We're Following the Leader… to the Disney Institute! (A business/family trip to WDW)
- Thread starter MarbleBob
- Start date
Hope Moskowitz
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2015
Been loving your trip report!!
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Chewie for President!
I guess we've trained up the kids right, as we always start our mornings in Fantasyland. They didn't even question it. LOL.
Yeah, stay tuned for the Casey's photos (and a short video.)
Nice update. Can't beat a day at MK! We have never done the extra magic because we usually stay offsite but I can def see how it would be a big hit. We always do it at DL if we have it. Looks like you guys got in a lot of great rides. I must say TTA and COP are 2 of my all time faves. It is funny because I always HATED peoplemover at DL as a kid because I thought it was boring and my mom loved it. Same with the train. But I guess it is the true mark of age because now I love it. Prob partly for the nostalgia and the fact we no longer have it at DL but also cuz I am old and like the relaxation of it. Same goes with COP. It is totally corny but I love it for what it is and the whole nostalgia. I never got to see it at DL but the first thing they had on my first trip was America Sings which I know I loved but I am sure now I would think it was corny just like Country Bears. It's funny how things change with age. But we have always love Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow and my kids love to sing that song. We always have to ride at least once.
I have to laugh too in your space photo at the guy in the mickey outfit. That is too funny. And tell Stephanie she has great taste. I have not only that shirt but a backpack in the same LeSportsac pattern. You can tell her my fave mini purse is the blue island one with the mermaid and I have a large backpack in the same print she has in her purse.
Anywho sad to see it's your last day but so happy you will be sharing your Aulani trip with us. I am SO enjoying your reports. I have another Disney friend that is usually great with reports but she didn't go on one this year and I am missing following along but yours are amazingly detailed and it really helps to read when we are between trips. Keep em coming!!
You're right about that guy in the mickey outfit. I didn't even notice it a first. Fun! Hahaha!!!
That's funny about the shirt and LeSportsac. Kindred spirits! Stephanie is a HUGE LeSportsac fan. She was stoked to find the LeSportsac outlet store in Hawaii.
Thanks for the encouragement on the TR. It's been pretty busy lately and I haven't had as much time to devote to Disboards as I did earlier in the year.
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Frequent flyer cards?!?!? That's REALLY cool!
I am glad you got to see the Launch Bay - the displays I thought were pretty cool and the artwork and gift shop have some neat things. The meets are a little odd (we only did Chewie) and I am sure moreso when you are by yourself. Bummer about Rock n roller Coaster taking so long though ... at least you were entertainedby the power struggle with the senior
The F&GF topiaries are really cool - love that they put the Peter Pan on on the roof
Sorry you felt the food wasn't worth the money - but at least that meant you had room for the stop for sushi and shaved ice in Japan
The 3 Caballeros ride is definitely a must do for us! I think we rode it 3 times this past trip (though 2 were back-to-back when there was no line and they said we could just stay on the boat). Love the new animatronics they added at the end too.
BTW - love all your World Showcase pictures from dusk/sunset time ... so pretty!
We got to see the new PP queue for the first time and really loved the effects ... though we were pretty early too and the rest of my group went ahead while i stayed to watch the tinker Bell effect and they were "where were you?" and I was like "um, you skipped right over a really cool effect!"
You really did get a lot done during EMH! People mover is one of our favorites too! Love the Progress City diorama (and my understanding is that is only 1/2 of what the original was - must have been huge!). Nice family photo you got form the CM as well
eating QS food away from the main meal times is always a good idea. Never knew about the opening ceremony at Casey's!
Yeah, in hindsight, I'm glad I did Launch Bay too. But you are right, the meets are indeed a little odd.
"Power Struggles with Seniors" (Band name #237)
Yeah, I forgot to comment on the new animatronics at the end of 3 Cab's. Very cool!
Wouldn't it have just been amazing to see the original giant Progress City diorama?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!??!!?
Yahoo!!!
Awesome! Thanks for reading along
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Day 6 - Friday, May 27 - Part 2: More Magic Kingdom
So yeah, Casey's Corner… We arrived at about 10:45 AM and the opened at 11:00 AM. We decided to wait up in front of the door, to be first in line, and maybe score some of those free Cracker Jacks!
Buddy and I stayed at the door, while the girls grabbed a table.
I never asked anyone, but I assume that this is a statue of Casey himself…
We were first in line and had fun with the opening ceremonies. They eventually opened the doors, greeted everyone, and asked if Pickle wanted to throw out the first pitch! Which she did and had fun doing so. They let another little girl give it a try too. And then they welcomed everyone in with the Cracker Jacks. Fun!
Here's a very short clip:
While it's not the absolute best place to eat, we usually eat at Casey's Corner at least once per trip. Those corn dog nuggets are indeed yummy, but we usually choose Casey's for its location and convenience factor…. especially around parade time.
(We often watch the parades from that area, staking our claim on the curb early, and then eating corn dog nuggets while we wait.)
Anyway, here are the food shots….
Pickle had a hot dog
And the rest of us had corn dog nuggets…
WAY too many french fries!
Around 11:30, we were all fed and rested up… and it was time to head back to Fantasyland for our Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Fast Passes.
But first a stop for another family photo!
It's hard to see in this photo, but the stand by time was 80 minutes. It's strange to say, that's not too bad of a line for 7DMT…
We rode this a few times on our last visit (2 years ago.) This time around, it didn't have quite the same "newness" factor, but we were all still very excited to ride it and loved it just as much as before. Disney really did a great job on this one!!!
OK… Next up, was Little Mermaid… Only a 10 minute line, cool!
So yeah… We've experienced the Disneyland version of this ride on two different trips, and we experienced this one on our last WDW trip. I think we went into more details comparing the two on the "Heigh Ho…" TR, but we love the queuing area on this one! Otherwise, the ride itself seems pretty much identical. Pretty cool though. And another nice and cool place for a nap, if you need one
Next up, we stopped at the gift shop next to Gaston's.
We window shopped for a while… and I really contemplated getting this Lumiere statue. I passed on it during our 2014 trip, and ultimately I passed again on this one. I was saving my fun money for Hawaii. Maybe next time!!! (Hey Mom, if you are reading this. Hint. Hint.)
Next up, we headed towards Haunted Mansion. Walking past Peter Pan, it said 70 minutes stand by. Sure glad we did that one early before the line was so long!
Posted time for Haunted Mansion was 45 minutes. Not as bad as Peter Pan, but ouch! Oh well, let's do it anyway!!!
It was now about 12:30 PM and it was starting to get HOT! Which made that long, slow moving line, sort of like torture! Pickle started losing it until we got to the interactive portions. (She wasn't acting up or anything, she was just sort of done. Didn't want to move, feeling hot, and all that.)
The line was moving slow, so we saw the River Boat a couple times…
Oh… and noting that Pickle carried that Minnie Mouse doll (that she received from the front desk manager the night before) with her everywhere she went, the whole day long. How cool!
It probably took an hour and 15 minutes at least to get through the line and into our Doom Buggy. A bit more than the 45 minutes posted, but this is one of our "Must Do" attractions and was totally worth it. And looking back on the day, it's pretty cool that we didn't really feel like the park was crowded until now. That's pretty crazy to think considering this was the Friday of Memorial Day weekend!
Our next FP+ was for Splash Mountain!!! This is Stephanie's favorite.
So we made our way over, only to find a pretty long line. 85 Minute stand by. Yikes! Good thing we had our FP+'s ready!!!!
How do ya' do?!?
We decided to go ahead use the first of our three "Anytime anywhere FP's" and ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I have pretty vivid memories of riding this when I was around 6 years old, as it was possibly my first "roller coaster" ride. Still a favorite all these years later!
So yeah, FP+'s zipped us through the line and a few minutes later, we were ready to go! Just as fun as always!!!
So yeah, Casey's Corner… We arrived at about 10:45 AM and the opened at 11:00 AM. We decided to wait up in front of the door, to be first in line, and maybe score some of those free Cracker Jacks!
Buddy and I stayed at the door, while the girls grabbed a table.
I never asked anyone, but I assume that this is a statue of Casey himself…
We were first in line and had fun with the opening ceremonies. They eventually opened the doors, greeted everyone, and asked if Pickle wanted to throw out the first pitch! Which she did and had fun doing so. They let another little girl give it a try too. And then they welcomed everyone in with the Cracker Jacks. Fun!
Here's a very short clip:
While it's not the absolute best place to eat, we usually eat at Casey's Corner at least once per trip. Those corn dog nuggets are indeed yummy, but we usually choose Casey's for its location and convenience factor…. especially around parade time.
(We often watch the parades from that area, staking our claim on the curb early, and then eating corn dog nuggets while we wait.)
Anyway, here are the food shots….
Pickle had a hot dog
And the rest of us had corn dog nuggets…
WAY too many french fries!
Around 11:30, we were all fed and rested up… and it was time to head back to Fantasyland for our Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Fast Passes.
But first a stop for another family photo!
It's hard to see in this photo, but the stand by time was 80 minutes. It's strange to say, that's not too bad of a line for 7DMT…
We rode this a few times on our last visit (2 years ago.) This time around, it didn't have quite the same "newness" factor, but we were all still very excited to ride it and loved it just as much as before. Disney really did a great job on this one!!!
OK… Next up, was Little Mermaid… Only a 10 minute line, cool!
So yeah… We've experienced the Disneyland version of this ride on two different trips, and we experienced this one on our last WDW trip. I think we went into more details comparing the two on the "Heigh Ho…" TR, but we love the queuing area on this one! Otherwise, the ride itself seems pretty much identical. Pretty cool though. And another nice and cool place for a nap, if you need one
Next up, we stopped at the gift shop next to Gaston's.
We window shopped for a while… and I really contemplated getting this Lumiere statue. I passed on it during our 2014 trip, and ultimately I passed again on this one. I was saving my fun money for Hawaii. Maybe next time!!! (Hey Mom, if you are reading this. Hint. Hint.)
Next up, we headed towards Haunted Mansion. Walking past Peter Pan, it said 70 minutes stand by. Sure glad we did that one early before the line was so long!
Posted time for Haunted Mansion was 45 minutes. Not as bad as Peter Pan, but ouch! Oh well, let's do it anyway!!!
It was now about 12:30 PM and it was starting to get HOT! Which made that long, slow moving line, sort of like torture! Pickle started losing it until we got to the interactive portions. (She wasn't acting up or anything, she was just sort of done. Didn't want to move, feeling hot, and all that.)
The line was moving slow, so we saw the River Boat a couple times…
Oh… and noting that Pickle carried that Minnie Mouse doll (that she received from the front desk manager the night before) with her everywhere she went, the whole day long. How cool!
It probably took an hour and 15 minutes at least to get through the line and into our Doom Buggy. A bit more than the 45 minutes posted, but this is one of our "Must Do" attractions and was totally worth it. And looking back on the day, it's pretty cool that we didn't really feel like the park was crowded until now. That's pretty crazy to think considering this was the Friday of Memorial Day weekend!
Our next FP+ was for Splash Mountain!!! This is Stephanie's favorite.
So we made our way over, only to find a pretty long line. 85 Minute stand by. Yikes! Good thing we had our FP+'s ready!!!!
How do ya' do?!?
We decided to go ahead use the first of our three "Anytime anywhere FP's" and ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I have pretty vivid memories of riding this when I was around 6 years old, as it was possibly my first "roller coaster" ride. Still a favorite all these years later!
So yeah, FP+'s zipped us through the line and a few minutes later, we were ready to go! Just as fun as always!!!
TheMaxRebo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2008
Never knew about the opening ceremony at Casey's but pretty cool! Nice little touch that they don't have to do ... and yeah, that is a lot of fries!
I think the new ride smell has worn off Mine Train a little. Still long lines but not outrageous - our last trip it never got more than an hour. Again, that is not exactly a walk-on but much better than in the past
Wow, that is a bit of a wait for Haunted Mansion ... wonder if it broke down at a point or something for it to take much longer than the posted time
Maybe it was the heat but Splash tended to have some of the longest waits our trip as well - gotta love FP! Such a well done ride.
I think the new ride smell has worn off Mine Train a little. Still long lines but not outrageous - our last trip it never got more than an hour. Again, that is not exactly a walk-on but much better than in the past
Wow, that is a bit of a wait for Haunted Mansion ... wonder if it broke down at a point or something for it to take much longer than the posted time
Maybe it was the heat but Splash tended to have some of the longest waits our trip as well - gotta love FP! Such a well done ride.
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
I hear you. Splash is indeed so well done. And when I get the songs stuck in my head, they are there for the rest of the day. "What goes up is sure to come down. A penny lost is a penny found. How do you do? And you howdy back. A little bit of this and a little bit of that." 
kelmac284
Lover of all things Disney since 1975
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2005
Nice update and I too did not know about the Casey thing. Good to know as we only booked 1 meal a day so the rest will be walk up. There is SO much new though since we were there last that I am going to be overwhelmed trying to see it all I am sure and I know the lines and crowd will be horrendous so hoping to get a lot of that long line stuff done in the first few hours.
On an exciting note we FINALLY booked our flights today. I was REALLY stressing being christmas and all and the prices just kept going up. Mom was trying to get her cards paid down from our summer trip but I think she finally figured out we need to find a way cuz that was the one thing I was really worried about. Once flights are locked in then you can relax a bit. We have a place to stay and flights and dinning now it is just FP which we can't do till 30 days out. We do have to buy our tickets but that too I am going to wait till the last possible minute to give her more time to get her cards paid down.
But anyway we also were going to take United but have heard SO many horror stories so we decided to do southwest. We are now leaving a day earlier on Christmas eve mid day. My kids have school AND finals up till the afternoon of the 23rd so it looks like we will be having xmas that night and then luckily we can sleep in and don't have to leave for the airport till prob 10ish. Bad thing is we don't get to Orlando till 11 at night. I hate those late arrivals and esp xmas eve but it was a trade off and also we needed to fly a southern route to avoid possible weather delays. So going we go through Vegas and coming home through Phoenix. Only other choices were Denver or Baltimore. NOPE!
Anyway super excited and knew you would relate. As always looking forward to the next installment.
On an exciting note we FINALLY booked our flights today. I was REALLY stressing being christmas and all and the prices just kept going up. Mom was trying to get her cards paid down from our summer trip but I think she finally figured out we need to find a way cuz that was the one thing I was really worried about. Once flights are locked in then you can relax a bit. We have a place to stay and flights and dinning now it is just FP which we can't do till 30 days out. We do have to buy our tickets but that too I am going to wait till the last possible minute to give her more time to get her cards paid down.
But anyway we also were going to take United but have heard SO many horror stories so we decided to do southwest. We are now leaving a day earlier on Christmas eve mid day. My kids have school AND finals up till the afternoon of the 23rd so it looks like we will be having xmas that night and then luckily we can sleep in and don't have to leave for the airport till prob 10ish. Bad thing is we don't get to Orlando till 11 at night. I hate those late arrivals and esp xmas eve but it was a trade off and also we needed to fly a southern route to avoid possible weather delays. So going we go through Vegas and coming home through Phoenix. Only other choices were Denver or Baltimore. NOPE!
Anyway super excited and knew you would relate. As always looking forward to the next installment.
melk
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2000
How did I miss all these updates, lol?
Anyway, your interactions with Chewie and Kylo Ren made me laugh. I can see how they would have been a little uncomfortable.
One year my family went to ride Splash Mountain which I normally skip. Woody and Jessie were meeting people nearby so I got in line to meet them. I never told my family and they didn't find out until after we got home and we pulled up our photo pass pictures. They were just like "I can't believe you did that."
Anyway, your interactions with Chewie and Kylo Ren made me laugh. I can see how they would have been a little uncomfortable.
One year my family went to ride Splash Mountain which I normally skip. Woody and Jessie were meeting people nearby so I got in line to meet them. I never told my family and they didn't find out until after we got home and we pulled up our photo pass pictures. They were just like "I can't believe you did that."
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Nice update and I too did not know about the Casey thing. Good to know as we only booked 1 meal a day so the rest will be walk up. There is SO much new though since we were there last that I am going to be overwhelmed trying to see it all I am sure and I know the lines and crowd will be horrendous so hoping to get a lot of that long line stuff done in the first few hours.
On an exciting note we FINALLY booked our flights today. I was REALLY stressing being christmas and all and the prices just kept going up. Mom was trying to get her cards paid down from our summer trip but I think she finally figured out we need to find a way cuz that was the one thing I was really worried about. Once flights are locked in then you can relax a bit. We have a place to stay and flights and dinning now it is just FP which we can't do till 30 days out. We do have to buy our tickets but that too I am going to wait till the last possible minute to give her more time to get her cards paid down.
But anyway we also were going to take United but have heard SO many horror stories so we decided to do southwest. We are now leaving a day earlier on Christmas eve mid day. My kids have school AND finals up till the afternoon of the 23rd so it looks like we will be having xmas that night and then luckily we can sleep in and don't have to leave for the airport till prob 10ish. Bad thing is we don't get to Orlando till 11 at night. I hate those late arrivals and esp xmas eve but it was a trade off and also we needed to fly a southern route to avoid possible weather delays. So going we go through Vegas and coming home through Phoenix. Only other choices were Denver or Baltimore. NOPE!
Anyway super excited and knew you would relate. As always looking forward to the next installment.
Yahoo, your flights are booked! It's been years since I've flown United, mostly when I lived in Chicago as a teenager. In St. Louis, TWA was the go to airline for years, and then it was American. But over last 5 years or so, we try to fly Southwest as much as possible. A midnight arrival at Disney. On the one hand, what a hassle. On the other hand, what a fantastic Christmas present!!!
How did I miss all these updates, lol?
Anyway, your interactions with Chewie and Kylo Ren made me laugh. I can see how they would have been a little uncomfortable.
One year my family went to ride Splash Mountain which I normally skip. Woody and Jessie were meeting people nearby so I got in line to meet them. I never told my family and they didn't find out until after we got home and we pulled up our photo pass pictures. They were just like "I can't believe you did that."
I love your story about meeting Woody and Jessie without your family knowing. That's great!!!
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Day 6 - Friday, May 27 - Part 3: Heading to the Poly on more time
I apologize that updates to this TR have slowed to a crawl. It's been super busy for us lately, and the kids started school last week. Hopefully, we'll settle back into our regular routine soon!!!
Anyway, Buddy wanted one of those Seven Dwarfs Mine Train popcorn buckets, and it had been a while since our early lunch, so we stopped at the popcorn stand between Splash and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Buddy used some of his souvenir money for this. In hindsight, I wish that I would have gotten one too! Maybe next time
Pickle got a regular box of popcorn.
Princess and I skipped snacks at this point, but Stephanie went for a frozen banana!!!
We realized that the parade was about to start, so we asked the kids if they wanted to stay and watch it. (Not really a part of the original touring plan for the day.)
Pickle had a resounding YES, but Buddy and Pickle had a resounding No! So the older two went over to chillax in the air conditioning at Pecos Bills while Stephanie, Pickle, and I watched the parade.
Personally, I never get too excited about parades, but I hadn't seen this one yet, and it was actually pretty good.
After the parade ended, it was about 3:20 PM. When not on the dining plan at the Magic Kingdom, we often have dinner at either Columbia Harbor House or Casey's. We decided to switch it up this time around, and knock out a couple birds with one stone. A.) How can we not visit WDW without riding the monorail at least once as a family? B.) Stephanie and I had unfinished business at the Poly (drinks at Tambu Lounge), and C.) Captain Cooks at the Poly has pretty good and reasonably priced quick service food. A nice change from the usual offerings inside the MK.
We decided to backtrack a little bit back towards Splash Mountain and take the train back to Main Street. Similar to the monorail, riding the train is another must do for us!
The Frontierland train station was pretty packed, but luckily we were able to get on the next train. And after a pleasant ride around MK, we exited the park.
Personally, I'm not into tattoos. Like at all. But I can appreciate them on other people. And this dude had some pretty epic Disney ones…
So yeah, we hopped on the monorail and made the circle over to the Polynesian. It was about 5pm when we arrived and we were getting hungry again, so we explored the lobby area for a just a few minutes, and then headed to Captain Cooks.
Stephanie had heard good things about the Thai Coconut Meatballs and wanted to try them. That wasn't appealing to me, but I always love a good fish taco, so that's what I ordered. Princess ordered the tacos too. Buddy went for the pizza/flat bread. And pickle decided to have a kids hamburger.
I remember enjoying the fish tacos, but not thinking they were amazing. I'd order them again, but certainly wouldn’t go out of my way for them. They came with fries by default, and I didn't even think about asking for a substitution. They were fine, but not the best paring for the tacos. Oh well!
I think Stephanie was a little disappointed in the coconut meat balls...
I don’t think Buddy was a fan of the flatbread either. We've had these before at other locations and I'm not sure why he keeps ordering them, because they are all basically the same mediocre quality across all parks both DL and WDW….
Not much to add about Pickle's meal. It was a standard a kid's Disney hamburger. She seemed to enjoy it well enough.
We took our time eating and enjoyed the atmosphere, and the air conditioning!!! The kids were happy to have wall outlets to charge their devices and have some time to just chill. So Stephanie headed over to the main gift shop and browsed around for a while. Fun!
We saw LOTS of cool stuff that we wanted, but ultimately passed on them. OK… Next up was desert and adult drinks upstairs at Tambu Lounge.
So yeah, 'Ohana is one of our all-time favorite restaurants at WDW. Not in the budget to eat there this trip, but two things were weighing on Stephanie's mind since our last visit. #1. She had a Pina Colava frozen cocktail on our last visit and loved it. #2. She was too full to enjoy the bread pudding with bananas-caramel sauce (which she LOVES.) And she's been craving it ever since. So on this trip, we figured that we could come up Tambu Lounge (which is just outside the entrance to 'Ohana) and enjoy those treats!
When we showed up, there weren't really any spaces for all of us to sit together, so I figured that I'd go up to the bar and order up there. I ordered a Lapu Lapu (rum based drink in hollowed out pineapple) for myself, a Pina Colava for Stephanie, and an order of the bread pudding for all of us to share. As I was placing the order, the bartender noticed a group leaving out front and asked if we wanted to go take those seats. Yes, please!!! He said that he'd transfer my order over to the waiter. Which was apparently done verbally, because when the waiter came out, he brought Stephanie a traditional Pina Colada instead of the frozen "Colava". Easy enough mistake. He asked if I wanted to just keep the Pina Colada for free. Ummm… Yes, please!!!
I was going to have my work cut out for me with those two drinks, so I just took a small bite of the bread pudding. It was indeed really tasty.
A couple minutes later, they brought out Stephanie's drink.
I don't recall what was in it, but it's basically a frozen pina colada with raspberry puree or something fruity mixed in (to make it look like lava.) By any standard, this is a truly enjoyable drink. Amazing.
But interestingly, we both agreed that the traditional Pina Colada was off the charts amazing. I mean, it was soooo good. I'm dreaming about it right now!
That's one time I'm happy that Disney made a mistake, because we probably would have never ordered this otherwise. I'm now looking forward to our next visit to the Poly just for this, even more so than any of the cocktails at Trader Sam's!
So we took our time and relaxed here for a good while. Stephanie and I just soaking it all in, and the kids were cool to play on their devices. A little bit before we left, we noticed a fire dancer outside the window.
Well, that was cool!
A little while later, we were all rested up and ready to head back to the Magic Kingdom.
I can never get enough of the monorails!!!
I apologize that updates to this TR have slowed to a crawl. It's been super busy for us lately, and the kids started school last week. Hopefully, we'll settle back into our regular routine soon!!!
Anyway, Buddy wanted one of those Seven Dwarfs Mine Train popcorn buckets, and it had been a while since our early lunch, so we stopped at the popcorn stand between Splash and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Buddy used some of his souvenir money for this. In hindsight, I wish that I would have gotten one too! Maybe next time
Pickle got a regular box of popcorn.
Princess and I skipped snacks at this point, but Stephanie went for a frozen banana!!!
We realized that the parade was about to start, so we asked the kids if they wanted to stay and watch it. (Not really a part of the original touring plan for the day.)
Pickle had a resounding YES, but Buddy and Pickle had a resounding No! So the older two went over to chillax in the air conditioning at Pecos Bills while Stephanie, Pickle, and I watched the parade.
Personally, I never get too excited about parades, but I hadn't seen this one yet, and it was actually pretty good.
After the parade ended, it was about 3:20 PM. When not on the dining plan at the Magic Kingdom, we often have dinner at either Columbia Harbor House or Casey's. We decided to switch it up this time around, and knock out a couple birds with one stone. A.) How can we not visit WDW without riding the monorail at least once as a family? B.) Stephanie and I had unfinished business at the Poly (drinks at Tambu Lounge), and C.) Captain Cooks at the Poly has pretty good and reasonably priced quick service food. A nice change from the usual offerings inside the MK.
We decided to backtrack a little bit back towards Splash Mountain and take the train back to Main Street. Similar to the monorail, riding the train is another must do for us!
The Frontierland train station was pretty packed, but luckily we were able to get on the next train. And after a pleasant ride around MK, we exited the park.
Personally, I'm not into tattoos. Like at all. But I can appreciate them on other people. And this dude had some pretty epic Disney ones…
So yeah, we hopped on the monorail and made the circle over to the Polynesian. It was about 5pm when we arrived and we were getting hungry again, so we explored the lobby area for a just a few minutes, and then headed to Captain Cooks.
Stephanie had heard good things about the Thai Coconut Meatballs and wanted to try them. That wasn't appealing to me, but I always love a good fish taco, so that's what I ordered. Princess ordered the tacos too. Buddy went for the pizza/flat bread. And pickle decided to have a kids hamburger.
I remember enjoying the fish tacos, but not thinking they were amazing. I'd order them again, but certainly wouldn’t go out of my way for them. They came with fries by default, and I didn't even think about asking for a substitution. They were fine, but not the best paring for the tacos. Oh well!
I think Stephanie was a little disappointed in the coconut meat balls...
I don’t think Buddy was a fan of the flatbread either. We've had these before at other locations and I'm not sure why he keeps ordering them, because they are all basically the same mediocre quality across all parks both DL and WDW….
Not much to add about Pickle's meal. It was a standard a kid's Disney hamburger. She seemed to enjoy it well enough.
We took our time eating and enjoyed the atmosphere, and the air conditioning!!! The kids were happy to have wall outlets to charge their devices and have some time to just chill. So Stephanie headed over to the main gift shop and browsed around for a while. Fun!
We saw LOTS of cool stuff that we wanted, but ultimately passed on them. OK… Next up was desert and adult drinks upstairs at Tambu Lounge.
So yeah, 'Ohana is one of our all-time favorite restaurants at WDW. Not in the budget to eat there this trip, but two things were weighing on Stephanie's mind since our last visit. #1. She had a Pina Colava frozen cocktail on our last visit and loved it. #2. She was too full to enjoy the bread pudding with bananas-caramel sauce (which she LOVES.) And she's been craving it ever since. So on this trip, we figured that we could come up Tambu Lounge (which is just outside the entrance to 'Ohana) and enjoy those treats!
When we showed up, there weren't really any spaces for all of us to sit together, so I figured that I'd go up to the bar and order up there. I ordered a Lapu Lapu (rum based drink in hollowed out pineapple) for myself, a Pina Colava for Stephanie, and an order of the bread pudding for all of us to share. As I was placing the order, the bartender noticed a group leaving out front and asked if we wanted to go take those seats. Yes, please!!! He said that he'd transfer my order over to the waiter. Which was apparently done verbally, because when the waiter came out, he brought Stephanie a traditional Pina Colada instead of the frozen "Colava". Easy enough mistake. He asked if I wanted to just keep the Pina Colada for free. Ummm… Yes, please!!!
I was going to have my work cut out for me with those two drinks, so I just took a small bite of the bread pudding. It was indeed really tasty.
A couple minutes later, they brought out Stephanie's drink.
I don't recall what was in it, but it's basically a frozen pina colada with raspberry puree or something fruity mixed in (to make it look like lava.) By any standard, this is a truly enjoyable drink. Amazing.
But interestingly, we both agreed that the traditional Pina Colada was off the charts amazing. I mean, it was soooo good. I'm dreaming about it right now!
That's one time I'm happy that Disney made a mistake, because we probably would have never ordered this otherwise. I'm now looking forward to our next visit to the Poly just for this, even more so than any of the cocktails at Trader Sam's!
So we took our time and relaxed here for a good while. Stephanie and I just soaking it all in, and the kids were cool to play on their devices. A little bit before we left, we noticed a fire dancer outside the window.
Well, that was cool!
A little while later, we were all rested up and ready to head back to the Magic Kingdom.
I can never get enough of the monorails!!!
kelmac284
Lover of all things Disney since 1975
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2005
Loved the update. We love the poly too and for our trip in 14 that we had to cancel we were going to do the luau. Someday! We also love Ohana and have eaten there almost every trip but I couldn't get in this time so was a bit bummed but we have other good choices. Those drinks look AMAZING though!! It is going to be weird seeing the poly with no waterfalls in the middle. I am going to miss them. We have the extra day now so will be touring resorts on xmas day. Can't wait to see them all decked out! Speaking of Disney we leave this Thursday for our little mini weekend trip. Can't wait. It has been since June of last year since we have been. Looking forward to the next installment!
Terra Nova guy
DIS Dad #811 Newfoundland, Canada
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2014
Hello again Matt! I got a little behind on your report. I had a few weeks off for summer vacation (didn't travel anywhere, just enjoyed being at home), so I didn't get on the boards much. But sometimes it's nice that way because then I get to read a bunch of your updates in one sitting
) and my brother was too short. Having no idea what a roller coaster was, I agreed. It did not go well. I distinctly remember asking to be taken to the hospital after that ride! I was fine after a short time, but was terrified of any roller coaster after. When I came across BTMRR a week or so later, I was reluctant, but went on and loved it. I always remember that great feeling of accomplishment even to this day.
I loved Mr. Toad when I was 9. That was my only trip to WDW as a child and I remember we had only two days (one for MK, one for Epcot). My father did not want to waste time on our only day there and the only ride I convinced him to go on twice was Mr. Toad. I feel similar to you in that I like going on Winnie the Pooh partly because I know that's where Mr. Toad was. I keep missing the picture of Mr. Toad giving the deed over to Owl though.
Same here. I always ride at least once, but if I'm ever in Tomorrowland when it rains, it's straight to the Peoplemover.
I like it. It's another I remember from my trip in the 80's. I think it's mostly the nostalgia aspect of it for me. Unfortunately the rest of my family do not share my opinion on the COP, so I have not seen it in about 8 years.
Those corn dog nuggets are awesome. I've never thought about getting some to snack on while waiting for a parade though. I guess it's because we tend to catch parades in Liberty Square/Frontierland for some reason, but I may have to change tactics and stake out a spot near Casey's.
BTMRR is my absolute favourite ride in all WDW. Again, it goes back to that first trip as a 9 year old. It was actually my second roller coaster. Funny story about my first coaster. On that same trip in the 80's, we visited a place called Circus World before going to WDW. My father really wanted to go on a roller coaster called the Roaring Tiger, one of those big, wooden coasters, but wanted someone with him. My mother refused (she doesn't do more than Peter Pan
) and my brother was too short. Having no idea what a roller coaster was, I agreed. It did not go well. I distinctly remember asking to be taken to the hospital after that ride! I was fine after a short time, but was terrified of any roller coaster after. When I came across BTMRR a week or so later, I was reluctant, but went on and loved it. I always remember that great feeling of accomplishment even to this day.I have to agree on the mediocrity of the flatbreads. I stopped getting them all together.
They look great. I've only been to 'Ohana once for breakfast, but a trip to the lounge looks worthwhile!
TheMaxRebo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2008
great update - and great idea to take a ride on the highway in the sky over to the Poly for a lunch break
We hit up Captain cook's for the first time this trip as well - we got some food and brought it out to the terrace to enjoy with some Trader Sam drinks and apps. I think the best thing we got from there was the Pulled Pork Nachos. Sorry the tacos and the meatballs were a bit disappointing
That is great how it worked out with the drinks though and you found a new one you liked so much. Was it right from the bar there you ordered the bread pudding? Didn't realize you could do that - good to know!
We hit up Captain cook's for the first time this trip as well - we got some food and brought it out to the terrace to enjoy with some Trader Sam drinks and apps. I think the best thing we got from there was the Pulled Pork Nachos. Sorry the tacos and the meatballs were a bit disappointing
That is great how it worked out with the drinks though and you found a new one you liked so much. Was it right from the bar there you ordered the bread pudding? Didn't realize you could do that - good to know!
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Hello again Matt! I got a little behind on your report. I had a few weeks off for summer vacation (didn't travel anywhere, just enjoyed being at home), so I didn't get on the boards much. But sometimes it's nice that way because then I get to read a bunch of your updates in one sitting
Howdy! A few weeks of time at home for a staycation sounds pretty awesome right now!!! Hope you had a nice break.
Kindred spirits! There needs to be a Mr. Toad fan club or something! It's also pretty cool that we can still experience the ride at Disneyland!
It's funny how we get into our routines about where we like to watch parades and fireworks. I guess that's one of the cool things about trip reports on the DIS... finding ideas, tips, and tricks that other people have shared!
BTMRR is my absolute favourite ride in all WDW. Again, it goes back to that first trip as a 9 year old. It was actually my second roller coaster. Funny story about my first coaster. On that same trip in the 80's, we visited a place called Circus World before going to WDW. My father really wanted to go on a roller coaster called the Roaring Tiger, one of those big, wooden coasters, but wanted someone with him. My mother refused (she doesn't do more than Peter Pan
Yikes! That's an interesting first roller coaster experience, it's great that you were were able to overcome the fear and give BTMRR a shot! How fun!!!
Oh yeah, the lounge is certainly worthwhile! It has stiff competition with Trader Sam's though!!!! If I could only do one, I'd probably choose Trader Sam's for the environment and comraderie!
Thanks Phil! We'll try the pulled pork nachos next time, as I'm sure we'll be back on our next visit.
Yes, you can order the bread pudding from the bar, or you can sit in the lounge areas and they'll bring it to you. (And if you are lucky, they'll mess up your drink order, and you'll end up with a free pina colada too!!!
)
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Day 6 - Friday, May 27 - Part 4: Evening in the MK
So… after a short trip on the monorail, we arrived at the Magic Kingdom once again. And this is always one of my favorite places to get photos of the kids!
Plans for the evening? Well, we had already used our three original FP+'s to ride Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Splash Mountain. And we used one of our three freebies for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. That left us with two remaining anytime/anywhere FP+'s. We planned to save those for later in the evening… One to ride 7DMT in the dark, and the other for the Mickey Mouse meet and greet (they were both sold out in the MDE app.) So we had booked Jungle Cruise on the phone for our next scheduled FP+ and started heading that way.
But first, I hadn't actually stopped to see Lee Cockerell's window on Main Street, so we walked along until we found it.
I still can't believe that he spent an hour chatting with me earlier in the week! Such an awesome dude!!!
But yeah, on to Adventureland!
We still had about an hour before our Jungle Cruise FP's were ready, so we decided to check out Pirates of the Caribbean first.
Luckily, the wait time was only posted as 15 minutes. Even luckier, it only took about five minutes to get through the line. Nice when it works out that way, vs. the way it worked out for Haunted Mansion earlier in the day...
After Pirates, we decided to head over to Swiss Family Robinson's Tree House. Wait time? 00 minutes. Haha!
This has always been one of my favorite attractions, mostly for nostalgic reasons. The movie was always one of my favorites as a kid (and it still is today)… and I vividly remember walking through this tree with my parents when I was about 6 years old. Good times!
And… it's fun to look out over the park from the top of the tree house too!
Next up, we headed over to the Enchanted Tiki Room. Luckily for us, they were just about to start another show as we walked up. Score!
Still a favorite after all these years. And I've probably said this in a previous TR, but so happy that they got rid of that annoying Gilbert Godfrey "Under New Management" version. That Iago bird was so annoying! LOL.
Next up, was the Jungle Cruise!
Pretty standard JC ride for us. The skipper was just OK at executing his jokes. Not that OK is bad, just not one of the better ones that we've experienced through the years. (Some of them are really good.)
It was now around 8pm or so, and we decided to make our way over to Fantasyland. We still had to ride It's a Small World, and then hit 7DMT. So after we scanned our Magic Bands for Jungle Cruise, I added It's a Small World FP+s to our accounts and we headed that way….
… Stephanie and I were still content from our treats at the Poly, but the kids were ready for a snack. So we grabbed Dole Whips for them.
The girls needed a bathroom break, so we cut through into Frontierland and headed towards Fantasyland by way of Liberty Square and Haunted Mansion. Stopping at the bathrooms in the Tangled area. Such a cool place sit and people watch while your crew is taking care of their business.
So yeah, Next up was It's a Small World. Another classic!
The funny thing is…. The line was actually so non-existent, that the FP+ line took longer than standby because they had to come over to merge us into the flow of people boarding the boats. Not a problem, we waited less than a minute, but funny none the less.
This was the first time that we've ridden it since they started reading your names off your Magic Bands and displaying them at the end of the ride. Some people think it's creepy how they can track you, but I thought it was pretty cool!
(Stephanie got her own sign, and then the kids and I were all on a different one.)
Normally, we like to watch Wishes from somewhere in the hub area, but since we only had one day at MK on this trip, we decided to stick to the rides and skip the fireworks this time around. With that in mind, none of us had paid any attention to what time they would be starting or where we'd be when they started.
So… it was fun to realize that the fireworks were going on as we left Small World. In all our years of visiting WDW, I've never considered that it would be fun to see them from behind the castle! And boy, it was super cool! Needless to say, we pretty much stopped dead in our tracks as we headed towards Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It was so cool to see some of the large fireworks go off back behind Pinocchio's restaurant and then look the other direction and see the more coming from the castle.
Surround sound!
Sorry for the poor quality gif photo, but dang, that was so cool!!!
After the grand finale, we headed over to 7DMT. And used one of our "any time / anywhere" fast passes.
I didn't really grab any photos, but I think I love this ride even more at night. So cool!
Pickle and Buddy had wanted to ride the Tomorrowland Speedway earlier in the day, but the line was a bit long. So after we rode It's a Small World, I added Fast Passes for the speedway to our Magic Bands. Except for Princess and Stephanie weren't all that interested. So, I took Pickle and Buddy on the ride.
Another classic (and a favorite as a kid), but to be honest, this one is pretty lame when compared to Disneyland's Autopia.
We made our way over to Buzz Light year next. The kids are pretty much "over" this ride and showed no interest. I sort of feel like it's a bit tired/dated too, but the line was short, so I made everyone ride it. LOL.
At this point, it was a little past 10pm. And the gang was starting to feel a bit worn out. The park was open until midnight, but we had plans to visit one of my high school friends in Vero Beach the next day, so we didn't want to stay out too late anyway.
Our last stop for the evening was to use our remaining FP+'s for the Mickey Mouse meet and greet. For some reason, we missed him on our last trip, and we still hadn't interacted with "Talking Mickey" yet, so we really wanted to see him on this trip!!!
I don't have any photos to share, but the Electrical Parade was going on as we walked towards Town Square Theater. Sure added a lot of fun to the atmosphere!
45 minute wait time at 10:15 PM?!??!!?! So glad we had those extra FP's. What a blessing!
We did have to wait 10 or 15 minutes though. Certainly not a problem, except for Pickle was losing steam and decided to rest on the floor….
She perked right up, when it was time to meet Mickey though!
Here's a quick video
And a few photos
"A mini Minnie"
What a fantastic way to cap off a fun week at WDW!!!!
One last look back down Main Street, and then we headed to the buses…
The bus pulled up within a minute or two of our arrival. How convenient!
We arrived back at our room a little after 11pm... We got all settled in, and then good night moon!
All and all, it was a pretty fantastic day at the Magic Kingdom. It was a bit crowded being Labor Day weekend and all, but not quite as bad as I had expected. Some thoughtful planning and those extra FP+s made all the difference. Can't wait to go back!!!
Next up, we head to Vero Beach to visit an old buddy, and then we make the trek home back to St. Louis. Stay tuned for a couple wrap up posts. Cheers!
So… after a short trip on the monorail, we arrived at the Magic Kingdom once again. And this is always one of my favorite places to get photos of the kids!
Plans for the evening? Well, we had already used our three original FP+'s to ride Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Splash Mountain. And we used one of our three freebies for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. That left us with two remaining anytime/anywhere FP+'s. We planned to save those for later in the evening… One to ride 7DMT in the dark, and the other for the Mickey Mouse meet and greet (they were both sold out in the MDE app.) So we had booked Jungle Cruise on the phone for our next scheduled FP+ and started heading that way.
But first, I hadn't actually stopped to see Lee Cockerell's window on Main Street, so we walked along until we found it.
I still can't believe that he spent an hour chatting with me earlier in the week! Such an awesome dude!!!
But yeah, on to Adventureland!
We still had about an hour before our Jungle Cruise FP's were ready, so we decided to check out Pirates of the Caribbean first.
Luckily, the wait time was only posted as 15 minutes. Even luckier, it only took about five minutes to get through the line. Nice when it works out that way, vs. the way it worked out for Haunted Mansion earlier in the day...
After Pirates, we decided to head over to Swiss Family Robinson's Tree House. Wait time? 00 minutes. Haha!
This has always been one of my favorite attractions, mostly for nostalgic reasons. The movie was always one of my favorites as a kid (and it still is today)… and I vividly remember walking through this tree with my parents when I was about 6 years old. Good times!
And… it's fun to look out over the park from the top of the tree house too!
Next up, we headed over to the Enchanted Tiki Room. Luckily for us, they were just about to start another show as we walked up. Score!
Still a favorite after all these years. And I've probably said this in a previous TR, but so happy that they got rid of that annoying Gilbert Godfrey "Under New Management" version. That Iago bird was so annoying! LOL.
Next up, was the Jungle Cruise!
Pretty standard JC ride for us. The skipper was just OK at executing his jokes. Not that OK is bad, just not one of the better ones that we've experienced through the years. (Some of them are really good.)
It was now around 8pm or so, and we decided to make our way over to Fantasyland. We still had to ride It's a Small World, and then hit 7DMT. So after we scanned our Magic Bands for Jungle Cruise, I added It's a Small World FP+s to our accounts and we headed that way….
… Stephanie and I were still content from our treats at the Poly, but the kids were ready for a snack. So we grabbed Dole Whips for them.
The girls needed a bathroom break, so we cut through into Frontierland and headed towards Fantasyland by way of Liberty Square and Haunted Mansion. Stopping at the bathrooms in the Tangled area. Such a cool place sit and people watch while your crew is taking care of their business.
So yeah, Next up was It's a Small World. Another classic!
The funny thing is…. The line was actually so non-existent, that the FP+ line took longer than standby because they had to come over to merge us into the flow of people boarding the boats. Not a problem, we waited less than a minute, but funny none the less.
This was the first time that we've ridden it since they started reading your names off your Magic Bands and displaying them at the end of the ride. Some people think it's creepy how they can track you, but I thought it was pretty cool!
(Stephanie got her own sign, and then the kids and I were all on a different one.)
Normally, we like to watch Wishes from somewhere in the hub area, but since we only had one day at MK on this trip, we decided to stick to the rides and skip the fireworks this time around. With that in mind, none of us had paid any attention to what time they would be starting or where we'd be when they started.
So… it was fun to realize that the fireworks were going on as we left Small World. In all our years of visiting WDW, I've never considered that it would be fun to see them from behind the castle! And boy, it was super cool! Needless to say, we pretty much stopped dead in our tracks as we headed towards Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It was so cool to see some of the large fireworks go off back behind Pinocchio's restaurant and then look the other direction and see the more coming from the castle.
Surround sound!
Sorry for the poor quality gif photo, but dang, that was so cool!!!
After the grand finale, we headed over to 7DMT. And used one of our "any time / anywhere" fast passes.
I didn't really grab any photos, but I think I love this ride even more at night. So cool!
Pickle and Buddy had wanted to ride the Tomorrowland Speedway earlier in the day, but the line was a bit long. So after we rode It's a Small World, I added Fast Passes for the speedway to our Magic Bands. Except for Princess and Stephanie weren't all that interested. So, I took Pickle and Buddy on the ride.
Another classic (and a favorite as a kid), but to be honest, this one is pretty lame when compared to Disneyland's Autopia.
We made our way over to Buzz Light year next. The kids are pretty much "over" this ride and showed no interest. I sort of feel like it's a bit tired/dated too, but the line was short, so I made everyone ride it. LOL.
At this point, it was a little past 10pm. And the gang was starting to feel a bit worn out. The park was open until midnight, but we had plans to visit one of my high school friends in Vero Beach the next day, so we didn't want to stay out too late anyway.
Our last stop for the evening was to use our remaining FP+'s for the Mickey Mouse meet and greet. For some reason, we missed him on our last trip, and we still hadn't interacted with "Talking Mickey" yet, so we really wanted to see him on this trip!!!
I don't have any photos to share, but the Electrical Parade was going on as we walked towards Town Square Theater. Sure added a lot of fun to the atmosphere!
45 minute wait time at 10:15 PM?!??!!?! So glad we had those extra FP's. What a blessing!
We did have to wait 10 or 15 minutes though. Certainly not a problem, except for Pickle was losing steam and decided to rest on the floor….
She perked right up, when it was time to meet Mickey though!
Here's a quick video
And a few photos
"A mini Minnie"
What a fantastic way to cap off a fun week at WDW!!!!
One last look back down Main Street, and then we headed to the buses…
The bus pulled up within a minute or two of our arrival. How convenient!
We arrived back at our room a little after 11pm... We got all settled in, and then good night moon!
All and all, it was a pretty fantastic day at the Magic Kingdom. It was a bit crowded being Labor Day weekend and all, but not quite as bad as I had expected. Some thoughtful planning and those extra FP+s made all the difference. Can't wait to go back!!!
Next up, we head to Vero Beach to visit an old buddy, and then we make the trek home back to St. Louis. Stay tuned for a couple wrap up posts. Cheers!
toystoryduo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2003
Great updates! Looks like an awesome day was had by all at Magic Kingdom! 
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Great updates! Looks like an awesome day was had by all at Magic Kingdom!
Thanks! Yes, all in all, it was a pretty awesome day
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Day 7 - Saturday, May 28 - Vero Beach
After a whirlwind week, it was time to leave WDW!
But one last "must do" for the kids. Somehow... they got it into their heads that Disney bacon is better than all bacon in the universe. And they must have it at least once on every trip. But... they missed out on it this trip. So, Stephanie got up a little early and headed down to the Boardwalk Bakery (or whatever it's called) and came back with a surprise for the kids.
Hmm... I wonder what's in the box?!?!?
A little baggie for each kid.
Score!!!!
Not the greatest photo, but the kids were pretty happy!!!
So yeah, we finished getting ready, called bell service to help carry our stuff down to the car, and we were on our way. Goodbye Boardwalk Inn
One of my best friends from high school (Skip) lives in Vero Beach. About 2 hours south east of Orlando. We only get to visit every few years, and the last time we were at WDW, they came up to spend an evening with us at WDW... So it was our turn to make the effort to visit them.
I don't have a lot of photos from the day, as I spent more time focusing my attention towards my long lost buddy. (There are only a handful of guys that I've met in my life that I can fully relate to, and Skip is one of them. Such a fun guy! And his family is awesome too.)
Anyway, we made the drive to Vero Beach without any issues. Pulled up to his house and pretty much headed straight to lunch. We spent an hour or two at the restaurant catching up and having fun, and then we headed to the beach. Skip and his boys like to surf, and apparently the surf is better at
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park (a little south), so that's where we headed.
What a great beach!!! I'm not a surfer, but apparently the waves were pretty decent for that area, so Skip and his boys pretty much spent the whole time catching waves. The rest of us played in the sand, swam, and enjoyed the boogie boards. How fun!!
We spent a couple hours enjoying the beach, and then decided to move on. Skip is currently renovating a sail boat and he took us over to see it. His plan is to have it ready this fall, and then they'll pull the kids out of school (yeah for home school) and then spend at least a year roaming around the Bahama's. This is something that he's dreamed of doing since college, how cool that he's making his dream a reality!!!
I have to admit, that I'm a bit envious of his upcoming adventures... but at least I'll be able to experience it vicariously through his Facebook photos.
So yeah, we spent another hour or two lost in conversations just hanging out on the deck of his boat. It was actually a lot of fun, but I can imagine it would be even better out on the water.
And then it was time for dinner, so we went to their favorite local Mexican restaurant. Again, no photos, but wow, was it good! And reasonably priced too.
After that, we went over to one of his artist buddy's vegan ice cream shop. (Skip is an accomplished artist, and active in the Vero Beach art community.) Something that I'd probably had never done on my own, but it was fun none the less. And pretty good too!
Finally, we spent the rest of the evening just hanging out at Skip's house. Good times!
It was sad to see the evening come to an end. But we had a big day of driving ahead of us and it was getting late. We booked a cheap motel room close to the highway. Pretty much enter the room and go to sleep, so we can cut corners and stay in a motel right!
A couple months in advance, I looked to make a reservation at a suitable hotel. When I say cheap, I'm thinking $100 or less. Unfortunately, in Vero Beach it's either feast or famine. As in a several hundred dollar a night room by the beach, or a roach motel by the highway.
I checked out Trip Advisor and settled on the Howard Johnson for around $80. It didn't look too bad (and got better reviews than it's direct competition.) Trip Advisor usually works pretty well for us, but not this time! The place actually was a roach motel. We actually saw bugs in the room. Mostly in the bathroom. The AC hadn't been running, so it was warm and stuffy, and smelly. The carpet was in bad shape. Some sketchy people hanging out a few doors down. But it was around 11pm Saturday night on Labor Day weekend. We're stuck.
OK kids... you get a free pass. You don't have to brush your teeth tonight. Don't touch anything and just get in bed. The sooner the lights are out, the sooner this will be over. Haha
After a whirlwind week, it was time to leave WDW!
But one last "must do" for the kids. Somehow... they got it into their heads that Disney bacon is better than all bacon in the universe. And they must have it at least once on every trip. But... they missed out on it this trip. So, Stephanie got up a little early and headed down to the Boardwalk Bakery (or whatever it's called) and came back with a surprise for the kids.Hmm... I wonder what's in the box?!?!?
A little baggie for each kid.
Score!!!!
Not the greatest photo, but the kids were pretty happy!!!
So yeah, we finished getting ready, called bell service to help carry our stuff down to the car, and we were on our way. Goodbye Boardwalk Inn
One of my best friends from high school (Skip) lives in Vero Beach. About 2 hours south east of Orlando. We only get to visit every few years, and the last time we were at WDW, they came up to spend an evening with us at WDW... So it was our turn to make the effort to visit them.
I don't have a lot of photos from the day, as I spent more time focusing my attention towards my long lost buddy. (There are only a handful of guys that I've met in my life that I can fully relate to, and Skip is one of them. Such a fun guy! And his family is awesome too.)
Anyway, we made the drive to Vero Beach without any issues. Pulled up to his house and pretty much headed straight to lunch. We spent an hour or two at the restaurant catching up and having fun, and then we headed to the beach. Skip and his boys like to surf, and apparently the surf is better at
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park (a little south), so that's where we headed.
What a great beach!!! I'm not a surfer, but apparently the waves were pretty decent for that area, so Skip and his boys pretty much spent the whole time catching waves. The rest of us played in the sand, swam, and enjoyed the boogie boards. How fun!!
We spent a couple hours enjoying the beach, and then decided to move on. Skip is currently renovating a sail boat and he took us over to see it. His plan is to have it ready this fall, and then they'll pull the kids out of school (yeah for home school) and then spend at least a year roaming around the Bahama's. This is something that he's dreamed of doing since college, how cool that he's making his dream a reality!!!
I have to admit, that I'm a bit envious of his upcoming adventures... but at least I'll be able to experience it vicariously through his Facebook photos.
So yeah, we spent another hour or two lost in conversations just hanging out on the deck of his boat. It was actually a lot of fun, but I can imagine it would be even better out on the water.
And then it was time for dinner, so we went to their favorite local Mexican restaurant. Again, no photos, but wow, was it good! And reasonably priced too.
After that, we went over to one of his artist buddy's vegan ice cream shop. (Skip is an accomplished artist, and active in the Vero Beach art community.) Something that I'd probably had never done on my own, but it was fun none the less. And pretty good too!
Finally, we spent the rest of the evening just hanging out at Skip's house. Good times!
It was sad to see the evening come to an end. But we had a big day of driving ahead of us and it was getting late. We booked a cheap motel room close to the highway. Pretty much enter the room and go to sleep, so we can cut corners and stay in a motel right!
A couple months in advance, I looked to make a reservation at a suitable hotel. When I say cheap, I'm thinking $100 or less. Unfortunately, in Vero Beach it's either feast or famine. As in a several hundred dollar a night room by the beach, or a roach motel by the highway.
I checked out Trip Advisor and settled on the Howard Johnson for around $80. It didn't look too bad (and got better reviews than it's direct competition.) Trip Advisor usually works pretty well for us, but not this time! The place actually was a roach motel. We actually saw bugs in the room. Mostly in the bathroom. The AC hadn't been running, so it was warm and stuffy, and smelly. The carpet was in bad shape. Some sketchy people hanging out a few doors down. But it was around 11pm Saturday night on Labor Day weekend. We're stuck.
OK kids... you get a free pass. You don't have to brush your teeth tonight. Don't touch anything and just get in bed. The sooner the lights are out, the sooner this will be over. Haha
MarbleBob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
Day 8 - Sunday, May 29 - Driving to Atlanta
And to prove I'm not exaggerating, being a typical teenager, Princess hates getting up early and will stay in bed as long as she possibly can. This time around, she was the first one out of bed. And almost immediately waiting by the door, "Come on guys, hurry up. Let's get out of here!!!!"
Doesn't look bad from the photo, but umm.. this is probably the worst motel I've ever stayed at.
I'm normally not a fan of those continental breakfasts offered at hotels/motels, but the rest of the gang usually enjoys them. Based on the state of the room, we didn't even go in the lobby to look at it. Especially, when there was a Dunkin Donuts next door!
So we got our donuts and hit the road. In the grand scheme of things, the hotel experience wasn't a big deal, just sort of funny to look back at. Makes you really appreciate Disney, even when they do leave trash in the mini fridge!!!
The plan for the day was to drive up to Atlanta for the night. Which we did, without incident. Pretty relaxing drive.
We stopped somewhere up close to the Florida/Georgia border for lunch. Choosing McDonald's for the convenience.
I wouldn't normally even mention McDonalds... But we had such a great experience there, that I actually found their online feedback form and left some positive feedback. In particular, they had a guy working the dining area, picking up your trash and making sure you were good with ketchup and stuff. He was obviously challenged, but boy, what a refreshing attitude he had. So friendly, and so positive. We chatted with him for a while. The next day was to be his 10 year anniversary working at McDonald's and you could just see the pride he had. How cool!!!
A few hours later, in the early evening, we made it through Atlanta. Funny... for $20 more than the previous night at HoJo, we stayed at a Hyatt Place for around $100.
We've stayed at a few of these through the years (they all sleep 5), and they are generally very nice. And while this wasn't the nicest Hyatt Place ever, it truly felt like a palace compared to the night before.
We Yelped restaurants and found a highly rated (and reasonably priced) taco shop called "Taco Cantina" just down the road.
It was indeed pretty darn good!
I didn't get a photo, but they had a salsa and toppings bar to dress up your tacos. Yum!
After dinner, the rest of the gang relaxed in the room, while I took Pickle down the the pool.
Then we came up and everyone watched Disney Channel for a little while before turning in for the night.
And to prove I'm not exaggerating, being a typical teenager, Princess hates getting up early and will stay in bed as long as she possibly can. This time around, she was the first one out of bed. And almost immediately waiting by the door, "Come on guys, hurry up. Let's get out of here!!!!"
Doesn't look bad from the photo, but umm.. this is probably the worst motel I've ever stayed at.
I'm normally not a fan of those continental breakfasts offered at hotels/motels, but the rest of the gang usually enjoys them. Based on the state of the room, we didn't even go in the lobby to look at it. Especially, when there was a Dunkin Donuts next door!
So we got our donuts and hit the road. In the grand scheme of things, the hotel experience wasn't a big deal, just sort of funny to look back at. Makes you really appreciate Disney, even when they do leave trash in the mini fridge!!!
The plan for the day was to drive up to Atlanta for the night. Which we did, without incident. Pretty relaxing drive.
We stopped somewhere up close to the Florida/Georgia border for lunch. Choosing McDonald's for the convenience.
I wouldn't normally even mention McDonalds... But we had such a great experience there, that I actually found their online feedback form and left some positive feedback. In particular, they had a guy working the dining area, picking up your trash and making sure you were good with ketchup and stuff. He was obviously challenged, but boy, what a refreshing attitude he had. So friendly, and so positive. We chatted with him for a while. The next day was to be his 10 year anniversary working at McDonald's and you could just see the pride he had. How cool!!!
A few hours later, in the early evening, we made it through Atlanta. Funny... for $20 more than the previous night at HoJo, we stayed at a Hyatt Place for around $100.
We've stayed at a few of these through the years (they all sleep 5), and they are generally very nice. And while this wasn't the nicest Hyatt Place ever, it truly felt like a palace compared to the night before.
We Yelped restaurants and found a highly rated (and reasonably priced) taco shop called "Taco Cantina" just down the road.
It was indeed pretty darn good!
I didn't get a photo, but they had a salsa and toppings bar to dress up your tacos. Yum!
After dinner, the rest of the gang relaxed in the room, while I took Pickle down the the pool.
Then we came up and everyone watched Disney Channel for a little while before turning in for the night.
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