Polynesian Pixie Dust: A Love/Hate Vacationship. An October 2017 TR *updated 2/12x3 and Complete*

[amalone1013]

I was reading along, and had this whole response typed out... and I lost it! So now that I had time I went back and re-read everything along with the new update

We waited for the desk people to get back from lunch and checked our bags. Then we sat and waited for the TSA people to get back from lunch. They only opened up the security about 20 minutes or so before boarding. I was texting @Raeven because I had to share the airport weirdness!!

This sounds like my hometown airport! It has two terminals each with two gates. It works the same way, security never opens until 15-30 minutes before boarding. It was usually expensive to fly into, but I did do it a few times in college and once for a family vacation to Alaska. The flights are usually connecting ones that stop to pick you up, going from places like Denver to Chicago or Minneapolis. The terminals are really just rooms with airport chairs and a vending machine I have three favorite stories to tell people about this airport:

1. Once after I made it through security (one metal detector, one bag xray, one table - no rollers like at other airports, and two TSA agents, once to check your ID and one to check your bag) and was waiting for my plane. Here comes the TSA agent, saying "Did someone leave their bag in security?" Holding a big duffel.
2. I swear I had two other stories and now I can't think of them. I'm going to blame being at work on the weekend.
3. 
   

When we got to the part of Main Street you see in the pp picture...my mom kind of turned around and looked up and said, "Oh my gosh, the castle!"

I was confused, like, yeah?? What do you think we'd been posing in pictures in front of this whole time?

And she says, "I didn't see it before!"

Um...what? How did you miss the GIGANTIC castle?

I mean, there is a lot to see on Main Street. But this is pretty hilarious!

They were really pumping the boats through the ride so there was a bit of a backup at then end. I was glad though, because it allowed me to actually get a good picture of something!!

Might be my favorite scene

It was the Declaration of Independence one that I always end up seeing...someday I vow to catch the Paul Revere one!!

The Paul Revere one is good too, but I think the Declaration one is my favorite! I love the muppets!

At least this one came out nicely. I always have to try to get artistic with the roses:

I am all about trying to get artistic with my photos. I will be remembering the roses for next time

The clock was going off, which I was lucky enough to catch for the first time in May. I was really happy to see it again!

There was a couple having engagement photos taken where we were sitting. The photographer had on the tiki bird dress from Cherry Tree Lane, and I had to tell her how much I loved it.

I think that's my favorite dress from that collection, but I think it's too much green for me to actually wear

You can see the wait time over on the right. It says 15 minutes. So no, we didn't technically need the fast pass, but we still got on faster than standby! I just thought my mom needed this classic attraction on her first visit.

We finally rode Dumbo at the end of our trip. I was like, why have I waited so long??

I had my usual, the coq au vin style pork:

Yum! For some reason I was really sure this was on the dinner menu and was disappointed when it wasn't... I must have looked at too many menus when picking restaurants!

Looks like that little girl was really thirsty

We were watching people (of all ages) drink from the interactive fountain in Diagon Alley at USO... I couldn't do it, nope! Freaked me out.

My mom and I saw Anastasia and Drizella out meeting and I insisted on getting in line. Not long after we lined up, the CM came over and told us and the group in front of us that A&D were going to go meet up with their mother and the Fairy Godmother would be coming out in their place. I was disappointed, but my mom wanted to stay and meet her.

I love that your mom was so up for meeting characters.

It's one of the funniest signs, anyway! I was trying to get my mom to appreciate the punny humor of the posters, but she just sort of looked at me like I was a moron Not everyone can be as cool as me, what can I say?

But the posters are way more fun to look at, especially compared to when they put you in the next room and you just wait for the door to open!

These jack-o-lanterns up front were amazing:

I loved those!

This was a terrible room tour, LOL!!

I seem to take better room tour pictures of the hotels people would care less about, like the non-Disney ones... ooops!

I had our baggage claim ticket so I plugged in my dying phone and went into the main lobby to the bell services desk. She told me our bags would be about five to ten minutes from delivery, so I went back to the room.

This is what they told us at the Contemporary, and it was an hour... kinda threw off my plans for showering before dinner...

The door was annoying, but the shower was a huge disaster. It wasn't just us being idiots who couldn't work a shower either, there was discoloration and swelling of the wood on the back of the bathroom door showing that this was a regular occurrence.

That stinks. And that no one was helpful. Why would you leave something that's a problem, to continue causing damage?

I don't think I can be friends with anyone who doesn't love the Mexico pavilion. It's just so beautiful inside and out. Qualities you want in a best friend AND a World Showcase pavilion.

Upon entering, I was SO EXCITED to see the Coco/Dia de los Muertos exhibits.

They were changing to this when we were there so we didn't get to see it...

While we were waiting to check in, we witnessed an almost fist fight. Some guys standing next to us were drunk and leaning against a merchandise shelf (with Elena of Avalor merch. Disney Junior. Which makes this worse.) and someone shoved a camera up in his face and tried to take his picture - like a big dslr with a large lens. Just some random person, not in their group. The guy shoved camera man, and nearly knocked the merchandise shelf over. It took a minute to register what exactly had happened. So weird!

Why are people so weird? Why did the drunk guy think it was okay to lean against the Disney Jr merchandise? (wait I know the answer to this - because he was drunk!) Why would someone thing it's okay to stick a camera in his face to take a picture of him?

My margarita?? Well, it was kind of disappointing. It wasn't bad by any stretch, but it wasn't the most flavorful either. The sea salt on the rim was bright red and dripped all down the side of the glass staining the white table cloth and leaving it looking like a crime scene.

Oh good, I'm not the only one! I was feeling self conscious about the tablecloth! I liked mine fine but kept getting a brain freeze Though I've never had an avocado margarita before and never had avocado, not even in guac...

After dinner, we were going to ride the Fiesta Tour, but the line was long - weird, right?? I knew it would be walk on at another time, so we just went shopping instead. Mom bought about a million different pieces of the brightly colored Mexican ceramics. Not a million, but at least 5, for different people back home.

I love Mexican ceramics because of the colors. Also the wooden animals they have in there. I was going to buy one but couldn't decide, and then forgot to go back and get one! Next time!

 

[amalone1013]

Wait, I remembered another story! A few years back, they added a flight to Atlanta in the morning. People started missing flights because the security lines were too long from one additional flight!

 

[xlsm]

We came home with the Ice Cream Bar plush. Love it so much!!!

I'm glad you ended up going home with it and didn't succumb to my indecision!! Why do they make so many cute things to tempt us with??

I said the same thing about the light up stones for our patio when we were there too!

They're the coolest things ever!

I love your shirt!

I don't think you are, it sounds like you really appreciate and see the beauty in the history of the culture.

Is lighting ever good in dark places for iPhone pictures?

Oh no! I liked mine, but now that you mention it, it probably did make a mess.

Our food was only okay too, but we liked the restaurant.

I've seen that before too! So weird!

So pretty!

Like @ariane37 and her gorgeous chocolate bar? But free chocolate of any kind, I'm all for that!

That looks and sounds really good!

Thank you!. It's from one of my Stitch Fix boxes. I wear it all the time. I wish the pictures were more flattering b/c it actually looks really cute with the skinny jeans, and not so boxy.

I do appreciate the history and culture. So many of the boys' friends are Hispanic and it's so interesting to hear about their traditions and things!

Ugh, no. And I swear my phone camera is getting worse as it ages. It's the 6s plus, and i used to think the pictures from it were pretty great for a phone. I'm due for an upgrade but I don't know whether to switch to the 8 or the X. I'm sure whichever I choose will immediately be replaced by something even better on the market as soon as I decide, so it probably doesn't matter which I pick

The margarita was fine, it was just sort of blah with a bit of a fake sugar aftertaste. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't special. It almost tasted like they left something out of it.

We saw the line long there last December, but it seemed kind of random this night!

Yes, I was experiencing totem pole chocolate envy

I want like, 50 of the little guava cheesecake cups!

No judgement here! I love this ride. And I'm super competitive about it.

Yay! Finally! This is super cute, no matter how you're standing.

I'm so glad! I know this was a long time coming. Great that your mom got on board with the meet and greets!

I know, right!? I was just thinking this the other day!

Bahaha But you have to post the pictures anyway or it didn't happen.

OMG yes! That would definitely be a highlight...

Wait...what!? I don't understand how a flooding shower is accessible...to ANYONE!

Again...wait, what!? That's unacceptable service for anyone, but especially since you were staying club level.

I feel this! I hate to clean. You just spend all kinds of time doing it, and then a few days or a week later it needs to be done again. You can't win.

I always excitedly anticipate your "awkward" photos!



Aww I figured they'd start doing something like that soon.

Aww that's too bad. I've always thought they sounded pretty good. I love avocado.

No. No, it does not.

Of course!

No. No, there is not.

I get overly agitated when someone tries to say it's either better than or the same as Toy Story Midway Mania. NOOOO! They're totally different and Buzz should not be discounted. I have no idea why I think it's so fun, but I would be so sad to ever miss it!

Daisy was so sassy, it was a fun meet. I was really glad my mom was into the meets, too! I figured she'd either love it or hate it, and I was thrilled she was in the "love it" camp!

The POG juice was the best thing about Club Level by far. We had bad luck with CMs at the CL concierge desk, but the lounge CMs were always nice.

I will always, always have awkward photos for you, LOL!

I was very disappointed to miss the Coco photos...I just hope they're still there next month!

All Spaceship Earth photos ALL THE TIME!!

I completely agree! Clearly would speak volumes to a value difference, right?
Darn!
Nope, it really doesn't.
As a fellow 30something, I am qualified to agree!
Nope, there just isn't.
Great wrap up to a great first day. Loved all your PP pictures, too. Awesome desserts at the lounge, yum!

Viva Mexico! It's just so beautiful in there!!

I think my favorite thing about Disney World and Disney culture is, you're never too old for anything! Bring on gigantic bows and Minnie Ears and character clothing!!

The lounge desserts were good...the more I look at the pictures, the more I miss that guava cheesecake!!

Can I just say I had quoted like, your last 5 or 6 updates, and then all my quotes disappeared So I'm going to go back AGAIN and quote some stuff, but I will comment on San Angel since that's sticking in my mind.
We liked it. It was good, but nothing stood out for us just like you said. Our main complaint was that the tables are soooooo close but luckily as soon as we sat down the table closest to us got up and nobody else sat there while we dined. However I have to say, I'm disappointed you didn't like the avocado margarita! Yeah it's messy with the red dripping down onto the table cloth I didn't like that. But I do love that drink. FYI, if you get it from La Cava del Tequila they don't put the red stuff on so no mess!

We ended up sitting along an outside wall, where there's the long shared bench/booth type seat across from chairs. I feel like we got pretty lucky b/c we had a good amount of space between us and the large group to my left, and like you, the group on the right left not too long after we were seated. It was tight but manageable. The regular tables were unreasonably close!
Like I said to Raeven, the drink almost tasted like it was missing something. There wasn't a ton of flavor. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything special. I feel like I must have had a bad batch or something! that's good to know about the La Cava version - the red stuff was so messy!

I feel the same way, it's my favorite <3

I like the salsa verde way more as well!

Now I'm hungry for salsa verde, LOL!! If only every time I ate it I was in such pretty surroundings!!

 

[xlsm]

I was reading along, and had this whole response typed out... and I lost it! So now that I had time I went back and re-read everything along with the new update


This sounds like my hometown airport! It has two terminals each with two gates. It works the same way, security never opens until 15-30 minutes before boarding. It was usually expensive to fly into, but I did do it a few times in college and once for a family vacation to Alaska. The flights are usually connecting ones that stop to pick you up, going from places like Denver to Chicago or Minneapolis. The terminals are really just rooms with airport chairs and a vending machine I have three favorite stories to tell people about this airport:

1. Once after I made it through security (one metal detector, one bag xray, one table - no rollers like at other airports, and two TSA agents, once to check your ID and one to check your bag) and was waiting for my plane. Here comes the TSA agent, saying "Did someone leave their bag in security?" Holding a big duffel.
2. I swear I had two other stories and now I can't think of them. I'm going to blame being at work on the weekend.
3. 

I mean, there is a lot to see on Main Street. But this is pretty hilarious!



Might be my favorite scene


The Paul Revere one is good too, but I think the Declaration one is my favorite! I love the muppets!

I am all about trying to get artistic with my photos. I will be remembering the roses for next time





I think that's my favorite dress from that collection, but I think it's too much green for me to actually wear


We finally rode Dumbo at the end of our trip. I was like, why have I waited so long??


Yum! For some reason I was really sure this was on the dinner menu and was disappointed when it wasn't... I must have looked at too many menus when picking restaurants!


We were watching people (of all ages) drink from the interactive fountain in Diagon Alley at USO... I couldn't do it, nope! Freaked me out.


I love that your mom was so up for meeting characters.


But the posters are way more fun to look at, especially compared to when they put you in the next room and you just wait for the door to open!


I loved those!


I seem to take better room tour pictures of the hotels people would care less about, like the non-Disney ones... ooops!


This is what they told us at the Contemporary, and it was an hour... kinda threw off my plans for showering before dinner...


That stinks. And that no one was helpful. Why would you leave something that's a problem, to continue causing damage?





They were changing to this when we were there so we didn't get to see it...


Why are people so weird? Why did the drunk guy think it was okay to lean against the Disney Jr merchandise? (wait I know the answer to this - because he was drunk!) Why would someone thing it's okay to stick a camera in his face to take a picture of him?


Oh good, I'm not the only one! I was feeling self conscious about the tablecloth! I liked mine fine but kept getting a brain freeze Though I've never had an avocado margarita before and never had avocado, not even in guac...


I love Mexican ceramics because of the colors. Also the wooden animals they have in there. I was going to buy one but couldn't decide, and then forgot to go back and get one! Next time!

Wait, I remembered another story! A few years back, they added a flight to Atlanta in the morning. People started missing flights because the security lines were too long from one additional flight!

Oh my gosh, that happened at this little airport, too! There were two girls that were exchange students or something, and they were on their way to Chicago - they had a ton of stuff with them, and had their pepper spray taken away, and they left one of their bags...the TSA guy came over and asked everyone who it belonged to!

Right?? Like, how on earth did she manage to miss it?? She says now that she saw it, but it just didn't register, LOL!!

I think it's probably the most recognizable classic scene - and I love that they included it in The Black Pearl!!

The dress is SO CUTE!! It is a lot of green, haha! She was a bigger girl and it was super flattering on her. I love the retro style of those dresses. My current favorite is the Christmas one...mainly b/c I want so much to get into Christmas mode but am trying to hold off until after Thanksgiving, haha

Yay for Dumbo! I'm glad you finally rode. DH and I will probably skip it in December/Jan, but mom definitely needed to have the Dumbo experience! (and when DH and I take the kids back on our next family visit, you'd better believe we'll ride. I'm grateful that both of my boys are appreciative of Disney traditions)

They used to have something kind of similar for dinner...My 14 year old has had both versions, way back in 2014, and I know he preferred the lunch one. I can't remember what was different about it though! I haven't looked at the dinner menu there in a long time. I think it should be included for both meals b/c it is DELICIOUS!!

I agree about the posters being more fun - I hate the room where you just stand and wait. But it will never be as bad as waiting for It's Tough to be a Bug. That is the most miserable waiting space ever!!

Oh my gosh, I can't believe it took an hour to get your bags!! That's so frustrating, especially since you were trying to get ready for dinner. I was so afraid of something like that happening, which is why we took the uber with the bags that morning instead of letting Disney transfer them. I would have been so upset if I still had to wait just to get them from bell services!!

Our CL desk staff weren't awesome at all, unfortunately. I really do not understand why they continued to leave the shower like that, and letting it destroy the door. It makes no sense!

It was so weird - one of the few times that a drunk guy leaning on some Disney Jr merch was less of a disruption than a random guy with a camera. It's not a Disney trip without something super crazy like that happening, LOL!

I was really self conscious about the tablecloth, too! I didn't want to be the person responsible for destroying it!

The colors are my favorite part. I love the carved ones the best, but I can never pick one to buy! I always say "next time", so we'll see if I follow through on the next trip, haha! How does anyone pick?? I am in awe of the talent.

Ha! I can imagine that being the case at the little airport I was at, too! Our plane was made to seat 75 I think they said, and starting security so late, I bet it would be a huge ordeal if they added another flight and didn't move up the security time! That could cause such a mess!! We've been looking at flights for December (still haven't booked, I'm freaking out!! I've never waited this late to book before) and they are insanely expensive from the tiny airport...for October they were the cheapest. I was kind of sad not to have this option for the next trip since it was so easy to manage. And the free parking is so appealing!

 

[xlsm]

​

Is anyone ever happy for the weekend to be over?? How is it they fly by so much more quickly than the rest of the week??
I'm not so sad about today being Monday though, because it's the last Monday before Thanksgiving break - we have allllll next week off of school!!

​

Let's keep Cam and Gloria's excitement level going and start...

Chapter Three: I only dine with royalty

We had a tremendously first full day in the parks, but we were still up early - a couple of weeks before leaving, I managed to find a pre-park opening reservation for Akershus! I hadn't ate at Akershus since before it was a character meal. I was planning to have breakfast there in May before my mother-in-law backed out of that trip, so I was glad to have another excuse to try and meet the princesses on this trip with my mom!

After we got back from Epcot the evening before, I washed my hair and put it in braided pig tails. I had no idea if I was going to wake up with nice waves easily controlled by styling oil on the ends, or a fuzzy disaster that would once again be put up into a messy bun. By some miracle the weather was nice and not too humid, so I was able to leave it down!

Once I got ready, I took a screenshot of our FP plans and made it my lock screen, so I wouldn't have to keep opening the app. On the schedule?



(the first one is for Character Spot, in case you can't see it)

We decided to walk over to the TTC and take the direct monorail. We had a car all to ourselves.



The monorails were pretty crowded every other time we rode, so we should have appreciated this quiet moment more!



My mom would probably be horrified at some of the pictures I'm sharing, but I'm trying to be selective. After going through chemo, she lost a few teeth and has to wait awhile longer before her gums are in good enough shape to fix anything. She is very self conscious about it. So she either doesn't smile and looks like she's posing for a mug shot, or she makes a weird face!

It had been a very long time since I'd taken the monorail to Epcot, so naturally, I took a bunch of Spaceship Earth pictures!! If you hate Spaceship Earth, you probably want to scroll past the next several photos!







Our reservation was for 8:35. I think we got to the park around 7:30ish?? My mom went through the bag check line and I went through the bagless line...and she somehow got in before me. This wouldn't be the only time that happened either!! Kind of like the AP line I guess, ha!

We got in the line for breakfast reservations. If you've ever been in that line at any park, you know there are always going to be grumblers, complainers, and freak out-ers. As time ticked by, the grumblers grumbled. The complainers repeatedly went up to any CM they could find to complain about waiting, and the freak out-ers were freaking out full scale about being late to their reservations. There was a super fun CM working who promised everyone that once Disney had your credit card number, you didn't need to worry about being late - they want your money

They finally started letting people in right at 8:00am.

One more Spaceship Earth picture before I move on to other things...



Other things being a cake with Remy on it



There were only a few other people headed toward Norway with us.



We checked in and were taken in to meet Belle very quickly. There were only two other families in front of us.



I was so excited to meet Belle in her ballgown!! She was very sweet - she commented on my ears. She said, "Oh, I see you have a storybook on your head!" which struck me as unreasonably funny, but I managed not to laugh at her.

I found it very hard to take pictures inside the restaurant b/c of all the glare from the windows and lights.



Our server was great, one of the best we had on the entire trip. She took our drink order (coffee and water for me, coffee and orange juice for my mom), and directed us toward the cold buffet. I have no pictures, but it was pastries, fruits, yogurt, a variety of cheeses and smoked meats. I had some fruit and a pastry I think...how I managed to skip photos I have no idea! Once again we are reminded during a trip report why I don't do a separate dining report!

Soon she brought our hot food: bacon, eggs, and hashbrown casserole.



I wasn't very hungry this morning (which was sad - this was the most expensive meal of the trip), so I only had a spoonful of the scrambled eggs and some of the hashbrown casserole. The casserole was by far the best part!

I was finished eating before the princesses began coming around. First up was my favorite, Snow White! I was really looking forward to meeting her - as if you couldn't tell by my ears! I was also wearing my Snow White character jersey. I love me some Snow White She paid a lot of attention to my ears and in her sweet little voice said, "Oh, I see you have my stepmother on your ears", and then I turned so she could see the dwarfs on the back. She made a comment about how only her prince was missing.

Ariel came next and she was so much fun. There was a break while they did a little princess parade with the kids. It was pretty cute!!

Cinderella visited with us after the parade. She greeted me with "Hello, Princess", then turned to my mom and said, "Oh, and you must be the queen." After she left, we had to wait quite awhile. Aurora didn't come until almost ten minutes after I paid the check, but she was beautiful and very kind, and I was happy we waited for her and didn't leave. She did comment that she was sorry she was running late, she was feeling a little sleepy for some reason - ha!



I don't usually meet face characters, but this was a good experience!

If you have a princess fan, I would definitely recommend an Akershus breakfast. The food is nothing special, and it's kind of expensive for what you get, but you are paying for the character interaction and it is well worth it!

We were in the restaurant for just under an hour, and when we got outside it was right at 9:00. They must have began letting people in early, because there was already a line for Frozen Ever After:



It looks really long, but they didn't have anyone inside the building yet.

I saw one of the hidden Remys as we walked closer to the ride entrance. Then immediately forgot to search for them through any of the other pavilions. Oops!

Once we got closer, I saw they had listed the wait time at 30 minutes. Since that's pretty much my max wait time for anything, I was ok with it and figured the line would move faster.



We killed time by taking pictures!





I was actually happy to be waiting in the standby line so I could see more of the details. My previous rides have all been Fast Passes. There is a lot to see. My 3 year old niece makes my mom watch Frozen all the time, so she was able to appreciate it!





I loved seeing Oaken!





I was right about the wait time, and it was well under 30 minutes when we were loaded onto our boat. As always, I took a blurry picture of the sisters:



This was my third time riding, I think. The first was last December and Elsa was not working during the Let it Go scene. It made for a pretty lackluster cruise through the fjords of Arendelle. In May, she was working but I just thought the ride was "eh". THIS time around, I thought it was really fun! I don't know if it was b/c my mom was excited or what, but it was just a better overall experience and we had a good time.



On our arrival night, my mom realized she had forgotten her new prescription for her cancer meds. She had just had it refilled and left it on the table by the door at her house. Thanks to DisBoards, I knew about Turner Drug, and was able to get the number for her. She called them and they took care of everything, and were able to get her a 7 day prescription and would deliver it to the resort later.

After taking care of that we did a little shopping and I finally got my bottle of Laila. We also visited with an old friend:





Once we finished shopping, we started heading back up toward Future World. We had fast passes to get to!!

That's all for now! I hope everyone has a great Monday and an awesome week!!

 

[missangelalexis]

Love your pics from the monorail!

Omg I love that potato casserole at Akershus, so yummy! All the character pics came out so cute

I really want to ride Frozen via standby one day so I can see the queue!

Your mom looks so happy in the pics, it looks like it was a fun morning so far!!

 

[Raeven]

"Oh, I see you have a storybook on your head!" which struck me as unreasonably funny, but I managed not to laugh at her.

One time I was wearing a floral headband and Mulan said I had cherry blossoms on my head like in her father's garden I was just like uh sure!

I saw one of the hidden Remys as we walked closer to the ride entrance.

I saw only one too! I wonder if we saw the same one.

 

[kittylady1972]

What a fun report. Love that you both did the character breakfast. I'm not sure I could meet face characters on my own, but I'm happy to meet the ones in full costume.

Looks like you both are having a great time so far!

 

[Pluto0809]

I took a bunch of Spaceship Earth pictures!!

I think it's almost a given that you must take pictures of SE when riding the monorail.

There were only a few other people headed toward Norway with us.

That surprises me with as hard as that reservation is to get.

I don't usually meet face characters, but this was a good experience!

I'm glad you had a good experience with the characters there. I had a rough time when we did dinner because it was so loud I couldn't hear what the princesses were saying to me. I just kept nodding along hoping that I wasn't agreeing to anything too weird.

I saw one of the hidden Remys as we walked closer to the ride entrance.

I hope they do the scavenger hunt again next year! I want to do it when we are there in October.

I was actually happy to be waiting in the standby line so I could see more of the details.

I really enjoyed those pictures! That's the first time I've seen standby pictures from that ride.

 

[MeghanEmily]

I get overly agitated when someone tries to say it's either better than or the same as Toy Story Midway Mania. NOOOO! They're totally different and Buzz should not be discounted. I have no idea why I think it's so fun, but I would be so sad to ever miss it!

Agreed! Such different experiences! The only thing that's the same is that you're aiming at a target.

If you hate Spaceship Earth, you probably want to scroll past the next several photos!

Blasphemy!!

We got in the line for breakfast reservations. If you've ever been in that line at any park, you know there are always going to be grumblers, complainers, and freak out-ers. As time ticked by, the grumblers grumbled. The complainers repeatedly went up to any CM they could find to complain about waiting, and the freak out-ers were freaking out full scale about being late to their reservations. There was a super fun CM working who promised everyone that once Disney had your credit card number, you didn't need to worry about being late - they want your money

Baha this is so accurate. And I hadn't thought of this before, but of course Disney wants your money!

We checked in and were taken in to meet Belle very quickly. There were only two other families in front of us.

Three lovely ladies!

She said, "Oh, I see you have a storybook on your head!" which struck me as unreasonably funny, but I managed not to laugh at her.

That's a good line!

She greeted me with "Hello, Princess", then turned to my mom and said, "Oh, and you must be the queen."

So sweet! And of course, correct.

She did comment that she was sorry she was running late, she was feeling a little sleepy for some reason - ha!

I was actually happy to be waiting in the standby line so I could see more of the details. My previous rides have all been Fast Passes. There is a lot to see. My 3 year old niece makes my mom watch Frozen all the time, so she was able to appreciate it!

I've yet to see the standby line for this reason! Cool!

 

[Sailormoon2]

Nice Princess shots

 

[ariane37]

Your mom does look like she's enjoying herself so far!
Steve and I rode FEA for the 2nd time last week. I suppose I liked it better than the first time.............I just think there's too much empty space in many areas, mainly on the left side. I think they could have done more My boys haven't ridden it yet but I'm thinking of getting a FP for it for our March trip. Not that they'll love it and one kid in particular will probably say he hates it lol, but hey, it's something that will be new to them and that's what I look for each trip

After taking care of that we did a little shopping and I finally got my bottle of Laila

I Laila It's my absolute favorite perfume and I pick up a bottle every trip. I got in Puffin's Roost and inhale deeply; I could stand in there and smell forever!! I get tons of compliments on it, too. When someone asks me what I'm wearing? "Oh it's Laila, the essence of Norway"

 

[xlsm]

Love your pics from the monorail!

Omg I love that potato casserole at Akershus, so yummy! All the character pics came out so cute

I really want to ride Frozen via standby one day so I can see the queue!

Your mom looks so happy in the pics, it looks like it was a fun morning so far!!

I thought they came out pretty good considering I was on a moving vehicle and looking through a window, LOL!! I will not let that stop me from taking 9 million pictures!
The potato casserole was the BEST and your last visit from your TR drove me to get this ADR so I could have it for myself!!
The line is really cute! After going through it standby, I'm not so scared of the posted wait times anymore - I'd be willing to risk a 30 minute wait in the future. Without FP lines in the morning it keeps moving pretty much constantly.
It was a really good start to the day - probably our best morning of the whole trip.

One time I was wearing a floral headband and Mulan said I had cherry blossoms on my head like in her father's garden I was just like uh sure!


I saw only one too! I wonder if we saw the same one.

Haha, I wonder if they sit around trying to come up with things to say about all the different hats, ears, and headbands people wear??

This is the Remy I saw, I thought I included the picture in the post but obviously not:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/143888229@N08/

What a fun report. Love that you both did the character breakfast. I'm not sure I could meet face characters on my own, but I'm happy to meet the ones in full costume.

Looks like you both are having a great time so far!

Sometimes meeting face characters alone is awkward. I am lucky to usually have a buffer with one of the kids. I tend to avoid face characters otherwise, so I was glad to have my mom there as an excuse to meet the princesses, LOL!!

I think it's almost a given that you must take pictures of SE when riding the monorail.

That surprises me with as hard as that reservation is to get.

I'm glad you had a good experience with the characters there. I had a rough time when we did dinner because it was so loud I couldn't hear what the princesses were saying to me. I just kept nodding along hoping that I wasn't agreeing to anything too weird.

I hope they do the scavenger hunt again next year! I want to do it when we are there in October.

I really enjoyed those pictures! That's the first time I've seen standby pictures from that ride.

I often laugh at myself when I'm there b/c I take so many pictures of the same things over and over...because I just can't get enough!!

Akershus is a reservation that I have had luck getting as trip times gets closer - until this time, I've always ended up cancelling. I think it might be one of those that people book a bunch at various times and then try to fit the best one. I was VERY surprised to see so few people on the way over there with us in the morning though. Especially since our scheduled time wasn't until 8:35 and we were seated third. It took a long time for the restaurant to begin filling up, probably a full half hour before the tables were full. It made me really curious about how they stagger the reservation times/amounts for that particular restaurant. The last time we had a ppo breakfast at Epcot was last December. We stayed at Boardwalk and came in through the International Gateway - there were several families there heading to Akershus and we were one of the few on the way to Garden Grill. This time it seemed like everyone was heading to GG. I also think Trattoria Al Forno might have lessened the urgency for Akershus?? I have no idea if that's the case really, but it's just a guess.

thank you! I wish the pictures had come out a little better, but there was a lot to see. So many little details!

Baha this is so accurate. And I hadn't thought of this before, but of course Disney wants your money!

Three lovely ladies!

That's a good line!

So sweet! And of course, correct.



I've yet to see the standby line for this reason! Cool!

He was really funny and just kept assuring everyone who complained that Disney wants their money and not to worry
I was really impressed with all of the princesses - I have read some reports where the interaction with them was rushed or that they were kind of bland, but we had a really good experience with all of them. Even Cinderella, who gets the bad rap most often!

The standby line is adorable and worth it if you can find a wait time around 30 min or so!

Nice Princess shots

Thank you!

 

[xlsm]

Your mom does look like she's enjoying herself so far!
Steve and I rode FEA for the 2nd time last week. I suppose I liked it better than the first time.............I just think there's too much empty space in many areas, mainly on the left side. I think they could have done more My boys haven't ridden it yet but I'm thinking of getting a FP for it for our March trip. Not that they'll love it and one kid in particular will probably say he hates it lol, but hey, it's something that will be new to them and that's what I look for each trip


I Laila It's my absolute favorite perfume and I pick up a bottle every trip. I got in Puffin's Roost and inhale deeply; I could stand in there and smell forever!! I get tons of compliments on it, too. When someone asks me what I'm wearing? "Oh it's Laila, the essence of Norway"

This was probably our best morning of the entire trip!

My first ride on FEA I was so unimpressed. In May I found a day of FP and decided to go for it again - it's a lot better when Elsa actually works, lol! I still wasn't super impressed, but at least everything was mostly working. This time, everyone on the boat with us was very enthusiastic - the people in front of us on the ride were singing and the little kid was excited. Plus, my mom was really into it. It made it a whole new experience! It'll probably be crap the next time I ride

I always talk myself out of Laila every trip, so it was a long time coming. People comment on it alllll the time, and I love smelling like Norway

 

[mcjaco]

Ha ha! I know the guy in front of you on Frozen!

 

[Raeven]

This is the Remy I saw, I thought I included the picture in the post but obviously not:

Okay it's not the same one , I saw one on a food booth I think closer to Mexico.

 

[thumper*]

It appears that your mom is having a good time. Yay. Sounds like Epcot is a win so far.

 

[coloredimage]

we have allllll next week off of school!!

I'm so jealous! The kids have half days Monday-Tuesday (so, at least they're not teaching days - it's Turkey Trot on Monday and self-directed project-based learning) while we have parent-teacher conferences. I'm already run down and exhausted and it's only Wednesday!

a variety of cheeses and smoked meats

mmmmm....I hear my childhood calling me! last time I went there, Jen and I basically devoured all the brunost (we call it peanut butter cheese, because it's the same peanut butter color) and salmon lol.

This is the happiest picture I've seen of people on Frozen! We're going to rope drop it next summer I think, because no one really wants to use a FP on it (which I get) - I'm kind of excited to fill up an entire boat specifically for this picture!

 

[Lesley Wake]

She said, "Oh, I see you have a storybook on your head!" which struck me as unreasonably funny, but I managed not to laugh at her.

That is pretty funny!

She did comment that she was sorry she was running late, she was feeling a little sleepy for some reason - ha!

Hilarious!

This is the Remy I saw, I thought I included the picture in the post but obviously not:

Okay it's not the same one , I saw one on a food booth I think closer to Mexico.

Haha-I will be posting all the photos (minus 1 or 2) when I finally get around to that day! They were all pretty cute!

 

[Tracy161]

I think my favorite thing about Disney World and Disney culture is, you're never too old for anything! Bring on gigantic bows and Minnie Ears and character clothing!!

YES!!!

My mom went through the bag check line and I went through the bagless line...and she somehow got in before me. This wouldn't be the only time that happened either!! Kind of like the AP line I guess, ha!

Yep, kind of like the AP line

She said, "Oh, I see you have a storybook on your head!" which struck me as unreasonably funny, but I managed not to laugh at her.

That's amazing.

If you have a princess fan, I would definitely recommend an Akershus breakfast.

I haven't been, and honestly I haven't seen Akershus make a ton of appearances in TRs, so I was very excited to read about your experience.

After taking care of that we did a little shopping and I finally got my bottle of Laila.

Ahhh, Laila! Is there a better perfume scent?!