while your on vacation.

 

[Credit Man]

Great report! Looking forward to more.

 

[vanyel]

Ahhhh. Loud Girl and Moan Boy are adorable!

 

[amwhitaker]

Great reports!

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

Day 6 : Magic Kingdom

Buzz’s super duper special touring plan.

1). Have too much red wine the night before.

2). Wake up at 8 a.m. and arrive at MK at 9:15 (late for the “plan”) due to the excessive wine intake the night before.

3). Take Bus from OKW and wander around the OKW resort on the bus for what seems like hours. Arrive at MK and stand in line to go thru security, turnstiles and stroller rental. FYI: Stoller rental has MOVED! It’s on the left side now.

4). Mow down anyone in your way and head to Splash. Ride. (we love this ride).

5). Run to Thunder Mountain Railroad (roller coaster train to my kids). Ride.

6). Ride again!

7). Boogie over to Pirates with a bathroom stop tossed in. Ride.

8). Head to Haunted Mansion. Ride. (it’s now 10:30 and we’ve done a lot!). Crowd level is low.

9). Leave HM and go to Peter Pan ride, wait for 20 minutes. Ride. (My daughter loves this ride and I can’t believe this is the first line we’ve encountered all morning. Ride. (this is a very cute ride. My DD loves it).

10). Exit Peter Pan and cross to Small World. Ride. (Stay left in the queue as the right lane shares a boat with the handicap line from the other side and moves a lot slower). This ride is much improved.

11). Walk on to Mickey’s Philharmonic from Small World. Watch. (Great show! Our first time).

12). It’s now noon. Crowd levels increasing. Parents yelling. CM’s actively hiding stollers as best they can. Head to Pecos Bill’s. Eat.

13). Finish lunch (yummmm) and walk to Tomorrow Land for Fast Passes to Buzz.

14). After Fast Passes, get on the TTA. Boring, but no line and we like it. Ride.

15). Walk to Goofy’s Barntormer and worked our way through the gauntlet next to the teacups. Ride.

16). Leave Goofy’s and head back to TTA since Buzz FP’s are not ready. Ride.

17). Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Ride. New high score for our family by Buzz 104,600 Woot! My wife tells me that's not very good. I'm bummed.

18). Leave the Magic Kingdom at 2 p.m. exhausted and spent.

We worked our tails off. It was worth it as our longest line was Peter Pan. After the Magic Kingdom we hopped on the Monorail to the Poly and rented a 17’ motor boat and cruised the lake for an hour. It was great. My daughter loved it.

We went back to the hotel and cleaned up for our big night out (the wife and I). We had our favorite babysitter from Fairy Godmothers come (plug – Barbara Bond) and we were off to the Cal Grill for dinner and fireworks.

Cal Grill is the BEST! We arrived early and got a seat immediately. We ordered a BLT flatbread and a bottle of Pinot and settled in to peruse the menu. My wife had a salad and I had sushi then we both ordered our main courses (Veal for the old lady and pork for Buzz). The meal was 6 stars out of 5! The sun was setting and was gold and red. The fireworks show after dinner was AWESOME! Everything was perfect.

After dinner we went to Pleasure Island and did Adventurers Club, 8-Tracks, Rock N Roll Beach Club. AC is getting tired (get new shows!) and the RNR Beach Club changed bands and the new one is horrible! 8 Tracks was fun as we danced all night to Prince, Madonna, Rick James, and so on. What a blast.

We got home at midnight and hit the sack. A PERFECT day!

Summary

Disney Transportation – MK is the ONLY park we use the Transportation for. We drive to the rest. We used to drive to MK and park at the Contemporary but they cut that out. OKW has like 144 bus stops spread out over 14 continents so it takes a while to get where you are going. Disney Transportation is good, but annoying most of the time. 3 ½ stars.

Pecos Bill’s – We love the burger and fixin’s bar. This place rocks but needs better choices for children. A grilled chicken sandwhich and beans-n-franks are poor options. 3 ½ stars.

California Grill – 6 stars. ‘nuff said.

Adventurer’s Club – Needs new material. We’re sick of the same skits and shows. They should change it up. Pleasure Island is dieing it seems. Not many people were there at all.

Rock and Roll Beach Club – The old band was WAY better. The new band is horrible. Skip it unless you like poor renditions of 70’s rock.

8 Tracks – AWESOME. Totally lame, but AWESOME. We had a blast dancing to all the old tunz we used to think were cool (my wife still does! )

Boat Rental at the Poly – Great staff and a good time. Reasonable price. For some reason they never charge you what’s listed on the price board. We used the 17’ for 45 minutes and paid $29. It’s listed at $33 / half hour.

 

[OhMari]

My friend Ron Runde and his band used to play at Rock-in-Roll Club. Their contract expired and wasn't renewed. 10 yrs-Ron always said, I"m owned by Disney". I saw in our h.s. class reunion book, Ron is at the Palms in Las Vegas, I think his brother and the other 2 guys in the band stayed in FL, but I don't know what they are doing.

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

My friend Ron Runde and his band used to play at Rock-in-Roll Club. Their contract expired and wasn't renewed. 10 yrs-Ron always said, I"m owned by Disney". I saw in our h.s. class reunion book, Ron is at the Palms in Las Vegas, I think his brother and the other 2 guys in the band stayed in FL, but I don't know what they are doing.

Ron's band was AWESOME. Do you remember the name? We have one of their "cards" with their pictures and band name on it back in Montana in a photo album. They were so good!

I'm not just being "flip" when I say the new band is horrible! We chose 8-Tracks and disco over this band. That's how bad it was!

I'm in Vegas all the time and stay at the Palms. What is new name of his band?

 

[OhMari]

I"ll e-mail Ron and find out for you. I went to school with Ron from 3-12th grade. My sister lives in his house he grew up in. He actually came home for our 25th Class reunion and I didn't go this year, I was sorry I missed him. Isn't it wierd that I knew he was in a band that played at WDW, but I never knew the name of his band.

 

[melk]

Enjoying your trip report and the pictures. Have fun the rest of your trip (hope Wilma doesn't put too much of a damper on it)!

 

[lulubelle]

Montana Dad - Am loving your trip reports. Your children are beautiful. Looking forward to more. We were there last week and thought it was hot and humid, but thank goodness for the cloudy days We had a great vacation, too. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Philadisney]

great reports & pictures! thank you for sharing your trip!!

 

[fizz13]

Wow, had no idea you were gonna be at Whyndham Palms, this is where our family timeshare is. It totally blew us away when we saw it and its so close to Disney. Agreed, its not on property, but for luxury, this place has it down. Can't beat that hotub after a park day. Loving the reports,

Claire xx