They Should Really Put a Bar in Here - Closing Thoughts - 4/1

[Leshaface]

LOVE LOVE LOVE that you had boy time with your son at MK one afternoon. That is the sweetest thing ever. Also loved your wife's minnie shirt from Epcot!!

Glad i'm not the only one who likes his wife's shirt!

 

[KatMark]

Don't encourage him. You should know better than that!

Ooops.

 

[Poolrat]

Ah yes - I made the same TT mistake. Did the FP and then the car and was really disappointed.

Went back through a shorter standby line and finally got directions on what to do with the car and way more options.

I liked it better since it did make more sense but the car ended up on the vehicle in front of status since all the results ended up on their screen instead of the car I was in.

Not in love with the changes but being through the standby line once, that seems like the way to go and well if wait times are long it may no longer be the way to go.

 

[afwdwfan]

Too bad that you didn't get to enjoy the design aspect of new TT, but it sounds like you liked it ok! Yours is the first semi-positive review I've heard. I guess I don't really care about the changes. I liked it as it was.

Oh, there are some positive reviews out there. I shared this same opinion of it on one of the threads on the Theme Park boards here after I got back and was flamed for "being biased against all change" and I was given a scientific definition of what neon lighting is... And I quickly remembered why I spend most of my time in TR's and the Disdads area.

LOVE LOVE LOVE that you had boy time with your son at MK one afternoon. That is the sweetest thing ever.

It was a lot of fun. I'm glad we went, and I'd do it again.

Also loved your wife's minnie shirt from Epcot!!

Glad i'm not the only one who likes his wife's shirt!

Actually, I didn't even pay any attention when I posted the pictures, but DW bought this shirt several months ago, and then we had to track down and order the onesie a few weeks before the trip for DD so that they'd have matching shirts for one day. I think DW wanted to find a black one for DD too, but couldn't find one... or maybe we had the onesie first and then had to get the shirt for DW... I don't remember, but it was something like that. I'm sure she'll be happy that her efforts was so well received.

Ooops.

Not that it really matters, he hasn't been on the boards as much lately. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Ah yes - I made the same TT mistake. Did the FP and then the car and was really disappointed.

Went back through a shorter standby line and finally got directions on what to do with the car and way more options.

I liked it better since it did make more sense but the car ended up on the vehicle in front of status since all the results ended up on their screen instead of the car I was in.

That is very true. The Standby line really has a lot more to look at and gives you the whole story. The FP line is very bland in comparison.

I wonder if you put your card to the RFID reader at the loading station too early? It seemed to me like they could give a little better explanation of what to do there. You don't really know when to put your card to the reader, and I always made sure to wait until the car at the station left, because I wondered if that might happen if I went too early.

Not in love with the changes but being through the standby line once, that seems like the way to go and well if wait times are long it may no longer be the way to go.

Standby is definitely the way to go. I don't know if this is Disney approved or not, but I think next time I'll head over first thing and grab an FP and ride standby. I'll just go to the design studio in the post ride area and make improvements to my design and stick the RFID card into my pocket instead of turning it back in so I can use that design when I ride in the FP line later.

 

[khertz]

I guess I just can't get too excited about the new Test Track, but I will have to reserve opinions for when I actually get to try it out. It sounds to me like it was better the way it was before. That does stink though that you missed out on designing your car for your first ride because you were not riding standby! Hope you got a chance to try it out later on. That's something we will have to keep in mind for our upcoming trip though since we usually use FP in place of RS with Paxton when we can.

Weird guy with dog = no bueno! I think people get away with too much in Disney because it's Disney. Sounds like what you are describing is NOT a true service animal. He probably told them it was a companion dog or an anxiety dog. That's apparently the new thing for people who can't go anywhere without their animals!

Love your wife's shirt too! And the fact that it matches DD. How adorable! Gotta love that Minnie bow! I think I almost got that shirt but the glitter stopped me. I just can't stand shirts covered in glitter because then all my OTHER shirts (and pants, and undies, and socks, and everything else in the wash) end up covered in glitter too!

We got on a boat with very little wait and enjoyed our tour of the green houses. We headed back outside and went over to Nemo to brave the wait.




It was a walk on.




I asked DW if the CM might have said the wait was four-to-five minutes instead of for-ty-five minutes? I dont think she was too amused. We finally found the elusive clown fish and headed in to the aquariums.

I probably would not have been amused if I was your DW either, but as a reader, that is hilarious!!!

 

[amazingact21]

I couldn't go on TT when I was in Epcot last December, but my DH said pretty much the same thing you did about the ride. He mentioned he wished he could have messed around more with the building features and that it was very Tron-like.
I was kind of surprised that FP guests had to kind of pick a pre-determined vehicle, only because it sounds like the whole ride experience takes a good 30 minutes. When I was waiting for my group to use their FPs I thought for sure the building aspect was what was taking up so much time. I guess I also feel like FP users are getting punished for NOT going the standby route.


A 45 minute wait for Nemo.... Maybe if you count all the time it takes to weave in and out of that dark queue.

 

[afwdwfan]

I guess I just can't get too excited about the new Test Track, but I will have to reserve opinions for when I actually get to try it out. It sounds to me like it was better the way it was before. That does stink though that you missed out on designing your car for your first ride because you were not riding standby! Hope you got a chance to try it out later on. That's something we will have to keep in mind for our upcoming trip though since we usually use FP in place of RS with Paxton when we can.

Yuck... didn't even think of that angle. If it is just the 3 of you and you do Rider Swap, whoever uses the pass will miss out on it. Doesn't seem very well thought out from that point of view.

Definitely give it a chance and withhold judgement until you see it for yourself. I'm just trying to be honest in my opinion of it. I don't think it is any worse than the original version at all. I think the overall experience from the queue to the post ride is actually better, but the changes to the ride portion itself were just so-so.

Weird guy with dog = no bueno! I think people get away with too much in Disney because it's Disney. Sounds like what you are describing is NOT a true service animal. He probably told them it was a companion dog or an anxiety dog. That's apparently the new thing for people who can't go anywhere without their animals!

Yeah, I don't even know what it was all about, but I just wanted him to go away!

Love your wife's shirt too! And the fact that it matches DD. How adorable! Gotta love that Minnie bow! I think I almost got that shirt but the glitter stopped me. I just can't stand shirts covered in glitter because then all my OTHER shirts (and pants, and undies, and socks, and everything else in the wash) end up covered in glitter too!

I wish that would deter DW from buying clothes with glitter!!! I think about half of DD's clothes are glitter. And therefore pretty much all of my clothes now have glitter on them too.

By the way, kind of unrelated, but a glitter story...
Last night I was sitting in the living room with DD and DS was in the kitchen yelling for help. He didn't sound like he was in any real danger, and I couldn't get there right away so I asked him what he wanted. I didn't get an answer, so I didn't worry about it. A few minutes later he came walking in with a container of red glitter and glitter all over himself. He said "these sprinkles are nasty."

DW had bought a container of red glitter for her cheerleaders to use to decorate some signs. It was a plastic container just like the sprinkles, and she had it sitting on the kitchen counter next to where she keeps the sprinkles for his ice cream. DS had pulled a chair up to the counter and climbed up there and tried eating the glitter, because he thought it was sprinkles. Talk about a mess...

I probably would not have been amused if I was your DW either, but as a reader, that is hilarious!!!

Well, I just couldn't let that go...

I couldn't go on TT when I was in Epcot last December, but my DH said pretty much the same thing you did about the ride. He mentioned he wished he could have messed around more with the building features and that it was very Tron-like.
I was kind of surprised that FP guests had to kind of pick a pre-determined vehicle, only because it sounds like the whole ride experience takes a good 30 minutes. When I was waiting for my group to use their FPs I thought for sure the building aspect was what was taking up so much time. I guess I also feel like FP users are getting punished for NOT going the standby route.

It was definitely a disappointment to miss out on that part. I was really looking forward to designing a vehicle and when that's all I could do, I was pretty disappointed. It really is kind of an incentive to go through the standby line, which in a way, is the same thing with the Little Mermaid Ride and the crab game there and the game room with Dumbo. I almost wonder if they're trying to give more of an incentive to waiting in Standby lines as opposed to using the FP...

A 45 minute wait for Nemo.... Maybe if you count all the time it takes to weave in and out of that dark queue.

Good point... Maybe if you got lost on your way through!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Ok, joining in a tad late and am still catching up on your previous posts. I totally agree with your review of Test Track. It's funny - I used the exact same comparison when describing it to DW, telling her that it was "Test Track on Tron"

 

[afwdwfan]

Ok, joining in a tad late and am still catching up on your previous posts. I totally agree with your review of Test Track. It's funny - I used the exact same comparison when describing it to DW, telling her that it was "Test Track on Tron"

It would fit better if they'd just theme the ride as a Tron ride.

 

[afwdwfan]

Squirrel!!!!

Thursday, Dec 6

One thing I forgot to mention in the last update was that when we arrived at EPCOT, the Gold monorail was sitting in the station. It would actually be parked there all day. At the time, I wondered if maybe they closed the monorail for the day so that it wouldn’t be going through Future World since they were closing the area around the Test Track pavilion early that afternoon for the grand opening press event. Now having been home and reading about the frequent monorail break downs, I suspect that might have been the issue.

Anyway, when we left off, we were heading back out of the Seas. We had some time to kill before our Soarin’ Fast Passes were good, so we decided to head over to see if there was any wait to visit Figment.

I hinted that my sisters are a little bit obsessed with animals… well, that includes lizards. Ever since they were little, they have been fascinated by the little lizards that are known for being all over the place at Disney World. And when they see one, they try to catch it. So far their success rate has been… well, less than spectacular. By this point in the week, BiL had seen them trying unsuccessfully to catch a lizard, so as we were headed over to the Imagination pavilion, he ventured off to the side of the path. I wasn’t sure what he was doing until he walked over to us.

My sisters were jealous of his cat like reflexes. He proved his point and took the little guy over to some bushes and turned him loose. He then headed into the restroom to wash his hands…

Anyway, as we were standing by the stroller parking at the Imagination Pavilion waiting on him, we heard a commotion behind us. We turned around and looked, and there was a squirrel in the under seat pouch of a stroller. He was jumping from stroller to stroller, going through bags. There were a couple of guys trying to chase it away, but it would just jump into the next stroller and they never could get to it. They finally had it chased to the end of the line of strollers and it decided to head for the landscaping. I’m sure that happens from time to time with snacks and crumbs being left in strollers, but that was the first time I’ve ever seen it. Gotta admit, the little guy was smart!

We headed on inside to see another lizard… or something like that. Whatever he is, Figment is one of my favorite characters. My mom has a picture from our first trip when I was 3 with Figment and Dreamfinder. I really wish they’d bring him back too… She even has an old Figment sippie cup that I had when I was little that DS uses at their house now. I really wish this ride/pavilion actually had more imagination to it than just the name of the place.

We rode anyway though, and suffered through the smell. After the ride, we headed into the post ride area to play around for a while. DS was having a blast running around the area where the floor tiles play different musical instruments. We had a hard time getting him to realize you could stay in one spot and let that instrument play for longer than 1 or 2 notes.

We finally made our way out of there and headed over to take turns riding Soarin. I know I’ve said it before, but this ride just doesn’t do much for me. I enjoy it and it is still a must do, but I never really feel compelled to ride it more than once. I really wish they’d improve the film quality, and steal some of the technology from Star Tours to make it a little more interesting.

We finished our flight and it was time to get some lunch. We were right next to Sunshine Seasons so that’s the obvious choice, right? Of course not! Sis was still a little bit leery about what she wanted to eat and she and DW both agreed that the smell there wasn’t doing anything for their appetites. Now let me say, I didn’t notice a smell, but I guess it is just the cafeteria like smell of several different foods blending together?? I don’t know, but I’m not that picky. Either way, we tend not to eat at Sunshine Seasons too often. The decision was made that Sis wanted to go to the American Pavilion for lunch and DW wanted to go to the Mexico CS. She and I headed that way with the kids, while the rest of the family decided to walk around WS from Canada to the US.

We got to Mexico and had a couple of nacho meals. I can’t say that I was too disappointed by this choice. I love the nachos and churritos there and quite honestly would prefer it over just about anything from Sunshine Seasons anyway. We finished eating and hadn’t heard from anyone so we decided to go ride It’s a Small Mexico. We headed in and just before we got to the queue, I smelled something. I told DW that DD needed a diaper. She asked if she needed it before we rode and as I was trying to plug my nose and hold her at arm’s length, I said yes. I headed out to the restrooms while DS and DW stayed in the entry area of the pavilion waiting. When I got back, DW walked up behind me and started going through the bag. She grabbed diapers and wipes for DS and said she’d meet us back inside. I was starting to think the kids were trying to tell us something…

I went on inside and sat down on a bench with DD. She needed to eat anyway, so I went ahead and gave her a bottle. By the time she was about done, DW and DS returned and we headed on over to get on a boat. After the ride, I got a text saying that everyone else was over by Germany. We headed off in that direction to meet up with them. I forget what it was, but DW and my sisters wanted to go look at something in a shop. Dad, BiL and I sat on a bench next to the lagoon with the kids. DD was a little sleepy, so I think she might have napped in the stroller. DS was out running around, which was fine, because we were off to the side where he could burn off some energy with limited escape routes.

BiL headed off to a cart to grab a couple of pretzels and some beer to bring back over to us. We ended up sitting there for at least an hour, just relaxing and taking in this view.

I almost forgot… we did have some other company. These guys.

They were awfully friendly, and I think they wanted our pretzels, but they left us alone, and we left them alone. That was about to change though. When my sisters came back, they were on a mission to try to touch the ducks. Yes, my sisters are 26, going on 3. They had some crackers that they were using to lure the ducks in and then try to pet them. DS was smarter than they were. He wanted nothing to do with the ducks when they’d get close to us. Since my sisters were the only ones getting close to the ducks, I was really hoping one of them would get bit. I’m still not sure they’d take that as a learning experience though.

I think DW and I finally just loaded up the kids and started walking, but everyone else eventually followed. We were headed to Norway to ride Maelstrom, since we passed it earlier and everyone else was just heading that way before our long stop in Germany.

We had a nice ride, and then did something very odd. We sat down and watched the movie. I kind of wanted to see it though, just to see how bad and how dated it is. We always skip it, so I probably hadn’t seen it in about 15 or 16 years, so I just had to check it out. Yep, still bad.

We headed out and walked around Norway for a bit. We looked in the bakery, but there just wasn’t anything there that anyone felt compelled to buy at that moment in time. We moved on down the line towards Mexico again. And naturally, we went for a second ride on It’s a Small Mexico.

After our ride, we discussed what we all wanted to do. Sis and BiL decided they wanted to go to DHS that evening. BiL wasn’t with us Sunday evening, so they wanted to see the Osborne Lights and Fantasmic. They were trying to figure out how soon they had to be back at the resort to catch a bus back to DHS. I asked if they needed to go back to CSR and they said not really. I suggested they just go to the International Gateway and catch a boat. That’s what they ended up doing and they really seemed to enjoy going that way.

We had plans to return to EPCOT the next day, so the rest of us decided we’d just take our time heading out of the park and do some shopping on the way out. But first, while we were still in Mexico, there was still one more order of business to tend to before we all split up. My parents don’t drink, so they weren’t exactly thrilled about it, but they went along with it.

The bartender was AWESOME! Sis2, DW and I all ordered margaritas off the menu, but BiL wanted some drink he’d had in Cancun before. He couldn’t remember what it was called or what was in it, but tried to describe it to the bartender. He mixed up a drink and poured it into shot glasses for all of us to try. BiL said it wasn’t quite sweet enough so he added another ingredient, re-mixed it and gave us all another taste. BiL said that was perfect so the bartender poured it in a glass for him and then topped off a couple of shot glasses again, because he still had some left. We didn’t spend much time hanging around in the Cava, although I would have loved to, but we enjoyed the bartender’s personality and generosity, and definitely left him a nice tip!

Coincidentally, later that evening, I got on Twitter and noticed that I’d just missed seeing Len Testa by less than an hour. I don’t use Twitter much on a day to day basis, but I follow a lot of the Disney podcasts/news sources on Twitter. I was looking to see what was going on with the Test Track press event that evening and noticed that Len had tweeted that he was heading to Cava at 4 pm that afternoon. We had just left there around 3 or 3:30. Would have been cool to meet him, but oh well.

We headed out, drinks in hand. BiL and Sis headed deeper into World Showcase while the rest of us headed off to chase our alcohol with some Beverly. We didn’t get any Beverly face pictures, but about every camera and phone in the place got several pictures of this…

After our stop in Club Cool, we headed over to Mouse Gears. DW wanted to do some Christmas shopping, and we decided this was as good a time as any to pick up some of the souvenirs that we’d been eyeing all week. DS was in plush Mickey heaven.

He ended up getting the Bullseye pillow pal from Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas because he kept going back to ride it in the store. He wasn’t too happy when we finally made him get in the stroller so we could move to other areas of the store. I don’t even remember how long we were in Mouse Gears, but it felt like forever…

We lost Dad to a bench outside the front of the store and I decided to let DW push the stroller around while she shopped. I was on a mission to see the top secret stuff they had planned for the TT press event. They had the door inside Mouse Gears that opens towards TT blocked off with 2 CM’s standing in front of it. The walkway between Mouse Gears and the Electric Umbrella was roped off so that you couldn’t enter and they had some potted shrubbery set up so that you couldn’t see through from there into the TT area. Well, I found a chink in the armor.

The door inside Mouse Gear that opens into that walk way area directly facing Electric Umbrella was unguarded and unlocked. I stepped outside, which put me behind their rope and one layer of security, but still not quite past all the potted plants. I managed to take a look, but I didn’t want to hang around too long before I headed back inside. It looked mostly like they had a stage set up in front of Test Track and Chevy vehicles parked all over the place. I saw all the people walking around wearing lanyards with press credentials for the party and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about trying to steal one…

DW easily managed to get above the $50 mark so that we could get the discount with our Disney Visa when we checked out. We had so much stuff hanging from the handle of the stroller I thought I was going to have to add some ballast to keep all 4 wheels grounded. We headed for the exit, but still had to stop at another gift shop next to Spaceship Earth. Apparently, there was a tumbler that DW had seen somewhere that they didn’t have in Mouse Gears. Didn’t have it there either.

I did snap another quick picture in the direction of Test Track before we left. That’s how long we were in Mouse Gears. Complete daylight in the first picture, complete darkness in the second. We completely missed dusk.

We decided that we’d head back to the resort and eat at Pepper Market. It seemed like as good a plan as any. We got back and headed straight over to EL Centro to eat. I don’t really know what it was, but I just didn’t feel very good. Must have been all the Beverly…

I walked around all the stations 3 or 4 times and there was just nothing that I really wanted to eat. We got DS some spaghetti and I finally ended up just getting a burger. I think DW got a burrito or something, and I don’t remember what Mom, Dad and Sis2 got. Everybody seemed to really like it though.

I went back for dessert, and I thought about getting a pastry to take back to the room for breakfast, but then I saw the soft serve ice cream and thought that might be good. I was waiting for the CM working the dessert station to give me a bowl and mark my card when a couple of cheerleaders came walking up in front of me, reached across the counter, grabbed ice cream cones and walked away. I thought surely that can’t be right… My biggest complaint about Pepper Market is that it is kind of confusing to figure out how everything works, and where exactly some of the lines are. They said you had to have your card marked for your entrée and dessert so I asked the CM if you have to get it marked for ice cream or if it counts as a dessert or what??? About that time a couple more cheerleaders came up and did the same thing the first group did. The CM called them out and asked for their cards…

Now, aside from trying to get free dessert, the cheerleaders weren’t much of an annoyance at dinner despite the fact that they made up about 75% of the restaurant’s capacity. However, it turns out we took a little bit too long finishing up our meals. When we went to check out, they had 2 registers open. The lines were literally backed up half way across the dining area. I timed my wait and I was standing in line for 18 minutes just to pay for our meal. A large group of the cheerleaders beat us to the line and they were each paying individually. I can’t blame them, but it seems like there should be a quicker way to pay there. For each check the CM would have to enter every item stamped on the card, and then for dining plan they’d have to print 2 tickets and have you sign one. It just seemed like too many steps in the process to make it move smoothly. I don’t know how they could make the process any easier, but there’s got to be a quicker way to do it.

I saw that they had the Thursday Night Football game on in the Rix Lounge. I know the Broncos were playing, because I stopped to watch Peyton work his magic for a little bit, but I don’t even remember who they were playing. DW and Mom checked out the gift shop in the resort and then we all headed back to our rooms for an early evening. We’d need to take full advantage of our time Friday, because it was going to be the last full park day.

Wow... already????

 

[ellie0311]

Really enjoying your TR so far!

 

[shan23877]

Sounds like a really nice day in Epcot! I would have been stalking the TT press event too.

What a great bartender at the Ditch! He sounds like someone who really enjoys his job.

Two rides on Its Small Mexican World! We've yet to ride it, and I know that DD would love it. Maybe next time.

Love the pics of DS in his Minnie ears! That Bullseye pillow pet is adorable-glad he got it for Christmas.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

The squirrel story was hilarious! Where's Dug when you need him? I wonder how many times a squirrel has gone through our parked stroller without our knowledge.

Good call on the boat ride to DHS! This is why being on the DIS is so helpful. You can redirect folks to take shorter transportation options.

I can't tell you how many times I've encountered that picture you have with the ducks during our last trip to Disney. It's always a couple: one male and one female duck. Just standing still and stalking you and your food with their eyes.

 

[KatMark]

Squirrel!!!!

Thursday, Dec 6

One thing I forgot to mention in the last update was that when we arrived at EPCOT, the Gold monorail was sitting in the station. It would actually be parked there all day. At the time, I wondered if maybe they closed the monorail for the day so that it wouldn’t be going through Future World since they were closing the area around the Test Track pavilion early that afternoon for the grand opening press event. Now having been home and reading about the frequent monorail break downs, I suspect that might have been the issue.

Not surprised....we always get on a monorail that breaks down.

Anyway, when we left off, we were heading back out of the Seas. We had some time to kill before our Soarin’ Fast Passes were good, so we decided to head over to see if there was any wait to visit Figment.

I hinted that my sisters are a little bit obsessed with animals… well, that includes lizards. Ever since they were little, they have been fascinated by the little lizards that are known for being all over the place at Disney World. And when they see one, they try to catch it. So far their success rate has been… well, less than spectacular. By this point in the week, BiL had seen them trying unsuccessfully to catch a lizard, so as we were headed over to the Imagination pavilion, he ventured off to the side of the path. I wasn’t sure what he was doing until he walked over to us.

My sisters were jealous of his cat like reflexes. He proved his point and took the little guy over to some bushes and turned him loose. He then headed into the restroom to wash his hands…

My kids used to try to catch them all the time; I'd say they were 50/50 on success rate.

Anyway, as we were standing by the stroller parking at the Imagination Pavilion waiting on him, we heard a commotion behind us. We turned around and looked, and there was a squirrel in the under seat pouch of a stroller. He was jumping from stroller to stroller, going through bags. There were a couple of guys trying to chase it away, but it would just jump into the next stroller and they never could get to it. They finally had it chased to the end of the line of strollers and it decided to head for the landscaping. I’m sure that happens from time to time with snacks and crumbs being left in strollers, but that was the first time I’ve ever seen it. Gotta admit, the little guy was smart!

One very smart squirrel.

We headed on inside to see another lizard… or something like that. Whatever he is, Figment is one of my favorite characters. My mom has a picture from our first trip when I was 3 with Figment and Dreamfinder. I really wish they’d bring him back too… She even has an old Figment sippie cup that I had when I was little that DS uses at their house now. I really wish this ride/pavilion actually had more imagination to it than just the name of the place.

Rumor has it that there will be a change based on the new movie about Brains????? I just hope they keep Figment as part of it. And I think you should post the picture of you with Figment and Dreamfinder.

We rode anyway though, and suffered through the smell. After the ride, we headed into the post ride area to play around for a while. DS was having a blast running around the area where the floor tiles play different musical instruments. We had a hard time getting him to realize you could stay in one spot and let that instrument play for longer than 1 or 2 notes.

He was having a blast, wasn't he?

We finally made our way out of there and headed over to take turns riding Soarin. I know I’ve said it before, but this ride just doesn’t do much for me. I enjoy it and it is still a must do, but I never really feel compelled to ride it more than once. I really wish they’d improve the film quality, and steal some of the technology from Star Tours to make it a little more interesting.

I don't think they'll do the technology from Star Tours (a lot of people can't handle that and they need to keep some things "easy" for their older guests. But the film definitely needs an update.

We finished our flight and it was time to get some lunch. We were right next to Sunshine Seasons so that’s the obvious choice, right? Of course not! Sis was still a little bit leery about what she wanted to eat and she and DW both agreed that the smell there wasn’t doing anything for their appetites. Now let me say, I didn’t notice a smell, but I guess it is just the cafeteria like smell of several different foods blending together?? I don’t know, but I’m not that picky. Either way, we tend not to eat at Sunshine Seasons too often. The decision was made that Sis wanted to go to the American Pavilion for lunch and DW wanted to go to the Mexico CS. She and I headed that way with the kids, while the rest of the family decided to walk around WS from Canada to the US.

I like breakfast at Sunshine Seasons, but not much else.

We got to Mexico and had a couple of nacho meals. I can’t say that I was too disappointed by this choice. I love the nachos and churritos there and quite honestly would prefer it over just about anything from Sunshine Seasons anyway. We finished eating and hadn’t heard from anyone so we decided to go ride It’s a Small Mexico. We headed in and just before we got to the queue, I smelled something. I told DW that DD needed a diaper. She asked if she needed it before we rode and as I was trying to plug my nose and hold her at arm’s length, I said yes. I headed out to the restrooms while DS and DW stayed in the entry area of the pavilion waiting. When I got back, DW walked up behind me and started going through the bag. She grabbed diapers and wipes for DS and said she’d meet us back inside. I was starting to think the kids were trying to tell us something…

One of these days I'm going to try the nachos.

I went on inside and sat down on a bench with DD. She needed to eat anyway, so I went ahead and gave her a bottle. By the time she was about done, DW and DS returned and we headed on over to get on a boat. After the ride, I got a text saying that everyone else was over by Germany. We headed off in that direction to meet up with them. I forget what it was, but DW and my sisters wanted to go look at something in a shop. Dad, BiL and I sat on a bench next to the lagoon with the kids. DD was a little sleepy, so I think she might have napped in the stroller. DS was out running around, which was fine, because we were off to the side where he could burn off some energy with limited escape routes.

A good way for DS to tire himself out.

BiL headed off to a cart to grab a couple of pretzels and some beer to bring back over to us. We ended up sitting there for at least an hour, just relaxing and taking in this view.

Can't beat that view.

I almost forgot… we did have some other company. These guys.

They were awfully friendly, and I think they wanted our pretzels, but they left us alone, and we left them alone. That was about to change though. When my sisters came back, they were on a mission to try to touch the ducks. Yes, my sisters are 26, going on 3. They had some crackers that they were using to lure the ducks in and then try to pet them. DS was smarter than they were. He wanted nothing to do with the ducks when they’d get close to us. Since my sisters were the only ones getting close to the ducks, I was really hoping one of them would get bit. I’m still not sure they’d take that as a learning experience though.

Your sisters were really trying to pet them? Don't they read the signs?

I think DW and I finally just loaded up the kids and started walking, but everyone else eventually followed. We were headed to Norway to ride Maelstrom, since we passed it earlier and everyone else was just heading that way before our long stop in Germany.

We had a nice ride, and then did something very odd. We sat down and watched the movie. I kind of wanted to see it though, just to see how bad and how dated it is. We always skip it, so I probably hadn’t seen it in about 15 or 16 years, so I just had to check it out. Yep, still bad.

This movie definitely needs a total redo.

We headed out and walked around Norway for a bit. We looked in the bakery, but there just wasn’t anything there that anyone felt compelled to buy at that moment in time. We moved on down the line towards Mexico again. And naturally, we went for a second ride on It’s a Small Mexico.

After our ride, we discussed what we all wanted to do. Sis and BiL decided they wanted to go to DHS that evening. BiL wasn’t with us Sunday evening, so they wanted to see the Osborne Lights and Fantasmic. They were trying to figure out how soon they had to be back at the resort to catch a bus back to DHS. I asked if they needed to go back to CSR and they said not really. I suggested they just go to the International Gateway and catch a boat. That’s what they ended up doing and they really seemed to enjoy going that way.

Love that boat to DHS!

We had plans to return to EPCOT the next day, so the rest of us decided we’d just take our time heading out of the park and do some shopping on the way out. But first, while we were still in Mexico, there was still one more order of business to tend to before we all split up. My parents don’t drink, so they weren’t exactly thrilled about it, but they went along with it.

The bartender was AWESOME! Sis2, DW and I all ordered margaritas off the menu, but BiL wanted some drink he’d had in Cancun before. He couldn’t remember what it was called or what was in it, but tried to describe it to the bartender. He mixed up a drink and poured it into shot glasses for all of us to try. BiL said it wasn’t quite sweet enough so he added another ingredient, re-mixed it and gave us all another taste. BiL said that was perfect so the bartender poured it in a glass for him and then topped off a couple of shot glasses again, because he still had some left. We didn’t spend much time hanging around in the Cava, although I would have loved to, but we enjoyed the bartender’s personality and generosity, and definitely left him a nice tip!

Coincidentally, later that evening, I got on Twitter and noticed that I’d just missed seeing Len Testa by less than an hour. I don’t use Twitter much on a day to day basis, but I follow a lot of the Disney podcasts/news sources on Twitter. I was looking to see what was going on with the Test Track press event that evening and noticed that Len had tweeted that he was heading to Cava at 4 pm that afternoon. We had just left there around 3 or 3:30. Would have been cool to meet him, but oh well.

Our Andy really enjoyed that place...loved the Tequila flight.

We headed out, drinks in hand. BiL and Sis headed deeper into World Showcase while the rest of us headed off to chase our alcohol with some Beverly. We didn’t get any Beverly face pictures, but about every camera and phone in the place got several pictures of this…

Love it.

After our stop in Club Cool, we headed over to Mouse Gears. DW wanted to do some Christmas shopping, and we decided this was as good a time as any to pick up some of the souvenirs that we’d been eyeing all week. DS was in plush Mickey heaven.

He ended up getting the Bullseye pillow pal from Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas because he kept going back to ride it in the store. He wasn’t too happy when we finally made him get in the stroller so we could move to other areas of the store. I don’t even remember how long we were in Mouse Gears, but it felt like forever…

Very cute...and I want one of those pillows. Will Grandma and Grandpa get me one?

We lost Dad to a bench outside the front of the store and I decided to let DW push the stroller around while she shopped. I was on a mission to see the top secret stuff they had planned for the TT press event. They had the door inside Mouse Gears that opens towards TT blocked off with 2 CM’s standing in front of it. The walkway between Mouse Gears and the Electric Umbrella was roped off so that you couldn’t enter and they had some potted shrubbery set up so that you couldn’t see through from there into the TT area. Well, I found a chink in the armor.

The door inside Mouse Gear that opens into that walk way area directly facing Electric Umbrella was unguarded and unlocked. I stepped outside, which put me behind their rope and one layer of security, but still not quite past all the potted plants. I managed to take a look, but I didn’t want to hang around too long before I headed back inside. It looked mostly like they had a stage set up in front of Test Track and Chevy vehicles parked all over the place. I saw all the people walking around wearing lanyards with press credentials for the party and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about trying to steal one…

Rebel!!!!

DW easily managed to get above the $50 mark so that we could get the discount with our Disney Visa when we checked out. We had so much stuff hanging from the handle of the stroller I thought I was going to have to add some ballast to keep all 4 wheels grounded. We headed for the exit, but still had to stop at another gift shop next to Spaceship Earth. Apparently, there was a tumbler that DW had seen somewhere that they didn’t have in Mouse Gears. Didn’t have it there either.

I did snap another quick picture in the direction of Test Track before we left. That’s how long we were in Mouse Gears. Complete daylight in the first picture, complete darkness in the second. We completely missed dusk.

Shopping will do that to your day.

We decided that we’d head back to the resort and eat at Pepper Market. It seemed like as good a plan as any. We got back and headed straight over to EL Centro to eat. I don’t really know what it was, but I just didn’t feel very good. Must have been all the Beverly…

Or the margarita or whatever BIL was drinking that you were getting samples of.

I walked around all the stations 3 or 4 times and there was just nothing that I really wanted to eat. We got DS some spaghetti and I finally ended up just getting a burger. I think DW got a burrito or something, and I don’t remember what Mom, Dad and Sis2 got. Everybody seemed to really like it though.

I went back for dessert, and I thought about getting a pastry to take back to the room for breakfast, but then I saw the soft serve ice cream and thought that might be good. I was waiting for the CM working the dessert station to give me a bowl and mark my card when a couple of cheerleaders came walking up in front of me, reached across the counter, grabbed ice cream cones and walked away. I thought surely that can’t be right… My biggest complaint about Pepper Market is that it is kind of confusing to figure out how everything works, and where exactly some of the lines are. They said you had to have your card marked for your entrée and dessert so I asked the CM if you have to get it marked for ice cream or if it counts as a dessert or what??? About that time a couple more cheerleaders came up and did the same thing the first group did. The CM called them out and asked for their cards…

Good for her.

Now, aside from trying to get free dessert, the cheerleaders weren’t much of an annoyance at dinner despite the fact that they made up about 75% of the restaurant’s capacity. However, it turns out we took a little bit too long finishing up our meals. When we went to check out, they had 2 registers open. The lines were literally backed up half way across the dining area. I timed my wait and I was standing in line for 18 minutes just to pay for our meal. A large group of the cheerleaders beat us to the line and they were each paying individually. I can’t blame them, but it seems like there should be a quicker way to pay there. For each check the CM would have to enter every item stamped on the card, and then for dining plan they’d have to print 2 tickets and have you sign one. It just seemed like too many steps in the process to make it move smoothly. I don’t know how they could make the process any easier, but there’s got to be a quicker way to do it.

That is the one thing I have always hated about the Pepper Market is the check out at the end of the meal to pay your bill. They really need to figure something else out...it's a bottleneck half the time (even without the cheerleaders).

I saw that they had the Thursday Night Football game on in the Rix Lounge. I know the Broncos were playing, because I stopped to watch Peyton work his magic for a little bit, but I don’t even remember who they were playing. DW and Mom checked out the gift shop in the resort and then we all headed back to our rooms for an early evening. We’d need to take full advantage of our time Friday, because it was going to be the last full park day.

Wow... already????

I can't believe you are up to your last day already. Seriously, where did that time go?

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

One thing I forgot to mention in the last update was that when we arrived at EPCOT, the Gold monorail was sitting in the station. It would actually be parked there all day.

Did they put it up on blocks?

We had some time to kill before our Soarin’ Fast Passes were good, so we decided to head over to see if there was any wait to visit Figment.

Now that's funny, I don't care who you are.

Anyway, as we were standing by the stroller parking at the Imagination Pavilion waiting on him, we heard a commotion behind us. We turned around and looked, and there was a squirrel in the under seat pouch of a stroller. He was jumping from stroller to stroller, going through bags.

Sounds like the squirrel and the lizard have a scam going. I bet the lizard gets a cut.

I really wish this ride/pavilion actually had more imagination to it than just the name of the place.

We finally made our way out of there and headed over to take turns riding Soarin. I know I’ve said it before, but this ride just doesn’t do much for me.

But after Imagination, it must have seemed amazing!

We got to Mexico and had a couple of nacho meals. I can’t say that I was too disappointed by this choice. I love the nachos and churritos there and quite honestly would prefer it over just about anything from Sunshine Seasons anyway. We finished eating and hadn’t heard from anyone so we decided to go ride It’s a Small Mexico. We headed in and just before we got to the queue, I smelled something. I told DW that DD needed a diaper. She asked if she needed it before we rode and as I was trying to plug my nose and hold her at arm’s length, I said yes.

So how do you like that Mexican food now?

When my sisters came back, they were on a mission to try to touch the ducks. Yes, my sisters are 26, going on 3.

And naturally, we went for a second ride on It’s a Small Mexico.

Glutton for punishment?

The bartender was AWESOME! Sis2, DW and I all ordered margaritas off the menu, but BiL wanted some drink he’d had in Cancun before. He couldn’t remember what it was called or what was in it, but tried to describe it to the bartender. He mixed up a drink and poured it into shot glasses for all of us to try. BiL said it wasn’t quite sweet enough so he added another ingredient, re-mixed it and gave us all another taste. BiL said that was perfect so the bartender poured it in a glass for him and then topped off a couple of shot glasses again, because he still had some left. We didn’t spend much time hanging around in the Cava, although I would have loved to, but we enjoyed the bartender’s personality and generosity, and definitely left him a nice tip!

Sounds like he earned it! What a cool guy.

We didn’t get any Beverly face pictures

And why not??? Photo Fail.

DW easily managed to get above the $50 mark so that we could get the discount with our Disney Visa when we checked out.

That's what, a couple of pens and a bottle opener?

That’s how long we were in Mouse Gears. Complete daylight in the first picture, complete darkness in the second. We completely missed dusk.

About that time a couple more cheerleaders came up and did the same thing the first group did. The CM called them out and asked for their cards…

Serves 'em right!

We’d need to take full advantage of our time Friday, because it was going to be the last full park day.

Wow... already????

 

[afwdwfan]

Really enjoying your TR so far!

Glad you're enjoying it and thanks for reading along.

Sounds like a really nice day in Epcot! I would have been stalking the TT press event too.

I was pretty excited to be there that day. Just wish I could have gotten on the other side of the Disney security.

What a great bartender at the Ditch! He sounds like someone who really enjoys his job.

He was definitely a nice guy and he went above and beyond.

Two rides on Its Small Mexican World! We've yet to ride it, and I know that DD would love it. Maybe next time.

What?????? How have you never riddent that??? It is like a 5 minute ride with a 30 second wait. There's no excuse for not riding it, even if it might not be one of the finest attractions WDW has to offer.

Love the pics of DS in his Minnie ears! That Bullseye pillow pet is adorable-glad he got it for Christmas.

Well, I guess whatever it takes to keep him entertained in the gift shops.

He loves Bullseye. They got an Eeyore pillow pal too for DD and he seems to think they're both his.

The squirrel story was hilarious! Where's Dug when you need him? I wonder how many times a squirrel has gone through our parked stroller without our knowledge.

I don't know... would Dug actually do anything about it, or would he just watch it until the next squirrel came along???

I was thinking the same thing... I'm sure they've gone through ours before at some point in time.

Good call on the boat ride to DHS! This is why being on the DIS is so helpful. You can redirect folks to take shorter transportation options.

Disney nerds for life.

I can't tell you how many times I've encountered that picture you have with the ducks during our last trip to Disney. It's always a couple: one male and one female duck. Just standing still and stalking you and your food with their eyes.

Actually, we didn't get photographic evidence, but at one point, there was another couple also. There was a little bit of a turf war with some fly by action.

 

[afwdwfan]

Not surprised....we always get on a monorail that breaks down.

You must have the magic touch.

My kids used to try to catch them all the time; I'd say they were 50/50 on success rate.

I've never really wanted to catch them.

One very smart squirrel.

Hey, a squirrel's gotta eat.

Rumor has it that there will be a change based on the new movie about Brains????? I just hope they keep Figment as part of it. And I think you should post the picture of you with Figment and Dreamfinder.

They have to keep Figment. I think they've learned that lesson already.

I have no idea where that picture is, but if I can get it I will.

He was having a blast, wasn't he?

I don't think they'll do the technology from Star Tours (a lot of people can't handle that and they need to keep some things "easy" for their older guests. But the film definitely needs an update.

Ok, I guess I should be more specific. I don't mean the intense 3-D stuff, but the ability to have different movies and maybe make it so that you don't have the same exact flight every time.

I like breakfast at Sunshine Seasons, but not much else.

I hear good things about it, but we always try to grab something at the resort or a quick snack if we don't eat before we get to the parks.

One of these days I'm going to try the nachos.

They're great!

A good way for DS to tire himself out.

But as you can tell from all the pictures of him not napping...

Can't beat that view.

Well, not outside of the Disney property anyway.

Your sisters were really trying to pet them? Don't they read the signs?

Don't read, don't care, I don't know. I've been around them all their lives and still haven't figured them out.

This movie definitely needs a total redo.

Love that boat to DHS!

Me too... and I love the Boardwalk area. It was too bad I never made it out there.

Our Andy really enjoyed that place...loved the Tequila flight.

The atmosphere and drinks were great. I really could have just hung out there for most of the afternoon.

Very cute...and I want one of those pillows. Will Grandma and Grandpa get me one?

I don't know, you'll have to take that up with them.

Rebel!!!!

No, if I was a rebel, I'd have obtained a pass and snuck in.

Shopping will do that to your day.

Let's spend 80 bucks on a park ticket so that we can waste 3 hours and spend a couple hundred more in a store.

Or the margarita or whatever BIL was drinking that you were getting samples of.

Hmmm.... good point. I have no idea what was in that drink. He just kept dumping things in a mixing cup.

Oh well, it tasted good.

That is the one thing I have always hated about the Pepper Market is the check out at the end of the meal to pay your bill. They really need to figure something else out...it's a bottleneck half the time (even without the cheerleaders

Yes, it really seemed that way. It just takes forever to get each order punched in and checked out. I don't know what it was, but it just felt like it was really inefficient. Other QS places on property seem to be able to run you through the checkout a lot faster.

I can't believe you are up to your last day already. Seriously, where did that time go?

Tell me about it...

 

[afwdwfan]

Did they put it up on blocks?

You know, I didn't notice that, but I did see someone lying underneath it with a saw.

Now that's funny, I don't care who you are.

I knew you'd appreciate that one.

Sounds like the squirrel and the lizard have a scam going. I bet the lizard gets a cut.

Oooh... an EPCOT animal conspiracy. You might be on to something. Now where do those ducks fit in?

But after Imagination, it must have seemed amazing!

Well, it definitely helped to replace the skunk smell with oranges.

So how do you like that Mexican food now?

Well, I went back later in the week...

Glutton for punishment?

I never mind that ride. I get to sit down, it's in the AC, there's never a wait, and there's no song that makes me want to dive under the boat and stay there.

Sounds like he earned it! What a cool guy.

The service was excellent.

And why not??? Photo Fail.

Because I was the only one drinking it and everyone else was more interested in "cute kid in minnie ears" than "hey look, Andy's drinking Beverly."

That's what, a couple of pens and a bottle opener?

How did you know????

Serves 'em right!

I know it seems mean spirited, but it felt good seeing them get in trouble.

 

[jecskc]

LOL on you calling the boat ride in Mexico, "it's a small Mexico". That is funny. I love the nachos at that CS there.

 

[My sister's princess]

I feel the same way about Soarin' it just isn't as amazing to me as other people seem to think it is. I enjoy your use of the HA HA