we actually ate at Columbia Harbor and Pinnocios counter service at MK for the first time!! EAt upstairs at CH - no lines, lots of quiet areas!! Delish food (if you like fried fish, or chicken nuggets, they have a salad - but we really liked the "apple pie" only it looked more like apple dumplings to us!! Pinichios is over by Small World, that place was crowded, but again, we were in the right place at the right time- we had the best salads there!! and Chocolate cheesecake!)
sorry, cant help you about the lack of towel animals, we stayed at Pop, and not only was there one in the window when we got there, but somehow that mousekeeper knew we were going to Disney animation and sketch Eeyore, because she left us an eeyore!!