Step Right Up and Watch Us Stack The Genie 🧞‍♂️ New TR started 9/25**

[disneyAndi14]

Shame to hear about Hopper not working properly!

You are probably the first person I have read where AK Genie plus was necessary (always hear its necessary at MK and DHS, not EPCOT and AK is a hit or miss)

I have to let my parents know about that homecomin refillable cup-its always our final Disney meal of the trip!

Hopper was stuttering and then went black, lol
I thought it worked well for us at AK. It was necessary with the crowds that day.
The refillable mug is great and it doesn’t expire like the Disney ones, you can use it over and over!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Hooray for DS shopping, whenever I don't make time for DS I always regret it. I have not tried moonshine before, sounds like Homecomin' is the place to get it though! I tried eggplant parmesan for the first time last time as I got eggplant in my CSA share, so yummy. I like that the Enzo version comes with pasta, who could say no to that! Too bad no one does decaf cold brew, that would be a game changer. So nice to be able to watch the fireworks from your room!

Definitely try the moonshine at Homecomin and the refillable mug never expires which is really nice.
Enzo’s was really nice and I would recommend it!
The cold brew at Gideon’s is delicious, I almost had one knowing the caffeine would keep me up. Lol
The fireworks on the balcony priceless!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I feel like you got good value from genie + this day given the crowds but it would still bug the life outta me to be paying for something that used to be free and I agree with you that if there’s availability you should be able to re-ride attractions.

I forgot to quote this, I just answered it, lol! Ugh Genie + is very frustrating!

I do like the ability to stack rides as you are relaxing in your room and getting ready for the day.

I really enjoyed doing this. It was strange for us because we are normally rope drop kind of people!

The Safari is always fresh and unique.

Love it each time we ride!

The kids meals are a pretty good portion size!

They really are. We often get kids meals at the quick service areas! Satuli is a favorite, yummy.

Yikes indeed! Those are long wait times.

I honestly can’t remember AK being this crowded!

I love hunting for those statues too.

The statue hunting is fun. Andi walks so fast at time I miss the statues when I am with her.

That really is poorly designed. You should be able to go on a ride more than once.

I agree, needs revamping in my opinion

o try the moonshine from Homecomin'!

It is really tasty and strong!

Those cookies are massive!

They are 1/2 pound each!

Perfect end to your day!

Ahh the fireworks I wish I was there.

This is a very good tip!

Yes keep the glasses close by!

Very nice start to your day.

The balcony at the deluxe resorts is a wonderful perk!

Great lion picture.

Me too. I did a kids meal in April too, just the right amount of food.

Perfect size and you can eat more later

love this dessert too!

I justified dessert with the kids meal

I like to do this attractions just to hear the audience reactions.

Same! We laugh at all the terrified kids, are we bad

He didn't work for me either.

He was stuttering and then black!

We love Vera Bradley stuff too.

We love it. Andi is on her 3 or 4th wallet she uses these everyday and wears them out!

This has become a must stop for us each trip. I think Danielle get's something everytime.

Same Uniqlo is a favorite of ours. I found some cute shorts the second time we went to DS

Very nice patio area.

It was really a nice experience

Another perfect night ending.

Ahh yes it was!

 

[disneyAndi14]

This is possible???

Sleeping in is a myth for sure!

So you must have left after 9:30, right? 2 hours after park opening?

Yes it was at the 2 hour mark!

How on Earth did you do that without 1. getting nauseous and/or 2. having a neck or back or limb go out of joint???

Well, I was 10 years younger lol I’m not sure how I did it since it is so bumpy and I do have a bad back! We loved it

What? I need exactness! Notes! Notes! Take notes!!

Oh... wait... you were half asleep at the time with blurry phone in hand.

Excused.

Hahaha Trying to plan your day from a phone at 7am is hard at my age!
I know the prices are subject to change during the peak and off peak seasons. Should be cheaper in later August!

Great shot! The cheetahs are so hard to get.

I rarely see the Cheetahs up and moving

Really! Bit... no... a lot surprised by that.

My beloved trails were mobbed, no can do!

Even there!

People everywhere!

should try to remember that one.

It is a good choice for a solid Kids meal

mmm... I like the sound of that one.
Not sure if I'd give it up over a Night Blossom, though.

We love the night blossom as well! It is available with alcohol now!

I see that regularly over at BTMRR too.

Yes always people in the wrong line, ugh

Great timing on the FPs!

It did work well especially with all the people in the park

Andi and I would get along juuuuust fine.

She is one of the best crowd bobbers. I taught her well, she is now the master lol

Oh, that's easy. Just say in a loud voice. "Could everyone please leave the area? Thanks."

Works like a charm.

I will try this next time

ohhh...
I've heard of those...

Try to avoid Cheer competition week!

Most people don't read the UG and have no clue. They think "Cartoon show. Kids will like this."

Very true! We love to laugh at the terror we are mean

I think so. At least for me it would have been. I can see myself trying to do similar this summer.

I agree, we needed the Genie+ even with all its quirks!

Oh! I hadn't realized that. I think I knew it, but it didn't "click".
Yeah, I remember doing Buzz with the family (4 FPs) and liking it, so we got 4 more, had a drink, then did it again. I remember passing the same people in line that we passed on the first go-round.

That restriction stinks. Why can’t we ride twice with Genie? Or 3x, 4x etc….

How many does she have?

Well, a lot lol

Whoa.
And thanks for that. Must remember to do that.

Yes, go to Gideon’s first and sign up! The wait can be really long!

How long is it good for? Forever? Or one year? Or... ?

Think of Gonzo saying could you get me a sandwich FOREVER!!
Yes forever!

Andi spent the evening staggering around DS, making friends wherever she went."

I've not been there either and it's been on my list. Just might book an ADR there for our trip.

It really is a good spot and pretty easy to get an ADR

That all sounds pretty good. Elle (DD) is pescatarian, so that would work.

The food was delicious and several choices for pescatarian diet

Even better. I wonder how I could arrange to be texted just before the bill arrives?

Let me know! Andi stayed but of course she used my credit card, lol

Nor can I. I don't do coffee, but need to stay away from Coke or ice tea.

Same here! The cold brew at Gideon’s is delicious but not at night!

I've done that at DS too. At least you're off your feet.

Well you have special bus powers! You must have been first on with the best seat

I've enjoyed reading your trip report so far! It is great to hear some positive experiences with Genie+!

The genie can be frustrating but it did work well for us when we used it!

 

[pkondz]

Well, I was 10 years younger lol I’m not sure how I did it since it is so bumpy and I do have a bad back! We loved it

Trying to plan your day from a phone at 7am is hard at my age!

I'm not looking forward to that particular part of my Disney experience.

I know the prices are subject to change during the peak and off peak seasons. Should be cheaper in later August!

I'll find out.

We love the night blossom as well! It is available with alcohol now!

Oh really? Hmmm...
(As long as it isn't rum)

She is one of the best crowd bobbers. I taught her well, she is now the master lol

Very true! We love to laugh at the terror we are mean

Guess I am too, then.

Yes, go to Gideon’s first and sign up! The wait can be really long!

Okay! Thanks!

Think of Gonzo saying could you get me a sandwich FOREVER!!
Yes forever!

Whoa! Pretty good deal, then.

Let me know! Andi stayed but of course she used my credit card, lol

This is not what I want. I want Elle to use hers.

Well you have special bus powers! You must have been first on with the best seat

 

[disneyAndi14]

Oh really? Hmmm...
(As long as it isn't rum)

Oh no it is made with rum, why rum lol

 

[franandaj]

Ahhh I truly get it!! I want to visit Disneyland again someday. I am hoping to travel there next year!

Well since I live less than half an hour away, I get there often. Unfortunately we have been going through some *stuff* that has kept me away from Disney, normally we would go rather often, but now it feels like a lifetime and really it's been only a month.

You should let me know when you visit, I love meeting up with folks who come in from out of town. I'm meeting a family there this weekend, and as I said, I can't wait!

I woke up around 6:45, purchased Genie+ and planned my day with FoP and Safari on my to do list. I do this all while still in bed and I will give you a tip! If you need glasses have these close by or you may pick the wrong times, haha

I can't even see my phone without my glasses. They are in the nightstand right next to the phone.

We had a wonderful Safari. I have been on this attraction many times and it is always new. The animal sightings are different each time.

I always see something different. Every time. We went on it two days in a row last trip and both were very different with respect to animal sightings.

I got my favorite kid’s meal. The all beef hot dog wrapped in dough.

This is the first meal I have seen from Satuli Canteen that looks even at all appealing.

There are always so many people trying to get in the LL who do not have a $$FP. They slow the line down. At FoP, I would guess at least 10 people in front of us did not have a pass!

So annoying, and they argue with the CM that they are in the right place while you're waiting to get past them!

Once we tapped in, Andi was able to make a FP for Everest.

Cool, so once you use one, you can make another if the two hours aren't up yet?

I love looking in the stores at AK and they are in a little cluster at the front and you can easily go from one to the other.

Those are some of our favorite stores as well.

What do you all think? Worth it for what we did or not?

How much is it again? $30pp or is that the price for two?

We decided to check in at Enzo’s Hideaway a little early. This is new restaurant to us and decided to try it this trip.

I've never eaten there either, but I've heard good things about it.

This was a nice dinner and we were tucked away from all the hustle and bustle of DS.

That is definitely nice!

We both went in and she reminded me not to go overboard lol The last few time we had way to many cookies!

We do that at Karamel Kuche!

I really wanted one of the delicious cold brews but it would have kept me up for hours. I can’t do caffeine in the evening.

Me neither. No coffee after 3PM, and pretty much just one good and strong one in the morning.

 

[pkondz]

Oh no it is made with rum, why rum lol

 

[Joy1127]

Hi Caroline! It's Cloe

loving your TR so far! I am a big fan of genie+. I mean of course I'd love if it was free but if there's a feasible option to pay, I'm gonna do it! lol I think DAK was worth it, you definitely wouldn't have gotten as much done without it! Time is money on vacation, gotta save time where you can!

 

[Disneyhanna]

I think I missed your AK post so here I am commenting out of order!

The 7am wakeup for Genie is so tough on vacation! 11 times in a row for Dinosaur is amazing, I cannot even imagine that! My head would probably hurt So fun with the puppets, I have never heard of that. And front row, hurray! It is amazing how the safari is so different every time. That is surprising the trail was so busy, I guess the secret is getting out! The sangria sounds yummy, I don't think I've seen fresh grapes as a garnish before though!

There's hope for Andi, I spent much of my life not liking cheesecake or lots of delicious things like pizza or cookies and now I am all for them. Unfortunately.

So glad Everest is back open, I really missed it on my last two trips this winter. I am always on the fence if Genie is worth it for Epcot or AK. When I don't get it, I always sort of regret it as I hate lines and end up just not riding things to avoid lines, and get stuck not knowing what to do when everything has a line. But I hate forking over so much $ at the same time...I think it's worth it if you want to get on everything, not worth it if you're okay doing just a few things. The grass is always greener though! If you could make repeat selections I would get it at every park in a heartbeat. Surprised Disney doesn't add that option, for an extra $10, lol!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Well since I live less than half an hour away, I get there often. Unfortunately we have been going through some *stuff* that has kept me away from Disney, normally we would go rather often, but now it feels like a lifetime and really it's been only a month.

I would love to live close to Disney, I would be there as much as possible!

You should let me know when you visit, I love meeting up with folks who come in from out of town. I'm meeting a family there this weekend, and as I said, I can't wait!

I sure will! Lesley and I were roommates on the Epic trip and I know she lives close to. It will be fun getting tips from the Disneyland experts!

I can't even see my phone without my glasses. They are in the nightstand right next to the phone.

Haha It is getting harder and harder for me especially early morning!

I always see something different. Every time. We went on it two days in a row last trip and both were very different with respect to animal sightings.

That Is exactly why I love going to Disney many times! People don’t get that

This is the first meal I have seen from Satuli Canteen that looks even at all appealing.

It is my go to meal there, I love it and I get my hot dog fix haha

So annoying, and they argue with the CM that they are in the right place while you're waiting to get past them!

It is very frustrating and yes I hear them arguing with the CM, ugh

Cool, so once you use one, you can make another if the two hours aren't up yet?

If you have used up everything and don’t have any stacked yes! Soon as you tap in you can make another one. If you have several stacked you have to wait for the 2 hour rule!

Those are some of our favorite stores as well.

I usually always find something I can’t live without!

How much is it again? $30pp or is that the price for two?

It is $15 + tax for each person, for 2 people $30+tax. It would be quite an investment for a family of 5 or 6

I've never eaten there either, but I've heard good things about it.

I would definitely recommend Enzo’s

We do that at Karamel Kuche!

I know, it is hard not to buy a bunch of treats!

Me neither. No coffee after 3PM, and pretty much just one good and strong one in the morning.

Same!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Hi Caroline! It's Cloe

loving your TR so far! I am a big fan of genie+. I mean of course I'd love if it was free but if there's a feasible option to pay, I'm gonna do it! lol I think DAK was worth it, you definitely wouldn't have gotten as much done without it! Time is money on vacation, gotta save time where you can!

Hello Nice to hear from you! I hope all is well. I know you have been at Disney many times this year, yay!
I like it for the short line access but otherwise it is clunky and not as user friendly as FP+.
I think it was worth it at DAK this trip. I think you were there around the same time, how did you feel the crowds were? I thought it was very busy! We did everything we wanted to with the Genie and fancy ride options.
We are very good at avoiding lines, lol and if we have to pay we will but I don’t like it!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I think I missed your AK post so here I am commenting out of order!

Thanks for sharing! I do that sometimes and I am shocked I missed a whole post!

The 7am wakeup for Genie is so tough on vacation! 11 times in a row for Dinosaur is amazing, I cannot even imagine that! My head would probably hurt

It really is. I wish the time would be the day before so you could set up your day 24 hours in advance. I think opening it up for the next day at 9am would be perfect.
Dinosaur what can I say, we love it. I was 10 years younger that helped!

So fun with the puppets, I have never heard of that. And front row, hurray! It is amazing how the safari is so different every time. That is surprising the trail was so busy, I guess the secret is getting out!

It was cool to see the CMs interacting with the dinosaur puppets!

There's hope for Andi, I spent much of my life not liking cheesecake or lots of delicious things like pizza or cookies and now I am all for them. Unfortunately.

Haha she has gone backwards! She use to eat everything when she was young and now she has gone the other way!

So glad Everest is back open, I really missed it on my last two trips this winter. I am always on the fence if Genie is worth it for Epcot or AK. When I don't get it, I always sort of regret it as I hate lines and end up just not riding things to avoid lines, and get stuck not knowing what to do when everything has a line.

Andi loves EE, I just can’t do it anymore, I get to stressed and feel like my neck is going to snap haha
We hate lines as well and avoid as much as possible

But I hate forking over so much $ at the same time...I think it's worth it if you want to get on everything, not worth it if you're okay doing just a few things. The grass is always greener though! If you could make repeat selections I would get it at every park in a heartbeat. Surprised Disney doesn't add that option, for an extra $10, lol!

I agree but to avoid the lines I will do it! I wish they had an easier system. I would even pay more if we could get every ride as a FP and more than once!
Like EP at USO!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Stack the Genie and a really fun activity!

4/29/22. Today was DHS day. I woke up again about 6:45 and planned the day. Do you see a theme here?

My sleepy eyes adjusted to the tiny IPhone screen, with the help of my glasses, and I put Slinky as my first choice and Rise as second.

Andi was so lucky sleeping away in the other bed, wow I should have made her do this. She is faster on the phone and has better, younger vision! Oh well, what can I say, I am a nice and thoughtful mom.

The 7am time came, I grabbed a Slinky Dog and it was already for 2:30pm, the time slots for this attraction go very fast! Just like the tickets for the house of mirrors at the carnival!

I quickly tapped on Rise next and was able to get a time between 6:55-7:55. I wanted earlier but this is the time I got. I paid for this one and tried to go back to sleep

For the curious, I paid for the Genie+ at 6:45am each day and this worked just fine. If you are a night owl you can purchase at midnight, except you need to get up by 7am to make your first selection. I would recommend purchasing at 6:45am.

I rested for about 1 hour and got up for the day. I decided to have part of a Gideon’s cookie and a banana out on the deck.

I also had a cold brew, we bought this with our grocery order.

OMG, the after dark coffee cake cookie was absolutely delicious! It was soft and coffee cake like with a decadent dark chocolate layer! I loved it I ate just a little of it and saved it for another day. Andi had some and she also thought it was good.

We had decided on a new, for us, activity! Any guesses?

It is not at a carnival per say, however, the balls for it are at some of the silly carnival games!

It was Mini Golf at the Fantasia course. The course opened at 10am. We took a Lyft to the new Swan Reserve hotel. We had some time to look around before the golf course opened. The Swan Reserve is really nice. It has a couple lounges and restaurants. The pool area was very nice, a little on the small size.

Here are some pictures of the hotel.


I really liked the Reserve and would consider staying here. You do have to walk across a busy road to get to the boat launch area at the Swan and Dolphin.

We headed over to the golf area about 10 minutes before it opened and there was a small line. It opened right at 10am and we got checked in. The cost was $24.50 with an AP discount.

We had to wait about 5 minutes before we could start. The Fantasia golf course was closing for refurbishment in about 1 week. You could tell the course needed some updating and a paint job!

Despite needing some TLC, this was a really fun activity. We loved it. We both had such a good time! We laughed and made fun of each other. We both are mediocre at best! I never did get a hole in one but I did get a hole in two. I’m not going to get called to join a golf league anytime soon!


Music would play and water fountains would turn on at some of the spots. It was very cute!

We did not feel rushed and even did a couple over since we had the time. We did the 18 holes.

We didn’t keep score because it was taking us both at least 2-4 putts at each stop. We never lost our ball to the water or bushes, yay on that account!

DHS opened at 8am this day so we made another FP right at 10am for MMRR with a time slot of 2:45pm. Living dangerously, since it was very close to our Slinky!

We finished our golfing, returned our equipment and headed over to the Swan and Dolphin area. We enjoyed walking around the grounds. We went into both the Swan and Dolphin to look around. We got some ice water and sat outside in the courtyard for awhile. At 12pm we made another FP for TSM with a time of 3:30pm. We had 4 attractions stacked before entering the park.

I found a cute Minnie T-shirt at the Dolphins gift shop. I did get the 20% AP discount. I will show my couple purchases at the end of the TR.

We had a lunch ADR at The Brown Derby for 1:20pm It was time to take the boat over to DHS. It was a beautiful day, the weather was gorgeous!

Stay tuned for part 2 coming up as soon as I can post it!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Part 2

We took the boat from The Swan and Dolphin area to DHS.

We had some time to spare before our ADR. I did go into see if we could check in early and they did take my phone number and would let us know when a table was ready.

Right outside the Brown Derby was a little bar stand and we decided to have a drink after our golf adventure.

There was a special drink called the Green screen. It was like a margarita with Patron Silver tequila and a glow cube in it.

We decided to go over to the old Star Wars meet and greet area to enjoy our drink. This area was nice and quiet. We walked around and enjoyed our drink. I took a few more selfies with the Snapchat lenses included when you purchase Genie+. Andi does get a charge watching her mom take selfies! Kids these days, they are all Snapchat experts!

The drink was yummy and I gave the glow cube to Andi as her souvenir

I got the text for our ADR about 10 minutes before our actual reservation. This was also a new restaurant for us. I was determined to try the Cobb salad

The restaurant was fairly busy. We actually had a 4 top table instead of our usual tiny table.

We decided to share the margarita flight. I ordered the Cobb Salad and Andi got the vegetarian option, which was a tomato risotto. This had eggplant fritters and pepper relish.

We loved our food here everything was very delicious and Andi’s was a surprise hit. The combination of ingredients in the risotto worked so well together. I would get that over the Cobb Salad next time.

I did really like the Cobb salad and I’m glad I tried it. We also enjoyed the bread with the salted butter yum!

We thought the margarita flight was okay, a little watered down without much flavor. The 3 flavors were lime, pomegranate, and citrus. My favorite was the lime.

The waitress was very slow and it took forever to get the check settled.

At 2pm we checked for another FP, ToT had only one elevator working and no more FP, RnRc was down the whole day. We made one for Star Tours at 3:45pm. We paid our bill, finally, and went straight to MMRR to use our first FP, the wait was 65 minutes in SB. We were on and off in about 15 minutes total. I do enjoy this ride and like how it is a little different each time.

It was now time for SlinkyDog, again the SB wait was 95 minutes and we got on within 15 minutes. This is a really fun mild coaster but no way would I wait 95 minutes!

It was time for TSM next. This SB wait was 60 minutes! We got on in less than 15 minutes. I love this attraction and would love to ride several times in a row! Not today. Andi scored around 200,000 and I scored my usual 130,000. I never break past the beaver prize, haha

It was time to ride Star Tours, it was only a 10 minute wait in SB so we really didn’t need the FP. Once we tapped in, I looked and there was a Smugglers Run for 7:30pm. I grabbed that. We would ride it after Rise.

It was only 4pm and we had lunch and did 4 attractions! Thank you Genie he was working well for us today!

We decided it was time to take a Skyliner ride over to Riviera.

I wanted my favorite Almond cold brew and Andi wanted a drink at Bar Riva.

We got over there quickly and I went to get my cold brew and met Andi at Bar Riva. It was very nice. We sat at a table outside, the bar is open air with a rooftop and it is close to one of the pools.

Andi ordered a Mediterranean wave, it is a slushy drink. We chilled and also ordered the Romano herb French fries. This was a nice little snack. We shared one more drink from the bar, it was an unusual one and I don’t see it on the menu now. I can’t remember the name, it was good.

We headed back to DHS around 6pm. Our Rise time slot was coming up. I’m always amazed how quick the Skyliner service is and even with a transfer at Caribbean station, it is fast. I like taking time off to spend at The Riviera, we love it there!

DHS did seem a little less crowded this evening. We were not able to make any other FP selections most everything was gone or we did it already. Alien Saucers was even gone for the day!
We did a few more Snapchat shots with Grogu!


Rise was running, thank goodness! I had seen posts most of this week about it being down so much!

We had a great experience. I love this attraction. Andi and I always get a perfect spot on the transport ship, right next to the pilot dude and we can see so much. We also were in the front of the ride vehicle, yay!

We walked around Batuu as the sun was setting and it is very cool.

It was time for Smugglers and we got to be pilots again. I think I am getting better, Andi would disagree, I only like being a pilot now, I am a snob!

We headed towards Toy Story Land and decided to wait in SB, can you believe it, for TSM. I think we waited about 20 minutes, not bad!

It was time to head back to the WL!

We had a really fun day. Genie paid off today for us, I thought so!

Stay tuned for another slow paced morning! This is unreal for me, we usually RD every single day! We did not do that this trip!

 

[suse66]

Andi was so lucky sleeping away in the other bed, wow I should have made her do this. She is faster on the phone and has better, younger vision! Oh well, what can I say, I am a nice and thoughtful mom.

What we do for our children!

It was Mini Golf at the Fantasia course. The course opened at 10am. We took a Lyft to the new Swan Reserve hotel. We had some time to look around before the golf course opened. The Swan Reserve is really nice. It has a couple lounges and restaurants. The pool area was very nice, a little on the small size.

I love that mini golf course even though I am terrible at it.

DHS opened at 8am this day so we made another FP right at 10am for MMRR with a time slot of 2:45pm. Living dangerously, since it was very close to our Slinky!

We finished our golfing, returned our equipment and headed over to the Swan and Dolphin area. We enjoyed walking around the grounds. We went into both the Swan and Dolphin to look around. We got some ice water and sat outside in the courtyard for awhile. At 12pm we made another FP for TSM with a time of 3:30pm. We had 4 attractions stacked before entering the park.

I found a cute Minnie T-shirt at the Dolphins gift shop. I did get the 20% AP discount. I will show my couple purchases at the end of the TR.

That's the way to do it!

We decided to share the margarita flight. I ordered the Cobb Salad and Andi got the vegetarian option, which was a tomato risotto. This had eggplant fritters and pepper relish.

The risotto looked yummy! I am obsessed with the rolls there.

At 2pm we checked for another FP, ToT had only one elevator working and no more FP, RnRc was down the whole day. We made one for Star Tours at 3:45pm. We paid our bill, finally, and went straight to MMRR to use our first FP, the wait was 65 minutes in SB. We were on and off in about 15 minutes total. I do enjoy this ride and like how it is a little different each time.

Can you believe I still haven't ridden MMRR? This summer for sure!

It was only 4pm and we had lunch and did 4 attractions! Thank you Genie he was working well for us today!

We decided it was time to take a Skyliner ride over to Riviera.

I wanted my favorite Almond cold brew and Andi wanted a drink at Bar Riva.

We got over there quickly and I went to get my cold brew and met Andi at Bar Riva. It was very nice. We sat at a table outside, the bar is open air with a rooftop and it is close to one of the pools.

Andi ordered a Mediterranean wave, it is a slushy drink. We chilled and also ordered the Romano herb French fries. This was a nice little snack. We shared one more drink from the bar, it was an unusual one and I don’t see it on the menu now. I can’t remember the name, it was good.

I love taking the Skyliner for a little resort hopping on a HS day!

Stay tuned for another slow paced morning! This is unreal for me, we usually RD every single day! We did not do that this trip!

Such a change in the way we tour now!

 

[vamassey1]

I like how well the Genie + is working for you but I just don't know if I could give up rope dropping. Your way does make for a more relaxing trip and you did get a good bit done in a short amount of time.

 

[pkondz]

I woke up again about 6:45 and planned the day. Do you see a theme here?

Nope. Totally missing it.

Andi was so lucky sleeping away in the other bed, wow I should have made her do this. She is faster on the phone and has better, younger vision! Oh well, what can I say, I am a nice and thoughtful mom.

So what you're saying is parenthood sucks some times?


ahem.

The 7am time came, I grabbed a Slinky Dog and it was already for 2:30pm, the time slots for this attraction go very fast!

I quickly tapped on Rise next and was able to get a time between 6:55-7:55. I wanted earlier but this is the time I got.

Whoa.

I decided to have part of a Gideon’s cookie and a banana out on the deck.

Breakfast of Genie+ Champions

It was Mini Golf at the Fantasia course.

Oh, cool! I've always wanted to do that. Some day.

You do have to walk across a busy road to get to the boat launch area at the Swan and Dolphin.

Goofy's Auto Dodge

Despite needing some TLC, this was a really fun activity. We loved it.

Glad you guys had such a fun time.

I’m not going to get called to join a golf league anytime soon!

I didn't even know there was a mini-golf league.

You sure do look happy.

We didn’t keep score because it was taking us both at least 2-4 putts at each stop.

Didn't... keep... score...
My competitive side wouldn't allow that.

We had 4 attractions stacked before entering the park.

Wow. I can see advantages...

Right outside the Brown Derby was a little bar stand

Is that new? I don't remember that.

There was a special drink called the Green screen. It was like a margarita with Patron Silver tequila and a glow cube in it.

appropriate.
Sounds good too.

Andi does get a charge watching her mom take selfies!

I was determined to try the Cobb salad

mmm... love that salad.

I ordered the Cobb Salad and Andi got the vegetarian option, which was a tomato risotto.

For a second, I thought you meant a vegetarian option of Cobb salad.

The combination of ingredients in the risotto worked so well together. I would get that over the Cobb Salad next time.

Really! High praise.

We also enjoyed the bread with the salted butter yum!

I love that bread and butter.

The waitress was very slow and it took forever to get the check settled.

The tip goes down when that happens to me.

went straight to MMRR to use our first FP, the wait was 65 minutes in SB. We were on and off in about 15 minutes total.

It was now time for SlinkyDog, again the SB wait was 95 minutes and we got on within 15 minutes.

It was time for TSM next. This SB wait was 60 minutes! We got on in less than 15 minutes.

Impressive!

Andi ordered a Mediterranean wave, it is a slushy drink.

Love slushy drinks... especially on a hot day.

I like that!

It was time for Smugglers and we got to be pilots again.

I'm hoping to be pilot when we go. I despise Engineer.

I think I am getting better, Andi would disagree,

 

[Disneyhanna]

So nice of you to make the early morning Genie selections, my mom would never be able to handle it, Andi is lucky to have you! That pool is definitely small, wow! I didn't realize the mini golf had an AP discount, I will have to look into that for our next trip. The only other time I've done mini golf was when we got tickets with a package once. We did Fantasia Gardens as well, it's so cute! Though I confess I have never seen Fantasia! I think a HS afternoon with stacked Genie+ is the way to go. I have done early mornings and always end up sitting on Sunset Blvd twiddling my thumbs waiting for my next time, so boring!

Fun looking green drink! That Cobb salad is so delish, I have recreated it at home but nothing's like the real thing. I've never had another Cobb salad anywhere near as good. Bummer on the slow service. I think restaurant tables should have buttons for refills and checks! The longest I have waited for Slinky was around 50 minutes I think and even that was too long! No idea how people do long waits all day long! The Riviera drink looks so refreshing. I love how easy it is to get to the Riv on the skyliner. Not sure if you've tried the Tuna Nicoise salad at Primo Piatto, it's my favorite Disney salad so far! Hooray for Rise being up, it is so finicky! So lucky to be pilots again, I've ridden 3x and have been an engineer every time even when I went with a friend lol! 20 minutes is really good for TSM, I swear the FP line used to be that long.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Other than the early wake up to buy/select Genie, I do love how you stack them for a great afternoon.
We love the mini golf. The last time we played (2018) a girl in the group ahead of us was on the same teacher training class as my son. It was so funny as neither knew the other were going to be in Florida so big surprise hugs and laughs all round. Connor said they barely ran into each other outside of university at home so definitely weird to do so on holidays
Food at HBD looks tasty though we also found the service to be slow. Nice surrounding though and lovely and calm/cool when we were there.