Surprise October Trip (Oct. 25-31) - 300 photos! - TRIP REPORT COMPLETED

[themilesfamily]

After Hoop Dee Doo, we took the bus from Ft. Wilderness back to the Wilderness Lodge. We were the only people waiting at the bus stop and the girls had some fun dancing and goofing around.

Crazy girls!

We finally made it onto the bus:

And back to the Wilderness Lodge:

Coming up tomorrow - our last full day at Disney - Epcot and the Akershus Princess Lunch!

 

[themilesfamily]

Thursday morning we woke up and headed out for our Epcot day! We arrived about 9:30 a.m. and went straight to the Living Seas. This is a pavilion that we hadn't explored much in the past, so we wanted to start here.

First we went on the new Clam-mobile ride - the Seas with Nemo and Friends - which we LOVED! This is just our kind of ride - relaxing, visually-appealing, fun for the whole family. What little kid doesn't want to ride through the ocean in a big shell?!! I certainly wanted to! Anyway, we loved it.

Next we saw Turtle Talk with Crush - adorable! So cute. Crush was funny and cool. The kids had the sweetest questions to ask and Crush had great answers.

Of course we had to stop at Bruce's Sub House so my DH could be silly.

Next we stopped at the Nemo and Friends exhibit. This room has aquariums with the real-life fish versions of the Nemo characters. So you can find Marlin, Nemo, Dory, etc., in the tanks. My DD was so proud of that fact that she found Nemo all by herself. He is a little tiny fish and he was hiding in the middle of the tank in some coral.

We went to some of the observation decks next and saw so many marine creatures -- I recall seeing sharks, stingray, jellyfish, dolphins, etc. I didn't take any photos here. We just watched and watched! It was amazing and we all enjoyed it.

Next we went to the Manatee viewing area. Manatees are one of my favorite animals and it was awesome to see them in real life.

At this point we left the pavilion and headed over to Spaceship Earth. This is one of my favorite rides at Disney and I was SOOOO excited to see the updates and hear the new narrator Judi Dench, (whom I adore.)

Unfortunately, the second we sat down in our car, my DD pressed the Deutsch button and I had to listen to the whole thing in German, (a language I don't speak), and I'm pretty sure it wasn't Judi Dench doing the German version. Oh well, the ride was still great. As long as Disney never takes out the part where you emerge into the stars and see planet Earth, I'll be happy.

The updates to this ride looked just fine to me. And I liked the little cartoon story on the monitor. They ask you to choose from options presented on the screen -- options I couldn't read because they were in German -- but I believe they were something like, "Will you be more focused on work or recreation in the future?" and then as you get off the vehicle they show you what your life will be like in the future. At the beginning of the ride they take your photo and your face is imposed on a little figure who is dressed a certain way and standing in a particular background based on your choices. It was sweet to see my DD's face up on the screen as we got off.

Next we rode Ellen's Energy Adventure -- another one of my FAVORITE rides! My DD loved the dinosaurs and I just thorougly enjoyed the whole thing.

At this point, it was time for our 11:40 a.m. reservation for the Akershus Princess Lunch. So we headed over to the World Showcase.

On the way, we saw a display for the Food & Wine Festival. Very neat! I did get get to sample a few dishes from F&W, which I'll talk about later!

When we reached the Norway pavilion we met up with Ashley and Bryanna who would be eating lunch with us. We got our DD into her princess outfit, (Ariel with her tail), got a fastpass for Maelstrom, and headed in for our princess meal.

Coming next, our Akershus lunch pics!

 

[themilesfamily]

Our reservations were at 11:40 a.m. for the Princess Storybook lunch at Akershus. This is the entrance to the banquet hall. (It's near Maelstrom.)

Soaking in the Norwegian atmosphere.

This is my DD in her costume. The perfect little mermaid.

A souvenir stand outside of Akershus where I bought at least one or two dolls for DD.

As you walk into the entranceway there is a book that tells the story of how a Viking king and queen used to invite people to dine at the Castle Akershus.

And then the glorious Belle in her yellow dress -- one of MY favorite princesses!

Here is the photo package from our lunch -- again with the extra 4x6's tucked into the folder. Beautiful!!!

The cover:

The inside:

This was our table.

And our waitress, Lise, who was wonderful, sweet and as beautiful as a princess!

I loved these two paintings over our table. I really just love the Norwegian aesthetic, in general.

We all enjoyed the food -- especially the desserts!!!! You start out at a buffet that has cold cuts, cheeses, salads, and breads. Then you order an entree. At the end, the desserts come out on one big platter for everyone at the table to enjoy. I tried the traditional Rice Cream and the flourless chocolate cake. Yum! Yum! Yum! There were at least one or two other desserts on the plate, but I don't think I tried those. Anyway, there was enough for everyone -- and we were a table of five. I liked that the food was a little different from what we normally eat -- but there was something there for even the pickiest of eaters.

And then we met the princesses!

I was SO excited to see Alice in Wonderland. She was fantastic! The perfect Alice. My DD asked her about her cat, Dinah, and told her about our four cats, Lavender, Violet, Pinky and Poe.

This is my DD counting on her fingers how many cats we have!

We also saw Cinderella

Sleeping Beauty

and Jasmine!

Everyone and everything was wonderful. The meal was a delight. It was a great opportunity to spend more time with the princesses.

We loved it.

Next up, we explore the Norway pavilion!

 

[b.head2008]

Hey i just read through the TR, i love the Ariel pictures, so adorable.

 

[themilesfamily]

Hey i just read through the TR, i love the Ariel pictures, so adorable.

Thank you so much! I love those, too.

I just bookmarked your trip report, BTW, and I'm going to read through it tomorrow. It looks like you got there the day we left. Your pics are awesome!

 

[themilesfamily]

After our Akershus lunch, we took our Fastpasses over to ride Maelstrom. This was a fun one for everyone -- not too scary for my 4-year old.

Next we stopped at the Norway Kidcot Fun Stop.

They were doing a really neat activity -- making masks.

The finished product.

The person running the Fun Stop was a really interesting guy named Joakim. We enjoyed talking to him.

He told us about his hometown in Norway. It's on the border and is known for its haunted fort!

Of course, my DH had to have fun in the gift shop.

I bought this refrigerator magnet. It's a little Norwegian village.

Goodbye, Norway!

Hello, Mexico!

We headed over to the Mexico pavilion to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour. This was the first time we'd seen the updated ride and we liked it!

We shopped a little bit at the Mexican market. One of the best gift shops in the World. It's so pretty.

Flowers with a fountain in the background:

A display about Mexico:

Looking up into the trees outside the pavilion:

After this, we decided to head back to the villa for an afternoon nap. I think we may have gone swimming. My DD watched the Disney Sing-Along on TV and played with her new toys. I don't believe any naps were taken.

In the evening, we got back on the bus to Epcot for Illuminations and possibly some dinner at the San Angel Inn. We also called to see if there were any Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets left, and there were! So midstream we thought about heading over there instead. Well, in the end, my DD fell FAST asleep on the bus and I got to take her back to the room for the night.

My DH went on to Epcot and I put in my order for Food & Wine booth samplings. Here's what he brought me.:

Santiago, Chile: Dulce de Leche. This was kind of a milk pudding with almond slivers.

San Francisco, USA: Seared beef medallion with Cheese Polenta. Polenta is a patty made out of cornmeal.

Vienna, Austria: Beef goulash

I had to pick out what I wanted, sight unseen and very quickly, off of the menu while we were on the bus. I think I made some good choices.

Here is the full menu for F&W 2008, Cities in Wonderland:

Athens, Greece – Greek Salad, Spanakopita
Barcelona, Spain: Cold Tomato and Garlic Soup, Seared Tuna Loin with Roasted Red Peppers
Bolonga, Italy: Baked Ziti, Mascarpone Cream Puff with Gianduja Chocolate
Boston – Hops & Barley: Boston Crab Cake, New England Lobster Roll
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Beef & Corn Casserole, Grilled Beef with Chimichurri
Cape Town, South Africa: Durban Spiced Chicken, Bobotie with Mango Chutney
Cork, Ireland: Potato Leek Soup with an Irish Cheddar Cheese Stick, Irish Cheese
Selection with Apple Chutney and Brown Bread
European Cheesemonger: Selection of Dutch, Spanish and Italian Cheese
Great Beers
Istanbul, Turkey: Manti with Yogurt Sauce, Baklava
Krakow , Poland: Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup, Keilbasa with Potato Pierogies
Louisiana, USA: Crawfish Etoufée, Seafood Gumbo and Praline Bread Pudding
Lyon, France: Escargot Persillade en Brioche, Quiche Provençal, Crème Brulée au Chocolat
Marrakesh, Morocco: Kefta, Spicy Chicken Roll
Melbourne, Australia: Barramundi Fish, Grilled Lamb Chops
Mexico City, Mexico: Chilaquiles, Quesadilla con Chorizo
Montreal, Canada: Cheddar Cheese Soup, Maple Glazed Salmon, Maple Custard with Almond Crumble
Munich, Germany: Spaetzle with Creamy Mushroom Ragout, Apple Strudel
New Delhi, India: Samosa with Tamarind Sauce, Mango Mousse
Reims – Champagne: Selection of Moët & Chandon Champagnes, French Chocolates
San Francisco, USA: Seared Beef Medallion with Cheese Polenta, California Strawberry Shortcake
San Juan, Puerto Rico: Mofungo with Shrimp Salsa, Brazo Gitano
Santiago, Chile: Empanada, Dulce de Leche
Tokyo, Japan: California Sushi Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll
Vienna, Austria: Tafelspitz, Beef Goulash
Wellington, New Zealand: Lamb Slider, Kiwi Meringue Tart

When we got back to the villa, I put DD in bed for the night. I packed our luggage and tidied our villa, as we were heading home early the next morning.

I would have liked one more night in the parks -- but in the end I was glad that DD had enough sleep for an early wakeup call. And we had a LOT of luggage to pack up. So it all worked out.

Coming next, the saddest day of all. Leaving Disney.

 

[dydo2424]

What great photos! I loved your trip report. Thanks for taking the time to share your trip.

 

[themilesfamily]

What great photos! I loved your trip report. Thanks for taking the time to share your trip.

Thank you so much! It was a joy to relive this trip through a trip report.

I have one more entry to do -- departure day -- and then it's a wrap.

 

[aggie98]

PSB looks awesome! I can't wait to see DD's face when she has all those princesses in one room!

Looking forward to reading about departure day.

 

[themilesfamily]

PSB looks awesome! I can't wait to see DD's face when she has all those princesses in one room!

Looking forward to reading about departure day.

Oh my goodness!!! Did I read your signature right -- you're only one day away from your Disney trip??? Have a wonderful time!

Akershus WAS great! I loved all of the princess meals. I think CRT had the best setting -- the castle. 1900 PF had the best characters -- the stepmother, stepsisters and the wonderful Prince Charming. And Akershus had the most interesting food -- and it was the biggest surprise as to who the princesses would be. Alice in Wonderland was such a treat!

 

[aggie98]

Oh my goodness!!! Did I read your signature right -- you're only one day away from your Disney trip??? Have a wonderful time!

Akershus WAS great! I loved all of the princess meals. I think CRT had the best setting -- the castle. 1900 PF had the best characters -- the stepmother, stepsisters and the wonderful Prince Charming. And Akershus had the most interesting food -- and it was the biggest surprise as to who the princesses would be. Alice in Wonderland was such a treat!

You are right! We leave tomorrow! I'm packed and ready to go!

Thank you so much for your TR - it has been perfect. Great pictures (of stuff that we have on our list to do) and wonderful descriptions. You have made the anticipation for our trip so great!

I'll be back next week to read about your departure day. I'll be able to share the sadness with you.

 

[themilesfamily]

You are right! We leave tomorrow! I'm packed and ready to go!

Thank you so much for your TR - it has been perfect. Great pictures (of stuff that we have on our list to do) and wonderful descriptions. You have made the anticipation for our trip so great!

I'll be back next week to read about your departure day. I'll be able to share the sadness with you.

Thank you! You are so sweet. I can't wait to hear about your trip when you return! How wonderful that you get to see the castle lit up in Christmas lights and all of the other holiday decorations. I'm sure it will be a magical trip.

 

[themilesfamily]

The last day was sad, but everything went smoothly. I had packed and cleaned the villa the night before. DD and I had gone to bed early, so we were up early and well-rested on departure day.

I don't remember exact times, but I think our flight left around 10 a.m. and Magical Express picked us up around 7:30 a.m. We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare.

Here are some pics from the Orlando airport.

Can you tell it was close to election day?

The SeaWorld store:

I bought this refrigerator magnet from one of the airport shops:

We had a perfect non-stop flight back home. Here we are getting off the plane.

Logan was being a cut-up and pretended to collapse on the ground. He didn't have to do much acting to pretend he was exhausted -- my brother's family went pedal to the metal and did almost every morning and evening EMH! They really hit the parks hard and had a great time.

When we got off the plane, my brother's family caught the hotel shuttle back to the hotel to pick up their car. They had a four hour drive home.

We had a one hour drive home.

When we got back, we went straight to my DD's preschool for her Halloween party, then off to ballet class, then on to trick-or-treating. It was a busy day!

And that's it. It was a wonderful trip.

To finish my report, here are five things that are on my priority list for our NEXT trip to the World:

1) Fantasmic
2) Spectromagic
3) Spend more time at the World Showcase and let my DD do more Kidcot Fun Stops.
4) Try a few new restaurants. I'd like to enjoy the view from the California Grilll. I'd also like to try a meal at Le Cellier.
5) Ride Expedition Everest.

Thanks everyone for reading my trip report. I hope that ALL of your Disney vacations are magical.

 

[themilesfamily]

Bump

 

[the_princess]

Great report, thanks for sharing with us!