The Many Adventures of an Aussie Disney Honeymooner

[zanzibar138]

Chapter 5: In which DH meets a mouse

5.5. Wild about wait times​

After freshening up, we headed back out. After a longer than expected photo session, we were overdue for lunch, so we headed back to Captain Cook’s.



Ben got the Thai meatballs to try, and I thought the kids chicken skewers sounded good. We were not disappointed by either meal, and the kids meal was more than enough food for me! Knowing that we would have another 12 days to make use of it, we also decided to get a refillable mug to share.



We still hadn’t made it to the front desk to sort out Ben’s missing room card. It was his idea to get Magic Bands, as he figured there was less chance of him losing that than a loose card. We found some Magic Bands at Boutiki and the lovely CM there helped us to set them up.







And with that, we headed out to find the bus stop.



The bus stop wasn’t too hard to find, and we were pleased to see that it was actually in between the GCH and our room, so we’d have a slightly shortened walk at the end of the night.





Unfortunately the display screens weren’t working, so we had no idea how far away the buses were. It wasn’t long until one for AK pulled up, and we were on our way, via a quick stop at the GF. It was a nice empty bus - only 2 other guests on it so it was a pretty comfortable ride. But my goodness it’s a long walk from the buses to the park!



We’d been a little concerned about how we were going to get to HS later, so we stopped to ask at the gate to alleviate our concerns. Turns out there would be a direct bus running until after the end of EEH, so we could relax.

Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We loved the lush landscaping as we entered the park, and stopped to watch the cute babirusas for a bit.



We soon came to the Tree of Life, which was buzzing with activity.



We did enjoy some of the cute sculptures scattered around the parks, but weren’t necessarily looking for them all.



It was getting on for 4pm by that time, and I was keen to get to Kilimanjaro Safaris before it closed, so we headed in that direction. Along the way, we stopped for a few photos. We already LOVED AK, with its lush landscaping, incredible theming and beautiful animals!





By the time we got to safari entrance, the wait time was only 15 minutes. Amazing. It was just about a walk-on, and we were seated in the front row.



The light was fading at that time of day, making it a little difficult for photography, but we got some great animal sightings and I managed to capture a few decent photos. It was at AK that I was pleased to have bought a mega-zoom camera (up to 40x optical zoom).









We both enjoyed the ride very much, and immediately knew we'd have to do it again another time.

Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We still had time when we got off the safari, so we headed to the Gorilla Falls trail. We never seem to have much luck seeing gorillas at zoos, so we were thrilled to see them right there in front of us being very photogenic!









We were headed in the general direction of Everest, so when we got back to the lake we followed the path in a clockwise direction, taking in the views of the Tree of Life from around the park.



I loved all the pop up entertainment around the park. I know that’s what EPCOT is supposed to be about too, but I just found it far more enjoyable at AK for some reason!



I figured we should find something to eat before the park actually closed, so we stopped at the Yak & Yeti takeaway section and ordered some spring rolls egg rolls and dumplings pot stickers. The casing was a little different to what we were used to, but otherwise they weren’t bad, and it was nice to have something familiar.



We loved some of the theming in this area, which looked extra beautiful as the sun was setting.







Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We had made it to Everest, and there was only a 15 minute wait!



Since it was practically a walk-on, I rode twice in a row while Ben rested his feet.



I loved it, definitely one of my faves!

I think the park was officially closing and EEH starting as we made our way to Dinoland. I was keen to explore what was left of it before it disappears forever. Much of it was already fenced off, but we could still a see a bit over the fences.



The whole Dinosaur ride area was still open and seemed like business as usual.



I think it was a 10 minute posted wait for Dinosaur. We had to scan our Magic Bands to enter the line, so I know EEH had officially started by then. Unfortunately just as we were entering the queue, we were advised that the ride had gone down temporarily. Many people chose to wait it out, but I deemed that to not be the best use of our EEH time!

Instead, we headed on over to Pandora, where the wait time for Navi River Journey was down to about 30 minutes. It was quite disorientating visiting Pandora for the first time after dark. It’s really dark in there! We had no idea where anything was and it took quite a while of wandering to actually find the entrance to Navi River Journey. In the meantime, we enjoyed all the bioluminescence.





My new camera had been great for day time photos, and I was particularly enjoying the zoom, but unfortunately it did struggle in low light conditions (which you may have already noticed!). It was very difficult to capture the essence of Pandora at night on camera, but it was fun to see. We did of course eventually find the entrance to the ride and probably waited about 20 minutes by then. We both enjoyed the ride, but agreed that it wouldn’t be worth waiting much longer than that.

The wait time for FoP was down to about 40 minutes, so if we were ever going to do it, that was the time! Ben probably would have been ok with it, as simulators don’t seem to bother him, but we both thought it wasn’t worth the risk. We didn’t want to write ourselves off just before our AH party at HS!

It would have only been just after 7:30pm by that time, and we could have re-ridden Navi, or headed back over to Dinosaur or Everest to ride on repeat, but we felt like we’d gotten our value out of EEH at AK, and were keen to get to HS in plenty of time for the party!

On our way out, we lingered at the Tree of Life to catch the end of the projection show, deciding that we would catch it from the beginning another time.



Then it was time for the long walk back to the exit and to find the bus for HS.

 

[pkondz]

the kids meal was more than enough food for me!

It looks like it would be more than adequate for me too. I typically don't eat a big lunch. Or if I do, then it's likely that I'll skip dinner and have a snack later.

It was his idea to get Magic Bands, as he figured there was less chance of him losing that than a loose card.

Looking very intent... "I will not lose this!"

And with that, we headed out to find the bus stop.

Mug in hand.

The bus stop wasn’t too hard to find, and we were pleased to see that it was actually in between the GCH and our room, so we’d have a slightly shortened walk at the end of the night.

Nice.
There is nothing worse than a long, loooong trek to your room after a long day of touring.

Voice of experience, here.

But my goodness it’s a long walk from the buses to the park!

Depends on the bus. There are several loops. You must have been dropped off at the farthest?

stopped to watch the cute babirusas for a bit.

You and I have different definitions of the word "cute"!

We already LOVED AK, with its lush landscaping, incredible theming and beautiful animals!

I wasn't a fan, at first. It didn't feel like "Disney"...
But now it's probably my 2nd favourite park.

Nice shot of you two.

By the time we got to safari entrance, the wait time was only 15 minutes. Amazing. It was just about a walk-on, and we were seated in the front row.

Wow! Great timing!

It was at AK that I was pleased to have bought a mega-zoom camera (up to 40x optical zoom).

Great shot!

I was going to ask what that was... butt I'll just move on.

We never seem to have much luck seeing gorillas at zoos, so we were thrilled to see them right there in front of us being very photogenic!

I've never been disappointed by them at AK.

I loved all the pop up entertainment around the park. I know that’s what EPCOT is supposed to be about too, but I just found it far more enjoyable at AK for some reason!

I think it has to do with being surrounded by nature as opposed to... concrete.

ordered some spring rolls egg rolls and dumplings pot stickers.

Egg rolls are thicker skinned, being made from wonton wrappers as opposed to thinner spring roll wrappers. Pot stickers are essentially dumplings, but fried (on at least one side) in a pan.

ETA
I just Googled and saw this:
potstickers are steamed or boiled after being pan-fried, while dumplings are simply steamed, boiled or fried.

We loved some of the theming in this area, which looked extra beautiful as the sun was setting.

Disney knows how to do dark.

We had made it to Everest, and there was only a 15 minute wait!

More great timing!

I think the park was officially closing and EEH starting as we made our way to Dinoland. I was keen to explore what was left of it before it disappears forever.

the wait time for Navi River Journey was down to about 30 minutes.

Not bad at all for that ride. And about the maximum I'd wait for it.

It was quite disorientating visiting Pandora for the first time after dark. It’s really dark in there! We had no idea where anything was and it took quite a while of wandering to actually find the entrance to Navi River Journey.

I can see that.
But without the dark, you wouldn't have...

In the meantime, we enjoyed all the bioluminescence.

...this.

My new camera had been great for day time photos, and I was particularly enjoying the zoom, but unfortunately it did struggle in low light conditions (which you may have already noticed!). It was very difficult to capture the essence of Pandora at night on camera, but it was fun to see.

Every camera will have that problem. You need to have a tripod or other support and the ability to set up the camera manually.

The wait time for FoP was down to about 40 minutes, so if we were ever going to do it, that was the time!

Ben probably would have been ok with it, as simulators don’t seem to bother him, but we both thought it wasn’t worth the risk. We didn’t want to write ourselves off just before our AH party at HS!

That's too bad. It's such an incredible ride.

 

[zanzibar138]

I was going to ask what that was... butt I'll just move on.

Well for the record, it's a waterbuck

Egg rolls are thicker skinned, being made from wonton wrappers as opposed to thinner spring roll wrappers. Pot stickers are essentially dumplings, but fried (on at least one side) in a pan.

Ah, that explains it! I'd just assumed they were American versions of the same thing

Every camera will have that problem. You need to have a tripod or other support and the ability to set up the camera manually.

Yes, I definitely could have put more effort into learning and setting up my camera for the trip. It was ok for things like fireworks where I could get myself properly prepared, but for general night time wandering, character photos and restaurants, it did definitely need more work. Having said that, the night time photos that I took on my phone were generally better. I probably should have done that more, I was just being lazy really wanting all my photos from the one source lol!

That's too bad. It's such an incredible ride.

Like with GotG, I'm happy with my decision and don't feel like I missed out. Simulators are the worst for me so I think it would have been a problem.

 

[zanzibar138]

Chapter 5: In which DH meets a mouse

5.6. A character-filled evening​

The bus from AK to HS was pretty quiet, with only one other couple who were also a little unsure of where they were going and what they were doing lol! Actually, it was also a pretty decent hike from the buses to the park entrance at HS. We arrived close to official closing time, and entered via the AH party line, getting our wrist bands on the way in.



It was a bit of a weird system there where the official park closing time was listed as 9pm, but the AH party didn’t officially start until 9:30pm (unlike MK where the park closed at 10pm and that’s when the AH party started), but we weren’t complaining about getting that bonus half an hour! It gave us time to wander a little to familiarise ourselves with the park without taking up valuable party time.





The wait time for Rise was down to 20 minutes, so we jumped in there on the way through. It was pretty much a walk-on – it took that long to walk through the queue and experience the pre-show.









We both enjoyed the ride immensely, and agreed that we would be willing to wait longer to ride it again another time and enjoy the incredibly well-themed queue.

We decided not to risk riding Smuggler’s Run, not really knowing what to expect and knowing that I don’t generally do well on simulator type rides. We enjoyed just walking around and taking it all in, and looking in a couple of the shops.







Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

I knew Oga’s would be taking walk-ups during the party, and thought it might be a nice way to start the party. We still had about 15 minutes before the party officially started, but at that time they were only letting in people with wrist bands. We’d just sat down on a nearby wall when they called us in. It was still a little busy with people who hadn’t left yet, so we were shown to a standing table with 2 others.





I ordered a fuzzy tauntaun, and I think Ben just ordered a beer.



They took a while to come out, and we knew that we were starting to eat into valuable AH party time. We enjoyed the experience though and chatting with our table mates, and felt overall it was worth it. In the end, it would have only been 10-15 minutes of actual party time that we spent there.

As we left Galaxy’s Edge and made our way to Toy Story Land, there were more photo opportunities we couldn’t pass by!







We were headed to Slinky, which had about a 20 minute wait, which we figured would be about as good as it would get. Slinky was right on the edge or slightly outside of Ben’s comfort zone for coasters, but I had fun lol!







We had learned from our first AH party experience and so therefore waited until after Slinky to get our ice-creams. I’d also learned that I much preferred the Mickey ice-cream sandwiches to the premium bars.



I figured that we could manage TSM after ice-creams, and it only had a 10 minute wait (basically a walk on), so we rode that while we were there. I much prefer TSM to Buzz, but Ben was not a fan.

Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We were pretty much done with Toy Story Land by then, so we decided to head to Runaway Railway. On our way, we decided to meet Bo Peep. She had a short queue, but we were entertained watching Slinky. A little disappointingly, none of the rare characters had Photopass photographers.



We made our way over to Runaway Railway, which had about a posted 15 minute wait, but turned out to be pretty much a walk on. This turned out to be one of our favourites for the trip. Ben loved that the classic characters got some love, and the trackless ride system was a lot of fun!



We decided to see what other characters were around before doing more rides. We found Geppetto and Jiminy Cricket just nearby.





We also found Thumper just around the corner.



We found Bert and the penguins from Mary Poppins, but as we joined the queue we were told that they would be leaving after the group in front of us, so we decided to run over to see if we could get a photo with the White Rabbit. Sadly, we were too late for him too.



We saw that Mary Poppins had taken over from Bert and the penguins. I’ve met Mary Poppins several times already, so she wasn’t quite as exciting lol! But we stopped for a photo anyway while we were going past. I'm sure both Bert and the White Rabbit would have been coming back out, but we were keen to move on.



By that stage we were just about done. We’d had a massive day (we were up to nearly 30,000 steps), I still wasn’t feeling great, and we’d pretty much done most of what we wanted to do at the party. There was one more ride for me to tick off, which we could do on the way out (via a long detour lol!).



Nope, not ToT (that ride scares the *** out of me!). RnR. Which had become even more of a must-do since the announcement that it’s getting changed to Muppets. Ben of course was not interested in riding, so he sat with the bags again and got us a couple of drinks. It was only about a 10 minute wait, so I decided to go twice. It was a lot of fun!





It was only midnight, so we still had another half hour of party left, but we were definitely done by then. We were practically force-fed more ice-cream, popcorn and drinks on the way out to the bus. It may have been because the event hadn’t quite finished yet, but again, the bus was very empty, with only another couple of groups.

We got off at the Poly and took the slightly shorter path directly back to our room, very pleased to be calling it a night!

 

[pkondz]

Ah, that explains it! I'd just assumed they were American versions of the same thing

Now you know.

The bus from AK to HS was pretty quiet, with only one other couple who were also a little unsure of where they were going and what they were doing lol!

We arrived close to official closing time,

Did the other couple head to the party? Or did you lose track of them after the bus arrived?

It gave us time to wander a little to familiarise ourselves with the park without taking up valuable party time.

Smart.

Really like this shot.

The wait time for Rise was down to 20 minutes, so we jumped in there on the way through. It was pretty much a walk-on – it took that long to walk through the queue and experience the pre-show.

Great! That's such a tough one to get on, otherwise. (Without paying $$$)

We both enjoyed the ride immensely, and agreed that we would be willing to wait longer to ride it again another time and enjoy the incredibly well-themed queue.

We decided not to risk riding Smuggler’s Run, not really knowing what to expect and knowing that I don’t generally do well on simulator type rides.

I wonder... You're so busy doing things during the ride, that I've never noticed the motion sickness part.

I ordered a fuzzy tauntaun, and I think Ben just ordered a beer.

How did you like your lips going numb?

As we left Galaxy’s Edge and made our way to Toy Story Land, there were more photo opportunities we couldn’t pass by!

We were headed to Slinky, which had about a 20 minute wait, which we figured would be about as good as it would get.

Another (usually) long line, bypassed!

Slinky was right on the edge or slightly outside of Ben’s comfort zone for coasters, but I had fun lol!

Glad to hear that.
I'm sure you much prefer having him with you, than not.

He's smiling.

I’d also learned that I much preferred the Mickey ice-cream sandwiches to the premium bars.

Really! I need to test this for myself.

A little disappointingly, none of the rare characters had Photopass photographers.

Really?
That's a shame.
How did you get your photos? Did you ask other people in line to do the honours?

We made our way over to Runaway Railway, which had about a posted 15 minute wait, but turned out to be pretty much a walk on.

Nice! That line always feels like it takes forever.

This turned out to be one of our favourites for the trip.

We decided to see what other characters were around before doing more rides. We found Geppetto and Jiminy Cricket just nearby.

No way! I've never seen them!

We found Bert and the penguins from Mary Poppins

Cool! Bert, yes. But Bert with penguins? Nope!

but as we joined the queue we were told that they would be leaving after the group in front of us

Well, shoot!

I’ve met Mary Poppins several times already, so she wasn’t quite as exciting lol!

We’d had a massive day (we were up to nearly 30,000 steps)

Whoa! Bet you were more than ready for bed after that!

There was one more ride for me to tick off, which we could do on the way out (via a long detour lol!).

Just a little out of the way.

Nope, not ToT (that ride scares the *** out of me!).

It was only about a 10 minute wait, so I decided to go twice. It was a lot of fun!

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

I just discovered your trip report and love it! Such an amazing trip so far! Congratulations on your wedding and honeymoon!

Going back to when you were in Vegas, they have a old sign museum called the Neon Sign Museum. They have many of the old signs from the old hotels and landmarks. I've been a few times and it's such a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

 

[zanzibar138]

Did the other couple head to the party? Or did you lose track of them after the bus arrived?

They were going to the party too. We all reassured each other that we were going the right way lol!

How did you like your lips going numb?

I've just been to the dentist today. Much preferred the fuzzy tauntaun experience

I'm sure you much prefer having him with you, than not.

He's smiling.

He actually looks like he's coping better than I am in that photo lol!

How did you get your photos? Did you ask other people in line to do the honours?

The character handlers were happy to take photos using our own camera/phone.

No way! I've never seen them!

I have a photo with Geppetto from DLR back in 2011 (my very first Disney trip!). But never seen Jiminy Cricket!

Cool! Bert, yes. But Bert with penguins? Nope!

You don't like penguins? I was far more excited about the penguins than Bert

 

[zanzibar138]

I just discovered your trip report and love it! Such an amazing trip so far! Congratulations on your wedding and honeymoon!

Going back to when you were in Vegas, they have a old sign museum called the Neon Sign Museum. They have many of the old signs from the old hotels and landmarks. I've been a few times and it's such a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

Thank you and welcome aboard!

I did have the neon sign museum on my list for Vegas, but in the end I let the guys lead for that part of the trip. I'm not sure it's something they would have been that interested in.

 

[zanzibar138]

Chapter 5: In which DH meets a mouse

5.7. Slightly unappreciative visitors​

Unfortunately it was an early start today, as we were aiming to get to MK for EE. This was the day of the CM party, and MK was closing at 4:30pm, so we wanted to have as much time there as we could.

I woke feeling slightly worse again, and struggled to drag my butt out of bed. I felt better when I looked out the window and saw the amazing view of MK over the lake, softly lit through a thin layer of fog with the last of the sunrise. Magic.



We hurriedly got ready and got onto a ferry, enjoying the misty sunrise view from the lake.



It was nearly 7:30am by the time we arrived at the MK dock, and I realised we were going to be too late to get the full advantage from EE. As we were getting off the ferry, I realised I’d forgotten to book a VQ for Tiana when we got up. I thought surely we’d missed our opportunity by then, but checked anyway, and was shocked to be assigned a group! I think we were around 60.

We entered the park just as the sunlight was starting to hit the castle. It really was a beautiful time of day, and helped to take my mind off feeling sleep deprived and unwell.



As I’m sure ALL of you would know, arriving at 7:30am for a 7:30am EE is NOT good enough. And so we were met with relatively high wait times for the headliners. We decided to hit up Peter Pan, which had a 20 minute wait. Not bad all things considered.

By the time we’d done Peter Pan, the park was officially opening, and we decided to head to Adventureland first. Turned out to be a great idea as we walked straight onto Jungle Cruise!



Next we headed to Pirates which, after opening slightly late, was still pretty much a walk-on too.



We felt like we’d done enough to warrant our early entry, wait times were starting to increase, and we were getting rumblies in our tumblies. We decided to head back towards Main Street to look for something for breakfast. We happened across Sleepy Hollow on the way through and thought Mickey waffles sounded pretty good. We got one of each of the plain fruit and the Nutella versions to share.



I prefer the plain little Mickey waffles at the buffets, where you can just add what you like. I usually just have mine with a bit of syrup.

As we were leaving, we noticed a Photopass photographer so stopped for a few quick pics.





The trouble we had with the VQ for Tiana was that we really had no idea when our group would be called. I was checking in regularly to see where they were up to, but I didn’t want to go too far until we’d had our ride. Our feet and legs were tired after the previous day, and I could just see us getting all the way to the furthest corner of Tomorrowland, and then being called for Tiana lol! Instead, we headed for the Main Street train station.

Along the way, we stumbled across the Chip N Dale meet and greet. It was great, being kind of hidden and out of the way, we never saw a long line. When we arrived, there was a cheeky squirrel causing chaos, with both chipmunks trying to shoo it away lol!





Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We headed to the train station without further ado, and timed it perfectly as one was just arriving. We did the full circuit.



We’d been hoping to see more of the park as we went around, but it was a nice break. To save our legs, we decided not to get off after the full circle, but to stay on until Frontierland and then hang around the area until our VQ for Tiana.

Since Tom Sawyer Island is on the chopping block, we decided to head across there while we still could. We were held for a few minutes at the rafts to let the paddle steamer go through.





On the island, we just had a brief look around. Ben rested on a bench while I went to see the fort.









I enjoyed the trails and the views, and was pleased we’d gotten to see it. I remember being disappointed at DLR that the fort wasn’t open for visitors (I think it was where they kept some of the F! props), so it was fun to see it at WDW.

As we were waiting for the raft back, we discovered that we were missing this mini parade. It looked like a bunch of ‘adventure’ themed characters. It had a catchy tune and I vowed to make sure we saw it properly another day.



We headed to Country Bears next, which we thought was a fun little show, and another good opportunity for a bit of a rest.





Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

Next up, we took a ride on the paddle steamer. It’s such a lovely thing to do, it’s going to be a real shame to lose it.





We enjoyed the views on the way around.





And just as we were getting off the boat, we stumbled across the mini parade!







We were running out of things to do in the area that we were interested in and wouldn’t require a long wait, but they were getting close to our group at Tiana’s, so we thought we’d just head over and wait to be called. We filled in some time at the shop on the way through, and enjoyed some people watching.



It was only 10 or 15 minutes until our group was called, so we headed on in. On the way to the line, a lovely lady asked if I wanted her poncho. I wouldn’t normally have been that bothered, but I had kind of realised that I was wearing a white skirt and wondering about the implications of that lol! So I very gladly accepted the poncho and we joined the queue.

I do agree with reviews that say the story isn’t quite as engaging as the old Splash Mountain, and the old music is pretty hard to go past as well. We both enjoyed it though, and it was one of the few rides that Ben expressed interest in repeating. Unfortunately this ended up being our only opportunity to ride.



We lingered on the way out to take in some of the views.



Continued in next post…

 

[zanzibar138]

We’d finally been able to tick off Tiana’s, and could now feel free to explore the rest of the park. We decided to head for Fantasyland, looking out for something for lunch along the way. First, we got distracted by this massive dance party happening in front of Country Bears.



Once we’d finished watching, we continued our trek to Fantasyland, and stopped when we got to Columbia Harbor House. I hadn’t really considered it an option since it’s quite seafood based (Ben doesn’t eat seafood), but Ben was happy with the options available. I got the shrimp skewers and Ben got the chicken strips. The salmon also looked pretty good, but I was very happy with the shrimp skewers, and Ben said the chicken was ok.



I headed upstairs with our meals. There was heaps of seating available, but sadly no window tables left. I managed a quick peek when the party next to us left.



After the AH party, wait times for the headliners still seemed pretty long. 30-45 minutes for Peter Pan, and 45-60 minutes for Tron and Seven Dwarves. We only realised how fantastic those times were when we went on a normal day, and I immediately regretted not making more of an effort to ride them. However, at the time neither of us were keen to stand in line for half an hour or more, so we headed to the Little Mermaid next.



We headed on to Storybook Circus.



Dumbo was pretty much a walk-on, but Ben wasn’t interested. He suggested the character meet and greet instead, which had a 20 minute wait posted. We walked in to see pretty short lines, and joined the Donald and Goofy side. It had been nearly 20 minutes and we had barely moved. Each group was getting a good 5-10 minutes, and we still had half a dozen groups in front of us. The line for Minnie and Daisy was moving much quicker, so we decided to switch. The line continued to move much quicker and we got to the front in good time. However, just as we got to the front, Minnie and Daisy headed off for a break. I’ve got absolutely no problem with that – I know the characters need their breaks. However, they were gone for a good 10-15 minutes. We were annoyed at the handler, who had said when they left they'd just be a 'few minutes', and kept updating us with 'just a couple more minutes'. If he'd said 10-15 minutes from the start, we could have made an informed decision about whether to stay or not. At that stage we didn't know if it was normal, but whenever we met characters for the rest of the trip, they only went away for a maximum of 5 minutes. I felt bad for the poor family in front of us who had a little kid with them. They had managed to meet Daisy, but had to wait for Minnie to come back out, and that kid was losing patience. Eventually of course, they reappeared, we got our photos and moved on!





We exited via the gift shop, grabbing a cupcake and a drink on the way through.



We carried on in the direction of Tron, and found a bench to sit and eat our cupcake and make a plan for our last hour. While I was keen to do Tron, it would mean leaving Ben sitting on a bench on his own for our last hour in the park, and that wasn’t something I was that keen on. We decided instead to head to Seven Dwarves, which had a slightly more reasonable 40 minute wait.

When we arrived, we noticed that Winnie the Pooh only had a 10 minute wait, so we jumped in line for that. I was pleased that Ben would get to do one last ride. Unfortunately that was fairly short-lived, as just as we were entering the queue, it went down.

After Ben’s prior experience with Seven Dwarves (after his ice-cream), he was nervous about riding again, and decided that he would prefer not to. I felt a little better about leaving him on his own on a bench for a 40 minute wait rather than an hour.



Of course, by the time I was done with Seven Dwarves, Winnie the Pooh was back up and running, with only a short wait time still. We still had 15 minutes until closing, so we could have ridden it, but Ben was pretty much done, so we just headed out.



It felt a little strange to be walking down Main Street with the rest of the crowd leaving MK so early! While we may not have taken full advantage of the short wait times or low crowds, we’d still had a great day at MK!

 

[Steppesister]

Ooh, you got all caught up!

I did, I did!

I was happy to just go with it as long as we could get directions up before we got to Vegas!

For sure!! You'd need them there.

It must be stupidly uncomfortable in the height of summer! I was very pleased that we visited in winter.

We were there in September and it was just gross weather-wise. Honestly just too hot and bordering on dangerous by the time we got to Zabrieski's (sp?). I was glad the walk to the viewpoint was very short.

Thank you! I also took one looking down, and couldn't decide which one to post as I think the one looking down better shows the 'vertigo-ness'. So here's a little bonus content for you

OH, that is super cool! Very industrial art vibe there.

For us it was worth stopping for the old wild west town experience

I can totally see that. It's neat there are still places like that around to experience.

After my last experience, I was actually surprised by how well I coped. I think arriving on a Thursday worked well - it gave me a chance to ease into the experience a bit before the weekend crowds hit.

Huh, that's some solid advice. I hadn't thought of the weekend factor.

Oh! That's the only context I know! How would you use 'seedy'?

We use to describe something like a dive bar with illicit activity, perhaps a red-light district or situation where there are things happening that your momma warned you about...

Gone are the Capri and Royale, the seedy motels that were a magnet for crime.
— Bill Turque, kansascity, 12 May 2018

 

[Steppesister]

he wanted to save our money and energy.

Good plan for sure. You're gonna need it!

We spent the day resting, watching TV and getting our luggage organised. I had another bath. Ben had another nap.

A perfect rest day to transition to Part 2.

the total cost was $80. For 2-3 tiny hot dogs and 2-3 drinks. The hot dogs were good though!

Ain't NO hot dog on earth worth $80!

Nothing.

Literally, the players just left the ice and people just got up and started leaving. So disappointing after the big fanfare at the start of the game.

I can see how that would be so anticlimactic!

We were super excited to be beginning our Disney adventures today! But first, we had the 4+ hour Spirit Airlines flight to Tampa, departing at 8:40am. Then the drive to WDW of what seemed to be highly variable timing based on traffic, but we were estimating about 2 hours.

I've done similar and that drive always seems a bit long. Definitely a long day for you!

The airport wasn't at all like I remembered from my last trip - it may have been renovated since then as I remember it being a lot older! But I do remember the last minute opportunity to lose all your money.

Yes, always a bit jarring.

I certainly wouldn't bother to 'upgrade' to comfy again unless the fare difference was very minimal. It was nice to have the spare seat between us, but that table was permanent and it would have been nice to configure the row how we wanted. The snack and drink were also pretty lame. We got a small cookie and half a can of Coke poured into a cup. I was very glad that we'd had a proper breakfast and also bought drinks to take on the plane.

Total rip off. I'd not upgrade either knowing there's really no perk.

ops! That was the last one. Turned out this one was with Alamo. The people at both places seemed like they were losing patience and couldn't be bothered with us,

I've done that before! It's frustrating on both ends and actually very stressful.

we just made it in time to catch the last shuttle.

Nice timing!

I was a little surprised that there was no acknowledgement of our honeymoon (might have been nice to be given buttons or even a congratulatory card or message of some description), but otherwise it was everything I'd hoped for.

YAY!!! But... like nothing at all? I'm so happy you got your room but geez...

It was probably only a 10 minute wait, and we had the entire ferry to ourselves. Literally, there was not one other guest on it!

That's so super cool!!!! What VIP service.

There was a short wait for the People Mover, so that became our official first ride at WDW! It was a good one to get a bit of an overview of the land.

THE BEST first and last ride at MK!

Buzz had a short wait too, so we hit that next. Ben's a bit of a gamer so I thought he'd enjoy this one, but despite kicking my butt, he thought it was a bit 'meh'.

My least fave in TL. Just not my thing. Mostly because I suck so bad at it.

I'mma be so sad when this view is gone.

When we finally got to Tron, I left Ben at the bottom of the walkway with the bags, and headed up just with my phone. It felt like a much shorter wait than 30 minutes, and I was in the loading area before I knew it. It was just as much fun as I remembered!

I didn't make it onto Tron my last trip, the lines were just too long and I didn't pay for any LL's. Maybe next time. I think doing it during an AH was a perfect way to get on!

 

[Steppesister]

I was also interested in the view to Living with the Land, which did not seem to be running at the time.

Sweet view!

Having said that, it would have been a much nicer experience without the crowds!

This is the entire theme of any trip to WDW.

If we’d had a sharpie, I would have written ‘Just Married’ somewhere on them to minimise the confusion.

Usually the CMs do that for you when you get them at the front desk. Did they offer?

We were both starting to feel a bit fatigued, so we popped next door to watch the Mickey shorts. It was a good opportunity to get off our feet for a while and we both left feeling a little refreshed and ready to keep going.

Love the shorts, for both the show AND the AC/seating.

Then we decided to check out what was in the building. Other than the Mickey meet and greet (which we didn’t feel the need to do with a long line), there was a great Disney on Broadway exhibition. Not sure if it’s part of FArts. It was fun to check out some of the props and costumes from shows we’ve seen.

I had no idea there was anything else in there at all or ever. Cool!

As much as we’d found some fun things to do and see, we hadn’t loved that first part of the park. It didn’t feel magical and wonderful like MK. More like a large agricultural show (not sure if you have those in the US!). It didn’t help that it was crowded with long waits for everything and warmer than we’d expected! We were looking forward to seeing what World Showcase was all about.

I do like some of the more natural areas and gardens they've added. But don't love the huge stage areas for giant concerts/entertainment. I miss the old days of the edutainment exhibits.

We ended up at the San Angel Cantina, which had a longish line to get in but it was moving quickly enough. Finding a table was a whole different game though We ordered a serve of empanadas and a Coke to share, and began the search for a table. Any table.

Always a huge crowd there and fight for tables. Italy has added more take away seating and it in the shade. I will say the empanadas at the La Choza are bomb! Soooooo good!

I went to do a load of washing. I was pretty impressed with the laundry room, particularly when I realised it was free

FREE?! come again?

Unfortunately we discovered that the balustrade was directly blocking the horizon line with the castle etc when we were sitting down

Ugh, I hate this. It's been a consistent problem on every cruise ship too. Not cool!

Next we headed to the Contemporary. Knowing that we’d be staying there soon, it was fun to get a preview! At the monorail, we were directed to the lift as it was deemed to be unsafe for me to take the escalator in my dress. We headed out to the viewing terrace first for a few photos. Randy had his heart set on taking us up to Cali Grill for some photos on the viewing deck up there, so we went down to the lobby for him to ask. We sat patiently while he tried to make arrangements, and we were eventually approached by several CMs including a senior manager, who would accompany us to. It was quite the process with Cali Grill not being open yet. The CMs had to use a special key to take us up and unlock the doors for the viewing decks. Randy accidentally got locked outside so we had to find the CMs again to rescue him lol! It was all well worth it though. Randy sent us a preview image the following day, and it looks amazing! I can’t wait to see the rest of the photos!

WOW! What a nice surprise and THIS is the Disney we love.

We still hadn’t made it to the front desk to sort out Ben’s missing room card. It was his idea to get Magic Bands, as he figured there was less chance of him losing that than a loose card. We found some Magic Bands at Boutiki and the lovely CM there helped us to set them up.

I'd go with a band any day over a card. I'd lose one of those in a hot minute.

But my goodness it’s a long walk from the buses to the park!

The WORST! And it seems even longer because the walk just getting OUT of the park from the Tree on is hella long.

We already LOVED AK, with its lush landscaping, incredible theming and beautiful animals!

My favorite park hands down. Absolutely.

I spend loads of time watching the pop up entertainers at this park for sure. Always an exotic feel to what they offer.

I figured we should find something to eat before the park actually closed, so we stopped at the Yak & Yeti takeaway

Always a solid choice for quick and tasty.

It was quite disorientating visiting Pandora for the first time after dark. It’s really dark in there!

It definitely is VERY dark in there at night. Almost like dangerously so. I do wonder how many folks trip or fall back in there.

On our way out, we lingered at the Tree of Life to catch the end of the projection show, deciding that we would catch it from the beginning another time.

It's such a peaceful, serene way to end the night there.

They took a while to come out, and we knew that we were starting to eat into valuable AH party time. We enjoyed the experience though and chatting with our table mates, and felt overall it was worth it. In the end, it would have only been 10-15 minutes of actual party time that we spent there.

Oga's was a once or twice and done for me. Way too $$$$ but well-worth the theming.

We made our way over to Runaway Railway, which had about a posted 15 minute wait, but turned out to be pretty much a walk on. This turned out to be one of our favourites for the trip.

This ride has really grown on me and I now really love it. A new fave!

We decided to see what other characters were around before doing more rides. We found Geppetto and Jiminy Cricket just nearby.

WHAT?! How amazingly cool. This brings back so many childhood memories of the "then common" and "now rare" characters. I love that they pull these out now and then.

thought surely we’d missed our opportunity by then, but checked anyway, and was shocked to be assigned a group! I think we were around 60.

You are sooooooo lucky. I messed up a couple of times my last trip and there was zero hope at 7:01.

By the time we’d done Peter Pan, the park was officially opening, and we decided to head to Adventureland first. Turned out to be a great idea as we walked straight onto Jungle Cruise!

This is how I tackle it too. 7DMT if it's running, PP if it's not, or both, if doing ok on time then head straight to JC, then POTC. Walk-ons every time.

We happened across Sleepy Hollow on the way through and thought Mickey waffles sounded pretty good. We got one of each of the plain fruit and the Nutella versions to share.

Another solid choice. I like their spicy chicken waffle even for breakfast.

Next up, we took a ride on the paddle steamer. It’s such a lovely thing to do, it’s going to be a real shame to lose it.

This really upsets me to lose such an iconic/this-is-Disney attraction. Walt would be devastated if he knew. Was shocked when I heard the news last year.

On the way to the line, a lovely lady asked if I wanted her poncho. I wouldn’t normally have been that bothered, but I had kind of realised that I was wearing a white skirt and wondering about the implications of that lol! So I very gladly accepted the poncho and we joined the queue.

Score!! I thought about trashcan diving for one, but gave up and hoped for the best.