Sweet Caroline, Bum, Bum, Bum. A Groovy Mother/Daughter Trip Nov/Dec 2016. Updated 6/6 X 5! The End

[BlvInMagic]

Such a nice mother/daughter trip! That's awful that your mom got soaked at Yak and Yeti -- sounds like your waitress was really frazzled Your Disney Springs pics are really great -- I cannot believe how much has changed since we've been there last.....it's unrecognizable to what it once was. And I completely agree, those high-end stores wouldn't be appealing to my family either. Can't wait to hear more.

 

[Pluto0809]

I really love Disney Springs. I too went into the Coke store hoping to meet the Polar Bear but did not.

The new dining options are my favorite, and I do have a simple palate like you but there are so many options that I think you would be fine. I also suggest getting to Sprinkles at some point. It is really good, especially the cupcake Sundaes.

I bought a Pixar shirt in Uniqlo.

Can't wait to hear more!

I really wanted to meet the Polar Bear too but no luck. I'm mixed on DS, I really could care less about most of the stores but the area was really pretty.

I did have Sprinkles at DL but wasn't all that impressed. I think I need to try a different one next time.

I loved all of the shirts at Uniqlo. I was really hoping for something Pluto but they didn't have any.

I enjoyed seeing your pics of Pop, it's been so long since I was there! It's really nice how accessible AoA is from Pop; glad you were able to go over there for a bit!

Sounds like a nice morning exploring Disney Springs! Love that t-shirt you bought!

We did have a nice time at Pop but I think I've decided that All Star Music is my favorite Value.

We did have a really nice morning at DS and as you'll see here in a minute and even better afternoon.

I have to agree!! Actually, when we were wandering in Epcot, we stumbled onto a car wash theme Coke stand that sold frozen cokes (yum, my fav!!) and you could actually get one with Captain Morgan or Jack Daniel's in it, too. When Rob and I go in December, you better believe I'm heading back for one of those!!! (at least!)

We only went to DS once on our 12 day trip for this very reason! Everything feels a little too "high end" for my tastes these days. I like the old Marketplace side with World of Disney, the LEGO store and Christmas shop, but the rest are just a little too trendy. I feel the same about the restaurants, but I haven't actually eaten at them, so I probably shouldn't criticize too harshly!

I do hope they add alcoholic versions, I would love to try some. Hmmm, I'm really not a whiskey fan but that sounds interesting.

This was our only trip to DS. I'm sure I will continue to go to the Marketplace, I love all the stores there.

i think i am the only one who isn't a fan of the new Disney springs.
Just looks like any ol mall now.

Nope, I wasn't the biggest fan either, it really is just like a mall.

A relaxing morning at Disney Springs, indeed! I was happy to get a preview of all the new things there, as I haven't taken the time to get to Disney Springs in a couple trips, but plan to in August. So much has changed! Sounds like a lot of high-end stuff though... which doesn't appeal to me, either. Excited to hear about lunch!

I totally skipped it in March but then I was only there three days. I will definitely continue to go for the Marketplace area at least.

I'm really enjoy your TR! It's so nice how you and your mom travel so well together! Looking forward to more!

Glad you are enjoying the TR, new stuff coming up!

Such a nice mother/daughter trip! That's awful that your mom got soaked at Yak and Yeti -- sounds like your waitress was really frazzled Your Disney Springs pics are really great -- I cannot believe how much has changed since we've been there last.....it's unrecognizable to what it once was. And I completely agree, those high-end stores wouldn't be appealing to my family either. Can't wait to hear more.

I don't know if she was frazzled, she really just came across as indifferent to the whole thing.

I go quite often and DS is totally different every time!

 

[Pluto0809]

Best Meal of the Trip and More Shopping

After the Star Wars store, we stopped in to the Super Hero store. I’m not really into the whole Super Hero thing but some of my kids are. For those that don’t know, I have 13 kids, ages 4 months up to 11 years old that I shop for. They are all kids of my cousins except for two that are Jim’s best friend’s kids. And I just found out that numbers 14 and 15 will be arriving in October. My cousin Sydney who will be appearing a little later in this TR is expecting twins! All of the kids are into Disney and some of the older boys are into Super Heroes. We shopped around the store a bit and I ended up buying this shirt for one of the boys.



That store didn’t take us long and we were still a bit early for our lunch ADR so we sat on a bench for a bit and relaxed. When it was time, we headed over and checked in. And just where were we headed? The House of Blues Restaurant and Bar (formally known as Crossroads at the House of Blues).



The restaurant was fairly empty and we were seated right away. Here’s the view from our booth.





Our waiter’s name was Bubba and he was awesome. He was super attentive without being smothering and lots of fun to talk with.

Mom ordered the Shrimp and Grits.



And I got the Lobster Mac and Cheese.



Holy crap guys, this was one of those meals you dream about later. My Lobster Mac and Cheese was out of this world good with large chunks of lobster and creamy, delicious mac and cheese. Mom said her Shrimp and Grits were excellent too. She snagged a bite of mine but I didn’t try hers because I knew it would be too spicy for me.

For dessert Mom got Key Lime Pie.



And I got a Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich.





Dessert was awesome as well. The pictures don’t do justice to the size of that Ice Cream Sandwich. I was only able to finish about ½ of it.

Overall this turned out to be the best meal of the trip. I want to go back right this minute for some more of that Lobster Mac and Cheese! After leaving a nice tip for Bubba, we rolled ourselves out of the restaurant and caught the boat over to the Marketplace.







Back in the old bus stop area right outside the Marketplace, they had a Christmas Tree Walk with decorated trees. We headed in to take a look. I’m sorry to say it was kind of pathetic. The trees were small, barely taller than me and we only checked out the first few before turning around and heading back out.

Alice in Wonderland.



Mom said she wouldn’t have had any idea this was a Muppet tree if the sign wasn’t there. I’m not sure I would have either.



And the last one we checked out before turning around, Tangled.





We headed back to the stores and spent some time in the Christmas Store, the Art Store, Once Upon a Toy, the Co-op, Trend-D, Arribas Brothers and the pin store, but didn’t buy anything.

Mom was wanting a Margarita so we headed to Dockside Margaritas next. Mom ended up getting the specialty drink for that day, I can’t remember exactly what it was but I do remember that it was citrusy. The CM gave us each a small shot glass size portion so we could taste it before we purchased. I liked it but was more in the mood for Strawberry so that’s what I got.



We found some seats on the couches right there and sat for about a ½ hour enjoying our drinks and listening to the guitar player. He was really good, everyone was giving him requests and if he didn’t know the song, he would just look it up on his phone and do it anyways. This was about the time that Mom and I realized we had heard Sweet Caroline multiple times already that week. I honestly think we could have sat there all afternoon enjoying the beautiful weather and the guitar player. But we still had some shopping to do so once we finished our drinks, we headed to World of Disney.



One of my kids is into Elena of Avalor so I was looking for something with her on it plus anything that caught my eye for the other kids. I ended up spotting this cute Moana sweatshirt and bought three of them for some of the girls.



I did find a very cute Elena sweatshirt but they only had very tiny and very large sizes. I asked a CM if they had any other sizes and she did check in the back for me but didn’t have any luck. I checked the Shop Disney Parks app as well and it was listed as sold out everywhere in the size I needed.

One of the younger boys was really into Lion Guard so I got him this cute sweatshirt.



And that was all I bought if you can believe that one! I actually left WOD without buying one thing for myself. That doesn’t happen too often.

We were done after WOD so we headed back towards the bus stops around 4 pm. I never did make it to Sprinkles for a cupcake but we were still too full from lunch to care. And if you are reading my Disneyland trip report you will know that we did try them out there and I wasn’t all that impressed.

We got to the bus area a little after 4 pm. We were getting ready to make the long trek around to the Pop Century stop but a CM right there asked where we were going. We said Pop Century and he said that it was now at stop one right in front of us and sure enough, a Pop bus was pulling up at that moment. We hopped on and were back to our room by 4:45 pm.

That morning, Mom had left a note asking the Mousekeeper to leave a few extra wash cloths and we came back to find this.



I’d say that’s a few extra!

We relaxed for about an hour then headed back out the door at 5:45 pm. We had a very important FP to use that night. Mom really wanted to ride Soarin’ twice and also get in a ride on Frozen Ever After so I scheduled a few hours at Epcot this evening with just one FP for Soarin’ at 7:20 pm.

We stopped for some Photopass pictures when we got to the park. The photographer only took three shots and they were pretty much identical so I’ll just post one.



And one shot of SE I took with my camera.



The bus ride must not have taken too long because we had time to stop in the Art store and then head over to Mouse Gears where I picked up some more Christmas presents. For another of the younger boys I got a Stitch shirt and stuffie.



And for one of the older boys, a Darth Vader Shirt.



My Sister in Law had asked for some adult coloring books and I found this Princess one for her.



Once again I didn’t buy anything for myself but the night wasn’t over yet.

It was time for our Soarin’ FP so we headed there next.



Even though I’ve mentioned riding Soarin’ already in my Disneyland TR, this would be the actual first time Mom and I saw the new movie. I had read about there being some distortion if you sat on the ends so when the CM went to put us in the A section, I asked to go further down to B and we ended up in section B row 1.

We both loved the new movie! I knew going in that the animals were CG but that didn’t bother me at all and Mom had no idea till I told her afterwards.

We were finally hungry again and since we were right there, we headed to Sunshine Seasons for some dinner. Mom got Fish Tacos and Crème Brule.



I got my go to dish of Rotisserie Chicken and mashed potatoes.



And chocolate mousse cake.



Our meal here was yummy as always (although, a bit of a spoiler, I had my very first bad meal at Sunshine Seasons during my March trip).

We were done after that and wanted to beat the Illuminations crowd so we headed towards the buses. When we got back to the resort, we walked through the store again and I spotted something I had to have. I had actually been looking for this all week but while the stores had other characters, they all seemed to be sold out of this Pluto luggage tag. I never did see it in any other store so I’m glad we were staying at Pop just for that!





We were back in our room by 9 pm and after watching a bit of the news to see the devastating forest fires in Tennessee, we turned out the lights around 10:30 pm.

I only traded for one pin that day but it was a good one.



And my Fitbit stats for the day.



Up Next: Rope Drop Makes Mom Nervous

 

[rteetz]

I have done house of blues once. I got a burger I think. We enjoyed our meal.

I liked the trees for photo ops but I wish it was more like a "forest" of trees.

You got some nice items. Love the photo with your mom in front of SSE!

 

[BlvInMagic]

Sounds like you guys had a nice relaxing afternoon at DS! But what was up with those Christmas trees? Wow, they were so thin and small -- I would have expected more from Disney.

Can't wait to read more about your evening at Epcot. I like your mom's Mickey Mouse shirt -- awesome! We haven't done the new Soarin' yet -- is the ride soundtrack still the same? It's one of my favorites And that Creme Brule just looked so heavenly... yum yum!

 

[missangelalexis]

Oh my gosh both your meals look delicious!! I would try either of those!

Relaxing with some frozen drinks sounds amazing! Glad you had a great time at Disney Springs.

Love the PP pic of you and mom. Your quick trip to Epcot sounds like a success!

 

[CDolacki2003]

Great trip report. Its helping me get thought the waiting until our trip in December. I had plates and screws put in my foot 3 months ago and swelling is my only concern when we go. Loving your pictures by the way.

 

[Tracy161]

Yum! Your meal at House of Blues looked amazing, and I love the ambiance of the place - both inside and out. It just looks like a really fun place to be

Your Epcot pictures at night are awesome, I love Epcot at night. Actually, I love all the parks at night!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Serious shopping update!!!! I love all your purchases. You're the best auntie--I bet you're the favorite of all the kids!!!!

 

[Pluto0809]

I have done house of blues once. I got a burger I think. We enjoyed our meal.

I liked the trees for photo ops but I wish it was more like a "forest" of trees.

You got some nice items. Love the photo with your mom in front of SSE!

This was my first time at HOB but I don't think it will be my last!

Yeah, the trees were cute but not really anything special. We decided shopping was a better option that checking them all out.

Sounds like you guys had a nice relaxing afternoon at DS! But what was up with those Christmas trees? Wow, they were so thin and small -- I would have expected more from Disney.

Can't wait to read more about your evening at Epcot. I like your mom's Mickey Mouse shirt -- awesome! We haven't done the new Soarin' yet -- is the ride soundtrack still the same? It's one of my favorites And that Creme Brule just looked so heavenly... yum yum!

We definitely were not impressed with the trees and were expecting a bit more.

I can't remember where Mom got her shirt.

The sountrack not exactly the same but there are similarities to the old one.

Oh my gosh both your meals look delicious!! I would try either of those!

Relaxing with some frozen drinks sounds amazing! Glad you had a great time at Disney Springs.

Love the PP pic of you and mom. Your quick trip to Epcot sounds like a success!

We did have some great meals that day.

That 1/2 hour sitting and sipping our drinks is one of my favorite memories from the trip. It's not too often we slow down and enjoy our surroundings like that.

Great trip report. Its helping me get thought the waiting until our trip in December. I had plates and screws put in my foot 3 months ago and swelling is my only concern when we go. Loving your pictures by the way.

I don't go back again until January so I like writing about my trips. It kind of extends them a bit.

Yuck! I have three screws in my ankle. Even though it swells everyday, it really doesn't bother me most days. Wearing shoes that allow for the swelling is key. I love summer because sandals work well. Tennis shoes aren't bad either because they can be loosened.

Yum! Your meal at House of Blues looked amazing, and I love the ambiance of the place - both inside and out. It just looks like a really fun place to be

Your Epcot pictures at night are awesome, I love Epcot at night. Actually, I love all the parks at night!

HOB was amazing I will definitely go back again someday.

Epcot is beautiful at night as are all the parks. MK at night is my favorite.

Serious shopping update!!!! I love all your purchases. You're the best auntie--I bet you're the favorite of all the kids!!!!

I do hope they like everything I get. The sad thing is I still haven't met three of the kids. Of course one was just born in December and I will be meeting him in July. But two of the kids are out it Chicago and we've just never been able to coordinate our vacations to be in PA at the same time. I really do need to plan a trip out to Chicago to visit them someday.

 

[Pluto0809]

Rope Drop Makes Mom Nervous

Wednesday, November 30th, 2016 found us up early and out the door to breakfast by 7:15 am. Since Mom wanted to ride Soarin’ twice and also Frozen Ever After, we did not have a Fast Pass for Test Track. Mom had not ridden it since 2010 when it was still the old version and I was determined to get her on the ride this trip.

We had a big lunch coming up so we ate lightly again for breakfast. I had a bagel and Mom had a donut. This was the day where we gave up on the whole mug thing and didn’t bring them to breakfast. As nice as it is to have a free drink, it was more of a pain to run them back to the room than it was worth.

We managed to get on a bus very quickly and were seeing this sight by 8:30 am.



Here’s what the line looked like at that time.



It was about this time that Mom started panicking about the crowds and kept saying that the line for Test Track would be too long. Despite the fact that I do rope drop all of the time, she would not believe me that it would be fine. They let us in and we joined the group heading towards Test Track.

We were stopped by a rope right before Mouse Gears and I found us a seat on a wall near the Electric Umbrella. Mom continued to panic as more and more people lined up but I just kept my mouth shut at this point. I was texting back and forth with Morgan because they were coming to Epcot that morning and were also planning on rope dropping TT. But they were running a bit behind and didn’t make it too us before the rope was dropped at 9 am.



We basically walked straight through the line and the only picture I got before the design room was this one. Despite what I kept telling her, Mom was amazed that even with all those people, we got on the ride very quickly.



When it was our turn to design a car, I wanted Mom to do it but she was a little intimidated by the touch screen computer. Instead I did all the finger work and she just told me what she liked. When I was in high school, I had a white Chevy Camaro with red interior and flame patterns on the outside. So Mom decided to recreate my car.



I know I have pictures of the original car somewhere but none of them are online. So I can’t post one for comparison pictures but it was somewhat close.

Mom enjoyed the design process and the ride and I managed to get my usual Cousin Itt picture.



Morgan and her gang were a bit behind us so we looked around the dump area while waiting for them to catch up. I took some pictures of the Chevy Colorado for Jim. He has a 2011 Colorado and is thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I doubt he will actually do it anytime soon though, at least not until his current one falls apart.





It wasn’t long before Morgan, Steve and the three kids came out and we met up. The other three, Esther, Jim and Sydney were doing a tour that morning called Disney’s Yuletide Fantasy. Here’s a description of the tour copied from the WDW site.

Enjoy the holidays like never before in a dazzling wonderland filled with traditions from home and abroad.
This year, head backstage and get the scoop on the staggering logistics involved in the wintertime transformation of Walt Disney World Resort each and every holiday season! During this festive and fact-filled 3-hour tour, you’ll:
• Come upon the Cast Members of Holiday Services—the “elves” who create the decorations used to dress up Walt Disney World Resort theme parks and hotels.
• Explore World Showcase and hear how holidays are celebrated around the globe: Christmasfest in Germany, the legend of La Befana in Italy and the diversity of traditions at The American Adventure.
• Get an up-close look at the traditional trimmings of Main Street, U.S.A. and see a Currier & Ives-themed Christmas bring the spirit of Santa Claus to life.
• Visit a Resort hotel and learn how the lavish holiday atmosphere is created through the grand-scale application of color, texture, architecture, illusion and attention to detail.
In addition, each Guest will also receive a special treat and a holiday keepsake!

I hadn’t even heard of that tour but when I looked it up it really didn’t appeal to me or Mom. Esther said later that it was just OK, they had done much better tours in the past. And I have no idea what the special treat or holiday keepsake was, they never told me.

We ended up sitting in the dump area of TT for a bit while the kids played the games in that area. Around 10 am we had to split up as Morgan and her gang had a Mission Space FP and we had one for Soarin. We would be meeting back up again later that evening for the Candlelight Processional.

Mom and I still had a little time before I wanted to use our Soarin’ FP. It was from 9:40 to 10:40 but I wanted to use it towards the end so it corresponded well with our Living with the Land FP that started at 10:45 am.

I really wanted to get a picture with Pluto since I was wearing all Christmas Pluto gear that day. So we headed back up front. I was surprised to see Daisy in the old spot where Pluto was but the line was short so we decided to meet her anyways.





I checked the app after that and discovered that Pluto was meeting at the entrance to World Showcase in the spot where Duffy used to meet. I noted the times for later that afternoon.

We proceeded on to the Land building and had our second ride on the new Soarin’ and I took zero pictures. We timed it perfectly so that we were within our LWTL FP time so that was next. I’m posting this next very blurry picture to show that the FP was pretty useful that day.



And if you guys know me at all, you know that I took lots of pictures on this ride. I have hundreds but always feel the need to take 100 more every time I ride.



For once, I got an excellent picture of Jim’s chickens.







You’ll notice the completely empty boat in front of us. I have no idea why that one was sent with no passengers when the line was so long.







I love finding all of the Hidden Mickeys on this ride.



There were only a few Christmas decorations.





Finished with our time in the Land building, we moved on to The Seas. I had planned on riding the Nemo ride next but the wait time said 55 minutes. Nope, not worth that wait! Instead we headed in to the building to visit some of our favorite sea creatures. Up first was the Manatees.





And some dolphins.



Then we went on a Sea Turtle hunt. Mom and I both have a huge love for Sea Turtles.



There’s one!



And a Hidden Mickey. I’m never happy with my photos in this building with the weird blue lighting.



Another turtle!





We skipped over the rooms downstairs because they were wall to wall people, plus it was almost time for our lunch ADR. Maybe this next picture will give you a hint where we were headed.



Up Next: Lunch with the Fishes and Visiting the Future

 

[missangelalexis]

Glad Mom had nothing to worry about, you got on Test Track just fine! Cool car you designed too!

Cute pictures with Daisy!

Sounds like a good morning so far.

 

[Tracy161]

I absolutely LOVE your Christmas-y Pluto shirt! One can never take too many pictures of Living with the Land. I swear, I am obsessed with that ride and ride it multiple times a trip. It does't hurt that you're surrounded by the "Disney water smell"

 

[rteetz]

What a great morning! The crowds can definitely be intimidating at rope drop but it all worked out for you. Awesome "recreation" of your Camaro.

Great Daisy photos!

Living with the land is a must do for me. I love that they add some Christmas details to it.

That is a great monorail/SSE photo.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I really do need to plan a trip out to Chicago to visit them someday.

I can think of a couple people who'd sure love to see you in Chicago!

 

[Chicago Mo]

SO FUN! I love your nonchalant demeanor with the rope drop. HA!

Yes your pictures are blue it's the big BLUE world after all.. Geesh.

 

[Pluto0809]

Glad Mom had nothing to worry about, you got on Test Track just fine! Cool car you designed too!

Cute pictures with Daisy!

Sounds like a good morning so far.

I've never had a problem doing that at rope drop so I knew we would be fine.

Thanks, we did have a nice morning.

I absolutely LOVE your Christmas-y Pluto shirt! One can never take too many pictures of Living with the Land. I swear, I am obsessed with that ride and ride it multiple times a trip. It does't hurt that you're surrounded by the "Disney water smell"

Thanks, I got that shirt off of the Disney Store online. I normally don't wear white shirt because I always get them dirty but I had to make an exception this time.

True, Disney water smell is awesome.

What a great morning! The crowds can definitely be intimidating at rope drop but it all worked out for you. Awesome "recreation" of your Camaro.

Great Daisy photos!

Living with the land is a must do for me. I love that they add some Christmas details to it.

That is a great monorail/SSE photo.

I love Rope Drop and know the crowds will disburse once inside the park. I think Mom might have finally gotten that after this day.

I was disappointed by the decorations in LWTL this time. There was only a small handful but maybe they just hadn't put everything up yet.

Thanks, that's one of my favorite shots from the trip.

I can think of a couple people who'd sure love to see you in Chicago!

I can too! I just got invited out there for the end of May for my Aunt's retirement party. But unfortunately I can't make it with work.

SO FUN! I love your nonchalant demeanor with the rope drop. HA!

Yes your pictures are blue it's the big BLUE world after all.. Geesh.

I've done rope drop often enough to know it would be fine and also knew I wasn't going to convince Mom otherwise till she saw it herself. No use arguing under those circumstances.

OK, you are right, Big Blue World it is!

 

[Pluto0809]

Lunch with the Fishes and Visiting the Future Part 1

Sorry for the long absence! Things got a bit crazy at work for a while plus Jim and I took a short trip to Williamsburg, VA. I planned on doing a small TR for that one but I was super lazy with photos and took only a handful. Basically we spent two days exploring historical Williamsburg and then one day at Busch Gardens where, despite some motion sickness issues, I managed to ride 5 of their 7 coasters.

When I left off ages ago, Mom and I had just finished up exploring the aquarium in the Seas building and were heading around the corner to our lunch ADR, Coral Reef.



I picked Coral Reef for our Candlelight Package for one main reason. It was pretty much the only restaurant that has an appetizer, main dish and dessert that I like. Besides, I love this restaurant and so does Mom. And she hadn’t been there since 2010.

We checked in at a podium outside of the restaurant and then the CM sent us into the lobby to wait. I love the lights here but I can never seem to get a great picture.



I was hoping to be down front by the aquariums but instead we ended up on the very top tier.



I thought I would be disappointed but it was actually nice to be a bit away from the windows. It gave us a panoramic view of the aquarium and we could see everything. I didn’t get any pictures but we really enjoyed watching the fish and other sea life swim by.

But of course I did get pictures of our food! First up were some yummy rolls.



For our appetizer, we both ordered the Creamy Lobster Soup. This soup is excellent and I always want to lick the bowl clean.



For her entrée, Mom got the Pan-Seared Verlasso Salmon which came with Mushroom Risotto and Baby Greens.



I got the Seared Mahi Mahi and subbed out the rice for Mashed Potatoes. It came with a Coconut Lime Sauce which I don’t like so I had them leave it off.



Our meals were delicious and we also had an awesome server. For dessert, we both got the Baileys and Jack Daniel’s Mousse. This is one of my favorite desserts in all of WDW so of course I enjoyed it this time too!



We left stuffed to the gills and very happy with our meal. It was now time for our final FP for Spaceship Earth so we headed that direction. And as usual, I took a picture or two.











For some reason when we got to our future, the pictures didn’t work so we ended up with two cartoon strangers instead of our heads.



We were now done with Future World and it was time to head back to the countries. First though, we stopped along the way to get our picture with Mom’s favorite guy. Unfortunately the wind was messing with my hair and these didn’t turn out so great.







There was one more stop we, or rather I, had to make before we headed to Canada. I had to see my favorite guy in all my Pluto Christmas gear!





Unfortunately I didn’t have my bag in the right position so you can’t really see the Pluto on it.





We stopped into the store right across from the Pluto meet and greet and I found these two guys to bring home.



Continued in Next Post

 

[Pluto0809]

Lunch with the Fishes and Visiting the Future Part 2

They are magnets and here’s Stitch hanging out back at our room later that night.



And here they are hanging out in my office on my lamp and file cabinet.





Mom almost bought the Goofy version but for some reason, he only had magnets in his hands and she didn’t like the way his feet dangled.

We headed to Canada next to do some more shopping. I took pictures of the new hockey shirts to send to Jim but he didn’t like any of them. Mom bought a night shirt and some notepads. We also spent some time in the UK stores but we didn’t buy anything nor did I take any pictures. My next picture is of this guy who was hanging out near the bridge to France.



I did take a picture of France and some of the Christmas decorations there while we were shopping.







This next one cracks me up because you can see more of me than you can of whatever is inside of that Christmas bulb.



We skipped over Morocco because neither of us is interested in the stores there and moved on to Japan. Mom bought a few things in the store including a couple of the little owls as gifts.

It was starting to rain a bit when we left Japan and we hurried on to America where we quickly browsed the store and used the restroom. It was almost 4 pm at this point and we needed to get in line for our Candlelight Processional which was at 5 pm.

We turned around and went back to Japan were we met up with Morgan and her gang again. We were all going to the same CP. Morgan’s husband Steve, her dad, Jim and her sister Sydney all got in line with me while Morgan backtracked to France to take the kids to see Aurora. Mom and my aunt Esther found a bench near Japan to sit for a while. Unfortunately while Mom was sitting there, the bag with her little owls tipped and one of them fell out. She thought it was OK but when she looked at it later that night, she noticed the beak was chipped.

Right around 4:45, they started letting everyone into the theater. Here’s where we ended up.



I took some pictures during the show but they are a bit blurry because I had to zoom.







Neil Patrick Harris was our narrator.





During the CP it rained again and I had to pull out some ponchos for Mom and me. The rain passed quickly and that was the end of it for that evening. I really enjoyed the CP again but I will admit I liked Jonathan Groff better as a narrator when I saw him two years previously, than I did Neil Patrick Harris. Jonathan was just so enthusiastic and got into the whole thing more than Neil. Maybe it was because it was his first time doing the CP and Neil has done it for many years.

After the show, Morgan wanted a picture of Mom and me with the kids. I’m not thrilled with my hair here, the rain had messed with it a bit.



We moved on to Italy as a group and stopped in the wine store. I don’t know what everyone else got but I had my usual Rosa Regale.



Up next was Germany where we shopped through the stores. I sent more t-shirt pictures to Jim but once again he didn’t like any of them. We spent some time in the glass store looking at rings with Sydney but she couldn’t decide and they all had to leave to use their last FP for the day which was for Frozen Ever After. I ended up buying a Mickey Steiff in the toy store.





We stopped in the China store where Mom bought a little wallet. She is obsessed with little wallets and change purses and buys one almost every time we go to Disney. I think she might have purchased a few in the Japan store too.

We weren’t overly hungry after our huge lunch but I knew we needed to use a CS meal credit or we would have some left over. So we skipped over Norway and Mexico and headed back to the UK for our favorite fish and chips. Here’s a horrible picture of them since it was pretty dark at this point.



We both got the Clementines for dessert and took them back to our room. I can’t remember if we ever did eat them.

We headed out of Epcot around 8 pm. We managed to get seats on the bus but then I noticed another Mother/Daughter pair get on the bus. I’m going to guess that they were about 10 years older than us which would put the Mom of that pair in her 70s. Well there was no way I was going to let her stand so I stood with the other daughter and let her have my seat. They were grateful and the two Mom’s chatted the whole way home.

We got back to our room in no time and turned out the lights around 10 pm. Here’s my Fitbit stats for the day.



And the pins I traded for.



I guess we also stopped in the lobby or maybe I got this at breakfast. I had to have my pressed penny from POP.



Up Next: Welcome One Last Time

 

[missangelalexis]

Your meals at Coral Reef look so delicious. It's still on my bucket list to go one trip!

Adorable pics with Pluto!

I love all the purchases you made, but especially the Mickey!