We're Following the Leader… to the Disney Institute! (A business/family trip to WDW)
- Thread starter MarbleBob
- Start date
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Day 4 - Tuesday, May 24 - Part 1: Another Day at the Disney Institute
The plan for the day: My training class would go from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Stephanie and the kids planned to visit Epcot all day, and then we'd meet up at Epcot around 6:30 PM and spend the rest of the evening together… taking advantage of Extra Magic Hours from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
My training course included breakfast and lunch each of the remaining days, so I woke up got ready, and headed down for breakfast at 7:30 AM.
Approaching our conference room, there was a buffet outside the doors.
I'm not a huge egg person, so I skipped the omelets/casserole/whatever. Next was maple roasted sweet potatoes. And lastly, there was turkey sausage patties. Uhm… boring! Where's the Disney bacon and Mickey waffles?!?! I loaded up my plate with some fruit and a pastry. Good enough!
So this second day was about establishing values and vision. The importance for leaders to be deliberate in their communications related to these topics. How leaders need to align their personal values with company values, and also smaller divisional/departmental values. (People are most successful when all three value sets are aligned with each other.)
Again, purposefully trying to be vague on the above as to not give away the secrets.
We also learned about Disney's values, leadership principles, and the Four Keys that cast members abide by. The four keys aren't a secret, so I assume it's fine to speak about those here. It's one thing for an organization to say they have a set of values, but how do they explain what the associated behaviors should look like? For Disney, they use the Four Keys: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency.
Each of those has a set of defined behaviors. For example, Courtesy lists: I project a positive image and energy; I am courteous and respectful to Guests of all ages; I go above and beyond to exceed Guest expectations.
Anyway, without giving the super play by play for the day, we went through all the above in the morning. Had a buffet lunch. Which was fine. Not amazing. I can't remember exactly what was served, salad, meatballs or something, pulled pork sandwiches. Etc. I remember feeling a bit disappointed between breakfast and lunch on this first day. Not sure why, but I had expected it to be a little more "magical" and less like a lunch you'd get at any other training conference at any random city.
After lunch, we had class for another couple hours and then had a 30 minute break. The goal was to be back in time to head to the Magic Kingdom at 3:00 PM.
I took the 30 minutes to go explore the Boardwalk myself. I walked around the pool, visited the shops, and walked end to end. It was a nice break.
And when I arrived, it was snack time.
Magical snack time!!! All the Mickey Bars and Mickey Ears Rice Krispy Treats you wanted. LOL!!!!
Oh, and you'll notice they had fruit and pretzels for those wishing to avoid a sugar rush.
I'm cool with sugar, so I grabbed one of each. Mickey Bar for now, rice krispy for later!
Now, we're talking!
After everyone arrived back in the room, we headed out to the bus.
So the purpose of this activity was to spend time in the parks observing cast members demonstrate the leadership principles and the four keys first hand. It was very organic (as in we had the choice to randomly interact with whomever we wanted) and most didn't know we would be in the park that day. Yet again, being vague on purpose here.
We hopped on the bus and drove backstage again. This time we entered the park between Tony's and where the old hat store used to be in the front of Main Street.
Heading down Main Street…
OK. Now THIS is a training course!
Our small group (of 6) headed to Pirate's of the Caribbean first. We interacted with a couple cast members and did observe several of the four keys being enacted. Cool!
Next we circled around to Fronteirland and spoke to a pretty high up manager who had been there for 40 years, a lady who managed stuff at Pecos Bills, and a more frontline guy. Great stories and great interactions with these three cast members.
Then we headed towards Jungle Cruise, since it was used heavily in a few training examples earlier in the day, we thought it would be fun to experience while all that was fresh. But we couldn't pass up a Dole Whip on the way.
[/url
They were super efficient in how they managed the lines (yes, one of the four keys), but I think it was at expense of Show and Courtesy as the lady who took my order hardly even made eye contact with me. They were working super hard to keep the long lines down, but not very friendly.
[URL='https://flic.kr/p/HLt8FB']
The line for Jungle Cruise was 40 minutes. Actually not bad, but we wouldn't have enough time to wait in line, ride the ride, and get back to our rendezvous point in time. Instead, we struck up a conversation with a cast member who turned out to be a VIP tour guide. Now that was an interesting conversation!!! He had actually given tours before to celebrities that we all were familiar with, but that day, he was guiding a traditional family through the park.
Next up, we spotted some younger people at the Skipper Canteen. They looked fun, so I went up and approached them. (So much for me being shy, I was in my groove by then.) Fantastic group! We learned about a TON of stuff from them. And boy, everyone we spoke to really enjoyed and took pride in their jobs. How cool! And yes, we learned that Disney is indeed very intentional it's training of their values, culture, and whatnot.
Heading back to the hub to catch up with the other 44 people. Ha!
The street party parade came by, so we all stayed a little longer to watch it. (I actually hate this one, but I was a good sport.)
A few minutes later, we exited through a Cast Member only exit.
And then we were on our way back to the Boardwalk Inn around 6:30 PM. I had everything that I needed, so I skipped going to the room, and headed out towards Epcot's World Showcase entrance.
I had texted Stephanie earlier and they were in Mexico, so I headed that way…
Stay tuned, and Stephanie will then give us an update on how their day went. Spoiler alert: They visited Joy and Sadness first!!![/url]
The plan for the day: My training class would go from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Stephanie and the kids planned to visit Epcot all day, and then we'd meet up at Epcot around 6:30 PM and spend the rest of the evening together… taking advantage of Extra Magic Hours from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
My training course included breakfast and lunch each of the remaining days, so I woke up got ready, and headed down for breakfast at 7:30 AM.
Approaching our conference room, there was a buffet outside the doors.
I'm not a huge egg person, so I skipped the omelets/casserole/whatever. Next was maple roasted sweet potatoes. And lastly, there was turkey sausage patties. Uhm… boring! Where's the Disney bacon and Mickey waffles?!?! I loaded up my plate with some fruit and a pastry. Good enough!
So this second day was about establishing values and vision. The importance for leaders to be deliberate in their communications related to these topics. How leaders need to align their personal values with company values, and also smaller divisional/departmental values. (People are most successful when all three value sets are aligned with each other.)
Again, purposefully trying to be vague on the above as to not give away the secrets.
We also learned about Disney's values, leadership principles, and the Four Keys that cast members abide by. The four keys aren't a secret, so I assume it's fine to speak about those here. It's one thing for an organization to say they have a set of values, but how do they explain what the associated behaviors should look like? For Disney, they use the Four Keys: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency.
Each of those has a set of defined behaviors. For example, Courtesy lists: I project a positive image and energy; I am courteous and respectful to Guests of all ages; I go above and beyond to exceed Guest expectations.
Anyway, without giving the super play by play for the day, we went through all the above in the morning. Had a buffet lunch. Which was fine. Not amazing. I can't remember exactly what was served, salad, meatballs or something, pulled pork sandwiches. Etc. I remember feeling a bit disappointed between breakfast and lunch on this first day. Not sure why, but I had expected it to be a little more "magical" and less like a lunch you'd get at any other training conference at any random city.
After lunch, we had class for another couple hours and then had a 30 minute break. The goal was to be back in time to head to the Magic Kingdom at 3:00 PM.
I took the 30 minutes to go explore the Boardwalk myself. I walked around the pool, visited the shops, and walked end to end. It was a nice break.
And when I arrived, it was snack time.
Magical snack time!!! All the Mickey Bars and Mickey Ears Rice Krispy Treats you wanted. LOL!!!!
Oh, and you'll notice they had fruit and pretzels for those wishing to avoid a sugar rush.
I'm cool with sugar, so I grabbed one of each. Mickey Bar for now, rice krispy for later!
Now, we're talking!
After everyone arrived back in the room, we headed out to the bus.
So the purpose of this activity was to spend time in the parks observing cast members demonstrate the leadership principles and the four keys first hand. It was very organic (as in we had the choice to randomly interact with whomever we wanted) and most didn't know we would be in the park that day. Yet again, being vague on purpose here.
We hopped on the bus and drove backstage again. This time we entered the park between Tony's and where the old hat store used to be in the front of Main Street.
Heading down Main Street…
OK. Now THIS is a training course!
Our small group (of 6) headed to Pirate's of the Caribbean first. We interacted with a couple cast members and did observe several of the four keys being enacted. Cool!
Next we circled around to Fronteirland and spoke to a pretty high up manager who had been there for 40 years, a lady who managed stuff at Pecos Bills, and a more frontline guy. Great stories and great interactions with these three cast members.
Then we headed towards Jungle Cruise, since it was used heavily in a few training examples earlier in the day, we thought it would be fun to experience while all that was fresh. But we couldn't pass up a Dole Whip on the way.
[/urlThey were super efficient in how they managed the lines (yes, one of the four keys), but I think it was at expense of Show and Courtesy as the lady who took my order hardly even made eye contact with me. They were working super hard to keep the long lines down, but not very friendly.
[URL='https://flic.kr/p/HLt8FB']
The line for Jungle Cruise was 40 minutes. Actually not bad, but we wouldn't have enough time to wait in line, ride the ride, and get back to our rendezvous point in time. Instead, we struck up a conversation with a cast member who turned out to be a VIP tour guide. Now that was an interesting conversation!!! He had actually given tours before to celebrities that we all were familiar with, but that day, he was guiding a traditional family through the park.
Next up, we spotted some younger people at the Skipper Canteen. They looked fun, so I went up and approached them. (So much for me being shy, I was in my groove by then.) Fantastic group! We learned about a TON of stuff from them. And boy, everyone we spoke to really enjoyed and took pride in their jobs. How cool! And yes, we learned that Disney is indeed very intentional it's training of their values, culture, and whatnot.
Heading back to the hub to catch up with the other 44 people. Ha!
The street party parade came by, so we all stayed a little longer to watch it. (I actually hate this one, but I was a good sport.)
A few minutes later, we exited through a Cast Member only exit.
And then we were on our way back to the Boardwalk Inn around 6:30 PM. I had everything that I needed, so I skipped going to the room, and headed out towards Epcot's World Showcase entrance.
I had texted Stephanie earlier and they were in Mexico, so I headed that way…
Stay tuned, and Stephanie will then give us an update on how their day went. Spoiler alert: They visited Joy and Sadness first!!![/url]
Hi Pio! I think that tip would be handy even if you've just come to the Crescent Lake area for dinner to spend an evening, but would be fun if you stay there, too.
Hi Phil! It's funny how things change when your kids get to be teens. There's both good and bad, and I really enjoyed the one-on-one time with Pickle.
What a beautiful spot for your wedding reception. Pickle and I saw cast members putting away topiaries at the Dance Hall when we went passed. I assume it was for a wedding. I'm sure that holds a lot of great memories.
Nice to meet you Stephanie and thanks for the explanation of your screen name, very clever!! Sounds like you made the best of your non-park day. We always love to build in a DTD day and a day to visit the various resorts. We love the Yacht and Beach Club as well as the Boardwalk. We have eaten at Flying Fish which was amazing and Beaches and Cream also fun. I love the water features and the friendship boats and just walking around the Boardwalk.
Thanks for the update and excited to hear about your first park day!!
Thanks, Kelly! The Crescent Lake area is really beautiful. We definitely could have spent more time exploring and enjoying the amenities. There's always more to do at DW, though, which is why we always seem to be going back.
Hi annie170! It was a lot of fun to have the evening with just Pickle. It's hard to believe my baby is almost 9; I'm sure you can relate!
Great updates, Stephanie and Matt! So neat to see the separate activities you did that day.
The clown slide at night is definitely nightmare inducing.
Hi deannaf87! Thanks! The pool area is really great at the Boardwalk, but the clown at night...nope!
That hot breakfast sounded pretty good. No roasted sweet potatoes or turkey sausage for you?
So far, your conference sounds great. I was wondering how I could talk our school board into sending a few of us there. I went to the Disney Institute website and checked out the prices. Yeah, that won't be happening anytime soon. Actually, I can understand how you were a bit underwhelmed by the food.
I love behind the scenes stuff. That had to be pretty cool using the cast members entrances and exits.
I'm not a big fan of Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It either.
So far, your conference sounds great. I was wondering how I could talk our school board into sending a few of us there. I went to the Disney Institute website and checked out the prices. Yeah, that won't be happening anytime soon. Actually, I can understand how you were a bit underwhelmed by the food.
I love behind the scenes stuff. That had to be pretty cool using the cast members entrances and exits.
I'm not a big fan of Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It either.
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
Fantastic updates! I know you provided us with the high level view but I reckon (food aside) that the material they shared would have been amazing! Glad to see that you had a great time and learnt a lot.
toystoryduo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2003
Great updates! 
Stephanie- I love the story behind your screen name! Your pictures of the Boardwalk and Beach Club are so awesome!
We just love that area! 
Matt- The Disney Institute sounds amazing! I think my DH would love to attend one of their leadership conferences.
I can't believe that there were no Mickey waffles for breakfast! 
At least they made up for it with the Rice Krispie treats and Mickey bars as snacks. 
Stephanie- I love the story behind your screen name! Your pictures of the Boardwalk and Beach Club are so awesome!
We just love that area! Matt- The Disney Institute sounds amazing! I think my DH would love to attend one of their leadership conferences.
I can't believe that there were no Mickey waffles for breakfast! At least they made up for it with the Rice Krispie treats and Mickey bars as snacks. 
Great updates!
Stephanie- I love the story behind your screen name! Your pictures of the Boardwalk and Beach Club are so awesome!
Thanks, toystoryduo! I had a great time walking around and exploring the area. I hope to make it back there sometime.
Day 4 - Tuesday, May 24 - Part 2: Joy, Sadness, and Baymax!
The kids and I got up early for Epcot. We got to the entrance between France and the U.K. pavilions about an hour to 45 minutes before the park officially opened at 9:00. The easy walk to Epcot from the Boardwalk is great. This was our first time going through the enhanced security procedures. All of us were asked to go through the metal detector, and since it was so early and that entrance had just a few other people at it, the process took very little time. At about 8:30 or so, they let us in to the park. My game plan was to get in line for rope drop so that we could see Joy and Sadness right away. However, I was hoping to pick up a stroller for Pickle here at the entrance. While she is getting on the extreme end of age and size to use a stroller, I thought it would be worth it given the size of Epcot. However, the cast members told me that the location wouldn't open until 9:00. Sorry, Pickle! You're going to have to walk it at first, because we need to get to the front of the meet and greet line ASAP.
Seeing the World Showcase that early in the morning with so few people, was really fun. No time to stop and smell the roses, though.
I love seeing Epcot decorated for the Flower and Garden Festival!
Once we made it to Innnoventions West, we waited at the rope drop area. We tried to stay as far to the right as we could. There were already a fair number of people who made it from the front entrance of Epcot before we did, but not a lot of them seemed to be lining up on the right for the Joy and Sadness/Baymax area. Once rope drop happened, two lines formed at the character spot doors on the right. The closest door was the line for Joy and Sadness, and the further door was the line for Baymax. We probably waited five minutes or so after park opening for the doors to be opened. My guess is at this point, we were probably the 5th or 6th group of people in this line.
Waiting in line after rope drop but before the character spot doors were opened:
Close to the front, but a few groups back.
Very fun queuing area.
We had a short wait until it was our turn. When we walked in, Sadness left for a few minutes. The character handler told us not to worry because she would be right back. Joy liked showing off Riley's control panel.
And then sadness came back out to join us. She was so cute and sad!
Silly Joy!
This was a really great meet and greet. The characters were phenomenal. We really enjoy Inside Out, and it was a ton of fun meeting new characters at the park. Next, it was time to go to San Fransokyo! Big Hero 6 is another favorite, and we all love Baymax!
The queuing area was not as elaborate as Inside Out, but still fun to look at the posters and artwork.
Baymax is so cute and soft. They do make you leave all backpacks, purses, and belongings off to the side since he is a bit more fragile than other characters.
I can't remember the last time I went to Epcot and did not rush straight away to Soarin' or Test Track. This was a super fun way to spend our first 30 minutes! We did not do a lot of character meet and greets this trip, so I am especially glad that we did this one to start our park touring.
The kids and I got up early for Epcot. We got to the entrance between France and the U.K. pavilions about an hour to 45 minutes before the park officially opened at 9:00. The easy walk to Epcot from the Boardwalk is great. This was our first time going through the enhanced security procedures. All of us were asked to go through the metal detector, and since it was so early and that entrance had just a few other people at it, the process took very little time. At about 8:30 or so, they let us in to the park. My game plan was to get in line for rope drop so that we could see Joy and Sadness right away. However, I was hoping to pick up a stroller for Pickle here at the entrance. While she is getting on the extreme end of age and size to use a stroller, I thought it would be worth it given the size of Epcot. However, the cast members told me that the location wouldn't open until 9:00. Sorry, Pickle! You're going to have to walk it at first, because we need to get to the front of the meet and greet line ASAP.
Seeing the World Showcase that early in the morning with so few people, was really fun. No time to stop and smell the roses, though.
I love seeing Epcot decorated for the Flower and Garden Festival!
Once we made it to Innnoventions West, we waited at the rope drop area. We tried to stay as far to the right as we could. There were already a fair number of people who made it from the front entrance of Epcot before we did, but not a lot of them seemed to be lining up on the right for the Joy and Sadness/Baymax area. Once rope drop happened, two lines formed at the character spot doors on the right. The closest door was the line for Joy and Sadness, and the further door was the line for Baymax. We probably waited five minutes or so after park opening for the doors to be opened. My guess is at this point, we were probably the 5th or 6th group of people in this line.
Waiting in line after rope drop but before the character spot doors were opened:
Close to the front, but a few groups back.
Very fun queuing area.
We had a short wait until it was our turn. When we walked in, Sadness left for a few minutes. The character handler told us not to worry because she would be right back. Joy liked showing off Riley's control panel.
And then sadness came back out to join us. She was so cute and sad!
Silly Joy!
This was a really great meet and greet. The characters were phenomenal. We really enjoy Inside Out, and it was a ton of fun meeting new characters at the park. Next, it was time to go to San Fransokyo! Big Hero 6 is another favorite, and we all love Baymax!
The queuing area was not as elaborate as Inside Out, but still fun to look at the posters and artwork.
Baymax is so cute and soft. They do make you leave all backpacks, purses, and belongings off to the side since he is a bit more fragile than other characters.
I can't remember the last time I went to Epcot and did not rush straight away to Soarin' or Test Track. This was a super fun way to spend our first 30 minutes! We did not do a lot of character meet and greets this trip, so I am especially glad that we did this one to start our park touring.
Day 4 - Tuesday, May 24 - Part 3: An Epcot Morning
Our first fastpass+ was ready for Test Track, so that is where we headed next with a brief stop for a picture.
Pickle was excited because her car kept coming in 1st place in several of the categories during the ride. She was thrilled.
After TT, I promised Pickle we'd see about a stroller next. Buddy and Princess thought they would get a quick ride in on Spaceship Earth while we did that; however, SE was down. After getting the stroller we checked again because we had fp+ for it. Nope, still down. So, we ended up with a replacement fp+ that was good anytime, anywhere, except TT. We thought we would hold on to this one and try to ride SE again later when we met up with Matt in the evening. Since we had a while until our next fp+ was ready for Nemo, we decided to check out Mission Space. Princess really wanted to ride the more challenging version since she had never done that before, but neither Buddy nor Pickle were interested. The wait time said 20 minutes, so I left my phone with Buddy while he and Pickle waited for us outside. Unfortunately, the standby timing was off. We ended up waiting 45 to 50 minutes to get on the ride. Poor Buddy and Pickle! They were able to watch the Jamminators, and they had the good sense to go inside the gift shop and wait for us in there. Good thing for texting so we were able to let each other know what we were doing! Princess loved this version of the ride. I have mixed feelings: I like doing it, but I don't like the queasy feeling in my stomach afterwards. However, I was glad that she got to experience something she had never done before.
After this, it was time to use our fp+ for Nemo. Except...it was down, too! This time we also saw a replacement (anytime/anywhere) fp+ show up on My Disney Experience, but this time it was good for TT. I'm assuming that was because we had two fp+ go down on us that we got the better replacement the second time. We also thought we would hold on to this one to use with Matt in the evening. (He had separately booked his fp+ since he wasn't with us during the day, and he had ones for both TT and SE.)
We were getting quite hungry, and I love Sunshine Seasons. So we checked it out, but Buddy and Pickle didn't think they would be happy there. There was one place we knew everyone would be happy with, so we headed off to Japan to Katsura Grill. Ah...perfect. We found a table inside. The air-conditioning felt great, and the girls and I decided to splurge a little by getting the drink and ice cream add on. Buddy wasn't too interested, but Pickle and I really enjoy the strawberry, red bean, and Princess loves the green tea ice cream. Buddy and I got beef udon, Princess got teriyaki chicken, and Pickle got sushi. Yum!
The kids love the Japan pavilion, and we tend to spend a lot of time there. This trip was no exception. First up, I wanted to see the new Kawaii exhibit.
If you're not familiar with Kawaii, here's a sign that explains it:
There was this statute filled with kawaii objects. The girls really liked it. I thought it was odd.
But we all loved the displays of household and everyday products.
Time for the Kidcot station. Pickle is outgoing and makes friends easily. So, she ended up with three origami. The small one is from at cast member at Katsura Grill and the other two are from the Kidcot station. (She asked for a second bunny origami for Princess, and they quite nicely obliged.)
Princess and Buddy headed off to shop. Pickle and I looked around, and I discouraged her from spending all of her money at once. We had a lot fun looking at the musical clocks. Eventually we met back up with the other two and made our purchases. (Mostly candy.)
I was still quite full from lunch, but the kids were ready to have a treat. We all love kaki gori, so that's what they got. Buddy got melon; the girls got rainbow. I think Buddy made the better choice.
At this point, I was ready for a hotel break. It was probably 2:00 or so, and it was getting hot and I was getting tired. I gave Princess and Buddy the option of staying, but they were ready to head back for a break, too.
Our first fastpass+ was ready for Test Track, so that is where we headed next with a brief stop for a picture.
Pickle was excited because her car kept coming in 1st place in several of the categories during the ride. She was thrilled.
After TT, I promised Pickle we'd see about a stroller next. Buddy and Princess thought they would get a quick ride in on Spaceship Earth while we did that; however, SE was down. After getting the stroller we checked again because we had fp+ for it. Nope, still down. So, we ended up with a replacement fp+ that was good anytime, anywhere, except TT. We thought we would hold on to this one and try to ride SE again later when we met up with Matt in the evening. Since we had a while until our next fp+ was ready for Nemo, we decided to check out Mission Space. Princess really wanted to ride the more challenging version since she had never done that before, but neither Buddy nor Pickle were interested. The wait time said 20 minutes, so I left my phone with Buddy while he and Pickle waited for us outside. Unfortunately, the standby timing was off. We ended up waiting 45 to 50 minutes to get on the ride. Poor Buddy and Pickle! They were able to watch the Jamminators, and they had the good sense to go inside the gift shop and wait for us in there. Good thing for texting so we were able to let each other know what we were doing! Princess loved this version of the ride. I have mixed feelings: I like doing it, but I don't like the queasy feeling in my stomach afterwards. However, I was glad that she got to experience something she had never done before.
After this, it was time to use our fp+ for Nemo. Except...it was down, too! This time we also saw a replacement (anytime/anywhere) fp+ show up on My Disney Experience, but this time it was good for TT. I'm assuming that was because we had two fp+ go down on us that we got the better replacement the second time. We also thought we would hold on to this one to use with Matt in the evening. (He had separately booked his fp+ since he wasn't with us during the day, and he had ones for both TT and SE.)
We were getting quite hungry, and I love Sunshine Seasons. So we checked it out, but Buddy and Pickle didn't think they would be happy there. There was one place we knew everyone would be happy with, so we headed off to Japan to Katsura Grill. Ah...perfect. We found a table inside. The air-conditioning felt great, and the girls and I decided to splurge a little by getting the drink and ice cream add on. Buddy wasn't too interested, but Pickle and I really enjoy the strawberry, red bean, and Princess loves the green tea ice cream. Buddy and I got beef udon, Princess got teriyaki chicken, and Pickle got sushi. Yum!
The kids love the Japan pavilion, and we tend to spend a lot of time there. This trip was no exception. First up, I wanted to see the new Kawaii exhibit.
If you're not familiar with Kawaii, here's a sign that explains it:
There was this statute filled with kawaii objects. The girls really liked it. I thought it was odd.
But we all loved the displays of household and everyday products.
Time for the Kidcot station. Pickle is outgoing and makes friends easily. So, she ended up with three origami. The small one is from at cast member at Katsura Grill and the other two are from the Kidcot station. (She asked for a second bunny origami for Princess, and they quite nicely obliged.)
Princess and Buddy headed off to shop. Pickle and I looked around, and I discouraged her from spending all of her money at once. We had a lot fun looking at the musical clocks. Eventually we met back up with the other two and made our purchases. (Mostly candy.)
I was still quite full from lunch, but the kids were ready to have a treat. We all love kaki gori, so that's what they got. Buddy got melon; the girls got rainbow. I think Buddy made the better choice.
At this point, I was ready for a hotel break. It was probably 2:00 or so, and it was getting hot and I was getting tired. I gave Princess and Buddy the option of staying, but they were ready to head back for a break, too.
Day 4 - Tuesday, May 24 - Part 4: Places to Go and People to See
The kids let me take a 30 minute nap, which was great. After that, I had promised Pickle to take her to the pool. We played there for another hour and a half or so. There were lots of fun activities at the Boardwalk pool both times we went. On this day, there were pool party games. Things like relay races, hula hoop contests, etc. She had a great time.
On Monday, when we posted pictures on Facebook from the Boardwalk, I heard from a high school friend who lives in Orlando that she and her family were going to Epcot on Tuesday evening. This was perfect, so we were communicating trying to see if it would work out to meet up.
After our relaxing break, we headed back into the park. We weren't sure how dinner was going to work out with Matt, so we did some exploring before we made up our minds of where to eat. The kids really wanted to head to Canada, so that's where we went.
The top part of the pavilion was closed off for a private group. We were disappointed because it had been a long time since we had watched the film. The kids decided to check to see if we could still access the movie from the lower area, and sure enough we could! I'm glad they didn't give up as quickly as I was about to.
While waiting for the next showing, I heard from my high school friend, but I hadn't yet heard from Matt. I love the beautiful gardens in Canada.
The kids were starting to get hungry and thought Mexican food sounded good, so we decided to head to Mexico. We thought perhaps Matt would join us soon. I love the Grand Fiesta tour with Donald, so we rode this while we waited to hear from him.
I hadn't yet see the new three caballeros animatronics. So cool!
We finally heard from Matt, and he wasn't happy about eating at Mexico. He wanted to eat at Japan! He was interested in trying one of the dishes at the kiosk there for Flower and Garden. Since we had just had Japanese food for lunch, we weren't too excited about that option for dinner. We decided to meet up with him at the American Pavilion, because Princess and Buddy just wanted hamburgers/chicken by this point anyway. My high school friend was planning to be in France later on, so we were still hoping that it might work out to meet up with them, too. So the kids and I headed to America, where we finally met back up with Matt for the evening.
The kids let me take a 30 minute nap, which was great. After that, I had promised Pickle to take her to the pool. We played there for another hour and a half or so. There were lots of fun activities at the Boardwalk pool both times we went. On this day, there were pool party games. Things like relay races, hula hoop contests, etc. She had a great time.
On Monday, when we posted pictures on Facebook from the Boardwalk, I heard from a high school friend who lives in Orlando that she and her family were going to Epcot on Tuesday evening. This was perfect, so we were communicating trying to see if it would work out to meet up.
After our relaxing break, we headed back into the park. We weren't sure how dinner was going to work out with Matt, so we did some exploring before we made up our minds of where to eat. The kids really wanted to head to Canada, so that's where we went.
The top part of the pavilion was closed off for a private group. We were disappointed because it had been a long time since we had watched the film. The kids decided to check to see if we could still access the movie from the lower area, and sure enough we could! I'm glad they didn't give up as quickly as I was about to.
While waiting for the next showing, I heard from my high school friend, but I hadn't yet heard from Matt. I love the beautiful gardens in Canada.
The kids were starting to get hungry and thought Mexican food sounded good, so we decided to head to Mexico. We thought perhaps Matt would join us soon. I love the Grand Fiesta tour with Donald, so we rode this while we waited to hear from him.
I hadn't yet see the new three caballeros animatronics. So cool!
We finally heard from Matt, and he wasn't happy about eating at Mexico. He wanted to eat at Japan! He was interested in trying one of the dishes at the kiosk there for Flower and Garden. Since we had just had Japanese food for lunch, we weren't too excited about that option for dinner. We decided to meet up with him at the American Pavilion, because Princess and Buddy just wanted hamburgers/chicken by this point anyway. My high school friend was planning to be in France later on, so we were still hoping that it might work out to meet up with them, too. So the kids and I headed to America, where we finally met back up with Matt for the evening.
I love the updates. I really want to meet Joy and Sadness.....we did get to see all of the Inside Out characters at Disneyland last summer during the parade and I was hoping they would be at Epcot in December, but they weren't there yet. Just an excuse for another trip I guess
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
Great updates! Such a shame that two of your FP+ were down. At least you got "good for anytime" replacements! Hope that it worked out wit Matt's choices.
Love, love, love Japan. I'm hoping to get there next year with the family.....and visit TDL as well!
Love, love, love Japan. I'm hoping to get there next year with the family.....and visit TDL as well!
Sleepingbooty
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2008
Oh my goodness, small world moment- I'm a teacher at Princess' school! I don't recognize her, but saw her shirt! Enjoying your trip report. We too have thought about stopping to "See Rock City" on the way down!
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
I love the updates. I really want to meet Joy and Sadness.....we did get to see all of the Inside Out characters at Disneyland last summer during the parade and I was hoping they would be at Epcot in December, but they weren't there yet. Just an excuse for another trip I guess
Being in class, I didn't get to see them either. But I'm going to follow your lead and use that as an excuse for another trip
Although we've never been to the "real" Japan, we are BIG fans of Japanese food and culture. TDL is towards the top of my bucket list, so I'm envious of your potential trip next year. Fingers crossed that you can make it happen, and then we'll be able to experience it vicariously through your trip report.
Following along...EPCOT is my favorite resort. we stayed once at the Beach Club, we love being able to leave the kids at the hotel with Grandma and come back to the park for a nightcap. I LOVE walking around world showcase with a drink!
Regularly leaving the kids for a nightcap in Epcot sounds pretty epic!!!
How cool is that!!! Princess is away with a friend, but I clicked on the TR link in your signature. I'll show her your photo and see if she recognizes you.
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Day 4 - Tuesday, May 24 - Part 5: Meeting the Family
Thanks again to Stephanie for sharing the day from her perspective! Also, noting that Pickle turned 9 on Thursday, so we've been busy celebrating the last few days.
Picking up where Stephanie left off... They were heading my way from Mexico and we decided to meet between Italy and the American Pavillon. When they arrived, we split up for food. I backtracked over to the Japanese Flower and Garden Kiosk, and they headed inside to get food at the Liberty Inn.
I essentially ordered all three food items from the food menu, plus the Yuzu Plum Wine slushy. (I called it the "Yum Wine Slushy") They gave me a tray to carry everything in, and then I headed back to meet the family at Liberty Inn.
They were still waiting for their food when I arrived, so I took a couple minutes to take some photos....
The yaki udon was actually really good. I like fried udon noodles a LOT, and while not the best I've ever tasted, they were still yummy!
The Frushi was excellent. I ended up sharing these with the family as they were all pretty jealous. Probably my favorite of the bunch.
The Chicken Edamame Bun was good, but not amazing. The curry sauce was good, but the texture of the chicken inside was a little mushy. I didn't regret trying it in the least, but I wouldn't order it again.
It turns out what was holding up the family, is that Buddy had ordered a regular hamburger, but they served him a cheeseburger. It took them quite a while to fix up a new one. Basically like waiting in the long line all over again. The lady behind the counter realized it was a significant inconvenience and offered them free Mickey Bars as a consolation. It worked because the kids came back stoked! (Even though Pickle isn't smiling in the next photo, she was happy.)
I usually do a pretty good job about photographing our Disney meals, but for some reason, I didn't even bother with theirs. Stephanie and Pickle both got ribs. The consensus is that they were fine, but nothing to write home about. I don't even remember what Princess had, maybe chicken fingers or something. And Buddy had the burger, which was good enough.
So the verdict? Japanese FG kiosk was a total win. Highly recommended. Liberty Inn was just average Disney food at best. (Which is what we expected, as we've been there before.)
The Japan Pavilion is also one of my favorite places in all of WDW. So Princess and I went inside the Mitsukoshi store to explore, while Stephane and the younger two chillaxed outside.
I'm a HUGE fan of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, so I HAD to spend some time looking through ALL the Studio Ghibli stuff. Which was really hard, as I didn't want to spend any money here. Easier said than done, this stuff is just too cool!!!
I've been thinking about these little paper models for a while. You can get them cheaper online and/or eBay, but super cool to see them in person here.
I actually picked up this same My Neighbor Totoro origami set 2 years ago on our last visit.
Puzzles!!!
We spent time looking through the entire store, but we focused on the toys and then the candy. Stephanie and I had recently visited the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Chicago (large Japanese grocery store), and we splurged on lots of candy and snacks, so I didn't feel as much of an urge to go crazy here this time. But we saw LOTS of good stuff that I wish I was snacking on right now!!
And then Princess wanted to ensure that I saw the Kawaii display. And I'm glad that she did, it was awesome. And we got to see lots more Studio Ghibli stuff in the display cases too!
A little more on that cool plastic statue...
And while Princess and I explored inside, Stephanie and the younger two enjoyed the ambiance outside.
Anyway, after a while, we came out and grabbed a couple selfies....
Stephanie's high school friend was on her way to France now, and we planned to see them there next, since we were pretty close.
We headed into France and made our way to the back...
... and spotted them pretty quickly.
They hadn't seen each other in like 20 years, but it was like they hadn't skipped a beat and they picked up their conversations almost instantly. It's always cool to have friends like that.
I had never met her, her husband, or her kids, but it was fun chatting with them while the ladies caught up with each other. Anyway, we probably hung out for 30 minutes or so, and then parted ways. Hopefully, it won't be another 20 years before we see them again. (Especially, because we all seemed to get along so well.)
We went ahead and stopped at the Impressions de France movie before leaving France. Princess just finished her second year of French in school and she really enjoys it. Personally, I have a minor in French and I've been there twice (although the last time was over 20 years ago.) Anyway, I thought it would be cool for Princess to have a chance to speak with some real French people, so I struck up a conversation with the movie attendants. They were super cool, but unfortunately, I inadvertently embarrassed Princess when I mentioned that she was learning French and then they started speaking to her. In hindsight, I could see how that would be intimidating. I got the evil eye a few times over the next few minutes. Sorry Princess! Regardless, I had a lot of fun chatting with them. And then it was nice to just sit in the AC and enjoy the movie for a few minutes.
Illuminations was about to start, so we headed towards Test Track. It was fun to see the fireworks go off as we made the journey from France to TT.
Thanks again to Stephanie for sharing the day from her perspective! Also, noting that Pickle turned 9 on Thursday, so we've been busy celebrating the last few days.
Picking up where Stephanie left off... They were heading my way from Mexico and we decided to meet between Italy and the American Pavillon. When they arrived, we split up for food. I backtracked over to the Japanese Flower and Garden Kiosk, and they headed inside to get food at the Liberty Inn.
I essentially ordered all three food items from the food menu, plus the Yuzu Plum Wine slushy. (I called it the "Yum Wine Slushy") They gave me a tray to carry everything in, and then I headed back to meet the family at Liberty Inn.
They were still waiting for their food when I arrived, so I took a couple minutes to take some photos....
The yaki udon was actually really good. I like fried udon noodles a LOT, and while not the best I've ever tasted, they were still yummy!
The Frushi was excellent. I ended up sharing these with the family as they were all pretty jealous. Probably my favorite of the bunch.
The Chicken Edamame Bun was good, but not amazing. The curry sauce was good, but the texture of the chicken inside was a little mushy. I didn't regret trying it in the least, but I wouldn't order it again.
It turns out what was holding up the family, is that Buddy had ordered a regular hamburger, but they served him a cheeseburger. It took them quite a while to fix up a new one. Basically like waiting in the long line all over again. The lady behind the counter realized it was a significant inconvenience and offered them free Mickey Bars as a consolation. It worked because the kids came back stoked! (Even though Pickle isn't smiling in the next photo, she was happy.)
I usually do a pretty good job about photographing our Disney meals, but for some reason, I didn't even bother with theirs. Stephanie and Pickle both got ribs. The consensus is that they were fine, but nothing to write home about. I don't even remember what Princess had, maybe chicken fingers or something. And Buddy had the burger, which was good enough.
So the verdict? Japanese FG kiosk was a total win. Highly recommended. Liberty Inn was just average Disney food at best. (Which is what we expected, as we've been there before.)
The Japan Pavilion is also one of my favorite places in all of WDW. So Princess and I went inside the Mitsukoshi store to explore, while Stephane and the younger two chillaxed outside.
I'm a HUGE fan of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, so I HAD to spend some time looking through ALL the Studio Ghibli stuff. Which was really hard, as I didn't want to spend any money here. Easier said than done, this stuff is just too cool!!!
I've been thinking about these little paper models for a while. You can get them cheaper online and/or eBay, but super cool to see them in person here.
I actually picked up this same My Neighbor Totoro origami set 2 years ago on our last visit.
Puzzles!!!
We spent time looking through the entire store, but we focused on the toys and then the candy. Stephanie and I had recently visited the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Chicago (large Japanese grocery store), and we splurged on lots of candy and snacks, so I didn't feel as much of an urge to go crazy here this time. But we saw LOTS of good stuff that I wish I was snacking on right now!!
And then Princess wanted to ensure that I saw the Kawaii display. And I'm glad that she did, it was awesome. And we got to see lots more Studio Ghibli stuff in the display cases too!
A little more on that cool plastic statue...
And while Princess and I explored inside, Stephanie and the younger two enjoyed the ambiance outside.
Anyway, after a while, we came out and grabbed a couple selfies....
Stephanie's high school friend was on her way to France now, and we planned to see them there next, since we were pretty close.
We headed into France and made our way to the back...
... and spotted them pretty quickly.
They hadn't seen each other in like 20 years, but it was like they hadn't skipped a beat and they picked up their conversations almost instantly. It's always cool to have friends like that.
I had never met her, her husband, or her kids, but it was fun chatting with them while the ladies caught up with each other. Anyway, we probably hung out for 30 minutes or so, and then parted ways. Hopefully, it won't be another 20 years before we see them again. (Especially, because we all seemed to get along so well.)
We went ahead and stopped at the Impressions de France movie before leaving France. Princess just finished her second year of French in school and she really enjoys it. Personally, I have a minor in French and I've been there twice (although the last time was over 20 years ago.) Anyway, I thought it would be cool for Princess to have a chance to speak with some real French people, so I struck up a conversation with the movie attendants. They were super cool, but unfortunately, I inadvertently embarrassed Princess when I mentioned that she was learning French and then they started speaking to her. In hindsight, I could see how that would be intimidating. I got the evil eye a few times over the next few minutes. Sorry Princess! Regardless, I had a lot of fun chatting with them. And then it was nice to just sit in the AC and enjoy the movie for a few minutes.
Illuminations was about to start, so we headed towards Test Track. It was fun to see the fireworks go off as we made the journey from France to TT.
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MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Day 4 - Tuesday, May 24 - Part 6: Extra Magic Hour
It was Extra Magic Hours from 9pm to 11pm. Since I had just seen Illuminations the night before, and the kids aren't huge fans of this show anyway, we decided to take advantage of EMH and just go straight to Test Track.
It was about 9:10 PM and a 20 minute wait time was posted, so we decided to hop right on the main line (vs. splitting up for single rider, which we sometimes do.) Unfortunately, it turned out to be more like 40 minutes, but still not bad for this ride, I guess...
The girls paired up and made this funky squat, but efficient car.
And then Buddy, Stephanie, and I paired up.
Buddy designed this more HP heavy car for us.
A while later, we checked in to get our cars, and were on our way.
We've ridden this ride countless times, but the new version only a handful of times. Personally, I much preferred the last one. I think it represented the vision of an actual "testing facility" much better than the new version does. This new one reminds me of Tron. I love Tron, so that's fine too. LOL. Even though I prefer the old version, this one is still lots of fun!
Next, we decided to head over to Spaceship Earth. This is truly one of my favorite rides in all the Disney parks. Not sure why, if it's for sentimental reasons or what, but I LOVE it. The girls made a pitstop for the restrooms, so I took a few photos while we waited.
This one is my current Facebook profile photo. Haha!
So yeah, let's go get in line for Spaceship Earth. Except for... no line. At all!! You pretty much walked right on. Hmm... this EMH at Epcot might payoff!
Not much else to say about this ride. Other than the photo aspect for the ride back down wasn't working, so we had generic heads instead of the custom ones. No worries.
Next up, I HAD to get a photo of the kids with the ball in the background. This has become our new tradition through the years.
Here's this most recent one:
And the previous photos:
At this point, we decided to head over to the Land area and start with the Finding Nemo ride. It was a bit after 10pm now and Princess was feeling done, so she walked back the Boardwalk Inn by herself, and the rest of us went over to Nemo.
So cool at night!!!
We walked inside and it was super freezing cold!!! They had some serious air conditioning going. Strange, this one was completely empty. There wasn't anyone before or after us as we walked through the queueing lanes and straight into empty cars. That was pretty cool!
We decided to keep moving and see what else we could ride before 11pm. So next up, we headed over to Living with the Land.
Holy Cow, it was a ghost town inside. We've been here MANY times when you have to almost fight to get a table when eating at Sunshine Seasons. Crazy!!!
I straggled behind taking photos....
The cast members opened up the chains so we didn't have to traverse the whole empty path (like we did for Nemo.)
They were teasing me. Hurry up dad! Even the cast member teased me a little.
So yeah, we hopped on to our (obviously) private boat. We had never ridden this one at night before, so it was cool to go through the greenhouses without them being all bright. Definitely a different perspective, but the ride during the daylight is better. It was now about 10:50PM and after a long day, I have to admit that I closed my eyes a few times as it was super relaxing.
We had hoped there would be enough time to go ride Journey Into Imagination, but it was pretty much 11pm on the dot when we excited. Oh well, that ride is pretty ridiculous anyway. So no worries!
Bummed to miss out on riding Soarin' one last time, but we road it a couple times in California Adventure last summer so we were OK. (Noting that they opened it up on Friday - showing the original version for two weeks before they switch to the new one, and we could have ridden it then, but preferred to spend the day at Magic Kingdom instead.)
Sorry to miss you Figment. Maybe next time?
Anyway, we leisurely strolled through the nearly empty park working our way back to the World Showcase exit. We were happy to see a boat pretty much waiting for us, and we hopped right on.
And a few minutes later, we were home.
Wow, what a fantastic day and evening!!! Another busy day ahead of us, so we pretty much walked to the room and hopped into bed!
Next up, Stephanie and the kids spend the day at Blizzard Beach, while I have another day of training.
It was Extra Magic Hours from 9pm to 11pm. Since I had just seen Illuminations the night before, and the kids aren't huge fans of this show anyway, we decided to take advantage of EMH and just go straight to Test Track.
It was about 9:10 PM and a 20 minute wait time was posted, so we decided to hop right on the main line (vs. splitting up for single rider, which we sometimes do.) Unfortunately, it turned out to be more like 40 minutes, but still not bad for this ride, I guess...
The girls paired up and made this funky squat, but efficient car.
And then Buddy, Stephanie, and I paired up.
Buddy designed this more HP heavy car for us.
A while later, we checked in to get our cars, and were on our way.
We've ridden this ride countless times, but the new version only a handful of times. Personally, I much preferred the last one. I think it represented the vision of an actual "testing facility" much better than the new version does. This new one reminds me of Tron. I love Tron, so that's fine too. LOL. Even though I prefer the old version, this one is still lots of fun!
Next, we decided to head over to Spaceship Earth. This is truly one of my favorite rides in all the Disney parks. Not sure why, if it's for sentimental reasons or what, but I LOVE it. The girls made a pitstop for the restrooms, so I took a few photos while we waited.
This one is my current Facebook profile photo. Haha!
So yeah, let's go get in line for Spaceship Earth. Except for... no line. At all!! You pretty much walked right on. Hmm... this EMH at Epcot might payoff!
Not much else to say about this ride. Other than the photo aspect for the ride back down wasn't working, so we had generic heads instead of the custom ones. No worries.
Next up, I HAD to get a photo of the kids with the ball in the background. This has become our new tradition through the years.
Here's this most recent one:
And the previous photos:
At this point, we decided to head over to the Land area and start with the Finding Nemo ride. It was a bit after 10pm now and Princess was feeling done, so she walked back the Boardwalk Inn by herself, and the rest of us went over to Nemo.
So cool at night!!!
We walked inside and it was super freezing cold!!! They had some serious air conditioning going. Strange, this one was completely empty. There wasn't anyone before or after us as we walked through the queueing lanes and straight into empty cars. That was pretty cool!
We decided to keep moving and see what else we could ride before 11pm. So next up, we headed over to Living with the Land.
Holy Cow, it was a ghost town inside. We've been here MANY times when you have to almost fight to get a table when eating at Sunshine Seasons. Crazy!!!
I straggled behind taking photos....
The cast members opened up the chains so we didn't have to traverse the whole empty path (like we did for Nemo.)
They were teasing me. Hurry up dad! Even the cast member teased me a little.
So yeah, we hopped on to our (obviously) private boat. We had never ridden this one at night before, so it was cool to go through the greenhouses without them being all bright. Definitely a different perspective, but the ride during the daylight is better. It was now about 10:50PM and after a long day, I have to admit that I closed my eyes a few times as it was super relaxing.
We had hoped there would be enough time to go ride Journey Into Imagination, but it was pretty much 11pm on the dot when we excited. Oh well, that ride is pretty ridiculous anyway. So no worries!
Bummed to miss out on riding Soarin' one last time, but we road it a couple times in California Adventure last summer so we were OK. (Noting that they opened it up on Friday - showing the original version for two weeks before they switch to the new one, and we could have ridden it then, but preferred to spend the day at Magic Kingdom instead.)
Sorry to miss you Figment. Maybe next time?
Anyway, we leisurely strolled through the nearly empty park working our way back to the World Showcase exit. We were happy to see a boat pretty much waiting for us, and we hopped right on.
And a few minutes later, we were home.
Wow, what a fantastic day and evening!!! Another busy day ahead of us, so we pretty much walked to the room and hopped into bed!
Next up, Stephanie and the kids spend the day at Blizzard Beach, while I have another day of training.
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DisneyElite4
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2008
Fun day at Epcot! So cool that your whole family is into Japanese culture and food together - fun thing to share!
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