The most wonderful, magical trip ever!!

[JodyLynC]

First, some highlights:

We were at WDW for 4 nights
We stayed at a FW cabin - super great!!
We visited all 4 parks
We got tons of towel animals!!
We ate at Ohana, Scifi Dine In, Boma, Garden View Lounge (Tea Time), 1900 PF breakfast, Columbia Harbour House, Cosmic Rays.
We rode most of the kids rides.
We saw tons of characters

Now for the adventure!! Day One:

We arrived at FW just before 9am on Sun, May 11th and checked in. The cabin wasn't ready, but we got our tickets and went to MK. In honor of Mother's Day, CMs were passing out carnations to kids to give to their moms. What a wonderful touch!

It was crowded in some spots. There were some characters out. We met Horace and Clarabelle. I had never seen them before so that was a treat. Main Street was busy, but as we made our way to Adventureland, the crowds thinned way out. We rode Magic Carpets and POC with almost no line. Next came CBJ, Haunted Mansion (interesting changes), IASW, Peter Pan (my girls fav. movie and ride).

We then paused for lunch at Columbia Harbour House. We ordered one Fish Basket w/Fries and one 8 piece Chicken Nugget basket w/apples and split it btw the 4 of us. (TIP: We brought a few bottles of water into the parks and asked for large cups of ice) CHH is always great to eat. It wasn't crowded, the food was good, and the service was friendly & fast.

Back to rides: Mickey's Philharmonic, Snow White, Pooh's ride, Teacups.

Then a snack: Strawberry Swirl at Enchanted Grove (never miss it)

On to Toontown Fair: The line for the princesses was listed as 45 minutes. We were only in line for half that amount of time. The sign showed Cinderella and Belle. DD1 loves Cindy. DD2 loves SB (Aurora) and was disappointed that she wasn't listed. I told her we would check back on our 2nd MK day and we got in line. As we approached the rope area, we had to wait and were therefore first in our group. As we entered the Princess Room, we got a flash of pink. The first princess was SB. DD2 was elated!!! All 3 princesses spent a good few minutes w/ our princesses. It was a great time and my girls were in heaven! We then stopped by a crowded Minnie's House before making our way to Tomorrowland.

We rode Buzz Lightyear (no line at all) and TTA (again no line). We then met Buzz and Stitch. Since we had ADRs at Ohana, we made our way to the monorail and rode to the Poly.

Dinner at 'Ohana was fantastic!! Much better than the last time we were there! (Dec. 05). The bread and salad were great!! Then we were served the pork dumplings, wings, noodles, and a veggie mix of broccoli & snow peas. All the food was hot and delicious! My girls tasted and loved everything! Next came the meats: steak, pork, turkey, and shrimp. The girls loved the pork and turkey. They didn't like the steak, but the adults did. The shrimp was on the spicy side so they only had 1 each. Dessert was the bread pudding w/the foster sauce. The girls were given vanilla ice cream w/mickey sprinkles. I'm not a fan of bread pudding, so I had ice cream w/the sauce. The other adults gobbled up the dessert.

After dinner, we made our way to FW and got our cabin. It was fabulous!! DH and I used to live in FL and have visited many of the WDW resorts. One of our goals is to stay at all the resorts. Well, after seeing our cabin, we have no desire to go anywhere else.

First, there are no kids screaming down the halls or doors slamming. You are in your own little cabin. Second, we could spread out. Third, a full sized kitchen w/pots, pans, tableware, etc. As DH and I unpacked the car, the girls ran thru the cabin. As I entered carrying a box of food items, one of my DDs was shaking a white, fuzzy object at me. I squealed w/delight. It was a towel snake. In all my years of going to WDW, I have never seen the mythical towel animal. My DD squealed in return. "Mommy, there is more!" A pair of towel doves graced one of our windows.


Our first day was magical and complete!! (to be continued...)

 

[JodyLynC]

First, I can't say enough about the FW cabins. As I said earlier, it will be hard for us not to stay here on future visits. It was great to put the girls to bed in the bedroom then stay up and watch TV or read. It was just great!!

Our sleeping arrangements were a bit odd. Both DDs still slip out of bed on occasion so we didn't want them in the bunk beds. DH and I are on the plus side and prefer not to sleep in a double bed together. Plus DH has sleep apnea and uses a breathing machine at night so he needs some extra room. The girls slept in the double bed in the bedroom. I took the bottom bunk bed. And DH took the Murphy bed in the Living Room. We all slept soundly and woke early for our Epcot day.

I made breakfast for the girls. DD1 had flavored instant oatmeal made using hot water from the cabin's tea kettle. DD2 had PB on toast. They both had oranges and juice. DH had oatmeal as well. I had PB toast and coffee. I left a note for Isabel, our housekeeper thanking her profusely for the towel friends. Then we were off!!

We drove over to Epcot and parked in a AAA spot which wasn't much better than a regular spot. We missed the rope drop by minutes. The crowds were light so we headed over to the Living Seas w/Nemo. There was no line so we went right in. It was a nice little ride and much better than the previous Living Seas entrance. We saw a few friends and went to Turtle Talk w/Crush. We had to wait awhile for the next show. It was okay, not great. If we had to wait a long, long time, I probably would have been annoyed. Next we checked out Soarin'. The line was 20 minutes long so we waited. It was very enjoyable. Next was Journey into Imagination and play area. It was now after 11am and we were getting hungry so it was time to head over to Epcot.

One of our goals was to eat one item from each country. We did that. We also wanted to do a scavenger hunt of choosing one chocolate, one savory snack, and a postcard from each country. We were distracted and kind of forgot so we planned that for Epcot Day 2. We did manage to eat around the world successfully.

First stop Mexico, we split the Tacos al Carbon - flour tortillas filled with grilled chicken, onions and peppers, served with black refried beans and Mexican salsa at the Cantina de San Angel. The tortillas were soft and hot. The chicken was well seasoned and tasty. We spread the black beans in our tacos and enjoyed. We then went to Kidcot. The girls got their masks and got stamped. Then we rode on the boat ride which is now w/the 3 cabelleros. On our way out, we caught up w/Donald Duck. Only one family was in line in front of us.

Next came Norway: a ride on Maelstrom, a stamp at Kidcot, and my first taste of School Bread. Yummy! China was next. We had egg rolls, got our Kidcot stamps, and met Mushu & Mulan!! There was a bit of a line, but my girls were toward the end so Mu&Mu spent a good deal of time with them. The girls were wearing buttons w/Mu&Mu on them which got them extra attention. They also take karate and showed Mulan some moves. Then they told Mulan that she was my fav which earned us extra points.

Germany was next. We had a pretzel from Sommerfest. Then came Italy. The Tutto Italia Kiosk had some lovely desserts. We had a chocolate mousse w/raspberry puree. Japan was next. After getting our Kidcot stamps, we went to Yakitori House for the Shogun Combination - teriyaki chicken thigh, sukiyaki beef, and steamed rice. It wasn't bad. The girls loved it. I thought it was okay. Morocco was next and had probably our favorite food. We stopped at TANGIERINE CAFE for their Lamb [Shawarma Sandwiches- served with hummus, marinated red onions, lettuce & tomato, topped with Taziki sauce. Very, very yummy. We devoured it!! We were due for dessert. Fortunately France was next so we went to Boulangerie Patisserie. Every visit I swear that I am going to try something new. Every visit we get the cream puff. By this time, we were pretty full so we skipped eating Fish n' Chips in the UK. (We convinced ourselves that since we ate a CHH the day before that it counted.) We went to Kidcot to get our stamp. A line was forming for Pooh and Eeyore so we waited. Just as it was our turn to approach the characters, Tigger appeared! We listened to the Beatles cover band (sorry can't remember their name) for awhile then made our way to Canada. There was a drink kiosk there so we got a Strawberry/Banana frozen slush and got our last Kidcot stamp. Then we found out that they no longer give out the certificates for completing the mask. Oh, well!

We made our way to the front and found Cub Cool. We sampled some of the sodas. Some were good. Some weren't. I forgot to write the names of the sodas down. DH's fav was a watermelon soda. I liked the fruit punch one. We rode Spaceship Earth and made our way back to FW.

Back at the cabin more surprises awaited:


We went to the pool which was just around the corner. After swimming for awhile, we went back to the cabin for hot dogs, baked beans, and salad. Then we caught the bus to the Campfire. This was so much fun!! We had the marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolates to make smores. I roasted the marshmallows in the firepit and we gorged ourselves on yummy goodness! We sang songs, met Chip, and watched some of the Great Mouse Detective. The girls weren't into the movie, so we caught the bus to the marina just in time to see the water parade and the MK fireworks!!

We then took our 2 sleepy girls back to our blissful cabin. Another magnificent day at WDW. (to be continued...)

 

[JodyLynC]

 

[JodyLynC]

And another

 

[dreamer17555]

Wow you guys totally hit the towel animal jackpot!

-Becca-

 

[JodyLynC]

Day 3 - Return to MK

First breakfast at 1900 PF at 8:30am. We were seated rather quickly. Pooh and Tigger came over early. While the girls were visiting with them, I got their breakfasts. DD1 had Mickey Waffles, ham, canteloupe, and strawberry soup w/granola. DD2 had scrambled eggs, toast, pineapple, and a pastry. DH had eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and pastries. I had a western omlette, ham, potatoes, and a pastry. The food was pretty good, but you are there for the characters, of course. The girls had a lovely visit with Mary Poppins who is one of their favorites. Next came the Mad Hatter. The girls were disturbed by his exaggerated features and eccentric manner. They were polite, but quiet. MH pointed out that he preferred their quietness to loud, talkative girls such as Alice. We got a pic with him and he was on his way. Next came Alice. She was lovely. DD1 told her "The Mad Hatter says you talk too much." Alice appeared to be perturbed, but posed w/the girls and went on her way. Moments later we heard from across the restaurant and outraged "OH!" coming from the Mad Hatter. We looked in his direction and there next to him stood Alice pointing in our direction and exclaiming loudly "That little girl told me!" DD's jaw dropped and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Alice ran back over to her, gave her a hug and kiss and proclaimed. "Don't worry! I will protect you! You are my friend!" That was a great moment!

After breakfast, we went back to MK for our second visit. We went back on Mickey's Philharmonic, Peter Pan, and IASW. DD1 wanted to ride Snow White. DD2 didn't. Since there was no line. DH took DD1 to SW. I took DD2 to Tink's Treasures. Tink had already been woken, but the CM took DD2 over to the chest and told her when Tink would appear. Moments later was a flash of light. DD2 was very polite and thanked the CM, but pouted after she left the store saying she didn't see Tink. We got a Dole Whip where we caught up w/Rafiki and Timon. Then we saw Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. By then it was time for lunch so we stopped at Cosmic Ray's and split the Chicken Ribs combo. We rode the cars at the Speedway then saw Laugh Factory w/Monsters Inc which we really enjoyed! Another spin on the TTA and Buzz Lightyear. We then made our way up Main Street. We stopped and got the girls sihlouettes done for only $8 a piece. Then we stopped at the Confectionary and bought some Krispy treats for later. Since we had 4pm ADRs at GF's afternoon tea, we made our way out.

We started to take the ferry, but DH said let's see if we can ride in the front of the monorail. We did!! It was wonderful!! Our driver was a very sweet man named Ralph. We went all the way around to the GF.

Tea was magnificent!! Our server Delaine was just lovely. DH and I each ordered the Buckingham Palace. The girls each got Mrs. Potts Tea. I chose the Gardenview Blend - A signature blend made exclusively for Gardenview Tea Room. DH got Imperial English Breakfast tea. DDs both got Chocolate Milk.
Our first course consisted of an onion tartl and 5 tea sandwiches: watercress and cucumber; egg salad; shrimp salad; chicken salad w/almonds and orange marmalade; roasted pear and gorgonzola. The girls got 3 sandwiches each: ham & cheese; PB&J; creamy chicken salad. The girls tasted all of our sandwiches and we tasted theirs. It was all incredible!
DH and I got a second course of scones and a jam tart. DD2 ate most of my jam tart. The scones were warm and when topped w/devonshire cream and raspberry preserves just heavenly.
The dessert course was next. I chose a white chocolate cheesecake square and swan made with mango mousse. DH chose the swan and a raspberry torte. DD1 chose a chocolate covered strawberry and a fruit tart. DD2 chose a choc. strawberry and a swan. Excellent!!! And highly recommended!

Next we headed back to the room for more surprises:



We had another evening at the pool and a little nap. Then we had a late dinner of deli sandwiches and salad before going back to the campfire. This time we met Dale. Then we had our dessert of roasted marshmallows. The movie was Swiss Family Robinson, but we didn't stay long. Instead we had an earlyish night.

(to be continued...)

 

[JodyLynC]

Breakfast was in our wonderful cabin. Simple stuff like PB Toast and hot cereal. We then made our way to DHS.

The first characters we saw were Mickey and Minnie!! They were great! DDs had buttons with their pics so they spent some nice time with the girls. As we were leaving, Pluto and Goofy were leaving their spots to go on break. They stopped and said Hi to the girls, but not long enough to get pics or anything. We then headed over to the Great Movie Ride. The girls hid their faces during the Alien scenes, but loved The Wizard of Oz parts. Next came the Muppets 3-D. We all loved it!! We then stood in a short line to see Buzz and Woody. (They saw Buzz our first day at WDW, but wanted to see Woody.)

By then it was time for our ADRs for Scifi. We had a blast!! The girls had raspberry lemonade w/Tink lights. They also split a cheese pizza which came w/veggie sticks and apples. DH got a cherry coke and the 7 Bean Beef Chili - Finished with shredded cheddar, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips, which he absolutely loved. I got a vanilla coke and the Angus Chuck Burger - Flame broiled beef patty topped with cheddar cheese, sauteed onions, mushrooms and crispy bacon w/fries. (I shared w/DH) The food was really, really good. My burger was cooked perfectly and I loved the fries. The atmosphere is fantastic although a little loud.

Next we met Mike and Sully. Then we went to the Animation Studio. DD2 is a budding artist so we made a point to go to the "class" in which they show you how to draw a Disney character. DD2 watched every move the artist made and did a really great job of copying. Her proportions were a bit off, but the artist said that would improve as she matured. She (and we) were impressed by DD's talent. We exited the room and circled back to see what The Incredibles. They weren't out yet, but Frozone was there w/no line. He saw DDs drawing and gave her a big thumbs up. We posed for pics. Since he was finishing up. He walked around with us a bit and hung out w/us for a few minutes before taking off. Next we met Mr. and Mrs. Incredible.

It was only mid-afternoon, so we headed over to DAK. We didn't enjoy ourselves much. We did see alot of characters though. We met Baloo and King Louie. Then we met Goofy. Then the little girl ape from Tarzan (can't remember her name.) We took the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch where we met Jiminy Cricket and Pocahontas. Since we met Rafiki at MK, we didn't stand in his line. Instead we walked around. Awhile later, Rafiki was alone so DD1 moved closer and started taking pics of him. He came over and spent lots of time w/us. When a line started forming for him again, we moved on and took the train back. By this time, dinner was approaching.

My thanks to all the DISers who recommended Boma's. We made 6pm ADRs and were so glad we did. We will be back!! The girls stayed clear of the "kids cart" and sampled many of the delcious, wonderful foods. We ate so much!! We all tried different things and sampled from each others plates. It was fantastic! I had salad twice. Once w/Apple Vinigrette, once w/mango.
I had two soups: Coconut Curried Chicken Soup and the Seafood Stew. (I wanted more.) DDs had the roasted chicken. DH had the ribs. I had the Prime Rib and the Nut Crusted Salmon (which paired marvelously w/the Kool Slaii). We had the Bobotie, Kokonut Rice, Geelry's Rice, Potatoes w/Afritude and more stuff then I can remember. Then the magnificent desserts: Cocomisu, Zebra Domes, Chocolate Mousse Crunch, Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake, some kind of coconut cake, and more than I can remember.

After dinner we walked (waddled) outside to see some animals. A wonderful, African man gathered us in a group before a fire and taught us how to say "Good Evening" and "Thank you" in his language.

We headed back to the cabin for an early night and yes, more surprises:





(to be continued...)

 

[JodyLynC]

After we put the girls to bed the night before, we packed up the car w/most of our stuff. Then we tearfully went to bed.

On Day 5, we had ADR's for Chef Mickey's but DD1 was starting to get sick. Since we had met all the characters that were going to be there, we decided to skip it. I tried calling to cancel our ADR, but couldn't get through. We had planned on going to Epcot that day, but since DD1 was feeling worse as the morning progressed, we decided to catch the EMH at MK and get our AAA bonus pic from our Photopass.

We ate a quick breakfast and finished packing the car. Since we were pressed for time, we thought we would take the advice of other DISers and park at the Contemporary and walk to MK. Fortunately, we had ADRs at Chef Mickey's that I hadn't been able to cancel. Otherwise, we would not have been able to park there! They gave us a pass w/a 3 hour limit. We parked and started to make our way to MK and were stopped. I found it annoying since we were let in and had a parking pass, but they were really cracking down on people going to MK. I told the guard that we had ADRs at Chef Mickey's, but wanted to try to catch the rope drop since we kept missing it all week. He reluctantly let us go, but reminded us of our 3 hour limit.

Since we were stopped by the guard, we missed the rope drop. We did go in and managed to quickly see a few characters: Pinocchio, Pluto, Bert (w/Mary Poppins). We had just missed Snow White which was a bummer. We got our AAA pic and headed back to our car. We hadn't been gone more than 40 minutes and were stopped by the guard again!! He asked us if we were going to Mickey's then. Fortunately for us, DD starting coughing. We explained that she was getting sick and that we were going to have to head back and miss breakfast. He let us go. That was the only negative thing that happened on our trip. We left WDW and drove to visit some relatives.

I have to say that we saw no sign of the Dream Team. We saw no Dream Ears, Fast Passes, or other such prizes being doled out. Regardless, we had plenty of magic.

We discovered that FW is a fantastic place for fun, recreation, towel animals, and silence. DH and I have already decided that when we go back in 2 or 3 years that we will stay at least a week and really enjoy all the extra things it had to offer such as the Pony Rides, Wagon Rides, crafts, Hoop-De-Doo, water activities, etc.

We enjoyed 'Ohanas return to its previous yumminess. We discovered a wonderful new restaurant in Boma. (we will be back and will probably have to go more than one night). We started a new tradition of tea at the GF.

It was a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful trip!!!!

 

[JodyLynC]

Wow you guys totally hit the towel animal jackpot!

-Becca-

Youre not kidding! I have even more pics of fancy foldings of the towels. It was super great!!!

 

[veraletta]

Thanks for sharing we are going to stay there in July, could you tell me if the bus system was any good?
We will not be renting a golf cart at $50 a day.
So could you tell me if the bus system was really as bad as most people post on the boards?

 

[JodyLynC]

We used the internal bus system and it was great! We waited no more than 10 minutes for a bus. The drivers were helpful and polite.

We didn't use the external buses. We drove to the parks.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Great report, I am happy you had such a wonderful time.

 

[havinfun]

First, some highlights:

First, there are no kids screaming down the halls or doors slamming. You are in your own little cabin. Second, we could spread out. Third, a full sized kitchen w/pots, pans, tableware, etc.
Our first day was magical and complete!! (to be continued...)

Our family of 5 stayed in the cabins 12 years ago. The cabins were so peaceful to return to after a busy day at the parks. We had fun watching the wild life on our way to the bus stops. One day I even used the grill. Most of the time we had breakfast in the cabin, ate a late lunch at the parks and sandwiches when we returned. Saved money on food. Also I sometimes get sick of eating out so this worked great for us.

Great trip report. Thank you for sharing. I hope your daughter got better fast.

 

[sharadoc]

Hi,

I thought that you could park anywhere as a Disney resort guest. We have plans to drive to Yacht and Beach Club and use the boat to Epcot or HS. Did you discuss being a resort guest with the guard? What was his response to that?

Thanks,
Sharon