The Magician on Crescent Lake. A sister TR 4/28-5/4/24, New TR link 9/22**

[pkondz]

That is terrible Haha You must remedy this and spend some time checking it out on your next trip

Yes I must!

I think it would have been noisy and very stinky

And unsightly, for the trifecta.

I hadn’t seen her in awhile. She is De Vine

I know, that never happens, it was really cool

Amazing what they can do with animatronics these days.

Exactly those wood chips get in my teeth!

Those are called toothpicks...

I don’t want to cook or prepare anything on my vacation

This!

That is the best part

Ugh, that is what happens when you are making the reservation in the bathroom before anyone else is even awake yet, haha my vision isn’t as good as it use to be!

And when you're half asleep!

They sure are! I have been on Kali a few times just not a ride I need to do very often

Me neither

Coming up soon and may surprise you!

 

[disneyAndi14]

That's good! I'm finding as I get older that I don't sleep as well in strange places (meaning not my own bed.)

I find the same to be true! I wear ear plugs now when I am in hotels!

Yikes! At least the cost was split three ways.

I know Disney is really raking it in with all the extras

Big difference between those two rides!

Definitely

You'd think they could at least be a tiny bit accommodating.

I once made a Space Mountain instead of Splash and the CM was wonderful and said that happens and let me get right on Splash. I know they don’t need to do that but I think because of the Solash experience I thought maybe a little sympathy

OK, now that's something I would possibly eat from there!

It is really yummy

I haven't done that show in years! And now it's gone from DCA, well it was gone a long time ago. Long before they scrapped Bug's Land.

I mostly like it to laugh at the terrified kids haha

Absolutely! I don't care for rides where you will 100% get wet!

Same, a little Splash here and there is fine but not a soaking

You ladies got some very cute ones!

Beautiful! I didn't know she was out so early in the morning.

It was lovely to see here with my sisters, who never get to see her!

I love how everyone is making this a very interesting photo.

I know it was fun our whole jeep rode again! I think they loved Dinosaur, just like me!

I think the only elephant we saw was way in the distance.

We didn’t see the females at all

This all looks so good.

It was yummy and this place is a favorite

Great photos of all 3 of you.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Oh my goodness, an extra $150 USD for a LL and Genie+. That's so expensive!!

It is crazy when you go back and look at the receipts ugh! We split it 3 ways but still very pricey especially for a family absorbing the whole cost.

I love Devine!

I saw her once with flowers weaved in the greenery, very cool

Great pictures!

This is a great meal!

Love Satuli always a good choice!

I still haven't tried that beer. Will add it to the list for August.

It will be perfect in August!

Aww, I love that song too!

My favorite

You are queen of the Lyft!

Haha the older I get the convenience wins out!

With how much work it takes to buy Genie, look at times, hunt down the attractions, and select the party members, I'm surprised we all don't have more stories about picking the wrong ride. Sorry that happened and glad to hear you managed to squeeze in the ride before leaving the park.

This is very true! I only did it one other time with Splash and Space! I do not ride Space so it was my mistake but the CM at Splash was awesome and switched it for me!

Satu'li is the best. I've never tried the hot dog before, but I've read about it on your reports for so long that I really want to next time I'm there.
That Ale is so refreshing on a DAK day!

I agree this is such a wonderful place to eat and I like everything really but the hot dog is a favorite of mine. The beer is really delicious

Glad you were able to get 2 rides on Dinosaur in. I know it's going to be a sad day for you when it closes.

I know! I hope it is still open in September so Andi and I can ride multiple times!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Following along and all caught up now! I love a sisters trip!

Yay

I still haven't watched Wish but have listened to some of the music on our Disney playlist with my daughters and not as into those as much as other Disney music just yet.

I thought it was okay, a good story but I wasn’t crazy about the music. Now Moana cmon best music ever!

I'm so glad you were able to move and ended up with a great room!

Same, we were feeling deflated with the room location. YC was a great move!

Oops, well that's a bummer Glad you got to ride it later.

I know, I was really surprised I had no idea I picked the wrong one!

I saw a meme recently about green beer at Disney and didn't know what that was referencing - that looks and sounds good!

It is really good and perfect for a hot day in AK

Wow...the cost of Genie+ and ILL! Remember when all of that was free?? I'm also glad that I'm only paying for me when I go.

It is expensive! We split it three ways so I just paid for mine but I sure miss the free FP selections. Heck I would even run to the old FP machines to get a time!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

You are one of the only people I know that likes Kali River. Andi won’t do it because you know she hates getting wet

Ach now you gotta show poor aul Kali some love- sure she’s great craic
We are usually feeling the heat so getting wet is a welcome relief. I can see why some people wouldn’t enjoy that but it always makes my family laugh

The kids meals are really a good value and yes the beer with it does seem odd, haha

They look tasty- just the idea of getting a kiddo a pint that made me laugh

Heck I would even run to the old FP machines to get a time!

I’d forgotten how we used to do that. I used to make my older kids do the running if it was in my line of sight ‘cos I’m such a great parent
Feel so sorry for families having to fork out a second fortune on genie + and ILL when tickets are already so expensive. We are lucky in that our trips are a bit less frequent but long enough that we usually manage without paying extra for rides. Still it does feel like a money grab on Disney’s part

 

[disneyAndi14]

Ach now you gotta show poor aul Kali some love- sure she’s great craic
We are usually feeling the heat so getting wet is a welcome relief. I can see why some people wouldn’t enjoy that but it always makes my family laugh

I use to try and get Andi to ride in the summer heat but she always said no.

I’d forgotten how we used to do that. I used to make my older kids do the running if it was in my line of sight ‘cos I’m such a great paren

I remember making little Andi get in the TSMM line while I grabbed a paper FP so we could ride twice.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Amazing what they can do with animatronics these days.

I remember riding in a jeep on the Safari where a family was asking each other if the animals were real or animatronics I love when they make the “animatronic lion” move

 

[pkondz]

I remember riding in a jeep on the Safari where a family was asking each other if the animals were real or animatronics I love when they make the “animatronic lion” move

 

[disneyAndi14]

Beautiful men everywhere!

We chilled at the resort. Relaxing on the deck was a must.
Walked over to Epcot, enjoying the beautiful flower displays for F&G



We had a Remy LL around 5:00pm. It was time to head out to Epcot, the weather was beautiful. We walked over to hit up our first ride. We had a wonderful ride on Remy. H loves this ride. We will have to ride one more time this trip.

I used LL on all the rides except Grand Fiesta (no LL for this one). We did Soarin, LWTL, SE, and Grand Fiesta before going to our dinner at Via Napoli.
LWTL

Grand Fiesta

New display this year

Italy

Our ADR was at 7:45pm. There was a long line to check in. You can’t do online check in for Via Napoli. I have tried the last few times and not available. First thing, thank you thank you Disney for bringing back the International CMs! Gorgeous man #1 took us to our table and Gorgeous man #2 came over to talk with us several times about our dining experience We really enjoyed the atmosphere if you get what I mean Enjoyed so much I didn’t take any pictures other than this one.

The restaurant was very busy and loud but wow we had one of the best dining experiences at Disney.

We started with drinks. I had the delicious and fresh white sangria, H had a glass of white wine and D had Via Vesuvio
blood orange vodka, prosecco, raspberries.

This drink was very strong! We all sipped on D’s and agreed this was a boozy drink

We decided on the bread service, calamari, and a small
margharita pizza with mushrooms.

Homemade Focaccia
with sides of marinara and Italian extra virgin olive oil and herbs. The bread was delicious and the marinara was so good with the bread. Loved this. Way better than the standard garlic bread they had before.

Calamari Fritti
fried calamari rings, spicy tomato sauce. This was made right before we got it and it was absolutely delicious. Very light and crispy. Another big hit of the night.

Margherita Pizza - Individual
tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil. We added mushrooms to this. This was so delicious and baked just perfect in the fire ovens! It was just right for the 3 of us. Our server was delightful. She was very busy but didn’t forget about us and checked in at the right times.

We all agreed this was the best meal of the trip! Service, gorgeous staff, strong drinks, and delicious food from start to finish!

Our meal ended right before 9pm and the fireworks had started. We watched in Italy for a little while. H loved this, she hasn’t seen Disney fireworks at all so the production scale alone was wowing her! We headed to Norway for Frozen. It was now extra hours for deluxe resort guests. The wait was maybe 10 minutes. I got wet. I now understand why Andi doesn’t like this ride haha, my skirt and underwear wet, ugh! I think my face in the picture shows I got wet otherwise no idea why I look like that

Earlier in the evening, I had tried for a GotG at the 6pm virtual queue and got a spot. After Frozen, we could go into the queue for GotG.

I had never been in the regular line. It was nice to see the regular line but not worth waiting an hour in, haha Our wait was about 20 minutes. Both sisters really liked it, Donna thought it was intense. I agree with her especially the first time riding it!

We got Tears for Fears: Everybody wants to rule the world. First time with that song yay!

It was 1030 and we decided to head out. We took the boat because H’s feet were sore. She has had ankle surgery several times and she was feeling all the walking. The boat was right there so good timing. Our Magician was on board! He was showing some card tricks to the people in front of us! We watched and got the giggles because he didn’t care about any of the other guests, only the ones captivated by his tricks. People boarding the boat, he would just give a quick look and hand motion to sit down.

His co captain had to do all the work!

He was the source of many smiles and laughs from us on this trip. This was a great way to end our wonderful evening. The boat ride definitely takes longer than walking but it was nice to sit down and relax for a bit. I did realize this first day H & D can’t walk as much as me without breaks. This is just fine, I had to slow down some, leave the Andi mode and join the slower paced sister mode!

Via Napoli food and service tonight a definite hit.

We were sleeping around midnight!

Stay tuned for a MK morning and a big miss for this supposedly Disney veteran!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

What a perfect evening at Epcot! Your sister trip sounds wonderful

 

[Wood Nymph]

The restaurant was very busy and loud but wow we had one of the best dining experiences at Disney.

I think that Via Napoli is one of WDW's noisiest restaurant. It sounds like you had a great experience.

We headed to Norway for Frozen. It was now extra hours for deluxe resort guests. The wait was maybe 10 minutes. I got wet.

Was this a standby line? Was it crowded during deluxe hours?

We took the boat because H’s feet were sore. She has had ankle surgery several times and she was feeling all the walking. The boat was right there so good timing. Our Magician was on board!

The boat is perfect when staying at YC, BWI and Swan/Dolphin. It sounds like a fun ride.

 

[pkondz]

Beautiful men everywhere!

Be still my beating heart!



I knew exactly where you were dining as soon as I saw that title!

Walked over to Epcot

I really love that feature of the Boardwalk resorts.

I used LL on all the rides except Grand Fiesta (no LL for this one).

I've only seen It's a Small Mexico busy once. All other times it's been a walk-on.

before going to our dinner at Via Napoli

Called it!

Wow! Pretty!

Lady looks like she needs a visit to the dog groomer's.

First thing, thank you thank you Disney for bringing back the International CMs! Gorgeous man #1 took us to our table and Gorgeous man #2 came over to talk with us several times about our dining experience

We really enjoyed the atmosphere if you get what I mean

wow we had one of the best dining experiences at Disney.

I bet you did!
"Food was terrible... but the best dining experience at Disney!"

blood orange vodka, prosecco, raspberries.

Hmmm... I think I'd like this?

Calamari Fritti
fried calamari rings, spicy tomato sauce. This was made right before we got it and it was absolutely delicious. Very light and crispy. Another big hit of the night.

Light and crispy! Good. I've had calamari a bit too often where it's overcooked and chewy.

Homemade Focaccia
with sides of marinara and Italian extra virgin olive oil and herbs. The bread was delicious and the marinara was so good with the bread. Loved this. Way better than the standard garlic bread they had before.

Noted.

H loved this, she hasn’t seen Disney fireworks at all so the production scale alone was wowing her!

Ahhhhh... I remember my first time seeing Disney fireworks... Remember that feeling well.

I got wet. I now understand why Andi doesn’t like this ride haha, my skirt and underwear wet, ugh!

Oh dear.

I think my face in the picture shows I got wet otherwise no idea why I look like that

I had never been in the regular line. It was nice to see the regular line but not worth waiting an hour in, haha

For me, not many rides are worth waiting in line an hour...

Donna thought it was intense. I agree with her especially the first time riding it!

We took the boat because H’s feet were sore. She has had ankle surgery several times and she was feeling all the walking.

Ouch. I can see that.

We watched and got the giggles because he didn’t care about any of the other guests, only the ones captivated by his tricks. People boarding the boat, he would just give a quick look and hand motion to sit down.

Stay tuned for a MK morning and a big miss for this supposedly Disney veteran!

Uh, oh! You?!?!? Say it isn't so!

 

[suse66]

Gorgeous man #1 took us to our table and Gorgeous man #2 came over to talk with us several times about our dining experience We really enjoyed the atmosphere if you get what I mean Enjoyed so much I didn’t take any pictures other than this one.

Absolutely nothing wrong with appreciating the scenery.

We all agreed this was the best meal of the trip! Service, gorgeous staff, strong drinks, and delicious food from start to finish!

Your meal sounds fantastic!

Our meal ended right before 9pm and the fireworks had started. We watched in Italy for a little while. H loved this, she hasn’t seen Disney fireworks at all so the production scale alone was wowing her! We headed to Norway for Frozen. It was now extra hours for deluxe resort guests. The wait was maybe 10 minutes. I got wet. I now understand why Andi doesn’t like this ride haha, my skirt and underwear wet, ugh! I think my face in the picture shows I got wet otherwise no idea why I look like that

Did you like Luminous any better? Yuck to getting wet, I hate that feeling!

We got Tears for Fears: Everybody wants to rule the world. First time with that song yay!

Such a great song! I finally got it on my last GOTG ride in March.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I"m so glad to hear about your great experience at Via Napoli. Recently, all I read are negative reports and I've always loved that restaurant. I originally had it on my list for Thanksgiving but took it off after all the negatives. Now, I may have to put it back on.

 

[amazingact21]

I recommend Via Napoli to all my friends doing a girls trip/sister get together, etc. I think it's the perfect place to split a few entrees and have fun interacting with the serving staff.

Ugh, getting wet on rides is not fun. Especially when you're not expecting it.

That magician captain sounds hilarious. I could just picture him being completely focused on his performance.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Despite the lightning lane flub for Na’vi River Journey, it sounds like you had a lovely morning at Animal Kingdom. Sa’tuli Canteen was an excellent choice for lunch - my daughter enjoyed the hot dog as much as you do!

Mmmmm, Via Napoli… we had to skip our lunch there as M wasn’t feeling well. I’m glad you had such a wonderful experience - and I agree the staff there is always incredibly good-looking!

I struggled to change my Disney pace traveling with my family. My sister can go a lot faster than two young kids! I did get used to it but I often felt we were going so slow.

 

[vamassey1]

LWTL

I had to take a picture of this too. I was so pretty.

First thing, thank you thank you Disney for bringing back the International CMs! Gorgeous man #1 took us to our table and Gorgeous man #2 came over to talk with us several times about our dining experience We really enjoyed the atmosphere if you get what I mean Enjoyed so much I didn’t take any pictures other than this one.

I'm happy to read this. We're going next month without Dennis but we will have the 3 boys.

The restaurant was very busy and loud but wow we had one of the best dining experiences at Disney.

I hope our meal is good here too.

. I got wet. I now understand why Andi doesn’t like this ride haha, my skirt and underwear wet, ugh! I think my face in the picture shows I got wet otherwise no idea why I look like that

Oh nooooo!

I did realize this first day H & D can’t walk as much as me without breaks. This is just fine, I had to slow down some, leave the Andi mode and join the slower paced sister mode!

Everyone moves at a different pace. I'm sure it was an adjustment to not go at the "Andy pace".

 

[cheryllarsen]

Thanks for the update! I enjoyed reading your post.

 

[cheryllarsen]

Such a fun trip! I hope to do something similar soon.

 

[disneyAndi14]

What a perfect evening at Epcot! Your sister trip sounds wonderful

It really was and our dinner was an awesome! A perfect time before enjoying a little of the fireworks and the deluxe extra hours

I think that Via Napoli is one of WDW's noisiest restaurant. It sounds like you had a great experience

It is very noisy, big drawback to the dining experience. We had such a good time and “view” we didn’t mind the noise as much!

Was this a standby line? Was it crowded during deluxe hours?

This was the SB Line at the start of the deluxe extra hours. The longest part was scanning for the deluxe resort check. The IPad wasn’t working the best for the CM.

The boat is perfect when staying at YC, BWI and Swan/Dolphin. It sounds like a fun ride.

It really is! Andi and I always walk so riding the boat a little more was really nice!

Absolutely nothing wrong with appreciating the scenery.

Haha It sure is fun to look!

Your meal sounds fantastic!

It really was a good meal and we all enjoyed it!

Did you like Luminous any better? Yuck to getting wet, I hate that feeling!

I did! It still isn’t one I get the feels for but the excitement H felt made it even better. I really got wet a rogue splash got me good!

Such a great song! I finally got it on my last GOTG ride in March.

I loved it and I swear the songs make the ride unique each time!