Wait, do we have a Fast Pass for that? Final Update, Final Thoughts and Favs 1/26
- Thread starter PrncessA
- Start date
PrncessA
Dis_Mom_
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 1,858
I cant believe it has been so long since I wrote any of the TR! I was on a roll for a while, life just gets so busy!! Last time on our journey we had an unexpected Dis Meet, MANY character meets, dined with Jedi Mickey and I took an unexpected journey! 
I have to break this morning into three installments, since I have so many photos, and I thought it wasn't enough, to be honest! 
We had planned on dining this morning at a 8:00am Crystal Palace ADR, which we were extremely lucky to get since we made our ADRs well past the 180 mark, more like the 45 day mark was when I got it. We were excited about getting in to an empty park, but the tiredness from the last two days was more oppressive than that excitement. So it was with a heavy heart that I cancelled the ADR the night before. Our plan was to again sleep in a bit and head over to the MK in time for our FP+ for Anna and Elsa.
Not sure what time we woke up, but we did make it to the lounge in plenty of time to eat breakfast so we had to be there before 10am. The kids enjoyed their normal seat in front of the cartoons.
We headed down to catch our bus to the MK and again we waited for a good 20-30 minutes for a bus to come. The kids kept us entertained again.
On our way over to the BC stop we talked to a wonderful lady and her daughter who were there while her husband was at a convention.The BC stop was packed and that carried onto the bus. There was a dad standing holding his daughter and a stroller that Erik offered his seat to, but the guy refused, his daughter wanted to stand rather than sit with his wife. There was a very large extended family that also got on the bus and they were celebrating, not one, not two, but three childrens birthdays!
Wait, lets try that again!
Would you believe that I didn't know I was wearing Lorelai's ears until this point? She had put them on me at the bus stop and I forgot!
Our bus driver was wonderful; I wish I could remember his name! He was super happy and you could tell he really loved his job. We sang Happy Birthday three times and a very long and funny version of The Wheels on the Bus. I have some video but it is really bumpy and the sound gets gurgled at times. It made the ride to the MK fun and made us almost forget the long wait that preceded it!
We headed through bag check and received our green Mickey Heads at the turnstiles, and before we knew it we were headed into the Magic Kingdom, in daylight!
As we made our way down Main Street we saw a water drawing being made of Goofy! Super cool!
(click the photo for video)
It was a little depressing when people immediately walked over it, I saw the artist frown a little. But we all clapped and it was a little bit of Disney magic to start our morning!
I have to break this morning into three installments, since I have so many photos, and I thought it wasn't enough, to be honest! We had planned on dining this morning at a 8:00am Crystal Palace ADR, which we were extremely lucky to get since we made our ADRs well past the 180 mark, more like the 45 day mark was when I got it. We were excited about getting in to an empty park, but the tiredness from the last two days was more oppressive than that excitement. So it was with a heavy heart that I cancelled the ADR the night before. Our plan was to again sleep in a bit and head over to the MK in time for our FP+ for Anna and Elsa.
Not sure what time we woke up, but we did make it to the lounge in plenty of time to eat breakfast so we had to be there before 10am. The kids enjoyed their normal seat in front of the cartoons.
We headed down to catch our bus to the MK and again we waited for a good 20-30 minutes for a bus to come. The kids kept us entertained again.
On our way over to the BC stop we talked to a wonderful lady and her daughter who were there while her husband was at a convention.The BC stop was packed and that carried onto the bus. There was a dad standing holding his daughter and a stroller that Erik offered his seat to, but the guy refused, his daughter wanted to stand rather than sit with his wife. There was a very large extended family that also got on the bus and they were celebrating, not one, not two, but three childrens birthdays!
Wait, lets try that again!
Would you believe that I didn't know I was wearing Lorelai's ears until this point? She had put them on me at the bus stop and I forgot!
Our bus driver was wonderful; I wish I could remember his name! He was super happy and you could tell he really loved his job. We sang Happy Birthday three times and a very long and funny version of The Wheels on the Bus. I have some video but it is really bumpy and the sound gets gurgled at times. It made the ride to the MK fun and made us almost forget the long wait that preceded it!
We headed through bag check and received our green Mickey Heads at the turnstiles, and before we knew it we were headed into the Magic Kingdom, in daylight!
As we made our way down Main Street we saw a water drawing being made of Goofy! Super cool!
(click the photo for video)
It was a little depressing when people immediately walked over it, I saw the artist frown a little. But we all clapped and it was a little bit of Disney magic to start our morning!
PrncessA
Dis_Mom_
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 1,858
We stopped for what are my favorite photo pass photos of the entire trip of the family. It looks like we had made it down Main Street at 11:01am.
We made a quick pit stop to change Lorelai into her Elsa dress, not sure why she didnt start out in it, but she stayed in it the rest of the morning. Then we were off to skip the longest line in the world. It was at this point the kids started realizing just how important Fast Pass really was. We were talking about how the regular line was already like 3 hours long and we waited 3 minutes, from that point on I think that Lorelai ask Do we have a Fast Pass for that? about a million times. It happened while we were in line for everything; rides, snacks, buses, characters, even at counter service restaurants. It became the running joke of our trip, along with shouting Tennessee at random times!
So after Lorelais quick change we headed over to Princess Fairytale Hall and got our green Mickey go ahead.
Getting ready:
Lets try again:
One more time:
Oh never mind!
We waited less than 10 minutes and at 11:28 they were showing us in to the most waited for princesses ever! Elsa and Anna!
The interaction was okay, stiffer and awe like, than fun and loving. I have a short video and there was no hugging and the characters never came down to the kids level at all. The kids didnt notice of course, they were meeting Anna and Elsa!
After some photos we headed over to meet with Aurora, who Ethan did not feel like meeting. She didnt look very Aurora like either, no resemblance other than a bad wig. Pretty girl, but not Aurora. Ethan actually recognized that and told me after we left the room.
We spent some time in Sir Mickeys, and I was surprised to see hundreds of Elsa and Anna dolls! (Kathy if I had known you was on the hunt, I would have grabbed one for you!)
Ethan loved this hat! (Not as much as Donald though)
Lorelai and I had to get some Pixie Dust! No photos of me, not sure where Erik was, not taking pictures that was for sure!
The picture didn't capture the sparkle, so we took a video for her to see!
I just love the giant peeking in!!
We made a quick pit stop to change Lorelai into her Elsa dress, not sure why she didnt start out in it, but she stayed in it the rest of the morning. Then we were off to skip the longest line in the world. It was at this point the kids started realizing just how important Fast Pass really was. We were talking about how the regular line was already like 3 hours long and we waited 3 minutes, from that point on I think that Lorelai ask Do we have a Fast Pass for that? about a million times. It happened while we were in line for everything; rides, snacks, buses, characters, even at counter service restaurants. It became the running joke of our trip, along with shouting Tennessee at random times!
So after Lorelais quick change we headed over to Princess Fairytale Hall and got our green Mickey go ahead.
Getting ready:
Lets try again:
One more time:
Oh never mind!
We waited less than 10 minutes and at 11:28 they were showing us in to the most waited for princesses ever! Elsa and Anna!
The interaction was okay, stiffer and awe like, than fun and loving. I have a short video and there was no hugging and the characters never came down to the kids level at all. The kids didnt notice of course, they were meeting Anna and Elsa!
After some photos we headed over to meet with Aurora, who Ethan did not feel like meeting. She didnt look very Aurora like either, no resemblance other than a bad wig. Pretty girl, but not Aurora. Ethan actually recognized that and told me after we left the room.
We spent some time in Sir Mickeys, and I was surprised to see hundreds of Elsa and Anna dolls! (Kathy if I had known you was on the hunt, I would have grabbed one for you!)
Ethan loved this hat! (Not as much as Donald though)
Lorelai and I had to get some Pixie Dust! No photos of me, not sure where Erik was, not taking pictures that was for sure!
The picture didn't capture the sparkle, so we took a video for her to see!
I just love the giant peeking in!!
PrncessA
Dis_Mom_
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 1,858
According to the PDF of our schedule before our trip, I had scheduled a Space Mountain FP+ from 12-1pm, but we didnt feel like heading over to Tomorrowland, instead we wanted to head toward Adventureland. I changed our FP+ for a BTMRR for later that night, the first one available.
So we started heading toward Adventureland and we came across a princess who we just had to meet!! Tiana! The line wasnt too long, so we jumped in. The kids made a friend while in line.
Donald, meet Donald!
Finally it was our time to meet Tiana and she was just simply beautiful! Ethan wasnt interested in Tiana, but he wanted to take pictures, so I gave him my phone. Tiana waved at him:
After a lovely meet and greet with Tiana we headed further into Adventureland and headed for Eriks second favorite ride, Pirates of the Caribbean.
The line was pretty long and it could have easily been the longest line we stood in all week, including our standby at Toy Story Midway Mania. The wait said 15 minutes, but we probably waited close to 30.
After spotting our Jack Sparrows we headed out and explored the gift shop and made some pennies! We actually spent a lot of time in here, we just werent really in a hurry to get anywhere and we were taking it easy.
I said look sad, and this was their reactions:
We thought about heading further into Adventureland or Frontierland, but after the wait from Pirates and all the time spent in the gift shop, we didnt want to head to far west, since we had a FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train that we wanted to use right at the starting time 1:20. We instead explored Liberty Square a bit and we were all interested in the Hall of Presidents. So that is where we went! There is a chance that there was a snack break in there but I will have to go back and check my receipts to make sure!
After a history lesson, and a nice long break in the AC we were on our way to 7DMT, although we were a little early. We waited a few minutes and scanned our bands and we were in! I think we scanned about 5 minutes early and it worked. We stopped for a very quick picture and we were on our way.
It was a lot of fun. The dwarfs look so cool, I mean really cool! We made it to the cabin and I was heartbroken to see that Snow White wasnt dancing, she was just standing there. And the witch didnt move bummer. Oh well, we would ride it a few times more during the trip!
After 7DMT, we were ready to head back to the YC. The kids had yet to visit Stormalong Bay and it was hot! We headed toward Main Street, but we had a detour to make before we could really leave!
Caseys Corner! Yum! We used a DDP credit and picked up some corn dog nuggets and fries, yum! We split it between the entire family, so it was a little more than a snack. The kids normally dont care for corn dog nuggets (Lorelai will sometimes) but there must be something about WDW corn dog nuggets because they loved them. We have them from another CS restaurant later in the week and it was the same reaction!
We didnt wait long for our bus and we were headed back to the YC. Next up: Stormalong Bay, another unexpected Dis Meet, and a Dessert Party!!
So we started heading toward Adventureland and we came across a princess who we just had to meet!! Tiana! The line wasnt too long, so we jumped in. The kids made a friend while in line.
Donald, meet Donald!
Finally it was our time to meet Tiana and she was just simply beautiful! Ethan wasnt interested in Tiana, but he wanted to take pictures, so I gave him my phone. Tiana waved at him:
After a lovely meet and greet with Tiana we headed further into Adventureland and headed for Eriks second favorite ride, Pirates of the Caribbean.
The line was pretty long and it could have easily been the longest line we stood in all week, including our standby at Toy Story Midway Mania. The wait said 15 minutes, but we probably waited close to 30.
After spotting our Jack Sparrows we headed out and explored the gift shop and made some pennies! We actually spent a lot of time in here, we just werent really in a hurry to get anywhere and we were taking it easy.
I said look sad, and this was their reactions:
We thought about heading further into Adventureland or Frontierland, but after the wait from Pirates and all the time spent in the gift shop, we didnt want to head to far west, since we had a FP+ for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train that we wanted to use right at the starting time 1:20. We instead explored Liberty Square a bit and we were all interested in the Hall of Presidents. So that is where we went! There is a chance that there was a snack break in there but I will have to go back and check my receipts to make sure!
After a history lesson, and a nice long break in the AC we were on our way to 7DMT, although we were a little early. We waited a few minutes and scanned our bands and we were in! I think we scanned about 5 minutes early and it worked. We stopped for a very quick picture and we were on our way.
It was a lot of fun. The dwarfs look so cool, I mean really cool! We made it to the cabin and I was heartbroken to see that Snow White wasnt dancing, she was just standing there. And the witch didnt move bummer. Oh well, we would ride it a few times more during the trip!
After 7DMT, we were ready to head back to the YC. The kids had yet to visit Stormalong Bay and it was hot! We headed toward Main Street, but we had a detour to make before we could really leave!
Caseys Corner! Yum! We used a DDP credit and picked up some corn dog nuggets and fries, yum! We split it between the entire family, so it was a little more than a snack. The kids normally dont care for corn dog nuggets (Lorelai will sometimes) but there must be something about WDW corn dog nuggets because they loved them. We have them from another CS restaurant later in the week and it was the same reaction!
We didnt wait long for our bus and we were headed back to the YC. Next up: Stormalong Bay, another unexpected Dis Meet, and a Dessert Party!!
KatMark
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
- Messages
- 42,443
updates. 
That is one of the reasons I will NEVER stay at the Beach Club again...the buses. The only reason we are doing the Boardwalk is we have a rental car!
Great family photopass pictures...I really like those.
I think you made the wise decision to cancel breakfast and sleep in a bit. Sorry your Anna and Elsa were not overly friendly (I think we had the same Anna and she was great). But the pictures turned out real cute. I have to say that a lot of the princesses have NOT looked like their counterparts lately at all.
I wonder how fast those Elsa dolls went?
30 minutes for Pirates that time of year is not bad. Good thing it didn't break down on you though.
Mark wants to do HOP this trip because we've missed it the last couple so I'm sure we'll take a break from the heat in there.
I'm glad you got on the Mine Ride. I loved it!
Can't wait to hear about Stormalong Bay.
FancyNancy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2012
- Messages
- 1,233
Love your MK updates! Those "Sad" picks ended up looking pretty cute I can't wait to read your Stormalong Bay and Desert Party update!
I can't wait to read your Stormalong Bay and Desert Party update!
JPFamilyMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2008
- Messages
- 1,600
WOW! What a fun filled jam packed morning. 
Looks like you had some good CM interactions, some very awesome Family photos, character meets, and treats.
Can't wait to see what fun stormalong bay and the dessert brings
Looks like you had some good CM interactions, some very awesome Family photos, character meets, and treats.
Can't wait to see what fun stormalong bay and the dessert brings
ZehnJahren
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 5, 2010
- Messages
- 2,801
Lots of updates!
I still think it's so cool that your son loved that hat and he's wearing it. That could become a very treasured souvenir!!
It looks like Tiana had a great meet with you guys. I need to get back to Hall of Presidents too! I haven't been there in 20 years or more!
I love Stormalong Bay!
I still think it's so cool that your son loved that hat and he's wearing it. That could become a very treasured souvenir!!
It looks like Tiana had a great meet with you guys. I need to get back to Hall of Presidents too! I haven't been there in 20 years or more!
I love Stormalong Bay!
mickeystoontown
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 29,327
Lots of great pictures in these updates! It was probably a wise decision to cancel breakfast and just eat in the CL. Sometimes, the extra sleep is worth not being too too tired later in the day.
What a bummer that the meet and greets with the Frozen characters weren't more fun. At least the kids didn't notice it.
Ummm, ummm, ummmm, I wish that I had an order of mini-corn dog nuggest right now. These peanut butter and crackers just aren't cutting it.
What a bummer that the meet and greets with the Frozen characters weren't more fun. At least the kids didn't notice it.
Ummm, ummm, ummmm, I wish that I had an order of mini-corn dog nuggest right now. These peanut butter and crackers just aren't cutting it.
PrncessA
Dis_Mom_
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 1,858
I lost this one up there!
Lorelai is always saying Ethan gets to do more... I don't think she will be saying that anymore! I was talking to one of the football coaches from last year, who declined to come back this year due to changes and he doesn't think that the league will be around again next year. It has been going downhill since it was taken over by the park district, and our park district isn't that great. We are looking at moving to Carol Stream or Wheaton soon, so we are trying to move all sports as well. We already use C.S.P.D. for every other sport like basketball, and starting next spring we will add C.S. baseball to our list for Ethan. Does Mark ump for the young kids as well? If so we might see him!!
That is one of the reasons I will NEVER stay at the Beach Club again...the buses. The only reason we are doing the Boardwalk is we have a rental car!
I was very surprised at how bad the bus service to the MK was!! You can't beat the proximity to Epcot and DHS though!
Great family photopass pictures...I really like those.
I think that will be our Christmas card this year!
I think you made the wise decision to cancel breakfast and sleep in a bit. Sorry your Anna and Elsa were not overly friendly (I think we had the same Anna and she was great). But the pictures turned out real cute. I have to say that a lot of the princesses have NOT looked like their counterparts lately at all.
Our day ended up being perfect, but I did miss being in the park before opening, and we really like CP. Next time!
I wonder how fast those Elsa dolls went?
I bet fast!
30 minutes for Pirates that time of year is not bad. Good thing it didn't break down on you though.
So true!! And seeing as it was the longest wait of our trip, it was definitely not bad!
Mark wants to do HOP this trip because we've missed it the last couple so I'm sure we'll take a break from the heat in there.
It was a nice AC break!
I'm glad you got on the Mine Ride. I loved it!
I love the combo of dark ride and coaster!
Can't wait to hear about Stormalong Bay.
Coming up!
Love your MK updates! Those "Sad" picks ended up looking pretty cute
LOL, the sad faces cracked me up!
PrncessA
Dis_Mom_
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 1,858
WOW! What a fun filled jam packed morning.
Looks like you had some good CM interactions, some very awesome Family photos, character meets, and treats.
Can't wait to see what fun stormalong bay and the dessert brings
It was such a wonderful Magic Kingdom morning!!
Lots of updates!
I still think it's so cool that your son loved that hat and he's wearing it. That could become a very treasured souvenir!!
It is a part of the family at this point!
It looks like Tiana had a great meet with you guys. I need to get back to Hall of Presidents too! I haven't been there in 20 years or more!
I love Stormalong Bay!
Tiana was wonderful, she had the southern charm down, and she was beautiful!!
The kids look very unhappy in the photos of HOP, but I think it was just the heat, it was so hot outside!
Lots of great pictures in these updates! It was probably a wise decision to cancel breakfast and just eat in the CL. Sometimes, the extra sleep is worth not being too too tired later in the day.
Totally!
What a bummer that the meet and greets with the Frozen characters weren't more fun. At least the kids didn't notice it.
The kids were just happy to meet them. I just love the photos of hugs, and we didn't get any Frozen hugs.
Ummm, ummm, ummmm, I wish that I had an order of mini-corn dog nuggest right now. These peanut butter and crackers just aren't cutting it.
I know! I am starving right now and go for some Disney mini-corn dog nuggets!!
I could also go for some Disney World right now, just sayin'!!
PrncessA
Dis_Mom_
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 1,858
Well I found my receipts from the day, and it does look like we did have another snack stop before the Hall of Presidents! Erik and the kids had Mickey Bars and a Strawberry Bar and I had a side of fries. We walked by and the smell was intoxicating, I had to have them!! 
Seems like today was our food day!!
The ride back to the YC seemed to take so much less time than the ride there. Not sure why, but this was the case every time. Our rides to the MK were so long; maybe it was the wait for them.
When we arrived at the YC we rushed upstairs and changed (I poured myself a glass of wine into my mug, classy right?) and I am pretty sure we stopped into the Club Lounge and had another snack, I am almost certain that the kids had cookies, because they talked about them non-stop!
I have to apologize in advance for the lack of pictures in this update! I didnt take my camera to the pool and the photos for the rest of the night are lacking from my camera. I honestly didnt take one photo the entire time we were at the dessert party! Erik took a lot on his phone that night, he actually got some great photos of Tink flying directly over us and wonderful firework photos, but those are all gone with the wind.
Just means we have to do it again, right?
So after our third snack of the day we headed down to Stormalong Bay.
(borrowed photo)
When we were looking at hotels to stay at the YC was always a front runner with its proximity to Epcot and DHS and of course Stormalong Bay! We were prepared to show our magic bands to prove that we were staying at the YC or BC, but we were delayed at the entrance by quite a scene. There was a manager and a few cast members and a youngish family (dad, mom, two young kids), and it was obvious that they were not staying at the YC or BC, they were staying at the Contemporary. There story (true or not, I don't honestly know and couldn't tell) was that the pool at the Contemporary was closed the previous day and they called guest services who told them that the Stormalong Bay was the best pool on the property, and that they could use it if they were staying on any Disney Property. The man was yelling, the woman was crying and the manager was trying to diffuse the situation. He eventually let them in, telling them they could not use the pool again after this. I felt really bad for all involved, on both sides.
After we finally scanned our bands, we headed in to find a chair. There was not a lack of available chairs! The kids poked around in the beach area for a few minutes, before we all headed over to the lazy river. I will admit I stayed there floating around long after the kids and Erik decided to check out other areas, like the hot tub! Ethan has a thing with hot tubs; they are his favorite kind of pool. I think it has something to do with his complete lack of body fat; he just likes to be warm.
Eventually Lorelai and I ventured over to another part of the pool and she played a hot potato water balloon game and got a rubber duck. We headed back over to the beach area and the kids played in the sand and water.
We had about a half hour or so before we needed to head back up to the room to get ready, so Erik headed up to shower before us. I relaxed on my beach lounger and finished my wine, maybe relaxed a bit too much. Ever drift off to light sleep and snore and wake yourself up? Ever do it in public? Next to complete strangers?
I can mark that one off my bucket list!
They got a good laugh out of it, as I waved it off and called the kids to head upstairs to clean up. The kids did not attempt the slide that day, but we had plenty of time to come back, so I wasnt worried.
When we got upstairs Erik was dressed and ready to go, enjoying a beer and a plate of appetizers that looked really good! The kids and I quickly showered and dressed and we all headed down to the lounge for some appetizers before our dinner ADR before our Dessert Party do you see where this is going?
None the less we headed down to the lounge and the kids each had a plate full of apple slices and peanut butter shooters and something else I don't remember. I on the other hand found out that the YC had the most delicious spring rolls ever! I ate at least 6 of them with sauce, they were so good! I think I had the homemade chips and dip as well, but that might have been earlier as a snack. They also had a chicken dish I believe, Erik was eating that. It was so nice to relax have a glass of wine and appetizers!
Now I am not sure what time it was my spreadsheet says our Kona ADR was at 5:35pm, but I am almost certain that I moved it later with one of the Club Lever Cast Members the day before, but I dont have any notes to tell me what time I moved it too. There is no way it was at 5:35; I think we moved it closer to 7pm. With an hour to get there, we headed down to the bus stop. Surprisingly it took us only about 15 minutes of waiting and a MK bus pulled up. SCORE!
Our ride was uneventful and once again we made the hike from the bus stops to the monorail! Not one photo, I dont know what was up with me! We made it to Kona on time (whatever that time was) and we checked in and were given a pager. We headed over and sat down at the lounge and Erik headed into the Tambu Lounge to get us some drinks, I really wanted to try the Lapu Lapu, even though I heard it was super strong, when was that ever a bad thing.
Ethan was using the pager to take a picture of me, then he wanted nothing to do with pictures!
By the time Erik returned with our drinks our pagers were going off and we were seated! Looks like our receipt at for the drinks says 6:55pm, so I was right on the dot with the ADR time. Our waitress, Debbie was WONDERFUL!!! I mean she was fantastic!! Can you tell we liked her? The kids were not hungry at all, so I ask her if I could just get chocolate milks for them and she said it wasnt a problem, and she wouldnt even add them to the bill!
She brought our Pineapple Bread and Macadamia Nut butter and I could have eaten the entire loaf myself! It was sooo good! I was also enjoying my Lapu Lapu, which was a lot bigger than I thought it would be, and was actually very strong! Erik said that he was surprised at the amount of alchol they actually put in it. They should for the price we paid! Erik had a pina colata as well, and he said it was very good.
I know what I ordered of course (no photos sorry!); because I had been planning it well before our trip. I ordered sushi for both my appetizer and my dinner (at the warning of our waitress that it wasnt the best use of dining credits, but I knew what I wanted!)
California Luau Roll- Jumbo Lump Crab, Pineapple, and Avocado 12.99
and
Crab Rangoon Roll- Crab Salad rolled in Nori, Tempura Fried, and served with Fried Won Tons and Eel Sauce 10.99
I had told Erik that the Terriaki Steak, but he was looking forward to some lamb. He ordered:
Sticky Wings- Glazed Chicken Wings with tangy Mustard Drizzle and Toasted Sesame Seeds 8.99
and
Grilled Curry-crusted Lamb Chops- with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Swiss Chard, and Mango Compote
24.99
We both really enjoyed our meal, and now that I am looking at the menu, there is so much more that I want to try guess Kona will definitely be on our list for the next trip!
We both ordered the pineapple upside down cake for dessert and it was DELISH!!! I was trying to save room for the dessert party, but I was already stuffed!!!
Since the kiddos werent eating we had to find some way to keep them entertained, so we gave in and for the only meal of the trip, we let them have our phones to watch Netflix.
It was very cold in the restaurant and as you can see Ethan had managed to bury his entire body inside his t-shirt. This drives me nuts but it was very cold in there, so I let it slide this time. At one point near the end of the meal we told the kids to finish their drinks, we were about to leave. Ethan stuck his hand out of his neck hole and lost his balance with his other hand and legs stuck in his shirt and fell over on the bench and was just rolling there. We all starting cracking up! When we got him set up again he couldnt get his arm to fit back through the neck hole, which had us all rolling with laughter. I was laughing so hard I was crying!
Finally with Ethans arm safely inside his shirt, and proper sleeve. We were finished. I left Erik to wait for the final receipt and I headed out to take Lorelai to the restroom. As I rounded the corner out of the restaurant I again had the I know her! experience! This time it was Lisa and her family (mickeystoontown) and no one could mistake them! I was so excited to have another unexpected Dis Meet!
We chatted for a few minutes about the cold, Ethans hilarious escapades in Kona, and being stuffed before a Dessert Party (which they had done a couple of days prior). And going on with the theme of the evening, I didnt get a photo! Can you believe it??? If there isnt a picture it didnt happen Lisa please confirm that it is true! It was so fun to meet up with Lisa and her fun family, if only for a few minutes, Lorelai was pulling at my hand, she really had to go!!
After our bio breaks we headed back to the Monorail and straight to the MK!
I dont know why, but we decided against going directly to the dessert party, but we had about a half hour before we had to be a there at 9:00. I didnt think about the fact that once the parade starts we couldnt cross the street and that is right folks we got stuck on the wrong side of Main Street in the Emporium for the length of the parade!What is there to do but play around?
(click for video of Ethan being Sorcerer Mickey)
We also got yelled at by crazy people when we walked out of Caseys so I could ask CM how long the parade lasted, and I wasnt behind a rope. Calm down people I am not here to cut in front of your viewing area! I am just asking a question!!!
Finally when the parade was over we made a beeline against the crowds across the street. I had Ethan by the hand and we bolted across. We met up with Erik and Lorelai at the dessert party check in, whew. We filled our plates up with dessert and settled down to watch the projection show. None of use was particularly hungry for much dessert, but we all sampled a bit and our table was just under the roof, so our view of the castle wasnt obstructed at all. Right before wishes we moved up to the railing with everyone else and enjoyed the show.
So the big question is Was it worth it? Even if we only ate one cookie each (or in Lorelais case a plate of cherries), we would do it again in a heartbeat! It was completely worth it not to fight the crowds to view Wishes, and have a designated table to relax at. The CMs were all so nice and it was a fun experience. All of the CMs line up at the exit to say good night to everyone as they leave, which was fun!
What to do now? We were all stuffed and Erik and I were really really stuffed, uncomfortably stuffed, I think it was at this exact moment when we decided that the DxDDP was too much food for us. I knew it going in, but it took this moment for Erik to agree!
We still had a FP for BTMRR, and the kids wanted to ride Splash Mt., so we headed toward Frontierland. I believe that we rode in the Standby for Splash first, and it was a pretty quick wait, our timestamp says 10:54pm, which seems about right since we hung out and finished a few desserts, and took a very long way around to avoid the crowd on Main Street.
Poor Lorelai! She is hidden in so many of our ride photos because of being so little, or a hand, or a head, or in this case I thought the man in front of her would block her from the photo so she scooted close to me, and guess what happened? It would have been better if I just left her alone!!
After Splash, we headed over and used our FP on BTMRR, which at this point was a favorite of both kids. I am almost certain that we didnt ride anything else, but we felt like we had a fulfilled day at the MK.
After spending most of the day at the MK we rode:
Pirates of the Caribbean
Hall of Presidents
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mt. Railroad
That is absolutely the difference between Disney and other theme parks in my opinion. You can enjoy a day, ride a few rides and still feel like you got your moneys worth. While Six Flags it feels like you spend your entire day running from ride to ride, and at the end of the day you feel exhausted and you didnt enjoy your day.
We walked down Main Street and to our bus happy and relaxed, which is all we could have really ask for. We made it back to the YC and the kids watched a show on Disney XD called Lab Rats, which has now become one of their favorite shows. We were all asleep pretty quickly, which was good, because we had an early morning the next day and an important promise to keep that involved fighting the Dark Side!
And that was the end of the official middle day of our trip!
Seems like today was our food day!!The ride back to the YC seemed to take so much less time than the ride there. Not sure why, but this was the case every time. Our rides to the MK were so long; maybe it was the wait for them.
When we arrived at the YC we rushed upstairs and changed (I poured myself a glass of wine into my mug, classy right?) and I am pretty sure we stopped into the Club Lounge and had another snack, I am almost certain that the kids had cookies, because they talked about them non-stop!
I have to apologize in advance for the lack of pictures in this update! I didnt take my camera to the pool and the photos for the rest of the night are lacking from my camera. I honestly didnt take one photo the entire time we were at the dessert party! Erik took a lot on his phone that night, he actually got some great photos of Tink flying directly over us and wonderful firework photos, but those are all gone with the wind.
Just means we have to do it again, right?So after our third snack of the day we headed down to Stormalong Bay.
(borrowed photo)
When we were looking at hotels to stay at the YC was always a front runner with its proximity to Epcot and DHS and of course Stormalong Bay! We were prepared to show our magic bands to prove that we were staying at the YC or BC, but we were delayed at the entrance by quite a scene. There was a manager and a few cast members and a youngish family (dad, mom, two young kids), and it was obvious that they were not staying at the YC or BC, they were staying at the Contemporary. There story (true or not, I don't honestly know and couldn't tell) was that the pool at the Contemporary was closed the previous day and they called guest services who told them that the Stormalong Bay was the best pool on the property, and that they could use it if they were staying on any Disney Property. The man was yelling, the woman was crying and the manager was trying to diffuse the situation. He eventually let them in, telling them they could not use the pool again after this.
I felt really bad for all involved, on both sides. After we finally scanned our bands, we headed in to find a chair. There was not a lack of available chairs! The kids poked around in the beach area for a few minutes, before we all headed over to the lazy river. I will admit I stayed there floating around long after the kids and Erik decided to check out other areas, like the hot tub! Ethan has a thing with hot tubs; they are his favorite kind of pool. I think it has something to do with his complete lack of body fat; he just likes to be warm.
Eventually Lorelai and I ventured over to another part of the pool and she played a hot potato water balloon game and got a rubber duck. We headed back over to the beach area and the kids played in the sand and water.
We had about a half hour or so before we needed to head back up to the room to get ready, so Erik headed up to shower before us. I relaxed on my beach lounger and finished my wine, maybe relaxed a bit too much. Ever drift off to light sleep and snore and wake yourself up? Ever do it in public? Next to complete strangers?
I can mark that one off my bucket list! 
They got a good laugh out of it, as I waved it off and called the kids to head upstairs to clean up. The kids did not attempt the slide that day, but we had plenty of time to come back, so I wasnt worried.
When we got upstairs Erik was dressed and ready to go, enjoying a beer and a plate of appetizers that looked really good! The kids and I quickly showered and dressed and we all headed down to the lounge for some appetizers before our dinner ADR before our Dessert Party do you see where this is going?
None the less we headed down to the lounge and the kids each had a plate full of apple slices and peanut butter shooters and something else I don't remember. I on the other hand found out that the YC had the most delicious spring rolls ever! I ate at least 6 of them with sauce, they were so good! I think I had the homemade chips and dip as well, but that might have been earlier as a snack. They also had a chicken dish I believe, Erik was eating that. It was so nice to relax have a glass of wine and appetizers!
Now I am not sure what time it was my spreadsheet says our Kona ADR was at 5:35pm, but I am almost certain that I moved it later with one of the Club Lever Cast Members the day before, but I dont have any notes to tell me what time I moved it too. There is no way it was at 5:35; I think we moved it closer to 7pm. With an hour to get there, we headed down to the bus stop. Surprisingly it took us only about 15 minutes of waiting and a MK bus pulled up. SCORE!
Our ride was uneventful and once again we made the hike from the bus stops to the monorail! Not one photo, I dont know what was up with me! We made it to Kona on time (whatever that time was) and we checked in and were given a pager. We headed over and sat down at the lounge and Erik headed into the Tambu Lounge to get us some drinks, I really wanted to try the Lapu Lapu, even though I heard it was super strong, when was that ever a bad thing.
Ethan was using the pager to take a picture of me, then he wanted nothing to do with pictures!
By the time Erik returned with our drinks our pagers were going off and we were seated! Looks like our receipt at for the drinks says 6:55pm, so I was right on the dot with the ADR time. Our waitress, Debbie was WONDERFUL!!! I mean she was fantastic!! Can you tell we liked her? The kids were not hungry at all, so I ask her if I could just get chocolate milks for them and she said it wasnt a problem, and she wouldnt even add them to the bill!
She brought our Pineapple Bread and Macadamia Nut butter and I could have eaten the entire loaf myself! It was sooo good! I was also enjoying my Lapu Lapu, which was a lot bigger than I thought it would be, and was actually very strong! Erik said that he was surprised at the amount of alchol they actually put in it. They should for the price we paid! Erik had a pina colata as well, and he said it was very good.
I know what I ordered of course (no photos sorry!); because I had been planning it well before our trip. I ordered sushi for both my appetizer and my dinner (at the warning of our waitress that it wasnt the best use of dining credits, but I knew what I wanted!)
California Luau Roll- Jumbo Lump Crab, Pineapple, and Avocado 12.99
and
Crab Rangoon Roll- Crab Salad rolled in Nori, Tempura Fried, and served with Fried Won Tons and Eel Sauce 10.99
I had told Erik that the Terriaki Steak, but he was looking forward to some lamb. He ordered:
Sticky Wings- Glazed Chicken Wings with tangy Mustard Drizzle and Toasted Sesame Seeds 8.99
and
Grilled Curry-crusted Lamb Chops- with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Swiss Chard, and Mango Compote
24.99
We both really enjoyed our meal, and now that I am looking at the menu, there is so much more that I want to try guess Kona will definitely be on our list for the next trip!
We both ordered the pineapple upside down cake for dessert and it was DELISH!!! I was trying to save room for the dessert party, but I was already stuffed!!!
Since the kiddos werent eating we had to find some way to keep them entertained, so we gave in and for the only meal of the trip, we let them have our phones to watch Netflix.
It was very cold in the restaurant and as you can see Ethan had managed to bury his entire body inside his t-shirt. This drives me nuts but it was very cold in there, so I let it slide this time. At one point near the end of the meal we told the kids to finish their drinks, we were about to leave. Ethan stuck his hand out of his neck hole and lost his balance with his other hand and legs stuck in his shirt and fell over on the bench and was just rolling there. We all starting cracking up! When we got him set up again he couldnt get his arm to fit back through the neck hole, which had us all rolling with laughter. I was laughing so hard I was crying!
Finally with Ethans arm safely inside his shirt, and proper sleeve. We were finished. I left Erik to wait for the final receipt and I headed out to take Lorelai to the restroom. As I rounded the corner out of the restaurant I again had the I know her! experience! This time it was Lisa and her family (mickeystoontown) and no one could mistake them! I was so excited to have another unexpected Dis Meet!
We chatted for a few minutes about the cold, Ethans hilarious escapades in Kona, and being stuffed before a Dessert Party (which they had done a couple of days prior). And going on with the theme of the evening, I didnt get a photo! Can you believe it??? If there isnt a picture it didnt happen Lisa please confirm that it is true! It was so fun to meet up with Lisa and her fun family, if only for a few minutes, Lorelai was pulling at my hand, she really had to go!!
After our bio breaks we headed back to the Monorail and straight to the MK!
I dont know why, but we decided against going directly to the dessert party, but we had about a half hour before we had to be a there at 9:00. I didnt think about the fact that once the parade starts we couldnt cross the street and that is right folks we got stuck on the wrong side of Main Street in the Emporium for the length of the parade!
What is there to do but play around? 
(click for video of Ethan being Sorcerer Mickey)
We also got yelled at by crazy people when we walked out of Caseys so I could ask CM how long the parade lasted, and I wasnt behind a rope. Calm down people I am not here to cut in front of your viewing area! I am just asking a question!!!
Finally when the parade was over we made a beeline against the crowds across the street. I had Ethan by the hand and we bolted across. We met up with Erik and Lorelai at the dessert party check in, whew. We filled our plates up with dessert and settled down to watch the projection show. None of use was particularly hungry for much dessert, but we all sampled a bit and our table was just under the roof, so our view of the castle wasnt obstructed at all. Right before wishes we moved up to the railing with everyone else and enjoyed the show.
So the big question is Was it worth it? Even if we only ate one cookie each (or in Lorelais case a plate of cherries), we would do it again in a heartbeat! It was completely worth it not to fight the crowds to view Wishes, and have a designated table to relax at. The CMs were all so nice and it was a fun experience. All of the CMs line up at the exit to say good night to everyone as they leave, which was fun!
What to do now? We were all stuffed and Erik and I were really really stuffed, uncomfortably stuffed, I think it was at this exact moment when we decided that the DxDDP was too much food for us. I knew it going in, but it took this moment for Erik to agree!
We still had a FP for BTMRR, and the kids wanted to ride Splash Mt., so we headed toward Frontierland. I believe that we rode in the Standby for Splash first, and it was a pretty quick wait, our timestamp says 10:54pm, which seems about right since we hung out and finished a few desserts, and took a very long way around to avoid the crowd on Main Street.
Poor Lorelai! She is hidden in so many of our ride photos because of being so little, or a hand, or a head, or in this case I thought the man in front of her would block her from the photo so she scooted close to me, and guess what happened? It would have been better if I just left her alone!!
After Splash, we headed over and used our FP on BTMRR, which at this point was a favorite of both kids. I am almost certain that we didnt ride anything else, but we felt like we had a fulfilled day at the MK.
After spending most of the day at the MK we rode:
Pirates of the Caribbean
Hall of Presidents
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mt. Railroad
That is absolutely the difference between Disney and other theme parks in my opinion. You can enjoy a day, ride a few rides and still feel like you got your moneys worth. While Six Flags it feels like you spend your entire day running from ride to ride, and at the end of the day you feel exhausted and you didnt enjoy your day.
We walked down Main Street and to our bus happy and relaxed, which is all we could have really ask for. We made it back to the YC and the kids watched a show on Disney XD called Lab Rats, which has now become one of their favorite shows. We were all asleep pretty quickly, which was good, because we had an early morning the next day and an important promise to keep that involved fighting the Dark Side!
And that was the end of the official middle day of our trip!
KatMark
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
- Messages
- 42,443
I lost this one up there!
Lorelai is always saying Ethan gets to do more... I don't think she will be saying that anymore! I was talking to one of the football coaches from last year, who declined to come back this year due to changes and he doesn't think that the league will be around again next year. It has been going downhill since it was taken over by the park district, and our park district isn't that great. We are looking at moving to Carol Stream or Wheaton soon, so we are trying to move all sports as well. We already use C.S.P.D. for every other sport like basketball, and starting next spring we will add C.S. baseball to our list for Ethan. Does Mark ump for the young kids as well? If so we might see him!!
Unfortunately, as Mark has umpped for years, he has seen how ALL youth sports has gone downhill (less and less kids, too many "travel" teams and not enough park teams), lack of parent involement, etc. No, he doesn't do kids anymore. The park doesn't pay enough, so he sticks to his association and does high school and travel ball for ages 8 - 14.
KatMark
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
- Messages
- 42,443
I'm glad you got to enjoy some time at the pool.
I am sure that even if you own DVC, that the two pools you cannot pool hop to our Stormalong Bay and I believe AKL. I think those people were trying to pull a fast one...and they succeeded.
I will often nod off on the train and wonder if I'm snoring and people are looking at me all weird and stuff.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your dinner at Kona (I know how disappointed you were, like us, with Ohana).
I could never do the Deluxe plan. I can't eat appetizer and dessert and way too many meals to plan.
It's great you enjoyed the dessert party. We've never been able to snag an ADR so have yet to do.
Great photo on Splash Mountain, although poor Lorelai being cut out again.
I am sure that even if you own DVC, that the two pools you cannot pool hop to our Stormalong Bay and I believe AKL. I think those people were trying to pull a fast one...and they succeeded.
I will often nod off on the train and wonder if I'm snoring and people are looking at me all weird and stuff.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your dinner at Kona (I know how disappointed you were, like us, with Ohana).
I could never do the Deluxe plan. I can't eat appetizer and dessert and way too many meals to plan.
It's great you enjoyed the dessert party. We've never been able to snag an ADR so have yet to do.
Great photo on Splash Mountain, although poor Lorelai being cut out again.
mickeystoontown
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 29,327
What a way to start your down time at the pool.....with people fussing about pool hopping. Like you said, it is a very real possibility that both sides were in the right on that particular situation.
You tickled me when you said that you fell asleep and woke up to your own snoring. I have caught myself doing that very thing when I'm really really tired.
Yes, the meet really did happen! I am sorry that it took me a minute for names to actually register. I will blame it on the freezing cold temperature. We were all dancing around trying to keep ourselves warm.
I agree with you wholeheartedly that the dessert party is worth it even if simply to avoid the crowds. Back in the day when the kids were younger, we'd watch the fireworks from that very same location. Then, Disney caught on and started making you pay for the view.
You tickled me when you said that you fell asleep and woke up to your own snoring. I have caught myself doing that very thing when I'm really really tired.
Yes, the meet really did happen! I am sorry that it took me a minute for names to actually register. I will blame it on the freezing cold temperature. We were all dancing around trying to keep ourselves warm.
I agree with you wholeheartedly that the dessert party is worth it even if simply to avoid the crowds. Back in the day when the kids were younger, we'd watch the fireworks from that very same location. Then, Disney caught on and started making you pay for the view.
disneywlf
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2010
- Messages
- 379
Excellent Trip Report! 
I am loving the pictures and from what I can see, you are wasting no time having fun! I absolutely agree with what you said on how you can do a few Disney attractions in a day and still feel like you got your money's worth versus other theme parks. I think the Disney difference influences that and there is more to Disney to appreciate than just the attractions, like the characters, food, theming, and the other treasures on property like the hotels. Keep the fun going with Erik, Ethan, and Lorelai and best of luck in your studies! Have a great weekend!
I am loving the pictures and from what I can see, you are wasting no time having fun! I absolutely agree with what you said on how you can do a few Disney attractions in a day and still feel like you got your money's worth versus other theme parks. I think the Disney difference influences that and there is more to Disney to appreciate than just the attractions, like the characters, food, theming, and the other treasures on property like the hotels. Keep the fun going with Erik, Ethan, and Lorelai and best of luck in your studies! Have a great weekend! 
ddstratton
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2007
- Messages
- 1,786
Joining in! I am loving your report so far.
FancyNancy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2012
- Messages
- 1,233
I did the dessert party on my April 2013 trip and loved it! I agree with you that even if I just ate one cookie I would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact I am thinking of surprising my DM and DD with it on my April 2015 trip.
cheekypoppins
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2012
- Messages
- 1,482
I found your report through kathys and i am loving every minute of it.I love meeting people from The dis it's so fun and I have made forever friendships out of it,but i gotta say today is the very first time that my daughter sat here and said that she wants to meet a family in Disney ( she sits with me whenever I read trs) her words were "they look fun I wanna be their friend.Thats a lot of trip reports and of all she likes yours the best so far Can't wait to see what's next
Can't wait to see what's next -
Navigating Single Rider Lines at the Disneyland Resort
-
New Disney Loungefly Jack Skellington Cosplay Accessories
-
The Original Frankenstein's Monster Found at Epic Universe
-
Another August Date Sells Out for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
-
Disney Hot Take: The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor Isn't Good
-
New Disney Merch: Cutie Ghost Collection + Pumpkin Loungefly
-
Waiting for NEW Disney Cruise Line Itineraries? Let's Speculate
- Walt Disney World News
- Walt Disney World Articles
- Disney Cruise Line News
- Disneyland News
- General Disney News
- Universal Orlando News
New Posts
-
-
Name something in your home which starts with the last letter of the above thing- Latest: Tinkerbell58
-
-
The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Owners & Lovers Group - 3.0- Latest: AstroBlasters
-
Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE
