The Trip Where Nothing Went Wrong...Well, Almost! A September TR--Final update, 11/20

[blabbermouth]

Yay, you did so many of the things I wanted to do, but didn't at DHS Carrot cake cookie, One Man's Dream, more than one ride on Star Tours. You accomplished a lot before noon!

I wonder the same thing about Gaston, haha.

 

[klacey1]

Some of the podcasts I listen to... WDW Radio, WDW Today, Inside the Magic, Be Our Guest Podcast, Passporter Moms, Disney Food Blog (DFB) and Wedway Radio. I also listen to Mickey Miles Podcast, which is all about running Disney races.. very useful for me at the moment! I listen to podcasts rather than the radio when I'm in the car, hence why I listen to so many of them

Emma x

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll definitely check them out! Do you just download podcasts onto your phone and then listen to them in the car? I'd love to do that!

We done used up all our DVC points! We had just enough to swing a few nights in Hilton Head, so we are doing that and Charleston, SC in a few weeks with the friends we went to Disney with last year. So I can't really complain. But I miss WDW!!

HH & Charleston will definitely be fun! But no WDW for a few years is rough!

Great return time for TSM! I'm telling you, that extra fifteen minutes makes such a big difference!

Ugh. Zach (or should I say Sass), is absolutely right. The Gungans, or Jar Jar Binks planet is the worst. He's a horrible character. Sorry, had to get my Star Wars geek on.

Wow, you were around Len from Touring Plans?! That is like Disney royalty.

I would totally do Jedi Training if they allowed adults to.

Uh oh. Death march to the Yacht Club?

Opening DHS 15 minutes early is the smartest decision Disney people have ever made haha. It just eliminates the craziness.
Sass is so happy there's a fellow Star Wars geek reading this TR that understands how awful the Gungan planet is lol.

Yay, you did so many of the things I wanted to do, but didn't at DHS Carrot cake cookie, One Man's Dream, more than one ride on Star Tours. You accomplished a lot before noon!

I wonder the same thing about Gaston, haha.

I think missing things is important on any Disney trip-- you need a reason to go back!!

 

[klacey1]

This update will be pretty light on the pictures, so I apologize in advance! After lunch at Pizza Planet, I decided it was time to head out of the park. We had a 6:00 dinner, and I wanted to leave at 4:30, since it was at another resort.
On our way out, we saw a PP photographer by the Monsters University sign/topiaries, so we had to stop for some pictures! Zach took this one of me and my fav MU sorority, PNK!

Photopass pics! I love that Mike was added in-- I didn’t know about this magic shot!



Our bus luck continued after our photo session. We were at the bus stop at 2:38, and on a bus at 2:43. I was incredibly thankful, because it was so hot this day (and pretty much every day!).

We didn’t do anything too exciting back at the WL, because we didn’t have that much time. At 4:30, we headed downstairs to the bus stop. I wanted a quick photo with the totem pole before we went outside:


Fortunately, a bus to Epcot was waiting. As we were going to dinner at the Yachtsman, this made the most sense. Once we arrived and got to about where the WS started, I regretted this decision.

It was so. hot. I felt like the sun was just a blazing ball of fire following us as we walked. I felt so sweaty and gross and NOT ready for a meal at a signature restaurant. When we FINALLY got to the Beach Club (it felt like the longest walk of my life), we cut through so we could be indoors as long as possible. We had to go outside again once we got to the end of Cape May, but at least we could walk underneath an awning, so the sun wasn’t blaring directly at us.

We were pretty early, so when we finally made it into the Yacht Club, I went into the bathroom to try and freshen up a bit. That was pretty much a lost cause, however!

Dinner was nice-- the food was fantastic, but the service was eh. While we were eating, a typical Florida rain storm started & Stormalong Bay was cleared out. I stupidly forgot to pack my rain jacket in my bag (which was perfectly roomy!).

Once we finished dinner, it was still drizzly and was just not feeling the rain. We headed into the Beach Club gift shop, where I purchased a poncho. This protected my hair and new bag quite well! The only good thing about the rain was that it cooled the temperature down significantly.

We got to the International Gateway around 8. The sky looked beautiful:



As the park was closing relatively soon, we decided just to turn right and leisurely stroll most of the World Showcase. I was hoping there was no thunder and that we could Test Track, as this was our second visit to Epcot this trip and we still hadn’t experienced the new version!! TT is one of my favorite rides, so I was not happy about this!

We didn’t actually go into any of the countries, just walked by. When we reached TT, the wait was 45 minutes. I was actually willing to wait-- it was about 8:30 at this point. Zach, however, understandably did not want to get caught in the post-Illuminations crowds leaving the parks and just wanted to head out then. We did have a little fight about this (so stupid when I think about it now!), and just ended up leaving. We made up at the bus stop, where I just explained I didn’t want to miss out on our favorites and regret it after the trip. Zach said he knew that, and we’d definitely get to ride TT more than once during our next visits to Epcot.

It was still drizzling when we got on the bus stop, so I was happy to get on a bus and head back to our cozy lodge. We were entertained on the bus ride by the CUTEST little girl asking her dad a bunch of questions. Most of them involved brothers and sisters and whether they stay friends when they grow up. According to the dad, sometimes.

They had an adorable exchange when they got off the bus, too:
Little girl: I said thank you to the bus driver.
Dad: That was very polite of you.
Little girl: Did you hear what he said back?
Dad: No, sorry, I didn’t.
Little girl: I think he said “no problem.”
Dad: That’s something people can say in response to “thank you.”
Little girl: But did you hear him say that?
Dad: No, I didn’t.
Little girl: Then I guess we’ll never know.

SO CUTE! Anyway, after creeping on precious family moments, we were ready to hit the hay. This night wasn’t exactly my favorite, due to the weather, but it was still a night in Disney! Who can complain??

 

[jenny105]

I can't see any of the pictures because photobucket & those types of sites are blocked at work but you guys like to get dressed up for dinner right? Because I'm like 'Wait they were at DHS and could have taken the boat to Yacht Club and they decided to go back to WL??' LOL.

Sorry Kylie but I would have sided with Zach. I hate the post-illuminations crowd!

 

[Mrs T 2009]

Cute MU photos!!!

Dang rain!!! But your dress and bag for dinner looked awesome!! Still envious of your gorgeous bag

Mike and I get in little riffs over stuff like that too! At least you still have time to get to ride TT!

 

[disneybarbie]

Aww that little girl on the bus sounded so cute! I love some of the conversations you can over-hear while in WDW between kids/parents (actually, while on the trolley bus tour in Boston, we overheard a little girl talking to her Dad, saying things like 'do you remember when we went to Disney World and we did... " )

One of my main reasons for wearing a poncho in WDW is to protect my bag normally!

Yes... for the podcasts, I download them on iTunes, then they show in the podcasts app on my phone, and I have a radio transmitter in my car that plugs into the phone



Emma x

 

[Queenofallthings]

LOVE YOUR BAG!!! Nothing like a great bag! Great update as well, isn't it funny, we get home and realize how silly those little "fights" are when we're there! We too have had a few of those and always laugh about it after!

 

[princess_momma]

I love your bag!! It's so magical being an owner of a Disney Dooney! Welcome to the club! I hope you love it as much as I do! I LOVE your style too...it's so wonderful and definitely more rare!

Yay for DHS!! My favorite park!! That's so crazy how dead it was that day! And then a celebrity sighting! Marvelous!

OMG I had NO IDEA about the Mike photo add in! I MUST DO THAT!! I LOVE MIKE SO MUCH!! That is AWESOME!!

Kids are so funny. I love the way they think!

 

[klacey1]

I can't see any of the pictures because photobucket & those types of sites are blocked at work but you guys like to get dressed up for dinner right? Because I'm like 'Wait they were at DHS and could have taken the boat to Yacht Club and they decided to go back to WL??' LOL.

Sorry Kylie but I would have sided with Zach. I hate the post-illuminations crowd!

Haha, yeah, we also just like to get out of the parks for awhile. I've only ever opened & closed the MK, and that's when it closed early for MNSSHP. I need to recharge in AC-- plus I was pretty gross and sweaty. I needed to clean up! (The walk to the Yacht Club did take care of that pretty quickly, though, lol)
We got to ride TT a lot after this day, but I was irrationally worried that we wouldn't get the chance and that we NEEDED to do it that night. Normally I hate those crowds, too!

Cute MU photos!!!

Dang rain!!! But your dress and bag for dinner looked awesome!! Still envious of your gorgeous bag

Mike and I get in little riffs over stuff like that too! At least you still have time to get to ride TT!

Thank you!! I loved that dress-- and my bag of course! Yeah, I managed to get in more than one ride on TT!

Aww that little girl on the bus sounded so cute! I love some of the conversations you can over-hear while in WDW between kids/parents (actually, while on the trolley bus tour in Boston, we overheard a little girl talking to her Dad, saying things like 'do you remember when we went to Disney World and we did... " )

One of my main reasons for wearing a poncho in WDW is to protect my bag normally!

Yes... for the podcasts, I download them on iTunes, then they show in the podcasts app on my phone, and I have a radio transmitter in my car that plugs into the phone

Emma x

People watching is one of my favorite things in WDW! This trip was particularly full of adorable little girls and their dads.
Thanks for the podcasts tip! My commute is about an hour in the morning and 45 minutes at night, and my iPod playlists are getting a bit stale! I'd love to change it up.

LOVE YOUR BAG!!! Nothing like a great bag! Great update as well, isn't it funny, we get home and realize how silly those little "fights" are when we're there! We too have had a few of those and always laugh about it after!

Thanks! Most fights in Disney are silly! I think it's the heat that gets to us!

I love your bag!! It's so magical being an owner of a Disney Dooney! Welcome to the club! I hope you love it as much as I do! I LOVE your style too...it's so wonderful and definitely more rare!

Yay for DHS!! My favorite park!! That's so crazy how dead it was that day! And then a celebrity sighting! Marvelous!

OMG I had NO IDEA about the Mike photo add in! I MUST DO THAT!! I LOVE MIKE SO MUCH!! That is AWESOME!!

Kids are so funny. I love the way they think!

Thank youuu-- the only problem is now I want MORE D&B bags! I love when there are no crowds, especially at DHS! It's such a small park, so even when there's not THAT many people, it can feel crowded.
Definitely stop by the MU topiaries, no matter how long the line may be!! The photos are totally worth it!

 

[klacey1]

Hello friends! It’s a rainy Sunday in New York-- the kind that makes you want to stay in sweatpants all day and do nothing. Fortunately, we did our errands yesterday, so I can do just that! The only thing that may get me out of the house is a quick trip to our small grocer’s, which is literally 90 seconds away. We need butter to bake apple crumble crisp-- we went apple picking last weekend and have a ton of apples that we need to use up!
It’s nice that today will be a lazy day, because this week will be pretty crazy. Monday night we have trivia, and my dad, brother, and cousin visiting from England are going to join us! Tuesday, I have a dentist appointment. Wednesday, dinner with a friend. Thursday is my weekly Project Runway & wine night with a group of friends. And then Friday, a friend is coming up for the weekend. We have a mutual friend’s wedding on Saturday that we’ll be attending together. Zach will be going to New York Comic Con, a sort of nerd convention , so I’m glad I have someone to go to this wedding with! I won’t know anyone else except the bride and groom!
So anyway, I decided to get an update up because I certainly won’t have time during the week!
Our next day was at Animal Kingdom! We typically don’t spend a lot of time here, but this was the day we were going to meet up with our friends. We were both excited! Bus ride selfie time!

Here’s a PhotoPass pic from our arrival at the park:

Due to the long bus ride at AK, even though we boarded the bus around 8:10, we didn’t reach the main gates until 8:37. And then apparently the entrance line we were in wasn’t a real line and merged with another line?! It took FOREVER to get in and everyone around us was grumbling about “people cutting” blah blah blah. True to my luck, when we were second in line at our turnstile, the people in front of us could. not. work. their. tickets. I was growing more and more impatient by the second. I debating switching to the line next to us, which was flowing quite nicely. FINALLY, the people figured things out and went on through. Needless to say, it was a frustrating start to our day! Our last trip, we arrived around 9:10 and the main gate was EMPTY. I think we’ll try to aim for that next time!
Anyway, we decided to head straight for the safari. Well, this certainly erased any feelings of irritation. This was hands down the BEST safari ride we have ever had. It was a walk on and all of the animals were alert and moving around. We saw two of the rhinos actually charging at each other! Apparently one rhino was new and the others were slow to let him become a true member of the herd. Awww!

Hippos hanging out:

Baby giraffe!

And a baby elephant! (Sorry for the blurriness! I need a new camera!)

I didn’t get a good picture, but we also saw the male lion up and walking around and even roaring! It was so cool, I can’t even explain.
After our spectacular safari ride, we made our way over to EE. Before we got there, we had to stop for a series of PP pics. They’re actually some of my favorites of the trip:


And, in a different spot:


When we got over to EE, the wait was listed at 5 minutes, but it was really a walk on, for single riders & the regular line. It was awesome! I went on twice, unfortunately near the front both times. I like being near the back on EE-- much more exciting!
We got a text around then that our friends were headed to the bus stop at their resort (Caribbean Beach), so we decided to head to DinoLand USA. We rode Primeval Whirl to pass some time-- um, ouch! This ride is painful! The ride operator asked us if we wanted to stay in the car and go around again, since there was literally no one in line, but we declined.
We thought Dinosaur would be a fun first ride with our friends, so we headed over there (Sidenote, I always forget where Dinosaur is in relation to the rest of DinoLand, for no reason at all) to wait.

Soon enough, we spotted our friends walking over and Zach & his friend ran at each other to hug haha. Zach has a group of friends from high school that are still very, very close. This friend is the only one who does not live locally, so it’s very exciting when they get together!
It said the wait was 15 minutes, but we really walked right into the preshow room and then right onto the ride. I know a lot of people aren’t crazy about this ride, but I love it!
Our friends wanted to ride EE, and I had no problem going on again! Zach helpfully held our bags and watched out for our ride picture, which was hilarious. I can’t help but scream for this picture, every time!
We followed this up with another ride on the safari, which was nowhere near as good as our ride that morning. The wait was about 20 minutes, and it was about noon and already super hot, so most of the animals were hiding. This super creepy ostrich had no problem saying hello, though:

Our friends wanted to stop for a drink/snack, so we stopped off at a snack place right across from the Rafiki’s Planet Watch train. A bird dropped a piece of popcorn right on our table and then proceeded to glare at us-- hey buddy, it wasn’t our fault you dropped your snack!
Rafiki’s Planet Watch is a must do for us, especially the Affection Section:


Augh, three rides on EE certainly did a number on my hair!
The brave boys pet a snack-- no thank you for the girls!

Zach and I were getting pretty hungry for lunch, so we told our friends we’d do one more attraction before splitting up for the day. We decided on ITTBAB, which I think is very cute. The 3D is well done and the music is fun. I definitely do understand why it terrifies children, though!
After saying our good byes, we got some final PPs taken:


That’s it for now! Next up will be lunch out of the park, a dinner I had been waiting for a long time, and a resort change!

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Opening DHS early every day was definitely a great idea. I think we got there as they were opening and it was much more pleasant than the old craziness.

I enjoy Star Tours but I feel like any mission we get is lost on me because of my lack of Star Wars knowledge. I really need to work on that.

So fun to spot Disney celebrities in the park! I did the same thing with KennythePirate at the Halloween party! I was too much of a chicken to go say something so I tweeted at him instead

I love the Muppets too but I agree about the show not being my favorite.

The PP pictures with MU topiaries are adorable! We didn't see a PP photographer by them when we were there.

Aw listening to kids on the bus can be so adorable.

I have to ask-- how did Zach survive wearing jeans?! Ugh I feel like they did that "line merging" thing at every single turnstile and it's just a bad situation for everyone. Like, why even let that line form in the first place??

Yay for a good safari!

I love Primeval Whirl but it is definitely painful and OMG I ALWAYS get confused trying to walk to Dinosaur. I can't believe I'm not the only one.

 

[Queenofallthings]

Nice safari pics! Nice too that you were all able to meet up at AK...nice to see old friends in Disney

 

[blabbermouth]

I loved the MU topiaries Really cute dress too. I'm going to go read about your meal next! I'm glad you had good bus luck too.

Sounds like after you got over the initial hitch, AK was a pretty good day! That sucks that WL is 27 minutes away from AK, ugh, I'd never go. That is one really good thing about Pop, even though it's cheap, it's really central! Not nearly as lovely as WL, but what can ya do?

I love EE too! and Dinosaur, and the Safari of course. We only went once, but it was pretty good, so we didn't feel the need for a second time. We also missed Rafiki's Planet Watch this time. So much to do, so little time! Especially at AK since they usually close at 5.

Great photo pass pics, I really like your purple shorts

 

[klacey1]

Great update!

Thank you!

Opening DHS early every day was definitely a great idea. I think we got there as they were opening and it was much more pleasant than the old craziness.

I enjoy Star Tours but I feel like any mission we get is lost on me because of my lack of Star Wars knowledge. I really need to work on that.

So fun to spot Disney celebrities in the park! I did the same thing with KennythePirate at the Halloween party! I was too much of a chicken to go say something so I tweeted at him instead

I love the Muppets too but I agree about the show not being my favorite.

The PP pictures with MU topiaries are adorable! We didn't see a PP photographer by them when we were there.

Aw listening to kids on the bus can be so adorable.

I have to ask-- how did Zach survive wearing jeans?! Ugh I feel like they did that "line merging" thing at every single turnstile and it's just a bad situation for everyone. Like, why even let that line form in the first place??

Yay for a good safari!

I love Primeval Whirl but it is definitely painful and OMG I ALWAYS get confused trying to walk to Dinosaur. I can't believe I'm not the only one.

I can't even explain how much I enjoyed the early opening, especially after we returned later in the trip (more details on that later!!). Haha, I've seen all of the original Star Wars movies, but not in forever. I rely on Zach to tell us whether or not we have a "good" sequence lol.
Oh no! I would have been so upset if we didn't get our MU topiary pictures!! I pretty much always saw a PP photographer there, even during EMH.
So Zach is pretty strange lol. He loves wearing suits/dressing up and NEVER (except when playing soccer with his friends, which rarely happens) wears shorts. NEVER! I don't know how he does it-- I was melting everyday!
You have no idea how happy it makes me that I'm not the only one baffled by Dinosaur's location!!! I swear it's in some sort of location warp lol.

Nice safari pics! Nice too that you were all able to meet up at AK...nice to see old friends in Disney

Thank you! I wish I had a DSLR for pics in the parks, but they're so heavy. I'm fine with my occasionally blurry shots from my Sony Cybershot! Seeing old friends= a win. Seeing old friends in Disney= double win!

I loved the MU topiaries Really cute dress too. I'm going to go read about your meal next! I'm glad you had good bus luck too.

Sounds like after you got over the initial hitch, AK was a pretty good day! That sucks that WL is 27 minutes away from AK, ugh, I'd never go. That is one really good thing about Pop, even though it's cheap, it's really central! Not nearly as lovely as WL, but what can ya do?

I love EE too! and Dinosaur, and the Safari of course. We only went once, but it was pretty good, so we didn't feel the need for a second time. We also missed Rafiki's Planet Watch this time. So much to do, so little time! Especially at AK since they usually close at 5.

Great photo pass pics, I really like your purple shorts

Thanks-- I love that dress! We had SO much fun at AK! It's a once a trip park for us, but we love a lot there. Honestly, it IS far, plus we definitely made a stop at a different resort (although I'm blanking on what resort).
We definitely wouldn't have rode the safari again if our friends hadn't wanted to. I knew our ride in the morning couldn't be topped.
I agree-- so much to do! I've never done any of the walking trails and really want to, but by the time we've done our other must-dos we're sooo hot and tired and ready to get out of the park!

 

[librarygeek]

I'm very behind on your TR too - catching up now!

I am so with you on the Beauty and the Beast gift shop - I wish I could buy everything in there! And I also agree with LeFou's Brew. I tried it and I like sweet things, but this was too sickly sweet even for me. I've heard people compare it to butterbeer at IOA but I think butterbeer is 1000 times better!

Ack, I am so glad most of your photos were safe and sound somewhere on your computer or the internet! I would've been in a panic too. That's why I try to back-up as often as possible. I think I may have to invest in the photobucket upgrade as well! How much storage do you get for that $20?

Oooh, I love the Dooney that you picked out! I have to say, I haven't been able to bring myself to spend that much on a purse yet. I'm the type that gets the $30 bag at Kohl's But I do absolutely love the Disney patterns!

Fun HS morning! I love that the waits were so short. Getting to do TSM twice in the morning is awesome! I didn't get to do TSM at all my last two trips, and it's one of my favorites, so I'm dying to get back to it!

That is such a cool magic shot with Mike added in! I wrote a blog post awhile back with pics of every magic shot I'd heard of, but this is the first I've seen of that one. Feel free to say no, but would you mind if I used your photo in a blog post?

Wow, it sounds like you had an awesome safari! I never really see the rhinos moving, lol.

 

[klacey1]

I'm very behind on your TR too - catching up now!

I am so with you on the Beauty and the Beast gift shop - I wish I could buy everything in there! And I also agree with LeFou's Brew. I tried it and I like sweet things, but this was too sickly sweet even for me. I've heard people compare it to butterbeer at IOA but I think butterbeer is 1000 times better!

Ack, I am so glad most of your photos were safe and sound somewhere on your computer or the internet! I would've been in a panic too. That's why I try to back-up as often as possible. I think I may have to invest in the photobucket upgrade as well! How much storage do you get for that $20?

Oooh, I love the Dooney that you picked out! I have to say, I haven't been able to bring myself to spend that much on a purse yet. I'm the type that gets the $30 bag at Kohl's But I do absolutely love the Disney patterns!

Fun HS morning! I love that the waits were so short. Getting to do TSM twice in the morning is awesome! I didn't get to do TSM at all my last two trips, and it's one of my favorites, so I'm dying to get back to it!

That is such a cool magic shot with Mike added in! I wrote a blog post awhile back with pics of every magic shot I'd heard of, but this is the first I've seen of that one. Feel free to say no, but would you mind if I used your photo in a blog post?

Wow, it sounds like you had an awesome safari! I never really see the rhinos moving, lol.

I totally agree that butterbeer is 1000% better than LeFou's Brew! And I apparently like the "sweeter" version of BB (the non-frozen kind).
I'll have to check how much storage the Photobucket upgrade got me. I have about 8,000 pics and videos on there and I'm pretty sure I'm not even a third full.
Oh no! I'd be so sad to miss TSMM!
You can definitely use my photo! PM me your email address if you want me to send it to you that way. I love reading your blog!
Honestly, I've never seen them move either! Seeing them fight was actually a bit scary!

 

[klacey1]

So, like I said, we decided to head out of the park for lunch. And since we were staying at a MK resort this trip, it would be easy to get from any of the monorail hotels to ours. I knew exactly where I wanted to eat in advance, of course, so we hopped on the bus to the Poly.

I really love visiting the Poly. We had a not great meal at Ohana years ago, and Zach’s not exactly a beach-y person, so he’s really not a fan. I’d love to stay here one day, however! The monorail is obviously a plus, and I find the decor vintage-y/retro.


I had no idea where Captain Cook’s was, but Zach spotted a sign and we walked to the back of the resort. It’s a touch small, but the food was great! I loved the patio area, too.

The only thing that was kind of annoying was this group of two small boys and a grandma. They were playing some sort of game where they were all singing loudly, which was annoying, but whatever, kids are loud in Disney! What I couldn’t handle was the kids being so bratty to the grandma! Whenever it was her turn in the game, they’d tell her she was doing it wrong or THEY wanted to sing that part. And then the running started. Running around our table, running around other patrons tables, and then the worst-- running in the ordering area where people were carrying precarious trays! The mom of the boys was ordering food and when she saw the kids running, she snapped at the grandma: “Can’t you do anything? I SAID, WATCH THEM.” It was all sorts of uncomfortable. The woman was right-- grandma was not controlling the kids. However, it’s equally rude to speak to someone like that! Grandma addressed it by saying “Mommy said if you’re bad, you’re not going to the pool, so I guess you’ll not going to the pool.” When the kids finally sat back down, they & Grandma had a convo about what they were going to do at the pool. So much for follow through! No wonder why those kids were misbehaving--they knew they could get away with it!

After that bit of lunchtime entertainment, we took the monorail from the Poly to the Contemporary. Again, we got slightly lost as we tried to find the boat dock. We did stop for a few photos:



I must say, Bay Lake Tower’s pool looks gorgeous but the CR one is pretty meh. I wasn’t impressed. Zach passed the time as we waited for a boat to list all the reasons why WL is the best resort on property, and certainly better than CR haha.

We waited about 20 minutes for the boat directly to the WL, which I thought was reasonable given that it’s not a highly travelled route and it was the middle of the day (3:29 when we boarded). It was long enough in that heat, though! It would be nice for them to provide a few covered benches.

Panorama from where we waited for the boat:


Bay Lake:


After sitting in the sun, there was one thing I wanted to do when we got back to the Lodge: Jump in the pool! I quickly changed and headed down. Since Zach hates swimming, he dutifully grabbed a magazine and read next to the pool. That was sweet of him, because it really was H-O-T!

I got pretty bored pretty quickly in the water. After all, I was pretty much just hanging out with myself! Around 4:10, we headed back up to the room and got ready quickly. We had a 6:05 p.m. reservation, but it was thankfully a very quick ride away at the MK.

We had just enough time to head down to Trout Pass and grab a drink. The bartender was okay, but not nearly as fun/funny as Stewart and Carrie from earlier in the week. This one was more focused on flirting with these two women who were pretty drunk. That was amusing to watch at least!

The plan was to take the boat to the MK, but of course, as we were sitting at the bar, lightning streaked across the sky. So much for that idea! We headed to the bus stop instead around 5:15. The skies opened up while we were on the bus, but at least I had my rain jacket this time!

We had kind of an awkward amount of time between arriving at the MK and checking in for dinner, so we decided to just slowly walk to New Fantasyland. We stopped for a PP along the way:

Sorry, the rain left me looking pretty rough!

In case I haven’t mentioned it, or you haven’t guessed, dinner this night was at Be Our Guest! I was soooo excited!

When we got to the bridge at 5:50, a woman outside with an umbrella asked us if we had a reservation and if so, what time. We passed her test and she told us to go inside and check in.

However, the woman inside was not as pleased and told us to come back at 6 to check in. Okay then! She just had a weird attitude. We passed the time taking some photos:


When we were finally allowed to check in, we got a buzzer. It went off at 6:15. This was the only restaurant where we were sat past our ADR time.

The hostess who sat us was super sweet and was perfectly in character, pointing out “Lumiere’s favorite room” and where “the Beast greets his guests.” Too cute!

This restaurant was so beautiful. The details were just fantastic, especially in the ballroom, where we ate. We ended up getting into a conversation with a sweet honeymooning couple sitting next to us. He was a video game designer from Seattle. Technically he was a cast member, since Disney bought his company. So essentially, he was living the dream! When we commented how creepy some of the cherubs on the ceiling looked, he said he heard they were modelled after the faces of the Imagineers who worked on the restaurant. I’m not sure if that’s true, but seriously...some creepy babies!

Zach figured out how to make the rose napkins and was very proud of himself haha:

Overall, this dinner was decent. I didn’t love the food, but the experience was fun and I’m so glad we were able to snag an ADR and try it out.

I guess lightning was still in the area, because when we got out of dinner at 7:30, the outdoor rides seemed closed. Consequently (and because this was the last night before Night of Joy, when the MK would close at 7 two nights in a row), the lines for indoor rides were longgg. IASW was at 20, and Haunted Mansion at 25. No thank you! Since Pirates was only 10, we decided to make that our only ride before heading out of the park.

The entire time we were in line for Pirates, I was praying we wouldn’t get in a boat with the family in front of us. There were about 5 kids screeching and pulling on the chains--even disconnected one--while a group of young women that I assume were their mothers just chatted. The kids even climbed up on the ledge that’s right before you board your boat, until a CM shouted at them to get down. That’s a pretty far drop! Not sure what those mothers were thinking! Fortunately, a CM pulled us out of the line to ride in the last row of a boat. Woo hoo! I’ve never ridden in the back before, and it does make that tiny drop feel a touch more intense. (As intense as it can be, anyway haha)

By now, it had stopped raining and we headed out of the park.


We had a short bus ride back to our hotel, where I picked up our pre-packed duffel for our one-night stay at a different resort. We were headed to Universal! We decided to spend one night onsite to get the amazing unlimited FOTL pass. Our friends were going to meet us there the next day to spend time in Islands of Adventure together.

Honestly, as we waited in the front of the resort for our taxi, I did NOT want to leave! Last time, I was totally fine leaving our hotel/Disney for a night. This time, something was different. I didn’t want to leave the Lodge AT ALL!

A taxi pulled up after about 10 minutes and took us across town to Universal. Seeing downtown Orlando after being in the Disney bubble is always a weird experience. I’ve stayed offsite more times than onsite, but after four days immersed in the Most Magical Place on Earth, I don’t feel like looking at Howard Johnsons or skeevy gift shops haha.

When we pulled up to our resort, Royal Pacific, I got excited. I LOVED this place in 2011 and was excited to stay there again. However, when we entered the lobby, I was...underwhelmed.



I remember equating this place to a more upscale, more modern Poly. It just wasn’t “wowing” me this time around. I’m not sure if it’s because this is the second time we were staying there OR if last time I was comparing it to our resort, POR. POR will always hold a place in my heart, but the WL is a bit more impressive. So maybe just by comparison I was less impressed? I’m not sure.

Anyway, the front desk agent who checked us in was super sweet, helpful, and professional. She gave us our keys and instructed us to go over to the kiosks by concierge. We’d put our park tickets (purchased from Undercover Tourist) in machines and they’d spit out our express passes. They took your photo for the express passes, which I think is awesome to cut down on abuse, but woof! Not a great picture of me!

We were pretty tired, so we just headed up to our room, which was in the main tower. It was very far from the elevator and would have driven me crazy if we were staying longer than one night! The room itself though was very nice, with comfortable beds. Zach was also ecstatic over the TV channel selection. I don’t remember what he decided to watch, because I promptly fell asleep! We had to get up early the next day for early entry at Islands of Adventure!

So many next update will be all about Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, just FYI. I hope you read it even if you’re just a Disney fan!

 

[jenny105]

If Zach doesn't want to stay at the Poly, I'll go with you lol. That's my dream resort!

 

[blabbermouth]

I liked visiting the Poly too. CC's was really loud inside, so we went and ate outside and it was much more relaxing.

You guys are so dressy for BOG, very snazzy! Too bad the lines were so long after dinner, but glad you made it on Pirates... one of my faves for sure.