Value Resorts and Inside Staterooms? Bah Humbug! 30 days of Disney fun! 02/10 Day 30

[dizneeat]

Day 11, August 24

A wet day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a late night at Epcot - Part 2

When we left the Hollywood Tower hotel it had started to rain and we decided to get some lunch at Fairfax Fair.
But before that we picked up another set of Fast Passes for Tower of Terror for a little later in the day. Once we got to Fairfax Fair we got in line and ordered, then looked for a table and found one under a huge umbrella. We shared

a 1/2 Slab of Spareribs, served with

baked beans and coleslaw and

a Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwich with coleslaw. For our dessert we both picked

the Carrot Cake. While we were eating it had started to rain really hard. Luckily for us it, when we were ready to leave it had become only a drizzle.

So we walked through the stores and finally decided to check on Toy Story Mania again. No chance. They had reopened a short time earlier and lines were already up to 90 minutes.
Now, while this is a really fun ride, it is not one I would queue up 90 minutes for.
So instead we just walked on and got in line for the Backlot Tour. We didn’t have to wait very long and soon were enjoying to see the volunteers being drenched!

It was a fun show and soon we were led to the trams to take us backstage. While we walked through the prop shop we found a few more Hidden Mickeys

and finally got on the second tram out.

We passed Walt Disney’s plane

and finally entered Catastrophe Canyon. There were a few newcomers on the tour which made it even more enjoyable.

After the tour had ended we spent some time in the exhibition and the little shop that is at the end. We still had some time before our Fast Pass was valid, so we walked around the area and decided to hit the Muppets. We walked in and found out that the pre-show was nearly over

and the show was about to begin. We really lucked out as we got a seat right in the middle of the theatre. This is a show that is really timeless and even though we have seen it a lot of times it still is fun every time we see it.

When we left the theatre we found that it had started to rain again, but we did not want to waste our Fast Pass, so we put on our ponchos and walked over to the Tower of Terror.

 

[Wicket's Mom]

Yes we will be staying at Caribbean Beach, last time we stayed there was in 2006. I really liked the atmosphere & the little cay.

I knew that I would have to make a separate reservation to upgrade the dining plan. I'm going to call this weekend to see about the upgrade.

A Dis meet would be great. It seems that everyone is so nice & meets would be fun.

Another thing that we've never gotten is any of the towel creatures that I see on others' photos.

 

[dizneeat]

Yes we will be staying at Caribbean Beach, last time we stayed there was in 2006. I really liked the atmosphere & the little cay.

I knew that I would have to make a separate reservation to upgrade the dining plan. I'm going to call this weekend to see about the upgrade.

A Dis meet would be great. It seems that everyone is so nice & meets would be fun.

Another thing that we've never gotten is any of the towel creatures that I see on others' photos.

Caribbean Beach is so a great resort! We stayed there in 2009 twice in a Pirate Room and it was awesome!

I guess you'll be okay with two nights DxDDP. We had ten (I think) last summer and it was SOOOOOOOOOO much food! And you could not skip a meal without losing that many credits! It felt like our whole vacation revolved around food ........ which it usually does, but this was even "worse"!

I think towel animals are hit or miss. We have stayed in all different accommodation levels at Disney and there is NO rule on getting one. We have gotten lots of little ones but one time we got a wonderful towel doll at Pop

and last year we got this amazing dog at OKW!!

We always tip the same amount every day, so I don't think that's the reason.

 

[dizneeat]

Day 11, August 24

A wet day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a late night at Epcot - Part 3

When we left the theatre we found that it had started to rain again, but we did not want to waste our Fast Pass, so we put on our ponchos and walked over to the Tower of Terror.

Now this time the standby line was much longer and it we were happy to just pass by the line and walk right into the hotel’s library. And again we were seated in the front row and had a lot of fun in the Twilight Zone.
Once we got off it was still raining and since we knew we had Extra Magic Hours at Epcot to go to in the evening, so we decided that that was it and we would go back to Old Key West.
But before we left we went to the little sweets shop inside the Villains Store to pick up

a Carrot Cake Cookie and to Starring Rolls for

a Butterfinger Cupcake.
With our purchases in hand we walked to the exit and got on the tram to the parking lot. It didn’t take long to get back to Old Key West and when we walked in our Mousekeeping lady had outdone herself with Towel Animals.

There was a kitchen towel swan on the kitchen counter and a towel dog in the bedroom

and several other wonderful touches in the bathrooms.

Tom got in the Jacuzzi, while I started a little more packing and repacking as I had decided to leave some stuff in the trunk of the car while we were cruising. When Tom got out of the Jacuzzi he made some coffee and we tried the goodies we had bought at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

At 5.30 we drove to Epcot for our dinner at Tutto Italia.

 

[dizneeat]

Day 11, August 24

A wet day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a late night at Epcot - Part 4

At 5.30 we drove to Epcot for our dinner at Tutto Italia. We were a little late checking in, but the patrons were very friendly and didn’t mind and we were seated immediately.
Right after we had taken our seats our server was at the table taking our drinks order.

The food runner brought the Verdure, Olive "Giardiniera" e Ricotto con Basilico,

the Pane De Casa with Tuscan olive oil and herb and parmesan grissini breadsticks out. Our server then took our food order when he dropped off our drinks.

I ordered the Tortelli Di Vitello Al "Chianti" - veal and Chianti ravioli, parmesan cheese, sage butter, roasted tomato,

while Tom got the Filetto Di Pesce "All Acqua Pazza" - white wine poached fish filet, oven roasted tomato, clams, garlic, capers, olives, which were both served promptly. Both portions were large and very tasty. There was still dessert.

Tom ordered the Copetta Sotto Bosco - berries, zabaglione cream gelato and chocolate sauce, while I wanted to try the

Chef’s Special, a dessert trio, consisting of tasting portions of the Mocha Tiramisu, served in a chocolate cup, a Cannoli and a Gianduja - Chocolate Torta - chocolate and hazelnut torte. The service was fast and we were out of the restaurant in under an hour.

Epcot was packed and once we had walked about halfway around World Showcase we decided that maybe we had a chance of catching Fantasmic at the Studios if we caught a Friendship.

So we walked over to the International Gateway, got in line for a Friendship and finally boarded.

We were cutting it close and when we finally arrived we knew that our chances of still getting into Fantasmic were very slim. It seemed to take forever to get through bagcheck and the turnstiles. Once we were inside we headed towards the entrance of Fantasmic, just to see that they had closed it right before we had made it there.

Since it was late already we decided to just leave again and head back to the Friendship landing.
While we walked there we saw a boat leaving and a long line of people still waiting. We figured it would take at least 20 minutes for another boat to arrive so we turned around and walked towards the buses. Lines were long there too and since the evening was nice, we decided to just walk back to Epcot. The walk is about 20 minutes and we really enjoyed the night air, walking along the water. When we got back to Epcot the Extra Magic Hours were in full swing and we headed towards Futureworld.

We walked over to The Land, but the line for Soarin was far too long. On the other hand there was NO line for Living With The Land. We both love that ride and it never fails to amaze me when we go through the greenhouses.

Once the ride was over we walked back out of the land and over to ride the Clam mobiles. Our next stop was Spaceship Earth, another ride we never get tired of. The line was short, actually more of a walk on and it was fun.

There was still a little time left until the park was closing, so we walked over to Test Track, but even the single rider line was half an hour, so we went to try our luck at Mission Space. 10 minute for the Orange Team! Lucky! We got in line and after about 15 minutes we boarded our spaceship.

When we got off the ride it was past midnight and time to head home.

We walked towards the exit and back to our car, which brought us back to our villa at Old Key West in no time. We had a drink and sat and chilled for a while before we finally went to bed.

 

[Teri1]

Karin I am amazed at all the walking you and Tom did at Epcot over to DHS and back! My feet and legs hurt just thinking about it!

 

[YukiPhnx]

WOOOOOW, what a day!!! You really went around didn't you?

I remember we left in the late afternoon too. We wanted to go to DtD one last time before our trip ended.

They have carrot cake cookies???? That looks SO GOOD. We tried the Pulled Pork too and really liked it!

The food at Tutto Italia look very good. Especially Tom's fillet!

I had NO IDEA the ground lights up like that! And I was there when it was evening EMH too. It's a bummer I missed it.

 

[Linda67]

Wow that was a busy day

I love your photos of the towel animals. Our next trip will be our first time staying on property and I would be sooooo happy if we got one

Fingers crossed

 

[Stefy]

Lots of yummy updates, can I just say wow to the butterfinger cupcake What is in it?

 

[podsnel]

That looks like a verrrrrrrrrrry yummy cupcake! And you got soooo many great towel animals!

 

[jenseib]

You are right Jen!

BTW - I just read the whole report you sent me and it looks A - mazing!!!!
Can't wait for your your review!

Wasn't it great. The thing is I had signed up for email notifications when a new post came, but I'm geting them. So I keep checking back. LOL!

 

[jeminni]

Karin,

No pictures of cute waiters at Tutto Italiano?

 

[englishrose47]

Yummy update Tutto is definately on my list for my next solo trip !!!I think I need to go for a month to fit in all the restaurants

 

[dizneeat]

Karin I am amazed at all the walking you and Tom did at Epcot over to DHS and back! My feet and legs hurt just thinking about it!

It wasn't all that bad. It's a nice walkway from the Studios to Epcot and they are actually closer than one would think!

WOOOOOW, what a day!!! You really went around didn't you?

I remember we left in the late afternoon too. We wanted to go to DtD one last time before our trip ended.

They have carrot cake cookies???? That looks SO GOOD. We tried the Pulled Pork too and really liked it!

The food at Tutto Italia look very good. Especially Tom's fillet!

I had NO IDEA the ground lights up like that! And I was there when it was evening EMH too. It's a bummer I missed it.

It was a really fun filled day! That's why I love having a car so much. Once you are out in the parking lot, you just plop down in the car and that's it!

Yuki, if you haven't tried the Carrot Cake Cookie, you definitely HAVE TO next time you go! They are soooooooooooo good. They are just like very moist cake, sandwiched together with buttercream frosting. And they are HUGE too, very good value for money.

It's those little touches like the lit up ground that makes Disney so special for us! We slowly walked around a bit to see all the different designs! It was amazing!
If you ever go for a party at the MK, watch around you! They have fun designs on the ground and even projected on the houses on Main Street! We loved it!

Wow that was a busy day

I love your photos of the towel animals. Our next trip will be our first time staying on property and I would be sooooo happy if we got one

Fingers crossed

Yes, it was a busy day, but a fun filled one!

Towel animals are such a fun extra bit of pixie dust on your vacation! And they are random, we have had years where we did not get a single one and then years where we were showered with them. It really depends on your mousekeeper!

Hope you get one too!

Lots of yummy updates, can I just say wow to the butterfinger cupcake What is in it?

Thank you!
Butterfinger cupcake: It's a chocolate cupcake with a soft chocolate filling, then there is icing piled HIGH and it is rolled in crushed Butterfinger! I can tell you, it is HUGE and FAR too much to eat at once - even for this lover of all things sweet!

That looks like a verrrrrrrrrrry yummy cupcake! And you got soooo many great towel animals!

I really enjoyed the cupcake, but had to eat it in several portions - too much to eat at once!
Yes, we were REALLY lucky with the towel animals! There was ALWAYS something, but that day our mousekeeper outdid herself!

 

[dizneeat]

Wasn't it great. The thing is I had signed up for email notifications when a new post came, but I'm geting them. So I keep checking back. LOL!

Every little bit gets me so excited about the DREAM! I even danced around the room when I saw that they have the same yummy wraps and toasted sandwiches, I loved so much on the WONDERful Disney WONDER!

Isn't it funny HOW that phrase from cruise director Christiaan is stuck in my head?

Karin,

No pictures of cute waiters at Tutto Italiano?

Where did I have my thoughts?

Yummy update Tutto is definately on my list for my next solo trip !!!I think I need to go for a month to fit in all the restaurants

See, that's what we do ............ stay for a month and it is easy to fit it all in!

Rosie, as much as I love Tutto, if you want food that comes close to REAL Italian food, consider Via Napoli!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Yummy update Tutto is definately on my list for my next solo trip !!!I think I need to go for a month to fit in all the restaurants

Rosie, sure hope you find the time to squeeze in a solo trip! I'll be looking forward to that TR too! Wouldn't a month with Mickey be GREAT!!!

Rosie, as much as I love Tutto, if you want food that comes close to REAL Italian food, consider Via Napoli!

I so love REAL Italian food! Karin, is right on (as always)....the pizza with prosciutto and melon is unbelievably delicious! I've not eaten at Via Napoli yet, but did have the pizza in Italy....ohhhhh....sooooo yummy! Via will definitely be on my list of where to eat next trip to visit Mickey.

I LOVE the walk from EPCOT to the Studios and back - if we are staying in the EPCOT area we always walk, otherwise we will often walk back and forth between those parks. Years ago, when the EPCOT resort area was new and we would take the slowest boat on property to MGM , we would say how they needed to put in a sidewalk so guests could walk. We were so excited when it finally happened! Oh, such fun! I am missing that place right about now.

 

[jenseib]

I love how you just hop around the world. My dream is to take a vacation your style.....

 

[Stefy]

Thank you!
Butterfinger cupcake: It's a chocolate cupcake with a soft chocolate filling, then there is icing piled HIGH and it is rolled in crushed Butterfinger! I can tell you, it is HUGE and FAR too much to eat at once - even for this lover of all things sweet!

Oooh sounds yum, must get one this year

 

[Swalphin]

Hi Karin,
I am now following your TR as well as your dining reviews and am completely caught up on both. I feel like we are old friends now,
I really enjoyed your trip to Vienna and your report on Halloween from DLP.
My dh is from France and DLP was one of those places we always say we will visit yet never have.
The last post on your TR 9/24 we were actually down in WDW for a few days and we also ate at Tutto that night. You are getting so close to your next trip you must be so excited!! I am for you,
Brenda

 

[dizneeat]

Rosie, sure hope you find the time to squeeze in a solo trip! I'll be looking forward to that TR too! Wouldn't a month with Mickey be GREAT!!!

I so love REAL Italian food! Karin, is right on (as always)....the pizza with prosciutto and melon is unbelievably delicious! I've not eaten at Via Napoli yet, but did have the pizza in Italy....ohhhhh....sooooo yummy! Via will definitely be on my list of where to eat next trip to visit Mickey.

I LOVE the walk from EPCOT to the Studios and back - if we are staying in the EPCOT area we always walk, otherwise we will often walk back and forth between those parks. Years ago, when the EPCOT resort area was new and we would take the slowest boat on property to MGM , we would say how they needed to put in a sidewalk so guests could walk. We were so excited when it finally happened! Oh, such fun! I am missing that place right about now.

A month with Mickey is just the BEST!

Via Napoli is a definite !!

That is such a neat walk from Epcot to the Studios! I had seen people walk while on the boat, but we never DID walk until this time. I would not like to do it in the midday heat, but in the evening it was really nice.
........ and good to know that YOUR wish of a sidewalk came true!

I love how you just hop around the world. My dream is to take a vacation your style.....

I can only recommend a vacation like this, Jen! Don't know if Claire would like it though.

Oooh sounds yum, must get one this year

Those cupcakes are calling my name again too ..............

Hi Karin,
I am now following your TR as well as your dining reviews and am completely caught up on both. I feel like we are old friends now,
I really enjoyed your trip to Vienna and your report on Halloween from DLP.
My dh is from France and DLP was one of those places we always say we will visit yet never have.
The last post on your TR 9/24 we were actually down in WDW for a few days and we also ate at Tutto that night. You are getting so close to your next trip you must be so excited!! I am for you,
Brenda

It's great you joined in here as well!
You really need to go to DLRP one day! It is nice, but different, just be warned, don't go there during holidays. It's mobbed!

Yes, we are getting real close to that next vacation! I cannot wait! Only 11 1/2 more days - online check in on Thursday, as we are staying offsite the first night!
Do you think I can manage ONE more thread?