poohbearbt
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2007
- Messages
- 105
Although, I am well seasoned Disney Goer. :lol
First and foremost I would like to thank all of you and The Unofficial Guide to WDW this go around. Both gave me great insight and tips that I have never known until reading here and that book. I considered myself sort of an expert before.
We stayed at the Double Tree Inn and Suites in Lake Buena Vista. I was quite surprised at how much we enjoyed these accommodations. I use to be stay on at WDW resort or dont go type of person so this was a step out of my comfort area. We got an amazing deal and one I could not pass up. I was pleasantly surprised. My son enjoyed his own area of the room and having his own tv. While it was not very Disneyfied it suited us just perfectly. Very comfy beds too.
Sunday. Feb 13
Since we have weekday only passes we went to Downtown Disney on this night. We had reservations at Portabella. Keep in mind that my husband is a true Italian and very picky. He pretty much thinks Carrabas and Olive Garden are the fast food chains of Italian food so take this review for what its worth. We were not very impressed. It was good, edible etc but just didnt do it for us in terms of Italian food. Our waitress was not the best either.
I will say that we thoroughly enjoyed the Calamari and bread with the roasted garlic appetizer.
Monday, Feb 14-Epcot
Before we headed to the park, we had Breakfast at Whispering Canyon which is one of our favorite restaurants in terms of atmosphere and fun. The breakfast was not as impressive as the dinner. We will continue to frequent WC for lunch or dinner but pass on the breakfast.
We have always been fans of Epcot and always have a great time here. We did the usual attractions. Test Track is always our favorite with Soarin right behind. I will say that I wish they would change Soarin up soon.
My son did the KP mission which we practically had to beg him to try. Once he got his transmitter he was all over it UNTIL....we messed it up for him. I thought we could watch the movie in France and then return to the mission but much to my son's dismay, the transmitter reset itself and asked to be returned. After that it kind of ruined it for him and he refused to do it again. It never dawned on me we had to rush from one country to the other with it or I would have not pushed him to do it. I like to leisurely stroll through the countries.
While in France, we enjoyed the Grand Marnier slushie. Very good!
We also had a quick bite in Morocco's Tangierine Cafe. :meh it was ok. We had the pita platter plate. The chicken was awful but we liked the falafel and the hummus.
Germany was our next stop. My husband enjoyed whatever beer they were serving. My son and I had their handrolled pretzels. I kinda :meh about them honestly. I think the regular hot pretzels around WDW are better. :uh
The highlight of our food journey was definately in the German bakery, Karamell-Küche. The Werther’s caramel. Oh my gosh the smell alone will take you into a heavenly abyss. I really wanted a carmel peanut apple but they were out so I got a rice kripsy treat instead :drool My husband and son enjoyed a huge chocolate caramel cookie.
The next country we stopped in was China. I got a fabulous Ginseng and Ohhlong tea and my husband got the plum wine slushie which he said was out of this world.
Tuesday, February 15-Animal Kingdom
This use to be one of my top 2 parks but now I find myself/us rather bored. :uh Of course Everest keeps my husband and son throughly entertained and we also like the Safari ride so we will continue to come back but thats about all that keeps us there. Well that and Yak and Yeti.
I almost canceled this reservation because of all the mixed reviews here but I am sooooo glad we didnt. We thought the food, atmosphere and service were top notch in terms of park food. We had an awesome waitress who didnt upcharge for adding chicken to the kid's lo mein entree. It was also a great place to watch the parade where we were seated anyway.
I had the sweet and sour chicken which was very good, our friend had the bourbon chicken which was incredibly good and what I will order next time, and my husband had the seafood dish which he raved about. The portions were pretty generous as well. Yak and Yeti has been added to our favorite places.
MK- Tues Night
This was an excellent time to go. The crowds dwindled down and we got to ride all the main attractions some even 2x. I am not a fan of SM so the others went to ride it while I went on the PeopleMover(I LOVE THIS) corney I know. Anyway, I got a call from my husband that SM was temporarily was shut down. Soon after that I saw the inside of SM from the PM and got to see people stuck going up the hill and the entire coaster with the lights on. It was quite impressive and only wished I could have gotten a picture fast enough.
People were complaining all around us about the shut down rides in MK. I guess it was a bad week as I read here.
I have no words to describe the new MK show Magic, Memories and You. I was blown away and cried. The castle looked stunning and the pictures were so incredible. I could watch it over and over again. Truly magical and the highlight of my trip.
Wednesday-February 16 HollyWood Studios
I guess this is our favorite park. We always have the best time here and take the best pictures. My son and husband could ride Rocking Rollercoaster all day. We were also through amused by the Public Works Department comedy skit. I have to upload a picture of my son and his belly laughing.
Also the new Pixar Pals parade is fun fun fun and the song is quite catchy. The entertainment before the parade by the HW Police Department was exceptional too. They really entertained the crowd and made the time go by fast.
We also lucked out and got the last fast passes for Toy Story Mania. Thank God because the line wait stayed at 80-50 mins all day. I still think we would have waited in those lines which is very much unlike us because this ride is that good. Although we are a very competitive family so for us its all about who gets the most points and beating one another. I also find the line Q itself is impressive. The scenery its top notch and you feel like you are in TS.
I also got to see Beauty and The Beast for the first time. Very well done and a must see.
I kind of over the Indiana Jones show but my kid still HAS to see it.
The Great Movie ride, I agree needs to be redone. Very boring. :yawn
One Man's Dream is a very magical. I really enjoyed taking it all in and seeing where it all began. Sometimes when you walk through the magical gates you can take for granted that it all started with one man's dream. Thank God for Walt.
We watched AI finale outside while waiting for our dining table. It is nice to see they added the outside screen. I dont remember that in the past as I do remember fighting to get a spot in line to see the finale. I think this is a great experience for everyone and I hope it stays around.
We ended our night at Prime Time which never disappoints. I took your suggestions of the PB&J milkshake. My husband is still talking about this. :lol I guess my son didnt remember eating there before but this time he sure did and insisted that we go there again and again on any return trips. He had a blast.
Thursday, February 17-MK
I opened my eyes and the Disney Depression started to set in. You know that I cant believe its our last day and I dont want to leave. We planned on leaving in the afternoon as I assumed my son had school on Friday and didnt want him to miss anymore this week. Then I realized he didnt and I was over the moon excited about spending all day and night with the Mouse which is just what we did.
We did the usual attractions and I even rode Space Mountain. I am not a roller coaster fan so I rarely go on it but I promised the boy I would. I guess I am not as terrified as I was in the past and its growing on me. Shhhhh dont tell my boys.
We rode Big Thunder Mountain(my kind of coaster :lol) for the first time during the day and I have to say , I prefer it at night better.
The Laugh Floor was HYSTERICAL and probably the highlight of my son's trip. My husband was chosed to be Sully which is hysterical in and of itself because he is a larger, taller man(although incredibly handsome :wink)and we always tease him about being Shrek and Sully for Halloween. Anyway, this attraction is just plain fun and enjoyable.
Haunted Mansion....either I never have been on this ride with a huge crowd before or I dont remember but I was not at all impressed with the cattle herding that went on and found it very dangerous trying to get onto the ride once they let you in. There was no organization at all and they let too many people in at once. We stepped back several times to let groups catch up to each other. I was not a happy camper and I plan on writing to Disney about this. It simply can not be safe and needs some sort of order. Perhaps and off day and the people running it were not doing a good job but unacceptable as far as I am concerned.
We ate at Pecos Bill's for lunch. It was pretty good and I enjoyed the condiment bar. Thanks for suggesting this to us. I never even knew it was there. :lol
The Move It, Shake It dance party show was top notch as well. The entire crowd had a blast.
The final highlight was the Electrical Parade.
Amazing! Simply put. The Cinderella Float was 
All in all, this was perfect week to go. We could see the increase in crowds come Thursday but Mon-Wednesday it was just perfect crowd wise. This is a must visit week in my opinion. Disney surely lived up to its motto. Lots of memories were made and a good time was had by all.
First and foremost I would like to thank all of you and The Unofficial Guide to WDW this go around. Both gave me great insight and tips that I have never known until reading here and that book. I considered myself sort of an expert before.
We stayed at the Double Tree Inn and Suites in Lake Buena Vista. I was quite surprised at how much we enjoyed these accommodations. I use to be stay on at WDW resort or dont go type of person so this was a step out of my comfort area. We got an amazing deal and one I could not pass up. I was pleasantly surprised. My son enjoyed his own area of the room and having his own tv. While it was not very Disneyfied it suited us just perfectly. Very comfy beds too.
Sunday. Feb 13
Since we have weekday only passes we went to Downtown Disney on this night. We had reservations at Portabella. Keep in mind that my husband is a true Italian and very picky. He pretty much thinks Carrabas and Olive Garden are the fast food chains of Italian food so take this review for what its worth. We were not very impressed. It was good, edible etc but just didnt do it for us in terms of Italian food. Our waitress was not the best either.
I will say that we thoroughly enjoyed the Calamari and bread with the roasted garlic appetizer.Monday, Feb 14-Epcot
Before we headed to the park, we had Breakfast at Whispering Canyon which is one of our favorite restaurants in terms of atmosphere and fun. The breakfast was not as impressive as the dinner. We will continue to frequent WC for lunch or dinner but pass on the breakfast.
We have always been fans of Epcot and always have a great time here. We did the usual attractions. Test Track is always our favorite with Soarin right behind. I will say that I wish they would change Soarin up soon.
My son did the KP mission which we practically had to beg him to try. Once he got his transmitter he was all over it UNTIL....we messed it up for him. I thought we could watch the movie in France and then return to the mission but much to my son's dismay, the transmitter reset itself and asked to be returned. After that it kind of ruined it for him and he refused to do it again. It never dawned on me we had to rush from one country to the other with it or I would have not pushed him to do it. I like to leisurely stroll through the countries.
While in France, we enjoyed the Grand Marnier slushie. Very good! We also had a quick bite in Morocco's Tangierine Cafe. :meh it was ok. We had the pita platter plate. The chicken was awful but we liked the falafel and the hummus.
Germany was our next stop. My husband enjoyed whatever beer they were serving. My son and I had their handrolled pretzels. I kinda :meh about them honestly. I think the regular hot pretzels around WDW are better. :uh
The highlight of our food journey was definately in the German bakery, Karamell-Küche. The Werther’s caramel. Oh my gosh the smell alone will take you into a heavenly abyss. I really wanted a carmel peanut apple but they were out so I got a rice kripsy treat instead :drool My husband and son enjoyed a huge chocolate caramel cookie. The next country we stopped in was China. I got a fabulous Ginseng and Ohhlong tea and my husband got the plum wine slushie which he said was out of this world.
Tuesday, February 15-Animal Kingdom
This use to be one of my top 2 parks but now I find myself/us rather bored. :uh Of course Everest keeps my husband and son throughly entertained and we also like the Safari ride so we will continue to come back but thats about all that keeps us there. Well that and Yak and Yeti.
I almost canceled this reservation because of all the mixed reviews here but I am sooooo glad we didnt. We thought the food, atmosphere and service were top notch in terms of park food. We had an awesome waitress who didnt upcharge for adding chicken to the kid's lo mein entree. It was also a great place to watch the parade where we were seated anyway.
I had the sweet and sour chicken which was very good, our friend had the bourbon chicken which was incredibly good and what I will order next time, and my husband had the seafood dish which he raved about. The portions were pretty generous as well. Yak and Yeti has been added to our favorite places.
MK- Tues Night
This was an excellent time to go. The crowds dwindled down and we got to ride all the main attractions some even 2x. I am not a fan of SM so the others went to ride it while I went on the PeopleMover(I LOVE THIS) corney I know. Anyway, I got a call from my husband that SM was temporarily was shut down. Soon after that I saw the inside of SM from the PM and got to see people stuck going up the hill and the entire coaster with the lights on. It was quite impressive and only wished I could have gotten a picture fast enough.
People were complaining all around us about the shut down rides in MK. I guess it was a bad week as I read here.
I have no words to describe the new MK show Magic, Memories and You. I was blown away and cried. The castle looked stunning and the pictures were so incredible. I could watch it over and over again. Truly magical and the highlight of my trip. Wednesday-February 16 HollyWood Studios
I guess this is our favorite park. We always have the best time here and take the best pictures. My son and husband could ride Rocking Rollercoaster all day. We were also through amused by the Public Works Department comedy skit. I have to upload a picture of my son and his belly laughing. Also the new Pixar Pals parade is fun fun fun and the song is quite catchy. The entertainment before the parade by the HW Police Department was exceptional too. They really entertained the crowd and made the time go by fast. We also lucked out and got the last fast passes for Toy Story Mania. Thank God because the line wait stayed at 80-50 mins all day. I still think we would have waited in those lines which is very much unlike us because this ride is that good. Although we are a very competitive family so for us its all about who gets the most points and beating one another. I also find the line Q itself is impressive. The scenery its top notch and you feel like you are in TS. I also got to see Beauty and The Beast for the first time. Very well done and a must see.
I kind of over the Indiana Jones show but my kid still HAS to see it.
The Great Movie ride, I agree needs to be redone. Very boring. :yawn
One Man's Dream is a very magical. I really enjoyed taking it all in and seeing where it all began. Sometimes when you walk through the magical gates you can take for granted that it all started with one man's dream. Thank God for Walt.
We watched AI finale outside while waiting for our dining table. It is nice to see they added the outside screen. I dont remember that in the past as I do remember fighting to get a spot in line to see the finale. I think this is a great experience for everyone and I hope it stays around.
We ended our night at Prime Time which never disappoints. I took your suggestions of the PB&J milkshake. My husband is still talking about this. :lol I guess my son didnt remember eating there before but this time he sure did and insisted that we go there again and again on any return trips. He had a blast.
Thursday, February 17-MK
I opened my eyes and the Disney Depression started to set in. You know that I cant believe its our last day and I dont want to leave. We planned on leaving in the afternoon as I assumed my son had school on Friday and didnt want him to miss anymore this week. Then I realized he didnt and I was over the moon excited about spending all day and night with the Mouse which is just what we did.
We did the usual attractions and I even rode Space Mountain. I am not a roller coaster fan so I rarely go on it but I promised the boy I would. I guess I am not as terrified as I was in the past and its growing on me. Shhhhh dont tell my boys.
We rode Big Thunder Mountain(my kind of coaster :lol) for the first time during the day and I have to say , I prefer it at night better.
The Laugh Floor was HYSTERICAL and probably the highlight of my son's trip. My husband was chosed to be Sully which is hysterical in and of itself because he is a larger, taller man(although incredibly handsome :wink)and we always tease him about being Shrek and Sully for Halloween. Anyway, this attraction is just plain fun and enjoyable.
Haunted Mansion....either I never have been on this ride with a huge crowd before or I dont remember but I was not at all impressed with the cattle herding that went on and found it very dangerous trying to get onto the ride once they let you in. There was no organization at all and they let too many people in at once. We stepped back several times to let groups catch up to each other. I was not a happy camper and I plan on writing to Disney about this. It simply can not be safe and needs some sort of order. Perhaps and off day and the people running it were not doing a good job but unacceptable as far as I am concerned.
We ate at Pecos Bill's for lunch. It was pretty good and I enjoyed the condiment bar. Thanks for suggesting this to us. I never even knew it was there. :lol
The Move It, Shake It dance party show was top notch as well. The entire crowd had a blast.
The final highlight was the Electrical Parade.
Amazing! Simply put. The Cinderella Float was All in all, this was perfect week to go. We could see the increase in crowds come Thursday but Mon-Wednesday it was just perfect crowd wise. This is a must visit week in my opinion. Disney surely lived up to its motto. Lots of memories were made and a good time was had by all.
