The Darling Family's Endless Summer Vacation: August 2013 New 1/24

[dismagiclover]

OOh! Candy in every country - I might be able to get DH into that. Maybe that way I can guarantee we see most of World Showcase on our Dec. trip. We only have one day in Epcot, and it's not really his thing. This might be the incentive I need - thanks!

The candy in every country was fun! We actually didn't get candy in everyone. Sometimes we were just too full. But we did make some great discoveries (like Smil.)

Love the Donald pics!!! So cute!

And I always mean to do the candy thing and then forget. I hope you got some candy from Japan and Canada and UK - those are my favorite candy countries!

I think my favorite find was the Japanese candy. I'll talk about it when we get there. That will be one I search out every trip.

I love the candy quest! They need to mirror that with all the Agent P missions.

That is quite the panda collection, although I can see why...they are all so cute!

We are trying to put more "vacation" days into our vacations...I think its very easy to feel like you have to do everything and see everything. Your resort day sounded nice and relaxing. And crafts..who can resist crafts???

Christine

The "vacation" days are always some of my favorite, but they aren't always possible. Because this was such a long trip it didn't take much convincing to get the kids to have non park days.

 

[WildernessExplorer04]

The candy-from-every-country quest is such a good idea!

Michael's panda obsession: GREATEST. THING. EVER.
That's so adorable!

 

[dismagiclover]

The candy-from-every-country quest is such a good idea!

Michael's panda obsession: GREATEST. THING. EVER.
That's so adorable!

I like the Candy Quest very much as well Michael's panda obsession is pretty funny, except those aren't his only stuffed animals. His whole bed is overflowing. I keep thinking he will get over them soon, but no signs as of yet.

 

[dismagiclover]

Lunch was another new restaurant for us. We were headed to Via Napoli in Italy. We passed by Germany so we stopped to get the stamps. The kids started squawking about Candy Quest, but I told them it would spoil their lunch. I promised them we would get to Karamel Kuche sometime during the trip. (This was a promise they did not let me forget.) Anyway we walked into Italy and what did we see. A photopass guy waiting to take our picture. He really got some nice shots.





He took one of just the kids.



This isn’t the first time we’ve had Photopass shots of the kids in Italy. Time for another flashback. This is January 2008.



The photopass guy was a bit enamored of Wendy and wanted to do a little solo photoshoot. She happily obliged. This is a really cute picture.



After our photo shoot we headed into lunch. It was around 2:00 and let me tell you the air conditioning felt good. We were seated shortly. The most memorable part of this meal was the guy that brought us water. He looked absolutely exhausted. He came over to our table and sighed, “Would you like some water?” We said yes and he proceeded to slowly fill our glasses. I handed mine directly to him because it was a tad bit out of his reach and he said to me with extreme gratitude, “Thank you.” It was as if putting in the little extra it would have taken to reach for my glass would have just killed him. He left and Wendy and I looked at each other and burst into laughter. We decided that pouring water had really tired this guy out. Must be the hardest job in the place. Every once in a while Wendy will say to me, “Would you like some water?” and I just crack up. Frankly, the water guy pretty much made the meal for us. (He did come back later for refills and seemed to be doing better.) However, the pizza was really yummy too. It had a fabulous, chewy wood fired crust. We’re going back at Christmas so DH can try it. After lunch we decided to head back to the Boardwalk. There had been a downpour while we were eating and it was still super muggy. Besides we had plans for the late afternoon/early evening. Once again we were headed somewhere new. Guesses?

 

[Queenofallthings]

Love the picture of the kids behind the pillars....adorable!

Via Napoli is one of our fav's and I can't wait to go back!

 

[RGirl]

Great PP pics!

Water Guy sounds awesome!!!

I'm glad you enjoyed VN - it sure seems to get great reviews from all you people who can stomach gluten.

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

You got a great PP guy! Neat pics!

I just read through your Alaskan cruise mini-report. It looks like a lot of fun! We really want to take a Disney cruise. Some day, right?

 

[mickeystoontown]

What's wrong with being exhausted from simply pouring water? I'm exhausted just reading about it. Just kidding! It's those little funny memories like those that stick with you.

We had our own little candy quest years ago. It was back before the kids were really interested in the countries. In my attempts to make them pay more attention, I had them pick our snacks from every country.

 

[chattadisser]

Via Napoli is so good! I think we all have days where poring water is just exhausting!

The photopass pictures are just too cute!

And the promise of Karmel Kuche has me excited, I love the smell of that place.

Christine

 

[dismagiclover]

Love the picture of the kids behind the pillars....adorable!

Via Napoli is one of our fav's and I can't wait to go back!

I loved Via Napoli too. We have dinner there on December 21! Can't wait!

Great PP pics!

Water Guy sounds awesome!!!

I'm glad you enjoyed VN - it sure seems to get great reviews from all you people who can stomach gluten.

Via Napoli is probably not a good choice for the gluten intolerant. Though you could possibly get some great water.

You got a great PP guy! Neat pics!

I just read through your Alaskan cruise mini-report. It looks like a lot of fun! We really want to take a Disney cruise. Some day, right?

The PP pictures did turn out great except we are a bit squinty eyed. The Alaskan cruise was so great! Definitely put a cruise on the to do list.

What's wrong with being exhausted from simply pouring water? I'm exhausted just reading about it. Just kidding! It's those little funny memories like those that stick with you.

We had our own little candy quest years ago. It was back before the kids were really interested in the countries. In my attempts to make them pay more attention, I had them pick our snacks from every country.

You are right! Pouring water can be hard work. Just ask my kids. That always seems to be the hardest part of setting the table. So what were your favorite treat from your candy quest?

Via Napoli is so good! I think we all have days where poring water is just exhausting!

The photopass pictures are just too cute!

And the promise of Karmel Kuche has me excited, I love the smell of that place.

Christine

It will be a while before we finally get to Karamel Kuche. The kids kept reminding me, but we don't actually get back there until the end of the trip. We do make it though.

 

[dismagiclover]

We got back to our rooms, changed into our swimsuits and headed out to Blizzard Beach. Another first for the Darling Bunch. There were some threatening clouds in the area, but it was the afternoon in August so it would be a bigger shocker if there was a clear, blue sky. Our hope was that by arriving towards the end of the day it would be less crowded. Our plan was to play in the wave pool for a while and then try out the slides. So we headed in and hit the wave pool. Waiting for us was a photopass photographer who kindly took a few pictures.





Notice me hiding behind my kids. A water park is definitely not somewhere I feel good about a whole body shot. I asked her to take some of just my kids. She took these goodies.





After taking these pictures we played in the wave pool, but not for very long. Frankly, after the Typhoon Lagoon pool, this wave pool was a big letdown. It was just a normal wave pool and I actually find normal wave pools kind of a pain. The waves aren’t big enough to really be fun and yet they are big enough to not be able to relax and chill. (As you should all know relaxing and chilling is one of the things I like best. So we didn’t spend too long in the pool. Instead we decided to try out some of the slides. We thought the family raft ride looked like fun so we consulted the map (this time we used the right side) and headed up to the water raft slide. The line was pretty long, but all the lines were long and there is no fastpass so we decided to wait it out. As we inched forward in line we could see the dark, menacing clouds grow closer. It was pretty clear a storm was on its way. We just hoped it would hold out until we’d been down the slide. It didn’t. While we were in line the announcement came that all rides in the park were closed because of lightening in the area. So we tromped back down the stairs. We decided to try and wait out the storm because we had just arrived and we figured if we were able to wait it out then there would be no lines to wait in. So we found an area that was covered and sat down to wait. Tons of people filed out of the park though there were also people mingling around waiting. The storm never actually came. We could see it in the distance and there was definitely lightning in the area, but it never rained on us. We waited about an hour. During that time the kids went off and bought some treats. I think they had Mickey Bars and slushie like things. I asked a CM about their policy and they said they had to wait until there was no lightning within a 6 mile radius. Then they would open the rides back up. After a little over an hour of waiting we decided to give up and head out. Things just weren’t looking promising. So this trip to the water park was a bit of a bust. I was still glad we went though. It gave us a feel for the lay of the land and we’d know where to go and what to do when we returned. We drove through the McDonald’s on the way back to the resort and then stayed in for the night because a big storm came through once we were back in the room. So we were glad we didn’t stay at the water park any longer. I feel pretty confident in saying it never reopened.

Next up: We make it to Hollywood Studios.

 

[debelfish]

Your photos of your kids are great. I love seeing the then and now pictures.
We went to Blizzard Beach in 2008 and meant to go back this summer but we never made it. It's amazing that with ten days you can run out of time! I don't really like the wave pools but loved the family slide, sorry you didn't make it down.
Elizabeth

 

[dismagiclover]

Your photos of your kids are great. I love seeing the then and now pictures.
We went to Blizzard Beach in 2008 and meant to go back this summer but we never made it. It's amazing that with ten days you can run out of time! I don't really like the wave pools but loved the family slide, sorry you didn't make it down.
Elizabeth

It is amazing how you can't do everything even in 10 days. I was there over 2 weeks this time and I still didn't do everything. Don't worry though. We got back to Blizzard Beach and we did love the family slide!

 

[dismagiclover]

Once again I was up bright and early for a run around the Boardwalk. That is definitely a routine I could get used to. When I returned to the room I got the kids moving because today was our Hollywood Studios day. Thanks to the DIS I knew even though the published opening time for Hollywood Studios was 9:00, the reality was the park would probably open closer to 8:30. So we needed to get a move on. The wonderful thing about the Boardwalk is that we could walk there though. So we left the room around 8:15 and arrived at Hollywood Studios a little after 8:30 and headed straight in. First stop is always Toy Story Mania, of course. However, I noticed that this early opening made the crowds much more manageable. We headed straight for the ride and the line wasn’t bad at all. We walked up to this point in the stand by line before we stopped and I snapped a quick picture.



It wasn’t long before we were spinning around popping balloons and breaking plates. I don’t remember everyone’s score, but I do remember John beat us all. Not surprising because his favorite thing to do is play video games. After we rode Toy Story Mania we decided to head over to ride the Great Movie Ride. We could have gotten fastpasses for Toy Story Mania, but we decided not to because they boys wanted to get Star Tours fastpasses so they could ride it multiple times. So we headed over to the Great Movie Ride and there was a line outside the building. It was barely 9:00 and they hadn’t gotten the call to open yet. So we waited for a few minutes. They didn’t actually open until 9:05, but we walked in and were on the first ride of the day. It was a great adventure through the movies. Michael does not like this ride. In fact he calls it the Great Scary Ride. If you ask him why he says he does not like being in the middle of gun fights. Smart boy. My favorite scene is always the Munchkins.



After the Great Scary Ride we made our way over to Star Tours. I do not do Star Tours. I am very happy my kids are now old enough they have no problem doing Star Tours on their own. They picked up fastpasses and headed into the non-existent stand by line. I told them I’d be enjoying myself in my favorite Hollywood hideaway, the Writer’s Stop. For those of you that don’t know about the Writer’s Stop, you are missing out. It is a small shop next to Sci Fi Café that has most excellent refreshments. Here are some interior shots.





I had a mission this day. It was to try the famous Carrot Cake Cookie at the Writer’s Stop. However, there was another goodie I couldn’t resist when I saw it in the display case. I also walked away with this beauty.



Here is the Carrot Cake Cookie as well.



The Carrot Cake Cookie was every thing it is cracked up to be. Sooo good. However, these things are huge. Luckily the kids were coming back so I could share them. Meanwhile I plopped myself down on the shaded benches and watched the world go by. Wendy texted and said they were going to go on the standby again. Fine by me. More time to relax and nibble on my Carrot Cake Cookie. After the two rides they made it back and I showed them my finds. They were in love too. So they dug in and that pretty much took care of the rest of the cookies. (I don’t think I even tasted the chocolate chip one, but I’m sure it was delicious.) After eating their little snack, they headed right back to Star Tours to use the fastpasses. The boys especially were pretty excited that they got to go on Star Tours three times in such a short succession. When they finished I informed them it was time for my favorite thing in Hollywood Studios. The Drawing Class! I just love the drawing class. Now often people think that because I teach Art History that I actually know how to draw. This is an incorrect assumption. I can talk about art all day long, but I cannot create it. However, somehow, some way when I go to the drawing class at Hollywood Studios I can actually draw! It is Disney Magic at its finest. So we headed over that way. Luckily we made it right before they closed off the line for the next class. We had to wait about 20 minutes. Once we were seated the animator told us we’d get to vote for who we would draw. The choices were Flynn Ryder and Sully. The winner:



That is mine. It’s pretty good, right? I tell ya, Disney Magic is real. Here is Wendy’s drawing.



John’s drawing



Michael’s drawing.



I think they are all pretty good. Anyway we finished the class at around 11:22. I told the kids to hustle because Beauty and the Beast started at 11:30 and I wanted to be there. Did we make it?

 

[DisneyJo]

I can't wait to see what candy (sweets) you purchased in England, we always go in there and faint at the prices they're charging

I love your PP photos and the one of the kids when they are little behind the columns is so cute

Oh what a shame that your BB afternoon was a washout, well lightening-out, we've been to water parks so many times in August and have never once had a problem so you really were unlucky!

I'm not a runner at all but your early morning runs sound lovely.

I'm desperate to try one of those carrot cake cookies too as they look delicious, weird question though how do they taste? Are they spicy like some carrot cakes can be?

Loving your drawings - very good

 

[mickeystoontown]

Some of our favorite "snacks around the world" were the honeydew cakes in China, the sour candy in Mexico, and, of course, the caramels in Germany. Some were just plain old nasty. For example, the shrimp flavored chips were disgusting!

It's too bad that you were rained out of Blizzard Beach but I do see your comment to someone else that you made it back. We want to see Blizzard Beach when we got in May since we've only been to Typhoon Lagoon.

Oh I know that sweet little spot at Hollywood Studios named The Writer's Stop. It's a good place to retreat to when the park is busy (or when the kiddos are off riding Star Tours multiple times).

 

[RGirl]

Oh, kind of a disappointing time at the water park. Glad you decided to head back when you did - sounds like a quiet evening at the resort was in order.

Looks like you were having a great DHS day - Willow would have been pretty psyched about the 3 ST rides in a row too.

The Writer's Stop treats look amazing!

 

[dismagiclover]

I can't wait to see what candy (sweets) you purchased in England, we always go in there and faint at the prices they're charging

I love your PP photos and the one of the kids when they are little behind the columns is so cute

Oh what a shame that your BB afternoon was a washout, well lightening-out, we've been to water parks so many times in August and have never once had a problem so you really were unlucky!

I'm not a runner at all but your early morning runs sound lovely.

I'm desperate to try one of those carrot cake cookies too as they look delicious, weird question though how do they taste? Are they spicy like some carrot cakes can be?

Loving your drawings - very good

I balked at those prices for candy in England as well. I was hoping to get an Aero. I love those things, but it was priced at $6 or something ridiculous like that. I did pick up some Hob Nobs though. I love love love them!
The BB washout wasn't a big deal. We were there for so many days that it really didn't even faze us. Guess that is one of the many advantages of long trips.
You should take up running. The Disney races are a great excuse to visit.
The carrot cake cookies aren't really spicy. They are a milder version of carrot cake (if that makes sense.) My kids don't normally like carrot cake and they loved the cookie. Definitely try it on your next trip.

Some of our favorite "snacks around the world" were the honeydew cakes in China, the sour candy in Mexico, and, of course, the caramels in Germany. Some were just plain old nasty. For example, the shrimp flavored chips were disgusting!

It's too bad that you were rained out of Blizzard Beach but I do see your comment to someone else that you made it back. We want to see Blizzard Beach when we got in May since we've only been to Typhoon Lagoon.

Oh I know that sweet little spot at Hollywood Studios named The Writer's Stop. It's a good place to retreat to when the park is busy (or when the kiddos are off riding Star Tours multiple times).

Shrimp flavored chips do sound a bit disgusting! I'm going to have search out the honeydew cakes. That sounds yummy. I love the retreat aspect of the Writer's Stop. I'm afraid that is where they will end up putting a Starbucks in Hollywood Studios and that will destroy my secret hiding place. Hopefully they find somewhere else to put it.

Oh, kind of a disappointing time at the water park. Glad you decided to head back when you did - sounds like a quiet evening at the resort was in order.

Looks like you were having a great DHS day - Willow would have been pretty psyched about the 3 ST rides in a row too.

The Writer's Stop treats look amazing!

This was a fun DHS morning. However, it goes downhill a bit. You know how those summer days can go. It just got too hot, but you'll hear all about it in my next update.

 

[dismagiclover]

We hustled out of the drawing class and got ourselves moving towards Sunset Boulevard. I wanted to make the 11:30 Beauty and the Beast show because I knew there would be no way we would stick around for the next one. We made the walk over in about four minutes (the Darling family knows how to speed walk) and slid into our seats just a few minutes before it started. As a consequence of our brisk walk we were all feeling a tad bit warm. Hot actually. We were all really hot and this is an open air theater. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed the show. Here are a few pictures.







After the show everyone was feeling a bit grumpy. We were still hot, the park was crowded, and I realized we all needed some nourishment in our bodies. So we set out to find some lunch. The top criteria was that it was indoors. This put the closest counter service spots on Sunset Boulevard out of the running. Instead we headed over to the ABC Commisary. Wed never actually eaten here and Ive never heard really good things about it, but it was food in air conditioning so we were willing to give it a try. However, everyone else seemed to have the same idea. When we arrived the place was packed and people were even sitting at the outdoor tables even though it was approximately 127 degrees Farhenheit. (Okay that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it was really hot.) So we moved on to see how the Backlot Express looked. Also a place we had never eaten, but it fit the criteria of air conditioned. It too, however, was very crowded and the kids showed no interest in eating there. At this point I realized it is best to make ADRs at lunchtime when the parks are crowded. Anyway, we decided to cut our losses and head back to the Boardwalk to find something to eat. So we headed out of the park. And this is how you know that even I had really had enough of the heat and crowds at this point. We did not even stop for a photopass in front of the hat on the way out. So we actually have no photopass pictures this day. I dont know if that has ever happened before. Quite shocking, really. So instead of showing you a photopass from this day I will show flashback photopasses from our 2010 trip when it was just the kids and I in this park. (You didnt think Id actually let a whole day of trip updates pass without photopass pictures, did you?)





Anyway after taking no photopass pictures, we headed for the boat dock (because there was no way we would be walking back to the Boardwalk in this heat.) The boat pulled up promptly and I sat down and began musing about our lunch choices. There was the Boardwalk Bakery, but it has no indoor tables so wed take our food back to the room. Another choice was to head into Epcot and get something in the World Showcase, but that would involve a bit more walking in the heat. And there was the Beach Club counter service, but I remembered from our Beach Club stay that that was in the gift shop, and it was pretty slim picking plus I wasnt sure about indoor tables. So I was leaning towards just going to the Bakery. Then a lightbulb went off in my head. Beaches n Cream. They didnt take ADRs so we would be on equal footing with everyone else. Now I knew this place is small so we might have a bit of a wait, but I decided it was worth the risk. If the wait was too long wed just get something at the Beach Club counter service. So we got off the boat at the Beach Club and headed over to Beaches n Cream. The CMs asked how many. I answered, Four, and they said, Follow me, please. Wahoo. So we had a lovely lunch at Beaches n Cream. Here are a couple pictures of us as we waited for our food.





The lunch was delicious. We all ordered milkshakes because we were so hot. All of the food was yummy. If you like burgers and fries, this is your kind of place. Most importantly though, we were in air conditioning and it felt good. We were all feeling happy and refreshed when we left. We had an afternoon and evening ahead of us with no real plans. What in the world did we do to occupy ourselves?

 

[wiigirl]

Cute pics!