She says She says same trip 2 reports

[MikeAidanEoinMom]

Hi just back from my 20th anniversary trip. I wrote a TR as did my tag along friend M. She just lurks here and her TR is MUCH better then mine LMAO So I will post them both in one report.

B's report anniversary Woman
WE got up at 5:30 AM to leave for the Airport at 6:30am . This is the first time parking our car and leaving it there so we wanted to make sure we had enough time. I was pleasantly surprised with our experience with Winner Parking near the Philly Airport and would highly recommend them. Our friend stopped and got breakfast sandwiches at WAWA before we left for the airport. There was no line at security . So we went through and found our terminal. Sat and waited ate our breakfast. The flight was uneventful. Landed and check in at ME was very quick.....the lines for the busses was another story. IT took about 1 hour 25 min from landing to get to PORFQ. The longest I have ever waited but still beats free and not having to get your luggage. I want to start this part by saying I know a room request is a request and I am fully aware that I paid for a standard room. If getting a king room was THAT important to us we would have PAID for it. We decided to spend the extra money that we saved NOT paying for the king room on other fun things. Well while checking in I asked for a king room if possible and the CM SNAPPED at me " you did not PAY for a king room you will not get one" A simple no I'm sorry they are all taken would have been fine but she was downright nasty .
Our rooms were not ready but we would be in Building 3 (isn't that preferred ??? That we did not pay for ??? hahha)
After checking our carry on's we decided to go to the FC and get something to eat before heading to MGM. DH and I split a muffeletta <SP?> we liked it very much but would be better on nice crusty bread like we have at home. We were finally off to MGM. The plans were to grab FP for TOT then watch the parade since they are changing the parade in January. Dh and I first had to redeem our AP vouchers then we quickly got through security..got our FP then weaved our way through the crowd to get a spot closer to Star tours. We watched the parade which I enjoyed . It was kind of rainy so no Lightening McQueen or Mater. Then we were off to Star Tours and Muppets LOVED then both yet again. Then we were off to use our FP for TOT and to get new ones. The lines were really short everything was either walk on ...or a short wait but using FP for TOT saved us some time. Then we went to see Beauty and the Beast ....DH has never seen it before. LOVED 4 for a dollar. Then it was our FP time for TOT AGAIN ...OMG I was bounced all over on the second ride. Lots of fun. Then my friend and I took our picture in front of the sign saying Rock n Roll Rollercoaster was closed ...we pretended to cry !!LMAO. Then we walked over to try to see "Bob and Helen" (the incredibles) but they were not there so we went in "one Mans dream" LOVE that movie...and the stuff to look at before soooo cool and interesting. Then we were off to The Great Movie Ride had a very good set of CMs . After that it was time to get food and go into Fantasmic. Now the week before the trip I checked all times and I was expecting Back Lot to be open but it was not so we had to go to ABC Com to get dinner there was nothing else open. Lesson learned always double check your times guide. By the time we got to Fantasmic we were seated at the FAR end away from the entrance ....we were going to have to BOOK to meet my grocery Delivery from WeGO Shop. LOVE FANTASMIC!!! When it was done I never walked so fast and weaved though a crowd so much . HAHAH But we did make it for our delivery. Then I decorated my window and door had a few drinks and hit the sack.
Tomorrow AK in the morning and Cali Grill for Dinner during wishes.

M Incredible Friend

So, its time to write a trip report. We had the best of intentions when we went back in May for a girls only weekend. We took pictures of the food. We kept every receipt. We wrote down CM’s names that went the extra mile. And we never got around to a TP.

This time, I know that if I don’t start it now, it will never get done. Things that happened in the beginning of the trip are already starting to get fuzzy. So, with that spirit in mind, here goes:

We were at Disney from Wednesday September 19th and came home Monday September 24th. We had already made our ressies in hope of free dining. When the code came out for Visa people, we were re booked by 7:20am. And our ADR’s were booked by 7:10am on the first day we could make them. This might give you a slight hint that we are kind of obsessive about planning. I shouldn’t use the word obsessive as that has a negative connotation. We take time to plan because it ties us to Disney and our upcoming trip. Its fun to do. There were, are, and will be lots of items planned with expert precision and then thrown out at the last moment because of circumstance. And I’m ok with that.

To continue on, traveling from southern NJ is: the 20th Anniversary couple, M and B, Me, their incredible friend. We are joined later in the trip by N, our friend who lives outside Daytona.

The flight down was fine, no major issues. I was in front of the curtain and M and B behind, as I had Airtran points saved up to get an upgrade. I waved to them as they passed by to their seats. It was an uneventful flight, except for the older gentleman traveling on business who was jamming to some kind of rock songs on his headphones. He had some serious head banging action going on which was a little bit disturbing.

So, we manage to get ourselves to the ME area with no assistance, a first for me. Im always not quite there and think im loosing my way and I ask. But it was fine time. They had no one waiting in their check in line. Until you turned and saw the lines waiting for the buses. It was noonish on a Wednesday, what are all these people doing here? We waited about 15 minutes in that line, which wasn’t that bad, but I had never waited before, so it was different.

Jordan our ME driver was extremely happy and got us to the resort with a lot of good natured jokes. We stayed at POFQ but had to drop off to POR since our security gate area was all messed up.

At the POFQ check in, M and B had Miss Miserable check them in. I had a distinguished gentleman that just seemed to want me to go away, as soon as I could. Who knows why. Our rooms were not ready and we were given the info to call back after 3pm. Another first as we have always gotten in before then. But it was fine.

I had planned on changing but in the end, went to the parks in my plane clothes. But since I couldn’t do some rearranging of my baggage (I never check bags, just carry ons) I was discombobulated all day. Which was evident throughout the rest of Wednesday.

We stopped at the food court for something to eat. There was no one in there at all. I got the Chicken Parm with cheesecake for dessert and they shared a Muffaletta sandwich with a big cookie. There was too much pasta for me, so I handed it over to M. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Our bellies were full, so it was time to go. Oh, and I recommend that if you see Ethel in the food court, stop and have a conversation with her. She’s a wealth of info and was a huge help to us.

First park, first day was MGM for us. We spent the rest of the day there. First thing first, M and B had to pick up their APs at Guest Relations. Then we made the right hand turn to get FP’s for ToT. We also cried a little bit at the sign stating that RnR was down. Even took a picture later to that effect.

We walked back down around and wandered for a bit. People were lined up for the parade, and it was getting close, so we did as well. We found a nice spot with the statues of the heads, more specifically, close to Andy Griffith. I don’t know if that was on purpose or not, but M just seemed to be leaning on him the whole time. The parade as usual was great. They added Ratatouille since we were there in May. And they didn’t have the Cars guys. Maybe because it had rained that day was the theory. Confirm, deny? It was nice. I got a fantastic close up of Sweetums that will scare the bejeesus out of my brother, who is 34, and some good shots of Mary and Bert. I honestly tried to get picture of both Aladdin and Jasmine but for some reason, Jasmine was totally cut out. Go figure.

During the day, after 3pm, we tried to call for our room assignments. The first two times we were cut off, which was weird. The second time, I got through and secured both of ours. It was just strange that they took our information and then nothing.

After the parade, we went on Star Tours and saw Muppets. I don’t remember in what order. From there we went back to our FP’s for ToT, and got another one as well. Then we did the great movie ride, looked for the Incredibles (we didn’t find them, only some big rats) and sat for Walt’s One Man’s Dream. Somewhere in there we also saw the BatB show at 5. We used our other FP and then went on a search for food. I believe that we read that Backlot Express was open until 7 (it was like 630 at this time) but it was closed. And we had taken the long way to get there. So we wound around and found ourselves at the ABC Commissary. I got the burger, B got the…you know, I forgot what she got. It was a sandwich and she liked it. M got the fish. We got chocolate mousse and fruit for dessert. They had been given an extra mousse but it had an accident later and never made it.

I should explain, this food we were getting-- We planned on eating while waiting for Fantasmic. Which we did. But we had a long walk, while weaving in and out of ‘traffic’ on our way there. Which is when we had the accident with the mousse. Most people would have a totaled car if they had an accident with a mousse, luckily no one was harmed and an incident report was not needed. Got there about 710 for the 8pm show, we had to sit all the way over to the left, in the second to last section, but probably only 15 rows back.

So, back to eating while waiting for Fantasmic. I highly recommend this if it fits for you. It gave us something to do while we waited (which was funny to see us eating and trying to participate in the wave that was going around the stadium) Anyway, it was good, we finished all we could and we only had about 10 mins more until the show started. The show was awesome, as expected. Afterwards, we gathered our trash and skedaddled, since we had to meet Marge the grocery lady at 930.

Trying to get out of the place is crazy. We managed to walk all the way down instead of going up and then over. It worked better. Then, I don’t know how we made it to the bus stop so fast. We never ran, but walked really fast all around the crowd. If anyone had really stepped in our way, I knew that I was going to faceplant. M decided to be funny and run strangely as we got close to our bus stop and saw our bus was there. It was one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments, but it still makes me giggle. We got back to the resort by 905. Crazy.

We found out that M and B didn’t get their king bed room as they had wanted (not paid for, but requested) for their anniversary. Turns out I had received a corner room, which we thought was a king room that we would swap, but it was normal two double beds as well. So, we moved in, unpacked, and decorated our windows and doors. It was a good first day.

our windows and my door

More tomorrow!!

 

[MikeAidanEoinMom]

Let me start off today with a little rant. How come I can get up shower get dressed go down and talk to the desk people (about my special present for DH) get breakfast bring it back to the room. Eat....put on face ....do hair...brush teeth....get EVERYTHING ready to take for the day get out mousekeeping tip. Call Mom to see how kids are and still be done faster then DH??? HUH ??? I even laid out his cloths the night before :/ I REALLY wanted to see the whole opening ceremony at AK and we wanted to take a nap this afternoon since we had late Cali Grill ADRs so I wanted to hit AK at opening....Well DH made us late. Got to see part of the opening ceremony. I was not happy and it caused a tiff with us. He said it was not that important to him... I TOLD him he KNEW this was important to me....I had a few things on my must see list and this was one. I told him I would leave him at the resort next time and go myself.(LOL part of the joy of being married so long) He was not late again for something important to me. LMAO
OK now to my report. We made it in and headed to Everest got FP and rode it. We just missed getting Dream FP's the people right in front of us were the last to get them. Oh well the wait times were not bad at all EXCEPT Safari. My Friend went to go on Dinosaur and we headed over to safari (she has no interest in it) OMG the wait was not good 40 min ...Everest was not even that long. I am not waiting that long so we call M and she is just getting on Dino....so we head over and get on also. Then we do Primeval Whirl...Then everything gets mucked up we did do Tough to be a bug and rode Everest again. Got more FP ...Well one of our must do's was Finding Nemo we needed to sing "in a BIIIIGGGG BLLLUUUEEE WOORRRRLLLDDD" We did not see it in May during our girls only and decided then we would see it in sept. We were there During the preview in November. Well since it was Thursdays the show times were different then we had read online luckily we had checked the times guide. We had a reservation at RFC (love those free mypoints GC) for 2 pm and decided to try and eat early so we could make nemo.We saw devine and checked Safari again OMG 70 min wait grabbed FP for later. Then we went and Checked in for RFC they said no problem and we had a yummy appetizer lunch our eyes were bigger then our stomachs though we all had margs me and DH reg ones and M had a orange one. Joined the safari club (I did not realize there is one in Atlantic city and DH and I will be on a fund raiser Casino Trip for our wrestling team in Oct and we are going to Trump and that is where it is....wooohooo time to order more GC) Then we did Nemo and Everest again which order I forget my brain is in a fog. LOVED Nemo again I teared up.We had decided to hit Kali on our way out so if we were soaked it would be ok. We were very wet and DH was VERY soaked...hahah.We never did the safari it was safari or nap and nap won out <G>
We headed out and got our pictures in front of the tree and with baby Samba...up next Cali Grill and delayed wishes

 

[MikeAidanEoinMom]

*********************************************

*********************************************

From the Incredible Friend:



This should be a decent enough separator so you can tell the different between the two points of view. Right?



Anyway, let me kinda outline the rest of our time so you have an inkling of what’s coming up.



Wed: MGM

Thurs: AK and dinner at CG

Friday: Epcot, Ohana’s and MNSSHP

Sat: Epcot, Le Cellier, and Adventurer’s Club

Sun: KttK, WCC, and MK

Mon: MK and surprises, head to the airport.



So, if memory serves, we’re into Thursday and Animal Kingdom. I hopped out of bed, put some breakfast in my belly, got cleaned up and was on my way to the bus stop at the appointed time. And I waited. And waited. Note to you readers, when youre traveling with people and there is a mix of time expectations, (for example, some arrive places according to the clock. Some just think that’s a loose suggestion of what time to get there) Please discuss things in greater details then just ‘meet you at ____ time’. Lesson learned but it would still be hard for me as I watch bus after bus go by. The bus organizer lady wanted me to get on a bus and I had to keep reminding her I was waiting for people.



That reminds me. People are constantly freaking about the bus service for PO. I don’t think its an issue, have you ever been to CBR? I think that’s slightly worse. And people complain about the busses in the morning. Yes, if you arrive at the bus stop with less than 45 mins before park opening, especially an extra magic hour park, you wont get to the park for that 45 mins…and the bus will be crowded. But, there are CMs there who call for the buses. At the POFQ bus, she was there for a long time, making sure it went smooth (Like they do after park closings as well) And I really didn’t think it was too bad. If we were too full, we just went right to whatever park we were going to and didn’t do the rest of the POR stops. But that leads me to POR. Yeah, you guys get the short end of the stick with crowded buses. I would be mad if I was the last stop and couldn’t get on a full bus in the morning. But do you know what you have to do to solve this issue? Stop staying at stinking POR and book at POFQ. You’ll be glad you did!



Ok, where were we? AK, oh yeah. So, some back story. I saw the Nemo Musical for the first time during Jersey Week last year. Loved it. When me and the girls went this past May, we didn’t have time to do it. However, that did not stop me from singing, loudly and at random times “In the Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue Worlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllld”….and that was it. That’s the only line of the song I remembered. Do you know how frustrating it was for my traveling mates? Well, they told me it was pretty bad. But I kept singing it because it was STUCK in my head. Fast forward (no, not the Phil kind, the kind in your brain that works on remote control) to July. For my birthday, B gave me an ipod shuffle with all kinds of Disney songs on it, including the Nemo one. It was a specific message that I needed to learn more of the words before we went on this trip. And I did. NOW, when I sing the song, and I sing it often, I twirl around (think ‘the hills are alive with the sound of music’ twirling) When I sing: “….I BELONG HERE! In the Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue Worlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllld” Really, I do know all of the words and I love singing it and if you haven’t seen the Musical, I really urge you to do so. And since this was AK day, it was on our plan to see it as well!



So, naturally, we start out with getting FP’s for EE and then riding it. I love EE. I thought I would be scared to ride it last Nov, but I wasn’t, after I figured out how it was. I really enjoy the ride now and would love to go on it a million times in a row. True story.



From there we split: M and B head over to safari and I, who will never ever again go to find little red or big red or whatever chewing gum they are looking for, head over to Dinosaur. Another quick story, …quick, I promise. Last Nov, I had never been on Dino and was hyped up by B and her son that it was scary. Well, hello, it was. And I screamed a lot. But I rode it a few times and it was ok. So, in May, with the girls, we decided to do a ‘fake surprise’ for the picture. Which works if you remember where the big scary dino is. Which I didn’t. So, in the picture, you have two ladies who are laughing and ‘fake surprised’ and one who was truly startled. That was me. So, I wanted to conquer the dino again, tell him who was boss and all that.



Picture this: In the preshow for Dinosaur, its all cold and quiet and they’re telling you the story. Im right by the door, because I know where to stand. And then, very loudly, I hear Kenny Loggins “Your Mama Don’t Dance”. Its very distracting. Especially because its my cell phone and I frantically try and cover up the loud song. And before I can reach it to shut it off, if goes off again. I love Kenny and all, but I didn’t at that moment. So, its B to tell me that safari is 90 mins long or some such wild time and they got a FP for it and were coming back. I told them to come onto Dino since it was a walk on. Of course, I had to shout that since she couldn’t hear me. Luckily we were into the loading area and I had hung back. No one was inconvenienced by my talking on the phone and I have to say, perhaps they were happy with the little ditty my phone played earlier, as well. Who knows.



Dino was fun. There was not a lot of people on it and I had the whole row to myself. I must say, I made a very cool ‘surprised face’ that was saved for all prosperity. If I do say so myself. So then, I waited for M and B to get through the ride and we headed to Whirl. We waited about 10 mins, but it was fun. Screaming is always a good thing. Then it was back to EE to ride and I think we got more FP’s. We saw Flick, which is always a fun and interesting time (especially when the critters leave and this man JUMPED out of his seat and he would not sit back down. I think he had a well placed bug somewhere…think about it…ok, now you should be on the same page. It was pretty funny I have to say. He went from being really surprised to startled to really angry. I just laughed.)



From here we went to our lunch at Rainforest. We were early but still got seated. We ate a bunch of apps (our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, of course) and had some yummy drinks. I will caution that the nachos have green peppers on it. Im not a cooked pepper fan, so I stayed away from them. I had the orange marg, the Gorillarita or something like that. It was soooooooo yummy. Two thumbs up!



We laughed as we were leaving because the rainforest effect made it seem like it was raining. However, the rain had the last laugh as once we made it outside, it was indeed, really raining. But that was ok. It wasn’t raining too hard, no ponchos needed yet (well, for us, at least) We slide our way over to EE to use a FP we had, but it wasn’t running because of the drizzle. So we went to queue for Nemo. I think we were 45 mins prior to the show, but that’s what we had planned anyway, EE was just going to be a quick stop.



So, we wait in line, we get good seats down front and to the left of the stage. FanTAStic show. Really, you must see it if you haven’t before. I always tear up at some point. And I sang BBW, of COURSE! I wont give away the ending, but its safe to say, someone finds Nemo. Great performance, great production.



From there, EE was back open, so we hit that and then went on Kali. Why do people who go on Kali get so surprised when they get off soaked? Don’t they see the people who are leaving the ride? It baffles the mind. So, we take the appropriate measures and put items in waterproof materials. The ride is wonderful. We get wet. So do the other people in the car, especially those who are in jeans. And cant believe what just happened to them. It cracks me up.



So, by this point, Im done with this park. As we slosh out past the Safari so they can use their FP, we find the line incredibly long both for Stand By and FP. So, they don’t go. We do, however, run into Devine. People are just walking by not realizing, even though there are tons of people stopped, what’s going on. Got some nice pictures.



At this point, its back on the bus for a quick shower and nap before we get all duded up for our dinner at Cali Grill.



Which is next…Stay tuned…

 

[MikeAidanEoinMom]

finally boy This is take me forever hahaha
We left AK and went back to the Room DH was very surprised at his gift from Disney florist. We napped and stuff <G> got showered and dressed up took pictures and headed for the MK bus. WE decided to walk over to the contemporary ..we were going to take the monorail. We walked in a saw where we had to check in for Cali Grill .I do not know why I had not saw that there before,hahah. We then headed to the outer rim for drinks. M and I got Lemon drops OMG I am dreaming of one of those right now . DH got a long island iced tea. There were 2 people dressed up as pirates...regular people not CM . There was no Halloween party that night still ok.... but they were handing things out to kids and taking pictures with them...I thought it was a little odd...but whatever. Dh and I ordered another drink since we are lushes hahaha and M did not because she does not drink that much.......well out server brought her 1 anyway free because they were just going to dump it........ She poured half in my glass and drank the other half.....HAHAHA so it was time to check in for Cali Grill....We were brought up in the elevator and got our buzzer thing. Dh got a beer at the bar and M and I just looked around .....I could not believe how BAD some people were dressed. We chose to dress up but some people were dressed in T-shirts and jeans.I know Disney relaxed their dress code but come on...would it kill you to dress a little better for a nice dinner??? OK it took a while to get seated but that was fine by us we wanted to be there for wishes. So we finally get seated . I ordered the flat bread with the pesto...Filet and cheese plate...YUM M ordered the ravioli ...Filet and chocolate coffee cake thingy with Vanilla ice cream instead and DH the Lobster thing pork and the Chocolate cake with coffee ice cream everything got thumbs up Javier was great. Javier said they would hold our entrees until after wishes....perfect Since we did not have window seat we went outside it was lightening and misty. Well We wondered if they would go off at all ...We were informed they were going to be a half hour late fine....We waited and went back out .....The view is beautiful and Wishes was GREAT but I DO think I like seeing it from Main Street better. I hope to get a wishes cruise for our July trip and see if we like them from there also. We also got to see the Water parade from up there that was nice. We came back in and Javier said our meals had come out during wishes so he sent them back and they would be a few minutes.... it as fine but I was getting VERY tired. We ate yum....had dessert and FINALLY got to settle our bill. OMG I felt like we were there all day long. Our Server was AWSOME and we left him an Extra tip. Down the magic elevator and we had to RUN for the DTD bus...then the bus to PORFQ.....The Magic Kingdom was empty and way past closing. I suggested getting a cab ....next time I will insist the bus ride back was not good ....It was freezing and took forever in a packed bus. Finally we were back in the room where we fell exhausted into bed. Tomorrow EP and our first Dream then dinner O'hanas and MNSSHP

 

[MikeAidanEoinMom]

*********************************************

*********************************************



California Grill

From the Incredible Friend



So, we leave AK and go back to POFQ for a nice rest.



After said rest, I meet up with M and B. We decide to take a few pictures around the resort since we are all in our finery, since B and I had decided to wear dresses. Yes, we know we didn’t have to, but we did. Because it’s fun. And FQ is so pretty. We got a few nice shots.



So, onto the bus for MK we go. I don’t recall it being very busy but we did get some ‘strange’ looks from families that had kids running all over. Like ‘where are they going so dressed up, we’re just going to see fireworks at the park’. It was funny.



Off the bus and then we hike to the Contemporary. It was drizzling on and off, not as hard as it was at AK earlier in the day. Into the resort and up to the 5th? floor. We had plans to have a few cocktails at the Outer Rim before dinner. There were plenty of tables available so we snagged a nice one and sat down. It was really loud from the people lining up for Chef Mickeys and the Concourse (side note, ive eaten at the Concourse three times and have had exceptional food and service. I wasn’t able to go this time, and am sad that it will be closed soon. You should check if out if you can!) B and I ordered the lemon drop martini’s and M had a long island iced tea. All the drinks were really enjoyable and the service spot on.



Something that was disturbing happened, though. We were sitting there and became aware of two people attracting some attention. There was a man and woman dressed up in pirate gear interacting with the children and giving them presents. Let me clearly state that they were not Disney employees and although they were dressed in costume, it wasn’t a very well put together costume. Clearly, they were homemade. Now, please note, this was not a MNSSHP night. That was the next night. And ok, I get it, if you guys want to dress up as pirates, have a great time doing it. Heck, I wore my tiara the whole trip. It’s all good. What was a little crazy is that people were taking pictures of them as if they worked for Disney. And they were interacting with the kids as if they worked for Disney. It was just, like I said, a little disturbing.



Ok, it was time to leave Outer Rim and make our way down to the check in, after a potty and window shopping break, of course. We went down and checked in and then were lead upstairs via the magic elevator. So, we were slightly early for our 745 ressie. And we knew it would be crowded, that’s just how this place is supposed to be (none of us had ever been before). Coming off the elevator, it was packed. There was no place to really stand in the waiting area and the bar was two people thick. A lot of people were as dressed up as we were and yet there were some that were not so much; a nice mix.



I decided to do some investigating and went outside to the observation deck. Oh my goodness, it is so pretty from there. You can see everything. And with that thought in mind, let me state something for the record. Yeah, part of the appeal of this restaurant is the view while Wishes occurs, so they say. After experiencing it, I really don’t understand why people take up seats for hours upon hours and wait until its time. Unless you have a window seat, you really can’t see Wishes too well. There is a glare from the restaurant even with the lights dimmed and you have to keep looking over peoples heads. So, in short, unless you have a window table, you’re going outside to see them. Which is great, a fantastic view. Moral of the story: People, don’t linger at the table. Finish your meal, explore the restaurant or resort, and come back up for the fireworks, ok? Got that off my chest. Thanks.



So, after finally finding some room at the bar and enjoying the people watching, our buzzer went off. We were shown a nice table in the middle of the dining room and Javier was our waiter. He was super efficient and very patient as he explained everything on the menu to us as well as continuing on with his recommendations. I had the ravioli, beef, and lava cake with vanilla ice cream. B had the flatbread, beef, and cheese plate. M had the lobster, pork, and lava cake with coffee ice cream. The meal experience and timing was exactly how I expected from a restaurant of this caliber. This is not a fast food joint, people.



The meal was moving along nicely and Javier confirmed that we intended on seeing the fireworks and said he would hold on serving our entrees until after they were over. Remember, it was rainy on and off and there was a pre fireworks show of lightening this night. Javier said they would still go off, they don’t really get postponed or cancelled. So, it was 9pm and we were out on the observation deck. In the lightening and light rain. We were dedicated, people! And we weren’t alone. Then we were told that the fireworks would be started at 930 instead. Ok, everybody traipse back in.



So, I’m thinking, this delay is going to be a nightmare for service. You know that everyone said hold whatever course they were on until after the show. I was looking around and nothing was really being served. The kitchen manager must have been sweating it big time.



We didn’t have to wait that long for the fireworks to start. They gave us five minutes notice in the form of an announcement and they were shot off at about 920. It was drizzling on and off and there was wicked lightening in the distance. (But not wicked hard core lightening. Hey, I relatives from Boston, but I’m not.) It was later we found out that there were horrible tornados to the north of Orlando.



I admit it, I’m not the brightest bulb on the block sometimes. It took me awhile to figure out we were seeing the fireworks from the side and that the hub was to the left of the castle view that we had. After I did realize it, the fireworks made a lot more sense. D’oh. They were beautiful. And in the middle, we were able to see some of the Water Parade as well, to the left of us. It was really nice.



So, fireworks were over. Javier informed us that our meals came out during the fireworks and he sent them back. They were brought out shortly after to us. I know that some others might have thought they re cooked everything but I could tell from how everything was arranged, the texture of the sauces and potatoes, and the temperature of the plates themselves, that these meals just sat on the warmer for 10 minutes. They were not fresh from the line. Which is fine; Remember, I knew the kitchen was probably all messed up from the delay. I get it. It just sucked a little for the overall experience. My entrée was really tasty. It just wasn’t “Oh my God this is fantastic”, if that makes sense. Perhaps next time it will be better circumstances. On the bright side, everyone seemed to love their meals.



My appetizer as the goat cheese ravioli was tasty and just the right size. I tried some of B’s flatbread and that had great flavors as well. My entrée was ok, considering. The beef tender and tasty and the sauce not overpowering, which I was concerned about. The potatoes and veggies were cold. For the last course, I am especially grateful to Javier for subbing vanilla ice cream for the coffee. It was a very enjoyable dessert. He was a great waiter and seemed to work mainly on his own, not a lot of runners. He was right on top of switching out the tableware, refilling beverages, and generally taking great care of us in a quality manner the restaurant reflected.



A funny story, we had a table next to us as we were getting ready to leave. They had a young girl with them, their daughter I am assuming, who was about 6 or 7. She had fallen asleep during the meal while the mother was holding her. Javier pushed two chairs together, brought out about 4 table cloths, and made her a bed so the girl could rest and the mother could enjoy the rest of her meal. He even made a nice pillow for her. It was very sweet.



After our meal, the restaurant was almost empty. There was probably only 6 tables left, from what I could see but plenty of people in the lounge. We made our way down to the bus stop and amazingly, our bus was there. We made M run to hold the bus, as princesses are not permitted to run in their dresses. Needless to say, the bus to DTD was packed and it was standing room only. The driver was fantastic as she shouted out all the stops and their numbers as she knew we were all transfers. Our stop was number one and we waited in line for the bus to come. It only took about 10 minutes but it was a little drizzly, yet again. When we finally arrived at the resort I think it was close to midnight and we were exhausted.



Tomorrow, Epcot, part 1, dinner at Ohana’s, and The Incredibles arrive at MNSSHP.



*********************************************

*********************************************