We did WDW on July 4th and lived to tell about it!

[meredetrois2]

At 2:30 p.m. on July 2nd we headed for WDW. We had plans to drive straight through - 14+ hours - but decided to stop over in Pensacola. We arrived at the All-Star Sports resort around 5 p.m. the next afternoon. Hubby checked in while the boys and I toured the gift shop and watched cartoons in the kid's area. We got a little confused when it came time to find our room, but we finally did. And we had a connecting door to our friends who traveled at the same time.

The boys were very impressed with the layout of the resort and they loved the room! The theme was very cute, but the room was small. Adequate for us though as we didn't anticipate being there for more than sleeping.

We found our friends and they told us that MK was open until 4 a.m. the next morning and that we could purchase an extra day of tickets for the 4 of us for a little over $14. So we did that and went to MK with them. We used our 1st day snack credits to get muffins at the resort and used our TS credits for supper at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. Hubby, DS(11) and I had the Meteor Meal - 1/2 pound Bacon Double Cheeseburger with fries for $7.39. DS(6) decided he wasn't hungry We got large drinks and 3 of the triple chocolate cakes - - yum! Total was $36.81 before tax. We rode Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Big Thunder Mountain, Mad Tea Party and The Haunted Mansion. DS(11) was totally freaked out by Haunted Mansion, have no idea why, DS(6) loved it! We saw the Spectro Magic Parade then headed for the resort - and went to bed at 2:30.

We were up the next morning early and headed to Epcot - - - with plans to avoid MK for the entire day. We rode Test Track first thing and all of us loved it hopped over to Spaceship Earth next then decided it was time for a mid-morning snack. I had done my "homework" before we left and had a list of snack options but I guess I wasn't thinking and we headed to Electric Umbrella for snacks - - - big mistake. All they have for snacks are drinks, so we spent $10 OOP for some breakfast items. Next we went to Innoventions, the Living Seas and rode the Living with the Land boat ride. We decided to stop for lunch at Seasons. I had the sweet n' sour chicken with rice hubby and DS's had Black Forest Ham and Salami Sandwiches. I know that we got desserts and sides, but I have no idea what they were - - - oops We decided then that it would be a good idea to head to the resort for a much needed nap - - we made an error in judgment however. The boys wanted to ride the monorail so we took that to ticket & transportation. Instead of doing the smart thing and getting on the other monorail to MK we looked for a bus to the resort. Well, of course, there isn't one. So we walked to the Polynesian, waited 30 minutes for a bus to Downtown Disney and then on to All-Star Sports. So.....instead of having a 2-hour nap, we had 45 minutes.

After our short nap, we headed back to Epcot for supper at San Angel Inn. It was extremely busy and the hostesses were turning away walk-ins and we waited about 15 minutes for our table. We had the BEST waiter named Jorge. He told us everything we could get on the dining plan and was very accomodating. He gave us time to order our drinks, appetizers and entrees and never rushed us. For appetizers we had: DS(11) - nachos with melted cheese and chorizo (he's not big on lots of veggies)$5.95, hubby had the Ceviche - seafood marinated in lime juice with tomatoes, chiles, onions and cilantro - $7.95. I had Traditional sope - grilled soft corn shell filled with chicken and black refried beans with lots of cheese - $5.50. For entrees DS(11) had Filete Motuleno - grilled beef over black beans and melted cheese with fried plantains - - $22.95; no idea what hubby had ; I had the Plato Mexicano - beef tenderloin (rather tough so I didn't eat much of it), chicken enchilada and ground beef burrito served with refried beans and rice - - - $19.50; DS(6) had chicken strips (his usual meal). For dessert hubby and the boys had vanilla ice cream and I had the bread pudding. It was served with vanilla ice cream and a caramel glaze. Very yummy! More later..............we're still unpacking

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Can't wait to read the rest.

 

[scrap4u]

Subscribing. I'm amazed that MK was open until 4am. The latest it's ever been open when we were there was either 1am or 2am, I forget. I can't wait to hear about being there for the 4th!

 

[javamom]

I'm sorry please clarify were there some menu itemsnot included on the Dining Plan, other than alchohol?

 

[meredetrois2]

I forgot to add earlier that we witnessed the launch of the Space shuttle while we were in Epcot on the 4th. It was truly amazing! We got a few pics, they aren't great but we know what they are I was also amazed at MK being open so late Monday night/Tuesday morning! All the EMH that I had seen for that week had the park closing at 1. We avoided MK on the 4th and were so glad that we did! Epcot was crowded enough, but we still didn't wait on anything over 30 minutes. We went to MK early on the 5th and were happy to see that the park was not that busy. We went to Space Mountain immediately and discovered that DS(6) was 1/2 inch too short to ride The CM gave hubby and DS(6) a pass to ride Buzz Lightyear while DS(11) and I rode Space Mountain, then DS(11) got to ride again with Dad. There was no wait at Buzz Lightyear so the CM there added two people to the pass and we used that at Splash Mountain without having to get fastpasses. We toured ToonTown for DS(6), rode Barnstormer and met the characters - - - especially the "head" mouse. Little to no wait for anything. Had lunch at Pecos Bill's - - - hubby and I had the pork sandwiches with a side of beans, DS(11) had the bacon cheeseburger(again) and DS(6) had chicken nuggets (he doesn't like variety ) . . . . . to be continued . . . .

 

[almousefan]

We also made an impromptu trip to WDW for the 4th. We went to Epcot on the 4th for the fireworks show that night and it was so awesome! Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

 

[Minniespal]

Looking forward to reading your experiences of MK on July 4th. WE were there in 2002 and all I can say is OMG.

 

[UtahMama]

Love the report! My DH will love it because he is OBSESSED with the DDP and loves that kind of detail! Sounds like you have the same taste in food as us! Well you're making me hungry as I eat my toast!
Can't wait to read more!!! The Space shuttle thing was spectacular! We watched it on our TV from home, It must have been the sight of a lifetime at EPCOT!

 

[iluvdizknee]

We just got back from a wonderful 11 nights....POP was great! We had the 50's building, could see the lake when we walked out the door to the right.

Any questions I can answer about anything while it is fresh in my mind about the parks, rides or POP....ask away!

Miss it already

 

[tmasingo]

Great report! We were there last week also. We were in MK on the 5th as well and were just as pleased as you with how un-crowded it was in the morning We headed straight to Fantasyland since DS is 3 and walked on everything with no wait. It was great. We did the 4th at AK and MGM with a trip back to the resort in between. I'll be writing a trip report soon, but the MGM fireworks for the 4th were great. I'm glad the Epcot ones were also (Not that I'd expect otherwise, of course )

 

[meredetrois2]

I've been super busy since we got back so I'll have to continue my report tomorrow. But I forgot to add a few things yesterday so I'll do that quickly.

Trying to clarify about the DDP, we went to Electric Umbrella during breakfast thinking they would have muffins or the like for snacks - - - we didn't want to use a CS for breakfast. The only snack available there were drinks, i.e. soda, water, juice.

As we were walking to the bus after the fireworks in Epcot, the boys noticed that the pavement was "glowing". There were little holes in the blocks of pavement that were lit up -- - - not all the blocks were lit though and it made for a really beautiful end to our 4th of July day.

 

[sassy2]

Great report we were at Epcot on the 4th also, Test Track was our first ride it was nice to be walked to the ride by CM's after the official countdown. Also the fireworks that evening was awesome.

 

[meredetrois2]

I've got a little time this morning, so I will continue with our day at MK. After we had lunch we rode Big Thunder Mountain again - - - the boys loved that ride Then we met my daughter, and her group from church, at Cinderella's Castle. They hadn't had lunch so we split up again lol. I wanted to go look inside the castle so we headed that way. On the pathway behind the castle, we witnessed a proposal - well the end of one anyway. The couple was holding hands and the woman had an open ring box. I took a pic too so if either of them post here CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

The very best part of our day in MK was Pirates of the Carribean We rode the ride, I wanted to ride just to see Jack Sparrow. I had heard earlier that POTC was still closed but was very happy to find it open. After the ride we were walking towards the Magic Carpets ride when we saw heard a pirate lol. It was the "first mate" from POTC setting up a wagon and announcing that Jack Sparrow was on his way So we decided to wait around and a crowd soon gathered. In a few minutes "Jack Sparrow" walked up. This guy looked so much like Johnny Depp, just a little taller. He started calling kids out of the audience to practice sword fighting, he picked DS(6) first and when he wouldn't go he picked DS(11). Five kids ended up going being chosen. The sword fight was hilarious and I got some great video. He told them that if they were ever in a sword fight and knew they couldn't win to create a diversion and run. He had them do a few jabs then point behind the first mate and say "Look, it's the Governor's daughter" then they ran. It was hilarious! The last kid "fought" Jack and when she said the phrase he said "Ahh, she's not that good looking". The little girl just stood there for a minute before the first mate told her to run It was so cute. Then the first mate picked a crew and they had a bucket race. At the end "Jack" gave each of them a parchment and made them honorary pirates. My boys had the best time. Here are a few pics of "Jack" and the "first mate".

And this is the new character of Jack on POTC

After that the boys rode the Magic Carpets, we had no idea that the camels spit then they went to Ariel's Grotto to cool off in the water. They had no interest in meeting her though. I talked the boys and hubby into going on It's a Small World, which I love! Hubby said it was a good time for a nap anyway DS(6) was not impressed and told me that the ride was "stupid". Whatever, I enjoyed it. Our PS that night was for Liberty Tree Tavern. We were there 2 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Goofy is there now and the boys loved that! The characters came around several times and we got a lot of pics. This is my favorite, hubby getting a smooch from Minnie.

We had to absolute best waiter named Mark. DS(11) asked him to autograph his book and he was very flattered. The food was pretty good, my favorite was the ham and the dessert The rolls are fabulous too! Not awesome food, but plenty of it.

We stayed around for the Spectro Magic parade (for the 2nd time). I absolutely love that parade.

Our daughter and her group joined us for the parade then they left to ride some more and we headed for the exit. We got to Main Street in time to catch the fireworks show. We even got to see Tinkerbell come down the wire for the first time. Hubby said that it was a real person, but we weren't close enough that I could tell. After the fireworks we headed back to our room.

DH and I discussed our plan for the next day. We had PS at Sci-Fi Dine-In for dinner, but thought that we could do everything we wanted to do at MGM in the afternoon. So we headed back to Epcot first thing Thursday morning and toured World Showcase since we didn't get to do that on Tuesday. Our DD decided to join us that day, too many 13 yr. old girls spending way too much time together gets a little catty We ate lunch at Restaurant Marrakesh in Morroco. I had a chicken wrap with a side of hummus and something else that I couldn't identify. I'd never had hummus before, it was interesting. DH and DD had the meatballs with a side of rice - I tried the meatballs and they were yummy! DS shared a meal of chicken nuggets. We got baklava (sp?) for dessert and large drinks. The food was fantastic!

Hubby wanted to go to France after lunch and get some French bread. I had not been to the bakery the last time we went. I was in for a big surprise! They have every pastry you can imagine! DD got a huge croissant, DH got french bread (a huge loaf) and I got a lemon tart. We paid OOP for these items. The lemon tart was so good, very tart just the way I like it.

We headed back towards Future World with a few stops in some stores. DH and the boys wanted to go to the jumping waters so they headed for that. By this time my legs had started to cramp and I was getting overheated. DD and I headed for the closest air conditioned building, which just happened to be the character connection She got autographs and pictures with Goofy, Max, King Louie, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Pluto She was very pleased, even if she is 13. The boys got on the Figment ride, not realizing it was a ride, so it took them a while to join us. While they were there the boys had their pics taken with Lightning McQueen and Mater - - they were placed against a green screen and posed. When the pictures came out they were leaning on the cars. VERY cute pics!

We got on the bus for MGM and by this time I was about to drop. I insisted that hubby rent one of those scooters and it made the rest of my day much easier, plus we had a place to carry all the bags I learned something that day that really surprised me. People are so rude when it comes to others in wheel chairs or those scooters. They run right out in front of you and will not give you the right away. Of course I was not handicapped, just exhausted. I can't imagine how it is for someone who is really handicapped when they are dealing with the crowds. I learned a very important lesson in consideration that day.

We went straight to the Indiana Jones show and got seating immediately. We sat in the back row, where I was able to pull up the scooter. The kids and DH sat on the bench. We still had 10 minutes until the show so DH left to get fastpasses for Star Tours. We had his seat saved but another family came in and took his seat. DD told them her dad was sitting in one of the seats and they were like "too bad". They were very, very rude. Did not offer to scoot down, so DH ended up standing up for through the entire show We enjoyed the show though, I'd never seen it before and didn't realize that there was a "ringer" from the audience Great fun and the kids really enjoyed it!

(I'll stop here to say that while we met several very nice families, I have never encountered the amount of rudeness that prevailed throughout all the parks while we were there. Our friends said they witnessed a fight at the bus stop when a man blocked the doorway on the bus so his family would have time to get on before anyone else go on. It was unbelievable and I understand that everyone was in a hurry to get to the rides and such, but the crowds really weren't that bad and with a little planning you could do everything you wanted to do with very little wait time. I was just very saddened by the way some grown ups acted. )

After Indiana Jones we went to find places for the parade. We got at the very beginning of the parade line and then the skies opened up and the parade was canceled We were very disappointed because that is our favorite parade. So, we used our fastpasses for Star Tours. I was LMBO at DD - - - we saw a Storm Trooper and he jumped at DD. She screamed like a banshee. Then we walked past Darth Vader and he grabbed at her. She screamed again It was too funny. They really enjoyed the ride though since they love the Star Wars movies. After that ride we went to Who Want to be a Millionaire. I absolutely loved that even though we didn't get picked. It was so much fun! It was then time for our PS at Sci Fi. We got a table with very little wait time. The hostess was hilarious. We were seated at a table with a car front and back, so fun! We ordered appetizers and I got pics of those.

DD and DS(11) shared the onion rings - $6.99

[/IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/jam1451/onionrings.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/jam1451/chili.jpg

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I don't even like artichoke and I loved this dip! DS(6) got the fruit and cheese with mango yogurt dip - $1.99. No pic of that but it was really good.

For our entrees DD and DS(11) shared the Baby Back ribs - $16.99, I got the BBQ chicken breast sandwich - $14.19, DH got the Steak - $17.99 and DS(6) got the chicken nuggets - $4.99 (do you see a pattern here?).

DD said that the ribs had a lot of fat on them and she didn't enjoy that. My sandwich was good and HUGE. I couldn't finish it all. DH enjoyed his steak. For dessert DS got strawberry milkshakes. DD and I got the Happiest
Celebration cheesecake - $5.19 ea. It included Cracker Jacks and M&Ms which was interesting, but it was really good. Total of this meal - - - $100 excluding tax.

We shopped after that then headed for the resort, it had continued to rain that evening so we made an early day of it.

Got up bright and early the next morning for our character breakfast at Donald's Breaktastosaurus. By far our best dining experience, although it is quite a hike to get there. There was such a variety of food! The wait staff was excellent and the characters were great! This meal was $68 excluding tax.

We rode the Dinosaur ride after breakfast. Not one bit of that ride did I enjoy - - way too bumpy for me. DH and DS(6) enjoyed it. DS(11) rode it last time and didn't like it so I was surprised he rode it again. He closed he eyes though and ducked down in the seat. We rode the Kali River Rapids next and I got drenched! Should have worn my poncho but didn't think about it till it was too late. Next we did the Safari and really enjoyed that. Then on to Expedition Everest. DS(6) was too short to ride so DS(11) got to ride twice. I really liked that ride, and I don't usually like coasters. But I totally missed the part where the Yeti reaches down towards the ride. I have no idea why, I assume that I had my eyes closed though :confused3 We had lunch at Pizzafari. We only had 2 CS left but had 6 snacks left. So we ordered a cheese and pepperoni pizza with two large drinks and the frozen lemonade and strawberry lemonade cups for dessert along with two orders of breadsticks which counted as snacks. Very good pizza and we got a lot of breadsticks. We couldn't finish them all.

After lunch the clouds were becoming ominous and we'd done all that we wanted to do. It was time to pick up DD and head for Downtown Disney and the ride home. We stopped by our resort to pick her up and hubby used the last of our snacks on muffins for the roade. We shopped for quite a while since we really hadn't bought anything in the parks. We ate supper at Earl of Sandwich hubby got the club sandwich, I got the Hawaiian BBQ with sides of potato salad, DD got the meatball sandwich. I can't remember what the boys got. I was not overly impressed with my sandwich and the potato salad was horrible. We didn't leave Downtown Disney until 7 p.m. but we had a great time there.

All in all, a wonderful trip. And I would definitely do the DP again. Next trip I'm going to plan more character breakfasts.

 

[chigirl]

Great report!
Too bad about a few jerks, though, but that's how it goes!!!

 

[meredetrois2]

I forgot to post pics of our room. Like I said before, it was small but we didn't spend much time there. The pool was large and we all had a lot of fun in it (the 2 times we actually took the time to swim) but I forgot to take pics