The ABCs of a New 'Ohana Adventure-G is for: Greetings From Teppan, Good-Byes, and Good News!!! - COMPLETED 1/7

[Steppesister]

Yep, that will be painful but hopefully worth it. You guys are going to have a long day!

Yes! Ouch! I'll let you know how that goes.

I love the theming of the Maharaja Jungle Trek but I have rotten luck and the tigers are always snoozing in some hard to see corner so therefore I have to give the edge to Gorilla Falls. The gorillas are always up to something and I love the landscaping. I'm also a big meerkat fan and could watch them endlessly.

I do too, and agree about the lazy tigers. LOL! The gorillas are super fun to watch and like you I could stare at the meerkats for a very long time. I always have to apologize to the people I might be with when I'm there. They're just so cute!

 

[Steppesister]

Hi Liesa!

I thought I joined in this fun already but apparently I hadn't!

Hi Kelly!! It's super awesome to here! YAY!!! No one is ever "late" on a Steppe Report and honestly this is just the PTR... the real stuff is not even started.

Your kids are adorable, I don't think I've ever sen pics of them!

They sure are! I love them to pieces!

Your plans sound fun! I'm excited for you getting to see SWGE so soon and having all your DIS-meets

It's going to be a blast!!! I'm soooooooooo excited to see @chunkymonkey and Steve, @Malia78 and, Fran and @franandaj again! We have some super fun stuff cooked up for my short visit.

Gorilla Falls! And I think you know my reason…baby gorillas

That was such a fun time with you getting to see Baby Grace! She was so incredibly adorable!

TOL Awakening, although I still haven't actually seen ROL yet. I just can't seem to get excited about it.

You're not missing much. While pretty with lots of visual, it's still... meh.

 

[Steppesister]

Anything with alcohol! LOL! Just kidding. I am a fan of anything with seafood or cheese...

LOL! There seems to be tons of cheesy ones this year with several charcuteries or fondue type things. As for seafood? Shrimp seems to be the go-to for the kiosks. A 4 oz pour of $8 booze to go with it?

 

[Jenny Sanders]

A 4 oz pour of $8 booze to go with it?

Umm, yeah! Nothing like overpriced booze at Disney...

 

[Steppesister]

G is for: Going the Distance at F&W- Day 4​

I do apologize for the rapid-fire updating, but truth be told, this is Countdown Day 19, I have 7 days left to write about, I have literally 4 days off, or free, until we leave on Sept 13th, including Labor Day with a quick trip to DLR to boot, and I'm too tired after work to write. I also have other topics I want to tell you about. That means the writing will be sub-par, even more so than normal. So, with the Music Loop of EPCOT FW on for inspiration…onto Day 4!

AK closes at 9:00PM (I love how they adjusted the AK hours for an hour later than the normal 8PM closing and guess it is to accommodate the overflow of folks who have their sanity intact and will flee from any close proximity to DHS) so we’ll be in bed by 10:00. Hopefully my Ambien-induced slumber will get me to the very reasonable hour of an 8AM wakey-wakey so we can be at EPCOT for a 9:20 TT FiP. I didn’t factor in an hour at Bag Check, but probably should have. It’s like they TRY to make their guests cranky before they enter the park. On the other hand, I’m still holding out hope for the Skyliner to be running and that’d cut out some of that nonsense.

Speaking of EPCOT’s entrance, y’all know that a LOT of EPCOT, including the entrance is going to be going through a ton of changes, right? September 8th is the closing date for bunches of stuff including the Fountain of Nations ( ), the Camera store (anyone need a tripod ( ), and The Art of Disney which will relocate to the American Pavilion, and will finally put something (anything!) worthwhile in that space. Which means our trip is AFTER most of these changes happen. It also means some of the territory is going to be newly charted waters for me. I really hate delays because I have no clue where I'm going. On the one hand, I'm elated that EPCOT in general is getting some VERY badly needed updating.

Here’s a good reference for all the changes coming up.

https://wdwprepschool.com/epcot-updates/

While it’s not a must-do for me, one of my kids’ favorites is to stop and briefly watch the Jammitors. For F&W, they become the Jammin’ Chef’s I believe, so if we run into them, we’ll enjoy them for a bit before our FiPs for M:S and SE.

(Not my photo.)​

As I said, not much holds my attention in FW anymore so we’ll probably head off to WS pretty quickly where deliciousness awaits. Who remembers when Innoventions East and West were amazing with the Garbage games, and when you could make a Velcro frog, and play?!? I miss that.

Today we’ll head clockwise ending in Japan for a Teppan Edo ADR. I hope that there will be plenty of F&W snacking throughout the day, but not so much that it’ll ruin dinner. Speaking of which, I am pretty sure we’ll be splitting 2 entrees between the 4 of us. With an extra order of fried rice (called ‘beef rice’ there) or Tempura it should be ample. Plus, it’s EMH and desserts await just outside the door, no?

Yes, the kids are telling me that they indeed do want to stay and close the park down, and I’m sure hoping the lines will be short. If they are, I can see Crush, Nemo, Figment, and Soarin’ or TT on the docket. I can also see this mom beginning to fade out and am leaving the option of a possible early exit open. 5:45AM comes all too soon.

Must-do’s for Day 4- 1) Continue my Shop-Around-the-World; 2) Finish the Hide and Squeak Hunt; 3) See the China movie; 4) Do a sake tasting with my 21s+ kids

Steppe’s answer to last chapter’s YOUR TURN Question…

I prefer the Maharaja Trek a bit more if only for the artwork and theming of it. The murals tell an elaborate story of a maharaja who used this area as a hunting reserve. After he was killed in a hunting accident, his family of successive maharajas turned it into an animal sanctuary, but each of the 4 had a vice of some sort (debauchery, greed, and soforth) that is depicted. I’ve lost my Imagineering Guide, but I’m pretty sure that’s the backstory. I love the bats and the Aviary is pretty incredible with loads of very colorful birds. Photographing the whole Trek is right up my alley.

​

As for the nighttime offerings at AK, I love to find a place to sit near the TOL and simply watch. It’s a nice way to wind down and just enjoy before heading out. By then, my feet are killing me and I, for one, find the walk out of AK the longest of them all; breaking it up is nice. Pandora at night is truly amazing, but I’ve done it a few times now, (and will again with the kids) so I guess this question, too, is an “I like both.”



Now it’s YOUR turn: What are your World Showcase traditions? First: Your favorite WS restaurant and, secondly, what non-food-related thing do you love to do? Pick-a-pearl? A certain show or attraction? A particular photo op?

 

[docsoliday1]

Are you hoarding the pixie dust?

After all the pixie dust you got, I hope you were looking in the mirror when you typed that.

Honestly not sure... thinking I might change things up a bit after this

Interesting. Hopefully you will expound on this

DHS is an entirely different animal, and I HATE what they've done to how you have to tour that park,

HS is one of my least favorite parks even though I am a SW fan. The march they do so often disrupts the ONE way to get back and forth...hate it! Now they're making the FPs more restrictive...nope. i went to the SWGE preview and really enjoyed it, but not sure I would fight the crowds for it.

Ride the one or two rides you can, and jet out. SWGE may change that since it's new,

Hope you enjoy it. Will be looking forward to hearing your review

AM looking forward to finally seeing Frozen Sing Along)

I didn't like the movie that much (except Olaf), but the show is fun.

Better than Gaston's IMHO.

Yes and no for me...
Yes for flavor
No for texture...like the soft of Gaston's better

 

[buzzrelly]

I'm really excited about all the changes coming to EPCOT, but like you, I hope it's not a mess in the meantime!

The only WS thing that we do that's even close to a tradition is stopping at Les Halles Otherwise, it really depends on the day and our moods

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I didn’t factor in an hour at Bag Check, but probably should have. It’s like they TRY to make their guests cranky before they enter the park.

That Epcot bag check is the worst. Hope the new entrance makes that go much more smoothly.

Speaking of EPCOT’s entrance, y’all know that a LOT of EPCOT, including the entrance is going to be going through a ton of changes, right? September 8th is the closing date for bunches of stuff including the Fountain of Nations ( ), the Camera store (anyone need a tripod ( ), and The Art of Disney which will relocate to the American Pavilion, and will finally put something (anything!) worthwhile in that space. Which means our trip is AFTER most of these changes happen. It also means some of the territory is going to be newly charted waters for me. I really hate delays because I have no clue where I'm going. On the one hand, I'm elated that EPCOT in general is getting some VERY badly needed updating.

Did you see all of the announcements from D23 yesterday? Enough to make your head spin. On the one hand, I did feel like Epcot needed some serious work on our last visit. On the other hand, I'm sad to see the idea of Future World going away forever. That was what made me fall in love with Epcot as a kid so many years ago.

While it’s not a must-do for me, one of my kids’ favorites is to stop and briefly watch the Jammitors.

Always fun.

As I said, not much holds my attention in FW anymore so we’ll probably head off to WS pretty quickly where deliciousness awaits.

I'd have been happier if they had left Soarin' and Mission: Space alone. The older versions were better. And get off my lawn!

Now it’s YOUR turn: What are your World Showcase traditions? First: Your favorite WS restaurant and, secondly, what non-food-related thing do you love to do? Pick-a-pearl? A certain show or attraction? A particular photo op?

My favorite restaurant was Le Cellier until they changed it to a froo-froo place. Now it's probably Via Napoli. I wouldn't mind trying more of them, though. I like to just wanted and take in the details and theming of each country. I loved watching my kids do the spy missions, too. I thought it was really clever how the Imagineers hid so many things in plain sight.

 

[Steppesister]

After all the pixie dust you got, I hope you were looking in the mirror when you typed that.

I confess, it was certainly a trip full of really nice surprises and magic!

Interesting. Hopefully you will expound on this

In time...

HS is one of my least favorite parks even though I am a SW fan. The march they do so often disrupts the ONE way to get back and forth...hate it! Now they're making the FPs more restrictive...nope. i went to the SWGE preview and really enjoyed it, but not sure I would fight the crowds for it.

We don't have a choice. We missed previews and it's too much $$$ to fly back for just that.

Hope you enjoy it. Will be looking forward to hearing your review

I'm glad I get a sneak peek at DLR the weekend before!

I didn't like the movie that much (except Olaf), but the show is fun.

I liked it, but didn't need to watch it ad nauseum.

Yes and no for me...
Yes for flavor
No for texture...like the soft of Gaston's better

I can see that.

 

[Steppesister]

I'm really excited about all the changes coming to EPCOT, but like you, I hope it's not a mess in the meantime!

I've been reading about all of them, and there are A LOT, but I fear it's one of those situations in which it's going to get worse, possibly much worse, before it gets better.

The only WS thing that we do that's even close to a tradition is stopping at Les Halles Otherwise, it really depends on the day and our moods

I get that too. WS holds enough "stuff" to make it different every trip.

 

[Steppesister]

That Epcot bag check is the worst. Hope the new entrance makes that go much more smoothly.

I wouldn't count on that.

Did you see all of the announcements from D23 yesterday? Enough to make your head spin. On the one hand, I did feel like Epcot needed some serious work on our last visit. On the other hand, I'm sad to see the idea of Future World going away forever. That was what made me fall in love with Epcot as a kid so many years ago.

I did! Some look interesting. Some are a massive disappointment. I agree 100%. I loved that it was a park to explore and LEARN! A million years ago when I was a kid, one of my favorite places was in Tomorrowland- an area run by Bell Telephone. It had lots of exhibits about communication and phones and I loved to go in there and play around with the interactive stuff.

I'd have been happier if they had left Soarin' and Mission: Space alone. The older versions were better. And get off my lawn!

Believe it or not, I even enjoyed Ellen's once in a while. Why not update, instead of gut? Add instead of change?

My favorite restaurant was Le Cellier until they changed it to a froo-froo place. Now it's probably Via Napoli. I wouldn't mind trying more of them, though. I like to just wanted and take in the details and theming of each country. I loved watching my kids do the spy missions, too. I thought it was really clever how the Imagineers hid so many things in plain sight.

And I think you enjoy EPCOT as it's meant to be. Wandering, finding the details, etc....

 

[Steppesister]

H is for: Happiest Place on Earth- Day 5​

I think my kids are going to very much regret their decision to close down EPCOT the night before. But it is very possible that by this time in the trip they’ll have come to their senses and be begging to get to bed early because 5:30AM is going to really be painful on Day 5. But that’s what you gotta do to be at MK at 6:30 for a 7:00 EMH RD.


I miss the train making the opening entrance, but that won’t dampen our spirits as we are herded to 7DMT and begin our day there. Our plan of attack for EMH after that is PP and Pooh (hopefully that will have happened before we get in the park too), and whatever else in Fantasyland we can knock off, then head to Tomorrowland for Buzz, Laugh Floor, and our FiP for SM. After that… who knows. We have FiPs for BTMRR and Splash before 1:00, but the in-between stuff will have to just come as it does. No plan after 11:00 or so, except lunch at Pecos since we’ll be in that area. It helps that none of my “kids” are into character meets or shopping, which leaves plenty of time to hit up rides. At some point, my son will probably launch off on his own to play Sorcerers, and the girls and I might take in a round or two of A Pirate’s Adventure. It’s pretty entertaining and helps one to see some of the finer details of the area.

​

If you’re unfamiliar with this HERE is a good tutorial.

https://www.disneylists.com/2016/12...adventure-treasures-seven-seas-magic-kingdom/

​

I imagine the day will go very quickly and around 1:00 we have one major decision to make. Today is our party day, and we’ll have to choose whether to leave the park and brave the bus system to return to our room for an afternoon break to change into our costumes and have a little decompress or, take our costumes and store them in a locker that morning and change at the park. (<< How’s that for an impressive run-on sentence?!) Seriously!! This shouldn’t be such a tough decision, but it is!!! The potential of a colossal waste of time and no rest or nap to show for it or, a massive burnout at 9:00 that night because of too many days of burning the candle at both ends. I just don’t know!!!! The buses can, and often do, take up to and hour or more of roundtrip travel time and I’d like to be back at the park by 4:00. Comments? Thoughts?

I’ll save our party plans for another post later on… there’s an art to tackling a hard ticket party.


Must-do’s for Day 5: 1) Ride 7DMT; 2) Make the right decision about leaving the park or not; 3) Not rupture a cervical disc on SM; 4) Not vomit on the puke cups; 5) Try a Breakfast waffle at Sleepy Hollow; 6) A Peter Pan Float

Not my photo.​

Steppe’s Answer to Last Chapter’s YOUR TURN Question:

I have had a long-running tradition of a Shop-Around-the-World game I created for myself that I love to do each time I go. I’ll use another post after this series to go into more detail, but that is something I do consistently. Other things I try very hard to make sure I do are hearing Voices of Liberty, finding a few silly photos with Pavilion-specific props, and seeing the France show.

Now, it’s YOUR TURN!

Do you take afternoon breaks and if so (or not) does it depend on whether you have/had little ones along? Do you find you really do recharge if you do? My bus luck stinks so I can count on a 30-minute wait each way. I hate to burn up an hour plus walking time!

 

[franandaj]

OK after my last quote your PTR is going to take a few days of one at a time updates.. I have a baked potato that is ready, some asparagus I need to steam, and some skirt steak that need grilling. I doubt I will be back here tonight. Food coma.

Just to make it official, travel dates are Sept. 13th-29th.

That's a long time to be gone. Then again you don't have 16 cats.

That way, when I get back on Sept. 29th, we can dive right in.

Well sort of.

Give or take a week or so to settle back in and unpack. You might laugh at that, but I traveled a few weeks ago and my suitcase it literally still in the car.

See just when you get settled and back, I'll be leaving!

When I got my apartment last year, a 3rd story view seemed like a good idea.

Without an elevator, I'm never thinking 3rd floor is a good idea!

Of COURSE, feel free to interact, intermingle, interject, toss your own stories in, or sit back and be a party pooper… totally up to you. So, do any of the above and… YMMV.

I always interact, it's no fun otherwise!

I can’t even count how many times I’ve “introduced myself” here on the DIS. I go back to approximately the Stone Ages of DISBoarding, before the giant blowout of 2008,

I joined in 2009 so I missed all that.

My real life name is Liesa and I live in Salem, Oregon. While I tolerate it, my kids live here so I put up with it until I can re-locate at some point. To where, I do not know, but traveling nursing is something I would be very interested in looking more into.

That's an interesting concept of traveling nursing, but I can see you doing that if all your kids scatter when they are done with HS.

Very cool picture!

What is one Disney Restaurant you try to do EVERY trip

Well for WDW 1900 Park Fare, you know why! At DL there is really not any one since we try to do all kinds of different places.

what is one you have tried but was a One and Done for you?

I'm not sure there is one. No place has been bad enough for me to say we aren't going back, but some have not been as magical as others, they don't come to mind just now.

A is for: And This Is US- Pg. 1

B is for: But, When are you Going?- Pg. 2

C is for: Cabins, Chateaus, Casitas, or Cabanas? Pg. 8

D is for: Diving Into Disney; Day 1- Pg. 9

E is for: Exploring AK and EPCOT; Day 2- Pg. 10

F is for: FINALLY! SWGE and Finding Adventure; Day 3- Pg. 11

G is for: Going the Distance at F&W; Day 4- Pg. 12

Ugh. It will be a while before I get back for all of these updates!

 

[Steppesister]

OK after my last quote your PTR is going to take a few days of one at a time updates.. I have a baked potato that is ready, some asparagus I need to steam, and some skirt steak that need grilling. I doubt I will be back here tonight. Food coma.

Mmm! Sounds like my dinner last night. Ribeye, green beans and baker.

That's a long time to be gone. Then again you don't have 16 cats.

Easy to pick up and leave from an apartment.

See just when you get settled and back, I'll be leaving!

Passsing in the night. But, the weekend before oughtta be pretty fun!

Without an elevator, I'm never thinking 3rd floor is a good idea!

The climb isn't magical, but the view is worth it!

I always interact, it's no fun otherwise!

That is correct!! It's just more fun when there's discussion and banter.

I joined in 2009 so I missed all that.

Be glad.

That's an interesting concept of traveling nursing, but I can see you doing that if all your kids scatter when they are done with HS.

I can too! Best of both worlds!

Well for WDW 1900 Park Fare, you know why! At DL there is really not any one since we try to do all kinds of different places.

Yes... hehe, I do.

I'm not sure there is one. No place has been bad enough for me to say we aren't going back, but some have not been as magical as others, they don't come to mind just now.

That's a good thing!

Ugh. It will be a while before I get back for all of these updates!

And that's okay! It's a PTR and you'll have plenty of time while I'm gone.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

On the one hand, I'm elated that EPCOT in general is getting some VERY badly needed updating.

I’m going to be lazy and copy a post I made in the Dads thread, but I thought you might find it interesting.

I’m happy to see Epcot getting some attention. It’s really lost it’s place over the last few years. I am actually ok with losing Future World. It’s so hard to keep up with that kind of theme. I just hope the new areas really do get a cohesive theme. The Mary Poppins ride is interesting and past due since it was in the original plans. I still haven’t figured out where the Moana attraction is going. I was thinking Imagination was getting an overhaul but maybe not. I was a bit surprised that no new pavilion was announced since Brazil has been rumoured for a couple years now.

Who remembers when Innoventions East and West were amazing with the Garbage games, and when you could make a Velcro frog, and play?!? I miss that.

I have to confess that I don’t think I ever walked into Innoventions when it was in this form.

What are your World Showcase traditions? First: Your favorite WS restaurant and, secondly, what non-food-related thing do you love to do? Pick-a-pearl? A certain show or attraction? A particular photo op?

Well if you remember my girls and their love of Princess meets, Epcot is the key to ticking off a bunch of these. It will be interesting to see what I do when the meets aren’t top priority.
We’ve almost always had a family picture by the fountain in France. So that’s a bit of a tradition too.

The buses can, and often do, take up to and hour or more of roundtrip travel time and I’d like to be back at the park by 4:00. Comments? Thoughts?

Tough choice but I would go back for a break. When I did the party I planned no park time that day and just did Disney Springs in the morning.

Do you take afternoon breaks and if so (or not) does it depend on whether you have/had little ones along? Do you find you really do recharge if you do?

When we did trips in April and October we generally did not take breaks. The August heat took the good out of us and we went back nearly every day, despite the four hours it ate up. But we really did feel refreshed after. We just lay in the room, maybe napped, and cooled down in the AC.

 

[Steppesister]

I’m going to be lazy and copy a post I made in the Dads thread, but I thought you might find it interesting.

I’m happy to see Epcot getting some attention. It’s really lost it’s place over the last few years. I am actually ok with losing Future World. It’s so hard to keep up with that kind of theme. I just hope the new areas really do get a cohesive theme. The Mary Poppins ride is interesting and past due since it was in the original plans. I still haven’t figured out where the Moana attraction is going. I was thinking Imagination was getting an overhaul but maybe not. I was a bit surprised that no new pavilion was announced since Brazil has been rumoured for a couple years now.

I am too! And yes, that is actually a good perspective. Maybe with less specific themes such as Celebration, Nature and Discovery (called 'Neighborhoods' ) will be more manageable to keep updated or rotating with exhibits. I'm loving the M.P addition as I sadly miss GMR over at HS! One of my top 3 Disney movies! As for no new WS pavillion being announced: most bitter pill to swallow.

I have to confess that I don’t think I ever walked into Innoventions when it was in this form.

Bummer! There was some fun stuff to do in there.

Well if you remember my girls and their love of Princess meets, Epcot is the key to ticking off a bunch of these. It will be interesting to see what I do when the meets aren’t top priority.
We’ve almost always had a family picture by the fountain in France. So that’s a bit of a tradition too.

I think it's going to look very different for you! Like trying some of the restaurants they are excited about? Seeing the movies, browsing the shops...

Tough choice but I would go back for a break. When I did the party I planned no park time that day and just did Disney Springs in the morning.

I'm thinking I may have regretted my choice here doing all day, but it's our first time in MK and we'll not want to squander any time. It always goes so quickly.

When we did trips in April and October we generally did not take breaks. The August heat took the good out of us and we went back nearly every day, despite the four hours it ate up. But we really did feel refreshed after. We just lay in the room, maybe napped, and cooled down in the AC.

I'm really hoping Sept won't be quite as bad. May just about killed me and I found myself back at the resort at least twice cooling down.

https://www.tampabay.com/weather/florida-got-hot-in-may-like-record-breaking-hot-20190607/

 

[Cloe Colton]

That will be a heck of a long day if you don't take a break! Maybe uber to and from CR instead of waiting for buses? I also hate waiting for buses but that day sounds kind of exhausting!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[franandaj]

I agree with your reasons for wanting to visit at that time as well! Trying to catch up without posting after each update. I'm having to do this from my phone and it's such a PITA that after you post, you go to the last page. Then you have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to hit Previous, and then you have to do it all again. With like 15 pages to catch up, just no.

Also reading your convo with Glenbo, when people find out that you are not seated at the Cantina, they may cancel. Most of the bar is SRO, and you are standing with other parties. We have always been seated, but that's because Fran can't stand for 45 minutes.

I see you're having questions regarding Prime Time. I think the servers gauge how interested you and your party are in shenanigans. But the fried chicken there is so good! It's not the place to go if you're wanting to be super healthy though, I already know we're getting onion rings, fried chicken, probably a milk shake, and maybe even dessert. We have the Cantina afterwards.

Dont forget you'll be going to SWGE in less than 2 weeks and getting a chance to ride MF:SR there! Plus you will see all the artistry when you go at DL.

I hadn't read about all the changes, but I guess I'm just going to be surprised by some of them!

All this talk of Teppan Edo and now I want Teppan Yaki. We have a pretty good place near the house. Shabu Shabu with you, Teppan Yaki too, not necessarily with you ,but I see it sometime in the near future!

You are rather ambitious to rope drop on a party day! I have a much different plan for our party day and it involves relaxing in the room for the morning!

Answering your questions....

It's difficult to choose a favorite resort. We pretty much only stay at DVCs. I love OKW for the HUGE jacuzzi tub. Also Boardwalk, Boulder Ridge, and SSR because of their tubs. I like Kidani and BLT cause their one bedrooms have two bathrooms. I like Beach Club for its proximity to Epcot. The Poly is cool, but one can't always stay in a Bungalow, their studios are better than most, but I wouldn't want to spend a week in one. I need to give the GF another shot.

You know what? My favorite is the Grand Californian! I love the woodwork, the two bathrooms, the tub! That's my favorite!

First day traditions? Fran takes a nap, and I get a bath! We are usually so tired when we arrive that all we can do is eat something and get settled in the room. We've done all kinds of things from bring dinner in our suitcases to going out for food, or ordering something from the grocery delivery service. This next trip, we are going to get dinner at the airport before getting on DME.

That's what makes me feel like we're in Disney. Getting on DME. What's gonna be weird this trip is I will not be taking DME back home. Still trying to work out if we do a Mears shuttle or rent a car for the rest of the trip.

I'm not sure we have any DTD must dos. There are several restaurants there I enjoy, but I dont think there is any one thing I have to do.

As far as F&W, I tend to love the chocolate cake at Ireland, but recently the berry waffle in Belgium has become a favorite. As far as savories that favorite switches every year I go. There is always something new and tasty that i enjoy. As far as disappointments, I dont remember any. I guess i try to put those out of my mind!

I prefer the Maharajah Trek because, well, Tigers!

As far as food traditions, we always get goodies from Karamel Kuche to enjoy in the room and sometimes once we get home. And we always get a margarita from the stand. We haven't been to the new one yet so maybe in October.

Favorite restaurant is a difficult one. I really like Spice Road Table, but I also really like Chefs de France. Via Napoli is good too, but I'd rate the other two higher.

We rarely do rope drop so when we go back to the room we haven't been in the park very long, but yes we usually go back to the room. That is unless we relax in the room until after noon!

There! All caught up!

 

[afwdwfan]

Some will not be at Disney, but I am saving a bit for undisclosed locations

Undisclosed? Area 51????

I am going through some personal issues that are best left off of a public forum; I guess I’m one of those old-fashioned chicks who thinks it’s better to leave some things in the company of a close few.

I can totally relate and understand. Whatever it may be, I wish you my best!

What is one Disney Restaurant you try to do EVERY trip and what is one you have tried but was a One and Done for you?

One that I want to and do try to do every trip is Via Napoli. We love the pizza there, and honestly, if you go in and share a pizza rather than order separate entrees, it is probably the most affordable table service meal you're going to find in the parks.

It's hard to come up with a "one and done." Most of them that I've done once, while they maybe didn't knock my socks off, I don't have any that I consider and say "nope." However, two of our past, recent, frequent dining restaurants have fallen enough that I'd be fine not going back again. I want to go with the obvious one that you might remember reading about in my TR, but there's another one I'm even less likely to want to return to... Cinderella's Royal Table.

Luckily, the school that Anara goes to starts in very late September and we could go then, after the weather is just a couple degrees cooler, and when we’d get to do a Party, and when the crowds would be substantially thinner. Plus… Food and Wine. Need I say more?

I'm sold!

What was your favorite resort you’ve stayed and why? And what is a little hidden secret or piece of advice you can share about it?

Deluxe - Wilderness Lodge - Worth the trip to visit it in the winter. Feels so welcoming.
Mod - Port Orleans Riverside - Short walk over to POFQ for your beignets
Value - Art of Animation - Nothing like swimming at the Cozy Cone!

The construction, or tail end of it anyway, could mar the beauty and tranquil feeling I hope to find there.

Based on what we experienced with the construction in July, I wouldn't even worry about it.

The distance to AK which is the only park we’re going to while staying there. Yes, bad planning on my part.

Yeah, bad planning!

Do you have an arrival day tradition or what is the thing you look forward to doing first and why? In other words, what gives you that feeling of, “I’m finally in Disney!”

I can't say that we do. We've handled arrival day a number of different ways, but MK is always our first park day, regardless, so I guess that feeling of I'm finally in Disney happens when we walk under the train station since it no longer happens when we see the train roll in loaded with characters.

And now.... your turn! What is your favorite thing to do or place to go at DTD?

Jock Lindsey's

Word to the wise: line up at 6:15 at security for a 6:30 tapstile entry to the Pandora holding area, and a 7:00, or just before, entry to the actual FOP queue.

It is NOT for the weak or faint-hearted. If you cannot jog, risk being jostled, have a short temper, or are claustrophobic, sit this out. No really. It was terrifying. I won’t do it again alone but will once with my kids.

This looks kind of familiar... Hmmm...

The good news is, you can link arms with the kids across the walkway and make a human chain!

I do enjoy TT but am sad that the better theming was replaced.

Soarin’ is a joke now (quite literally)

Nemo is, at best, a good nap location.

This is a new place for me and, while I’m quite aware of its spectacularly mixed reviews, I am mostly going there for the theming and the simple fact that I’ve not done it before. I have heard that the service is beyond sucky, and the food is at best mediocre, but how often does one get to eat anything by a Disney-real volcano with boats floating by, or under a faux twilight sky?

I actually like it there, although it has been quite a few years since we've been. Like probably more than 10. So my opinion is likely irrelevant.

Have you been to the Food and Wine Festival?

Nope

And more importantly, how can I design my car to beat my son?

Ok, you've kind of got to pick 2 categories to really go for. I think it is 4... power, capability, response and efficiency. You need to shoot for a high score on 2 of them, a mediocre score on one, and just sacrifice the 4th. You can't be good in all. Pick your 1 or 2 to focus on and pick every piece that maxes your score there... For example, a wider wheel base helps with capability and in some cases, response. When you add pieces on to the body, pay attention to what stats each piece boosts or hurts. Some things might be a +1 for power, but if you scroll through, you might find something else that is a +3, so go with the bigger one.

Hopefully my flabby thighs won’t create too much of a seismic disturbance as we trot to the newly opened Land and make it onto MF without too much injury or incident.

Now that I just realized what the abbreviation for Millennium Falcon is...

Which trail do you prefer- Maharaja or Gorilla Falls? And why?

Maharaja because tigers.

I didn’t factor in an hour at Bag Check, but probably should have. It’s like they TRY to make their guests cranky before they enter the park.

Bag check is a killer! Always factor it in! It will bite you in the rear if you don't!

What are your World Showcase traditions? First: Your favorite WS restaurant and, secondly, what non-food-related thing do you love to do? Pick-a-pearl? A certain show or attraction? A particular photo op?

Favorite WS restaurant - Via Napoli
Non-food thing - Just wander the showcase. Honestly, that's pretty basic, but we'll spend a few hours just strolling around taking in the sights and that's all I need...

I miss the train making the opening entrance

Do you take afternoon breaks and if so (or not) does it depend on whether you have/had little ones along? Do you find you really do recharge if you do? My bus luck stinks so I can count on a 30-minute wait each way. I hate to burn up an hour plus walking time!

Yikes... well, we try and we'd like to. Honestly, it takes so much time!!!! You have to factor in around an hour to get to the resort (waiting on a bus + travel time) Who knows how long for the kid to fall asleep, maybe an hour or 2 to nap and another hour back + bag check!!! Honestly, we'd like to take more breaks, but it just wastes so much of the day, and bag check is enough of an annoyance that we pretty much just don't want to leave and come back in once we're already through.