Not-So-Scary Escape from Parenthood, September 2024 Trip Report **Updated 11/12/24**

[Peyton McLean]

Time for Epcot - my favorite park at Walt Disney World!

After having another late night, we were up again at 6:45 am. We are early risers (only for the kids), but I set an alarm for 6:45 am so we could book a VQ for Guardians. I hit join queue right at 7:00 am, and we were able to get boarding group 67 and estimated time to join was 12:45 pm. We had a LL+ (idk the new names for these, lol!) for Guardians, but I knew we were going to want to ride it twice. For Epcot, we had a LL for Mission Space (9:30 am, you will see why), Guardians (10:25 am), Spaceship Earth (11:30 am), and Remy's (2:30 pm).

We left the room at 7:40 am. We knew we were going to "rope drop" any rides so we took our time getting ready. We were in line for the buses at All Stars Music resort at 7:44 am. We loved having this option to walk to either buses. This morning we had to wait a little for the bus, but barley anyone was in line with us. Maybe two other families. The next Epcot bus pulled up at 7:47 am and we were at Epcot at 8:00 am. This bus ride was so much shorter than to MK, and we could feel it.

**On on the bus rides is when I put more details on my notes for this, and look at the pictures from the say before. Hubby and I always create a shared album to add both phone's pictures. He is a better photography than I am**





We got our bags checked (I had my umbrella so I was pulled for search) and we were in the park at 8:09 am. Immediately, we wanted to go to Starbucks and get coffee. I love the new Starbucks at Connections Cafe - it added so much seating and a/c that Epcot needs.




After we got our coffees and walking around the new Dreamers Point/World Celebration area, we looked at wait times (early park entry started at 8:30 am for resort guest). Soarin' was a 5 minute wait at 8:44 am so we joined. Soarin' isn't our favorite - we were able to do Soarin' over California last November which was a nice change. We were watching the pre-show in group C (the worst) at 9:03 am. Both times we rode Soarin' this day, we were in group C on the very right hand side of row 2. It's literally the worst spot possible, and it creates the most horrible viewing but I love the smells.

It was time for a potty break after coffee so we went to the newest bathrooms beside the Encanto show area. This bathroom is SO nice and smelled amazing - I would hope so.


After our potty break, it was time to tap into Mission Space at 9:30 am. So, we do not like this ride so the only reason I booked this LL was to tap in early in the day with hopes of getting a Frozen Ever After LL. We ended up getting a LL for Frozen Ever After for 5:30 pm. This is a great tip given to us by our family (AP holders) and I will do this for Epcot every time. Obvisiously, if the park is very busy or it is a very busy season, this might not work.

While waiting to tap into our Guardians LL+ at 10:30, we walked around this area. We went into Club Cool honestly for a drink because it was already very sunny + hot. We were grateful for the sunshine, but it was already hot. I constantly applied sunscreen + had my umbrella for shade. Also, we walked through Creations Shop which is the best in park gift shop in my opinion. It is laid out so nicely + we were able to look at some Food & Wine merch (we found a couple things to buy later in the day).

As we were waiting, we noticed most rides in Future World (I know this is a dated term) were a 5 minute wait. We walked over to Journey into Imagination with Figment to ride. It was 10:11 am, and we were on the ride at 10:15 am. This is a great "get out of the sun" ride which it does get busier during lunch time since everyone is burning at that point. After riding and seeing the Figment meet & greet, it was time to ride Guardians!



We tapped in for our LL+ for Guardians at 10:34 am. It was a literal walk on for us. We walked straight to the first holding room. The holding rooms + pre-show with Terry is about 20 minutes. We were on the ride by 10:55 am. Also, after the holding room with Terry (once you are teleported), people start full-on running. I am not sure how long they thought they were going to wait to get on after this but this is not needed. The cast members were not trying to stop people from running but it seemed very dangerous in a small space.



I loved this ride - It was like what Space Mountain should be. We got the song "One Way or Another" by Blondie, and it made the ride honestly! Also, the people behind us were so nervous to ride because it was their first time (this was mine too) so I loved hearing them go crazy for it after it ended. I hate you cant just ride this all day but I am sure the VQ will end soon.
It was time for food after Guardians so we wanted to hit up our first booth! We visited the Fry Basket Booth to order the Fry Flight: Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar Fries, Barbecued Bacon Fries with Smoked Aïoli, Sweet Potato Casserole Fries with Candied Pecans, Toasted Marshmallow Cream and Caramel Whisky - $8.00. This was a great choice for the cost for me. It was a big portion that is great for sharing. DH loved the Barbecue Bacon fries, and my favorite was the Sweet Potato Casserole fries. I would get these again next time.




It was time now for our LL for Spaceship Earth. It was very hot at this point so we were happy to have some time in the a/c + the dark. We tapped into our LL at 11:25pm. After Spaceship Earth, we thought our VQ was going to be called any minute. They were on group 60, and we were group 67. We wanted to stay in the area so we could get in line as soon as they called us. I knew I wanted to try the Peanut Butter & Jelly Sticky wings at the Muppets "Brew-Wing" Lab at the Odyssey. We ate this, and they were okay. i wish the sauce was thinner, but it was a good snack. The wings cost $7.50, and I think this was reasonable for the portion size.



I will continue our day at Epcot in the next post!

 

[Skywatcher1206]

Loving your trip report! My DH and I are going on a kids free trip for the Christmas festivities and are so excited!

 

[Peyton McLean]

Loving your trip report! My DH and I are going on a kids free trip for the Christmas festivities and are so excited!

How fun! We went last year with our older son during Christmas time and we fell in love! The weather was perfect!

 

[Peyton McLean]

Time to ride Guardians again!
After we ate our peanut butter and jelly sticky wings, we really wanted to explore World Showcase (our favorite) but we were still waiting for boarding group. It was 12:35 pm and the app was on boarding group 64 so we walked over to Connections Cafe for a potty break + more a/c. At 12:43 pm, our boarding group (67) was called. We were in line officially at 12:45 pm so the original estimated callback time was only 2 minutes off. The line was continuously moving so we were very optimistic about the total wait time. We were in the first holding room (in the very back because of the craziness of other people before) at 1:17 pm. We were in the second holding room with Terry at 1:20 pm, and we were in our seats at 1:35. Our song was “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears.



After riding Guardians for the second time, we were ready for Food & Wine Festival + exploring World Showcase. We went to the Hawaii booth first because this was honestly my top must try. We ordered the Slow Roasted Pork Slider ($6.00), Hawaiian Rice Bowl ($6.25), and the Aulani Sunrise ($14.00). The food was delicious and deserved all its hype. The drink easy did not taste like it had alcohol in it. I wish we could of ordered it without so it would be cheaper. I would recommend this booth to anyone.


After this, I wanted a margarita because it was hot! I went to the Choza de Margarita stand and ordered the Fiesta Margarita ($15.00) (all three frozen options together). I did not take a picture but this drink was very strong, and it cooled me down! I would get this again!

It was time to get back into the a/c so we wanted to explore the China pavilion. I have always wanted to watch the Reflections of China film. We were some of the last people to walk into the show at 2:09. There was no one sitting on the benches so we took it as the chance to sit down. I have always loved exploring all the pavilions at World Showcase, and we have never really explored China. I loved it!



After the film, we continue a way through the pavilions - Germany (love!!), Italy, and Americas. It was 2:50 and our LL for Remy's ended at 3:25. So, we stopped exploring and made our way to Remy's Ratatouille Adventure at 3:02. It was a complete walk on for LL and we were off the ride at 3:25.


After Remy's, we went back to the Americas pavilion to continue to explore. We wanted to watch The American Adventure show since we have never done it before. Also, we wanted to stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. We arrived at 3:30 pm, and we followed the crowd since we had no idea where to go. We were in our seats at 3:32 pm - it was a packed show. I think a lot of people were feeling the heat so they had the right idea. I will say it was an interesting show, but.. because it was dark and cool.. I did fall asleep. BUT we did have a long and busy week so far. We were leaving the show at 4:05 pm.



It was time for another snack since we had a late dinner reservation. We wanted to go to the Japan booth since we love Japanese food. We ordered the Wagyu Temaki Sushi ($9.50), Teriyaki Chicken Bun ($7.95), and the Kyoho Drink ($7.00). The chicken bun is always a must-buy because we have had it in the past. I don't think we will get the sushi again - it wasn't traditional sushi like I hoped. The drink was amazing - it tasted like a purple Hi-Chew candy.




After eating, we explored the Moroccan and United Kingdom pavilions. I have always loved how much shopping you can do in Epcot alone + you can find so many unique gifts! It was 4:50 pm and we needed another potty break in the UK pavilion. While we were exploring, I checked on our Frozen LL because I did not want to get two far away. However, Frozen was down and we received a "Come back later LL for any attraction besides Guardians" which I was shocked since our LL was for 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

We walked over to the do the Disney® Visa® Cardmember Photo Opportunity at EPCOT in the Imagination Pavilion - right beside the Pixar Shorts Film Festival. We got in line at 5:20 and there was two families ahead of us. The cast members don't tell you who you will meet - there's a wall beside you - but by the people in front of conversations with the characters, we thought it was going to be Mickey & Goofy. However, it was Minnie & Goofy. I think there was a cast member change after the last family. We met them at 5:35 pm. I kept checking if Frozen ever came back up and it still was down. While we were in line, I scored a Living with the Land LL at 5:30 pm (we had nothing else to do).





We have a few more rides to do + our dinner reservation during the fireworks!! Can you guess where we ate?

More in the next post!

 

[Peyton McLean]

Time for Living with the Land!
We arrived for our very last minute Living with the Land LL at 5:42 pm. I do enjoy this ride; however, I recommend riding this in the morning. The ride wasn't very pleasant since we had been in the sun most of the day, and there was a definite smell during the ride. This was a complete walk on, so I made our next LL while we rode the ride. I was able to get a LL for Soarin' Around the World at 6:00 pm. We made another potty break (stay hydrated friends!) before tapping in at Soarin' at 6:08 pm. We were on the ride (in the worst seats - C2) at 6:13 pm.

As I mentioned, I was constantly checking Frozen Ever After to see if it ever came back up, but it was still down at 6:30 pm. I wanted to go ahead and buy some merch. We have started to collect magnets for all of our trips so we found the Food & Wine picture frame magnet ($14.99) and we loved it!



After looking at the merch again in the Creations shop, we were still waiting for Frozen Ever After to come back up, so we decided to get one of the new festival exclusive Joffrey's coffees. We went over to the booth near Disney Traders and ordered the PB&J Latte - blend of espresso with peanut butter syrup, raspberry syrup, and garnished with whipped cream ($6.49). This was actually really good - I wish I could of tasted more of the peanut butter syrup. It was around 7:11 pm so we wanted to take a minute and watch the sun setting over World Showcase. It was so beautiful.



So, we started making our way around the countries again walking towards Mexico pavilion. We stopped here briefly but it was packed inside. We slowly started walking back to the Americas pavilion (Frozen was still down) because I wanted to look inside the Art Gallery shop. I love looking at the prints -- one day I will be able to afford one.

At 7:44 pm, I was looking at the app to see what other shows/experiences were happening around us and we saw Frozen Ever After was back up! It had been down since 5:25 pm which is crazy. We walked back over to Frozen and I honestly believe everyone else had the exact same idea. World Showcase was packed in Norway/Germany area. It was a posted 45 minute wait, but the line was way out the door for stand-by. We tapped in at 7:50 pm and we were on the ride at 7:56 pm. Also, I know there are people who are so excited for the ride and most do not know you take a photo, but I was so sad my face was completely covered in our ride photo.



It was time for another potty break so we went to the Norway bathrooms which were very quiet and nice. It was finally time for our dinner reservation! We wanted to eat at a restaurant where we could see the fireworks so we could eat while watching (duh!).

When looking at all the restaurants we could book, we landing on La Hacienda de San Angel which is on the water in the Mexico pavilion. We knew we were going to spend a big chunk of money on Mexican food but we knew we would have a the fireworks show (hopefully).

We checked in at 8:12 pm for our 8:15 pm reservation. Fireworks started at 9 pm so we were going to try and pace ourselves. We were sat right at 8:15 pm by the window with direct site of Luminious: The Symphony of Us.



We were so happy with our seats (at a two seater table) and we knew we were gonna pace ourselves and hopefully our server would help us. I think if you are a party of two, you are more likely getting these seats since all around us were big families. I did not take pictures of anything because I was just having a amazing date with my husband. We are not use to eating at restaurants and being able to have conversations so we enjoyed ourselves.

Right when we sat down, our server approached us and he was so nice. I asked him which margarita I should order. I wanted the La Cava Avocado margarita ($18.50) because I heard great things about it, but after he asked me a couple questions, he suggested their new watermelon margarita ($19.50) - it is not on the regular menu but it had a watermelon base with a spicy rim. DH ordered this too because of how our server was boosting it up - even thought he does not like tequila. He ended up wiping off the spicy rim for his drink. I could not find a picture online but it was on the featured items list when we got to the table. It was delicious in my opinion but it was strong! - definitely a sipper for me.

After our drinks arrived, we wanted to order an appetizer to get us closer to 9:00 pm. We ordered the Totopos - Corn tortillas with sides of white cheddar cheese and salsa ($9.00). For the price, this was a great portion which you could share easily with 4 people. Our local mexican restaurant charges around $8 for their cheese dip so this was a great price to us. Their salsa and cheese dip tasted to be more higher quality than a local restaurant so that was nice. I think it was worth the price!

Around 8:30 pm, we ordered our entrees. Our server mentioned to us that the fireworks started at 9:00 pm so he said he would take his time putting our food order in (I appreciated this). We had all the time in the world since the park closed at 9:00 pm. We received our food at 8:55 pm which was perfect timing to me. At this point, DH ordered the Alambre de Res ($35.00) (Seared Tenderloin, Bacon, Poblano and Bell Peppers, Onions, Monterey Jack cheese and Salsa Verde (Spicy!) with Rice and Flour Tortillas) and a Corona beer as well. I ordered Tacos al Pastor ($34.00) (Marinated and seared pork topped with grilled pineapple, onions and cilantro. Served with plantains with crema Mexicana and cotija cheese. Sides of guacamole, rice and corn tortillas). Both of our entrees were very good. We kind of shared both and the rice came in a family-style portion which I liked. It was a lot a food for two people. We could of easily shared an entree. We enjoyed both entrees and I feel like it was worth the Disney pricing. Our entire meal with tip was around $160. For two people this is a lot, but we did have three alcoholic drinks. With the portion size, you could eat here for dinner for two with one appetizer + entree at around $45 without tip.

While we ate, we were able to completely watch the fireworks show. Our view was amazing and they dimmed the lights + pump the music into the restaurant.



We ate very slowly so we could walk out of the park with low crowds so we could take some more pictures. We were walking out of the restaurant at 9:40 pm. We took more pictures of Spaceship Earth because I love it at night time.



After we said goodbye to our favorite park, we were at the bus station at 10:03 pm. The All Star Movies bus was just pulling up so we got on this bus (for the first time). We arrived at All Stars Movies at 10:20 pm and in our room at 10:28 pm. So it is a good walk from the Movies bus station to the Mighty Ducks buildings.

Honestly, this was my favorite day of our trip - I love how relaxed Epcot is and I feel like you are not so pressured to get everything done in one go.

In the next post, we will get to sleep in, check-out of All Star Movies, and explore Disney Springs!

 

[Peyton McLean]

Wednesday September 25
We woke up at 8:30 am, and it was so nice since we did not set any alarms this day. We moved very slowly this morning - getting ready, packing up, and cleaning the room. We always try to clean the room as much as we can before we check out. It was around 10:00 am when we left the room. We went to the lobby to drop off our luggage (so we could go to Disney Springs) and let the front desk know our room was ready for cleaning!

After dropping off our luggage, we were in the bus line at All Star Movies at 10:11 am. We did have to wait a little bit for a bus, but it was so nice out this morning. We were in our seats on the bus at 10:20 am, and we were at Disney Springs at 10:40 am. We were so interested in seeing how the buses work here because we haven't traveled to DS by bus since Feb 2018. We couldn't believe there was zero security going into DS by bus - this kind of surprised me.

We definitely needed some coffee so we went to the Starbucks on the west side (the one near World of Disney was closed for refurbishment). After we got our coffees, we walked the water way and enjoyed the view of Saratoga Springs across the water (on my list for resorts). At this point, we were just shopping everywhere - we love Disney Style, Tommy Bahama, Lululemon, Sugarboo, Zara, and UNIQLO.

It was around 12:15pm, so we were ready for lunch. We wanted something quick and cheap because we had a dinner reservation later this night at Cowfish in Citywalk @ Universal Studios.

We settles on Blaze Pizza which is near D-Luxe Burger - this is a restaurant near us locally but we had never tried in. We got in line at 12:29 pm. We both ordered the lunch special where you can three slices of pizza + a drink for $7.99. This was an amazing deal in my opinion because you could get any of their signature pizzas. DH ordered three slices of the Meat Eater - Pepperoni, Meatballs, Red Onion, Mozzarella, Red Sauce. I ordered three slices of the Veg Out - Seasonal Veggies, Mushrooms, Red Onion, Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Red Sauce Dollops. However, I remember my red sauce being spicy - I am not sure if that is mentioned anywhere. i did not take a picture of DH's pizza but it looked generic. We found a table at 12:41 pm and got our food at 12:50 pm. We thought these were amazing - I think the price helped us love it. We were so hungry so I ate a slice before I remembered to take a picture



We continued our shopping journey exploring the World of Disney area. We love the soap shop, Basin, and the Market Co-op shop. By 2:00 pm, we were done with Disney Springs. We started walking to bus stop at 2:08 pm. The walk to the All Star Movies bus was a long and complicated one. We did just miss a bus so we did have to wait a little but. We were on the bus (as the first ones) at 2:18 pm. We did not make it back to ASM until 2:40 pm which was such a long last Disney bus ride. We got our suitcases from luggage assistance, had a potty break, and ordered our Lyft at 2:50 pm. The Lyft arrived at 2:55 pm and we were on our way to Universal's Cabana Bay Resort.

I will be making a trip report about our Universal Studios part of the trip & i will add the link here if you would like to read that. I want to compare the two hotel experiences since I think the parks are incomparable.

Our Disney World part of the trip was kind of an add-on to our HHN annual trip and I am so happy we did. I was able to do so many things for the first time plus the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. We are currently planning our next trip and we are so excited to go back!

 

[Peyton McLean]

So lets compare Walt Disney World's All Star Movies Resort (ASMR) to the Universal Studios' Cabana Bay Beach Resort (CBBR)!

Location – ASMR is not located close to any park, and it took us about 20 minutes to take the bus to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. CBBR is close to Citywalk (about a 20 minute walk) and it took us about 5 minutes to take the bus to Citywalk.
Amenities – ASMR has an arcade, playground, two pools + complimentary bus transportation to the parks and Disney Springs. CBBR has two pools + a lazy river, bowling alley, an arcade, fitness studio, and complimentary bus transportation to Citywalk.
Room Quality – Comparing both rooms, I think the CBBR room was better quality than our room at ASMR. CBBR's room was better decorated and it felt overall more spacious.
Dining Options – ASMR has the World Premier Food Court and Silver Screen Spirits Pool Bar. CBBR has Bayliner Diner, Shakes Malt Shoppe, Hideaway Bar & Grill, Atomic Bar, Swizzle Lounge, and a Starbucks location.
Transportation Options – Both hotels offer complimentary bus transportation but I do believe that CBBR has a better bus system. There was almost always two buses waiting for people so we never had to wait for a bus to sit down at CBBR or Citywalk. At ASMR, I feel like we always waited around 10 minutes for a bus - I feel like they need to add more buses to the rotation.
Price and Value – Both hotels are comparable with the price per night, but for the amenties + hotel decor, CBBR is a better value.

I took a look at both hotels during the week of January 27th to January 31st, 2025 (hotel only).
ASMR (Preferred Room)- $692
CBBR (Poolside Standard Room) - $735

You can check out my Universal Studios Orlando portion of this trip here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/n...er-2024-trip-report-updated-11-12-24.3955422/