Team Renfroe's 2nd Trip Report - 1,500 pictures, dining reviews, and DISmeets!

[brookelizabeth]

I read your update yesterday, but am finally on long enough to comment! Real life getting in the way of DIS here!

Anyway-great update! The t-shirts look REALLY great! Did your family think you were slightly crazy for meeting that many people from an online community? DH thought I was a tad nutsy at first, but now he's all about the DIS meets!

I love Soarin' and Test Track-I can't wait to take Henry on Test Track when he gets bigger! He'll flip! Where is the picture taken on that ride? Is it in the "heat"?

Mission Space though Ugh...cannot do it. DH thought the intense side was nothing. He said the one at Kennedy Space Center was amazing though. I am sure I would have been beside myself!

I hear ya! You don't have to justify anything to me! Besides, Henry's not getting any younger, right?

YES, exactly! When people say "Again????" we always tell them all our reasons and follow it up with a "And Henry is still free!". We usually get a "Oooooh, good idea then!" back!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Oh man, now what to do??? Hmmmm

Alan, your photopass pictures are great! I love photopass!! It's great to get really good pictures with everyone in them!

The test track picture cracked me up with Wil sitting with his arms behind his head!! Loved it!

Looking forward to your Le Cellier review and of course the MMM!

Yeah, Wil is just too cool isn't he? Can you tell he's a 12-yr-old boy?

Le Cellier review is on the way.

Great pictures at test track. I look forward to your review of lunch LeCellier, my dh and I have reservations there in Sept. and I am worried about the limited menu at lunch.

I think it is cool that you can get the Test Track pictures scanned on your PhotoPass card. I wish you could do ALL rides like that....it would REALLY make PhotoPass worth more.

Oh, and worry not about the limited lunch menu. The best items are on there!

great start for a day at Epcot! I love the pictures of Epcot during the flower festival, it's so pretty! And Juliana and Stitch looked great together: lime green and blue

We love the flower & garden festival. It makes for some great pictures! Good call about Juliana's lime green shirt and Stitch's blue!

Opps do not know what happened. I can not wait to hear about the Kim Possible Mission this is all my nine year old daughter has talked about at Epcot.

The Kim Possible Mission is so cool! Your 9-yr-old daughter will love it!

Mission Space - I must say this was the worst experience of my life, took 2 days to get over it. I take my hat off to you all for doing it TWICE in a row!!

Can't wait to hear about Kim possible and the rest of your day. Many Thanks.

I've heard lots of people say they hated Mission Space. In fact, last year on our first trip, I was really dreading this ride. I must admit that I'm a little dizzy when I get off, but for the most part I really LOVE this ride!

great update as usual Alan!!!! Can't wait to read more!!!

Thanks! More on the way.

Love the meet tshirts! They are really cute.

I also love the pictures you took of Epcot, they came out really well.

I love Soarin', I could go to Epcot and just ride it over and over again.

Thanks, LL! I love Soarin' too - it is my favorite ride at Epcot. The rest of the family prefers Test Track. I like Test Track a lot, but I like Soarin' better.

What a great start to your day already---Soarin', Test Track, Mission Space, Club Cool---and of course, some really neat pictures

The day is off to a great start!! But did I mention how HOT is was getting?

Love love love Soarin!!! Hate hate HATE Mission Space!!!! I can do ToT and RnRC but I canNOT and will NOT every ride that again!!!! Seriously. Thought. I. Would. Die. HOnest.

Waiting anxiously for MMM and Le Cellier! Oh, and Kim Possible - my all time fave attraction in all of WDW now!!!!

Me too, Kara. I absolutely LOVE Soarin'! I could just sit back and ride that thing all day long. I can't believe you are a Mission Space hatah!! What's up with that?

Le Cellier is coming up next, followed by our fun with Kim Possible!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Hilarious, I love that pic of Wil with his arms behind his head in the TT pic. Mr Joe Cool! I bet he wasnt still sitting that way when that thing hit 50-something MPH! Also, mad props to you and Wil for riding the intense version of Mission Space. I just barely made it thru, I freaked on the intense version. Me, I'll stick to the less intense version.

Mr. Joe Cool!! That's exactly it!! From the picture, you would think he was just a thrill junkie board with Test Track....but he held on as tight as anyone going around thost hairpin curves!

Great Updat Alan!! My favorite is Soarin too !! and I love Club Cool!!!Didya try "Beverley"

Don't know if you knew this but you and Elizabeth are doing the "JO" pose on Test Track !!
Can't wait for the MMM!!!

Oh, we unknowingly stumbled upon the Beverly drink last year. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!! NEVER again!

Yeah, Elizabeth and I are cool like dat!

You've been in Epcot for just a short while and have already done our favorites. I always love it when we get to see/ride attractions first thing in the morning and with little or no wait!

We are big believer in getting to the parks early and riding things before the crowds get out of control. As you will read later in the day, this is the ONLY day that we didn't have a mid-day break...and I definitely paid the price.

I love your trip report!!! You are inspring me to write a trip report when I go in September!

Absolutely! You should DEFINITELY write one! They are a lot of fun, and it is a great way for you to chronicle the details about your trip.

Great update Alan, can't wait to hear all about the meet!

Thanks, Kathy! Le Cellier is next, then the meet.

hahah..i knew i really liked you and your family Boston is great!!

LOVE the EPCOT pics..Mission Space..you can have it!!!!!!

Oh, wait until you see our Boston hot dog!! I'll post pics soon. LOVE that city!

I can't believe we didn't see you guys early that day! I think maybe were we 5 minutes behind you doing the run for Soarin' and the riding test track etc.

That's too funny! All day long I kept looking around the park to see if I could find others with those lime green shirts on. We saw our first one around 1pm and it was Angela.

You all got a lot done before lunch. I love Soarin', but I haven't ridden Test Track in years. I will definitely have to do that next time. I love that final picture you posted.

Test Track is really awesome! My kids love getting the speed without the height of a roller coaster.

Oh, I really like that last picture also. That is such a picturesque area....especially during the Flower & Garden Festival.

I forgot when I posted earlier to mention that I know I'm in the minority here but I LOVE Mission Space (intense version)......

YAY! You rock, Kathy! Nothing like having your face blown into the back of your skull!! Woohoo!

Epcot is my favorite park! I haven't ridden Mission Space yet, but we are not doing the intense version. Some of us are prone to motion sickness, and since I am not in my much younger days, I don't recover nearly as fast. I am glad that you enjoyed it.

If you are prone to motion sickness, Mission Space can be a little rough. Also, I don't usually like tight spaces....but Mission Space didn't bother me at all. I would definitely recommend doing the less intense version first.

nope, our whole family loves it to pieces!

Yay!! Another MS junkie!

 

[alan_renfroe]

Boy, you do get allot done! I need to keep notes on how to tackle the parks. I have to admit, I've never done MS. I think I'll have to try the tame version. Can't wait for more!!

I think for anyone who hasn't experienced Mission Space, I would definitely recommend doing the less intense version first. The only real difference is the liftoff. On the intense version, the liftoff is simulated by spinning around. (You don't realize you are spinning....it feels as if you are lifting off.) At any rate, that is a pretty intense feeling.

If you notice, the ones who get a lot done hit the parks early with a plan to knock out the really big rides and then the rest is pure gravy. That's how they end up getting to spend time in the afternoon when it is so hot at the resort pools!

AMEN!!! That's our philosophy for sure. We can sleep in on our beach trips....but not at Disney!

You are not alone. It's the intense version all the way for us!

Woohoo! Hold on to your face and let's ride!

I am a self acclaimed Chicken and have No intention of trying either version !! At DHS my thrill ride is The Great Movie Ride !!!

Hahahaha.....nothing wrong with being a chicken, Rosie. The first time I did Mission Space, I was really nervous that I would be sick. Afterwards, I was ready to ride again!

Hi Alan, thanks again for bringing us all along. Fantastic pictures. Anxiously waiting for the Le Cellier review although, I can't get ANY reservations for dinner at Epcot on 09/28 for our upcoming trip Hope lot's of people have just doubled up ressies and will be cancelling before too long.

Love all kinds of rides myself but Mission Space did me and my DH in for several hours the one and only time we rode it. Only thing that helped was ice cream. If you've ever been to Vegas, did the Big Shot on top of the Stratosphere in the daytime and at night. But could not handle MS.

Thanks M & E! Sorry that you're having such a tough time with Le Cellier ressies. Our review is coming up.

Wow...you did the Big Shot on top of the Stratosphere, but Mission Space made you sick? I can understand - the Big Shot is a different kind of feeling. That spinning action on Mission Space and really make some people very queezy.

Waiting for an update !!!

Update on the way - I can't disappoint you, Rosie!

Oh Rosie, I love that ride too! Do you sing the off to see the wizard song? I am probably such a nuisance to everyone around me! I know all the movies in the preview too! I grew up in Southern California and movies (especially old ones) were my getaway from reality (we didn't have a phone - too poor but we had a small tv we bough at a swap meet!)! There was a channel (maybe channel 7?) that had a movie a week and they played it over and over so if you missed it you could catch it again and again! I loved those old things!

We have to do the Great Movie Ride. It is a must do at Hollywood Studios.

Love the shirts and we always do a silly pose for the TT photo too

Cool! If you know you're going to be photographed, why not pose for it, right?

Me TOO!!!! When I rode it the first time I rode twice in a row, I loved it so much!! I think it's incredible, it really does feel like you're in space! But I think TT wins for my favorite Epcot ride, because EVERYONE in my family will ride it and loves it, including Sean.

We're almost to the MMM on our thread, too! Hey- how's the hot dog business???

I agree, Ellen. I was skeptical about a ride that would simulate space travel, but I think Mission Space is totally realistic....especially the liftoff part. That lift off on the more intense version is definitely intense. I'm glad to hear that Sean rides it with no problems. I'll bet he loved it!

MMM is on the way. Oh, and the hot dog biz is coming along nicely. We should be open in about 2.5 weeks now. I am going to post some hot dog pictures.

I think Alan is busy wit Hot Dogs !!

Guilty as charged! As a reward for waiting on me, I'm going to post some hot dog pictures we've been working on for my upcoming web site.

Yeah, Alan, how is your work going to getting the hot dog business set up? We had hot dogs for dinner as a matter of fact! My favorite meal even if it isn't WW
Can't wait for the rest of your report and more pics.

It is going really well. We have all of our equipment in place, most of the painting and renovations have been done....now we're just working on asthetics and getting ready for our final health inspection.

 

[alan_renfroe]

I read your update yesterday, but am finally on long enough to comment! Real life getting in the way of DIS here!

Anyway-great update! The t-shirts look REALLY great! Did your family think you were slightly crazy for meeting that many people from an online community? DH thought I was a tad nutsy at first, but now he's all about the DIS meets!

I love Soarin' and Test Track-I can't wait to take Henry on Test Track when he gets bigger! He'll flip! Where is the picture taken on that ride? Is it in the "heat"?

Mission Space though Ugh...cannot do it. DH thought the intense side was nothing. He said the one at Kennedy Space Center was amazing though. I am sure I would have been beside myself!

YES, exactly! When people say "Again????" we always tell them all our reasons and follow it up with a "And Henry is still free!". We usually get a "Oooooh, good idea then!" back!

Yeah, real life is totally getting in the way of my DIS time! Especially with trying to work a full-time job and open a restaurant on the side!

Of course everyone thought we were crazy to want to meet strangers at Disney World....but if you get to know people on the DISboards, you kinda get a pretty good feel for who they are. The MMM was a BLAST!!! We met some great new friends!

I think the Test Track picture is made right before the car goes outside the building, if I remember correctly.

I am glad you all are getting to go back and get your money's worth out of those Annual Passes! Good for you!

 

[DiningPlanDevastator]

Thanks for the great trip report. I'm enjoying it thoroughly!

"Don't throw me down Clark!" -Aunt Bethany

Ready for the next update!

 

[alan_renfroe]

As funny as it may sound, we are working on photo shoots for our hot dogs! As many of you already know, Elizabeth and I are working on opening a hot dog restaurant in our hometown. Here are a few of our menu items:

The Original:

The Deep South (slaw dog):

The Chili/Cheese:

The Boston:

The Chicago:

The Philly:

The Memphis:

The German (Bratwurst):

And here is our little mascot, BIG FRANK!

Okay, we now return you to your regularly scheduled trip report. Just thought I would share!

Alan

 

[shannon47142]

the hot dogs look great!!! I like to have the chili/cheese and the Boston

 

[inkedupmomma]

OMG.. I am DYING for a chili cheese dog now!

 

[alan_renfroe]

After a productive morning of Juliana meeting Stitch, riding Test Track twice (except for me), Mission Space, and Soarin', it was now getting close to our lunch reservation at Le Cellier in the Canada Pavilion.

Our lunch reservations were for 11:35am. We arrived at about 11:25am and didn't realize that they didn't open until 11:30am.

Once the restaurant opened, all of the servers come out to the front area and sing "O Canada!" It was a pretty cool experience, and I thought it really added to the experience.

Le Cellier is small, dark, and cool....a great escape from such a LARGE theme park!

Our server's name was Chelsey. Honest to God, she looked JUST LIKE Chelsey Clinton!!! So it was EASY for me to remember her name! She was from Saskatchiwan (sp?), and she was an outstanding server - very friendly and attentative.

We browsed the menus:

Chelsey brought us a bread basket. We LOVE the pretzel bread!

Since Le Cellier is the only place that I know of inside the U.S. to get a Moosehead on draft, I decided to treat myself to one:

I realized afterwards that I probably should have just stayed with water. It was really starting to get hot outside and I could have used the hydration. That being said, the Moosehead was wonderful!

Since I have a lot of pictures from our meal, I will post our Le Cellier review in the next chapter.

Alan

 

[reelmom]

How far from Atlanta are you? We might just have to take a trip to eat some hotdogs.

 

[Jeanine3kids]

Really enjoyed your Hot Dog pics the original looks great I also love Le Cellier unfortunately we won't be going there this time since we are on the quick serve dining plan we leave in 18 days

Jeanine

 

[Bibbidi]

Alan, The hot dogs look great! Your photos are wonderful. It's obvious that you are both putting a great effort into your new business venture. Wish we weren't so far away--I'd love to try one of your hot dogs!

 

[ckdsnynt]

after seeing all those yummy hot dogs, I think we should all get in our cars and drive to seer new endeavor Alan (all of us within driving distance anyway)!

 

[onejellyshelly]

Hopefully the Chick Fil A was good. My cousin owns that one in Tifton!

 

[jmamom]

Oh, I have to comment on the hot dogs. My DD (12) is the world's biggest hot dog lover and her dream would be to open a hot dog restaurant! I think yours will do a lot better than hers would - she doesn't believe a hot dog should be served with anything other than ketchup - anything else would just "ruin" it. I loved that you named on after my city - Boston!

 

[stepdisney]

Okay, WHERE is the Jersey/Coney Island dirty water dog? Jersey dogs with home fries or cheez whiz like at the windmill at the board walk!!!!! Can ya tell that I LOVE my dogs?? Can't wait for the Le Cellier review.

 

[englishrose47]

First I want one of them tha hot dawgs with beans on'em !!!

LeCellier is neat !! Can't wait for the review !!!

 

[micandminforever]

The hots dogs looked great next time were are visiting in Oxford, we will have to try a hot dog for lunch once your business gets going.

 

[Paula R Johns]

Love the pictures of the Hot Dogs. Especially the chili cheese dog. I have been going back and reading your first trip report and I have really enjoyed it. Le Cellier looked so yummy in those pictures. I tried to get reservations but did not happen. So instead we are going to Akershus, I am sure my daughter will love that so much better.