Whose Bright Idea Was it to Drive to Disney Anyway? Oh wait - that was me.
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JenSop
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PART FIVE:
BRING ON THE EXTRA MAGIC HOURS!
One of the things we were so excited about on this trip was trying out the new restaurant at Kidani Village: Sanaa. We dont get much Indian food in our part of Pennsylvania, so this was going to be a real treat!
We headed out in to the very hot (still!) Florida air and started our walk over to Kidani. I know you can take a Downtown Disney bus over to Kidani, but its way quicker to walk. Even in the heat.
We made our way down to the restaurant and were seated right away. Our table was on the far side of the dining room, just past the last window over looking the savanna. We were close enough to be able to see out all the windows. The decor in Sanaa is just beautiful! (Shouldve snapped a pic of that - its just how it looked on the blog reports on allears!)
We both decided to start with Blackberry Mojitos - yummy!
Our servers name was Hicham (I hope I got that spelling right!) He was excellent! Great at making suggestions (since we dont know this kind of food very well.) And we really enjoyed chatting with him about our favorite Disney rides. Although, we were a bit shocked to hear that he had never been on Haunted Mansion.
We told him it was an absolute MUST-DO! If anyone has him as a server, check in with him for us and see if hes made it on the ride yet! (He promised he would!)
We also had a nice view from our seat. The giraffes were walking around outside the windows most of the night, and at one point they got REALLY close, although by then it was pretty dark out.
I had read wonderful things about the Bread Service, so even though it was extra out of pocket, we decided we had to try it. We were able to pick three breads so we went with Nann, Roti, and Paneer Paratha. They were all good and each was very unique. We were also able to choose three dipping sauces for the breads from a long list. We wanted to make sure we had some spicy choices and Hicham was very helpful in making our decision easier. We went with Coriander Chutney (my favorite), Tamarind Chutney, and Mango-Lime Pickle. What a great start to our meal!
Entrees:
Brian got the Tandoori Lamb Chops. All he could keep saying the whole time was wow. They were that good. SO GOOD! The lamb just melted off the bone.
I got the shrimp with green curry and the chicken with red curry. (You could pick two choices from a list of four. I thought my dish was great too!
For dessert, Brian had the vanilla coconut rice pudding. I had read about someone not liking it on the restaurant boards, but honestly I thought it was really good. It was not a traditional american gloppy rice pudding (which is good as well!) but more of a sweet rice dish, I guess? Anyway, it was quite nice - the rice was tender and it was not too coconut-y.
I had the Mango pudding. It also was very good. Had a consistency somewhere between pudding and mousse. An excellent light end to dinner and not too sweet.
We let our server know that we were gearing up for a late night at Magic Kingdom. The park was open for everyone until midnight, but resort guests could enjoy EMH (Extra Magic Hours) until 3am.
We didnt think wed make it to 3, but we needed some caffeine to help us make it through. I dont like coffee, so we wanted to have some tea with enough caffeine to make it count.
Our server went to consult some of the others CMs to find out what might give us the most kick. We ended up with some Darjeeling (sp?) It tasted great with cream and sugar. Our server even gave us to-go cups to take the rest of it with us. (And I think he gave us a little extra too.)
Here we are at our table:
Before leaving, we each made a restroom trip. I only mention this because the restrooms were GORGEOUS. I went first and told Brian how nice they were, so he took the camera in to the men's room and got some pictures:
Even the sinks were beautiful:
Overall, we LOVED our Sanaa experience. It will be a must-do for me from now on!
We walked back to our room to get changed out of our dinner clothes and to put the tea in the fridge (to save for the morning.)
We ended up leaving our room at 10pm. Didnt get to MK until about 10:30. I was feeling a bit crazy going out this late, but night time really is my favorite time at the Magic Kingdom. It really does seem to have an aura of magic around it!
Plus, you cant beat the castle when it glows all those wonderful colors!
We decided that we wanted to ride the Jungle Cruise, since we hadnt done so in YEARS. For those who know, this ride is all about the dry humor. And you have to have the right CM to make it work. Our guide was Sara and she was great - very funny. Although I did feel bad, as it sounded like her voice was really getting tired. As a singer, I notice EVERYONES voice. I spend a lot of time teaching people how to sing, so my ear is really fine tuned to hearing all kinds of things. I hope she was just a little raspy from overuse and that she got some vocal rest later.
After that, we headed over to Pirates. This ride is ALL about the nostalgia. Do you remember that first time you rode it as a kid? Even waiting in line was cool because of all the hidden rooms and props. This is one Ill never get tired of!
Here I am hanging out in line in my fave Disney T-shirt; a Pirates one!:
My favorite part of the ride is that awesome tableau not long before the falls - the one with the skeleton steering the ship with the wind blowing and the sky churning in the background. SO COOL! I think Brian gets annoyed at me, because every time we get to that part in the ride, I always say out loud that its my favorite. (tee hee!)
Whats my LEAST favorite part of the ride? All the idiots using flash photography in the enclosed dark rides. This gets my goat something fierce! They do it in Haunted Mansion sometimes too, but its most noticeable in Pirates. Turn OFF your flash or turn OFF your camera. Basta!
After Pirates, we headed over to Liberty Square to ride Haunted Mansion. This is also a huge nostalgia ride for me as well. When I was on my first trip, my eight year old little self really though it was all real. Apparently I left horrible finger nail marks in my dads arm because I was so scared and holding on for dear life! Especially because of the ghosts that follow you home! haha!
When we took my parents (and grandmother) down to Disney last year, I made sure to ride Haunted Mansion with Daddy for old-times sake. But that time I didnt leave nail marks in his arm - lol!
I also had to walk by the Cinderella fountain in Fantasy Land. I just always love it. And it looks beautiful at night in silhouette:
Now, I need to say that Brian is NOT a fan of water rides. I on the other hand, have always loved them. (I used to ride the log flume ride at Dorney Park in Allentown continuously when I was younger!) Its just fun to get wet while falling down a big hill!
BUT, I had just about convinced Brian to ride. Even got him to dress in his quick-dry shorts so he wouldnt be so uncomfortable.
These pics sort of tell the story.....
He finally agreed and we went and got Fast Passes!
Then we went right over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad immediately after and waited in the stand by line. It really wasnt that bad (waited about 30 minutes) except it was SO HOT in the line area, as they were using most of the space. There was a crazy guy waiting in line in front of us in long pants and long sleeves! If that were me, youd find my dead body lying in my own pool of sweat!
We enjoyed BTMR as usual. (It was officially the first roller coaster I had ever been on - back on that first trip.)
After that, it was time to use our Splash Mountain fast passes!!!!
Lets just say we got soaked. And since there was no line anymore, I convinced Brian to ride it again! We got even MORE soaked!
And Brian was okay with it!
We decided it was time to start heading back. Of course we cut through Adventureland (our fave land at MK!) I almost convinced Brian to ride Pirates again, as it was 2:30 am and there was NO LINE. Alas, he wanted to just head out. (And with Space Mountain being closed for refurb, that ride was out of our trip equation.)
We snapped a nice pic from up on the train platform using a longer ISO on the camera, so we didnt need the flash. You can see the mass exodus of other EMHers heading out down Main Street.
What a nice evening - great dinner and great time at Magic Kingdom!
Next up - our morning at Epcot! And I become the official Fast Pass Runner for the trip! Also: which of our favorite restaurants turns out to be our worst trip experience?.......just wait and see!
BRING ON THE EXTRA MAGIC HOURS!
One of the things we were so excited about on this trip was trying out the new restaurant at Kidani Village: Sanaa. We dont get much Indian food in our part of Pennsylvania, so this was going to be a real treat!
We headed out in to the very hot (still!) Florida air and started our walk over to Kidani. I know you can take a Downtown Disney bus over to Kidani, but its way quicker to walk. Even in the heat.
We made our way down to the restaurant and were seated right away. Our table was on the far side of the dining room, just past the last window over looking the savanna. We were close enough to be able to see out all the windows. The decor in Sanaa is just beautiful! (Shouldve snapped a pic of that - its just how it looked on the blog reports on allears!)
We both decided to start with Blackberry Mojitos - yummy!
Our servers name was Hicham (I hope I got that spelling right!) He was excellent! Great at making suggestions (since we dont know this kind of food very well.) And we really enjoyed chatting with him about our favorite Disney rides. Although, we were a bit shocked to hear that he had never been on Haunted Mansion.
We told him it was an absolute MUST-DO! If anyone has him as a server, check in with him for us and see if hes made it on the ride yet! (He promised he would!)We also had a nice view from our seat. The giraffes were walking around outside the windows most of the night, and at one point they got REALLY close, although by then it was pretty dark out.
I had read wonderful things about the Bread Service, so even though it was extra out of pocket, we decided we had to try it. We were able to pick three breads so we went with Nann, Roti, and Paneer Paratha. They were all good and each was very unique. We were also able to choose three dipping sauces for the breads from a long list. We wanted to make sure we had some spicy choices and Hicham was very helpful in making our decision easier. We went with Coriander Chutney (my favorite), Tamarind Chutney, and Mango-Lime Pickle. What a great start to our meal!
Entrees:
Brian got the Tandoori Lamb Chops. All he could keep saying the whole time was wow. They were that good. SO GOOD! The lamb just melted off the bone.
I got the shrimp with green curry and the chicken with red curry. (You could pick two choices from a list of four. I thought my dish was great too!
For dessert, Brian had the vanilla coconut rice pudding. I had read about someone not liking it on the restaurant boards, but honestly I thought it was really good. It was not a traditional american gloppy rice pudding (which is good as well!) but more of a sweet rice dish, I guess? Anyway, it was quite nice - the rice was tender and it was not too coconut-y.
I had the Mango pudding. It also was very good. Had a consistency somewhere between pudding and mousse. An excellent light end to dinner and not too sweet.
We let our server know that we were gearing up for a late night at Magic Kingdom. The park was open for everyone until midnight, but resort guests could enjoy EMH (Extra Magic Hours) until 3am.
We didnt think wed make it to 3, but we needed some caffeine to help us make it through. I dont like coffee, so we wanted to have some tea with enough caffeine to make it count.
Our server went to consult some of the others CMs to find out what might give us the most kick. We ended up with some Darjeeling (sp?) It tasted great with cream and sugar. Our server even gave us to-go cups to take the rest of it with us. (And I think he gave us a little extra too.)
Here we are at our table:
Before leaving, we each made a restroom trip. I only mention this because the restrooms were GORGEOUS. I went first and told Brian how nice they were, so he took the camera in to the men's room and got some pictures:
Even the sinks were beautiful:
Overall, we LOVED our Sanaa experience. It will be a must-do for me from now on!
We walked back to our room to get changed out of our dinner clothes and to put the tea in the fridge (to save for the morning.)
We ended up leaving our room at 10pm. Didnt get to MK until about 10:30. I was feeling a bit crazy going out this late, but night time really is my favorite time at the Magic Kingdom. It really does seem to have an aura of magic around it!
Plus, you cant beat the castle when it glows all those wonderful colors!
We decided that we wanted to ride the Jungle Cruise, since we hadnt done so in YEARS. For those who know, this ride is all about the dry humor. And you have to have the right CM to make it work. Our guide was Sara and she was great - very funny. Although I did feel bad, as it sounded like her voice was really getting tired. As a singer, I notice EVERYONES voice. I spend a lot of time teaching people how to sing, so my ear is really fine tuned to hearing all kinds of things. I hope she was just a little raspy from overuse and that she got some vocal rest later.
After that, we headed over to Pirates. This ride is ALL about the nostalgia. Do you remember that first time you rode it as a kid? Even waiting in line was cool because of all the hidden rooms and props. This is one Ill never get tired of!
Here I am hanging out in line in my fave Disney T-shirt; a Pirates one!:
My favorite part of the ride is that awesome tableau not long before the falls - the one with the skeleton steering the ship with the wind blowing and the sky churning in the background. SO COOL! I think Brian gets annoyed at me, because every time we get to that part in the ride, I always say out loud that its my favorite. (tee hee!)
Whats my LEAST favorite part of the ride? All the idiots using flash photography in the enclosed dark rides. This gets my goat something fierce! They do it in Haunted Mansion sometimes too, but its most noticeable in Pirates. Turn OFF your flash or turn OFF your camera. Basta!
After Pirates, we headed over to Liberty Square to ride Haunted Mansion. This is also a huge nostalgia ride for me as well. When I was on my first trip, my eight year old little self really though it was all real. Apparently I left horrible finger nail marks in my dads arm because I was so scared and holding on for dear life! Especially because of the ghosts that follow you home! haha!
When we took my parents (and grandmother) down to Disney last year, I made sure to ride Haunted Mansion with Daddy for old-times sake. But that time I didnt leave nail marks in his arm - lol!
I also had to walk by the Cinderella fountain in Fantasy Land. I just always love it. And it looks beautiful at night in silhouette:
Now, I need to say that Brian is NOT a fan of water rides. I on the other hand, have always loved them. (I used to ride the log flume ride at Dorney Park in Allentown continuously when I was younger!) Its just fun to get wet while falling down a big hill!
BUT, I had just about convinced Brian to ride. Even got him to dress in his quick-dry shorts so he wouldnt be so uncomfortable.
These pics sort of tell the story.....
He finally agreed and we went and got Fast Passes!
Then we went right over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad immediately after and waited in the stand by line. It really wasnt that bad (waited about 30 minutes) except it was SO HOT in the line area, as they were using most of the space. There was a crazy guy waiting in line in front of us in long pants and long sleeves! If that were me, youd find my dead body lying in my own pool of sweat!
We enjoyed BTMR as usual. (It was officially the first roller coaster I had ever been on - back on that first trip.)
After that, it was time to use our Splash Mountain fast passes!!!!
Lets just say we got soaked. And since there was no line anymore, I convinced Brian to ride it again! We got even MORE soaked!
And Brian was okay with it!
We decided it was time to start heading back. Of course we cut through Adventureland (our fave land at MK!) I almost convinced Brian to ride Pirates again, as it was 2:30 am and there was NO LINE. Alas, he wanted to just head out. (And with Space Mountain being closed for refurb, that ride was out of our trip equation.)
We snapped a nice pic from up on the train platform using a longer ISO on the camera, so we didnt need the flash. You can see the mass exodus of other EMHers heading out down Main Street.
What a nice evening - great dinner and great time at Magic Kingdom!
Next up - our morning at Epcot! And I become the official Fast Pass Runner for the trip! Also: which of our favorite restaurants turns out to be our worst trip experience?.......just wait and see!
Echo queen
<font color=darkcoral>I like the idea of being clo
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Love your report, I can relate to the heat, 105 today in Texas, that's without the heat index.
JenSop
DIS Veteran
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Love your report, I can relate to the heat, 105 today in Texas, that's without the heat index.
Yikes! Is that normal for Texas? I'm such a true northerner. Even though we can get REALLY hot in PA, at least it's only a few weeks a year. (July and August mostly.) I'm one of those crazies who'll take January over August any day. (Bring on the snow!)
JenSop
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I'm in. I can't believe he didn't want to ride PoC with NO WAIT!!! How could he.
I know! He regretted it later in the trip....
JenSop
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P.S.
Speaking of Magic Kingdom....Does anyone else miss the bigger trees in front of the castle like I do? You know - where the Walt and Mickey statue is? It's been awhile since they've been there, I know, but it just seems so sparse now without the pretty trees in the circle in front of the castle.
Is it just so people have a more unobstructed view of the castle to take pictures from?
If so, that's just silly.
Bring back the trees and their twinkly lights! (Now they're so tiny, they just look like bushes around the circle.) jmho!
Speaking of Magic Kingdom....Does anyone else miss the bigger trees in front of the castle like I do? You know - where the Walt and Mickey statue is? It's been awhile since they've been there, I know, but it just seems so sparse now without the pretty trees in the circle in front of the castle.
Is it just so people have a more unobstructed view of the castle to take pictures from?
If so, that's just silly. Bring back the trees and their twinkly lights! (Now they're so tiny, they just look like bushes around the circle.) jmho!
P.S.
Speaking of Magic Kingdom....Does anyone else miss the bigger trees in front of the castle like I do? You know - where the Walt and Mickey statue is? It's been awhile since they've been there, I know, but it just seems so sparse now without the pretty trees in the circle in front of the castle.
Is it just so people have a more unobstructed view of the castle to take pictures from?
Bring back the trees and their twinkly lights! (Now they're so tiny, they just look like bushes around the circle.) jmho!
Hi Jen.
I've been lurking but when you mentioned the trees in front of the castle with the twinking lights I had to let you know that you aren't the only one who misses them. 
I too miss them and wish they could figure a way to put them back without blocking the view of the castle from mainstreet. Isn't that what the "imagineers" do??????
I'm enjoying your report. Can't wait to read more.
Rhonda
Hi Jen! I'm usually a lurker on the TR board. Your trip sounds fun though! I live near King of Prussia. I actually though about driving in August myself. We did it when I was in high school many years ago.
Sparkles2613
EngagedinDisneyLand
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Okay .... I must say your photo skills are really coming along!!! haha Sorry I know when we do dinner I'll hear about the trip in detail so reading about it now will take all of the fun out of it, I agree, Dinner soon 
Plus WHY did you forget to remind me that my 180 day window is LONG gone????? Where does the time go, before we know it - it will be Halloween in Disney 2010 :-D ... I get out of work 6:55 all week, soooo Mall would be a good in the middle spot ...... what are you hungry for?
Plus WHY did you forget to remind me that my 180 day window is LONG gone????? Where does the time go, before we know it - it will be Halloween in Disney 2010 :-D ... I get out of work 6:55 all week, soooo Mall would be a good in the middle spot ...... what are you hungry for?LuvnDizney
Support research for DMD
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Enjoying your trip report!! Love your room at the AKV! I just love that place, it is so inviting. I am going to have to plan to have dinner at Sanaa now, the food looked wonderful. I love MK at night also, like you said, very magical. Can't wait to read about your Epcot day!
Melissa
Melissa
JenSop
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RHONDALEE: I'm glad I'm not the only one! That used to be such a magical aspect to my MK evenings! It's just missing something now.
mla1977: reallllly think it over before doing the drive - that's all I can say!
Or stop half way and sleep. That's the only way I would do it again.
LuvnDizney: Thanks! It was the perfect room for us. We LOVE AKV.
Seriously love it. We're so glad it's our home resort. 
Sparkles: I'm up for anything! But this week is not good. Next week sometime? And I can't take credit for a lot of the pics - that goes to Brian.
mla1977: reallllly think it over before doing the drive - that's all I can say!
Or stop half way and sleep. That's the only way I would do it again.LuvnDizney: Thanks! It was the perfect room for us. We LOVE AKV.
Seriously love it. We're so glad it's our home resort. Sparkles: I'm up for anything! But this week is not good. Next week sometime? And I can't take credit for a lot of the pics - that goes to Brian.
JenSop
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Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in putting up the next update - it's been another busy week. Lots of time in the recording studio. Here's my shameless self-promotion..... if you'd like to be kept up to date on my performances and my new CD, you can become my fan on facebook. Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php...40595#/pages/Jennifer-Graf/35920024955?ref=ts
(or you can visit my website at www.jennifergraf.com)
PART SIX:
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND STILL...... THE HEAT.
Monday, June 22nd.
Since last night had been a late one, we slept until about 8:10 in the morning. For me at home, this is NOT sleeping in. (Sleeping in means past 10am.) For me at Disney - its REALLY sleeping in!
We left the room for Epcot around 9:15am. When we got there, we were already really feeling the heat. (Why did it have to be so darn hot!?!?)
For some reason, it seems that I was becoming the official Fast Pass runner. Ive been a bit more light on my feet as of late (lost some weight) and my feet, back, and legs have been giving me a lot less trouble than before as a result. And Brians always had a bit of trouble with his feet.
So as soon as we got through the gates, I grabbed both of our tickets and started bookin it to Soarin. Now before any one jumps to conclusions, I did not run and cause any danger - I alternated between speed walking and a light jog. You all KNOW how quickly those Soarin FPs go, so time was of the essence!
Now, I think I mentioned earlier how crowded the parks were so far on this trip. (Or perhaps that was a response on another thread.....) Anyway, the crowds were heavy the whole trip and it seemed that there were A LOT of first timers. Disney must be doing well with their promotions right now. I just feel bad for some of them not knowing how to work the rides the right way. But I dont feel bad if I can beat them to a Fast Pass! (And there were alot of people just leisurely strolling over to The Land. Plus, I overheard some people asking a CM where Soarin' actually was. I can't imagine being a first-timer as an adult - that must be really tough - the World is so big and there's so much to take in!)
I picked up our FPs at 9:51 and the return time was already for 12:33.
I decided to wait for Brian in the lobby entrance of The Land so I could be in the air conditioning as long as possible.
We decided it was time to head to Test Trak. We didnt hit this ride at all last time, so it was definitely on our list this trip. When we got there, it was a no brainer - single rider line all the way! I think we waited a total of about ten minutes and we actually ended up in the same car anyway.
After that, we were off to Mouse Gear. This is one of the best stores on property for the sheer number of Disney products to buy in one place. We ALWAYS find fun stuff at Mouse Gear. (And again, its a great break from the heat!)
After a nice browsing session, it was just about time for World Showcase to open. We decided to be some of the first ones through! I LOVE World Showcase. Its so much fun to enjoy the different countries.
I wanted to go on Maelstrom in Norway. Brians not so into it, but I still remember riding it as a kid when it was brand new and how exciting it was to my younger self. (Remember, I've always enjoyed water rides - even though you don't really get wet on this one.) I think its another example of Disney nostalgia for me. (I seem to have a lot of Disney nostalgia...) Since World Showcase just opened, we got to be one of the first people to the ride and we were able to just walk on!
However, I have to say that we skip the movie now. I mean, how many times can you watch the same outdated movie? Not to disrespect Norway or anything, but I think its time for a new movie!
We kept walking around WS and snapped some shots in the different countries.
Here we are in Deutschland (Germany):
And me connecting with my German heritage (my family is mostly German and Daddys from Austria):
Brian is half Italian, so we got a picture of him connecting to his roots:
Before long it was getting to be lunch time. We were around Morocco by then, so we decided to check out the Tangeriene Cafe. Weve eaten at the TS restaurant at Morocco before, but never at the CS. We actually really liked our food. It was something different (which is a good thing!) I got the chicken and lamb shawarma and Brian got the sampler, which had three different mini-pitas. We both got baklava for dessert. Heres the whole shabang:
We got a few pics while we were in Morocco. I think this is one of the best designed countries in World Showcase - you can really imagine yourself in a far off country as you walk through the little alley ways. It's just really beautiful. Here are some of the pictures:
After lunch we headed over to Soarin to use our fastpasses. I had learned from friends and other disers that you can request to sit in the top row so you dont have peoples feet hanging down above you. So thats what we did. They were really nice and honored our request!
Soarin' is such an amazingly awesome ride. Theres a reason it runs out of Fast Passes and that the stand by line is so long. Last year it was the only thing Daddy could talk about. He STILL talks about it on occasion. Its just one of those rides that puts a giant grin on your face the whole time - you just cant stop smiling! (For those of you who havent ridden it, it makes you feel like you are hang-gliding over different parts of California - the seaside, the rivers, the orange groves, the mountains....so cool and it feels SO REAL!)
After Soarin, we decided we needed a break from the heat, so it was back to AKV for some swimming!
We both had to try out the pool slide. I have to say its REALLY mild. Definitely great for even younger kids. But I am a kid at heart (well thats obvious), so I at least had to try it! We really like the pool area at Jambo House: very lush and tropical. Plus, you have the animal look-out right there! Perfect!
After a few relaxing hours at the pool, it was time to get ready to head out to dinner. Brian was very excited, as were were going to be eating at Ohana, one of his absolute favorites. On our first visit to Ohana, we got a great seat at the window and watched Wishes (fireworks) right there from our table. Last year when we went with the family, we got amazing service and had a great time. So we had nothing but wonderful expectations. (I think you can see where Im going with this.....
)
Okay, so all of our ADRs had a note on them saying it was our anniversary trip. (The CM on the dining line when I made the reservations was the one who insisted on marking it for ALL our meals.) I was NOT expecting to get special treats everywhere we went, but a host might think about it when choosing where to seat guests.
For those of you who know Ohana; we were seated right at the edge of the wide walk-way where all the kids stuff happens. Right there. Smack dab in the middle. Wouldnt you want to put a couple (a couple with NO children at that) somewhere NOT in the middle of the kids activities? I dont know, thats kind of what I would do.
As soon as we were seated, the activities began. And dont get me wrong, I dont mind kids - not at all! (I love being an aunt.) Kids are great most of the time. But not only was it loud, we had half a dozen parents literally leaning on our table so they could take pictures of their kids learning some polynesian dance. I mean it - right against our table - completely encircling us and leaning in to take pictures. It was horrible and awkward. Completely disrespectful.
Here's an idea of how close we were to the activities:
Right then and there we should have asked for another table. But we tend to be pretty non-confrontational and try to go with the flow. But the parents leaning over our table (not leaning and leaving, but STAYING there) was an omen as to how the rest of our Ohana night was going to be.
I started off with my favorite Ohana beverage - the Lapu Lapu. It may seem silly, but I just really like drinking out of a pineapple. And the drink is pretty darn strong - haha!
For those who havent been to Ohana, its a family style meal. They bring a big salad to share, they bring appetizers to share, then they bring around the side dishes and you can pick different kinds of meat as they bring them around on skewers.
We seemed to be getting our courses very quickly - about ten minutes between each, which is not enough time to eat and enjoy. It wasnt long before they were coming around with the meat skewers and the bus people were trying to take away our other stuff. Whoa! Not only that, but our waitress basically ignored us. Okay, I think we saw her twice. She never offered us more to drink - at ANY time the whole evening. And she only brought meat skewers once (turkey and pork). We had one other server offer us some shrimp skewers then that was it. We were never offered more of anything - meat, sides, anything. Then suddenly we were brought dessert by another server. Brian would have liked coffee, but there was never anyone to ask. And no one ever came around to offer us any either.
The only bright spot was that the food was still good. We did enjoy that part. And we did get up to dance for the Happy Anniversary dance thing. But Id rate our service as a ONE on a ten point scale. (Ten being good, of course.) And that was only made worse by the terrible table assignment.
In hindsight, we should have maybe asked to talk to a manager. But I didnt want to get anyone in trouble. (Maybe she was having a really bad day?) I know now that I just should have said something. Oh well. Were going to try to not let this one experience ruin Ohana for us for the future, but I was reading about someone else having a bad time there recently....
Our plan was to watch the Wishes fireworks from the Polynesian - so we found a nice place on the beach (in the sand leaning against a tree) over looking the lagoon and relaxed a bit until they started. This really is a nice way to watch the fireworks. Ive mentioned it other times, but not in this report.....I really dont like cheesy childrens chorus stuff. Again, as a musician, Im just really picky with my music. I think thats why I like Illuminations at Epcot - the music has more of a classical orchestral feel - and the singing at the end is really nice and ends powerfully. And it uses an adult choir. I dont like the whole I wish... and the singing children. (No offense to those who like it - its just not my cup of tea!)
Heres some of the cool fireworks we were able to snap:
I thought this one looked cool - kind of like it was running through the sky:
After Wishes was over, we headed to the monorail so we could grab an AK bus back at the Magic Kingdom. The only problem is that everyone else was leaving the Magic Kingdom, and we had the post-firework crowds to deal with. But we eventually made it back and called it a night!
Here's a shot of the Jambo House lobby that evening when we got back:
Next up...... June 23rd - our anniversary!
(or you can visit my website at www.jennifergraf.com)
PART SIX:
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND STILL...... THE HEAT.
Monday, June 22nd.
Since last night had been a late one, we slept until about 8:10 in the morning. For me at home, this is NOT sleeping in. (Sleeping in means past 10am.) For me at Disney - its REALLY sleeping in!
We left the room for Epcot around 9:15am. When we got there, we were already really feeling the heat. (Why did it have to be so darn hot!?!?)
For some reason, it seems that I was becoming the official Fast Pass runner. Ive been a bit more light on my feet as of late (lost some weight) and my feet, back, and legs have been giving me a lot less trouble than before as a result. And Brians always had a bit of trouble with his feet.
So as soon as we got through the gates, I grabbed both of our tickets and started bookin it to Soarin. Now before any one jumps to conclusions, I did not run and cause any danger - I alternated between speed walking and a light jog. You all KNOW how quickly those Soarin FPs go, so time was of the essence!
Now, I think I mentioned earlier how crowded the parks were so far on this trip. (Or perhaps that was a response on another thread.....) Anyway, the crowds were heavy the whole trip and it seemed that there were A LOT of first timers. Disney must be doing well with their promotions right now. I just feel bad for some of them not knowing how to work the rides the right way. But I dont feel bad if I can beat them to a Fast Pass!
(And there were alot of people just leisurely strolling over to The Land. Plus, I overheard some people asking a CM where Soarin' actually was. I can't imagine being a first-timer as an adult - that must be really tough - the World is so big and there's so much to take in!)I picked up our FPs at 9:51 and the return time was already for 12:33.
I decided to wait for Brian in the lobby entrance of The Land so I could be in the air conditioning as long as possible.
We decided it was time to head to Test Trak. We didnt hit this ride at all last time, so it was definitely on our list this trip. When we got there, it was a no brainer - single rider line all the way! I think we waited a total of about ten minutes and we actually ended up in the same car anyway.
After that, we were off to Mouse Gear. This is one of the best stores on property for the sheer number of Disney products to buy in one place. We ALWAYS find fun stuff at Mouse Gear. (And again, its a great break from the heat!)
After a nice browsing session, it was just about time for World Showcase to open. We decided to be some of the first ones through! I LOVE World Showcase. Its so much fun to enjoy the different countries.
I wanted to go on Maelstrom in Norway. Brians not so into it, but I still remember riding it as a kid when it was brand new and how exciting it was to my younger self. (Remember, I've always enjoyed water rides - even though you don't really get wet on this one.) I think its another example of Disney nostalgia for me. (I seem to have a lot of Disney nostalgia...
) Since World Showcase just opened, we got to be one of the first people to the ride and we were able to just walk on!However, I have to say that we skip the movie now. I mean, how many times can you watch the same outdated movie? Not to disrespect Norway or anything, but I think its time for a new movie!
We kept walking around WS and snapped some shots in the different countries.
Here we are in Deutschland (Germany):
And me connecting with my German heritage (my family is mostly German and Daddys from Austria):
Brian is half Italian, so we got a picture of him connecting to his roots:
Before long it was getting to be lunch time. We were around Morocco by then, so we decided to check out the Tangeriene Cafe. Weve eaten at the TS restaurant at Morocco before, but never at the CS. We actually really liked our food. It was something different (which is a good thing!) I got the chicken and lamb shawarma and Brian got the sampler, which had three different mini-pitas. We both got baklava for dessert. Heres the whole shabang:
We got a few pics while we were in Morocco. I think this is one of the best designed countries in World Showcase - you can really imagine yourself in a far off country as you walk through the little alley ways. It's just really beautiful. Here are some of the pictures:
After lunch we headed over to Soarin to use our fastpasses. I had learned from friends and other disers that you can request to sit in the top row so you dont have peoples feet hanging down above you. So thats what we did. They were really nice and honored our request!
Soarin' is such an amazingly awesome ride. Theres a reason it runs out of Fast Passes and that the stand by line is so long. Last year it was the only thing Daddy could talk about. He STILL talks about it on occasion. Its just one of those rides that puts a giant grin on your face the whole time - you just cant stop smiling! (For those of you who havent ridden it, it makes you feel like you are hang-gliding over different parts of California - the seaside, the rivers, the orange groves, the mountains....so cool and it feels SO REAL!)
After Soarin, we decided we needed a break from the heat, so it was back to AKV for some swimming!
We both had to try out the pool slide. I have to say its REALLY mild. Definitely great for even younger kids. But I am a kid at heart (well thats obvious), so I at least had to try it! We really like the pool area at Jambo House: very lush and tropical. Plus, you have the animal look-out right there! Perfect!
After a few relaxing hours at the pool, it was time to get ready to head out to dinner. Brian was very excited, as were were going to be eating at Ohana, one of his absolute favorites. On our first visit to Ohana, we got a great seat at the window and watched Wishes (fireworks) right there from our table. Last year when we went with the family, we got amazing service and had a great time. So we had nothing but wonderful expectations. (I think you can see where Im going with this.....
)Okay, so all of our ADRs had a note on them saying it was our anniversary trip. (The CM on the dining line when I made the reservations was the one who insisted on marking it for ALL our meals.) I was NOT expecting to get special treats everywhere we went, but a host might think about it when choosing where to seat guests.
For those of you who know Ohana; we were seated right at the edge of the wide walk-way where all the kids stuff happens. Right there. Smack dab in the middle. Wouldnt you want to put a couple (a couple with NO children at that) somewhere NOT in the middle of the kids activities? I dont know, thats kind of what I would do.
As soon as we were seated, the activities began. And dont get me wrong, I dont mind kids - not at all! (I love being an aunt.) Kids are great most of the time. But not only was it loud, we had half a dozen parents literally leaning on our table so they could take pictures of their kids learning some polynesian dance. I mean it - right against our table - completely encircling us and leaning in to take pictures. It was horrible and awkward. Completely disrespectful.
Here's an idea of how close we were to the activities:
Right then and there we should have asked for another table. But we tend to be pretty non-confrontational and try to go with the flow. But the parents leaning over our table (not leaning and leaving, but STAYING there) was an omen as to how the rest of our Ohana night was going to be.
I started off with my favorite Ohana beverage - the Lapu Lapu. It may seem silly, but I just really like drinking out of a pineapple. And the drink is pretty darn strong - haha!
For those who havent been to Ohana, its a family style meal. They bring a big salad to share, they bring appetizers to share, then they bring around the side dishes and you can pick different kinds of meat as they bring them around on skewers.
We seemed to be getting our courses very quickly - about ten minutes between each, which is not enough time to eat and enjoy. It wasnt long before they were coming around with the meat skewers and the bus people were trying to take away our other stuff. Whoa! Not only that, but our waitress basically ignored us. Okay, I think we saw her twice. She never offered us more to drink - at ANY time the whole evening. And she only brought meat skewers once (turkey and pork). We had one other server offer us some shrimp skewers then that was it. We were never offered more of anything - meat, sides, anything. Then suddenly we were brought dessert by another server. Brian would have liked coffee, but there was never anyone to ask. And no one ever came around to offer us any either.
The only bright spot was that the food was still good. We did enjoy that part. And we did get up to dance for the Happy Anniversary dance thing. But Id rate our service as a ONE on a ten point scale. (Ten being good, of course.) And that was only made worse by the terrible table assignment.
In hindsight, we should have maybe asked to talk to a manager. But I didnt want to get anyone in trouble. (Maybe she was having a really bad day?) I know now that I just should have said something. Oh well. Were going to try to not let this one experience ruin Ohana for us for the future, but I was reading about someone else having a bad time there recently....
Our plan was to watch the Wishes fireworks from the Polynesian - so we found a nice place on the beach (in the sand leaning against a tree) over looking the lagoon and relaxed a bit until they started. This really is a nice way to watch the fireworks. Ive mentioned it other times, but not in this report.....I really dont like cheesy childrens chorus stuff. Again, as a musician, Im just really picky with my music. I think thats why I like Illuminations at Epcot - the music has more of a classical orchestral feel - and the singing at the end is really nice and ends powerfully. And it uses an adult choir.
I dont like the whole I wish... and the singing children. (No offense to those who like it - its just not my cup of tea!)Heres some of the cool fireworks we were able to snap:
I thought this one looked cool - kind of like it was running through the sky:
After Wishes was over, we headed to the monorail so we could grab an AK bus back at the Magic Kingdom. The only problem is that everyone else was leaving the Magic Kingdom, and we had the post-firework crowds to deal with. But we eventually made it back and called it a night!
Here's a shot of the Jambo House lobby that evening when we got back:
Next up...... June 23rd - our anniversary!
JenSop
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2007
- Messages
- 2,111
PART SEVEN: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Tuesday, June 23rd
We got up Tuesday around 7:30am. The plan was to head over to DHS (Disney Hollywood Studios or the park formerly known as MGM...) for rope drop. We decided to head to DHS since they had had EMH the morning before. We didnt want to try to get up for too many morning EMHs since were just really not morning people.
To say that is was a rainy morning would be an understatement. We both woke up in the middle of the night (dont know what time) because the thunder storm passing through was REALLY loud. I dont like thunderstorms - they always scare me.
We were still a bit worried about the weather as we got ready to leave the room, since the heavens opened up and let it all out for a few more minutes. Fortunately, it didnt last much longer and it had stopped by the time we got to DHS.
We made it to the park before rope drop. As we headed in, I got Brians ticket (and mine of course) and headed into the gift shop that was open there along the front of the park on the left. You could walk all the way up to the end of the store to the door that led out to the park. Of course you couldnt go through, as there was a CM guarding the door, but I hung out there for a little while with all the other fast pass runners, most of which seemed to be younger guys. But I was ready to hold my own with the best of them!
The new way of controlling the AM crowds at DHS is much better than last year when we got to rope drop. That was just pure chaos, with people running everywhere. Now, they lead everyone through a specific pattern around to the back of the park since EVERYONE is planning to get their fast passes for Toy Story Mania. (Or ride it right away AND get fast passes.) I held my own, and was right behind the rope as they proceeded to weave around in a very round about way back to Toy Story. I was right there and able to get our FPs very quickly.
Brian wasnt too far behind me and we decided to head over to my favorite ride at DHS.....
I LOVE Tower of Terror. This is one of the best rides around. Theres nothing as awesome as that feeling of falling weightless through the air. And you gotta love how Disney takes the theming and story and makes it even more special.
But once we got there, what did we see? A long line with a CM saying that the ride was temporarily out of order. She said she didnt know why, as they had even brought the ride its morning doughnuts. (Must be a superstition - hey, I work in theatre; Im very familiar with superstitions! 
) So we had the option to get in line and just wait indefinitely or come back.
We decided to head over to Rockin Roller Coaster and see how long the stand by wait is. It was bad. Hmm.... what to do?
We decided that since it was already super hot (yes, it was unabating) that we would decide while drinking a frozen smoothie! Yum!
With the temporary clarity of our frozen concoction, we decided that we must head over to ToT since it IS my fave ride at DHS. (Gee, does that make it the third time I said that....?) And we HAD to do it!
Well, it must be magical anniversary juju, since the line started moving a couple minutes after joining it. Yay! We moved right along and basically walked right in.
The great part about knowing a ride, is knowing where the hidden doors are that open and let you into the next line! haha!
We were the first from our library to get into the last line that leads into the elevator cars. This was the first time I had EVER seen that basement waiting room area completely empty - NO LINE! Quite a sight to behold!
However, there was something wrong with our car, as they made our whole first row get out and get into another one. But no worries, that one moved along quite nicely and before long we were dropping out of the sky!
After that, we sucked it up and waited for RnR. We only waited about a half hour anyway and then it was time for our Toy Story FPs. (Wow, I guess we really didnt take a lot of pictures at DHS. Sorry folks!)
Heres one of Mickey as The Sorcerers Apprentice!
Gotta love FPs, as we were able to get right on to Toy Story. For those of you not familiar with the ride, you get into a fun spinny car that takes you in front of 3D screens where you have to shoot at things and get points. Its very fun.
I was doing pretty well, but Brian beat me anyway; 126,000 to 123,800.
....
Neither of us had seen the Indiana Jones show since we were on different high school band trips in the early 90s. So we decided wed check it out again. On the way over there, we decided to get FPs for Star Tours. Brian is a HUGE Star Wars fan. He can quote all the movies almost perfectly. You do NOT want to go against him in a game of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, let me tell you that! Im more of a Star Trek sci-fi geek. Strangely, I never got as into Star Wars. Now, if you want to start talking Lord of the Rings, thats a WHOLE other story - thats my world! Anyway, Im getting WAY off topic!
We got to Indiana Jones about a half hour before the show and it was already PACKED! wowzer!
Heres some pics from the show:
The show is pretty much exactly how we remembered it from when we were younger. Still entertaining though.
Off we went to use our Star Tours FPs and we were done with DHS! Despite my insane love for ToT, DHS is my least favorite park. Youd think that being in theatre, Id like all the shows and stuff, but honestly, I cant really watch them objectively. Im always listening as a singer and voice teacher and not as a happy tourist. I over-analyze every single singer and just can't sit back and enjoy myself. So we tend to avoid the shows and mostly hit our fave rides.
Besides, it was time to head over to Epcot to meet some of Brians college friends for lunch at Le Chefs de France!
We grabbed the boat and headed over to Epcot. We got off at Beach Club and walked over to the International Gateway entrance. We reminisced about last years stay at the Beach Club as we walked past and we both noticed the new sand volleyball court at the corner of the resort. (When did that go in?)
Brians friends had also been music majors at the college we went to, but I think they graduated at the end of my first year so I never really got to know them. Plus, they were instrumental majors, so as a freshman voice major, I wouldnt have had any kind of interaction with them anyway.
We all had the three course lunch special (very nice) at Le Chefs and since we didnt use one of our meal plan credits for this one, we took advantage of the 20% DVC discount! I've heard mixed reviews of Le Chefs, but we had a great meal and the service was excellent.
Here we are after lunch:
Since we had lots of talking to do, we didnt leave Le Chefs until 3:30! But we had a great visit with Tammi and Geoff.
Brian and I then headed to Mouse Gear (the super awesome store) and Brian got some new Disney Croc flip-flops and we got a new back pack, since the cheapy one we brought had started to rip apart.
We didnt linger much longer and headed to the buses to go back to the resort and get ready for our anniversary dinner at Artist Point!
Tuesday, June 23rd
We got up Tuesday around 7:30am. The plan was to head over to DHS (Disney Hollywood Studios or the park formerly known as MGM...) for rope drop. We decided to head to DHS since they had had EMH the morning before. We didnt want to try to get up for too many morning EMHs since were just really not morning people.
To say that is was a rainy morning would be an understatement. We both woke up in the middle of the night (dont know what time) because the thunder storm passing through was REALLY loud. I dont like thunderstorms - they always scare me.
We were still a bit worried about the weather as we got ready to leave the room, since the heavens opened up and let it all out for a few more minutes. Fortunately, it didnt last much longer and it had stopped by the time we got to DHS.
We made it to the park before rope drop. As we headed in, I got Brians ticket (and mine of course) and headed into the gift shop that was open there along the front of the park on the left. You could walk all the way up to the end of the store to the door that led out to the park. Of course you couldnt go through, as there was a CM guarding the door, but I hung out there for a little while with all the other fast pass runners, most of which seemed to be younger guys. But I was ready to hold my own with the best of them!
The new way of controlling the AM crowds at DHS is much better than last year when we got to rope drop. That was just pure chaos, with people running everywhere. Now, they lead everyone through a specific pattern around to the back of the park since EVERYONE is planning to get their fast passes for Toy Story Mania. (Or ride it right away AND get fast passes.) I held my own, and was right behind the rope as they proceeded to weave around in a very round about way back to Toy Story. I was right there and able to get our FPs very quickly.
Brian wasnt too far behind me and we decided to head over to my favorite ride at DHS.....
I LOVE Tower of Terror. This is one of the best rides around. Theres nothing as awesome as that feeling of falling weightless through the air. And you gotta love how Disney takes the theming and story and makes it even more special.
But once we got there, what did we see? A long line with a CM saying that the ride was temporarily out of order.
She said she didnt know why, as they had even brought the ride its morning doughnuts. (Must be a superstition - hey, I work in theatre; Im very familiar with superstitions! ) So we had the option to get in line and just wait indefinitely or come back. We decided to head over to Rockin Roller Coaster and see how long the stand by wait is. It was bad. Hmm.... what to do?
We decided that since it was already super hot (yes, it was unabating) that we would decide while drinking a frozen smoothie! Yum!
With the temporary clarity of our frozen concoction, we decided that we must head over to ToT since it IS my fave ride at DHS. (Gee, does that make it the third time I said that....?) And we HAD to do it!
Well, it must be magical anniversary juju, since the line started moving a couple minutes after joining it. Yay! We moved right along and basically walked right in.
The great part about knowing a ride, is knowing where the hidden doors are that open and let you into the next line! haha!
We were the first from our library to get into the last line that leads into the elevator cars. This was the first time I had EVER seen that basement waiting room area completely empty - NO LINE! Quite a sight to behold!
However, there was something wrong with our car, as they made our whole first row get out and get into another one. But no worries, that one moved along quite nicely and before long we were dropping out of the sky!
After that, we sucked it up and waited for RnR. We only waited about a half hour anyway and then it was time for our Toy Story FPs. (Wow, I guess we really didnt take a lot of pictures at DHS. Sorry folks!)
Heres one of Mickey as The Sorcerers Apprentice!
Gotta love FPs, as we were able to get right on to Toy Story. For those of you not familiar with the ride, you get into a fun spinny car that takes you in front of 3D screens where you have to shoot at things and get points. Its very fun.
I was doing pretty well, but Brian beat me anyway; 126,000 to 123,800.
....
Neither of us had seen the Indiana Jones show since we were on different high school band trips in the early 90s. So we decided wed check it out again. On the way over there, we decided to get FPs for Star Tours. Brian is a HUGE Star Wars fan. He can quote all the movies almost perfectly. You do NOT want to go against him in a game of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, let me tell you that! Im more of a Star Trek sci-fi geek. Strangely, I never got as into Star Wars. Now, if you want to start talking Lord of the Rings, thats a WHOLE other story - thats my world! Anyway, Im getting WAY off topic!
We got to Indiana Jones about a half hour before the show and it was already PACKED! wowzer!
Heres some pics from the show:
The show is pretty much exactly how we remembered it from when we were younger. Still entertaining though.
Off we went to use our Star Tours FPs and we were done with DHS! Despite my insane love for ToT, DHS is my least favorite park. Youd think that being in theatre, Id like all the shows and stuff, but honestly, I cant really watch them objectively. Im always listening as a singer and voice teacher and not as a happy tourist. I over-analyze every single singer and just can't sit back and enjoy myself. So we tend to avoid the shows and mostly hit our fave rides.
Besides, it was time to head over to Epcot to meet some of Brians college friends for lunch at Le Chefs de France!
We grabbed the boat and headed over to Epcot. We got off at Beach Club and walked over to the International Gateway entrance. We reminisced about last years stay at the Beach Club as we walked past and we both noticed the new sand volleyball court at the corner of the resort. (When did that go in?)
Brians friends had also been music majors at the college we went to, but I think they graduated at the end of my first year so I never really got to know them. Plus, they were instrumental majors, so as a freshman voice major, I wouldnt have had any kind of interaction with them anyway.
We all had the three course lunch special (very nice) at Le Chefs and since we didnt use one of our meal plan credits for this one, we took advantage of the 20% DVC discount!
I've heard mixed reviews of Le Chefs, but we had a great meal and the service was excellent. Here we are after lunch:
Since we had lots of talking to do, we didnt leave Le Chefs until 3:30! But we had a great visit with Tammi and Geoff.
Brian and I then headed to Mouse Gear (the super awesome store) and Brian got some new Disney Croc flip-flops and we got a new back pack, since the cheapy one we brought had started to rip apart.
We didnt linger much longer and headed to the buses to go back to the resort and get ready for our anniversary dinner at Artist Point!
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