We’re in the Club! An April 2016 Super-Duper Spoiled Vacation! - Updated 10/7

[compshu]

INTRO

It’s been awhile since my last trip report. I never got around to writing one for our trip in 2015, and my life has been a whirlwind of activity over the past few months. I almost didn’t get around to writing this one. Thankfully, I took good notes this time around, and I now have the time to sit down and put them together.​

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As I said, the past few months have been incredibly busy for my family. I transitioned out of the Marine Corps in May and began a new career, which has been hectic. I also spent a month or so after returning from WDW finishing up the final requirements for my B.A.​

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The fact that I was getting out of the Marine Corps played a huge part in the planning of this trip. Since this was the last time we’d be able to use them, we chose to take advantage of the 4-day park hopper Armed Forces Salute tickets. This allowed us to jump on a discounted Club Level room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. About a month or so before the trip, I also booked us one night at Shades of Green Resort so that we could travel down a day earlier than we were originally planning to. Since it takes us about 12 hours to drive from North Carolina, it was nice to have an extra day.

As usual, our family is myself (Joshua):


My wife Becky(prettylittlelady):


Daughter Liliana:


Daughter Alexa:


And Son Gabe:



And here’s the basic info about the trip:

We arrived on Saturday, April 2nd and stayed at Shades of Green Resort.

On Sunday, April 3rd, we checked into our home for the week – Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. We stayed in the Sugarloaf Club Level building.

We had 4-day Park Hopper tickets.

We had the Disney Dining Plan and Memory Maker added to the package.

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We have only ever once not had the Disney Dining Plan. For us, even staying Club Level this trip and having access to all of that extra food, the Disney Dining Plan is a great value. You probably can’t tell from the way we look, but we love to eat. One of the things we love about the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is all of the outdoor kitchens they added, and now that the Disney Dining Plan includes 2 snacks, it’s an even greater value during the two Epcot festivals.​

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We also find that Memory Maker is a great value. We always come home with hundreds of photos from Photopass, as well as hundreds of our own camera and iPhone photos.


And now, without further ado, I present We’re in the Club! An April 2016 Super-Duper Spoiled Vacation!​

 

[compshu]

Table of Contents

INTRO
PART 1 – Wake Up, We’re Going to Walt Disney World
PART the Deux – Resort Hopping and Disney Springs aka Go-Go Ticket-Activate!
PART 3 – Hi, I’m Joshua, and It’s Been 334 Days Since I Last Stepped Foot In Magic Kingdom Park
PART 4 – Epcot International Drink and Eat Day: Yum!
PART 5 – Brace Yourselves, It’s Our Annual Whirlwind Tour!
PART 6 – Let’s Be Lazy and Eat All Day
PART 7 – Our Grand Finale: See Ya Real Soon (But Not Soon Enough)​

 

[compshu]

PART 1 – Wake Up, We’re Going to Walt Disney World

As I said in the intro, about a month before our trip, we decided to travel down on Saturday and stay at Shades of Green Resort. We already had Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa booked from Sunday through the following Saturday, with plans to hit the parks Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday leaving Thursday as a relax at the resort day. Luckily, I was able to add that extra day at Shades of Green Resort for less than $100, so that was an easy decision to make.

Last year, it seemed to take forever to drive down. We got on the road about an hour later than I wanted, and we made more stops than I had wanted. I think it was about 7 or 8pm before we made it to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This year, I wanted to arrive earlier, so I got everyone up at 5am so that we could be on the road by 7. Thankfully, we stayed on schedule, and only made 2 or 3 stops on the way day. We arrived at Shades of Green Resort around 5pm.​

Once we got what we needed for the night loaded into the room, we took a stroll over to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for a bite to eat at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. ​

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And just like that, our 2016 Walt Disney World vacation had begun! We relaxed on the lanai for a little while before heading back to Shades of Green Resort to get some sleep.​

 

[compshu]

PART the Deux – Resort Hopping and Disney Springs aka Go-Go Ticket-Activate!

We woke up early on Sunday and packed everything back up. After checking out of Shades of Green Resort, we made the super-long drive over to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (For those that may not know, it’s less than a mile away).

We went to Disney Springs to walk around a bit and activate our Armed Forces Salute tickets at guest services.

We went back to the resort and the kids got changed into swim clothes. Becky had an appointment at Senses - a Disney Spa, and the rest of us hung out at the pool area.

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After playing for a while, we met back up in the room and got showered and changed. Then we checked out the Easter eggs on display, since Easter was over and we knew they’d be going away any day now.



We had dinner at Gasparilla Island Grill and turned in for the night. The next day was finally our first park day.
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[Terra Nova guy]

Always good to read a report from a fellow DisDad!

 

[compshu]

Always good to read a report from a fellow DisDad!

Thanks for reading. Now that the spam flood has been cleared out of this board, I'll be posting the next part in just a little bit.

 

[compshu]

PART 3 – Hi, I’m Joshua, and It’s Been 334 Days Since I Last Stepped Foot In Magic Kingdom Park

Our first park day was Monday, April 4th. As usual, we started with Magic Kingdom Park, and also as usual, we arrived in time for rope drop. We rode the monorail over and made it through bag check and the tapstyles with plenty of time to grab a decent spot for the welcome show.



After the show, we followed the sea of people into the park proper, and made our way toward Adventureland. Our first attraction of the day was Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. It’s kinda sad to see people come into the queue, only to turn around and leave when they realize it isn’t some sort of thrill ride, or that they have to wait for the next show. It’s one of our favorites (who am I kidding, there aren’t many attractions that aren’t one of our favorites). After the show, we rode the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Next, I rode Pirates of the Caribbean with Alexa and Gabe.



We made our way over to Liberty Square and rode the Haunted Mansion. It was getting close to lunch time, but our favorite Magic Kingdom Park lunch spot wasn’t open yet (we went over and checked) so we decided to go to the Hall of Presidents. I must admit, I am afraid to go there after next year. Either way I think the Imagineers may have to design their scariest Audio-Animatronic ever.

Finally, it was lunch time. Our favorite place is Columbia Harbour House. We got our usual lobster rolls and found a table upstairs. I think the blueberry cobbler at Columbia Harbour House is my favorite dessert on property, and I may consider using a snack credit on it next year since desserts no longer come with quick service meals on the Disney Dining Plan (you get a second snack credit instead).

After lunch, we rode Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid. We then made our way over to Big Top Souvenirs. We were on the hunt for our annual souvenir – a magnet with the current year on it. We decided to look here first because this is where we had found them last year. We didn’t find one there this year, for some reason. We also got to check out the Main Street Philharmonic.


After we struck out at the shop, we walked over to Tomorrowland. We rode the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, followed by Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. Then, we made our way to Main Street, U.S.A. We grabbed a snack at Casey’s Corner and cooled off. We then found a spot to watch the Festival of Fantasy parade. ​

 

[compshu]

We had dinner planned at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, and we still had a bit of time before our ADR, so we stopped by The Chapeau to get some ear hats. We also got one for our baby nephew, which we had personalized. ​

We played checkers while we waited. Once the hat was done, we checked into the restaurant. Even though we were about 20 minutes early, we heard the “Attenzione! Attenzione!” within 5 minutes.


The best part about being seated early is that we were done with our meal in time to watch the Flag Retreat ceremony. We found ourselves a spot near the flagpole to watch. Just as we were setting our stuff down, one of The Dapper Dans came up to us. I thought he was going to tell us that we needed to move, but instead he asked the girls if they knew the Pledge of Allegiance. He then took them over to the other Dapper Dans and they got to lead the Pledge of Allegiance during the ceremony!



We stopped for a castle photo, then we met Anna and Elsa. Next, we rode Peter Pan’s Flight. Afterward, we split up for a ride. Becky, Liliana, and Gabe rode Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid while Alexa and I rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.



After our rides, we went back to the resort for a break. This is where staying Club Level really paid off. Not only were we staying in the Magic Kingdom resort area, but we had a lounge that we could go back to. Throughout the day they had snacks laid out, they put movies on for the kids, and at night they had free beer and wine for the grownups. It was a great way to relax. While we were hanging out, I asked the concierge in the lounge if he could help with some Fastpass+ options. Alexa’s favorite ride is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We had checked a few times while we were in Magic Kingdom Park, but each time the wait was well over an hour. Well, the concierge was able to get Alexa an I a Fastpass+ for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and everyone else grabbed one for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. We went back to the park to watch Wishes Nighttime Spectacular and then split up to use our new Fastpass+.



Alexa and I split a Dole Whip while we waited for everyone else to meet back up with us at Aloha Isle. After we were all back together, we rode “it’s a small world” and then Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. By now, the park was closed, so we made our way back to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

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[compshu]

PART 4 – Epcot International Drink and Eat Day: Yum!

If you couldn’t tell, Tuesday, April 5th was our Epcot day. Once again, we made it for the opening of the park. The first thing we did was meet Joy and Sadness. Their meet & greet location is officially the Epcot Character Spot, though it is across the breezeway from the actual Epcot Character Spot, and also is not included in the Fastpass+ for the Epcot Character Spot.



We wound up waiting about 30-45 minutes for Joy and Sadness, and then went over to ride The Seas with Nemo & Friends (mine!). After the ride, we had Fastpass+ for the Epcot Character Spot (proper). We met with Mickey and pals, and then went to the Butterflies on the Go exhibit.



By now, World Showcase was beginning to open, and that meant it was time to check out some of the outdoor kitchens. Our first stamp was Fleur De Lys in the France pavilion. Becky got her favorite – La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy, I got the Cassoulet au Confit de Canard, and the kids shared a Macaron Chocolat Framboise. It was all very good.



Next, we went over to the Cider House kitchen in the UK pavilion. There, I got a Hard Cider and Beer Flight, a Pear Cider-brined Shredded Corned Beef, and Alexa and Gabe shared a Lemon Scone. The ciders were amazing, Becky really enjoyed the blueberry one.

We made our way back to the Showcase Plaza and stopped at La Isla Fresca. Here, we got a Tres Leches. While we were eating, Becky went to meet with Daisy Duck, as she was Disneybounding that day.



Alexa, Liliana, and I had a Fastpass+ for Mission: SPACE, while Becky and Gabe had one for Living with the Land. Liliana chose to ride the green side and Alexa and I rode the orange side. We then made our way over to The Land to meet up with Becky and Gabe, and we all rode Living with the Land together (which meant back-to-back for Becky and Gabe).



We had a little bit of time to kill before our ADR at Teppan Edo, so the kids played in the Music Garden Melodies play area for a while. We then made our way over to the Japan pavilion, and Liliana put on her kimono. We had an excellent dinner at Teppan Edo. Over the past few years, we have found that there are some restaurants that we enjoy so much, we try to get to them on each trip. As that list grows, however, that means we are less likely to try new places, since we just don’t have enough time to try them all. So last year we made a decision to try out at least one new place each trip. Teppan Edo was one of the new places for us. We will definitely eat there again!




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[compshu]

After dinner, we walked around Mitsukoshi Department Store and did another of our annual traditions – Pick-a-Pearl. Afterward, we started the Kidcot trek with Japan, and worked our way around to Mexico. We then had a Fastpass+ for Spaceship Earth.

After riding Spaceship Earth, it was getting dark, so we made our way back over to the Japan pavilion to find a spot for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. On the way over, I stopped at Cider House to get a large version of the Snakebite. We also stopped on the bridge between the UK and France pavilions to get a photo. We grabbed a Frushi from Hanami and watched the fireworks near the Torii Gate. This is, in our opinion, the best viewing location for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.



After the fireworks, it was time to head back to the resort to catch some zzzs.

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[buteraa]

Great report so far. You have a lovely family!

 

[compshu]

Great report so far. You have a lovely family!

Thanks. More to come tomorrow.

 

[buddha112]

Sounds like you guys had a great time. Thank you for your service as well!

 

[compshu]

PART 5 – Brace Yourselves, It’s Our Annual Whirlwind Tour!

Each trip over the past few years, we’ve had a day that we get the most use out of our Park Hopper option. It’s our crazy day. It’s the day we earn our place among the Disney Commandos. This year, we chose to do it on Wednesday, April 6th, because Thursday was our hang at the resort day.

We began the day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. It took a long time for a bus to finally arrive to take us over there, but we still made it shortly after the park opened. Our first Fastpass+ was for Kilimanjaro Safaris. This time, we found the ride much more enjoyable than the last time we rode in back in 2014. The kids, being older, appreciated it more, and the animals seemed to participate a little more.



When we got off the ride, the line was huge! By the time we were done, it was up to over two hours standby. Crazy. Anyway, we went to check into our favorite in-park breakfast place – Tusker House Restaurant. Protip: schedule your ADR for around 10:30am – you’ll be able to enjoy both breakfast and lunch in one sitting.



After brunch, we had Fastpass+ for Expedition Everest. This used to be Liliana’s favorite, but she has decided that she doesn’t really like thrill rides anymore, so I took Alexa on twice. Our next Fastpass+ was for Finding Nemo – The Musical. We grabbed seats right up front, and enjoyed the show.



When the show was over, we hopped on the bus to Epcot for lunch. Becky and I wanted to check out Tangierine Cafe, but we knew the kids may not like the food there, so we grabbed them some lunch at Liberty Inn. After they finished, Becky and I grabbed some shawarma at Tangierine Cafe. It was fantastic, and they really give you a ton of food. We finished our food and went out the International Gateway to hop on the Friendship boat to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.



The first thing we had to do was to meet Kylo Ren. On the way over, the Stormtroopers patrolling the Star Wars Launch Bay stopped to salute Alexa in her costume. He threw a little hissy fit when I said, “See ya later, Benny.” After the meet & greet, we were checking out the displays in the Star Wars Launch Bay, and one of the Cast Members let Alexa carry the Kylo Ren lightsaber while she was visiting. We recreated a scene from the movie



Next, we went to For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. We were seated pretty close to the front. Close enough that during the song “In Summer” I sang out “PUDDLE” at a normal volume, and one of the historians heard me and looked right at me. Hilarity ensued for the rest of the show (“Gasp, this is a children’s show, Sir!”), I was addressed during the finale as well (“That guy”).

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[compshu]

After the show, I took Alexa and Liliana on Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. Gabe didn’t want to ride. We rode, and then watched Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. Then, we checked out Muppetvision 3D and went back over to Star Wars Launch Bay to meet with Chewbacca. He was scared of Alexa because of the mask, it made him sad. So she took it off and had pictures taken.



We made our way out of the park and onto a bus to Magic Kingdom Park. Becky was Disneybounding as Tinker Bell that day, so we got in line to meet her. After the meet & greet, it was time to get some snacks. We rode the Haunted Mansion, and then decided to call it a night.



On our way out of the park, we could tell that the Main Street Electrical Parade was coming up. We found a spot in Town Square right on the curb, and stayed for the parade. Grumpy came right up to Alexa (still in costume) and had a grump off. After the parade, we went back to the resort for some much needed rest.

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[compshu]

PART 6 – Let’s Be Lazy and Eat All Day

As I mentioned in the last part, Thursday, April 8th was our relax at the resort day. After hopping to all 4 theme parks on Wednesday, it was needed. We slept in (until about 8am!) and then went to breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. We actually had to have one of the servers call Mary Poppins over, because she had somehow passed over us in the rotation. ​

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After breakfast, we strolled around the resort. The Easter eggs were gone by now. We got some bath salts from Basin White and went back to the room to relax. For lunch, we took the Monorail over to Disney’s Contemporary Resort and ate at Contempo Cafe. We went back to our resort to relax at the Club Level lounge.



For dinner, we took the boat over to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. We were meeting with some old friends. They had moved down to New Smyrna Beach, FL a few years ago, and we try to meet up with them each time we are down to visit.​

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We had dinner at Kona Cafe. Now, earlier that day, we were checking our account and somehow we had 2 extra adult table service credits. After double-checking with guest services at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, it was determined that we were only charged for the kids’ meals at Teppan Edo. We were able to use those credits for our friends, so essentially they only had to pay for their daughter’s meal and their adult beverages. The meal was good, and we rode the Monorail around the entire loop with our friends before bidding them goodnight and returning to the room to sleep.


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[compshu]

PART 7 – Our Grand Finale: See Ya Real Soon (But Not Soon Enough)

Our final day in the parks began in Magic Kingdom Park. We wanted to check out Be Our Guest for breakfast, we had previously eaten lunch and dinner there. I liked the pre-order aspect of the meal, but that was about it. If we weren’t on the Disney Dining Plan, we would not have chosen this meal. I found it to be overpriced and not that great. We can scratch that off the list of things to do.

After breakfast, we rode Dumbo the Flying Elephant and then Mad Tea Party. Afterward, we made our way into Tomorrowland and rode Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. Alexa wanted to drive, so I took her on the Tomorrowland Speedway while everyone else rode the TTA PeopleMover. ​

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When we got back together, we met Merida on our way through the Hub to Frontierland. After Merida, we split up again for Fastpass+. Alexa and I had Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, while Becky, Gabe, and Liliana had Peter Pan’s Flight.​

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We met back up in Frontierland after our rides, and Alexa wanted to ride Splash Mountain, so I took her on that while everyone else rode the Walt Disney World Railroad. We all went to Philharmagic before splitting again for Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid (Becky, Liliana, and Gabe) and Space Mountain (Me and Alexa). ​

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After these rides, we made our way back to the resort. I’m not sure if they are still doing this, but on certain days at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, they have a Princess Promenade, where they have all of the children meet upstairs. Soon, Cinderella and Prince Charming arrive for a photo op, and then they lead the group down the Grand Staircase into the lobby for a short “ball.” ​

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After the ball, we hopped on the Monorail for Epcot. When we got there, we finished up the last few Kidcot spots before having dinner at Biergarten. We eat here just about every time we come. The food is great, and the kids (Liliana, especially) love going up to the dance floor. ​

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After dinner, we traveled to Mexico and rode Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. We were going to try to ride Test Track, but it had been down throughout the day, and it had a long wait by the time we made it over there, so we rode Mission: SPACE again. Then, we rode Spaceship Earth, before saying goodbye to Epcot.​

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We took the Monorail back over to Magic Kingdom Park and split up again. I took Alexa back to Splash Mountain while Becky, Liliana, and Gabe met with Mickey Mouse. Alexa and I then rode Pirates of the Caribbean before we all got back together at Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel. We rode the Haunted Mansion, and had just enough time before the park closed to ride “it’s a small world”



After that, the park was closing, so it was time to say goodbye. As I’m sure many of you already know, leaving the park on your last day, knowing you don’t have another ticket left, really stinks. To help with that, on the boat back to the resort, we already started planning our next trip. We got back to the resort and made sure everything was packed and ready for check out the next morning. ​