There's Always Too Much Sauce - A July 2022 TR *Updated 3/23

[disneyAndi14]

I even ride Hagrid’s motorcycle ride. It is amazing! I always ride in the side car.
We have eaten at Mythos twice and have had good food and service. I’m sorry it wasn’t good for you guys

Hogsmeade can get crazy busy in the afternoon. We usually go first thing in the morning if it works out.
Despite the large group, crowds, and heat you all look to be enjoying the day!

 

[cindianne320]

Poor Evie- Austin would be devastated, which is one of the reasons we are waiting until he is tall enough. The kid's short... LOL

Traveling with a big party is so hard- while I love our extended family, I love our family trips better.

 

[cheryllarsen]

Thanks so much for writing and sharing!

 

[cheryllarsen]

I enjoyed the great read!!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

“What? You don’t want your kid to be picked for a show?”

The benefit of having one kid more outgoing than the other. The Introvert is always more than willing to hide in the backround.

Landon – Frozen, Hot, then Cold.

Evie – Hot, Frozen, then Cold

Alex – Hot, Cold, then Frozen

Me – Frozen, Hot, Cold.

I am not suprised that you and Landon have the same preferences.

To this day, my daughter is still in shock that her uncle can eat a large cupcake in less than a minute flat. It was one of those memories that stick out for everyone. When we recall this Universal trip, we dub it:

“The one where Uncle Isaac ate that chocolate cupcake and shocked his niece.”

Ha!

The wait, in total, was about an hour. And poor Evie. She was two inches shy of the height requirement.

Poor Evie!!! That is hard.

 

[amazingact21]

Following along! I just love the way you describe your group, your day. 9 people is tough - all in all with the heat/crowds I think you had a pretty good day! When my grandson is a little older I hope he gets into reading the HP books. He'd be all over picking a wand and especially the map! Even though there were some tense moments, I'd say this was a good family bonding day that your kids will remember. Thanks for sharing!

Traveling with a large group is tough, but I think it went as well as it could!
I love (and hate it for the indecisive aspect) that there are so many different wands at the WWoHP. It gives people who aren't big on coasters something just as fun to do and look at.

Isaac and I could be great friends. I adore dessert and am known as the person who always orders dessert (and sometimes orders two!).

(Funny story - on my first date with my husband we shared appetizers at one restaurant and then walked to another when we learned the first was out of dessert. (?!) I was astonished when he finished his dessert before I did… that never happens and was a good sign that he was a keeper. )

Hagrid’s looks SO fun! I don’t see us visiting Universal for a few more years so hopefully the lines won’t be as crazy. (Okay, this is unlikely, but a girl can hope!)

I’m sorry your meal wasn’t good. That’s always a bummer.

You're going to love having the Dole Whip station in easy access at the Poly.

That's too funny about the dessert. When you're starting out, you have to have some common interests. Affinity for sweets sounds like a great shared interest.

You never know, with Epic Universe opening the majority of crowds might head that way.

 

[amazingact21]

We hit here about lunch time and tried to eat here. No luck the line was way too long.

The WWoHP is madness around lunchtime.

I think we waited 25 minutes, but it was close to closing time.

That's awesome!

I had no idea what to expect and Danielle told the person seating us not to tell me anything. We were the front car. I was totally shocked.

I would love to try the front car. The part where you go straight up has to be really fun in the front!

 

[amazingact21]

I even ride Hagrid’s motorcycle ride. It is amazing! I always ride in the side car.

I like the side car. I rode on the bike once, and I think you have to lean over more and it can be a tad bit more uncomfortable.

Despite the large group, crowds, and heat you all look to be enjoying the day!

I feel fortunate that the kids were able to go to Universal with so much extended family.

Poor Evie- Austin would be devastated, which is one of the reasons we are waiting until he is tall enough.

Aww, yeah probably best to wait. I felt terrible that Evie had to miss out. That was one of the leading reasons why I wanted to go back this past summer. Redemption for Evie.

raveling with a big party is so hard- while I love our extended family, I love our family trips better.

I feel like as long as I have both types of trips lined up, I'm fine with extended family. Like, I hung out with Eddie and Leslie in Hollywood Studios, but only because it was our second DHS day. Had it been our one and only, I would have been way more stressed.

Thanks so much for writing and sharing!

Thank you so much for reading!

 

[amazingact21]

The benefit of having one kid more outgoing than the other. The Introvert is always more than willing to hide in the backround.

True.
Evie used to be more introverted, but as she's gotten older I feel like the roles are starting to reverse. Landon has mellowed a lot these past six months.

I am not suprised that you and Landon have the same preferences.

 

[vamassey1]

I would love to try the front car. The part where you go straight up has to be really fun in the front!

I might have said a curse word.

 

[amazingact21]

July 17th:


With a little less pep in our step than the previous day, my group was up and at Universal Studios before park opening again. Everyone was hoping that the earlier in the day it was, the less hot it would be.


It was a foolhearted wish, but that was all right. Better to be sweating in a theme park than sweating back at home.



Universal parked us at the very top of the parking garage.

This was…
Not fun.



Our car was impossible to climb into when we were ready to leave. The poor kids would’ve burned themselves on the buckles had we not stood outside and let the a/c run for a few minutes.

At least we had one optimist in our group when we arrived. Carly walked to the edge of the structure and went, “Look at the view from up here.”


This would be a great time to insert said great view for you all to see what she was talking about.

Unfortunately, I don’t have one.



Fatigue was winning this day!

A week of park visits in July were taking their toll, and I forgot a lot of stuff.

Pictures, mainly.



Once all 9 of us were through security and the park gates (Islands of Adventure this time) everyone thought it best to divide and conquer.

Alex really, really wanted to go on Velocicoaster and most everyone did not.

So Alex, Isaac, and Carly headed in that direction while my mom, Eddie, Leslie, and I took the kids to Seuss Landing.



Everyone knows Evie by now.

You know she can’t resist a carousel.





Her and Landon rode twice, enjoying picking their creature each time. Then, Eddie and Leslie took them on the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.

There were virtually no other guests in the Seuss area this early in the morning, which really surprised me. Especially seeing where the parking attendents made us go. My party assumed it was going to be a busy day. And perhaps it was, but the other guests didn’t have young kids with them.

When the kids returned, my mom and Leslie took them on One Fish, Two Fish, which is a Dumbo-esque attraction.

While they were on it, the other three joined up with us. Alex absolutely loved VelociCoaster. He called it one of his favorite all time coasters, saying how great a thrill it was and how amazing the lack of shoulder restraints are.

Isaac and Carly wanted to ride the Hulk next, and Alex began looking at me with puppy dog eyes.

“Come on, Alicia. Will you give it a try?”

For Alex, I was holding strong on my: I Don’t Think So stance.

But then Isaac got in on it.

“You gotta give it a try. Just once. I promise it’s not too bad.”

Ugh.



Friends, I don’t care if I’m ten or thirty or sixty, I find it near impossible to say no to my baby brother. He’s convinced me to do some crazy stuff over the years, some as innocent as running out to a store to buy a game we could play, some not so wise that’s best left unsaid. I don’t know how my mom survived raising us. We were quite the team.

*And yes, DISers, I do realize I will be receiving my just rewards by having two kids who are close. Landon and Evie are going to give Isaac and myself a run for our money.*


“How about it, Alicia? Just to say you’ve done it?”



That is how I found myself sitting on the Hulk, getting launched into a loop and tossed around like a forgotten cookie in a lunchbox.





I figured since I enjoyed Rock N Roller Coaster, the Hulk wouldn’t be too bad.

What I forgot was that I liked RNRC about ten years and two kids ago.

Perhaps I would’ve loved the Hulk back then.

But now?

I’m too old to get beat up like that!

It was rough!

Like Space Mountain in Disneyland Paris rough.


No thanks.



Meanwhile, the other adults kept the Dr. Seuss party rolling and went on Cat in the Hat. I was getting flung upside down and over and under, but my poor mother was getting spun round and round. She had no idea the ride went in circles, and it messed with her equilibrium the rest of the day.

Nothing that hindered her too much, but enough that she was finished with attractions. A one and done day for Nana.




With everyone feeling like we’d just come out of the tumble dryer, there was only one thing to do to remedy the issue.

The cure-all for bad days, rough rides, and heat exhaustion.

Butterbeer.

Lunch was at the Three Broomsticks this day. The crowds had finally started to emerge, with walkways becoming congested and a fairly long line to order our food. The Team Members working seemed very flustered. I’m not sure they were expecting so many guests.

Alex and I had ordered two Frozen Butterbeers with the idea of using an empty water cup to split the drink between the kids.

Because we weren’t just going to depend on them to share nicely.

Please…


If Alex and I were to try that trick, we’d hear Evie screaming, “Landon, you’re drinking it all!”

“I’ve barely had any, Evie!”


No sir.
It was too hot for that nonsense.



So, our food and drinks arrive and Alex goes to pick up the trays. He asks the Team Member working, “Can I get another straw for the Butterbeer?”

“I’m sorry, the straws are only for the Frozen Butterbeer, and I’ve already given you one.”

“Yes, but my kids will be splitting the drink so I wanted them each to have a straw.”

“I can’t do that.”


Huh?



The Team Member stood firm. She REFUSED to give Alex another straw. This was her hill she was dying on.

It seemed like the strangest request to deny.

A plastic straw?

Did someone not order enough straws? Was their inventory low? Was this Team Member really concerned about the environmental impact?

Make it make sense!



Alex took the defeat and sat down at the table with the group. Then noticed we were close to the Hog’s Head, the bar connected to the restaurant.

Getting up, he walked over to one of the Team Members there and asked if he could have a straw.

“Sure. No problem.”

Viola.

Straw procured. No questions asked.

The guy didn’t even blink when asked. Which made the other Team Member’s reaction even more odd.



Alex brought it back to the table, where I split the Butterbeers, opened the plastic packaging and proceeded to drop the straw on the floor.



I wish I were kidding.


I didn’t have to look at Alex to know he was giving me the most incredulous stare. His eye was probably twitching.

When we went back for another straw, I was surprised he didn’t grab a shot of Fire Whiskey as well.

You can bet your bottom dollar he opened that one and placed it in the drink himself.

Sorry, babe. You can’t take me anywhere.



After lunch, Evie really wanted to ride Flight of the Hippogriff. I’m not sure if it was because it was her favorite magical creature or because she was still smarting at having missed Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure.

Alex and I were also thinking of Evie missing the coaster by inches and the parent guilt was overriding logic.

The wait time was over an hour.

It was twelve o’clock in the afternoon.

The queue had zero shade.

Oh boy.


This. This is one of those stories we hold back to use later.

Don’t say we don’t love you, kid.



Years ago, there were hundreds of parents that waited three hours to meet Anna and Elsa. Remember those days?

Well, a few years ago Alex and I waited for a THIRTY SECOND ride for Evelyn.

Lucky for us, Leslie and Carly braved it with us.





Now that the experience is over, I can verify. It was not worth the wait. Or the five bottles of water we had to drink to stay hydrated. I can still feel phantom sweat rolling down my leg. You can’t see it, but I just shuddered.
Yuck.


BUT! To be positive, the view of the castle from the exit area was spectacular:



Anyone looking for a good place to gaze at Hogwarts should meander over to Flight of the Hippogriff.


When we met up with the three wiser family members, who’d found shade and were resting, we all agreed we should ride the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley. The trip is different each direction, and we wanted the kids to experience both experiences.


Upon getting into the other park, most of my group had a confession to make.

We had reached our limit.

It was too hot, too busy, too much of everything. Our ability to have fun was spent.

A lot of people were ready to go home.

Well, this caused a bit of drama within the group. Some were happy to go, some were upset we only spent half a day in the parks.

It was a whole thing.

Nothing to dwell on, everyone’s gotten over it, but it was definitely a good reminder that traveling with 9 people is hard. I would not recommend doing it in the summer when tensions rise quickly.



On our way out of the park, we stopped by some bathrooms and while Alex and I were standing with Carly and Leslie, we happened to see a bunch of black marks on Evie’s legs.


“What’s going on with your legs, girl?”

Evie shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s all over my hands, too.”


What in the world?


The black smudges were on her shorts, as well.

“What did you touch?”

“Nothing!”

“What did you eat?”

“Nothing!”

“Well it had to have come from somewhere.”

I picked her up from her stroller and took her wand. I wanted to take her into the bathroom and wash her hands. I went to hand her wand over to Alex to hold, and when I did, I noticed it was really slippery.



I rolled the wand on the palm of my hand.

There it was.

Black smudges.


“Evie, your wand is melting in the heat!”


It was so hot outside that the paint used on the WWoHP wands was melting!


Yeah. It was time to go.


(This story is important, because it comes back into play a year later. Should I write a report detailing our most recent trip, you will see why Evie’s paint stripped wand comes back around.)


Everyone but Eddie and Leslie returned to the AirBnB house and spent the rest of the day swimming, eating leftovers, and cooling down. I had laundry to do and packing to sort, because the following day a new adventure would begin.



Up Next: You Couldn’t Go More Than Four Hours

 

[rdkeim]

Oh my, probably not your most fun filled day but I see there were some bright spots. The heat and crowds make it hard to stick out a full day in a park. Nice you did enjoy some quiet time early on by getting a jump on the crowds. The straw story - very weird. Also, the wand. I hope you do a TR for your recent trip so we can hear the rest of the story!

 

[suse66]

Our car was impossible to climb into when we were ready to leave. The poor kids would’ve burned themselves on the buckles had we not stood outside and let the a/c run for a few minutes.

Yikes!!

Everyone knows Evie by now.

You know she can’t resist a carousel.

I feel that...totally team Evie here.

Friends, I don’t care if I’m ten or thirty or sixty, I find it near impossible to say no to my baby brother. He’s convinced me to do some crazy stuff over the years, some as innocent as running out to a store to buy a game we could play, some not so wise that’s best left unsaid. I don’t know how my mom survived raising us. We were quite the team.

uh oh.....trouble!!!

That is how I found myself sitting on the Hulk, getting launched into a loop and tossed around like a forgotten cookie in a lunchbox.

Oh dear!!

“I’m sorry, the straws are only for the Frozen Butterbeer, and I’ve already given you one.”

“Yes, but my kids will be splitting the drink so I wanted them each to have a straw.”

“I can’t do that.”


Huh?



The Team Member stood firm. She REFUSED to give Alex another straw. This was her hill she was dying on.

It seemed like the strangest request to deny.

A plastic straw?

Oh my goodness, what was with that???

After lunch, Evie really wanted to ride Flight of the Hippogriff. I’m not sure if it was because it was her favorite magical creature or because she was still smarting at having missed Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure.

You did what a mama has to do.

Upon getting into the other park, most of my group had a confession to make.

We had reached our limit.

It was too hot, too busy, too much of everything. Our ability to have fun was spent.

A lot of people were ready to go home.

Well, this caused a bit of drama within the group. Some were happy to go, some were upset we only spent half a day in the parks.

It was a whole thing.

Nothing to dwell on, everyone’s gotten over it, but it was definitely a good reminder that traveling with 9 people is hard. I would not recommend doing it in the summer when tensions rise quickly.

9 people is REALLY hard!

Everyone but Eddie and Leslie returned to the AirBnB house and spent the rest of the day swimming, eating leftovers, and cooling down. I had laundry to do and packing to sort, because the following day a new adventure would begin.

Ooh! Alex and Alicia time?

 

[SimplyGoofy]

You know she can’t resist a carousel.

Smart girl. I love carousels, too.

*And yes, DISers, I do realize I will be receiving my just rewards by having two kids who are close. Landon and Evie are going to give Isaac and myself a run for our money.*

What I forgot was that I liked RNRC about ten years and two kids ago.

Isn’t that the truth?! Getting old is tough. I still like all attractions but Hulk was a “once-per-trip” ride for me nine years ago - I can’t imagine what it would do to me now!

The Team Member stood firm. She REFUSED to give Alex another straw. This was her hill she was dying on.

That is just bizarre. Had she been reprimanded for giving out too many napkins the day before and wanted to hold the line on the only other disposable implement she controlled?

(Also, they used to give out straws with every Butterbeer - I have pictures of my sister drinking a regular Butterbeer with a straw. What a story!)

Thank goodness Alex found a second straw. (And then got another one when the first one hit the deck. )

Nothing to dwell on, everyone’s gotten over it, but it was definitely a good reminder that traveling with 9 people is hard. I would not recommend doing it in the summer when tensions rise quickly.

Traveling with a group is really hard. Tough weather conditions just make everything worse.

It was so hot outside that the paint used on the WWoHP wands was melting!

WHAT?! Surely they’ve run into this problem before as they sell these in FLORIDA… poor Evie!

 

[vamassey1]

Universal parked us at the very top of the parking garage.

This was…
Not fun.

Parking at Universal is very different from Disney.

Everyone knows Evie by now.

You know she can’t resist a carousel.

She looks so happy!

And perhaps it was, but the other guests didn’t have young kids with them.

I wonder how young kids would do at Universal.

That is how I found myself sitting on the Hulk, getting launched into a loop and tossed around like a forgotten cookie in a lunchbox.

No thanks, I think I'll pass.

Nothing that hindered her too much, but enough that she was finished with attractions. A one and done day for Nana.

This would be me too.

Alex brought it back to the table, where I split the Butterbeers, opened the plastic packaging and proceeded to drop the straw on the floor.

Oh noooooooo! I would be the one to do this too.

Anyone looking for a good place to gaze at Hogwarts should meander over to Flight of the Hippogriff.

Thanks for the tip. I never got a good look at Hogwarts.

“Evie, your wand is melting in the heat!”

That's awful.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

What a day!
Glad there were some high points. I love Evie's love of carousels- that wee face of hers just lights up!
I know it was hot hot hot in July but oh my goodness I would not expect the wand to melt!
Think leaving to dip in pool/cool off was the best idea

 

[amazingact21]

Oh my, probably not your most fun filled day but I see there were some bright spots. The heat and crowds make it hard to stick out a full day in a park. Nice you did enjoy some quiet time early on by getting a jump on the crowds. The straw story - very weird. Also, the wand. I hope you do a TR for your recent trip so we can hear the rest of the story!

I think we did as well as we could with such a large group in the summertime. Carly and I agreed next time, it has to be during the holidays when it's moderately cooler.

I feel that...totally team Evie here.

I've discovered a new appreciation for carousels thanks to Evie.

9 people is REALLY hard!

I always look forward to your solo trip reports, because I'd love to take a trip by myself. I love going with family, but sometimes when there's lots of other people to navigate with, you just want to do what you want!
Actually, back in April, my mom left around 7 a.m. and I didn't have to go to the airport until 2, so I had a half day and it was amazing. I accomplished so much!

Ooh! Alex and Alicia!

Yes! And the Wilderness Lodge! (I know you'll appreciate how exciting that is.)

 

[amazingact21]

Isn’t that the truth?! Getting old is tough. I still like all attractions but Hulk was a “once-per-trip” ride for me nine years ago -

I think having kids doesn't help, either. I used to never have to take motion sickness medicine, but the first trip after I had Landon, I remember thinking, "My body works different now!"

(Also, they used to give out straws with every Butterbeer - I have pictures of my sister drinking a regular Butterbeer with a straw. What a story!)

What?! And now they are very strict about only giving it out for Frozen Butterbeers. This makes no sense.

WHAT?! Surely they’ve run into this problem before as they sell these in FLORIDA… poor Evie!

It was wild. I guess not that many people hold their wands constantly like Evie was.

Parking at Universal is very different from Disney.

In some ways, I like the way Universal handles their parking and security. Plus when you don't have to park at the top, the garage can keep your car cooler.
But having to walk allllll the way through CityWalk to get to the entrance to the parks is tough.

She looks so happy!

The number of times Evie asked, "But I'll be able to go on the carousel, right?!" this past summer at Disney.... She still loves them.

I wonder how young kids would do at Universal.

My SIL took her two oldest kids last month. They're 4 and 2, and she said there was nothing for the poor 2 year old to do. Only the carousel and One Fish Two Fish. Even the 4 year old didn't get to do much. (Meet and greets and Flight of the Hippogriff.)
It's really not a park for little ones.

 

[amazingact21]

What a day!
Glad there were some high points. I love Evie's love of carousels- that wee face of hers just lights up!
I know it was hot hot hot in July but oh my goodness I would not expect the wand to melt!
Think leaving to dip in pool/cool off was the best idea

I'm going to insist Evie ride carousels when she's older even she doesn't like them as much, just for nostalgia's sake.

You remember that July! The heat is hard to forget.

 

[amazingact21]

July 18th Part 1:



Today was the day! The day for new, exciting adventures!


Before I dive in, let me take you all back a little ways. Back to when I first joined the DIS.

2010.

I was…younger. Alex and I had been dating for two years. Earlier that year, he went on his second deployment, and while he was gone he said to me: “Pick someplace fun to visit. I want us to take a vacation.”


Now, I’ll admit. Walt Disney World was not on my radar at first. I hadn’t visited the parks since 2005, same for Alex. I looked into cruises, I looked into the Florida Keys, and I’m sure I looked into Atlanta and Savannah. I was still in college at the time, and he had only been in the military for 4 years, so our budget had to remain modest. We knew we had to wait until after my classes were done for the semester, and around the time dates were getting hashed out, Alex’s parents asked if he’d come home for a visit.

Well, they lived an hour from the theme parks. I vaguely remembered Disney offering military discounts. I began doing some research and viola!

Our Disney lives began.



There were 3 subsequent trips and 2 day visits after that first experience.

Then along came Landon and Evie, and our Disney lifestyle morphed and evolved into what it is now. Family vacations with lots of noise, lots of moods, and lots of heart. These trips with the kids have brought a sense of joy and fulfillment to our lives, and Alex and I spend too much time recounting our memories.


I love them.

But.

Alex and I will tell anyone that Disney is special to us, because of each other. We’re each other’s original park buddy, had we not gone in 2010 there would not have been a 2013,’14,’15, etc to remember.

We missed touring the parks together.



In 2019, the two of us were able to get a miraculous 2 nights alone before we flew out to visit his SIL:




But that was just a teaser. It made us want a real, legitimate trip even more.

Alex and I wanted several days where we weren’t pushing a stroller, breaking up arguments over who got to scan their bands first, on constant alert for meltdowns or frustrations. Alex and I wanted to sit down to a meal and not flip to the kid’s menu first, start listing off dishes to an unimpressed child. We wanted to relax over an adult beverage and not worry about who was kicking whom under the table.


We wanted to not have to apply sunscreen to tiny humans!



Fortunately, Alex and I are blessed with amazing families. My mom helped me hatch a plan in which her, Isaac, and Carly would take the kids back home with them so Alex and I could stay in Orlando and extend our vacation. We would then drive up and retrieve the kids and take them back to Orlando to fly home.


It seemed too good to be true.

But here I was, waking up on the 18th, watching the kids’ suitcases getting loaded up in my mom’s vehicle, listening to the kids talk about Nana making them pancakes at her house and taking them the zoo.

No tears were shed by my little ones. They were too excited to be spending more days with their Nana. And their Aunt Carly.



This made the departure seamless, and while that group headed out of the house around 7 in the morning, Alex and I cleaned up the house and got everything organized. We had to be checked out by 10, but we went ahead and left at 9:30.

Check-in was still hours away, so Alex and I went to the outlet mall and shopped for a bit. We both found some stuff we needed and marveled at how much faster the process went without kids.


For lunch,we went inside to the food court and were amazed to see a Charley’s Grilled Steakhouse. Alex and I thought these were only on military bases! Seriously, this eatery is a staple at most built-up bases, and we had never seen it anywhere else before.

Well, since we’d tried it in Germany and England, we figured we might as well see how the Orlando one held up.



Alex got the Bacon 3 Cheese, and I got the Buffalo Chicken.

Sadly, this was not the best establishment. So if you’re ever curious about what food military members grab on their lunch hour and want to try it yourself, just know the Orlando location doesn’t do the place justice.



While we were eating, I texted my mom and asked how the drive was going.

She sent me this:



What was that?! I didn’t recognize those toys.


“Mom, did you buy the kids a toy?”

“Yes. Yes, I did.”

“ALREADY?! You just left!”

“So?”


Good grief.

“Mom, we have to get all our stuff in a suitcase to fly back home. Their toys have to fit! You can’t keep buying them stuffies.”



Her response:

“I’ll ship a box if necessary.”


My goodness.

Landon and Evie were fine.



It was also during lunch that Alex and I received our room ready notification.





Hooray!


We could go to our resort!



As if this trip wasn’t special enough, the two of us decided to try two new things this trip. The first was do a split stay. The second was stay at the Wilderness Lodge.

We’d never set eyes upon the resort before, so it was going to be completely new to us.



And oh my.

Wilderness Lodge did not disappoint.



I get it now.

I get the hype over Wilderness.

I get why people whose favorite resort is Wilderness are so vocal about it.

I get the cult following.



Wilderness Lodge is warm, endearing, cozy, comfortable, and quiet.

It’s like a cozy sweater in the winter. Familiar, yet you feel great when its around.

Alex and I couldn’t wait to see our room.



We just had to find it first.



We walked over to the elevators near the gift shop, thinking that was the only way upstairs.

Well that wasn’t it.



We walked over to the Whispeing Canyon café thinking the other set of rooms were on the side of the resort.

That was wrong.



Normally, Alex is my master of directions. He can navigate in any new city, an new country, no matter the hour.

But WL had him stumped. We had to go up to the desk and ask for help.



The way to elevators were past the Territory Lounge, down a walkway, around a corner, past the Roaring Fork Quick Service restaurant, and at the end of the hall.


Yep. Never would’ve gotten there without help.



I was worried the room design would feel a little too rustic and forest for my tastes, but it turned out to be lovely. Lots of greens and browns without going overboard.





Loved the Chip and Dale on the wall:




And the lamp:




Our view from the balcony was amazing:




Alex and I wanted to sit outside and take it all in, but unfortunately one of the guests perpendicular to us was blasting music and smoking on his balcony. Kind of took away from the ambience.

(Thankfully, that was the last we saw of him.)



Our goal after check-in was to end up at Animal Kingdom. Festival of the Lion King had just returned after a two week absence to add the tumble monkeys to the show, and I really wanted to catch it.

But I had a library book due that day, and I wanted to finish it. So, Alex and I hung around the room and read for a few hours.



When my book was done, and while Alex and I were waiting for the DAK bus to arrive, we realized we’d be cutting it close for the last FotLK show. Meaning, we had to hoof it to Africa once we arrived.

Animal Kingdom is not the park to have to get through quick! That hill going up to the Tree of Life was brutal, especially in the July heat.



And alas, when we got to the theater and joined the line, the guests in front of us were the cutoff. So we missed the show, but caught an almost brawl instead.

A couple guests walked up right as they were closing the line and said the rest of their party was inside waiting. The CM told them that all the space was filled and they wouldn’t be allowed inside.

And good gracious. The guests flipped out on this poor CM! They were saying the ugliest, most vile things. Some other guests were starting to interject, a few mentioning their were kids around.

It was terrible.

But the CM stood their ground, even when a manager was called and backed them up, and eventually the guests stormed off in a fury, saying they were headed to Guest Services. At one point, the guest was taking the CM’s picture saying they were going to get them fired.

It was such an ugly interaction and everyone around us was flustered. I know Alex and I were left kind of going, “What do we do now?” After such a scene.

Well, first and foremost.

Alex walked up to all the CMs still hanging around and told them what an awesome job they were doing. He told one of them to tell the person involved (who wasn’t there anymore) to let them know they didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. And to net let a bad guest ruin their entire day. We appreciated their hard work, and then we went on and left Cast Compliments for all of them.



What Alex and I really needed after that incident (this was days before the massive MK brawl by Philarmagic, so SOMETHING was in the air that week.) was a good distraction.


How about some animals?


KS only had a twenty minute wait, so Alex and I hopped in line and joined a safari.

For it being so hot and muggy out, the animals were pretty active. We got to see the African Dogs running around, the giraffes:



And the rhinos were *ahem* enjoying each other’s company. There were two sets of parents in the rows behind us that had some fun questions to answer the rest of the journey.



With our safari complete, Alex and I agreed it was time to grab a small bite to eat. We wanted to be seated and settled at 6 p.m. so we could try and join the VQ for Guardians since it was EMH night in Epcot.



Up Next: Don’t Talk Down to Her