Peekaboo, I see Pluto! A 1st Birthday TR; Wrapping up PTR and TR 10/02!

[natebenma]

I have no idea where the secret trail is, do tell! That would be perfect for our day at AK!

​

I need to get better pictures documenting the beginning and end of this trail, but if you look for it just after you cross over the bridge from Africa to Discovery Island (or just before if you are headed the other way), then you should be able to find it. The trail is not marked.

The end of the trail goes past the Its Tough To Be a Bug exit and near the Flame Tree, so that may be a good route to go right before lunch.

Here's the excerpt from my "NEVER" TR:


Animal Kingdom was getting very crowded and very hot at this point. But we had a secret destination in mind- there is a quiet unmarked trail that runs through Discovery Island. It starts here, just after the bridge from Africa to Discovery Island and ends near the exit of It’s Tough to be a Bug.

It was so peaceful, a little cooler due to the trees and there were very few people.

It was nice to get some closeup views and pictures of the Tree of Life.

 

[natebenma]

Sadly, I was WAYYYYY behind on your TR! All caught up now.

Happy Football Season!!!
(showing my colors)

Your plans all look fantastic! I am seriously jealous at the length of your trip, the things you have planned and the downtime at the resorts even look fun to me!

Your park open to park close day at DHS and EPCOT will be amazing.

I can totally see following that up with a slow-paced day hanging around with the animals at AKV. Can't wait to see what you have cooked up for MNSSHP.

Mmmmm.... Breakfast(s) at Boma. Ben and I ate there once. Nate was not feeling well, so Mark and he missed out! We were some of the first ones there, and it wasn't very crowded. The waiter came over to us and asked if he could get us anything. We said no. He said PLLLEAASSEEE. So Ben asked for some bacon. The waiter brought over a big plate full of bacon! Ben still talks about that.

I love your plans for F&F (Food and Friends)

Your trip continues to get better and better with an early morning ressie with Cindy. I've never booked a pre-opening breakfast, but it is on my bucket list. Along with the Halloween Party. So cool that you had an encounter with Donny Osmond at the Castle.

Love the picture of Space Mtn with the lights out. I was disappointed that our MK Y.E.S class was not the one our school had done in the past- riding SM with the lights off then on and instead was a visit with Stitch!

Columbia Harbor House- there are no words!

I love love love that you are going to US/IoA! Like Kelley, can't wait to see the pictures! Gonna be a busy day, but no, it definitely won't be too many pictures of Illuminations!

 

[natebenma]

I have just started to think about photo missions for Franklin around the Beach Club, so here is one. If you DO purchase some Oreo BonBons from the Marketplace, could you take a picture of the fridge display and the container you can purchase.

Yum! Love the Cape May buffet.

Hmmm. How about a picture of what IS offered for dessert at CM...

Thanks!

 

[teekathepony]

Oh how lovely! Early breakfast at the Castle!! I loved getting into MK early for breakfast, getting some pictures with no one else in them!
Mmmmm butterbeer... I can taste it already! I'm actually thinking about tackling the Hulk this time around. Maybe.
I like the plans. Epcot-centric sounds good to me, especially for the F&W!
Also, hooray for three weeks to go!

 

[Missyrose]

I need to get better pictures documenting the beginning and end of this trail, but if you look for it just after you cross over the bridge from Africa to Discovery Island (or just before if you are headed the other way), then you should be able to find it. The trail is not marked.

The end of the trail goes past the Its Tough To Be a Bug exit and near the Flame Tree, so that may be a good route to go right before lunch.

Here's the excerpt from my "NEVER" TR:


Animal Kingdom was getting very crowded and very hot at this point. But we had a secret destination in mind- there is a quiet unmarked trail that runs through Discovery Island. It starts here, just after the bridge from Africa to Discovery Island and ends near the exit of It’s Tough to be a Bug.

It was so peaceful, a little cooler due to the trees and there were very few people.

It was nice to get some closeup views and pictures of the Tree of Life.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We are soooooo trying this on our trip. What a cool view of the tree!

Sadly, I was WAYYYYY behind on your TR! All caught up now.

Happy Football Season!!!
(showing my colors)

Your plans all look fantastic! I am seriously jealous at the length of your trip, the things you have planned and the downtime at the resorts even look fun to me!

Your park open to park close day at DHS and EPCOT will be amazing.

I can totally see following that up with a slow-paced day hanging around with the animals at AKV. Can't wait to see what you have cooked up for MNSSHP.

Your Patriots looked pretty good Sunday, bloodied QB and all! When we began planning this trip (and especially once it expanded from six nights to nine nights) I realized we couldn't hold up with a rope-drop-to-close schedule every day. We'd be tired and cranky and that's not what I want from a Disney vacation. So we're definitely attempting to learn how to slow down, vary the pace a little. And I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Mmmmm.... Breakfast(s) at Boma. Ben and I ate there once. Nate was not feeling well, so Mark and he missed out! We were some of the first ones there, and it wasn't very crowded. The waiter came over to us and asked if he could get us anything. We said no. He said PLLLEAASSEEE. So Ben asked for some bacon. The waiter brought over a big plate full of bacon! Ben still talks about that.

I love your plans for F&F (Food and Friends)

Your trip continues to get better and better with an early morning ressie with Cindy. I've never booked a pre-opening breakfast, but it is on my bucket list. Along with the Halloween Party. So cool that you had an encounter with Donny Osmond at the Castle.

A plate full of bacon, huh? The big question is, does Boma serve the usual Disney bacon or is it the better bacon?

I love pre-opening breakfasts, both for the photos and the experience of enjoying the quiet of the park. I think Franklin really liked the chance to photograph Main Street with all those pesky other people mucking up his shots.

Love the picture of Space Mtn with the lights out. I was disappointed that our MK Y.E.S class was not the one our school had done in the past- riding SM with the lights off then on and instead was a visit with Stitch!

Columbia Harbor House- there are no words!

I love love love that you are going to US/IoA! Like Kelley, can't wait to see the pictures! Gonna be a busy day, but no, it definitely won't be too many pictures of Illuminations!

Okay, it's one thing to SEE Space Mountain with the lights on, but RIDING it with the lights on?!?!? Wow, that would be one heck of a YES class. Yep, you got hosed with Stitch.

I'm pretty excited about going to IOA/US. I so loved WWoHP last time we went and we're really excited about the Despicable Me ride. I've even managed to avoid all spoilers about the ride. I just want to walk on and enjoy it without knowing anything that's about to happen.

I have just started to think about photo missions for Franklin around the Beach Club, so here is one. If you DO purchase some Oreo BonBons from the Marketplace, could you take a picture of the fridge display and the container you can purchase.

Yum! Love the Cape May buffet.

Hmmm. How about a picture of what IS offered for dessert at CM...

Thanks!

Done! And there WILL be Oreo Bon Bons purchased. Let me know if there are other photos you need!

Oh how lovely! Early breakfast at the Castle!! I loved getting into MK early for breakfast, getting some pictures with no one else in them!
Mmmmm butterbeer... I can taste it already! I'm actually thinking about tackling the Hulk this time around. Maybe.
I like the plans. Epcot-centric sounds good to me, especially for the F&W!
Also, hooray for three weeks to go!

I know, I'm kind of geeking out about breakfast at the castle! Can't wait!

Oh Butterbeer, how I love thee.

Good luck with the Hulk. No matter how many Disney coasters I conquer, the Hulk will never be on my to-do list. Too scary for me!

There was a point in my planning where I had a momentary freak out about not having enough time in the non-Epcot parks on this trip. But then I remembered the whole point of this trip is Food and Wine. And we've got two more upcoming trips to enjoy all the other parks.

​

 

[Missyrose]

Our Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

20. California Grill Triple Cheese flatbread, Spicy Kazan roll
California Grill is just a special restaurant. The food is incredible and the view is, well, perfect. When we ate there last October, we had a window seat with a perfect view of Magic Kingdom, we could even see the lasers and lights from the Villains Mix and Mingle in front of the castle.
Surprisingly enough, our favorite part of the meal was the appetizers.

I had the triple cheese flatbread.

I got the pesto on the side, but ended up loving it and slathering all over the flatbread. The combination of cheeses (Pecorino, Asiago, and Provolone) was truly tasty. And it wasn’t too greasy, which can be a problem with Disney flatbreads.

And Franklin had the Spicy Kazan Roll.

He said:

It’s the best sushi I’ve ever had at Disney. This isn’t your generic sushi from the Japan pavillion in the World Showcase.
Everything tasted fresh and the crunchy bits sprinkled on top really added an interesting new texture.

Originally, we weren’t going to be able to eat at Cali Grill before it closes in January for its months-long refurb. But a few things got shuffled for October, and now we’ll get one more meal at Cali Grill and you know we’ll be ordering the flatbread and sushi!​

 

[amazingact21]

I think your plans look great. You really do need an Epcot-centered itenerary when F&W is going on, in my opinion.


Even though it's the "dark side" I'm sure you'll still have a great time at Universal and WWoHP. It's hard to pass up on Butterbeer when you're in that area.

 

[marDgreen88]

Those Cali Grill appetizers look AMAZING. Oh yum. I MUST GO THERE!!!

 

[Missyrose]

I think your plans look great. You really do need an Epcot-centered itenerary when F&W is going on, in my opinion.


Even though it's the "dark side" I'm sure you'll still have a great time at Universal and WWoHP. It's hard to pass up on Butterbeer when you're in that area.

I'm not one of those people who think you can only be a fan of Disney or Universal. I'm a fan of both, they offer very different experiences.
I can't wait to spend some time at IOA!

Those Cali Grill appetizers look AMAZING. Oh yum. I MUST GO THERE!!!

Yes, you absolutely must! We had a fabulous meal there. I would also suggest a late meal there. It can be a very noisy restaurant, but we ate after the fireworks and the restaurant had cleared out, giving us a nice, quiet ambiance. ​

 

[Missyrose]

You thought with all the plans I’ve been sharing for our October trip that I’d forgotten all about the March trip now didn’t you? Well, I haven’t! And my goal is to finish the March trip before we leave on October 3rd, so we better get moving.

We’d last left off getting out of a performance of Beauty and the Beast to gray skies and the aftermath of a downpour. As soon as we grabbed the stroller, it started to rain again. We all had ponchos (yay Disney gift bags on arrival day) but we didn’t have a rain cover for the stroller. We veered into one of the stores on Hollywood Blvd. And we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally the rain stopped, but Tanner needed a diaper change, so we all made our way up to the baby care center.

Now, I’m going to admit something not very flattering. I had a bit of a meltdown. We had some FPs from guest relations that we had planned to use for the E-ticket rides (since we hadn’t ridden any of them that day) -- they were from an issue we had at the Contemporary during our October 2011 trip. But the pit stop at the baby care center was taking forever. It turns out that Tanner needed to cool down and eat, which was fine. I wanted Franklin and I to go ride Star Tours or Rock-n-Rollercoaster while the rest of the crew was tied up with Tanner. Franklin didn’t want the rest of the group to be stuck waiting for us when they were done at the baby care center. And that’s where I melted down and kinda threw a tantrum. It was nearly two hours after we got out of BatB and yet, we hadn’t done a single thing. This Type-A planner was having trouble with that. And by the time we were done with the baby care center, I didn’t think we’d have enough time to go ride anything and make it to dinner for our ADR.

So we left DHS and my mood kinda matched the gray skies. But one look at Tanner all cuddled up and asleep with his new Pluto totally melted me.

Plus we were on our way to one of my favorite Disney restaurants, ‘Ohana! We arrived at the Poly and I ran in ahead of the crew to check in.

As many of you know, timing ADRs and fireworks can be a bit of an art (or a crapshoot, however you want to look at it). Our ADR was for 7:05 and Wishes was at 8 p.m.. I knew by this point in the night that ‘Ohana would be running behind, so my goal was to get there by 6:30. We arrived at 6:35 and I requested a table by the window. The hostess said it shouldn’t be a problem, though we might have to wait a few minutes for one to open up.

Franklin took the opportunity to shoot some amazing photos of the Poly.

Can’t you just smell the Grand Ceremonial House while looking at those photos?

We ended up being seated right around 7 at a table with a dead-on view of the castle!

Keith and Lala ordered some tasty drinks, a Backscratcher and a Lapu Lapu.

It’s ‘Ohana, the food starts flowing almost immediately after you’re seated. First up? The yummy pineapple bread and salad.

I know I said it on my last TR, but wow, that honey-lime salad dressing is out of this world! Why can’t Disney bottle that stuff?

Next came the potstickers and chicken wings, and both were HUGE hits with our crew.

I ended up asking for a couple of more potstickers and they brought me an entire bowl of them, there had to be 12 or 15 in the bowl.

Next was the noodles and broccoli.

Then came the parade of meats.

Beef

Chicken

Pork

And, of course, the shrimp

No joke, our table demolished two skewers of shrimp. I was very proud. As we were eating, it became time for Wishes. Franklin headed down to the beach to shoot the fireworks. Tanner wanted a front-row seat for the show.

For those of you who have never been to ‘Ohana for fireworks, they dim some of the restaurant’s lights and pipe in the music. It was very cool to be able to see the show from our table. Totally worth experiencing at least once. And now for Franklin’s photos from the beach.

We were now ready for the BEST part of an ‘Ohana dinner: dessert!

Mmmmmm, caramel, banana bread pudding!

The also brought Tanner a birthday cupcake, which he played with (but refused to eat). In fact, the cupcake ended up taking a nosedive right to the floor. Which gave us another possible TR title: Cupcake down!

On our way out, Tanner got some birthday leis. He was swimming in them!

All in all, it was another fabulous dinner at ‘Ohana. That restaurant has quickly become our must-do on each trip. It’s a restaurant that seems to polarize people on these boards. People either love it or hate it. But we’re 2 for 2 with great meals there. Great food, great service and a great excuse to check out the Poly!

And with that dinner, we brought our last night at Disney to a close. What did you guys think of our meal? Have you eaten at ‘Ohana? One more day left to this TR!​

 

[marDgreen88]

I was wondering if you'd post a trip update!!!

Hey, nobody's perfect. I would get antsy doing nothing while in a park as well!

Those pictures are amazing! Another great job, Franklin!!

 

[Missyrose]

I was wondering if you'd post a trip update!!!

Hey, nobody's perfect. I would get antsy doing nothing while in a park as well!

Those pictures are amazing! Another great job, Franklin!!

I was wondering if I'd ever get around to another trip update too! At least I learned from the meltdown, I'm making far less specific plans for our October trip. If there are no specific plans, then there's less of a chance I'll feel like we missing out on doing something.​

 

[natebenma]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We are soooooo trying this on our trip. What a cool view of the tree!

Oh, I'm glad you didn't mind the tip about the Secret Trail. At the risk of intermingling more of my subpar photos in the same report with Franklin's pictures, here are a few more.

I think this is the end (or beginning) of the trail near the ITTBAB exit.

Here are a couple of pictures trying to show how close you are to the tree

Done! And there WILL be Oreo Bon Bons purchased. Let me know if there are other photos you need!

I don't think Teena will be working during your stay at BCV, but if you do happen to see her, let her know that Dee sends hugs!

Did you see the posts about the moving ships in the pictures at Captain's Grille???

I'm not one of those people who think you can only be a fan of Disney or Universal. I'm a fan of both, they offer very different experiences.
I can't wait to spend some time at IOA!

I totally agree!!!

Our Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

20. California Grill Triple Cheese flatbread, Spicy Kazan roll
California Grill is just a special restaurant. The food is incredible and the view is, well, perfect. When we ate there last October, we had a window seat with a perfect view of Magic Kingdom, we could even see the lasers and lights from the Villains Mix and Mingle in front of the castle.
​

YUM!!! Haven't been there, but you make an excellent case.

 

[natebenma]

Glad to see another update for your family trip, even though it contained some lows and highs!

There's a phrase for what you experienced at Hollywood Studios:

The Planner Pout

When reality interferes with your visions of how the trip should be.


But on to better things:

on your fantastic experience at Ohana!

I'm one of the ones who was not blown away by our meal, but I blame my family's exhaustion at the end of a hardcore commando trip more than the restaurant.

Although you described one of my complaints- we asked for a couple more potstickers for Ben, and they said they would bring us another order. I said "We just want 2", but I was told "We can't do that, we have to bring a whole order". Holy waste of food, Batman!

Love the picture of the wings/potstickers about to be attacked!

Major score on your table. Of course, the fireworks pictures from the beach are just

I hope you waited for Franklin to get back to dig into the bread pudding (or at least saved some for him)

 

[Missyrose]

Glad to see another update for your family trip, even though it contained some lows and highs!

There's a phrase for what you experienced at Hollywood Studios:

The Planner Pout

When reality interferes with your visions of how the trip should be.


But on to better things:

on your fantastic experience at Ohana!

I'm one of the ones who was not blown away by our meal, but I blame my family's exhaustion at the end of a hardcore commando trip more than the restaurant.

Although you described one of my complaints- we asked for a couple more potstickers for Ben, and they said they would bring us another order. I said "We just want 2", but I was told "We can't do that, we have to bring a whole order". Holy waste of food, Batman!

Love the picture of the wings/potstickers about to be attacked!

Major score on your table. Of course, the fireworks pictures from the beach are just

I hope you waited for Franklin to get back to dig into the bread pudding (or at least saved some for him)

The Planner Pout: I love it! It's the perfect name for such a state.

'Ohana can be a tough restaurant to plan for during a commando Disney trip. It runs behind, service can be either too slow or too quick and a meal there rarely takes less than an hour and a half. I hope you guys can try it again one day though because the food is really good (when you can enjoy it).

Franklin most definitely got some bread pudding, I don't think he would have spoken to any of us the rest of the trip if he hadn't! ​

 

[Missyrose]

Our Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

19. Crystal Palace puffed french toast
Disney doesn’t do plain-Jane French toast. They have to dress it up in some way, whether it’s as drool-worthy Tonga Toast (which, spoiler alert, we’ll talk about later in the countdown) or as puffed French toast. For those of you who have never had a morning meal with Pooh and the gang at Crystal Palace, puffed French toast is basically French toast that’s been coated with more batter, deep fried and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. I really don’t like cinnamon, so the chef at CP was kind enough to make me a plate of plain puffed goodness.

It is a little chunk of deep-fried deliciousness that is the perfect way to start your morning at Magic Kingdom! ​

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

Our Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

19. Crystal Palace puffed french toast
Disney doesn’t do plain-Jane French toast. They have to dress it up in some way, whether it’s as drool-worthy Tonga Toast (which, spoiler alert, we’ll talk about later in the countdown) or as puffed French toast. For those of you who have never had a morning meal with Pooh and the gang at Crystal Palace, puffed French toast is basically French toast that’s been coated with more batter, deep fried and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. I really don’t like cinnamon, so the chef at CP was kind enough to make me a plate of plain puffed goodness.

It is a little chunk of deep-fried deliciousness that is the perfect way to start your morning at Magic Kingdom!

I totally agree! That was some of the best French toast I have ever eaten! Even the boys ate some, and they usually don't like French toast. YUM!!!

 

[teekathepony]

I can't remember ever having puffed french toast... how did I miss this delicious looking little morsel!?

 

[Missyrose]

I totally agree! That was some of the best French toast I have ever eaten! Even the boys ate some, and they usually don't like French toast. YUM!!!

So good! And that was such a great place to have the boys' birthday breakfast.

I can't remember ever having puffed french toast... how did I miss this delicious looking little morsel!?

I think you need to fix this problem immediately! You leave tomorrow?!?!?!? Are you totally excited?​

 

[Missyrose]

Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

18. Kona Cafe's Tonga Toast
This one is something only Franklin has eaten, so I’ll let him do the talking:
Tonga Toast is awesome, just plain awesome.

Strawberry sauce was very sweet, but in a good way.

It’s a huge portion, very filling. The outside is crisp and the inside is perfectly soft. It’s unlike anything else I’ve eaten before.​