We're On a Hunt for Hidden Mickeys - A Feb/Mar 2018 TR

[PrincessAshlee]

Just found your TR and it sounds fun! Can't wait to read more

following along!

 

[PrincessAshlee]

Day 1 – Saturday, February 24, 2018​

Part 3 – Epcot​

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The wait for the bus wasn’t very long and soon we were arriving at Epcot!! On our past trips, we have made the Magic Kingdom our first stop and I was worried that it wouldn’t feel like like Disney until I saw the castle and maybe that was a little bit true, but we still had a lot of fun at Epcot.
Our first stop was at guest services to get our annual passes!!!!! The process was fairly quick. I had printed off the voucher email, so all she had to do was scan it and activate our cards. (Side note: there was a family next to us trying to make fastpasses for Hollywood Studios. People who don’t use the app confuse me. It is so great and easy to use!)

Once we had arrived, we took a couple selfies in front of Spaceship Earth, before heading to our first ride. I had made us FPs for Spaceship Earth, but we were about a half hour behind “schedule” so we missed it. It was ok though because we had plans to ride it later in the week too. We decided to walk through Mouse Gears on our way to Test Track to check out all of the fun new merchandise; including the rose gold minnie ears!! We didn’t buy anything though because I didn’t want to carry it around; we decided that we might stop back through at the end of the night. We had a FP for Test Track so it was a really short wait. I let DH design our truck, he wanted it to be “big and tough”, but then I insisted on having flowers and butterflies to the sides. The ride was great as always; definitely one of our favorites.

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Then, it was time to head to the World Showcase for dinner. We had a 6pm ADR for Teppan Edo. It was already about 5:45pm and DH didn’t want to “chase” me through the different countries , so he suggested that we take the boat to Morocco. I knew that we would probably be a little late, but they usually allow for some leeway, so I wasn’t too worried. There was a nice breeze on the boat dock and it was great to just relax and realize that we were on vacation!!

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We checked into Teppan Edo about 5 minutes late and they informed us that there was about a 15-20 minute wait anyways. We wandered around the store and DH found Pikachu. I made a couple of pressed pennies and checked out the gardens and then it was time for us to be seated.

Exploring the Japan Pavillion​

Teppan Edo was really good, but I liked lunch on our last trip better. It was much louder during dinner and the chef’s show was kind of “boring”. He seemed to rush through it and he didn’t even make Mickey. (I could have gotten a generic experience like that at any of the hibachi places near my house, I kind of expect Disney to be special. ) This seemed to be luck of the draw though, because we noticed that there was a female chef at other table that seemed really great. She made Olaf with the onions and sang Frozen songs. I wished we had been seated at her table. Also, when we went for lunch, they showed us how to use chopsticks and had rubber bands that kept them together so I could cheat and pretend I was really doing it. (I don’t eat Asian food very often, so that was exciting for me. I ate my whole meal with the chopsticks and was pretty proud of myself. ) This time no one came around to help us with the chopsticks and I didn’t want to be the only one to ask, so I just used a fork; it took away a little of the magic.

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The experience was a little disappointing, but the food was good and I really liked my drink. DH and I split the Nihonbashi (Chicken and Steak) Combo. DH is obsessed with the Yum Yum sauce. Since we had just eaten around 3pm, we weren’t that hungry and the one meal was more than enough to share. To drink, I got the Tokyo Sunset (Coconut Rum, Crème de Banana, Peach Schnapps, and Pineapple Juice) and it was soooo good!! This is definitely my new favorite Disney drink. DH got a Gin (Tanqueray) and Sprite. I am not really a fan of gin, since I tried it on our Disneymoon and got a terrible migraine (not sure if its related or not, but I’m not going to try again). I did try a sip of DH’s drink though and it kind of tasted like a Christmas tree, which I guess is what he likes about it. He really enjoyed it and ended up ordering a second, so I guess it was good. We thought about getting dessert, but ultimately decided that we would get something later when we weren’t so full.

This was my half of our meal.​

I was able to get a same day FP for Illuminations, so we headed back towards Future World. We stopped in Morocco for more drinks, of course! We went to the “Drinks and Desserts” counter by Spice Road Table and got a couple of Oasis Slushies. I had the Sultan’s Colada (Rum, Pineapple/Coconut Juice and Almond Liquor), while DH had the Royal Blue (Vodka, Coconut Rum, and Blue Raspberry). They were both ok, but not great. There are definitely better options in the World Showcase. We also stopped to watch the “Matboukha Groove” band. They were very fun and I really enjoyed their performance.

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After a little while, we wandered over to the Tangierine Café for some dessert. We weren’t really hungry yet, but DH loves baklava so we got some to take back to our room. I got the chocolate kind and DH got pistachio. I didn’t really care for either, but DH really liked the pistachio kind. The chocolate was good, but too sweet (even for me and I like sweet things). They also had some really good looking muffins, which we didn’t get, but later wished we had.

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We walked to the Illuminations FP area, but they weren’t letting people in yet, so we had some time to kill. DH wanted to walk over to Mexico to get a Dos Equis. He wanted something not sweet to drink (he had only drank about half of his slushie because he said it was too sweet ). I wanted to go Mouse Gears for rose gold minnie ears, so we decided to split up. (Side Note: I had been following the rose gold ears trend and really was not interested. I was set on the fact that they were just a fad and I didn’t want them. Well… then I saw them and they were all shiny in the Florida sun and I just had to have them. ) Also, while we were walking through the World Showcase, DH commented that he was surprised that we didn’t see any photopass photographers around. So when I saw a photographer on my way back to meet DH, I decided to stop and take a picture, all by myself.

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Once I met back up with DH, it was time to use our FP for Illuminations. We found a spot along the fence by the Port of Entry store. It seemed like a good spot, because we could see over the front line of people, but turned out to not be very good at all. I know that they need lights for safety, but there seemed to be an unnecessary amount of light around the store. It was really distracting when you’re trying to watch the show. Also, about 5 minutes into the show a family came and stood right in front of us and both parents had kids on their shoulders. I get that kids are short and everyone wants to see, but it was just soooo rude!! Illuminations isn’t my favorite show to begin with, but DH had never seen it, so I wanted him to see it at least once, since they are talking about changing it. After about 5 minutes of trying to see around them, I’m sure DH could tell that I was really annoyed and not having a good time, because he asked if I wanted to leave and so we did.

It was a few days before the Flower & Garden Festival started, but they already had most of the topiaries out.​

On the way out, we bought a refillable popcorn bucket, because popcorn is basically one of the essential food groups for me. (At home, DH makes me fresh popcorn with our air popper and I eat it almost every day. )

I love when Spaceship Earth is all lit up at night! ​

The wait for the bus wasn’t too bad and we actually got on the first bus that came, but we had to stand. I know it’s a total first world problem, but I hate standing on the busses! I am too short to comfortably reach the overhead bars and I do not have very good balance, so I’m always worried that I’m going to fall on someone. This ride was particularly rough, because the driver kept slamming on the breaks.

By the time that we reached the hotel, I just wanted to lay in my bed. DH wanted to pick up some liquor for the room, so he stopped at the gift shop and I went straight to the room.

Stitch was waiting patiently for me in our room. Thankfully he wasn't too mischievous while we were gone.
(Stitch is my other trip partner. This was his 4th trip to Disney World with me. I got him when I was planning my girls trip in 2014. )​

DH decided he wanted to shower before bed, so he did, while I unpacked. (I don’t normally bother to unpack, but all the open storage in the renovated rooms at Pop is really great!! ). Then we were in bed by 11, so that we could be up for our PPO breakfast the next morning.

 

[iheartbelle87]

I'm loving the TR so far and can't wait to hear more!

I didn't think it was possible, but they are getting more annoying! We're trying to coordinate hotel reservations for my cousin's wedding and my mom says she doesn't care, but then she hates every one that I suggest. I finally gave in and told her just to book what she wants and let me know how much it is... and don't even get me started on Easter plans. I'm so jealous of you getting to stay home!

Seriously?! It is a requirement for family to drive each other bat sh+t crazy?! That is so annoying and totally sounds like something my mother would do! Holidays are the worst! haha we are literally watching The Office reruns on Netflix right now and drinking coffee with a ham in the slow cooker... I hope your Easter turns around!

I hoped that the delay meant that they were trying to give us a room near where I had requested, since if they were just going to give us any random room, I would have thought one would be available.

I would be thinking the same thing!

The line at check in was not very long, but the woman in front of us had three kids and she appeared to be all alone and was not handling it very well; kids were running all over the place and she was too preoccupied with whatever she was doing to care.

Ugh, so annoying...

I was really happy with our room assignment. I had requested room 0401 on our touring plans fax and we received room 0408; so very close!!

YESSS!! SO happy for you

we have two dogs, so I’m used to hair and dust (no matter how often I sweep it up, 5 minutes later, there it is again).

The struggle is real! At this point dog hair is just part of our decor hahahaha

It wasn’t clear enough to make out what they were saying, but we could hear them talking and moving around.

Oh hheeccck no. I'm glad the fan worked out well for you! My dad is obsessing that he'll be able to hear people above us at the Beach Club... however he has sleep apnea and uses a CPAP machine so I don't think he'll be able to hear anything over that... if not, I'm going to use your box fan idea!

Our first stop was at guest services to get our annual passes!!!!! The process was fairly quick. I had printed off the voucher email, so all she had to do was scan it and activate our cards.

Tell me more! Can one 'purchase' annual pass before they leave but not activate it?

To drink, I got the Tokyo Sunset (Coconut Rum, Crème de Banana, Peach Schnapps, and Pineapple Juice) and it was soooo good!!

This. Looks. Amazing.

I was able to get a same day FP for Illuminations,

GOALS!

I had the Sultan’s Colada (Rum, Pineapple/Coconut Juice and Almond Liquor), while DH had the Royal Blue (Vodka, Coconut Rum, and Blue Raspberry). They were both ok, but not great. There are definitely better options in the World Showcase.

Those sounds good... but I'm happy to know they are 'skip worthy'

Also, about 5 minutes into the show a family came and stood right in front of us and both parents had kids on their shoulders. I get that kids are short and everyone wants to see, but it was just soooo rude!!

HOW RUDE

 

[DVC LindsayC]

Your food and drinks at Teppan Edo look so good! Can't wait to read the rest of your trip report!

~LindsayC
#dvcrentals

 

[PrincessAshlee]

Seriously?! It is a requirement for family to drive each other bat sh+t crazy?! That is so annoying and totally sounds like something my mother would do! Holidays are the worst! haha we are literally watching The Office reruns on Netflix right now and drinking coffee with a ham in the slow cooker... I hope your Easter turns around!

You're right, definitely a requirement. My mom has taken a break from driving me crazy; now it's my sister's turn. (How nice of them to take turns ). We ended up taking our Easter dinner to have with my grandmother at her assisted living facility, they had a small kitchen room that we were able to use, so it was just me, DH, my mom, dad, and grandmother. It was really nice. We had asked my sister what her Easter plans were, but she said that she had plans with BIL's family and even if we had it on a different day she didn't want to come, because she doesn't like ham. Then the day after Easter, she was mad because we didn't save her any food and then claimed that we never invited her. When I pointed out that we did ask her, she said that we didn't tell her we were going to visit grandma and she would have gone if she knew that. Because Easter with just us wasn't good enough. So annoying!

Oh hheeccck no. I'm glad the fan worked out well for you! My dad is obsessing that he'll be able to hear people above us at the Beach Club... however he has sleep apnea and uses a CPAP machine so I don't think he'll be able to hear anything over that... if not, I'm going to use your box fan idea!

DH has a CPAP machine too, but I usually fall asleep before he turns it on, so the fan was really helpful. Or our neighbors were really quiet, either way, I slept great!

Tell me more! Can one 'purchase' annual pass before they leave but not activate it?

Yes, we purchased our annual pass vouchers in October, before the prices went up. I purchased them online, so they were automatically linked to my MDE account; then we just had to stop at guest relations and activate them before entering a park. They are good for a year from the date they are activated, not the date they were purchased. By buying them early, I could book fastpasses, apply AP room discounts, and we also got the 20% discount on the Shop Parks app even before they were activated.

Your food and drinks at Teppan Edo look so good! Can't wait to read the rest of your trip report!

 

[PrincessAshlee]

Fun at the Flower and Garden Festival​

Since it took me two weeks to write about one day and the festival didn’t begin until the second half of our trip, I thought I would interject with a post about all of the yummy drinks that we tried. If I waited to get to the naturally, the festival would likely be long over with before I got around to telling you about all the yummy drinks that you should try.

Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade from Pineapple Promenade
This was the only drink that I tried this year that I had actually had before on our F&GF trip last year. I really liked it then and it did not disappoint this year either. Not only is it just so pretty, it tastes really good too. It has a great balance of sour and sweet and the perfect slushy consistency.

Kung Fu Punch (Vodka, Triple Sec, Mango and Orange Juice) from Lotus House
This drink was good but not amazing. Most of the ingredients can be found at any bar, so it didn’t taste much different than the drinks that I ordered that week at restaurants/lounges. I believe that it is also usually offered at the Food & Wine Festival as well, so I wouldn’t consider it a “must get” for this festival.

Frozen Lemonade with Firefly Blackberry Moonshine and Shipyard Maple Bacon Stout from The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews
I really enjoyed the Blackberry Lemonade. It had a really good flavor and a good slushy consistency. DH really did not enjoy the Maple Bacon Stout. He said that it didn’t really taste like maple or bacon at all and it was a thick beer, which is not what he usually likes, especially not on a warm day.

First Magnitude Brewing Co. Monarch Milk Stout from Florida Fresh
DH didn’t really like the concept of trying different things from all of the different booths and therefore complained that the cups were too small, so he decided to get two of this one. He did seem to like it; plus a portion of the sales of this beer are being donated to the Florida Museum of Natural History to support at-risk butterfly conservation in Florida.

La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy from Fleur de Lys
So, here’s a lesson that I learned this trip (kind of obvious but clearly not to me): don’t put your drinks on uneven surfaces. About two seconds after I took this picture, my drink took a swan dive onto the steps below. I was soooo upset! I had been looking forward to this drink for over a year and I didn’t even get to try it! I seriously almost cried. DH kept saying that we could just go get another one, but I was too embarrassed. I just sat there pouting and eating my Chocolate Macaron Lollipop, which was really really good and I would definitely recommend getting it! (It was so good that I forgot to take a picture before we ate it all. )

I did end up getting another slushy when we returned to the festival a couple of days later. Although, if I had gotten even a small taste of it the first time, I would not have bothered to get it again. It is so pretty, but I really didn’t care for the taste. I feel like the cranberry juice makes it almost bitter and I prefer my drinks to be sweet. I couldn’t even finish it and then I felt really stupid for spending over $20 on a drink that I didn’t even like.

Honey-Peach Cobbler Freeze with Blueberry Vodka from Honey Bee-stro
This drink tasted really good, but I was kind of thrown off by the texture. It is very creamy, which is not typical when having alcoholic drinks (at least not for me). Also, it wasn’t really frozen. I don’t know if their machine wasn’t able to keep up with the demand or if it was meant to be that way, but my drink was more like a melted milkshake; not bad, but not great either.

Orange Blossom Twist (Frozen Orange Pineapple with Vodka) from Joffrey’s World Showcase
This drink was really good! It actually comes in a normal size cup, instead of the small sample size cups and you can also order it with a double shot of vodka. However, I actually felt like I had too much. I wanted to try more of the festival options and felt like I couldn’t because I had to finish this first. DH thought it was too sweet, but then he ended up adding some of the La Vie en Rose Slushy to it and then he liked it, but I thought it tasted odd all mixed together like that.

Pineapple Beer Flight from Pineapple Promenade
I don’t drink beer, but will usually try some of the ciders. However, this one was all DH’s, so I don't really have a lot to say about it. I do remember that he really liked two of these and really did not like one of them, but I can’t remember which is which, sorry.

Tropical Freeze with Cruzan Mango Rum from La Isla Fresca
As I mentioned above, this was my absolute favorite of all the drinks I had at the festival. I love mango and this was so sweet and refreshing and the perfect slushy consistency. I wish that I had thought to order more than one.

 

[iheartbelle87]

YUM! Give me alll of this!

 

[iheartbelle87]

I just realized my quotes never made it to my last post!

Then the day after Easter, she was mad because we didn't save her any food and then claimed that we never invited her. When I pointed out that we did ask her, she said that we didn't tell her we were going to visit grandma and she would have gone if she knew that. Because Easter with just us wasn't good enough. So annoying!

WHY. WHY. WHY. Siblings...

DH has a CPAP machine too, but I usually fall asleep before he turns it on, so the fan was really helpful. Or our neighbors were really quiet, either way, I slept great!

PERFECT!

 

[PrincessAshlee]

Day 2 – Sunday, February 25, 2018
Part 1 – Magic Kingdom​

On our first full day at Disney, we woke up at 6:30am, showered, got dressed and ready, and were waiting for the bus by 7:20am. Our breakfast reservation wasn’t until 8:20, but I wanted to be sure that we had plenty of time, since it was the day of the Princess Half Marathon and we had been warned that there would be delays.

Good Morning Mickey!!
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We had to take an alternate route to the Magic Kingdom and it was a long and bumpy. Thankfully the bus wasn’t crowded so everyone got a seat. Despite the cards in our rooms warning us that there were going to be delays, many of the other passengers were complaining that it was taking so long and they were going to miss their reservations. They also seemed surprised that they dropped us off at the ticket and transportation center, which meant it would take even longer to get to the park. After getting off the bus, we were led to the bag check lines. Security seemed extra thorough, but the lines actually moved pretty quickly. The monorail arrived just as we got up to the platform and we were off to the Magic Kingdom. We took the express monorail, so the ride was very quick, but there were still more people complaining about how long it was taking and that they were going to be late. Meanwhile, we were right on time, arriving at the gate around 8:00am. We quickly went through the passholder line (I really loved being able to use the passholder line. It just felt so special!)

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We stopped for a picture by the train station, but for some reason the photographer said that she could not take the picture from the center, only the side.

First View of the Castle!! There were still runners coming through, so half of Main Street was blocked off.​

The lines for pictures in front of the castle were long, so we decided to wait and just took a castle selfie instead. Then it was time to go check in at the Crystal Palace.

Obligatory Castle Selfie!!​

We checked in and waited about 5 minutes, before being told that our table was ready. The food was very good and the characters were great. DH loved the puffed french toast and the philly steak and eggs. I liked the crispy bacon and the cheesy potatoes. We both also liked the cinnamon roll balls.

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I decided this trip to work on taking character selfies because I always think they look so fun. (Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one that thinks selfies are fun though, because we got asked repeatedly all week if we wanted someone else to take the picture and all the people looked at me like I was crazy when I said no thanks. ) The only downside to the meal was this large family that was seated behind us. They were definitely the kind of people that think that they are the only people on vacation and no one else matters. The characters would go to their table first and then the kids would not let them leave and the parents would not tell the kids to sit back down, so they would get stuck there for at least 15-20 minutes. It was so annoying!

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Once we finished eating and I had finally gotten pictures with all of the characters, it was time to pay the bill and head out to explore the park.

Disney in the Springtime is so Beautiful!!
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But first pictures in front of the Crystal Palace. The poses that the photographer had us do were a little awkward (not inappropriate, just awkward), but I have never come across a photographer in this location before, so it was nice to have some different pictures.

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We started our exploring in Adventureland! We decided to ride the Jungle Cruise first since there was only a 5 minute wait.

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Then we rode the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, since it was a walk on and DH had never rode it before. ​

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One of the things that I wanted to do differently on this trip was to slow down and see things that we normally skip, so up next was the Enchanted Tiki Room! I hadn’t seen this since my high school band trip in 2005 and that was just because it was air conditioned and didn’t have a long wait. Both DH and I actually really enjoyed this show. The birds were cheesy, but cute and the benches were very comfortable. I would definitely recommend it as a break from the busy park.

In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room ​

After the watching the show, we headed over to the Bazaar to look around. We noted that they had really cute Hei Hei plushies. Then while we were looking at the new lion king and giraffe minnie ears, Hei Hei snuck up behind me and started clucking! Ok, it was a CM with a Hei Hei plushie, but it was very funny!!

Then it was time to use our FP for Pirates of the Caribbean. As we got in line, there was a group of three teenagers behind us. They were definitely locals and like us, they wanted to ride once more before POTC was closed the next day for renovations to the “red head scene”. At first I found their non-stop chatter kind of annoying , but it was kind of like having a tour guide, as they rattled off ride trivia, in the end it was pretty entertaining. They had also brought their own pirate flag and I think it made for a cool addition to our ride photo.

Not the best picture, but I think the pirate flag behind us is cool. ​

We had some time before our next FP, so we decided to wander around Frontierland. DH always likes to check out the pin store. Then we decided try another attraction that we usually skip, the Country Bear Jamboree. If I had ever seen this show before, I can’t remember. I wasn’t even aware of where it was located. I must have walked past it dozens of times before, but for some reason, I thought it was over by Splash Mountain. It was not exactly what I was expecting, but I did enjoy the show and it was fun to see something new and different.

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Then it was time to use our second FP to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This is a favorite for both me and DH! We love roller coasters! Disney coasters are pretty small and tame compared to the big coasters that we grew up riding at Cedar Point, but I’ve started to like them more, because they are very well themed and they all have a cute story to go along with them.

Ready for the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!​

After BTMRR, we decided to head towards Fantasyland. On the way, we saw a few of the Country Bears wandering around Frontierland, so we stopped to take a selfie with Shaker. I am usually a fan of the lines to meet the characters, but it was fun to see these guys just wandering around and interacting with all of the guests.

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We also made a stop at the Christmas store. One of the souvenirs that we buy on every trip is Christmas tree ornaments. I’m working on having an all Disney tree this year (I bought a new tree on sale after Christmas this year, so now we have three trees to decorate ). Unfortunately, there were not many new ornaments. They had new 2018 ornaments which were very cute; I had to buy the one where Chip and Dale are hiding in the Mickey hat (so adorable!!!) . But the rest of the ornaments seemed to be the same as what they had on our trip last spring. I’m hoping that they will have a better selection when we go in October and December and it is closer to Christmas.

We were starting to get a little hungry, so we decided to share a Cookie Sundae from Storybook Treats. It tasted good, but wasn’t great. The cookie was chewy and I would have preferred if it was a little crunchier, because when the ice cream started to melt, it became very mushy. The ice cream was just normal soft serve, but it was nice and refreshing. Overall I liked it, but next time I would probably just get a simple cone.

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It was finally time to use our last FP to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! I had been wanting to ride this since my 2014 trip, but it opened a couple weeks after I was there. I had gotten FPs on a couple of our other trips, but ended up cancelling them, because we had heard that it was very tight for larger people and DH was concerned that he would not fit. He agreed to try it this time, because he knew I really wanted to ride it. He did end up fitting, but just barely and he was very uncomfortable. I liked the ride, but felt so guilty that DH was miserable. Afterwards he joked that he lost a kneecap on that ride and would have to go back to find it once he’d lost some weight.

Finally since I was wearing my “Race You to the Teacups” shirt, we had to ride Mad Tea Party. I was able to get us same day FPs, so we only waited about 10 minutes. This is one of my most favorite rides and I would gladly spend half the day here if it wouldn’t make DH sick. He usually limits it to one or two rides per day. We only rode once this day, since I knew we would be back.

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On our way out, I had planned to take our picture on Main Street, but the Move It, Shake It Parade was going through. I was disappointed, but then I saw that there was a Photopass photographer taking pictures in the garden.

Not the best view of the Castle with those lights in the way, but we didn't have all of the crowds like on Main Street, so that it was still nice.​

It was time for a break back at the hotel, so we made the loooong walk to the bus stop, but luckily we only had to wait 5-10 minutes before the bus came.

 

[iheartbelle87]

Fabulous update! I love your 'race you to the teacups' shirt! So cute! That's too bad about your DH being so uncomfortable on 7DMT... boo!!

Despite the cards in our rooms warning us that there were going to be delays, many of the other passengers were complaining that it was taking so long and they were going to miss their reservations. They also seemed surprised that they dropped us off at the ticket and transportation center, which meant it would take even longer to get to the park.

Some people's children...

he characters would go to their table first and then the kids would not let them leave and the parents would not tell the kids to sit back down, so they would get stuck there for at least 15-20 minutes. It was so annoying!

UMM why. Why. Why.

I’m working on having an all Disney tree this year (I bought a new tree on sale after Christmas this year, so now we have three trees to decorate ).

That sounds ADORABLE! I cant' wait to see pics!

 

[PrincessAshlee]

Day 2 – Sunday, February 25, 2018​

Part 2 – Hollywood Studios​

After a nice nap back at the hotel , it was time to get ready to go back out to the parks. I decided to take a quick shower. Then we got dressed and headed out to catch the bus to Hollywood Studios. Again, we got to use the Passholder line.

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Shortly after we arrived, I realized that I had forgotten to re-apply deodorant after my shower! As everyone knows, in hot, sweaty Florida that is probably the worst thing that I could have forgotten! I really didn’t want to go all the way back to the hotel and I was sure they had to sell it somewhere in the park, so we stopped into Celebrity 5&10 to look. DH wanted to look for some new pins anyways. So I looked around for deodorant but didn’t see any, so I asked a CM. She didn’t know, so she asked another CM, who had to ask another CM and we made quite the group standing there whispering about deodorant. Ultimately, they decided that the best place to look would be Crossroads; which I didn’t even know was a store. I thought they just had park maps and gave directions. I should have known better, everything at Disney is a gift shop! Thankfully they did have deodorant at crossroads and it was actually reasonably priced by Disney standards (only about $2.50 for the travel size, although at that point he could have said it was $20 and I still would have bought it). So the night was saved!

After a quick trip to the bathroom to apply the deodorant, I went to look for DH. Of course he wasn’t in the store that I had left him in! So I went across the street to the other gift shop. I found him at one of the registers, but decided to look around while he paid for whatever he had decided to buy. I looked up a couple minutes later and he was gone! Such a man-child, I can’t take my eyes off of him for 2 seconds! Anyways I searched the store and found him at a different register. This time I decided to go up and wait with him so that I didn’t lose him again. Evidently he had found what he was looking for which was this limited edition Passholder pin.

Walt Disney World Passholder Pin (top left)​

After our shopping excursion, we decided to relax and have a couple drinks by the lake.

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We stopped at Peevy’s Polar Pipeline for a couple of alcoholic slushies (they have non-alcoholic too). DH got a frozen Jack and Coke and I got a concoction of frozen cherry, frozen lemonade, and Tito's Handmade Vodka. We both really enjoyed our drinks, although I did wish that mine had a little more cherry, as it was mostly lemonade.

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After we finished our drinks it was time to head over to Rock n Roller Coaster, as I was able to get a same day FP (FP #5 for that day). We stopped to take a picture with the upside down car; although we both look a little buzzed at that point.

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The ride was fun though and we both really enjoyed it. Afterwards we wandered around the gift shop and DH looked for more pins and I got my Minnie ears back out. RNRC is one of the few rides that I have found that I cannot wear my ears on; it’s just too fast. DH decided to buy another pin, I think it said Mickey Rocks.

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After we checked in for RNRC, I was able to make us another FP for Tower of Terror, so we walked over there next. DH loves TOT!!! The standby line was not very long anyways, but with the FP we were able to walk right up and into one of the pre-ride show rooms. Inside the ride car, I was seated next to this really cute little girl, she was clearly really scared. I wanted to help comfort her, but she didn’t speak any English and I don’t speak Spanish. In the gift shop, DH couldn’t decide on a TOT pin that he really liked, but I decided to get him a cute Mickey pin that says “I Love You”.

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For our final FP (#7), I had to refresh a bunch of times, but I was able to get us FPs for Fantasmic! DH still hadn’t seen more that a few minutes of the show and the only time that I had seen this show was on my 2014 girls trip and it was the coldest day of our trip (I think the high was only in the 50s) and we unknowingly sat in the spray zone (aka it was miserable ). Anyways, we showed up right when the FP window opened, but they had clearly been letting people in for a while, because the theater was already about two-thirds full. In addition, the only available FP seating was all the way to the left side; so much of the theater is now reserved for VIP and dining packages. We ultimately decided that it we probably weren’t going to get very good seats and we’d rather plan ahead and go back on a different day.

I love when the CM's have the time to make a little extra magic!​

On our way out, we stopped at the Sunset Ranch souvenir kiosk, because (I bet you already guessed it) DH wanted to look at more pins! I think I’ve created a monster. While he looked around, I found a nice bench to sit on and relax. DH bought a cute pin of Dug from Up; the back spins and reveals his different sayings. Squirrel!!

We then headed over to Sweet Spells to check out the yummy treats, but nothing looked particularly appealing, so we went over to the Trolley Car Cafe (Starbucks) for a Toffee Cookie. I had this on our last trip as well and I really like it. It’s kind of just a cookie, but it’s big and stays good for a few days. (I'm sure I have a picture somewhere from this trip or last, but i can't find it. )

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We stopped for a few pictures on our way out and caught the boat to the Dolphin Resort.

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[SweetSerenity]

I'm here! Loving your report!

I want a pair of rose gold ears terribly! My husband has always bought me rose gold jewelry, and my wedding set is rose gold. I just love the color.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Great report!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Shortly after we arrived, I realized that I had forgotten to re-apply deodorant after my shower! As everyone knows, in hot, sweaty Florida that is probably the worst thing that I could have forgotten! I really didn’t want to go all the way back to the hotel and I was sure they had to sell it somewhere in the park, so we stopped into Celebrity 5&10 to look. DH wanted to look for some new pins anyways. So I looked around for deodorant but didn’t see any, so I asked a CM. She didn’t know, so she asked another CM, who had to ask another CM and we made quite the group standing there whispering about deodorant. Ultimately, they decided that the best place to look would be Crossroads; which I didn’t even know was a store. I thought they just had park maps and gave directions. I should have known better, everything at Disney is a gift shop! Thankfully they did have deodorant at crossroads and it was actually reasonably priced by Disney standards (only about $2.50 for the travel size, although at that point he could have said it was $20 and I still would have bought it). So the night was saved!

I totally understand that! I actually got one of those Secret Freshies, which is a little portable deodorant, so I can keep it in my park bag!

On our way out, we stopped at the Sunset Ranch souvenir kiosk, because (I bet you already guessed it) DH wanted to look at more pins! I think I’ve created a monster.

Pins definitely become addictive!

 

[PrincessAshlee]

Day 2 – Sunday, February 25, 2018
Part 3 – Shulas & Boardwalk Bakery
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*I've been MIA from the Disboards for a while, but I haven't given up on this TR. This is the last post before our 4 Parks in 1 Day challenge, so stay tuned!*

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It was a great night to ride the boat to the Dolphin. We sat in the back and there was a great breeze off the water. It was so relaxing.

The trees changed colors in time with music. It was so cool!
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Since we had planned to stay at Hollywood Studios and watch Fantasmic, we arrived about an hour early for our dinner reservation. We took some time to look around the resort, since we had never been there before. It is really beautiful, but not really our style. We mostly stay at POP because of our budget, but I also really like all the over-the-top Disney theming. The Dolphin is pretty much the opposite of that. It has a very adult feel and not much Disney at all.

Beautiful Chandelier in the Lobby
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After we had looked around for a while, we decided to go ahead and check in at Shulas. The hostess was very nice and said that she would try to seat us early, but they may not be able to seat us until our reservation time. She took down my cell phone number and we decided to have a drink at the bar.

The bar was nice, but so tiny. It definitely had a sports bar feel but still kind of fancy. We sat at the only table available; which was next to a giant tv which took up most of the wall. The bartender was really great!! He was one of those people where you could tell that he had been working there for a long time and he took pride in being very good at his job.

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I knew that I wanted something with vodka (my usual liquor of choice), but I was not really interested in the blueberry martini that was on the menu, so I asked if they had any other martinis and he suggested a Lemon Drop Martini. It was really good!!! The perfect balance of sweet and sour. DH got one of the seasonal features, a Maple Nut Manhattan (Bulleit Bourbon and Rye Whiskies infused with Organic Vermont Maple Syrup, Butter and Toasted Pecans, and mixed with Dolin Sweet Vermouth and Angostura Bitters. Served chilled over a large ice cube.) and he really enjoyed his drink as well. He also really liked the alcohol infused cherries that were served on top. We considered having another round, but decided that we would just order them with our dinner.

The bartender was so nice and brought over our check without being asked, because he didn’t want us to have to wait to cash out if our table was ready. He seemed concerned that we hadn’t been seated yet and we explained that we were early for our reservation and were fine waiting. About ten minutes later as we were finishing up our drinks he came back and said he was going to go talk to the hostess and see what was taking so long (it was still about 15 minutes before our reservation time). I don’t know if he was concerned about us taking up a table and wanted the turnover or if he was just being nice, but either way, he came back a few minutes later and said “I told her that you were regulars so they would seat you sooner. They are ready for you now.”

The hostess did not seem very happy to be inconvenienced, but she lead us to our table anyways. Along the way, she asked us if we knew about the football that she was holding and I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to hear the story, but the bartender told her we were regulars, so I felt like I should play along. So I told her that we did, even though we didn’t. I know that restaurants like to space out seating people so that they don’t overwhelm the servers, but there were A LOT of empty tables, so I don’t really know why they were making us wait to be seated.

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Our waiter came and he was very nice! I told him that I couldn’t hear when the waitress was explaining about the football and asked if he could explain it to me. He explained that when the first Shulas was opened, the menu was so small that it only consisted of what was written on the football and that customers would have to pass the football around to order.

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He had also brought out a cart with all the different kinds of steak that they served. He explained each of the steaks to us and also that the sides were very large and meant to be shared.

We decided to share the 24 oz Porterhouse with Bernaise and Mary Anne Sauce. We also ordered the Potato Gratin, French Onion Soup, and Caesar Salad to share. DH also ordered a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale with his meal; which he really enjoyed.

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The salad came out first and the waiter had split it onto two plates for us, which I thought was very nice. My half of the salad looked like the size of a side salad at basically any other restaurant, so I was glad that we were sharing.

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He also brought out bread, which I thought tasted fine, but I’m not a big bread eater to begin with, so I’m probably not the best judge. Next was the French Onion Soup, which was amazing!!! It was probably the best French Onion Soup that I have ever had and I would highly recommend it!

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Finally it was time for the main event; the steak and potatoes! The steak was good, but not the best. The filet side was actually really really good, but the NY strip side was just ok. If we go back, I would just order the Filet Mignon. The potatoes were very good, but didn’t really stand out as a “wow” for me.

The only other restaurant that we have been to that I could compare it to is STK. We felt that the steak was better at STK, but the sides and atmosphere were much better at Shula’s.

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We chose not to get dessert at Shula’s, because after dinner, we took the boat over to the Boardwalk to go to the Boardwalk Bakery!! I’m not sure if it is always this way or just because we went at night, but I found their selection to be very underwhelming. But they did have one thing that I wanted to try: the Rose Gold Cupcake!! DH also insisted that he wanted a pre-packaged rice krispie for later, even though I told him that we could get one of the fresh ones the next day.

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We found a nice table on the Boardwalk to sit at and enjoy our dessert. The Rose Gold Cupcake was vanilla cake with raspberry filling and “rose scented” frosting with chocolate ears and little crunchy pearls for decoration. The frosting was amazing and I don’t normally like cake, but this was very good! If I hadn’t been so full from dinner, I would have eaten the whole thing myself.

The CM at the bakery suggested that we kiss the sparkly cupcake dome.

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It was getting late and we didn’t feel going through the hassle of taking the bus to Disney Springs, to catch the bus back to Pop Century, so we decided to try our very first Uber!! (Well that’s not true, it was my first Uber. DH had used Uber once before for BIL’s bachelor party.) Anyways, we were hooked! It was soooo much faster and easier than the bus, especially when traveling between resorts. We were back at our hotel in less than ten minutes! We got ready for bed and fell asleep just before midnight.

 

[Raeven]

The trees changed colors in time with music. It was so cool!

I love that!

Beautiful Chandelier in the Lobby

And this chandelier! I took a picture of it too

Next was the French Onion Soup, which was amazing!!! It was probably the best French Onion Soup that I have ever had and I would highly recommend it!

Ooo yum! I've had this on a list of things to possibly eat next time we're there and now I think I'm going to go for it in Dec!

The filet side was actually really really good, but the NY strip side was just ok. If we go back, I would just order the Filet Mignon.

I can confirm the filet dish is really delicious

The potatoes were very good, but didn’t really stand out as a “wow” for me.

I actually had those potatoes last time we went and mine were super dry and which was disappointing.

 

[PrincessAshlee]

Day 3 – Monday, February 26, 2018
4 Parks 1 Day - Park 1 – Animal Kingdom​

We were up bright and early at 6:15am on Day 3 for our 4 parks in 1 day challenge. We showered, got ready and were at the bus stop by 7:10am. The line for Animal Kingdom was very long and DH was worried, but I explained that most people would be headed to Pandora and we were going to visit that area on a different day. Despite the long line, we only waited 10 or 15 minutes. Disney was prepared and had two buses come fairly close together, so we were able to get on the second bus. While we waited in line, I posted some pictures to my Facebook account to share with our families back home.

The line started up by the red POP sign.
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In case you didn't read my PTR, in order to complete our challenge, we decided that we needed to accomplish certain things at each park. As far as I can tell, there are no specific guidelines for what the 4 parks in 1 day challenge is, other than visiting all 4 parks obviously. I read a few different blogs/TRs for inspiration and decided that at each park we would:

Take a picture with the park icon (castle, tree of life, epcot ball, chinese theater or ToT??)
Ride at least 1 ride
Eat a meal or snack
Drink an alcoholic beverage or specialty drink
Meet Mickey

When we arrived at Animal Kingdom, the first thing that we noticed was that the Joffrey’s cart was not open yet. This was disappointing, as I had planned for the big doughnut, to be our “something to eat” at that park. Also we were pretty hungry, because we hadn’t eaten anything yet, but we decided we would just find something else to eat once we were in the park.

The park was very busy, but organized. Once we were through bag check and the entrance gates, there was a group of CMs there to scan our magic bands again to ensure that we were onsite guests as it was an EMH morning. It only took about 15 minutes to get through all the lines. As we were walking through the Oasis, a woman loudly asked “Is this the way to the park?” Maybe it was sleep deprivation or just that we hadn’t had any coffee yet, but DH and I both found this to be very funny. There were hundreds of people being herded that direction, where did she think that we all were going, if not into the park?!?

Park #1

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We first took some pictures in front of the Tree of Life, so we got one item checked off of our to-do list. Then, once we were into the main park area, I looked on the app and realized that the only QS that was open was the Starbucks and the line for that was crazy long! We decided to tough it out and wait until the other options opened at 9.

It seemed as though everyone had headed to Pandora, because Asia was basically empty.
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We walked back to Expedition Everest. This is one of our favorite rides and we were able to ride it twice as it was basically a walk on. It was so fun! We thought about riding a third time but it was about 8:30 and we decided to head back to Discovery Island.

It was such a beautiful, peaceful morning. The perfect way to start our busy day.​

We arrived at Isle of Java around 8:50 and it was already open. We ordered an Island Cappuccino (with white chocolate and Captain Morgan spiced rum) and a blueberry muffin. I was surprised to find out that the coffee was hot, so I asked for a cup of ice to pour it over. It was pretty good, but not great. I’m not sure if I would order it again. The blueberry muffin was good, but typical of what you could get anywhere; nothing special or Disney about it.

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We took our food and drink and got in line to meet Mickey and Minnie at Adventurers Outpost. They didn’t arrive until 9 and I didn’t expect it to be so busy, but we had to wait about 25 minutes. Meeting Mickey was the last item on our list for that park, so then we headed to the buses.

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Challenge Goals - Park #1 - Animal Kingdom
Take a picture with the park icon - Tree of Life
Ride at least 1 ride - Expedition Everest x2
Eat a meal or snack = Blueberry Muffin
Drink an alcoholic beverage or specialty drink - Island Cappuccino
Meet Mickey - Safari Mickey

 

[PrincessAshlee]

Day 3 – Monday, February 26, 2018
4 Parks 1 Day - Park 2 – Hollywood Studios​

The line for the bus to Hollywood Studios was surprisingly long, but we were all able to fit on the bus. I also took this time to change my bow. I had made different colored bows for each park and they attached to my Mickey ears with Velcro.

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We arrived at Hollywood Studios right on schedule, around 10am. We took a couple pictures before entering the park and then headed straight to meet Mickey. We had scheduled to use our initial fastpasses at this park, but they do not offer a FP for meeting Mickey (they really should, as it is the only park that doesn’t ). The line for Mickey was about 30-35 minutes. It seemed long but there was a really cute little boy in front of us and he was so entertaining. We talked with him and his mom for a while and it definitely seemed to make the time go faster.

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Since the line to meet Mickey was so long, we missed our FP for Rock n’ Roller Coaster , but that was ok because we had plans to ride it a different day. So, we then headed straight to our other FP - Tower of Terror; which is DH’s favorite ride at HS.

I'm not usually a fan of ride photos, bc we are usually never looking at the right time , but this one turned out really good and I love the mix of reactions from the other riders too!​

After riding, we stopped to take a few pictures, since I decided that the Hollywood Tower Hotel would be the icon for HS.

Park #2​

Then it was time for lunch, so we headed over to the Tune In Lounge.

Tune In Lounge is connected to 50s Prime Time. I really love all the attention to detail in the decorations!!
I'm pretty sure that my childhood babysitter had those same cupboards and plates on the wall! ​

We were lucky and there were a couple of seats available at the bar. We decided to order some drinks, DH ordered a draft beer (I forgot to make a note of what kind), but I couldn’t decide what I wanted, so I just asked the bartender to make something pretty. After a bit of debate on what I considered pretty, he decided to make me a Grandma’s Picnic Punch (vodka, peach schnapps, creme de cassis, light lemonade, pineapple juice, and a souvenir glow cube) since it was purple like my bow. It was very good!!!

Me and My Pretty Drink ​

We spent a little time talking with the couple next to us. The wife had commented that she liked my ordering style and explained that when they were there last with their daughter, the daughter had chosen her drinks based on color too. They were very nice and the wife offered to take a few pictures of us, but they ended up being at a pretty unflattering angle, so I will not be sharing those , but it’s the thought that counts.

For lunch we decided to split the Sampling of Mom's Favorite Recipes (golden-fried chicken, fork tender pot roast, and traditional meatloaf with all the fixings) and an order of Beer-battered Onion Rings. I especially liked the onion rings which were quite possibly the best onion rings that I have ever had! It was all delicious though and I can’t wait to go back again!

Soooooo Good!!!! ​

After we finished our lunch, it was time to catch the boat to Epcot. Although by that point I was getting pretty tired and wished that we were going for a nap instead.

I knew it was going to be an exhausting day, so I took the chance to sit and rest whenever possible.
DH found this amusing and there are about 10 pictures of me like this. ​

Challenge Goals - Park #2 - Hollywood Studios
Take a picture with the park icon - Hollywood Tower Hotel
Ride at least 1 ride - Tower of Terror
Eat a meal or snack - Mom’s Favorite Recipes & Onion Rings
Drink an alcoholic beverage or specialty drink - Grandma’s Picnic Punch & Draft Beer
Meet Mickey - Sorcerer Mickey

 

[Lesley Wake]

I couldn’t decide what I wanted, so I just asked the bartender to make something pretty. After a bit of debate on what I considered pretty, he decided to make me a Grandma’s Picnic Punch (vodka, peach schnapps, creme de cassis, light lemonade, pineapple juice, and a souvenir glow cube) since it was purple like my bow. It was very good!!!

I also love your ordering method! Very cute with the bow!