She's Collecting Castles and Staying at Copper Creek, a January-February 2021 Trip Report (Completed 5/7, Updated 5/17)
- Thread starter GrandCalifornian
- Start date
Wood Nymph
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2012
I was looking at the same morning sky as you were, except from the GF. I agree that it was a beautiful morning and we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at an outdoor table in front of Gasparillas.
I like your picture from a little later in the morning, especially the one of the stream that flows into Bay Lake near the geyser.
I hate the 11 am opening. We like to get up and out early, so we can't really go there for lunch anymore. At least they brought back park hopping so we can go to Epcot later in the day.
My sister and I got lost when we exited Spaceship Earth. We were trying to get to the World Showcase and ended up taking the long way around that brought us back to the Living Seas area.
This is one of our favorite places for lunch and usually eat here on our arrivals days when staying at the BC/YC.
We never made it to the Festival Building due to our disaster with the Epcot bus from GF. But now I know where they put all the artists.
We will have to plan a trip next year during the Festival. It is one of our favorites.
GrandCalifornian
Can't Wait To Go Back
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
It was surprising how the late start kept things calm, rather than feeling like we missed out on park time. It was kind of the opposite, we weren't missing out on early park time so we got to relax.
Thank you, it is a beautiful resort, and my favorite place.
Festival of the Arts is fun. There are food dishes and booths like for Food and Wine as well, although probably not quite as many. We didn't hit those as much as we would have liked this time, but there's always next year.
The late opening worked far better than we thought it would, but that's largely because nobody was worried about getting every possible second of park time in. I am the early riser, and I had plenty to do at the resort to keep me busy.
Thanks, we are always glad when people enjoy following along.
It is a compromise between waiting for the big item and getting it early to have it during the trip. They tend to do well getting it early, but there also tend to be more small things throughout the trip.
We used to write about DL days during some of our PTRs, or occasionally as part of a real life update while writing a TR, but DL was just different for us. It tended to be something we did after work for a few hours, rather than for full days. I use the past tense because we haven't had DL passes for a few years now. They got so expensive that we feel we get better value with one great 10 day trip a year to WDW than we would from APs at home. To keep us busy the rest of the year, we have been really happy with getting passes for the San Diego Zoo.
Nice! It was such a nice day. We never made it over to GF this trip, but we do enjoy visiting Gaspirilla's.
I tend to take a lot of pictures there, I guess I like it too. It was a nice treat to have the extra light at the resort, and it made editing the pictures easier too.I like your picture from a little later in the morning, especially the one of the stream that flows into Bay Lake near the geyser.
I totally understand that for early risers and a small group. We just have so much inertia with the big group of people that sleep in that it was easier to make "rope drop" when it was at 11 AM. Besides, I always found things to do in the morning at the resort.
Yes, there doesn't seem to be a direct route open right now. Our group complained about having to go backwards towards the new Guardians of The Galaxy ride to get over to Test Track, but that's the only option.
We always love it there, but haven't made it there recently. Next trip we hope to be able to do exactly that, at least for a portion of the trip... Stay tuned, we are working on booking...
It was cool for us to finally get to go inside the building. It was a perfect climate controlled place for Festival of the Arts activities.We never made it to the Festival Building due to our disaster with the Epcot bus from GF. But now I know where they put all the artists.
GrandCalifornian
Can't Wait To Go Back
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
After our fish and chips lunch, we continued our trip around World Showcase. The sun had come out and it was getting warm, so our first stop was the gift shop at International Gateway for some sunscreen. After paying the price for our lack of preparation, we continued towards France.
It was completely worth it so we didn't get baked. We wandered around to the new Ratatouille area and used the new restrooms back there. We can't wait to ride the new ride when it opens.
It is a big addition to the park, and is far enough back there that it is outside of the Skyliner line.
After our potty stop we headed back out of France. Allie wanted to go into the gift shop by Le Halles but there was a pretty big line so we skipped it and moved on.
The crowd was building, and it wasn’t the empty park you hope for but the art booths still weren’t bad. They each had a marked entrance and exit and we didn’t have to wait long to get into any booth.
The entrance and exits to the tents got a little annoying for me because if you saw something around the exit to the tent you'd have to go back over to the entrance and then perhaps wait in line to get a better look. There was only one tent though where I had to wait in line.
When we got to Japan we decided to go ahead and check out the store, even though we would be back later in the evening.
This is one of my favorite stores, there's always something fun and unique to find. I was a little sad to see that the pearls were all gone though.
We continued our way around, and got to Germany at 2:30 and Grandma and Grandpa stopped to get in line for a pretzel.
We continued on because I was on a mission to find a particular castle.
Last year we purchased two Greg McCullogh lithographs and when we had them signed we chatted with him quite a while. He showed us the third piece in that series that he was working on from a picture on his phone and we were on a mission to make one ours. Paul was stalking the stock on this print, watching inventory every day.
Each day they got new inventory at 1:00, but had been selling out of all sizes every day. I knew it was a little late, but wanted to see what was available since they had gotten a lot of the $50 paper prints that day. While we stood in line to get in the booth we got to chat with Greg, who said he thought they still had some left.
They did have a big stack of the lithographs but I decided we needed it bigger.
The lady ahead of us asked about it and they took one off the wall, so I thought that was it, but we asked Greg’s wife Nathalie if there were any more, and she said yes there were two.
Melissa decisively told her that we would take one, and it was done.
I probably should have discussed it more with Paul but he wouldn’t have been able to make up his mind.
It was great with me, I had wanted that one for a year, and getting a real framed one was awesome. It was our first real piece of already framed Disney art.
After Melissa bought it, we went over to Greg to have him sign it. We got to chat about how he had shown us the print on his phone last year and how we had been waiting for it.
He was happy for us that we were able to get back and pick one up. He also told us to watch for something for the 50th celebration too.
It is such a neat painting, and perfect for us. It is really neat to have.
It is beautiful. We haven't sat and found all of the hidden mickeys in it or the other hidden picutres but we did find the turkey leg.
I love the reflection, and how it is pretty from a distance before you see the little details.
After having the painting shipped home, which was super slick and less than $35, we continued on and soon saw that Mickey and Minnie were cruising around.
Jon and Brandy headed off in search of Margaritas, and we met back up with Grandma and Grandpa.
We had planned to check out the Mexico pavillion but the line to get in was pretty long so we decided to skip that and go in search of refreshment.
We were ready to sit for a bit, and spotted a bench next to a Joffrey’s stand just as we completed our lap of World Showcase.
Allie saw the giant donut at the booth and convinced Grandpa to get her one. I tried it and was impressed with how good it was. I would definitely consider that as a good breakfast option.
We are California donut people, it's just a thing, it's hard to find donuts like we have anywhere else. The Joffrey's donuts have never really appealed to us because the look insanely sweet. They didn't even let me get a bite though so I'll have to put one on MY try list for next time.
The donut was not as sweet as it looked, and was more like our raised glazed at home. Definitely worth a try, and it should be big enough to share if you choose your sharing partners more carefully.
After Allie finished her donut and I bought Marshall his first bubble refill we headed over to check out ...
Mouse Gear! We saw that it was still in the same temporary location as last year, and now they are testing mobile checkout where you can scan and pay for items in the MDE app. This sounded like a good idea to us, so we HAD to try it...
We waited in a pretty short line to get into the store and got our shopping on.
We got some T shirts for the kids, and Allie decided she really did need a Nuimo so she decided to get Daisy Duck and an outfit for her. We paid for our items then headed to the door. The line to get out took a bit, because the CM was checking each individual item against the screen in the app, which was less efficient than we expected but soon enough we were on our way.
it was pretty neat to use the self checkout feature, I'm not sure it's going to completely replace a regular checkout experience all the time but it's a nice option for some places.
Then we walked over to my favorite gift shop, the former "After Market" now the Test Track Simporium. As a car guy, this place is great. We checked out the corvette shirts and stuff, and saw some lightning McQueen Crocs that we thought might be an option for Marshall, but he was disappointed that they didn't light up. The boy knows what he likes.
I was surprised he wasn't into the Lightning McQueen crocs but we still had some time to find the Mickey ones.
The search was still on... About 4:30 we left to start towards dinner so that we wouldn't be late. On our way though we saw that they had the yellow Mickey Balloon popcorn buckets, so we got Allie on and helped her eat the popcorn.
She had been bugging me to buy a yellow balloon and there's really no point. We can't take it home and they're just dang annoying to me. The popcorn bucket I told her was the only balloon that I was buying her and I didn't want to hear anymore about buying a balloon all trip. It worked and we ended up using the bucket for refills a couple of times during the trip.
It is a cute bucket. On our way back towards World Showcase I stopped to get a reflection picture of the Imagination pavilion.
Then we joined the crowd and headed towards Japan.
We met up with Jon and Brandy in Germany, where they had finally found a bench and decided to settle for Beer instead of Margaritas.
We regrouped, caught up and then continued the trek to Japan.
On the way we stopped for Marshall to check out the model trains. He thought they were pretty neat this year.
We arrived at the Japan pavilion early at 5:43, so we went ahead and checked in for our 6:00 reservation.
Those of you who have followed our reports before know that we were headed to my favorite place for steak, Teppan Edo.
We didn't hear anything form them until 6:01, but then we got the text that our table was ready. We made our way to the elevator and upstairs. I was actually anxious whether it was going to be as good as usual after the closure and time off, but it wasn't suffering in popularity as we wound up with a room in the very far back, around the corner past the restrooms.
I didn't even know the restaurant went that far back. They had added plexiglass dividers to the tables but they are pretty neat and moveable. Because our group filled a table we didn't need the divider.
I love having a party of 8 at Teppan Edo, and we were all excited to be there. The excitement grew when we saw that we had Chef Shoji, who did a great job last trip.
For the food, 6 of us got the Fillet, while Brandy got the Wagyu and Melissa got the scallops and a Volcano roll to share. Nobody got the regular steak this time, all having learned the glory of the filet from past experience and my constant reminders.
Brandy and Jon also ordered calamari.
Of course we all enjoyed the show and the cooking of the veggies and noodles, and eating them as well. The kids were particularly into it this time.
For me, the steak was as good as ever. I just love how tender and flavorful it is, and then you dip it in Yum Yum sauce and Mmmm, it is amazing. My mouth is watering right now. No other steak topped it for me once again this trip.
My scallops also didn't disappoint. Buttery and yummy, I ordered scallops once more during the trip but these were the best. Teppan Edo hasn't lost a thing in food quality or experience since reopening, it was really nice to have such a great dinner.
Everybody agreed, it was a great experience. Brandy preferred the Wagyu here to that at Morimoto, and after trying them both I agreed. This is just a great restaurant, and it earns its spot on our must visit list every year.
I will side note here for a second though, our waiter was a very sweet guy named Oswaldo and he was not from Japan. Since they haven't restarted the international programs I'm sure they just hired who they could. If you're looking to be immersed as if you actually were in Japan Oswaldo might have missed the mark. He was a great waiter though.
Ahh yes, Oswaldo was learning, and it took a bit for him to get the kids chopsticks, but Shoji made sure to keep him on his toes. Overall I was just glad to be there.
We finished dinner and left about 7:30, then decided to work our way out of the park by going clockwise. The crowds had gotten a lot better, but we still didn't do much other than walk out. It did mean that we had walked all of Epcot. We saw the new monoliths at night and were impressed.
We got to the bus stop at 8:00, and a bus came at 8:09. There were two ECVs to load including Grandma's, but we left at 8:16 with the bus at its reduced capacity. It was comfortable though, with nobody crammed on top of us, or even next to us without a divider. We got back to WL at 8:26.
My favorite thing about the busses right now is that no one is standing in front of you, and or you don't have to stand in front of anyone. I don't think it's possible to keep it this way forever but I'm gonna enjoy it while it lasts.
We were all pretty tired. It was all day in the park even if we didn't start until 11.
After we got to the room I sat and relaxed for a bit, then made a trip down to the Mercantile and got coffee and donuts for the next morning. I also took some pics, and got mug refills and a Magic Cookie bar at Roaring Fork.
While I was gone Allie lost a tooth. I got back to the room just after 10:00 and we put the kids to bed and sat on the couch for a bit before going to bed ourselves at 10:45.
It was the end of a very busy day for us but a great one. Paul was just saying last night that it might be his favorite day of the the trip.
It is a tough one to beat, but we had some great days to come.
It was completely worth it so we didn't get baked. We wandered around to the new Ratatouille area and used the new restrooms back there. We can't wait to ride the new ride when it opens.
It is a big addition to the park, and is far enough back there that it is outside of the Skyliner line.
After our potty stop we headed back out of France. Allie wanted to go into the gift shop by Le Halles but there was a pretty big line so we skipped it and moved on.
The crowd was building, and it wasn’t the empty park you hope for but the art booths still weren’t bad. They each had a marked entrance and exit and we didn’t have to wait long to get into any booth.
The entrance and exits to the tents got a little annoying for me because if you saw something around the exit to the tent you'd have to go back over to the entrance and then perhaps wait in line to get a better look. There was only one tent though where I had to wait in line.
When we got to Japan we decided to go ahead and check out the store, even though we would be back later in the evening.
This is one of my favorite stores, there's always something fun and unique to find. I was a little sad to see that the pearls were all gone though.
We continued our way around, and got to Germany at 2:30 and Grandma and Grandpa stopped to get in line for a pretzel.
We continued on because I was on a mission to find a particular castle.
Last year we purchased two Greg McCullogh lithographs and when we had them signed we chatted with him quite a while. He showed us the third piece in that series that he was working on from a picture on his phone and we were on a mission to make one ours. Paul was stalking the stock on this print, watching inventory every day.
Each day they got new inventory at 1:00, but had been selling out of all sizes every day. I knew it was a little late, but wanted to see what was available since they had gotten a lot of the $50 paper prints that day. While we stood in line to get in the booth we got to chat with Greg, who said he thought they still had some left.
They did have a big stack of the lithographs but I decided we needed it bigger.
The lady ahead of us asked about it and they took one off the wall, so I thought that was it, but we asked Greg’s wife Nathalie if there were any more, and she said yes there were two.
Melissa decisively told her that we would take one, and it was done.
I probably should have discussed it more with Paul but he wouldn’t have been able to make up his mind.
It was great with me, I had wanted that one for a year, and getting a real framed one was awesome. It was our first real piece of already framed Disney art.
After Melissa bought it, we went over to Greg to have him sign it. We got to chat about how he had shown us the print on his phone last year and how we had been waiting for it.
He was happy for us that we were able to get back and pick one up. He also told us to watch for something for the 50th celebration too.
It is such a neat painting, and perfect for us. It is really neat to have.
It is beautiful. We haven't sat and found all of the hidden mickeys in it or the other hidden picutres but we did find the turkey leg.
I love the reflection, and how it is pretty from a distance before you see the little details.
After having the painting shipped home, which was super slick and less than $35, we continued on and soon saw that Mickey and Minnie were cruising around.
Jon and Brandy headed off in search of Margaritas, and we met back up with Grandma and Grandpa.
We had planned to check out the Mexico pavillion but the line to get in was pretty long so we decided to skip that and go in search of refreshment.
We were ready to sit for a bit, and spotted a bench next to a Joffrey’s stand just as we completed our lap of World Showcase.
Allie saw the giant donut at the booth and convinced Grandpa to get her one. I tried it and was impressed with how good it was. I would definitely consider that as a good breakfast option.
We are California donut people, it's just a thing, it's hard to find donuts like we have anywhere else. The Joffrey's donuts have never really appealed to us because the look insanely sweet. They didn't even let me get a bite though so I'll have to put one on MY try list for next time.
The donut was not as sweet as it looked, and was more like our raised glazed at home. Definitely worth a try, and it should be big enough to share if you choose your sharing partners more carefully.
After Allie finished her donut and I bought Marshall his first bubble refill we headed over to check out ...
Mouse Gear! We saw that it was still in the same temporary location as last year, and now they are testing mobile checkout where you can scan and pay for items in the MDE app. This sounded like a good idea to us, so we HAD to try it...
We waited in a pretty short line to get into the store and got our shopping on.
We got some T shirts for the kids, and Allie decided she really did need a Nuimo so she decided to get Daisy Duck and an outfit for her. We paid for our items then headed to the door. The line to get out took a bit, because the CM was checking each individual item against the screen in the app, which was less efficient than we expected but soon enough we were on our way.
it was pretty neat to use the self checkout feature, I'm not sure it's going to completely replace a regular checkout experience all the time but it's a nice option for some places.
Then we walked over to my favorite gift shop, the former "After Market" now the Test Track Simporium. As a car guy, this place is great. We checked out the corvette shirts and stuff, and saw some lightning McQueen Crocs that we thought might be an option for Marshall, but he was disappointed that they didn't light up. The boy knows what he likes.
I was surprised he wasn't into the Lightning McQueen crocs but we still had some time to find the Mickey ones.
The search was still on... About 4:30 we left to start towards dinner so that we wouldn't be late. On our way though we saw that they had the yellow Mickey Balloon popcorn buckets, so we got Allie on and helped her eat the popcorn.
She had been bugging me to buy a yellow balloon and there's really no point. We can't take it home and they're just dang annoying to me. The popcorn bucket I told her was the only balloon that I was buying her and I didn't want to hear anymore about buying a balloon all trip. It worked and we ended up using the bucket for refills a couple of times during the trip.
It is a cute bucket. On our way back towards World Showcase I stopped to get a reflection picture of the Imagination pavilion.
Then we joined the crowd and headed towards Japan.
We met up with Jon and Brandy in Germany, where they had finally found a bench and decided to settle for Beer instead of Margaritas.
We regrouped, caught up and then continued the trek to Japan.
On the way we stopped for Marshall to check out the model trains. He thought they were pretty neat this year.
We arrived at the Japan pavilion early at 5:43, so we went ahead and checked in for our 6:00 reservation.
Those of you who have followed our reports before know that we were headed to my favorite place for steak, Teppan Edo.
We didn't hear anything form them until 6:01, but then we got the text that our table was ready. We made our way to the elevator and upstairs. I was actually anxious whether it was going to be as good as usual after the closure and time off, but it wasn't suffering in popularity as we wound up with a room in the very far back, around the corner past the restrooms.
I didn't even know the restaurant went that far back. They had added plexiglass dividers to the tables but they are pretty neat and moveable. Because our group filled a table we didn't need the divider.
I love having a party of 8 at Teppan Edo, and we were all excited to be there. The excitement grew when we saw that we had Chef Shoji, who did a great job last trip.
For the food, 6 of us got the Fillet, while Brandy got the Wagyu and Melissa got the scallops and a Volcano roll to share. Nobody got the regular steak this time, all having learned the glory of the filet from past experience and my constant reminders.
Brandy and Jon also ordered calamari.
Of course we all enjoyed the show and the cooking of the veggies and noodles, and eating them as well. The kids were particularly into it this time.
For me, the steak was as good as ever. I just love how tender and flavorful it is, and then you dip it in Yum Yum sauce and Mmmm, it is amazing. My mouth is watering right now. No other steak topped it for me once again this trip.
My scallops also didn't disappoint. Buttery and yummy, I ordered scallops once more during the trip but these were the best. Teppan Edo hasn't lost a thing in food quality or experience since reopening, it was really nice to have such a great dinner.
Everybody agreed, it was a great experience. Brandy preferred the Wagyu here to that at Morimoto, and after trying them both I agreed. This is just a great restaurant, and it earns its spot on our must visit list every year.
I will side note here for a second though, our waiter was a very sweet guy named Oswaldo and he was not from Japan. Since they haven't restarted the international programs I'm sure they just hired who they could. If you're looking to be immersed as if you actually were in Japan Oswaldo might have missed the mark. He was a great waiter though.
Ahh yes, Oswaldo was learning, and it took a bit for him to get the kids chopsticks, but Shoji made sure to keep him on his toes. Overall I was just glad to be there.
We finished dinner and left about 7:30, then decided to work our way out of the park by going clockwise. The crowds had gotten a lot better, but we still didn't do much other than walk out. It did mean that we had walked all of Epcot. We saw the new monoliths at night and were impressed.
We got to the bus stop at 8:00, and a bus came at 8:09. There were two ECVs to load including Grandma's, but we left at 8:16 with the bus at its reduced capacity. It was comfortable though, with nobody crammed on top of us, or even next to us without a divider. We got back to WL at 8:26.
My favorite thing about the busses right now is that no one is standing in front of you, and or you don't have to stand in front of anyone. I don't think it's possible to keep it this way forever but I'm gonna enjoy it while it lasts.
We were all pretty tired. It was all day in the park even if we didn't start until 11.
After we got to the room I sat and relaxed for a bit, then made a trip down to the Mercantile and got coffee and donuts for the next morning. I also took some pics, and got mug refills and a Magic Cookie bar at Roaring Fork.
While I was gone Allie lost a tooth. I got back to the room just after 10:00 and we put the kids to bed and sat on the couch for a bit before going to bed ourselves at 10:45.
It was the end of a very busy day for us but a great one. Paul was just saying last night that it might be his favorite day of the the trip.
It is a tough one to beat, but we had some great days to come.
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TeresaNJ
Magic Begins With Me
- Joined
- Sep 13, 1999
I'm really really enjoying your report! I'm not much of a trip reporter reader, mainly sticking to the Restaurant Board, and Dining Review Boards, but felt a pull to come on over here, and I'm so glad I did! In all the years, and many times we've been to WDW, we've never eaten at Teppan Edo, but I think your review convinced me! There are always so many table service restaurants to choose from, and I find we continually eat at our favorites. It's time to try something new! Your photos are beautiful, and I love your framed castle print that you purchased! So so pretty. Wilderness Lodge, and the Villas, are my all time favorite WDW resorts. Our home resort is AKL, which I also love, but Wilderness has a special place in my heart, and I am loving your pics! I'm also enjoying your dual review!
Wood Nymph
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2012
I can see why you bought that one. It is gorgeous.
I don't remember seeing any of the balloon buckets, but it is cute - and a good solution to the balloon problem.
They give you a good size portion of steak. I'm impressed.
I like that, too. Since the parks have reduced capacity and many people are driving for Covid reasons, the buses can function fairly well with reduced capacity. Sadly, they will once again have people in the aisles.
My sister and I decided to go to the Beach Club for more food, after our quick trip through half of the World Showcase that night. I had told her about the half chicken with mashed potatoes dinner and that sounded good to her. We also didn't trust the bus back to the GF and decided to get a taxi from the BC. Even though I looked for you I knew the chances were slim to none that we would run into you that night.
GrandCalifornian
Can't Wait To Go Back
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
That's so nice to hear. Neither of us spends much time reading trip reports, but that's one of the nice things about the Dis boards. With all the different sections, there's something for everybody. Melissa spends more time on the dining boards, and I love the resort boards.
Speaking of the dining boards, it drives me crazy when people there say Teppan Edo is just a high priced Benihana. I would gladly eat at Benihana if the food was that good. We just have had many great experiences at Teppan Edo, and when they accidentally gave me the Filet instead of the regular steak a few years ago, I was hooked. Brandy is a steak guy, and we have tried many new places over the years, and Teppan Edo stays near the very top just on the quality of the steak, let alone the whole fun experience.
We are happy that you are enjoying our pics of the beautiful Wilderness Lodge. We enjoy AKL too, and it was something we missed this trip. For years I have talked about doing a "Lodge" split stay, and someday we will.
We also are glad that you enjoy hearing from both of us. We just both have things to say, and like having the record of what we each thought of the different things on the trips.
Thank you! From when we first saw it on his phone we knew we wanted it, and it turned out great. Soon we'll show it on our Disney wall at home.I can see why you bought that one. It is gorgeous.
We had seen them online but they didn't have them at all the popcorn stands. They had them at one near the preview center of the new attractions at Epcot, so we got it. We have bought a few of the fancy popcorn buckets before, and always enjoy them, especially with the $2 refills.
The quantity is good, but the quality is great, but you know I love it.
Yes, the full buses are inevitable, but it is nice while it lasts. It was particularly nice at WL with the hotel side closed, we very rarely were on a full bus or were left at the bus stop when a bus filled. We saw lots of that for the other resorts, but our buses were pretty quiet.
We were looking for you too, but there were a lot of people there. It's nice you got to go visit BC with your sister. The resort to resort taxi option makes lots of sense, and if it weren't for the car seat for Marshall we would do it more often.
GrandCalifornian
Can't Wait To Go Back
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
We interrupt this TR to share that we have our reservations for next year!
The first part at least...
Yes, with the COVID imposed borrowing restrictions, combined with our March use year and the fact we like to travel in January, we figured out we had a bit of a challenge in planning for the 2022 trip. We didn't have access to enough points for the stay that we all decided we wanted to do.
Not being quitters, we looked at several options to get the points we needed.
During the trip we found a set of points available for transfer, and attempted to purchase them.
They were for Beach Club, and we began imagining a split stay for next year.
That had been the plan for this year as well, but we had our reservations in place before the borrowing restrictions came into play, and we chose not to mess with it. Next year though, we have to do something different, and Beach Club seemed to be just the thing.
Unfortunately, the point transfer deal never came through. The company we used was great about it, and gave us a full refund, but we now had our hearts set on Beach Club for specific dates.
We had a couple of options to do this, one of which was booking a room on Cash through DIsney, which was a few months salary so not a great option.
Another option was a traditional point rental. I went to our favorite DVC rental website where we usually just go for the virtual tours (David's), and put in a request.
Yesterday, the request was fulfilled and we have a Disney confirmation number.
So it is official that we are going back.
We will be at Beach Club January 20-24, 2022, and we hope to book the Copper Creek portion of our trip this upcoming week. We are all thrilled that it is coming together to get to have this much fun again, with a few new twists this time.
Stay tuned for that PTR once we finish this Trip report, as we are continually looking forward to getting back to WDW whenever we can.
Just 333 days to go, and this time we will be in WDW for my birthday! Now let's get back to reliving the awesome trip that we had this year.
The first part at least...
Yes, with the COVID imposed borrowing restrictions, combined with our March use year and the fact we like to travel in January, we figured out we had a bit of a challenge in planning for the 2022 trip. We didn't have access to enough points for the stay that we all decided we wanted to do.
Not being quitters, we looked at several options to get the points we needed.
During the trip we found a set of points available for transfer, and attempted to purchase them.
They were for Beach Club, and we began imagining a split stay for next year.
That had been the plan for this year as well, but we had our reservations in place before the borrowing restrictions came into play, and we chose not to mess with it. Next year though, we have to do something different, and Beach Club seemed to be just the thing.
Unfortunately, the point transfer deal never came through. The company we used was great about it, and gave us a full refund, but we now had our hearts set on Beach Club for specific dates.
We had a couple of options to do this, one of which was booking a room on Cash through DIsney, which was a few months salary so not a great option.
Another option was a traditional point rental. I went to our favorite DVC rental website where we usually just go for the virtual tours (David's), and put in a request.
Yesterday, the request was fulfilled and we have a Disney confirmation number.
So it is official that we are going back.
We will be at Beach Club January 20-24, 2022, and we hope to book the Copper Creek portion of our trip this upcoming week. We are all thrilled that it is coming together to get to have this much fun again, with a few new twists this time.
Stay tuned for that PTR once we finish this Trip report, as we are continually looking forward to getting back to WDW whenever we can.
Just 333 days to go, and this time we will be in WDW for my birthday! Now let's get back to reliving the awesome trip that we had this year.
eliseisawkward
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2019
Overall lovely day at EPCOT! I absolutely love your castle picture!! It’s beautiful.
Also love that popcorn bucket! It’s fun and different and I always love popcorn.
As always, you write a very convincing argument for Teppan Edo. I will have to check out their menu to see what veg options they have. I tend to find that Disney restaurants that are good in general also tend to have good veg options, with a few exceptions (cough Homecoming).
Aaaaaand I just saw you posted an update about a future trip! Glad you see you managed to find a way to make Beach Club work!! That’s on my list of places I would like to stay.
Also love that popcorn bucket! It’s fun and different and I always love popcorn.
As always, you write a very convincing argument for Teppan Edo. I will have to check out their menu to see what veg options they have. I tend to find that Disney restaurants that are good in general also tend to have good veg options, with a few exceptions (cough Homecoming).
Aaaaaand I just saw you posted an update about a future trip! Glad you see you managed to find a way to make Beach Club work!! That’s on my list of places I would like to stay.
QueenJen
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2012
Thanks for the reply. I was hoping to get some insight from another local that may go (when they reopen) before we would go. The Zoo is a fun trip too and much less crowded.
I like the sound of this as an option.
Kind of defeats the purpose (my opinion)
I agree, to me, this is a nice option like self check out at the grocery store. I would still want the option to utilize the regular check out option.
Wood Nymph
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2012
That is great news! I know that you have been hoping to work a stay at the BC into your plans.
DaisyDuck001
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 5, 2006
I'm curious where exactly in the castle print are the hidden turkey leg and the other hidden items. Are they entirely in the reflection? Do you have a diagram showing where they all are?
Did the Tooth Fairy visit Allie?
I agree with @QueenJen that having a CM check every mobile purchase item defeats the purpose of mobile checkout.
Well, I made it back to Teppan Edo recently, and it was great again! Unlike most other restaurants during the pandemic, their menu does not seem to have reduced its offerings at all. This makes for a better experience, compared with several other restaurants where I miss some of my favorite items that got dropped from the limited menus.
In addition to Teppan Edo's filet, I've also had great steak recently at Whispering Canyon and The Boathouse.
Did the Tooth Fairy visit Allie?
I agree with @QueenJen that having a CM check every mobile purchase item defeats the purpose of mobile checkout.
Well, I made it back to Teppan Edo recently, and it was great again! Unlike most other restaurants during the pandemic, their menu does not seem to have reduced its offerings at all. This makes for a better experience, compared with several other restaurants where I miss some of my favorite items that got dropped from the limited menus.
In addition to Teppan Edo's filet, I've also had great steak recently at Whispering Canyon and The Boathouse.
rdkeim
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
Great report as always! Your Epcot day did sound pretty perfect. Your group always seems to roll with it and make the most of whatever the day brings. Love the framed print - that will be a family heirloom. You've made me re-think our LeCellier reservation and possibly give Tepan Edo a try? Great you're making plans for 2022! The BC is such a great location I think you'll enjoy your stay.
LifeTheDisneyWay14
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2013
Your resort photographs are so beautiful, as is the reflection photo from Epcot!
GrandCalifornian
Can't Wait To Go Back
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
Thanks, it was a great day with a super souvenir.
It really is cute, and they even took the time to pack the popcorn into the ears the first time. After that it was just a ticket to a new paper container of popcorn, but it still was fun to carry.
I love the veggies at Teppan Edo too, although being fried up in a bunch of butter may be an issue for some.
We have been interested in that area since our honeymoon, and are excited to combine it with Copper Creek for a nice split stay.
Yeah, we haven't even been into the park for shopping yet, although we could see doing that sometime, maybe mid-week if the crowds aren't too insane.
Yeah, it seemed like a great idea but fell a little short on the execution. I don't know if it was because it is new or that particular CM at the door, but it could have been better. The regular checkout was an option as well, but did have a fairly long line too.
Yes, now we will finally get to stay on both sides of the world! Hopefully the weather is warm enough to at least try the pool.That is great news! I know that you have been hoping to work a stay at the BC into your plans.
We don't have locations, but we do have a list of items. Here's a few that we have found:
A Carousel Horse:
Mr Toad:
A Turkey Leg:
And the only thing we have found in the reflection is the Sword in the Stone:
Yes, appearantly there is some sort of sub-contracting arrangement between the Tooth Fairly and Tinker Bell. It worked out for Allie because she wound up with $9, which somehow turned into $8 so we aren't sure where the other dollar went. Chatting with the bus driver the next morning he agreed that teeth are worth more at Disney.
Yeah, it was not what we would have expected from Disney, but it is just a test right now. They will make it better.
I'm glad to hear it's not just us! We love Boathouse as well, and planned on WCC this trip but didn't make it. It is great to hear good reports though.
Thanks! It was a great Epcot day, and still is very early in the trip. We all have a bunch of fun there.
Trying to decide between LeCellier and Teppan Edo is a tough one. For the steak itself our choice is Teppan Edo Filet, but LeCellier has more of a steakhouse experience. There is a good chance that we will do both next trip, as we are debating between LeCellier and Yachtsman if it reopens by then, since we'll be in the neighborhood.
Thanks! We have more to come, as I got up early most of the days of the trip to see what I could capture.Your resort photographs are so beautiful, as is the reflection photo from Epcot!
GrandCalifornian
Can't Wait To Go Back
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
Thanks, we love it too, and the artist is a great guy. Our tooth fairy is usually pretty cheap, but I guess Tinkerbell knows how much things cost in Disney gift shops.Love that artwork you bought! And that teeth are worth more at Disney
GrandCalifornian
Can't Wait To Go Back
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
On Sunday, I woke up just after 5 AM but managed to stay in bed till 6. Then I went out to take some pictures. I went down to Geyser Point and got pictures before Roaring Fork opened at 7.
I caught the 7AM Geyser from the walkway:
I also got this picture of the creek by Geyser Point. I love this spot, and take a lot of pictures from there, but this one came together to be just the one I wanted. It was a little dark in the camera, but Melissa's editing brought it out to be just what I was looking for:
It's really a great shot. I was sleeping for all of this...
After grabbing my mug refill when Roaring Fork opened, I headed up to the room because this was one of our earliest days of the trip. We had planned to head towards Animal Kingdom at 8:00. When I got up to the room the kids were just getting up. Marshall was sleepy but excited, since he had plans to ride Expedition Everest. We replaced the batteries in his bubble wand, and eagle eye Jon found the missing screw.
Lol yes, Paul dropped it while changing the battery and ugh that rug is really hard to find a tiny silver screw on.
We got everybody up and out of the room and made it to the bus stop at 8:06. The sign showed a bus coming at 8:14, but it came at 8:12, loaded the ECV, and left at 8:17. The driver was particularly nice and talkative, telling us about the Disney tree farm, and the known fact that the tooth fairy pays more at Disney.
It was another very pleasant bus experience.
We made it to AK at 8:30. On the walk in Melissa played photographer for a family that wanted a group shot.
I know it's covid and pandemic and all but there was no photopass photographer and I offered. I thoroughly sanitized after touching the phone.
You are a nice person, and they appreciated it.
First stop after we made it in the park was the bathroom on the way to the Safaris. We really enjoy riding this first thing.
It is also nice not to follow the crowd towards Pandora. For the safari, we got to ride in the middle of the truck, which is way smoother then the back where we often wind up. We got to see lots of animals, and got some good pictures.
You can see the COVID adaptations of the ride vehicles, where they put clear barriers between the rows of seats.
The plastic made looking through the front of the truck to see animals not fantastic but in general you still get to see a lot of great critters.
This time we got a great view of the lions.
The male lion was just chillin on the rock lookin all cute.
After the ride we decided we wanted some food, so we grabbed breakfast sandwiches from the food cart and found a table to sit and eat at. It was a nice break, and the sandwiches were pretty good.
The sandwiches were just what we needed for sure. I was super impressed by them.
While eating we debated about when to do Rafiki's planet watch, and we decided to go ahead and do it next before moving on to Asia.
We got on the train at 10:33, and arrived in a few minutes.
On the train we were able to see the new baby rhino! He was so cute chillin backstage with mom.
We had heard about him on the Animal Kingdom Animals show on Disney +, which we all really enjoy.
It was nice that Grandma was able to stay on the scooter and bring it, so it guaranteed that she would have a place to sit.
The kids were really excited about petting the animals, Marshall especially. Get ready for a barrage of petting zoo pictures.
Yes, just like his sister at about that age, Marshall loves to pet anything that won't run away from him. Allie seemed to still enjoy it too.
After we convinced him to get out of the animal section, we took Marshall to see the exhibits inside where he chatted with the nutritionist.
He really had a great conversation about why they couldn't feed all of the animals the same food.
We collected everybody back up and got in line for the train at 11:35. We were off it by 11:50, which wasn't bad. Then we headed for Everest. On the way we saw they had a bunch of Crocs in a booth outside of Yak and Yeti, but none like Marshall's. He did like the Minnie ones since they lit up, but he decided to keep looking and we continued on.
I told him that I would buy him Minnie Crocs if he wanted but that I wasn't buying Minnie ones AND the black ones.
He, on the other hand, wanted all the Crocs. Marshall's stated goal for the trip was to ride Everest, and based on the information we saw online and our measurement of him it looked like he was tall enough. When it came time to measure him, he was indeed tall enough and cleared for the Expedition. This was crazy because Allie rode it for the first time only last year, but that shows the differences between them.
It felt a little crazy letting him ride because he's still little but I trust Disney and their height requirements and he was well over the minimum height. Most importantly he was excited to try it.
The app showed a 30 min wait, but the line was moving really fast, and basically it was just walking through the entire queue. Marshall did great, and was super brave despite being a little scared. Allie was secretly a little scared too.
He did fantastic on the ride though and really enjoyed it.
We were just studying Asia together in his Atlas for school and were talking about Mt. Everest and then he pipes up that he rode it and had been to the top. I told him no, it's a real mountain in Asia, and it's really really tall, the tallest. So he tells me yeah mom I rode it, we were in Asia and I rode it to the top.
That is funny, and so Marshall. After the ride we went through the gift shop, and he found a stuffed Yeti he wanted. Allie, in a moment of being a great big sister, said he should have it. That convinced Grandpa to buy her a stuffed Yeti as well for being such a great sister, and they both got new stuffed animals.
Marshall named his yeti Big Foot and Allie named hers Marshmallow.
Check back in the next update as we have a new to us upscale dining experience, and a whole bunch of other fun.
I caught the 7AM Geyser from the walkway:
I also got this picture of the creek by Geyser Point. I love this spot, and take a lot of pictures from there, but this one came together to be just the one I wanted. It was a little dark in the camera, but Melissa's editing brought it out to be just what I was looking for:
It's really a great shot. I was sleeping for all of this...
After grabbing my mug refill when Roaring Fork opened, I headed up to the room because this was one of our earliest days of the trip. We had planned to head towards Animal Kingdom at 8:00. When I got up to the room the kids were just getting up. Marshall was sleepy but excited, since he had plans to ride Expedition Everest. We replaced the batteries in his bubble wand, and eagle eye Jon found the missing screw.
Lol yes, Paul dropped it while changing the battery and ugh that rug is really hard to find a tiny silver screw on.
We got everybody up and out of the room and made it to the bus stop at 8:06. The sign showed a bus coming at 8:14, but it came at 8:12, loaded the ECV, and left at 8:17. The driver was particularly nice and talkative, telling us about the Disney tree farm, and the known fact that the tooth fairy pays more at Disney.
It was another very pleasant bus experience.
We made it to AK at 8:30. On the walk in Melissa played photographer for a family that wanted a group shot.
I know it's covid and pandemic and all but there was no photopass photographer and I offered. I thoroughly sanitized after touching the phone.
You are a nice person, and they appreciated it.
First stop after we made it in the park was the bathroom on the way to the Safaris. We really enjoy riding this first thing.
It is also nice not to follow the crowd towards Pandora. For the safari, we got to ride in the middle of the truck, which is way smoother then the back where we often wind up. We got to see lots of animals, and got some good pictures.
You can see the COVID adaptations of the ride vehicles, where they put clear barriers between the rows of seats.
The plastic made looking through the front of the truck to see animals not fantastic but in general you still get to see a lot of great critters.
This time we got a great view of the lions.
The male lion was just chillin on the rock lookin all cute.
After the ride we decided we wanted some food, so we grabbed breakfast sandwiches from the food cart and found a table to sit and eat at. It was a nice break, and the sandwiches were pretty good.
The sandwiches were just what we needed for sure. I was super impressed by them.
While eating we debated about when to do Rafiki's planet watch, and we decided to go ahead and do it next before moving on to Asia.
We got on the train at 10:33, and arrived in a few minutes.
On the train we were able to see the new baby rhino! He was so cute chillin backstage with mom.
We had heard about him on the Animal Kingdom Animals show on Disney +, which we all really enjoy.
It was nice that Grandma was able to stay on the scooter and bring it, so it guaranteed that she would have a place to sit.
The kids were really excited about petting the animals, Marshall especially. Get ready for a barrage of petting zoo pictures.
Yes, just like his sister at about that age, Marshall loves to pet anything that won't run away from him. Allie seemed to still enjoy it too.
After we convinced him to get out of the animal section, we took Marshall to see the exhibits inside where he chatted with the nutritionist.
He really had a great conversation about why they couldn't feed all of the animals the same food.
We collected everybody back up and got in line for the train at 11:35. We were off it by 11:50, which wasn't bad. Then we headed for Everest. On the way we saw they had a bunch of Crocs in a booth outside of Yak and Yeti, but none like Marshall's. He did like the Minnie ones since they lit up, but he decided to keep looking and we continued on.
I told him that I would buy him Minnie Crocs if he wanted but that I wasn't buying Minnie ones AND the black ones.
He, on the other hand, wanted all the Crocs. Marshall's stated goal for the trip was to ride Everest, and based on the information we saw online and our measurement of him it looked like he was tall enough. When it came time to measure him, he was indeed tall enough and cleared for the Expedition. This was crazy because Allie rode it for the first time only last year, but that shows the differences between them.
It felt a little crazy letting him ride because he's still little but I trust Disney and their height requirements and he was well over the minimum height. Most importantly he was excited to try it.
The app showed a 30 min wait, but the line was moving really fast, and basically it was just walking through the entire queue. Marshall did great, and was super brave despite being a little scared. Allie was secretly a little scared too.
He did fantastic on the ride though and really enjoyed it.
We were just studying Asia together in his Atlas for school and were talking about Mt. Everest and then he pipes up that he rode it and had been to the top. I told him no, it's a real mountain in Asia, and it's really really tall, the tallest. So he tells me yeah mom I rode it, we were in Asia and I rode it to the top.
That is funny, and so Marshall. After the ride we went through the gift shop, and he found a stuffed Yeti he wanted. Allie, in a moment of being a great big sister, said he should have it. That convinced Grandpa to buy her a stuffed Yeti as well for being such a great sister, and they both got new stuffed animals.
Marshall named his yeti Big Foot and Allie named hers Marshmallow.
Check back in the next update as we have a new to us upscale dining experience, and a whole bunch of other fun.
DaisyDuck001
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 5, 2006
That is so cool; thanks for sharing these images of the hidden pictures!We don't have locations, but we do have a list of items. Here's a few that we have found:
A Carousel Horse:
Mr Toad:
A Turkey Leg:
And the only thing we have found in the reflection is the Sword in the Stone:
I'm glad you all enjoyed riding the bathroom!
What are the patterns on the kids' masks? Is Marshall's a Lego pattern?
GrandCalifornian
Can't Wait To Go Back
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
It is fun, and they can be pretty subtle. I questioned the turkey leg too, but it is in his list of items.
Lol, sometimes you do what you gotta do.
I'm glad you all enjoyed riding the bathroom!
Yes, Melissa found disposable masks that are kids sized and have neat patterns on them. The lego one was my favorite.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LQTVQXH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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