The ABCs of Starting Over- OR to KY Roadtrip + WDW 50th Ann. Trip 9/28-10/4; Day 6 and REPORT COMPLETE!

I have had this a few times now and do really like it. It’s refreshing and not too big that it’ll knock you out right off the starting line. I wasn’t in any hurry whatsoever with the only “deadline” of being at the Yacht Dock by 7:30, so I had the entire day to kill and make the most of. So, I ambled. Along the way I loved seeing the 50th Celebration statues which add such a fun touch to the parks! The day was just picture perfect with puffy clouds in the sky and a nice warm, Florida breeze in the air.
Nothing better than a day to meander and take it all in.
Before getting too much further into the loop, I stopped in at the Port of Entry to grab a Remy Hunt. These are such a fun little game! Yes, I found them all; yes, I got my cute little water tumbler that I use in Arizona.
Planning on doing the Remy hunt this week!
Within 5 minutes I had a luscious Smoky Pineapple Marg, which doesn’t seem to be on the menu at the moment. I know it’s a rotating menu but I’m going to guess you might be able to order one if it’s not on there. I sat for 20 or 30 minutes savoring my little quiet corner of the world doing some power people watching and just soaking up the time to relax.
Yum! La Cava is on my list as well!
quickly looked around to see if anyone saw my stupidity and sure enough a Millennial couple stood there busting up hysterically and gave me a nice thumbs up.

Awesome.
Oh no!
This guy has worked at Disney for decades and his ultimate dream job was Mini Railroad Keeper and he stuck it out with the company long enough to score it. He clearly adores his job and waxed on and on and on and on about how he maintains it, keeps it looking great, etc…. He told the small crowd that was gathered about how often he has to come out and fix de-railings and how often he switches out which trains are running each week. Count me in the Geek Crowd, I LOVED listening to him. There’s little more satisfying than to hear someone so obviously enamored with their job. Passion is such a great quality!
Oh my gosh, I would love that!
Somehow I ended up in, what was then a new, exhibit in that pavilion that is located in the "Gallery"... a little area off to the side of the big foyer. It is incredibly well done with displays of many of the Native Tribes of the US by region that includes art, clothing, lifestyle artifacts, musical instruments, etc... and some was interactive or had a multimedia presentation. I was very impressed with how sensitive and respectful it was in presentation. Here are a few glimpses of the things I particularly enjoyed:
I always enjoyed taking in the exhbits at the pavilions. You never know what treasures you will find!
On the way out, I redeemed my game card at the International Gateway for the tumbler that I use in Arizona. These reusable small bags are bomb for taking lunch to work in, so I grabbed one of those too then took a Friendship over so could get off of my screaming feet and charge the phone.
Charges on the boat? Or at the YC lobby?
This would be the very last showing of EPCOT Forever (whose is beyond ironic) with Harmonious starting the next evening. (Yes, I'd catch that too.) And what better way than to be invited to a viewing from the Lagoon? Thanks to some mutual (new) friends, I was able to be included with Mary Ellen, Denny, Pat, Marv, and another couple (our hosts) along with our skipper. After we got on board and got a little safety briefing, it was time for everyone to pour a drink from the generous supply that Mary Ellen and Denny brought in a cooler. The cruise included non-alcoholic mixers that we used to add to whatever was in the lineup that was brought. I chose a trendy peanut butter whiskey and Coke which was amazing!! If you've not tried that one, I'd give it a go. Yummy!!
I would LOVE to do one of the fireworks cruises! What a special evening.
The skipper lady didn't dilly-dally getting us back to the dock, but we didn't feel rushed either. And then it was time to get back to the Grand for a good night's sleep after a long travel and Disney day.
Such a perfect first day. :goodvibes
 
I'm so glad you're doing this. I'm really enjoying eating around the world with you, but it really makes me want to go to Food & Wine this year.

Your fireworks cruise sounded perfect. Danielle loved Epcot Forever. She heard it so many times while working Festivals and knew it by heart. It took her a bit to warm up to Harmonious but now loves it too. Epcot is her favorite park.

I think Epcot is the perfect park when you don't have a full day. There is so much to see and do that aren't rides and like you said it is open later.
 
F is for: Feathers and Fins and Fangs, OH MY!!!

Day 2 dawned glorious. Seriously.




I was up early, as you can see, and made my way to the park long before the tapstiles were open. I like to ride FOP first thing with minimal wait, say hi to Mauvi Navi at It’s a Small Moon, do a safari if the line hasn’t gotten too insane, then take it easy the rest of the day. The trails are my jam as well as the Conservation Station… so let’s see how I did! Everyone was ready to get the day started!


Even though it was the 50th, the crowds were still quite manageable (except at MK where things were over-the-top horrific) so I enjoyed a relatively stress-free Rope Drop Rodeo. To minimize crowding, they were kinda just letting folks on through and there was no mad dash stampede to contend with. Lovely! I was on and off in no time and then took my peaceful, serene spin through Naviland. Know what? I literally don’t even think I took my camera on this trip thinking back now. Every photo is grainy and awful which makes me think they are all cell phone.


With feeling absolutely NO desire to rush anywhere, I sauntered along and just enjoyed the early morning quiet and Pandora vibe. Bliss! It was going to be a great day; ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!






I’m a detail kind gal and was amused at how well played and well placed this particular plant (ornamental ginger, if you’re curious) is in Pandora. I missed my true calling to be on a Disney horticulture team.



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Here's a hint if you need it. ;)
My photos do tell me I took an early morning safari while skipping the Planet Watch, and it was great to see loads of animals out and about. Obviously, this was not a photocentric trip.
















I very rarely miss walking the Gorilla Falls Trail after my Safari and it was so nice to see the newest baby gorilla, Ada, again just being silly, as usual! I love all of the animals on these trails, but the gorillas are always just so fun to watch. I’m glad there were so few people because I could take a bit more time and didn’t feel like I was being herded along and rushed.


Just at the end of the outdoor Silverback part, I got a phone call from the PACU Manager in Bowling Green and had a job interview which was pretty great! After that I went back to being amused by Gino who was high up in a tree pretty much destroying it just for fun. This was another first for me; while I know, of course, that gorillas climb trees, I just never pictured it and certainly had never seen it IRL before.


More Trail Animals:




Continued in Next Post....
 
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F is for: Feathers and Fins and Fangs, OH MY!, Pt. 2

After I finished up in Africa, it was time to head to Asia to see what was up. EE had no wait for a single rider, so I climbed it in no time then walked the Maharaja Jungle Trail to see the birds and tigers.














And then it was 11:00. And we all know what that means!

8 SPOONS, Baby!

Actually, it was only 10:43, but I thought I’d take a chance. Lo and behold, it was indeed open and I chose the plain but asked them to add some pickles just for kicks and giggles. Living dangerously. 😉 I took it down to one of my very favorite spots in all of AK and again, had the entire area to myself. That little area down below Flame Tree with the gorgeous water feature and the view across the lake to EE. Scrumptious space! I reveled in the quiet and watched the Florida Chickens come and go.


Time to get moving again…. The TOL Trails were completely devoid of people, so I had the entire length of it to myself. The music soundtrack alone makes it worth the time spent there. The waterfalls, flowers, and carved animals, all make the space to serene and inviting.




I exited out back near Discovery Island and thought I’d pop into a few of the shops hoping to find a reusable bag but was told they are no longer making them for AK, which defies comprehension. I mean for a park that is all about conservation, this makes no sense. For the record, I’ve not found one since then either, so if you’re a collector like me for using them as lunch bags, forget it. You’re out of luck. For some reason, I kept walking toward the park entrance meandering along the Oasis trails just to see what might be out. A few things, but not many.










Pulling a Jen Psaki and circling back, I headed back into the park. By then I was getting a little peckish so ended up heading to Y&Y for another snack. I didn’t have to wait long at all for a table, but again no luck in getting that lovely upstairs (quieter) area with the view. Dang it! Nevertheless, my basket of pot stickers and some Fuji Apple Sake hit the spot and gave me the energy to explore more of the trails of this incredibly detailed park. (It was 2:47 when my yum-yums arrived if that helps you gauge when you can hope for a walk up here.)






For a brief 5 minutes I thought watching the Kite Show might be entertaining (I heard there's a least a few crash and burns every show) but after finding a seat and then deciding I didn't want to hang around, I left and at 3:40 I decided to leave for the day and go back to the Bungalow to enjoy what it had to offer before my evening plans.


I was lucky enough to have a Kevin-inspiration encounter on the way out. ;)


So next up, Bungalow pix. I think you’ll be as blown away as I was….
 
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Nothing better than a day to meander and take it all in.
Absolutely! Very relaxing and calming. Especially in AK!
Planning on doing the Remy hunt this week!
YAY!!! Keep your eyes peeled!
Oh my gosh, I would love that!
I so think you would!
I always enjoyed taking in the exhbits at the pavilions. You never know what treasures you will find!
For sure! I love how there is a constant revolving inventory of curated things!
Charges on the boat? Or at the YC lobby?
I just needed and outlet. I had brought a cord and brick in my bag, but it's a HUGE pita to find those in the parks. Last time I needed one I sat on a curb behind the Canada souvenir kiosk and pilfered power from them. The YC lobby has a couple outlets in the floor that a nice CM helped me find.
I would LOVE to do one of the fireworks cruises! What a special evening.
I've never done a Fireworks dessert party in any park as I think for me, not being a dessert person, they are just too spendy. I do like the idea of a less crowded experience, but just so much $$! This was a very nice treat for me as I'd not normally do that for myself.
 
I'm so glad you're doing this. I'm really enjoying eating around the world with you, but it really makes me want to go to Food & Wine this year.
I was very reluctant, tbh, Vanessa. It really involves a ton of time and commitment to do a TR and I am still not sure how far I'll get before I hit the road. :)
Your fireworks cruise sounded perfect. Danielle loved Epcot Forever. She heard it so many times while working Festivals and knew it by heart. It took her a bit to warm up to Harmonious but now loves it too. Epcot is her favorite park.
This was the one and only time I watched it believe it or not! I either missed it d/t other shows, or intentionally skipped it for dinner somewhere or late night rides. EPCOT shows have never wowed me after Illuminations and even then I'd usually hit up FW rides with no lines. As you'll see coming up, the one time I watched Harmonious I hated it and haven't bothered again. My viewing area sucked and I am horrified at how they wrecked the ambiance of the pretty views across the lagoon with the hideous barges. More coming up on that. ;)

I think Epcot is the perfect park when you don't have a full day. There is so much to see and do that aren't rides and like you said it is open later.
Exactly! Lots to see and do (and EAT!) and a few more places to sit and relax than the other parks.
 
I am bound and determined to find the Hidden Mickey that I know must be hidden in this mural somewhere!!!

Exactly! I keep looking too!
I’ve done the Behind the Seeds Tour a couple of times and would highly recommend it but, sadly, it is not one of the tours that has started back up. Another one that died a tragic Covid death.
I think it is finally coming back!
All caught up!
 


G is for: Gorgeous, Gorgeous Getaway!

Not many girls are as lucky as I am. And this was one of those occasions that good friends pulled through to bring a wonderful blessing to me. Thanks to @Poolrat and Marv (do you even still have a DISName, Dude?) I was invited to share their Poly Bungalow which, as you might expect, blew my mind. The space is simply over-the-top luxurious which screamed South Seas tropical paradise. The art alone was stupendiferous!

Our bungalow was the 2nd from the left and super duper convenient.


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There is a locked gate that your Magic Band would open.

Well, sort of.

It was supposed to open the gate, but it didn't work very well. After the first day, Marv told me that someone else told him that after you tapped your band, you had to PULL the gate towards you then push to make it open. Once in it was a short walk. If you, however, thought you might take a short cut and enter from the end nearest the TTC, don't. I made that mistake once and went in the wrong gate thinking it would go through the entire length of the bungalows. It does not. That was annoying.







Anyway, all frustrations seemed to melt away when I entered our tropical paradise. Come with me now to find out why! Here is a smorgasbord of photos to enjoy:




The Master Bedroom:


The Living Room:


The Kitchen:




The bedrooms were spacious and so light and airy. Just perfect for a good night's sleep!




The VIEW!




The silliness:


The relaxing snacking:


The lounging!




More of the VIEW:


The Poly got in on the 50th Action too!!! This was super fun to see in the morning!


A morning out the front door. Absolute bliss!

 
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I was up early, as you can see, and made my way to the park long before the tapstiles were open. I like to ride FOP first thing with minimal wait, say hi to Mauvi Navi at It’s a Small Moon, do a safari if the line hasn’t gotten too insane, then take it easy the rest of the day. The trails are my jam as well as the Conservation Station… so let’s see how I did! Everyone was ready to get the day started!
I am an early riser too (typically between 5:30-6:00) and love mornings in the park.
I’m a detail kind gal and was amused at how well played and well placed this particular plant (ornamental ginger, if you’re curious) is in Pandora. I missed my true calling to be on a Disney horticulture team.
Love that!
I very rarely miss walking the Gorilla Falls Trail after my Safari and it was so nice to see the newest baby gorilla, Ada, again just being silly, as usual! I love all of the animals on these trails, but the gorillas are always just so fun to watch. I’m glad there were so few people because I could take a bit more time and didn’t feel like I was being herded along and rushed.
I love those trails...so peaceful and relaxing in the early mornings.
After I finished up in Africa, it was time to head to Asia to see what was up. EE had no wait for a single rider, so I climbed it in no time then walked the Maharaja Jungle Trail to see the birds and tigers.
You were having great luck this morning!
Time to get moving again…. The TOL Trails were completely devoid of people, so I had the entire length of it to myself. The music soundtrack alone makes it worth the time spent there. The waterfalls, flowers, and carved animals, all make the space to serene and inviting.
I cannot wait to immerse myself in the details on that trail!
I was lucky enough to have a Kevin-inspiration encounter on the way out. ;)
Love it!
Not many girls are as lucky as I am. And this was one of those occasions that good friends pulled through to bring a wonderful blessing to me. Thanks to @Poolrat and Marv (do you even still have a DISName, Dude?) I was invited to share their Poly Bungalow which, as you might expect, blew my mind. The space is simply over-the-top luxurious which screamed South Seas tropical paradise. The art alone was stupendiferous!
That's amazing!
Anyway, all frustrations seemed to melt away when I entered our tropical paradise. Come with me now to find out why! Here is a smorgasbord of photos to enjoy:
Stunniing space! I love the mid century modern vibe.
 
Tropical Mimosa with Sparkling Wine and Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava Juices
The drink looks delicious but the tall glass is very intimidating. I tend to tips things like that over. :)

I had the boat to myself. I really miss the empty parks of Covid Days.
We've have the boat to ourselves during Covid, too. There were some benefits to the restrictions.

The Akershus- A once glorious dining experience from EPCOT’s Hay Day of authentic explorations of culture. Long ago, in a galaxy far removed from Chapek, you could get pickled herring, light and fluffy lefse, potato pancakes, and lingonberry jam from a delightful smorgasbord.
It seems as if they have to "Americanize" too many restaurants now.
This would be the very last showing of EPCOT Forever (whose is beyond ironic) with Harmonious starting the next evening. (Yes, I'd catch that too.) And what better way than to be invited to a viewing from the Lagoon?
You are very lucky to have so many great Disney friends. The fireworks show from the boat would be a wonderful experience. I really liked Epcot Forever.
I very rarely miss walking the Gorilla Falls Trail after my Safari and it was so nice to see the newest baby gorilla, Ada, again just being silly, as usual! I
The gorillas are a lot of fun. They seem to cooperate by having lots of babies to look at. :)
I was invited to share their Poly Bungalow which, as you might expect, blew my mind
The bungalow is simply gorgeous. This would be an awesome place to stay. We were lucky enough to have Dis friends staying in a Copper Creek cabin and they gave us a tour. The cabin had a similar layout to the bungalow.
The lounging!
I hope someone took advantage of that hot tub - or is it a plunge pool?
 
H is for: Harmonious From Hacienda!

Well, the alphabet gods smiled down on Steppe tonight! How fortuitous that when I went to name the chapter, the stars aligned!

Tonight I had plans to meet up with Mary Ellen and Denny for dinner back in EPCOT so we could catch the opening night of Harmonious. Hopping on a launch, I made my way to the MK and took a mono to EPCOT. I am not sure why I did this as it would have been a lot faster to just walk to the TTC and take a mono from there. Either I was just in the mood to take a little boat ride, or somewhere along the mono line a station was not in use. I know there were a lot of times in the last couple of years that was true, but on this trip, I just don't remember. But my photo trails does not lie. I did take a boat. :)



I had high hopes for this show, but... well....


They'd already gotten a reservation at La Hacienda and after looking over the menu, we all decided we could easily split the:

Parrillada - Del Mar (serves 2) Serves Two) Grilled Shrimp, Fish and Scallops served with Vegetables, Esquites, and Corn Tortillas. $12 to Substitute Snapper for fish; $30 to Substitute NY Strip for fish $68 (@franandaj , isn't this what you guys had?)

It was,

A) AMAZING! and

B) WAY more than even the 3 of us could eat. It was huge and we did not finish it. I didn't feel like I'd gone overboard at AK with only some Mac n Cheese and 5 dumplings, so was pretty hungry too. (Oh, well, some queso and chips did accidentally make it into my mouth at the Bungalow, but that was as I say, purely accidental!) I think we each had a margarita of some sort too. Maybe? No idea. What I do know is that Denny and MEK paid for my dinner and I was very thankful! (And she appreciated that I paid for her breakfast a few days later at Olivias. ;) I'm not a total mooch!)

Dinner was the clear winner of the evening...



I'd never eaten at this restaurant before but it's a nice option for Mexican and one of the better EPCOT options overall. I'd still likely choose San Angel for the uniquely themed space, but for a solid Mexican option with a water view this is your place.



Just about the time we ordered coffee, the restaurant went through a short series of light and sound checks. It was just about time! The manager came to our table and explained that he'd give us a cue and at that point he'd lead us to a table in the tier above the windows, so a bit back, for us to watch the show. True to his word, about 10 minutes later, we were led to a table so we could watch what we could of the new Harmonious Production.

Please forgive the HORRIBLE cell phone photos. Our vantage point was not good!









Now, let me preface my opinion with what we had in terms of viewing venue. The show, as I understand it, is meant to be seen from closer on the water than we were. Most of our view was completely obstructed by the interior of the building with only a small piece of window to see anything from. This was so unfortunate because I do think it tainted my opinion quite a lot. So without further softening, here are my thoughts:

I don't care for the giant, ugly barges in the Lagoon that stay there all the time. The 360 view of the WS is very intentional and planned to send a subtle message of living together in (how ironic is this?!) harmony. Now we can't even see the other side without these huge intrusions. Maybe I"m making too big a deal out of it, but I just wished it could have been designed to be pulled "off-stage" like all the other shows were.

Secondly, my other big thing is that the whole show feels like a giant advertisement of Disney shows. It is literally no different now than Enchantment with a not-so-novel, overly-used, projection-media show of Disney movies with no new orchestral soundtrack whatsoever. In short, I was disappointed.



Alright now that we've gotten that out of the way... let me temper my harsh criticisms.

I realize that where you view it from probably makes a giant difference in how the show comes off. I just haven't had the luxury of seeing it on the water and perhaps if I give it another fair shake this show could grow on me. Maybe I just need to grow into it, but I'm not in a huge hurry either. I may very well use the time to go back to my old-style touring of doing FW rides then beating the crowds to the buses.

After that rather large let-down, we said our good-byes and I made my way, very slowly, to the front of the park. Where the biggest, and coolest part of the evening was, unbeknownst to me, unfolding. About the time I got to The Land, I noticed the Ball had this incredibly magical light show on it that was COMPLETELY new. My jaw dropped. The colors were all in the shimmery pastels of the 50th color scheme with amazingly choreographed patterns. I was absolutely mesmerized.




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Everyone around me was stopped in their tracks gaping at the show that was towering above us. I eventually kept on walking and got near the front where the new (underwhelming) fountain is and noticed that there was a VIP area set up so knew right away something even more incredible was likely about to happen.

While every fiber in me was screaming to hurry up and get to the buses before 4 billion other people did... something held me back. I was soooooo glad I paused. Just at that moment, the music (new, glorious music!) swelled and a dazzling new show called "Beacons of Magic" premiered. I really hope that they keep this for a long while. Who knows. But I for one found the 5 minute show far and away better than Harmonious. The best part about it for me was that it was a total and complete surprise. I had zero knowledge about it and just happened to catch it almost by accident. And it was worth having to wait 30 or more minutes for a bus after it too.

Ready for a nice Disney sleep I plopped into my Bungalow Bed and dreamed a sweet Disney dream.
 
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I really like Harmonious and the more I watch it, the more I like it. :)

About the time I got to The Land, I noticed the Ball had this incredibly magical light show on it that was COMPLETELY new. My jaw dropped. The colors were all in the shimmery pastels of the 50th color scheme with amazingly choreographed patterns. I was absolutely mesmerized.

We haven't been able to see this yet. I wish they would list the show times on the MDE app so that we can be there when it goes on.

And it was worth having to wait 30 or more minutes for a bus after it too.
I thought they only had the monorail back to Poly, CR and GF, no buses.
 
I was up early, as you can see, and made my way to the park long before the tapstiles were open. I like to ride FOP first thing with minimal wait, say hi to Mauvi Navi at It’s a Small Moon, do a safari if the line hasn’t gotten too insane, then take it easy the rest of the day. The trails are my jam as well as the Conservation Station… so let’s see how I did! Everyone was ready to get the day started!
I like your plan of action.

Love this photo!!

After that I went back to being amused by Gino who was high up in a tree pretty much destroying it just for fun. This was another first for me; while I know, of course, that gorillas climb trees, I just never pictured it and certainly had never seen it IRL before.

I have never seen the gorillas in the trees.

I took it down to one of my very favorite spots in all of AK and again, had the entire area to myself. That little area down below Flame Tree with the gorgeous water feature and the view across the lake to EE.

We like this spot too.

The TOL Trails were completely devoid of people, so I had the entire length of it to myself. The music soundtrack alone makes it worth the time spent there. The waterfalls, flowers, and carved animals, all make the space to serene and inviting.

I haven't done these trails in years. I really need to make time to do them again.

By then I was getting a little peckish so ended up heading to Y&Y for another snack.

This has been our go to table service in AK.

I didn’t have to wait long at all for a table, but again no luck in getting that lovely upstairs (quieter) area with the view. Dang it!

I think we had you table in December of last year.

IMG_0399-2-L.jpg

Love this photo too.

Not many girls are as lucky as I am.

You are very blessed. I loved the photos. Blue is my favorite color so I loved the use of it for pops of color.

I had high hopes for this show, but... well....

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. I like more each time I see it. I love the use of the music from the movies and I think that' what Danielle loves too. My kids grew up with Disney soundtracks blasting in the house when I cleaned or in the car. It's a memory thing for us. She loved Epcot Forever because of the tributes paid to the old and new Epcot attractions.

The best part about it for me was that it was a total and complete surprise. I had zero knowledge about it and just happened to catch it almost by accident.

As much as we plan when we go to Disney, it really is the unexpected that impresses us the most.
 
I really like Harmonious and the more I watch it, the more I like it. :)
I really do want to give it a fair shake at some point. I hear so many people saying that the more they see it, the more they like it. Maybe I'll make time for it on my trip in 3 weeks, but we also want to pop into Space 220 for bar seating and that might be the best time.
We haven't been able to see this yet. I wish they would list the show times on the MDE app so that we can be there when it goes on.
Yes, this IS odd that it's not listed anywhere. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser.
I thought they only had the monorail back to Poly, CR and GF, no buses.
I have a vague memory that it was not running the resort route for some reason? Then again, I could be all wet and indeed took a mono. There was a period there where the GF and Poly stations were out of commission but now I'm not certain which trip last year it was.
 
I like your plan of action.
👍
Love this photo!!
Thanks! One of those rare fluke-y not-so-bad cell phone shots.
I have never seen the gorillas in the trees.
It was definitely a surprise!
I haven't done these trails in years. I really need to make time to do them again.
I love them as a way to get out of the crowds and find some peace and quiet.
This has been our go to table service in AK.
I love their fried rice and the pot stickers are nice small snack if you are just there to find some AC and a seat for a bit. The tuna nachos are HUUUUUUUGE if you need a bigger meal. What do you usually get there?
I think we had you table in December of last year.
LOL!!! OF course you did! You and Kelly! :lmao:
You are very blessed. I loved the photos. Blue is my favorite color so I loved the use of it for pops of color.
Wasn't it beautiful?! It was so tastefully decorated with some really nice art works inside. Just so well done! And that deck with the plunge pool!!!

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. I like more each time I see it. I love the use of the music from the movies and I think that' what Danielle loves too. My kids grew up with Disney soundtracks blasting in the house when I cleaned or in the car. It's a memory thing for us. She loved Epcot Forever because of the tributes paid to the old and new Epcot attractions.
Like I told Sue, I do want to give it another try. I hear from many that they like it more as they see it more they like it. I want to try it from a place on the water and see if it makes a difference. I just wish they'd been more original with the music. I know a lot of people love the Disney brand of classics, but for me, my most fond memories are of EPCOT with the more orchestral music scores like from Fountain of Nations. I would play those over and over in Kazakhstan. I remember the parade in 2000 called Tapestry of Nations which was so unique and memorable. I wish EPCOT would go back to its own unique stuff. Sigh..... But I do get it that it's cheaper to use music that's already written and easy to just insert into a projection show too. Fireworks are expensive and Disney is cutting costs wherever they can now. Sad.
As much as we plan when we go to Disney, it really is the unexpected that impresses us the most.
YES!! Like gorillas in trees or a new food kiosk we didn't know about before. :)
 
I was so far behind, but got caught up today! Such a lovely ending, arriving at Home Sweet Home, and wonderful that you were able to jet off to WDW so soon after :)

I’ve done the Behind the Seeds Tour a couple of times and would highly recommend it but, sadly, it is not one of the tours that has started back up. Another one that died a tragic Covid death.
We LOVED the Behind the Seeds Tour, too! I can't remember the date, but I did read last week that it's coming back soon!! I hope it's not just a rumor because I'd love to be able to do it again.

peanut butter whiskey
I thought I quoted more than just those three words, oops :) I think I was going to say that 1) I wonder if it was Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey--I loooove that stuff. So delish. 2) They make another one called Dough Ball; it's cookie dough whiskey! I've never mixed either of them, but now you've got me intrigued to try it with Coke. Just yum!

I'm glad you decided to do a quickie 50th TR! I always enjoy your photographs and love to tag along on your adventure :)
 
What do you usually get there?

I change up my entre but we have gotten the Pork Pot Stickers and Firecracker Shrimp the last few trips. I could go for some now.

I know a lot of people love the Disney brand of classics, but for me, my most fond memories are of EPCOT with the more orchestral music scores like from Fountain of Nations. I would play those over and over in Kazakhstan. I remember the parade in 2000 called Tapestry of Nations which was so unique and memorable. I wish EPCOT would go back to its own unique stuff.

That makes sense. They have gone away from the original music. We loved the Tapestry of Nations too.
 
I is for: If Only All Days Could Be This Good


DSH opened at 9:00 and this is where I was at 9:03- Irritated and stuck behind far too many people. But whatcha gonna do?




They finally let us in and I went straight to ROTR. I"m sorry Friends, I honestly don't remember if they were still doing virtual queues or if it was all stand-by by then. Logic tells me it was all stand-by and I rushed there hoping for a first of the morning ride.


That I was in the Slinky Dog line at 9:16 tells me that it was down and Plan B had to be executed. Which is a solid Plan B should you need to switch it up on the fly.








Now for a bit of Pixar/Toy Story history for those who like that part of the "World".... I took a photo of a couple of the bar codes knowing this was code for something that that the Imagineers included because they love to do that. I really enjoy looking for these little Easter Eggs and then come home and do some research on what I've found. It keeps the parks fresh for me always giving me something to look for or something new to see.

Going deep down a rabbit hole, I found this webpage that explains many of the hidden gems around Toy Story Land:


https://www. theme park tourist .com/features/20190329/36790/all-hidden-details-toy-story-land?page=2
Take the spaces out between theme, park, and tourist to follow. ;)

The 101197 (which I accidentally cut the last "1" off of because I was rushed in line) is obvious (the date the parks opened) but the 31986 was a bit tougher. The article seems to indicate FEBRUARY is the more important date, so I was a little lost on this one. I almost think the 2 was left off of my photo here for it to work with the dates the author talking about. Nevertheless, it's fun to find the little details stashed here and there and try to figure out what they mean.




After my spin through Andy's backyard, I headed for MMRR and took a wild ride on Goofy's Train into the cartoon world. Such a cute and zany ride! I love the different, colorful neon scenes and the tracklesss ride system. Not sure I'd wait more than 20 or 30 minutes for it, but it is very cute and well done. I did, in fact, wait exactly 30 minutes from the time I entered the queue to the time I was in a loading corral.

Fun fact! This attraction has the MOST Hidden Mickey's of any existing on property at this time. The first 2 photos are a couple of them:

















I will ALWAYS miss the "old DHS" and this courtyard with the busts but especially GMR!!




I kept checking the app to see if ROTR was back up and running and since it was not, I headed to TOT. The wait time was posted 20 minutes and I was on it in 17 according to the time stamps on my photos. I adore this ride so much. It's probably, after HM and POTC, the best themed ride in all the parks. It's perfectly done to pull you into the story and whisk you away to another time and place.










One thing that has always intrigued me was the date plaque of 1917 AD.


Theming-wise this makes total sense, but I wondered if there was anything more. Digging deeper, I learned that that was the year the US officially entered WWI. This hotel, yes I realize it's fictional!, still would have seen the Hollywood elite glamming it up, despite world turmoil, as the film industry began to explode here in the US as the European production dried up during the War Years.

Excellent article if you're interested in this sort of history!



The narrator says that "the year is 1939", which interestingly is another War Year and yes, the hay-day of the Hollywood scene. Just very interesting to me how it all ties together.

After I got off the ride I was REALLY wanting a latte and thought I'd stop at the Joffrey's kiosk at the ride exit to quickly get one. The $ixbucks line is always so darned long so I'd skipped it that morning and was starting to suffer with a caffeine withdrawal headache. Ironically, the line for a coffee would have taken longer than getting on TOT took. UGH. I passed trudged on.

I made 2 stops before heading back over to Galaxy's Edge. I was starting to develop a little blister and we all know that baby blisters tend to grow into horrific, trip-wrecking monster blisters that will take you out. So I paid a little visit to the First Aid place to pick up a few of these:



Best to nip it in the blistery bud.

Next, I hit up one of the shops on Sunset Blvd. to see if they had any Limited Edition merchandise for the 50th and was shown this little beauty. Given the absolute CF that the MK was the next day, I'm very, VERY glad I did! I only wanted a very few things, pins, a t-shirt, and a resuable bag, so was super glad I stopped and asked even though it was a day before the official Anniversary day. The rest of what I wanted would have to wait until the next day at EPCOT.





Coming up: Day 3, Pt. 2... stay tuned!
 
DSH opened at 9:00 and this is where I was at 9:03- Irritated and stuck behind far too many people. But whatcha gonna do?

I hate when this happens and your stuck in line.

Now for a bit of Pixar/Toy Story history for those who like that part of the "World".... I took a photo of a couple of the bar codes knowing this was code for something that that the Imagineers included because they love to do that. I really enjoy looking for these little Easter Eggs and then come home and do some research on what I've found. It keeps the parks fresh for me always giving me something to look for or something new to see.

I love all the little hidden gems around the parks.

Fun fact! This attraction has the MOST Hidden Mickey's of any existing on property at this time. The first 2 photos are a couple of them:

I did not know this and never noticed this hidden Mickeys. Very cool.

I will ALWAYS miss the "old DHS" and this courtyard with the busts but especially GMR!!


Me too!

I adore this ride so much.

It's my favorite thrill ride and of course the theming is top notch.
 

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