Who Says a Platypus Doesn't Do Much?

[tyandskyesmom]

So the day dawned bright and early the next day. The alarm was set for 5:00am...and we were all up! By 6:35am we were on the bus after stopping to fill our mugs with the usual drinks. We were planning to get to the Magic Kingdom and then walk or monorail to the Contemporary. But the bus driver took us right to the Contemporary....so we were a tad early...the place we were heading didn't even open until 7:30am , which is when our reservation was for!



So we sat in front of the tv in the lobby playing War for a while before we went to check in at The Wave for breakfast...







We sat in The Wave lobby for a few minutes waiting to be called...



We were the first ones called in and sat near the entry.









Now, I almost cancelled this one. I had us in for dinner...and I changed it to lunch...and ended up with breakfast. And then seeing how we were out so late, I almost cancelled...but the kids did not want to. It was a basic family style restaurant for the most part for breakfast. But it was pretty cool walking into the wave. We had excellent service. And the food was good. I was afraid the kids would see "whole grain" and words like that on the menu and not even give it a chance. I needn't have worried. We loved it.

Before we ordered the waiter told us to go check out the new buffet the were trying out. It had most of the menu items and a few other things. We knew we would be eating a lot of breakfast buffets so we oped out.

Skye had the kid's one egg, bacon, biscuit, and potatoes.



She liked it. It had a little of a lot of things.

Ty and I shared two things. We had the Mulitgrain French Toast with fruit compote and bacon...



...and...

...the American breakfast which was two eggs, potatoes, buscuit, and bacon...



The french toast came with four slices and we split them...I had the bacon and potatoes, Tyler had the eggs.

It was all hot and fresh. We left full and happy!

It cost us about $35.00 plus tip...but we used two adult and one kid's credit.​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So after breakfast we headed up to the monorail platform...







Our destination...Epcot!





By 9:20am we were in line at Soarin' with fast passes for later.











​

 

[lbuzz52]

joining in! i love it so far! I love Skye's hair and top in the last installment. did you cross the hair before clipping again? and the shirt reminds me of ones from my childhood. looking forward to reading more.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

joining in! i love it so far! I love Skye's hair and top in the last installment. did you cross the hair before clipping again? and the shirt reminds me of ones from my childhood. looking forward to reading more.

Thanks!!!

Yes, I start fromthe front and work my way back...it looks.really pretty when it's down and you can do 4 or 5 rows down but it was way too hot for hair down!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Sorry guys...we've had a lot of things going on here and some has been good and some bad but none-the-less we have been too busy to keep up here...

I was feeling a little down for a while too but now I think I am ready to remember again so we'll get on with it...

But before I do, a little abount life...

Tyler is now in 7th grade and is on the stage crew for the fall play (Shakespeare Shake-up) and was pulled for a one line part becasue they were short boys. He is also on Student Council too. His football made it to the first round of the play-offs. He did nto play much because the coach does not ;ike me but that's a story for another time.

Skye is still in two gymnastics classes a week and five dance classes. We just found out tonight what level she is dancing at for the year. Last year she danced level 1 competition, ballet, tap, and jazz. This year she is in level 3 competition, intermediate hip hop, a mixed level 3/4/5 tap class (becasue there was not enough girls in any one of them so they combines them) and level 5 ballet and jazz!!!!! I am so proud of her...and she is so excited. She knows she is going to have to work hard to keep up and to prove she belongs there but she's up for it. Their theme this year is F.A.M.E. which translated to songs of Frank Sinatra, Adele, Michael Jackson, and Elvis. She has Jail House Rock (Elvis) for competition, Hip hip is Billie Jean (Micheal Jackson), Tap is All Shook Up (Elvis), ballet is Hometown Glory (Adele) and Jazz is Rumor Has It (Adele). She is really enjoying herself this year! In the summer they are going to Disneyland and Vegas for a ten day tour so we will have a whole different trip to plan...looking forward to that but so far we don't have any details and I am not very west coast orientated so we'll see what we get.

We have some big changes coming up in our lives in the near future some of which are good and some bad and all a bit on the scary side. All of which I am not ready to talk about yet...but when I am, I'll fill you in!

So I am planning on getting back to our regularly scheduled trip report in the very near future!​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Got my PhotoPass CD yesterday!!!

Did I tell you guys about that mess??? No, I probably did not get there in the story yet.

Well, Skye was the keeper of the cards. And throughout the trip she lost two of them!!!! I was so mad! And of course those were the two I had not taken pictures of so we lost a ton of pictures.

Then, I entered what I had (the passes and the numbers fro the receipts from our princess meals) and played with them and then time completely got away from me. I did not ever get a reminder like they used to send when it got closer to your expiration date....nothing! So when I realized it was too late, I e-mailed them and got a 15 day extension and they also said if I could tell them what pictures I was missing, park, dates, characters in them, who was in the pictures and what they were wearing they might be able to recover them. That is a really great feature!

Well, there were a few I was able to know I was missing but not all of them and with my crazy hectic schedule, I was too busy to sit down and get organized enough to e-mail them back with what details I remembered...

So, I settled for the ones I had because I was looking at expiration again so I just settled for what I had. I am so mad but I think I took pictures at most of the pics that were on there. At least the ones we are not all in, and I don't think there were many of those.

So Skye has been fired from being the photopass card holder for all future trips.

And good news...I really want to get going on this again and am thinking I might have time very soon!!!! I hope I did not lose all my readers...​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So continuing on....

We stopped at the bathroom on the way out after our great ride and then headed over to check out Test Track. Skye decided last time that that was her favorite at Epcot.

We crossed the park...





We arrived at Test Track but the stand-by line was already at 45 minutes and we could not get another fast pass yet. This is the worst line for waiting, even when you have a fast pass, becasue it seems to break down a lot.

So we headed over to check out Mouse Gears. The kids bought hats.



She swore tome whe'd wear this all the time while we were here. I told her she wouldn't. She did not beieve me and insisted. It wasn't that it wasn't cute but I just knew she would not wear it.

We spent some time in there. Skye was looking for the old doll clothes they had last time we were there becasue Chichi needed new clothes but she could not find any.

When we were done therre we were able to get the Test Track fast passes and we headed to Mission : Space.



Skye wasn't sure about riding because this is the first time she wss big enough to even ride the easy side...and heck, I did not want to ride the crazy side either! So we rode the easy side.



Skye decided she wanted to ride the pther side, and Tyler agreed. SO I told them they had to wait for Lou. I just am not sure if it's worth the chance of not feeling well for the rest of the day???

So we headed to Universe of Energy to visit Ellen...



We love that ride. And today it was very welcome becasue it was so hot out, it felt great to get insude the air conditioning for a little while.​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So we headed back to Test Track for fast passes and stopped at Cool Wash for two frozen drinks. I don't think I have a picture though.We got a frozen coke an a frozen raspberry lemonade. They were $4.00 each and were sooo worth it and by the time we arrived at our lunch destination, they were gone!

We had a 1pm ADr at Chefs de France.



We did arrive early and we were sat right away. We had a great seat in the front atrium. We were not right on the window but we were close enough. The room was still pretty empty. Again, contrary to what I hear all the time, we did not feel like we were on top of our neighbors.









Our server was Flavie and she was great! She was a little hard to understand but she was patient. We were really hot so she brought us all water and then took our drink order. We had the usual. Flavie was very friendly with the kids, especially Skyler. Skye really liked her!

We ordered our appetizers and were brought our bread...



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It;s not our favorite kind of bread but the kids love bread services so it was not wasted! It was a firm, crusty bread that was warm and soft on the inside. The one thing I don't get it why they serve froxen butter pats with it???

While we were waiting for our appetizers, Flavie came back and asked the kids questions about France. And then she told them about what France is known for and things like that. She told them how to say a few things in French. She really spent a long time at our table talking to them and teaching them about France.

When our appetizers were ready, she brought Skye's Salade Verte (Mixed green salad). It was supposed ot have no dressing but it was dressed, and well, that just wasn't going to happen so Flavie took it back and came back with a whole new one right away.



She picked out the things she liked of it and left the rest. She even ate some of the "weird" lettuce.

I had the Soupe a l'oignon gratinee (The classic onion soup topped with gruyere cheese)...it's my favorite! Lou makes a pretty great onion soup but it is never the same as in France...





Ooooohhhhh, it was so good...I wish I had some now!

And Tyler...well, Tyler did not see much he really wanted for an appetizer so he decided to get Cassolette d'escargots de Bourgogne au beurre persille (Casserole of burgundian escargots baked in parsley and garlic butter). Now, we've never had snails before...and we really did not know what to expect. We knoew what they looked like from dining here in the past and seeing them delivered...so we knew they woudl not look like a snail.



Well, they look weird. You really cannt see the snail. So i had to be the brave one and try it first...or he wasn't gonna. So I did. And you know what? They kinda taste like mooshy shrimp. But the broth they were in was awesome...garlicy, pesto-y, mmmm...and maybe that is what I liked best about them. Tyler tried one and that was enough for him. BUT, he said it was ok. And I think his issues was less with that it was a snail and more with that he's not a sause kinds guy. I mean this kid does not "dip". He doesn't eat casseroles or soup or gravy. So I think without the broth, he may have liked them better...but that is still to be decided. I think we ate about four of them.​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So after we were done with our appetizers, our entrees arrived...

Skye had Blanc de Poulet Aux Nouilles (Breaded chicken strip served with pasta)...



...two of her favorite things! She loved it and ate a lot of it!

I had Croque monsieur et sa salade verte (the classic French toasted ham and cheese sandwich served with a green salad).



I had been watching reviews of this for a long time. I love me a good sandwich. But for every good review, there was a bad one. So I was worried. I shouldn't have worried though...it was sooooo good! But I could only eat about half of it! I was very disappointed. I did take it with me but with all the food we had, I never ate it. But it was really good. The cheese was nicely gooey, there was the right amount of ham. The whole sandwich is french toasted (so it was put together, dipped in teh egg wash and then cooked) and nicely browned! It was a perfect sandwich! And the salad was really nice and refreshing...went perfectly with the sandwich...fried would have been too much.

Tyler had Demi poulet fermier roit, Pommes puree au basilic et tomate braisee
(Half of an all-natural rotisserie chicken, basil-flavored mashed potatoes and braised tomato).



I have had this before but thought it was too dry. He thought the chicken was great. The potatoes were awesome...they were chunked and the outside was crispy (like crunch when you bite them crispy) and the middle was soft. They were like rea;;y good french fries.

While we were eating, we had a visitor...





He was really cute. The kids loved figuring out how he worked. Remy asked us if we had any pets. And when we said a dog, he was ok with that but when we said we had a cat, well, he was not happy. Them Marie ran by outside the window and stopped and watched remy through the window. She did that a few times while we were there. It was pretty funny.

For dessert, Skye had Choix de Glace ou Sorbet (Choice of Ice Cream or Sorbet - vanilla, chocolate or sorbet of the day)...



She opted for plain old boring vanilla. But she liked it so that's all that mattered!

I had the Crepe a la pomme et cannelle, glace vanille, caramel jus de pommes (Crepes filled with cinnamon, apple, vanilla ice cream and apple caramel sauce)...



It was not what I planned on getting...I don't know what I got it...but I am glad I did. It was very good. And while I don't want to say it was a lite dessert, it was not as heavy as a lot of the desserts we had on the trip and it was different than my usual choices so it was refreshing.

Tyler got a chocolate cake with vanilla gelato and strawberry sauce. I don't see it on the allears menu and it is listed on the receipt as "chocolate cake".



It was very rich and good! He loved it...and I believe, ate it all!

All in all, we love Chefs de france. We love the service, the food, the choices, the venue, all of it.


We spent 2 adult and 1 kid's credit but would have paid $94.70 out of pocket. We left a $17.00 tip.

We left at 1:26pm so we must have been seated really early because we were by no means rushed out of there and we took our time enjoying our meal.

We will definatley be back here...​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

After lunch we grabbed a boat across the lagoon to Mexico.





And we walked around back towards Test Track.









​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So we used our fast passes for Test Track...

























It was a great ride!​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

After our ride we walked through and looked at the cars. Tyler found his future car...



We walked back across towards Soarin'...





And stopped in for a ride on Spaceship Earth.



Another of our favorites!

At the end, we entered...



We sent some of our future home...



The kids played...





We rode Soarin' with our fast passes, rode Journey into Imagination, watched Captain EO (which I don't remem ber ever seeing before), played with the water fountains, and made our way over to dinner.​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Hey, WAIT!!!

I foind some additional info so I need to add to and maybe re-arrange a little from the last post...

Here we go!

So the kids played at the end of Spaceship Earth...



We headed out...



We stopped by the big fountain...



We found this little guy to watch for a while...





We then headed over to Innoventions...I want to say it was West becasue that would have been the way we were heading but I don't remember...I could probably find out but I'm too lazy...if anyone knows, please fill us all in...

We did the...



...game. The kids love that game. We did not win. Tyler blamed Skyler.

We also played...










...to be continued...
​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

...Continued...







The kids though that was fun!

Then we looked around a little more...



...and headed out towards the other side.





And we headed to see Figment...Skye loves him!











And we headed into the Image Works...which is now very sad!​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So after our visit with Figment, we stopped in the labs at the end where almost nothing is the same anymore. All the computer areas are the same now, there is no live anything in there, the music makers are still there and the floor is still there but they took all the cool sounds out.





So needless to say, it did not take us long in there...now getting out of the shop at the end is another story!

We headed to see...



I don't remember ever seeing it before. it was fun...but hey, we like silly sci-fi musicals so we were all good!

Then we played with water...



















​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We also saw this guy trying to cool off...



Then we headed to The Land again.







And had another great flight!!!! We cannot get enough of that ride...apparently, we're not the only ones!

So we started towards The Seas...



...for our 7:35pm dinner ADR!​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So we arrived about 15 munites early for our 7:35pm ADR at The Coral Reef.

And we waited about 30 minutes to be seated. This is my one routine complaint about this place...we always wait to be seated!

I became fascinated with Disney lights on this trip (I think I told you that already) so here you go...



We were taken to our seatson the first ledge in the first round booth. Of course, Tyler was not happy. I had to remind him that we have been lucky enough to sit next to the tank many times. And our seat wasn't that bad...although I am not in the crowd that thinks that all seats in there are good seats...especially for little kids.

So we were given our menus and brought our bread and drinks...













For appetizers Tyler decided on Crispy-fried Shrimp (with Jicama slaw and spiced remoulade)...plain...just fried shrimp...



They were really good and fresh. I don't know what they tasted like dressed though.

I decided on the Fish Tostadas (with Napa Cabbage, avocado-cilantro cream and fresh lime)...





They were good...I am not sure what kind of fish they were though. I don't think I would order them again but I might...depending on what I had a taste for that day and what else was on the menu.

Skye had fries and fries for her appetizer and they came with her pizza



Skye loves the kid's pizzas at Diney and with the rest of the food they are just the right size. ​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

For entrees Tyler got Grilled New York Strip Steak (served with horseradish smashed potatoes, and marketfresh vegetables). He ordered it plain with fries instead of the horsefadish smashed potatoes.



He also had no veggies. He was thrilled with his perfectly medium rare steak. Not really what I go to The Coral Reef for but to each his own!

I had the Lobster Ravioli (with Rock Shrimp, fresh Tarragon, and Lobster Cream).



It was good but tasted like ones I have had from Sam's Club. Not a huge lobster taste. I do not think I would order this again...it just didn't stand out for me as great.

For dessert Skye had a make-your-own sundae...





She loves making them as much as eating them!

Ty had The Chocolate Wave (served with raspberries)...



It was really good especially with the respberry ice cream!

I ordered the Cheesecake Napoleon (with berry compote (no sugar added))...



And it was really good! We all liked it a lot!

All in all, we had a good meal...not great for all of us but definately good...and great for some. A turtle sat down by the window next to the people at the table next to the glass in front of us so we got to watch him watch them eat. it was kinda funny!

We spent $116.95 on dinner and left a $21.00 tip. We were out of there around 8:57pm...so it was kind of a long meal for us...but we were tired and it was nice to sit and enjoy our meal.

I am sure we will be back but I will order differently next time.​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So after dinner, we headed up to the gate...of course stopping to play on the light up sidewalk.





We hopped a bus back to All Star Movies. We did not have to wait very long and we were arriving back at the hotel shortly. We stopped for a refill in our mugs and went off to our room.



When we walked in, these guys were waiting for us...



Chichi was controlling the TV while Elle, Lotso, and the Jimbos were watching!

We all changed and got ready for bed and were sound asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows!​

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Sorry, don't knw how that happened!