We're Home...A Trip Report

[DrDeb]

so cool... want to read MORE !!!!!!!!

 

[Kaler131]

(however, I was horrified at myself in the pictures and both JC and I have made a pact to lose some weight before our next trip to Disney…I mean, I was to the point of just…well, utter disgust)

LOL! I know what you mean. I said the same thing about MY pics that were taken there last week. Most of the photos I avoided getting in, but the few that I have are truly horrible! At least I think so!

 

[LovesThumper]

Getting in on this two days late- where have I been. We ate at Cape May right after Labor Day and had the same experience. The buffet set up is utter nonsense. And we were there at a very slow time. We never really ate together-one or another of us was always waiting in line. Our waitress said they would be renovating it shortly. I hope they reconfigure the line. Perhaps using stations like at Boma.

 

[JCandKT]

Day Four: Friday, September 19th, 2008

Are you sensing a pattern here? Yup. We were woken up…again…by the screaming, inquisitive children and the increasingly annoyed parents. “Mommy, Mommy! <bang, bang, bang> What’s this door?” “I TOLD YOU YESTERDAY! I’ve told you EVERY day! It’s the door to the next room!” “Why would we want to get into that room, Mommy?” “It’s not for you! Some families are so big they need two rooms, and they want to be able to see each other.” “OH! Well I wonder if anyone is in there! <bang, bang, bang>

At this point, I got out of bed and contemplated throwing open the door and showing her exactly what was behind door number three… but I just went for the passive aggressive bang on the door as she was banging. Ugh.

We got ready and headed back to the Poly for our breakfast reservation at the Kona Café. “Would you like any coffee?” I think all I could muster was a defeated grunt. But man, that coffee was yummo (we got the press-pot). JC ordered the Big Kahuna (oh my that’s a lot of food) and I ordered the Tonga Toast (oh my I should have listened to everyone’s advice).

That Tonga Toast, while it was delicious, was simply too much. It was about 4 inches thick, stuffed with bananas, with this strawberry puree sauce, sprinkled with cinnamon & sugar. It would have been good as a side, if it were MUCH smaller (imo). JC was defeated by his Big Kahuna and could not finish his plate… simply too much food! And as a side note to Walter, that guava juice is fabulous.

We decided to make our way to Downtown Disney to get some shopping done and we spent the afternoon spending entirely too much money. I was shocked at how busy the stores were, since the parks seemed to be not-too-crowded.

After walking around for a few hours, we went back to the resort for a swim and so I could do a load of laundry (my mom always used to do laundry on vacation and I thought she was nuts…now I see it’s a necessary evil, especially if you want to take souvenirs home). I swam in the “quiet” pool, which I suggest for anyone who just wants to cool down and doesn’t need all the thrills of Stormalong Bay.

After getting ready, we took a boat to the Studios and were frustrated that Toy Story was still a 105 minute wait (at about 4 p.m.)! Will we ever get on this ride?! We walked around, people-watched, and then headed to Hollywood Brown Derby for the Fantasmic Dinner Package!

It took a little while for us to get seated (maybe 20 minutes?) and when they called our name, we got to our table, and someone was sitting there. The cast member brought us back to the lobby and told us to wait again… so we stood there awkwardly for another 10 minutes or so. We were seated by the manager who apologized profusely for the snafu.

Raul was our server and I must say, I was amazed at the level of service he provided. He was amazing! He knew that menu backwards and forwards and had lots of suggestions. We started out with a couple of appetizers --- JC got the crab cake (not a sad, little one) and I got the lobster bisque. The crab cake was fantastic! The lobster bisque, while it was good, wasn’t my thing so I didn’t really eat it. Next time I’ll get the crab cake.

For the entrée, I got the Roasted Sterling Silver Pork Rib Chop with the mustard, white cheddar spatzle… can anyone say food porn? Oh my. It was absolutely fantastic! It was so good…to the point where I seriously considered licking the plate. JC got the Pan Roasted Duck Breast & Venison Sausage…again, amazing! We were both really pleased with the meal.

For dessert, I got the flourless chocolate cake (Raul says…oooh a chocoholic!) and JC got the vanilla crème brulee. The cake was fabulous with a crème fraiche and fresh berries…yum yum… and they even gave me a white chocolate coin with Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming on it. (for your anniversary, love birds, says Raul) I asked for a glass of milk to get that cake down and Raul didn’t bat an eye. JC got a glass of a wonderful sweet dessert wine (I wish I could remember the name of it…). The manager comes back over to our table to tell us that the wine (and milk) was on them because of the seating snafu… we thought that was really nice of them to make it right like that.

A few observations about this meal: we were on the Disney Dining Plan (free!) and we were just so glad that we were able to eat at a restaurant like this with the plan. I think we had a different menu than those not using the DDP, but I didn’t mind at all. I loved what I ate so I don’t feel I was cheated. Secondly, I loved the atmosphere of this place --- very classy, classic, warm tones, very romantic and the food was amazing. We were also not rushed at all… we took our time with dinner, Raul knew exactly when to anticipate refills on drinks, when to come over and ask how we were doing, and we didn’t feel like they were trying to turn our table over. However, I was shocked at how some people were dressed… torn shirts, sleeveless tank tops… JC and I dressed up (not suits/dresses or anything) because we figured with the caliber of this place (signature dining) we felt it was warranted to wear a nice pair of pants/capris and a polo/blouse. It didn’t take away from our dining experience how people were dressed, but I guess I wasn’t expecting sweat pants and stained shirts. I understand that people had been in the park all day...but I don't know...just no tank-tops with back-hair sticking out, people!

When we left the restaurant, we realized we needed to get our butts over to Fantasmic (like I said, we really took our time with dinner) so we made our way through the back-door. This was our first time at Fantasmic [this vacation was about a lot of firsts!] so we didn’t know what to expect at all. The theatre filled pretty quickly, so we were happy that we were able to just walk through the back-door since we can’t imagine what the line was like to have to wait!

Before the show started, the crowd was entertained by doing “the wave”… it actually was pretty hilarious. We did the normal wave, then a super-slow wave, and then a super-fast wave. I know it sounds dumb, but it really was cool to see 12,000 people laughing and having fun with something as simple as that. Then, Fantasmic started and WOW. Wow-ee-wow-wow-wow. Like I said, I didn’t know what to expect and I was just absolutely floored by this show! I snapped off a bunch of pictures – you’ve gotta love that sports setting – and well, it really showed the magic of Disney all over again.

Now, would I do the Fantasmic Dinner package again? I think so. That show was wonderful – but I’m sure it doesn’t change – so I don’t think we’d see it every time we make a trip to the World. I definitely think --- if you’re even considering eating at one of the dinner places offered with the package, then sign up for the Fantasmic seating – it doesn’t cost anything more and you don’t have to wait in that long line and waste time.

After Fantasmic, we high-tailed it to Epcot (as it was the late park that night) and rode Mission:Space-Green and loved it! I don’t think I could handle the orange side, but the green was a lot of fun. We walked right on. Then on to Test Track – we jumped in the single rider line because the wait for stand-by was 80 minutes. I had forgotten just how fast Test Track goes when it breaks outside! Woo-hoo!

We took our time walking back through the countries… it was very romantic and wonderful. We stopped in Germany to have a glass of our favorite wine… (again with the drinking) and then onto France to have a slushie (I might need to go to a meeting)… and generally just meandered through the countries, talking and just taking everything in.

I will say --- the best perk about staying at the Beach Club is the proximity to the International Gateway. We decided to hit Jellyrolls again --- and --- we didn’t stay very long. We just weren’t into it that night --- and the crowd was just not our scene. So we headed back to our room…

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Great update. We have to try Brown Derby it seems everyone loves it there. Kona sounded great. Those kids would have gotton on my nerves by now. You are better than me. I think I might have knocked on their door by now. LOL.

 

[wildfan1473]

Are you sensing a pattern here? Yup. We were woken up…again…by the screaming, inquisitive children and the increasingly annoyed parents. “Mommy, Mommy! <bang, bang, bang> What’s this door?” “I TOLD YOU YESTERDAY! I’ve told you EVERY day! It’s the door to the next room!” “Why would we want to get into that room, Mommy?” “It’s not for you! Some families are so big they need two rooms, and they want to be able to see each other.” “OH! Well I wonder if anyone is in there! <bang, bang, bang>

OMG, this would so be something my child would do . You poor thing!

Great reading so far, sounds like other than the kids you had a great time!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Day Four: Friday, September 19th, 2008



Raul was our server and I must say, I was amazed at the level of service he provided. He was amazing! He knew that menu backwards and forwards and had lots of suggestions.

Look! She had RAUL!!! And he provided amazing service!!!

 

[JCandKT]

Look! She had RAUL!!! And he provided amazing service!!!

He was awesome... if you go there, ask for him...

 

[Tonya2426]

For the entrée, I got the Roasted Sterling Silver Pork Rib Chop with the mustard, white cheddar spatzle… can anyone say food porn? Oh my. It was absolutely fantastic! It was so good…to the point where I seriously considered licking the plate.

Back in April, I had the Pork Chop too!!!! I would certainly order it again. The spatzle was to die for. Here is a picture for any food porners out there:

(That is Flat Brody in the picture - he likes to enjoy Disney dining also.)

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

You know....I can honestly say I wouldn't mind if I never see Fantasmic again. I know a lot of people love it, but it has just grown really old to me. It's time for a change.

So, what you're telling us is that it doesn't really matter whether you are at a value or a deluxe, there's still going to be obnoxious little kids knockin' on doors, eh? LOL

 

[JCandKT]

Back in April, I had the Pork Chop too!!!! I would certainly order it again. The spatzle was to die for. Here is a picture for any food porners out there:

(That is Flat Brody in the picture - he likes to enjoy Disney dining also.)

OHhhhhhhhh there it is...there it is....it looks sooooooo good.

I was so confused by the dog until I saw that it was a picture!

 

[DVCsince02]

Oh Raul..... service please. Sigh****

Great report!

 

[JCandKT]

Day Five: Saturday, September 20th, 2008

I won’t even bore you with the details of how we woke up… just flip back to days 2, 3, and 4 and you’ve got your answer.

We took our time this morning getting ready, hanging out at the resort, and we eventually made it over to Hollywood Studios to attempt Toy Story Mania again. This time the wait was 45 minutes and we made the decision that it would probably be the shortest wait time we’d see, so we ventured inside. Firstly, the theming within the queue is nothing short of spectacular. I think I snapped off 100 pictures just waiting for the ride! The wait-time went by fairly quick, partly due to the fact that we were entertained by the giant-sized versions of old toys like tinkertoys and Candy Land. The ride itself was rockin! (my arm was like jello afterwards) A great addition to the Disney Parks!

We also did the Backlot Tour which is great for us since we’re such huge movie buffs… to see all of the props and stuff… it really strikes a great chord with the two of us. When it let out into the AFI exhibit, we were like kids on Christmas morning. I bought a book in the shop called “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” and we plan on messing with our Netflix Queue in order to get through all of those classics.

We puttered around for a bit longer and then headed back to the resort to get ready for the evening’s festivities. We took a bus to Pleasure Island and hit a few of the shops on the West Side --- JC went to Sosa to get a cigar (that he still hasn’t smoked) and I went into HoyPoloi to look around. I went up to a stand with art pieces and flipped through a few of the smaller pictures when a man came up to me and asked me if I liked them. Come to find out, it was the artist (Alan Foxx) and I had a really nice conversation with him. We ended up buying two smaller pieces – I had just said to JC earlier that day that I needed some decorations for my new office – and then boom!

Then it was time for the highlight of our trip --- the thing that we’ve looked forward to for many trips but just never could muster up the extra cash. Cirque Du Soliel – La Nouba! It was…I feel like I’ve used the word “amazing” too much and that word doesn’t even come close to how we felt about the show. It was breath-takingly stunning and emotionally-touching. [We’re going to record a review and send it into the podcast team]

If you have a little extra money, please, go see La Nouba. You won’t be disappointed.

We then took a bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge again for our dinner reservation at Jiko-The Cooking Place. We were both really excited about eating here as we’ve heard so many good things about it and the menu looked so delicious. We were seated promptly and I was surprised at how quiet the restaurant seemed to be --- for a Saturday night, we thought it was dead.

We ordered appetizers --- I got the Cucumber, Red Onion and Tomato Salad (with arugula, cottage cheese and watermelon vinaigrette) and JC got the Jiko Cheese Selection. JC liked all but one of the cheeses on the dish (the cow’s milk, I believe) and well… my salad was just not to my liking – I think it was the arugula.

For our entrees, we both got the Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon with the macaroni and cheese and red wine sauce. Let’s just say that our romantic anniversary dinner wasn’t filled with conversations and whispering sweet-nothings into each other’s ears. It was grunts and moans and shouts of “oh my Lord I’ve died and gone to food-porn heaven.”

For dessert, I tried the pistachio crème brulee (if it even sounds remotely good to you, ORDER IT) and JC got the lemon-curd with fresh berries and sour cream ice cream. Again, there was no talking. We just enjoyed our meal.

We headed back to the resort. After Cirque, we stopped at the Virgin Megastore to see if they had any DVD’s that we might be interested in… and right at the front door was Season 2 Heroes on sale…so we picked it up. We got all nestled in our comfy bed, flipped on the DVD player and fell asleep watching our favorite show…in our favorite place… and didn’t have a care in the world.

(preview of Day 6 --- Afternoon Tea, anyone?)

 

[bellazachmom]

THank You so much for this wonderful trip report!! I am enjoying every word of it and reliving some of our favorite WDW trips thanks to the images you are bringing back to me.

As wonderful as it is to have small children in our family and to experience WDW and MK through them, I do miss the many trips that Hubby and I took to our favorite place before the little additions arrived.

Can't wait to read more!!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Aw, MAN! You ate my absolute favoritest Jiko meal! Isn't the pistachio creme brulee to die for? And you're right...no words suffice for the Filet.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Both the meal and show sound incredible. Your trip is fantastic!!! Oh those kids are relentless.

 

[JCandKT]

Day Six: Sunday, September 21st, 2008

We ate a small breakfast after pilfering through the selections at the Lounge and headed towards Epcot. (I just love that 5 minute walk) We did some more shopping in World Showcase, rode a few rides (like Spaceship Earth again) and then eventually jumped on a monorail to the Grand Floridian. We arrived way too early for our 2 p.m. reservations, so we found a big couch to crash on, and looked through our pictures on the camera. Then we just kinda talked and snuggled. We had realized that we were go-go-go (for the most part) and hadn’t really just sat and connected so it was a nice time for us.

We were promptly seated at the Grand Floridian Garden View Tea Room for our afternoon tea. We had heard Julie & Taylor’s review on the podcast a few months back and that combined with our love of tea meant that we had to check it out. I ordered the “Buckingham Palace” with the Mad Hatter tea; JC ordered the “Grand Tea” with a tea I’ve forgotten the name of (and plus, he thinks he was given the wrong tea anyways).

The sandwiches were fabulous – watercress & cucumber, chicken salad, shrimp salad, egg salad and gorgonzola & roasted pear… the last one was awesome and had this particular flavor that both JC and I couldn’t put our finger on but it was something very familiar. Oooh and the onion tartlet was great! JC also had the duck pate with his selection. At this point, we both thought in our heads that Julie was crazy that we would be full after that. Well then they brought out the scones and raspberry tart with the Devonshire cream and strawberry jam. Wow…yum yum! For dessert, JC picked two pastries (a chocolate éclair and a swan thing with mousse) and I picked the strawberries and cream.

Our teas were wonderful. The atmosphere was great. This will definitely become a must-do for us on future trips.

We took our time heading back to the hotel as we were trying to decide what we wanted to do for the remainder of the day… Epcot? DHS? MK? Nope. We ended up pilfering the lounge, getting in comfy clothes, and we laid in bed and watched the Colts game (I fell asleep). I know might sound like a waste but it was exactly what we needed for a couple of hours.

After a disappointing loss to the Jaguars, we got dressed and headed into World Showcase for a light dinner. I got the fish & chips from England (disappointed --- it was too soggy) while JC got the ham & cheese baguette from France (yum!).

Then we headed to Jellyrolls for our last night. We landed a table near the front of the stage and started putting requests in. Then our server introduced us to the Jellyrolls Kool-Aide and well, this is a family board so I will spare you all of the drunken details. Let’s just say I took a video of us screaming “Come Sail Away” by Styx that I don’t remember taking --- found it when we got home and downloaded my memory card. Wow. Hey, we’re young, right?

Somehow we made it back to our room…

And then….


Day Seven: Monday, September 22nd, 2008

Happy Anniversary (officially) to us. We’ve been married 7 years! How is that possible?

We woke up late, showered up, finished packing and said goodbye to our room. We did the airline check-in (wonderful!) and went straight to Beaches n’ Cream for onion rings and a sundae. We then played uno in the Solarium as we waited for the Magical Express to come and get us. Then it was off to MCO and yadda yadda yadda you know the rest…

So we’ve been back for a few days and I have the following observations:
The concierge level is nice at the Beach Club but I don’t think I would pay all that extra cash for it. However, since we had Free Dining this time we had so many ADR’s that we didn’t get to take advantage of the Lounge as much… so maybe it all evens out? Could I really have dinner at the Lounge? I think if you had a big lunch and just did the Lounge for dinner it would be fine.

The room renovations are great and the DVD player is a great addition. At the Beach Club, you can rent movies at the Marketplace (if you’re there during business hours!); it seemed like they had a pretty small selection, and I’m guessing it’s all Disney movies.

We’ll definitely want to stay at the BC again simply because of its location, location, location. That 5 minute walk to Epcot and 15 minute boat-ride to DHS is such a perk.

We realized on our last night there that we missed out on the resort itself in so many instances. The BC/YC is so alive with all of its activities and the Boardwalk is bustling with energy that we just didn’t get to experience simply because we were all over the place with so many ADR’s in the evening. We both left with a feeling of regret because we had paid so much more money to stay at the BC and we didn’t take advantage of all that it had to offer. We usually stay at the All-Stars, and this was an upgrade for us, but I feel like we wasted it. Next time, we’ll make more lunch ADR’s so that we can be around the resort more at night.

We also realized, from this trip, that we are still not ready to jump into parenthood. I’ll be 29 next Monday (God Bless America that’s creepy) so we’re still fairly young and I’m just not ready (read: still way too selfish) to become a mommy. Will we ever want children? I think so…who knows… All kids aren’t demonic, right?

I’ll post some pictures tonight or tomorrow…

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

WOW what a great time. Can I just say you two sound just like me and DH. We stayed at BC for our 10th anniversary. I felt just like you I was not ready for kids and I was 33 at the time of that stay. We were married 12 years and I was 35 and DH was 37 when our Disney trip turned into "lets have a baby". The only regret I have is NOT doing it sooner. Kids are wonderful if you want it and are ready for it. Now I will turn 40 and we are thinking about number 2. When we stayed at BWV we decided what the heck lets make a baby and guess what..........I came home pregnant!!!! Enjoy your time as a couple it is a fun time. BUT....Disney with a kid is an abosolute BLAST. You get to do all the cool fun kooky kiddy things all over and watch through their eyes. OK off my kid soapbox. Your trip sounds much like ours and we too love that location. We just like BWV better then BC (most likely due to the space of the 1 BDR villa we had). Thanks for the report it was a fun read!!!

 

[JCandKT]

Here are some pics:

A couple of our room at the Beach Club:

The View from our room:

On our way to MNSSHP:

At the MNSSHP: (and yes, that guy was dressed like a banana):

 

[JCandKT]

At MNSSHP, and my best picture of the castle ever:

Flik, outside of Animal Kingdom:

Everest:

What a beautiful tiger, on the Maharajah Trek:

Katie & Pooh at 1900 PF:

JC & the Mad Hatter at 1900 PF:

Mickey and the Broom, outside Hollywood Brown Derby:

At the Hollywood Brown Derby:

Waiting for Fantasmic:

One of our many Photopass Portrait session pics:

(more later, along with a few more observations)