yakkin' yeti
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2008
- Messages
- 190
We had a wonderful time over Labor Day weekend -- despite the heat and the crowds -- and I just wanted to thank everyone for all the invaluable advice you gave. From finding the yummiest food to dodging the lines, we newbies were able to tour like vets. We didn't wait longer than 30-40 minutes for anything, including RSR.
Our visit started with a sprinkling of pixie dust: the DLH gave us a free upgrade to a pool view. Then, the ninth floor room had a broken soapdish, so they bumped us up to the 10th floor, where we had a fireworks view. It was just incredible. We loved the room -- even the little day bed was comfortable for our son once our friend arrived for the marathon. And for our maybe 10 minutes of inconvenience, the DLH gave us two No Strings Attached passes (good for everything except Carsland and World of Color).
Fantasmic was fabulous, despite the guy sitting in front of me in a standing section that I was afraid I was going to trip on and the two who put their princesses on their shoulders so that they created a seven-foot-tall wall. Loved the pirate boat with Peter Pan and Maleficent was awesome. And Steamboat Willie is a great finale.
The fried green tomato sandwiches at Hungry Bear were terrific and the chocolate bread pudding at Ralph Brennan's really is THAT good. It's also THAT rich: Even splitting it, we couldn't finish.
The folks at Catal couldn't have been nicer to me when I was dealing with heat exhaustion. They plied me with water and iced green tea and brought me plain rice pudding when it was the only thing on the menu I thought I could get down. It was the opposite of a snobby wine bar and I was so grateful. (My husband also said the squid stuffed with sausage and the charcuterie were terrific.)
Dole Whip floats, of course, are yummy on both coasts, as are smoothies by the pool. The DLH pool is terrific and we spent every afternoon cooling off.
My son could have happily trotted between Star Tours and Indy all day long, with the occasional ride on Big Thunder or Space Mountain, but he went on some of the Fantasyland rides to humor me. (I did have to threaten to have him wait in line to hug a princess to get him on Ariel in DCA, which was cute, but Mr. Toad was a blast from my past, as were Snow White and Peter Pan. We also really enjoyed Pinocchio.)
You definitely have the better Pirates, and we had a great time at Blue Bayou. My son and I split the salmon, which was delicious, and both of us had plenty to eat, and my husband loved the jambalaya. The Nemo subs are also much more fun than the Nemo ride at Epcot, we thought. (It helped that I was the last in and first off, so claustrophobia couldn't kick in.)
The fireworks were gorgeous from our room and from the park. (I may have gotten misty-eyed when Dumbo flew.)
Early entry was terrific: Two mornings we rode Radiator Springs, Luigi and Mater, and then one morning, we got to have the first ride on Soarin (top row!) and three rides in a row on TSMM. Loved Grizzly River Run and the Redwood Creek Challenge, and my thrill-seeking husband loved California Screamin.
Also made several trips to the Pig Cafe for Starbucks. Did not miss the Nescafe at all.
There were so many high points, I can't name them all. But my son was very clear that we need to go back again someday. I'd have to say I agree.
Our visit started with a sprinkling of pixie dust: the DLH gave us a free upgrade to a pool view. Then, the ninth floor room had a broken soapdish, so they bumped us up to the 10th floor, where we had a fireworks view. It was just incredible. We loved the room -- even the little day bed was comfortable for our son once our friend arrived for the marathon. And for our maybe 10 minutes of inconvenience, the DLH gave us two No Strings Attached passes (good for everything except Carsland and World of Color).
Fantasmic was fabulous, despite the guy sitting in front of me in a standing section that I was afraid I was going to trip on and the two who put their princesses on their shoulders so that they created a seven-foot-tall wall. Loved the pirate boat with Peter Pan and Maleficent was awesome. And Steamboat Willie is a great finale.
The fried green tomato sandwiches at Hungry Bear were terrific and the chocolate bread pudding at Ralph Brennan's really is THAT good. It's also THAT rich: Even splitting it, we couldn't finish.
The folks at Catal couldn't have been nicer to me when I was dealing with heat exhaustion. They plied me with water and iced green tea and brought me plain rice pudding when it was the only thing on the menu I thought I could get down. It was the opposite of a snobby wine bar and I was so grateful. (My husband also said the squid stuffed with sausage and the charcuterie were terrific.)
Dole Whip floats, of course, are yummy on both coasts, as are smoothies by the pool. The DLH pool is terrific and we spent every afternoon cooling off.
My son could have happily trotted between Star Tours and Indy all day long, with the occasional ride on Big Thunder or Space Mountain, but he went on some of the Fantasyland rides to humor me. (I did have to threaten to have him wait in line to hug a princess to get him on Ariel in DCA, which was cute, but Mr. Toad was a blast from my past, as were Snow White and Peter Pan. We also really enjoyed Pinocchio.)
You definitely have the better Pirates, and we had a great time at Blue Bayou. My son and I split the salmon, which was delicious, and both of us had plenty to eat, and my husband loved the jambalaya. The Nemo subs are also much more fun than the Nemo ride at Epcot, we thought. (It helped that I was the last in and first off, so claustrophobia couldn't kick in.)
The fireworks were gorgeous from our room and from the park. (I may have gotten misty-eyed when Dumbo flew.)
Early entry was terrific: Two mornings we rode Radiator Springs, Luigi and Mater, and then one morning, we got to have the first ride on Soarin (top row!) and three rides in a row on TSMM. Loved Grizzly River Run and the Redwood Creek Challenge, and my thrill-seeking husband loved California Screamin.
Also made several trips to the Pig Cafe for Starbucks. Did not miss the Nescafe at all.
There were so many high points, I can't name them all. But my son was very clear that we need to go back again someday. I'd have to say I agree.
