Just Maui'd -- Maui/Aulani Trip Report
- Thread starter Vernie822
- Start date
SCRAPBOOKQUEEN
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2007
Great Trip report!!! So, I was wondering, my DD and I want to go to Hawaii. Do you think Aulani is worth the money? Are there other places that you saw that was better priced? I would like to stay about 10+ days and so I'm not sure I can afford it but it looks so wonderful and its DISNEY!!! Also, food seems to be expensive but we are not foodies so I guess we could stop somewhere and have some things on hand. Did you go to other islands? Is that hard to arrange? Love your report and all of your pictures. You are a lovely couple. Thanks for answering any questions.
Scrapbookqueen
Scrapbookqueen
Vernie822
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2014
Hi! So exciting that you're thinking of going to Aulani! We actually own DVC, so I can't comment on the dollar amount because while we paid for it with our dues and points, we did not pay out of pocket. I will tell you though, I'm rather cheap and I priced it out just to see and for a studio oceanview for 6 nights it was somewhere in the $4,000's.. Yikes and no way would I have paid that outright. Have you considered renting DVC points? There are multiple places that do this as a service and you pay a lot less than rack rate! Definitely look into that if you have not already.
As far as was the resort with it... hmm.. my husband and I would give you two different answers! We stayed in Maui for 3 nights beforehand and I thought the room was equally as nice, actually even bigger, but the resort itself did nothing for me. Disney did everything for me. My husband actually preferred Maui because he wasn't as into the resort as I was. I can tell you that I did not even want to leave Aulani property.. It was that peaceful, beautiful, and entertaining all a the same time. We went to Target beforehand (one exit down the highway on your way to Aulani) and stocked up on breakfast/lunch stuff. This helped a lot. For the two of us to go out to eat at a *nicer* (think Disney signature) we probably spent around $100. By eating most breakfasts and lunches in the room, we got to experience nicer dinners out! We also stocked up on snacks and drinks so we saved some money there. I think you're doing yourself a disservice if you go all the way to Hawaii and eat solely at Aulani. There are so many great places to try!
We started in Maui and flew to Oahu- it was so simple! We booked a "multi-way" ticket through United. So we started from LAX, went to Maui, and then from Oahu back to LAX. You can set it up as Multi-way or multi-stop when you're booking your trip. We then booked inner island flights through Hawaiian Airlines. Those were pretty cheap, maybe $70 a person. I highly recommend it, it only took a few hours to shuffle to the airport and get on the plane, the flight was minimal. I have a few friends who have gone to Maui and rented condos there (I'm sure you could do this on any of the islands) and it's cheaper than the hotels.
So all that to say, if you can do 10 days (we did about the same), I would split it up between two islands. There is just so much to see. I'm a Disney lover at heart but I knew there was more out there to see! We did 3 nights in Maui, 6 nights in Oahu - so maybe you can splurge on Aulani and split up your trip!? Even just a few nights there would be worth it, IMO. I loved it! If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!
Vernie822
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2014
DISNEYLAND - Day 2
Today was our last full day of our honeymoon! But we were both so excited to get to California Adventure! Justin was there before DCA was built, so it was new to both of us.
DCA here we come!!
One of our first stops was Cars Land.
I can't even explain how amazingly themed Cars Land is. The rides, the roads, the restaurant areas.. so much fun and so much to see!
I hear a lot of people say they'd love to see Cars Land in WDW. But honestly, it fits the California area so well.. I just think it's so unique and it can't be replicated.
Flo's V8 Cafe has breakfast, they had a banana bread french toast that sounded soooo good.
Justin got to meet Mater!
There was already a pretty long wait for Radiator Springs Racers. I suggested single rider, but Justin wanted to ride it together for our first time (aww... he's trying to be sweet.. here I am trying to be efficient! LOL)
So we walked back towards Bugs Land and grabbed a FP for about an hour from that time.
We decided to head towards Pacific Wharf and explore that area as well as Paradise Pier in our time before our FP.
I LOVED this area too.. seriously, the theming is excellent.
Mickey's Fun Wheel looked awesome from a distance.. but I would not be partaking in those rocking cars... heck to the no.
The Paradise Pier area reminds me of boardwalks in Jersey & Maryland, even though it's themed towards California.
We had intentions of getting on California Screamin', but I wasn't looking to lose my lunch!! Looked like so much fun, if you can handle that!!
We did a quick spin on Toy Story Midway Mania, which had a 5 minute wait. It was basically walk on, which was so different from the usual at WDW!
We headed back to Radiator Springs Racers to use our FP. It was AWESOME! I wanted to ride it again and again!
I know after this we did some more attractions, namely Bugs Life (scared children and all!) and Grizzly River Run.. or was it Rapids? Either way, that was a fun one! Reminded me a bit of Kali River Rapids although admittedly I haven't been on that one in a long while. There was really no line for it (it was still fairly early and not super hot) but we didn't get too wet. We almost went on it later that day, too! That area of the park was really well themed, too. Each land was so immersive.
Back towards the front of the park, we caught a really cute trolley musical show starring Mickey!
We had a lunch reservation at Carthay Circle. We chose to do the World of Color dining package so that we'd get preferred viewing. We knew we wanted to squeeze in a table service that day, and the lunch prices weren't bad compared to dinner. Actually, we preferred the lunch menu for Carthay Circle anyways!
We checked in and were seated pretty quickly. The restaurant is GORGEOUS on the inside.
The World of Color package entitled us to a non-alcoholic beverage, an appetizer, entree and dessert.
Our server brought us some delicious crusty bread to start:
The appetizer choices included:
Summer Yellow Tomato "Sopa De Ajo" - Grilled Brentwood Corn, Zucchini, Marinated Pork, Cilantro Lime Pistou
Carthay Circle Escarole Salad - Strawberries, Tangerine, Jicama, Citrus Vinaigrette
You could also choose an upgraded appetizer for $6. I decided that the soup sounded good, so I went with that. Justin chose to upgrade his entree to the firecracker duck wings.
Fire Cracker Duck Wings - Soy, lime, and sriracha chili sauce
Justin loved the duck wings! Really unique. It was a large portion for sure. They definitely had a kick to them. My soup was pretty spicy too. I can't remember which one was spicier, I just remember my mouth being on fire for a solid 15 minutes!
I really enjoyed the soup, even though it was pretty hot outside. I loved the combo of the pork with the corn and zucchini and the crunchy tortilla strips.
For entrees, we had our choice of six different ones. I was torn between the grilled angus tri-tip with risotto, the wagyu beef and truffle ravioli, and the soba noodle salad.
Ultimately I went with the angus tri-tip and risotto!
This was a grilled angus tri-tip with Point Reyes blue cheese risotto, spinach, and wild mushrooms. I love, love, love all of those things. You can totally sell me on blue cheese and steak any day! The steak was cooked a perfect medium (which I struggle to do at home
Justin went with.. drum roll.. the BURGER! DUH!
The other two options were Skuna Bay Salmon and Ginger Crusted Blue Shrimp. So six entree options total, one burger, two beef/steak, two seafood, and a chicken. A good variety, and I feel as if almost all of them could be made meatless. The ravioli, soba noodle bowl, and risotto all sounded delicious on their own.
So Justin chose the Carthay 8-oz. Angus Burger - with cheddar cheese, pepper bacon, and grilled onions served with french fries.
He loved it! Said the bacon was really delicious and thick. His fries were really good, too! He loves any ol' burger, but this was definitely a more "gourmet" one.
For dessert, there were only two options: a butterscotch panna cotta and a chocolate cake. I wish there had been a few more options!
Justin went with the chocolate cake.
Valrhona Dark Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake - Toasted pistachio ice cream
And I chose the butterscotch panna cotta:
Butterscotch Panna Cotta - Summer peaches and almond toffee
They added a cute little touch for our honeymoon!! How sweet
It tasted more like apples to me, which is possible considering it was fall, but also possible that I was just getting the butterscotch taste. I liked it, albeit it's different than something I'd usually order.
Overall, this was a delicious meal! I do think it's a little pricy for a lunch, but it's definitely an elegant atmosphere and has a signature feel. And we did get 3 full courses, so it was a LOT of food. Because we were doing an expensive lunch, we did a cheap on-the-go dinner, so it evened out.
After lunch, we hustled over to the Hyperion Theater because I was dying to see the new Frozen show! The FP's were gone for the day, and we were pretty close to the next showing - something like 1:30 PM and we were maybe there a half hour in advance. So we hopped in the extremely long line, not really caring where we sat, because we didn't want to invest the time in line to get a prime seat.
This is where we were in line, and there were a TON of people behind that staircase.
Our seats were actually not too bad, and they ended up having some to spare!
This show was amazing!! One of the highlights of our day at DCA without a doubt. It was an investment of time, sure, but it was so worth it! The performers were so talented.
We headed back towards Soarin' for a spin on the new ride, we waited a bit, maybe half an hour? I loved the new movie.
Next up, we watched the Pixar parade and headed back towards Disneyland for a bit!
Today was our last full day of our honeymoon! But we were both so excited to get to California Adventure! Justin was there before DCA was built, so it was new to both of us.
DCA here we come!!
One of our first stops was Cars Land.
I can't even explain how amazingly themed Cars Land is. The rides, the roads, the restaurant areas.. so much fun and so much to see!
I hear a lot of people say they'd love to see Cars Land in WDW. But honestly, it fits the California area so well.. I just think it's so unique and it can't be replicated.
Flo's V8 Cafe has breakfast, they had a banana bread french toast that sounded soooo good.
Justin got to meet Mater!
There was already a pretty long wait for Radiator Springs Racers. I suggested single rider, but Justin wanted to ride it together for our first time (aww... he's trying to be sweet.. here I am trying to be efficient! LOL)
So we walked back towards Bugs Land and grabbed a FP for about an hour from that time.
We decided to head towards Pacific Wharf and explore that area as well as Paradise Pier in our time before our FP.
I LOVED this area too.. seriously, the theming is excellent.
Mickey's Fun Wheel looked awesome from a distance.. but I would not be partaking in those rocking cars... heck to the no.
The Paradise Pier area reminds me of boardwalks in Jersey & Maryland, even though it's themed towards California.
We had intentions of getting on California Screamin', but I wasn't looking to lose my lunch!! Looked like so much fun, if you can handle that!!
We did a quick spin on Toy Story Midway Mania, which had a 5 minute wait. It was basically walk on, which was so different from the usual at WDW!
We headed back to Radiator Springs Racers to use our FP. It was AWESOME! I wanted to ride it again and again!
I know after this we did some more attractions, namely Bugs Life (scared children and all!) and Grizzly River Run.. or was it Rapids? Either way, that was a fun one! Reminded me a bit of Kali River Rapids although admittedly I haven't been on that one in a long while. There was really no line for it (it was still fairly early and not super hot) but we didn't get too wet. We almost went on it later that day, too! That area of the park was really well themed, too. Each land was so immersive.
Back towards the front of the park, we caught a really cute trolley musical show starring Mickey!
We had a lunch reservation at Carthay Circle. We chose to do the World of Color dining package so that we'd get preferred viewing. We knew we wanted to squeeze in a table service that day, and the lunch prices weren't bad compared to dinner. Actually, we preferred the lunch menu for Carthay Circle anyways!
We checked in and were seated pretty quickly. The restaurant is GORGEOUS on the inside.
The World of Color package entitled us to a non-alcoholic beverage, an appetizer, entree and dessert.
Our server brought us some delicious crusty bread to start:
The appetizer choices included:
Summer Yellow Tomato "Sopa De Ajo" - Grilled Brentwood Corn, Zucchini, Marinated Pork, Cilantro Lime Pistou
Carthay Circle Escarole Salad - Strawberries, Tangerine, Jicama, Citrus Vinaigrette
You could also choose an upgraded appetizer for $6. I decided that the soup sounded good, so I went with that. Justin chose to upgrade his entree to the firecracker duck wings.
Fire Cracker Duck Wings - Soy, lime, and sriracha chili sauce
Justin loved the duck wings! Really unique. It was a large portion for sure. They definitely had a kick to them. My soup was pretty spicy too. I can't remember which one was spicier, I just remember my mouth being on fire for a solid 15 minutes!
I really enjoyed the soup, even though it was pretty hot outside. I loved the combo of the pork with the corn and zucchini and the crunchy tortilla strips.
For entrees, we had our choice of six different ones. I was torn between the grilled angus tri-tip with risotto, the wagyu beef and truffle ravioli, and the soba noodle salad.
Ultimately I went with the angus tri-tip and risotto!
This was a grilled angus tri-tip with Point Reyes blue cheese risotto, spinach, and wild mushrooms. I love, love, love all of those things. You can totally sell me on blue cheese and steak any day! The steak was cooked a perfect medium (which I struggle to do at home
Justin went with.. drum roll.. the BURGER! DUH!
The other two options were Skuna Bay Salmon and Ginger Crusted Blue Shrimp. So six entree options total, one burger, two beef/steak, two seafood, and a chicken. A good variety, and I feel as if almost all of them could be made meatless. The ravioli, soba noodle bowl, and risotto all sounded delicious on their own.
So Justin chose the Carthay 8-oz. Angus Burger - with cheddar cheese, pepper bacon, and grilled onions served with french fries.
He loved it! Said the bacon was really delicious and thick. His fries were really good, too! He loves any ol' burger, but this was definitely a more "gourmet" one.
For dessert, there were only two options: a butterscotch panna cotta and a chocolate cake. I wish there had been a few more options!
Justin went with the chocolate cake.
Valrhona Dark Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake - Toasted pistachio ice cream
And I chose the butterscotch panna cotta:
Butterscotch Panna Cotta - Summer peaches and almond toffee
They added a cute little touch for our honeymoon!! How sweet
It tasted more like apples to me, which is possible considering it was fall, but also possible that I was just getting the butterscotch taste. I liked it, albeit it's different than something I'd usually order.
Overall, this was a delicious meal! I do think it's a little pricy for a lunch, but it's definitely an elegant atmosphere and has a signature feel. And we did get 3 full courses, so it was a LOT of food. Because we were doing an expensive lunch, we did a cheap on-the-go dinner, so it evened out.
After lunch, we hustled over to the Hyperion Theater because I was dying to see the new Frozen show! The FP's were gone for the day, and we were pretty close to the next showing - something like 1:30 PM and we were maybe there a half hour in advance. So we hopped in the extremely long line, not really caring where we sat, because we didn't want to invest the time in line to get a prime seat.
This is where we were in line, and there were a TON of people behind that staircase.
Our seats were actually not too bad, and they ended up having some to spare!
This show was amazing!! One of the highlights of our day at DCA without a doubt. It was an investment of time, sure, but it was so worth it! The performers were so talented.
We headed back towards Soarin' for a spin on the new ride, we waited a bit, maybe half an hour? I loved the new movie.
Next up, we watched the Pixar parade and headed back towards Disneyland for a bit!
Vernie822
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2014
Wedding Pictures!
I finally got my butt around to putting some pictures on Photobucket so that I could share them!!
My handsome husband
This is one of my favorite photos! We got married in the same church that I grew up attending, my parents got married here 27 years ago.
This is my family - mom, dad, and siblings:
And one of my favorites.. the CAKE! I worked at this bakery in high school and they did a great job!
Our little Mickey and Minnie cake topper went on top. Except.. our videographer backed into the table and it fell off.. Mickey and Minnie shattered into a million pieces! Whoops!!
We added some minor Disney touches to our day:
In Pittsburgh it's tradition that all of the women in the family bake cookies for the cookie table:
It's a tradition that started with my mom and grandfather at my mom's wedding.. she and my grandfather decided they wanted to dance on the tables! So it's a family tradition now and we ended the night by keeping with tradition!
It was definitely the best day EVER!
I finally got my butt around to putting some pictures on Photobucket so that I could share them!!
My handsome husband
This is one of my favorite photos! We got married in the same church that I grew up attending, my parents got married here 27 years ago.
This is my family - mom, dad, and siblings:
And one of my favorites.. the CAKE! I worked at this bakery in high school and they did a great job!
Our little Mickey and Minnie cake topper went on top. Except.. our videographer backed into the table and it fell off.. Mickey and Minnie shattered into a million pieces! Whoops!!
We added some minor Disney touches to our day:
In Pittsburgh it's tradition that all of the women in the family bake cookies for the cookie table:
It's a tradition that started with my mom and grandfather at my mom's wedding.. she and my grandfather decided they wanted to dance on the tables! So it's a family tradition now and we ended the night by keeping with tradition!
It was definitely the best day EVER!
cgattis
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2009
Love LOVE the black and white pic and the one on the railroad tracks! Gorgeous!!Wedding Pictures!
I finally got my butt around to putting some pictures on Photobucket so that I could share them!!
My handsome husband
This is one of my favorite photos! We got married in the same church that I grew up attending, my parents got married here 27 years ago.
This is my family - mom, dad, and siblings:
And one of my favorites.. the CAKE! I worked at this bakery in high school and they did a great job!
Our little Mickey and Minnie cake topper went on top. Except.. our videographer backed into the table and it fell off.. Mickey and Minnie shattered into a million pieces! Whoops!!
We added some minor Disney touches to our day:
In Pittsburgh it's tradition that all of the women in the family bake cookies for the cookie table:
It's a tradition that started with my mom and grandfather at my mom's wedding.. she and my grandfather decided they wanted to dance on the tables! So it's a family tradition now and we ended the night by keeping with tradition!
It was definitely the best day EVER!
That cookie table is AMAZING!!!!! I probably wouldn't even eat cake with all those yummies! Hope you were able to replace your topper....
Glad you enjoyed your wedding and honeymoon, and thanks so much for sharing here. Hope you guys had a wonderful first Christmas as well!
TeeterTots
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2014
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHS!!!!
Vernie822
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2014
Love LOVE the black and white pic and the one on the railroad tracks! Gorgeous!!
That cookie table is AMAZING!!!!! I probably wouldn't even eat cake with all those yummies! Hope you were able to replace your topper....
Glad you enjoyed your wedding and honeymoon, and thanks so much for sharing here. Hope you guys had a wonderful first Christmas as well!
You are so sweet, thank you so much! Fortunately and coincidentally.. my mom had bought us a similar topper as a gift, not knowing my husband had bought us one already! So we had that one on display.. the venue coordinator ran and grabbed it and put it on top!! So ironic that it was there, and oddly enough my cousin was at an antique store a few days later and spotted one for a bargain! So it all ended well, though we have a funny story to tell
Hope you had a great holiday, and happy new year!!Thank you so much!
Vernie822
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2014
Alright, I am FINALLY getting around to finishing this trip report.. Oops!!
After a delicious meal at Carthay Circle, a great time seeing Frozen on stage, and experiencing the new Soarin', we headed over to Disneyland for a little. I don't remember doing too much, I think we took a spin on Buzz Lightyear and maybe did another ride or two.
Back at DCA, we decided to stop for some ice cream at Clarabelle's. I've seen these before and I thought they looked delicious. This is the only place (according to the CMs) at DCA where you can create your own ice cream bar. We chose a vanilla ice cream, with milk chocolate coating, and fun holiday sprinkles!
Look at all the fun options!!
After that, we decided to watch the Pixar parade. It was cute. Surely Justin wasn't thrilled that he had to watch a Pixar parade.. but I thanked him for it!
The day before, we had pulled FP's for a ride we decided not to do. I can't remember what it was, I think it was Splash. We gave them to a family to use. After the parade, a mom asked us if we were going to be here much longer. We said we would be there the rest of the day. She gave us 2 FP's they had pulled for Soarin'! Kindness pays off, and we got to ride Soarin' again!
Some time later, we headed to Cars Land to see it all lit up.. and wow, was it beautiful! I highly recommend experiencing it at both daytime and night time. The theming here is just astounding.
For dinner, we both still had soup in a bread bowl on the brain after seeing it the day before. We decided on Pacific Wharf Cafe for dinner. The Pacific Wharf area has quite a few restaurants, which is great if you have a family and you all want different things.
The line was long, but it moved very quickly. Helps that their menu is limited. I nearly got this beauty.. pumpkin bread pudding - it looked so delicious, especially for a QS dessert.
Their seasonal specialty soup was a Bacon Cheddar Ale. Once Justin's ears heard that, he perked right up! He decided on the specialty. They also have clam chowder and broccoli cheddar, I'm assuming that's year-round. I LOVE Panera's Broccoli Cheddar soup, so I thought I'd go with that one.
Justin's Bacon Cheddar Ale:
These were definitely generous in size and it was a perfect, hearty, filling meal. Only... they didn't give me broccoli cheddar, they gave me clam chowder!!
Whoops.
I realized it maybe 1/4 of the way in. And like I said before it was so busy, so I just let it go. No harm done. It was good, but for some reason I couldn't decipher what it was until a few bites in and some rubbery clam pieces. The bread was out of this world good. I can taste it now and I want one again. I'm a sucker for sourdough bread so I was very pleased!
After dinner we spent some time at the Paradise Pier area.
They have some cheesy boardwalk games. We played a few of them. They're not free but it was a fun little extra thing to do. Justin won us a stuffed Mickey at the "throw the ball at the milk cans and see how many you can knock down" game!
Just before World of Color, we decided on one last ice cream treat.. I think we had forgotten that we already had some earlier in the day.. oops!
We had the sundae with chocolate chip cookies in it. It was delicious! I always forget about this place at Disney Springs, too.
We settled in to our viewing area with our FPs. It was nice not to have to fight for a spot. We were on a walk way behind a general admission area, but our area was not crowded in the least. (Sorry this was blurry, but I thought it'd show our point of view).
I didn't take any more photos of World of Color, but let me just say... WOW.
Having been to WDW many times, I feel as if very few things are still a "surprise". I've seen most of the resorts, the shows, and the rides. I wanted to keep this under wraps so I didn't watch anything on YouTube, and I tried not to look at any pictures. I was so amazed, and so happy that I left this one unseen until we got there! It is DEFINITELY worth seeing if you're out in California!
One more update to go, with our breakfast @ Storytellers Cafe!
After a delicious meal at Carthay Circle, a great time seeing Frozen on stage, and experiencing the new Soarin', we headed over to Disneyland for a little. I don't remember doing too much, I think we took a spin on Buzz Lightyear and maybe did another ride or two.
Back at DCA, we decided to stop for some ice cream at Clarabelle's. I've seen these before and I thought they looked delicious. This is the only place (according to the CMs) at DCA where you can create your own ice cream bar. We chose a vanilla ice cream, with milk chocolate coating, and fun holiday sprinkles!
Look at all the fun options!!
After that, we decided to watch the Pixar parade. It was cute. Surely Justin wasn't thrilled that he had to watch a Pixar parade.. but I thanked him for it!
The day before, we had pulled FP's for a ride we decided not to do. I can't remember what it was, I think it was Splash. We gave them to a family to use. After the parade, a mom asked us if we were going to be here much longer. We said we would be there the rest of the day. She gave us 2 FP's they had pulled for Soarin'! Kindness pays off, and we got to ride Soarin' again!
Some time later, we headed to Cars Land to see it all lit up.. and wow, was it beautiful! I highly recommend experiencing it at both daytime and night time. The theming here is just astounding.
For dinner, we both still had soup in a bread bowl on the brain after seeing it the day before. We decided on Pacific Wharf Cafe for dinner. The Pacific Wharf area has quite a few restaurants, which is great if you have a family and you all want different things.
The line was long, but it moved very quickly. Helps that their menu is limited. I nearly got this beauty.. pumpkin bread pudding - it looked so delicious, especially for a QS dessert.
Their seasonal specialty soup was a Bacon Cheddar Ale. Once Justin's ears heard that, he perked right up! He decided on the specialty. They also have clam chowder and broccoli cheddar, I'm assuming that's year-round. I LOVE Panera's Broccoli Cheddar soup, so I thought I'd go with that one.
Justin's Bacon Cheddar Ale:
These were definitely generous in size and it was a perfect, hearty, filling meal. Only... they didn't give me broccoli cheddar, they gave me clam chowder!!
Whoops.I realized it maybe 1/4 of the way in. And like I said before it was so busy, so I just let it go. No harm done. It was good, but for some reason I couldn't decipher what it was until a few bites in and some rubbery clam pieces. The bread was out of this world good. I can taste it now and I want one again. I'm a sucker for sourdough bread so I was very pleased!
After dinner we spent some time at the Paradise Pier area.
They have some cheesy boardwalk games. We played a few of them. They're not free but it was a fun little extra thing to do. Justin won us a stuffed Mickey at the "throw the ball at the milk cans and see how many you can knock down" game!
Just before World of Color, we decided on one last ice cream treat.. I think we had forgotten that we already had some earlier in the day.. oops!
We had the sundae with chocolate chip cookies in it. It was delicious! I always forget about this place at Disney Springs, too.
We settled in to our viewing area with our FPs. It was nice not to have to fight for a spot. We were on a walk way behind a general admission area, but our area was not crowded in the least. (Sorry this was blurry, but I thought it'd show our point of view).
I didn't take any more photos of World of Color, but let me just say... WOW.
Having been to WDW many times, I feel as if very few things are still a "surprise". I've seen most of the resorts, the shows, and the rides. I wanted to keep this under wraps so I didn't watch anything on YouTube, and I tried not to look at any pictures. I was so amazed, and so happy that I left this one unseen until we got there! It is DEFINITELY worth seeing if you're out in California!
One more update to go, with our breakfast @ Storytellers Cafe!
Vernie822
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2014
Last post!
Our final honeymoon day had come. We were so exhausted, but having a lot of fun. I had booked a breakfast because I wanted to have Mickey waffles at least once, and we thought it would be good to tide us over until we got home.
We had a 2:50 PM flight out of LAX, arriving in PIT around 10:30 PM (time change). Oy, we lost nearly the whole day!
We headed over to the Grand Californian, which is an absolutely gorgeous resort. If you love to stay in the Disney bubble, this is definitely a great option.
We ended up pre-paying for our meal with the "dining plan" option that Disneyland offers. In the mail, we received two vouchers for our character meal. Our server took them and that was it, no gratuity required (it was included with the voucher, per our server). It included our drinks and meals.
The buffet had plenty of options, but I don't think it was as extensive as say, Boma.
My first plate consisted of, from the top: bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, salmon with cucumber and capers, Mickey waffle with syrup, and eggs benedict.
Everything was pretty plentiful and warm. The Mickey waffles I believe were whole grain. Still tasted basically the same, if I remember correctly. I don't remember the eggs benedict being anything thrilling but I ate some of it.
I can't remember all that Justin had, but I know he had bacon, sausage, and breakfast potatoes, which he really enjoyed. Different from the usual homestyle hashbrown.
They did have an Omelet station which was nice! And the website touts a caramel french toast, but I didn't see that when we were there.
We each had a second plate. Unfortunately I don't remember what he had, but I think I just had a few more Mickey waffles and a pastry of some kind.
Lots of cute woodland creature friends to be found here!
And I do have a rather embarrassing video of myself dancing with Koda the bear.. I had no idea Justin was videoing it, HAHA! I love character interaction but sometimes I'm like.. "hi, how ya doin', keep it movin'".. and this was one of those times. Koda didn't get it though and just wanted to keep dancing!!
So, I think that's all... we had an amazing trip and I'm glad I could share our memories with you all. If you have any questions about any of the places we went, please feel free to ask!
Our final honeymoon day had come. We were so exhausted, but having a lot of fun. I had booked a breakfast because I wanted to have Mickey waffles at least once, and we thought it would be good to tide us over until we got home.
We had a 2:50 PM flight out of LAX, arriving in PIT around 10:30 PM (time change). Oy, we lost nearly the whole day!
We headed over to the Grand Californian, which is an absolutely gorgeous resort. If you love to stay in the Disney bubble, this is definitely a great option.
We ended up pre-paying for our meal with the "dining plan" option that Disneyland offers. In the mail, we received two vouchers for our character meal. Our server took them and that was it, no gratuity required (it was included with the voucher, per our server). It included our drinks and meals.
The buffet had plenty of options, but I don't think it was as extensive as say, Boma.
My first plate consisted of, from the top: bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, salmon with cucumber and capers, Mickey waffle with syrup, and eggs benedict.
Everything was pretty plentiful and warm. The Mickey waffles I believe were whole grain. Still tasted basically the same, if I remember correctly. I don't remember the eggs benedict being anything thrilling but I ate some of it.
I can't remember all that Justin had, but I know he had bacon, sausage, and breakfast potatoes, which he really enjoyed. Different from the usual homestyle hashbrown.
They did have an Omelet station which was nice! And the website touts a caramel french toast, but I didn't see that when we were there.
We each had a second plate. Unfortunately I don't remember what he had, but I think I just had a few more Mickey waffles and a pastry of some kind.
Lots of cute woodland creature friends to be found here!
And I do have a rather embarrassing video of myself dancing with Koda the bear.. I had no idea Justin was videoing it, HAHA! I love character interaction but sometimes I'm like.. "hi, how ya doin', keep it movin'".. and this was one of those times. Koda didn't get it though and just wanted to keep dancing!!
So, I think that's all... we had an amazing trip and I'm glad I could share our memories with you all. If you have any questions about any of the places we went, please feel free to ask!
poohj80
Got Hunny?
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2001
Thanks for the detailed review! We are doing a similar trip next month but with Aulani first followed by Maui.
Where did you find the best discount for Paradise Cove? Do you remember if the folks with the Deluxe package received seconds since they were served?
Where did you find the best discount for Paradise Cove? Do you remember if the folks with the Deluxe package received seconds since they were served?
Vernie822
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2014
Hey, thanks for reading! I hope you have a great trip.
I think this is where I got the discounted tickets! http://www.savontourshawaii.com/haw...t_night_evening_romantic_hawaii_hawaiian.aspx
If that link doesn't work, it is savontourshawaii . com. I think it saved us 10-15% or so.
I have no clue if they got seconds or not, but I would assumed maybe the Deluxe people could ask? We did the Orchid so it was the "middle" package and we sat right behind the Deluxe folks, but served ourselves.
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