Our Rockin' Trip to the World~February TR! UPDATE 5/15 ~ LINK TO PTR!!!!!!

[norybell]

Isn't Biergarten great? I just went there for the first time and loved it.

Not the herring, though. Despite my Wisconsin roots.

 

[dizneeat]

You gave up Cali Grill for ..................







Biergarten????????????? Just kidding, Tina! I know you love Biergarten and we won't go anywhere near it!

Your Epcot evening somehow was no surprise to me ...... hm, might be I had heard about it beforehand, maybe in a pool somewhere!
But you got to have fun at Epcot, your favourite park, so that was really nice to hear.

And I have decided to finally chime in on the resort dilemma for July again!
As I stated earlier, I am all for AKL, but I can see that it would not please Max with his fear of birds/animals.
So I guess you chose the resort that is most appealing to you and Mark and closest to your favourite park, which would be Beach Club. If you do, don't forget to request a room with a full balcony as most rooms at the BC only have those tiny a hand wide balconies.
I don't think Epcot will be Max's favourite park though, so you will still have to use the buses to get to and from the MK (which I guess will end up Max's favourite park). Don't attempt to use the Monorail and walk through Epcot - done that - believe me, it IS a hike!!!!!!!!!
Or maybe can I bring the Contemporary back in the game?
Can't wait for your pre-trippie to start, don't forget to post a link here, so I can find it!

 

[All7OfUs]

Herring in sour cream...


oh my, YUM!!! I could those all. day. long!

And there's no Wisconson in me whatsoever.

Sorry that the birthday wasn't exactly how you envisioned it, but I am glad it was acceptable nonetheless. I think it was a good idea to skip Cali Grill, it's definitely NOT a place to rush through for a child (or adult) who is wanting to go or a fussy eater. Biergarten was a better choice given the dynamics of the day and the others in your group. And hey, can't beat a little dancing!

 

[pinkxray]

Glad you made it to Biegarten, even if you had to miss CG. It sounds like you made the right choice

I really wanted to try Biergarten this trip but no one agreed with me I am glad to hear you were able to get in without an adr just in case we cancel something.

I am determined to see Illuminatios this trip. We never saw it last year and I don't remember seeing it when DH and I went a few years back. That means it has been about 15 years since I saw it. That needs to change this time.

 

[tinacaplan]

Isn't Biergarten great? I just went there for the first time and loved it.

Not the herring, though. Despite my Wisconsin roots.

Yes, I'm a tad strange that way. What can I say?

You gave up Cali Grill for ..................







Biergarten????????????? Just kidding, Tina! I know you love Biergarten and we won't go anywhere near it!

Your Epcot evening somehow was no surprise to me ...... hm, might be I had heard about it beforehand, maybe in a pool somewhere!
But you got to have fun at Epcot, your favourite park, so that was really nice to hear.

And I have decided to finally chime in on the resort dilemma for July again!
As I stated earlier, I am all for AKL, but I can see that it would not please Max with his fear of birds/animals.
So I guess you chose the resort that is most appealing to you and Mark and closest to your favourite park, which would be Beach Club. If you do, don't forget to request a room with a full balcony as most rooms at the BC only have those tiny a hand wide balconies.
I don't think Epcot will be Max's favourite park though, so you will still have to use the buses to get to and from the MK (which I guess will end up Max's favourite park). Don't attempt to use the Monorail and walk through Epcot - done that - believe me, it IS a hike!!!!!!!!!
Or maybe can I bring the Contemporary back in the game?
Can't wait for your pre-trippie to start, don't forget to post a link here, so I can find it!

Oh, Karin, to be back in that pool right now. Our weather has improved immensely (its finally spring!), but my stress level has not. The end of the year is always a busy time at school, as I'm sure you know. We have just enough time left where I feel like the end is in sight, but enough time that I'm wondering how I'll make it there!

As for the resort...if only I could get the CR (or even the BLT), I'd snap that up in a heartbeat. Perhaps I'll call them in a bit and check with an actual CM. The Poly is available, though...hmm....

Herring in sour cream...


oh my, YUM!!! I could those all. day. long!

And there's no Wisconson in me whatsoever.

Sorry that the birthday wasn't exactly how you envisioned it, but I am glad it was acceptable nonetheless. I think it was a good idea to skip Cali Grill, it's definitely NOT a place to rush through for a child (or adult) who is wanting to go or a fussy eater. Biergarten was a better choice given the dynamics of the day and the others in your group. And hey, can't beat a little dancing!

Glad I'm not along on the herring! Somehow Max made it through dinner at Jiko...I just knew there was no way Cali Grill was going to happen on that particular night.

And you're absolutely correct...you can't beat a little dancing!

Glad you made it to Biegarten, even if you had to miss CG. It sounds like you made the right choice

I really wanted to try Biergarten this trip but no one agreed with me I am glad to hear you were able to get in without an adr just in case we cancel something.

I am determined to see Illuminatios this trip. We never saw it last year and I don't remember seeing it when DH and I went a few years back. That means it has been about 15 years since I saw it. That needs to change this time.

Biergarten's food is ok, its the atmosphere that's really fun. I have great memories there that stretch way back to when I was a kid visiting Disneyworld.

And, yes, you DO need to see Illuminations. Its beautiful and very moving, IMO. My favorite fire works display, but I'm weird.

 

[eandesmom]

I admit, I rather like herring myself.

I know exactly what you mean about buffets, I feel the same way. My family does not so it's a good option for us even if I'm not dying to go back. I do love the atmosphere at Biergarten and that is worth a lot and the food is more than decent but yeah...something about a buffet (lunch, dinner or breakfast) where I do end up with wierd combo's and it just makes the whole thing a bit "off".

I have days, half days, whole trips like that where for whatever reason I just stop taking pictures and there is a huge gap. It's all good, just means you were being in the moment, never a bad thing.

I think it's great that you listened to your gut and did what felt right for your group, AND that you were able to get right in! Going with the flow, making it work and be easy on all...I dunno, sounds like a very nice birthday to me!

 

[tinacaplan]

I admit, I rather like herring myself.

I know exactly what you mean about buffets, I feel the same way. My family does not so it's a good option for us even if I'm not dying to go back. I do love the atmosphere at Biergarten and that is worth a lot and the food is more than decent but yeah...something about a buffet (lunch, dinner or breakfast) where I do end up with wierd combo's and it just makes the whole thing a bit "off".

I have days, half days, whole trips like that where for whatever reason I just stop taking pictures and there is a huge gap. It's all good, just means you were being in the moment, never a bad thing.

I think it's great that you listened to your gut and did what felt right for your group, AND that you were able to get right in! Going with the flow, making it work and be easy on all...I dunno, sounds like a very nice birthday to me!

Thanks, Cynthia. The night did end up working out well and no tantrums! I just wish I had better pictures of Max...but there's always the next trip!

 

[tinacaplan]

Due to a lack of both photos and notes, I think I’m going to have start wrapping this TR up. At least now I know what to do to write a much better TR next time. I also think we’re going to take our laptop on our next trip and while I highly doubt I’ll pay for wireless and do live updates, it will mean that I will take much better notes! So, there’s that to look forward to.

Anyway... Thursday morning we bid adieu to my mom and set out for a sparkling day back at my favorite park...EPCOT. I’m not sure what we did this day, as we had done a number of things already, yet managed to not ride “Living with the Land,” the boat ride in Mexico that I do not know that actual name of, and Maelstrom. We also didn’t do much exploring in WS. I am sure we rode Spaceship Earth yet again, and probably Nemo.

We had an early ADR at Le Cellier, which I was pretty excited for, even if no one else in my crew was. Something happens towards the end of our week long trips... food overload. I could probably eat the best meal in the world at that point and not fully appreciate it.

We were among the first parties seated and the staff sang a rousing round of O Canada for us before we were seated. The atmosphere here is indeed lovely, even enchanted, what with the almost secret location down the primrose path.

We were seated in a nice, dark corner where I knew Max couldn’t disturb much. I did have the famous beer and cheddar soup and it was delicious, particularly given my love of cheese. Not sure what Mark had for his appetizer. Against my better judgement, I ordered the filet. I am not a huge filet fan, as I find it far less tasty that other cuts of beef. I think I only ordered it because its one of those entrees I’ve read so much about here on the Dis. And it was...um...really salty. Not to point of being inedible, but it wasn’t exaclty delicious. Mark had the ribeye, which I preferred, of course. I think Max had mac and cheese.

I had the maple creme brulee for dessert, which was completely delicious.

All told, and I know I’m probably in the minority around here, I’m just not sure Le Cellier was worth it. Yet again, it didn’t bother me as we were on the dining plan, but it just didn’t wow me, as I had expected it would.

After lunch you can probably guess what we decided to do... if you guessed that we headed back to CSR, you’d be correct! We hit the pool and I ended up spending a lovely afternoon in the pool, chatting with Karin and Tom, as we floated around and soaked up the sunshine. It truly was a wonderful afternoon and I was super relaxed by the time I went back to the room.

The whole family was tired that evening and we cancelled yet another ADR, this time at Chef Mickey’s. Mark and Max grabbed dinner at Pepper Market and brought a sandwhich back for me, which I was more than happy to eat in the room. We watched “Ice Age” and I wondered why a non-Pixar/Disney move was being shown on the Disney channel, but I was grateful for it just the same. Not a bad movie, all told.
We turned in fairly early to gear up for our last full day at Disney!


Friday morning we grabbed breakfast and made it to MK just after rope drop. After walking down Main Street, we took a right and went to Tomorrowland. We had fun on Buzz Lightyear, but again, Max wasn’t as thrilled with it as I had thought he would be. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to everything when we return.

We took a ride on the Peoplemover, which I find to be quite relaxing and lovely. Next, we went to the Carousel of Progress, which Max really enjoyed, if you can believe it. One of my souvenirs of the trip was the Four Parks, One World CD and he really loves belting out the music from COP and has already expressed a desire to take the ride for a spin again. Perhaps Max has a bit of my history bug?

We walked back through Tomorrowland and again, my apologies, but I’m truly not sure what else we did. We must have ridden something in Fantasyland, but I truly am at a loss.

We had an early lunch ADR at the Plaza and this turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip. I had a delicious tuna sandwich on a croissant that was just the perfect antidote the a week of heavy food, much as Kathy (Katmark) had said it would be. I then went crazy with dessert and had a real banana split, which I”m not sure I’ve ever had. It was delicious. Mark had the turkey club and enjoyed that, as well. Again, I’m not sure what Max had.

While we were eating, the mayor walked in and did his little show, which was quite entertaining and added to the overall feeling of being sometime back in a history that never really was.

We returned to the resort for the afternoon before heading out to EPCOT for dinner and possibly Illuminations?



That night we had an ADR at Via Napoli, which I was so incredibly excited for. I’m half Italian and LOVE Italian food. It is by far my favorite food. I love red-sauce Italian-American food (like my grandma made), as well as food that’s more authentically Italian. I also fancy myself to be a pretty good cook in this department and I’m somewhat hard to impress. One might wonder why I choose to go our for Italian, but there is just so long I can go without some pasta! I was particularly excited about the brick oven pizza, as I hail from the capital of delicious, thin crust, brick oven pizza...New Haven, CT. Yep, you heard that right! New Haven is renowned for its delicious pizza that is unlike any other I’ve ever had. There are two rival places on Wooster Street, New Haven’s answer to Little Italy, and I happen to prefer Pepe’s, which is known for an exceptionally crisp crust. But I digress...

I did not expect the pizza to taste the way it did at Pepe’s, but I expected a good quality pie. I started with a lovely eggplant caponata which was a nice, light change of pace. Not sure what Mark ordered for an app. I know...I know....bad TR writer! I promise that if you stick with me my next one will be a lot better!

Next up was our pizza, which was decent. It wasn’t on par with say Domino’s or anything. It truly was much better than that, but despite having been cooked in a brick oven, the crust was pretty soggy and nondescript. I was also dissapointed that the prosciutto on my pizza (and here I’m going to sound like a real snob) wasn’t real prosciutto, but the cheaper prosciutto coppo, which tastes a lot like regular ham.

Again...they might have had an off night. We could have just been on total food overload at this point. Would I give it another try? Absolutely.

Yet again I wanted to stay for Illuminations and yet again, Max wasn’t having it. I very briefly flirted with the idea of staying and letting them go back without me, but decided to stay with them and we went back to our home away from home for our last night at the world.

 

[eandesmom]

Sometimes at the end of the trip you are just done. Done with food, pictures and trying to do too much. I know on this girls trip I ate WAY more than normal (one sit down a day is typically my max) and I was fooded out in a big way at one point. I did manage to recover.

I can totally see why you cancelled CM after a LeC lunch, it's just a lot. You can't do everything, even though it seems like sometimes we miss what we assume we will ride on, it will still be there and is a great reason to go back. The Plaza is a lovely lunch, I completely agree!

Although....just sayin....beyond the food at Via Napoli...you have to admit that the "scenery" is something else!

We decided they took all the cute waiters from Tutto and moved them over to Via. Mama Mia!

 

[glennbo123]

R.E.M., and I think you missed my Jackson Browne post from your previous chapter. (I want to make sure I get those points, as it's a very close race.)

Sounds like a great couple of days. I'm glad you liked CSR so much!

I really need to try The Plaza one of these days.

 

[tinacaplan]

Sometimes at the end of the trip you are just done. Done with food, pictures and trying to do too much. I know on this girls trip I ate WAY more than normal (one sit down a day is typically my max) and I was fooded out in a big way at one point. I did manage to recover.

I can totally see why you cancelled CM after a LeC lunch, it's just a lot. You can't do everything, even though it seems like sometimes we miss what we assume we will ride on, it will still be there and is a great reason to go back. The Plaza is a lovely lunch, I completely agree!

Although....just sayin....beyond the food at Via Napoli...you have to admit that the "scenery" is something else!

We decided they took all the cute waiters from Tutto and moved them over to Via. Mama Mia!

Yep...we defininetely were feeling that towards the end of the trip. Good for you for rallying, though!

Unfortunately, we did not have a particularly comely waiter...oh well. Another reason to go back!

R.E.M., and I think you missed my Jackson Browne post from your previous chapter. (I want to make sure I get those points, as it's a very close race.)

Sounds like a great couple of days. I'm glad you liked CSR so much!

I really need to try The Plaza one of these days.

Yep..and you were, of course, correct about Jackson Browne. Do I notice a hint of sarcasm there, as you have pretty much swept the competition?!

Definitely try the Plaza; its pretty inside and the food is good.

 

[All7OfUs]

(I want to make sure I get those points, as it's a very close race.)

Oh sure, just rub it in, Smarty Pants.

ITA with Cytnhia- When you're done, you're done. With everything. Totally happened to me by the time our trip was ending as well. Went to WGPE and could hardly eat one bite of my meal- even though it was "free". UGH! TOO much for too long.

The pool, a spin on TTA, and the pizza ending does sound like a nice note to end your trip on.

GREAT job writing your story through to the end. THANKS for putting the time and effort into letting us see your trip through your eyes!!

 

[pinkxray]

Bummer that you missed Chef Mickey's. I would have thought Max would have wanted to go there. The dxdp definetly defeated you guys

Just wondering since you were on the dxdp at Via Napoli... do you remember what was excluded from the plan. I have heard that the build your own pizza is, but other people say other stuff is excluded. Just curious since I was thinking of trying it instead of Tutto since I got a better time at Via. I just don't want to have half the menu excluded.

 

[JPFamilyMom]

I'll be anxious to read your next ptr to see if you are planning to go back to the last two restaurants you dined in. I'll be especially interested to read about Via Napoli if you go there again. I also love Italian food, I'm not italian, well I could be an ever so slight part of me, I'm such a mix. and I don't eat meat, but I LOVE pasta like no tomorrow, I try and convince my family to eat some type of past at least twice a week.

Sounds like your pool time and last two days were very relaxing and enjoyable. Looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip

 

[PirateKate]

I think Biergarten sounds like a much better choice than California Grill with a four-year-old.

And I know you've probably already made up your mind by now, but, I'd go with Beach Club. It would be so convenient to have two parks within walking distance and not have to deal with parking or Disney transportation or anything.

 

[tinacaplan]

Oh sure, just rub it in, Smarty Pants.

ITA with Cytnhia- When you're done, you're done. With everything. Totally happened to me by the time our trip was ending as well. Went to WGPE and could hardly eat one bite of my meal- even though it was "free". UGH! TOO much for too long.

The pool, a spin on TTA, and the pizza ending does sound like a nice note to end your trip on.

GREAT job writing your story through to the end. THANKS for putting the time and effort into letting us see your trip through your eyes!!

Thanks a lot Liesa. That means a lot coming from you. All in all, we had a great trip and I learned a ton about travelling with a little kid. And I definitely was going to follow through and finish this thing!

Bummer that you missed Chef Mickey's. I would have thought Max would have wanted to go there. The dxdp definetly defeated you guys

Just wondering since you were on the dxdp at Via Napoli... do you remember what was excluded from the plan. I have heard that the build your own pizza is, but other people say other stuff is excluded. Just curious since I was thinking of trying it instead of Tutto since I got a better time at Via. I just don't want to have half the menu excluded.

Yes, we were defeated by the DxDP. Mind you, when it had been Mark and I and we did a signature every night, we handled it just fine, thanks. But with Max it really did end up being a waste. Oh, well...you live and learn, right?

I don't recall anything being excluded at Via Napoli, although you could be right about the make your own pizza. We just ordered what was already on the menu. Personally, I think Tutto has better food, but Via Napoli is less formal and has pizza. But again, I wouldn't trust my assessment of Via Napoli because we really were just so DONE at that point.

I'll be anxious to read your next ptr to see if you are planning to go back to the last two restaurants you dined in. I'll be especially interested to read about Via Napoli if you go there again. I also love Italian food, I'm not italian, well I could be an ever so slight part of me, I'm such a mix. and I don't eat meat, but I LOVE pasta like no tomorrow, I try and convince my family to eat some type of past at least twice a week.

Sounds like your pool time and last two days were very relaxing and enjoyable. Looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip

Oh, and I can't wait to start my PTR! I'm trying not to give too much away now. I can't say enough that I wouldn't go by my review of Via Napoli. Lots of other people have really loved it and had great meals there.

I think Biergarten sounds like a much better choice than California Grill with a four-year-old.

And I know you've probably already made up your mind by now, but, I'd go with Beach Club. It would be so convenient to have two parks within walking distance and not have to deal with parking or Disney transportation or anything.

Yes it was...although there is part of me that wishes we had tried Cali Grill anyway. My husband is great about taking Max out and going for walks if he needs to and my mom and I would have gotten a much nicer meal. That said, I wouldn't have memories of dancing with Mark and Max at Biergarten.

And I suppose we'll have to wait for my PTR to see what I've decided on!

 

[tinacaplan]

WRAP UP

I have been anxiously waiting to get to the final thoughts section of this TR, because I feel that I’ve learned quite a bit about travelling with a little kid.

Herewith, my list, in no particular order:

1. Don’t be disappointed if your child isn’t as excited about things as you would have thought they would be. I think Max really was overwhelmed for a fair amount of the trip and was just taking things in.

2. As a corollary to point one: while taking your child’s needs into consideration is wise, asking questions and giving them too many options is not. I really wish we hadn’t done that so much and instead explained that we were going to do really fun ______________________( fill in the blank with an appropriate attraction). As parents, we know our children and recognize the signs that they’re really tired or hungry.

3. My second corollary to the two points above: don’t constantly point things out to your child. We did this with Max a lot, in an effort for him not to miss anything, when we probably should have let him take it all in at his own pace.

4. Don’t book three early morning character meals in a row (ESPECIALLY when one of you has gone to evening EMHs at MK till 3 a.m.). It is a recipe for exhaustion! This also might have made the breakfasts feel a bit less special for Max, too.

5. Be prepared with small snacks...duh. And yet I failed to do this. Why, I am not sure. I know that Max enjoys munching on small things throughout the day, yet I somehow thought we’d magically stop for snacks along the way whenever we wanted. Thanks to Mickeynicki and Tom and Karin’s generous gift bags, Max had a few snacks!

6. We will not be doing the dining plan again any time soon. I can completely see how it makes sense if you want to try every signature on property (and are travelling with adults) or if you have teenagers with big appetites. For us, it just really did not work this trip. We cancelled so many ADRs and did not use our meal credits very wisely. I also did not enjoy feeling like I was locked into a set schedule. I made ADRs for early in the evening, only to get to Disney and find out that Max wanted to spend his afternoons poolside and only napped after four p.m., when he napped at all. I’m looking forward to having complete flexibility with my schedule and dining options. I’m also looking forward to trying out counter service places that I had not considered, as we were on the deluxe dining plan.

7. Finally, while at Disney, its always wise to take a moment and stop and take it all in! It really is a feast for all of your senses in a way that no place else in the world is. Which is what will keep me going back again and again again...

Thank you all so much for accompanying me on this journey. Many of you followed my way too long PTR, too, and I appreciate it so much. And so....I’m starting a new one! Link to follow.

 

[eandesmom]

awww. don't be so hard on yourself! You are in good company here with over planners and having lofty expectations for those we travel with.

I actually think, for a family the DDP can be great but only the regular DDP. The Deluxe is just way too much food unless you are DVC and can do it for just part of the trip. The DDP worked well for us but it was only one sit down per day, which is as much (generally) as I can take. I don't really g
"get" the Quick Serve plan but it's just not how we eat, I can see where it might work well for some.

The recent girls trip did NOT follow my 1 sit down per day mantra, but I still stand by it for my gang.

That said, when the boys were 4&5 the carts at F&W in Epcot were about the best thing since sliced bread for our nightly dinner, it couldn't have been better.

Of course that trip they ate a ton of snacks, so we packed them again for a big trip in 08 and 09 and they were untouched! So...they change. Little rascals that they are.

I don't have an AP but after this trip I can also really see the advantages of the TIW card, for those who have it.

Looking forward to your PTR!

 

[glennbo123]

Nice list of learnings Tina. Thanks for writing this TR, I enjoyed following your adventures!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

I agree with you thoughts on the dining plan working for adults and not so much with little kids.

I think you made great use of your time at WDW, you got in a lot of fun times in the parks and did accomplish a great list of attractions/rides plus got in some good meals and you got in a lot of fun time in the pool and time around the resort. Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us, I had a fun time reading along and I'm so jealous you get to go back again so soon.

Can't wait to read your next PTR.