Walt Disney World Highlights - September 2018 Trip

The two main focuses of this Labor Day weekend trip to Walt Disney World were Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival and Hollywood Studio’s Toy Story Land.  The Food and Wine Festival was covered in our last post so please check this link to view that post.   Thanks to our Disney Vacation Club (Disney timeshare program) ownership we were able to stay at The Grand Floridian Hotel.  The relatively new rooms were very nice and having two showers in a studio room helped us to get ready quickly in the mornings.

Toy Story Land

This section of Hollywood Studios opened up in the early summer.  Guests are made to feel like hey are in Andy’s backyard experiencing his creations from a toy’s POV.   The land is home to a new roller coaster, spinner ride, and the new entrance to Toy Story Midway Mania.   As of now there is only one narrow entrance into the land.   We rope-dropped the new coaster (Slinky Dog Dash) on both our visits. These ended up being the most aggressive rope-drops ever experienced since this was the longest distance we’ve ever traveled with the hordes.  We made it on the first coaster of each day (unfortunately Dave takes pleasure in navigating the rope-drop) making enemies with pushy selfie-loving millennial along the way.  

Slinky Dog Dash is not a thrilling coaster.  It is a fun ride with lots of cute features and nods to the movie lore.

Alien Saucer Swirl is a copy of Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree in Disneyland with a green alien overlay.  It’s very cute and the techno soundtrack is fun.

The rest of the land is filled with giant statues of Toy Story characters and vignettes of toys.  

Other Fun

In the Magic Kingdom we visited Stitch’s new meet and greet location in the old location of Stitch’s Great Escape.  The meet took place in the preshow lobby and they did not spend one cent on remodeling.   When finished we walked through the preshow theater and out the door that must have been a chicken exit.  We got to walk on a little back area path we’ve never been on before and saw a cool poster about a rocket expo.  





The Incredible Summer Celebration (Tomorrowland takeover) was still going on.  We spent a few moments at the Purple Wall (made a thing on Instagram so now Disney is capitalizing on it) having Photo Pass guy take our picture.  We were on Splash Mountain when the lights came on for the end scene.  We were hoping to get evacuated but it never happened.  

Disney World Trip Highlights - May/June 2018

Every few years we book a week+ long trip to Disney World in May.   Typically we do this around Mother’s Day but since Dave started with a new company last year his vacation allotment reset, causing us to take advantage of the Memorial Day holiday to minimize vacation use.   We figured there would be a noticeable difference in the crowds for the holiday weekend, but it actually wasn’t any worse than earlier in the month. 

We’re going to cover the highlights in the post vs. a day-by-day account of our trip.   We spent the first 6 nights at Bay Lake Tower (attached to the Contemporary Resort) followed by 4 nights at Boardwalk Resort.   We are DVC (Disney Vacation Club) members.

We landed early Friday evening and rushed through MCO to our rental car.   We dropped everything off in the hotel room so we could head right into the Magic Kingdom to see the Happily Ever After fireworks show.   Holly was a big fan of Wishes and we both decided the new show was not a very good replacement – definitely less pyrotechnics and more castle projections (which are hard to see with all the darn kids on parents’ shoulders).

Memorial Day Weekend marked the last few days of Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival.  This put the pressure on us to hit all the food booths around World Showcase that we wanted to try.   Overall offerings this year were not as good as they have been in the past.   Epcot did look great and it was fun to watch the flowers slowly disappear later in the week when the festival closed.   We took in The Spinners at the Garden Rocks concert.  Fun show!

Trader Sam’s at the Polynesian is still a fun place to enjoy the evening (outdoors).  We were happy to see that Disney did not get rid of the guitarist/singer on the terrace. 

California Grill is back on our top dining list.   We had really bad service on our last visit to the restaurant and the changes to the menu items at that time were not our favorite.  Now with the former Jiko chef at the helm things are back the way we like them.   We ate a late (10pm) dinner one night at the bar and then a normal time dinner the following evening.   The filet with the tamarind BBQ was as good as ever.   Our motto for Disney dining in May still held true:  If Zellwood corn is on the menu get it.  The corn chowder was fantastic!

We dined with friends one night at Victoria and Albert’s Chef’s Table.   We had a great night watching the kitchen team in action and enjoying great food and wine.   That evening will get a detailed post of its own.





We had a surprisingly good lunch at The Wave in the Contemporary.  We didn’t want park food or food court food and found this a decent option.  We split the appetizer mussels and Asian pork belly buns.   There were a few decent beers on tap.   This is a perfect break from the Magic Kingdom.

Disney Springs has become an enjoyable place to eat and drink.   We experienced Paddlefish, Dockside Margaritas, Polite Pig, The Edison, Morimoto Asia, and more.

 Afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian is still a fun break from the Magic Kingdom.

 This summer Animal Kingdom started an event in Dino Land called Donald’s Dino-Bash.   The premise is Donald Duck discovers ducks are descended from Dinosaurs and throws a party. Uncle Scrooge is fighting with some rival duck over whom was the first duck clan of Scotland.  There’s some decent theming and backstory in the Uncle Scrooge photo opp area.  Other photo opps include Launchpad McQuack, Chip & Dale in cute dinosaur onesies, Pluto, Daisy, and Goofy.   We hit the character stops before they opened (at 10am) and breezed through them.   In the afternoon the hold a dance party in the courtyard.   By dance party think Disney Jr. vs. Dj Elliott.

 Incredible Summer was occurring in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland.   Characters from the Incredibles movies were out along with some photo opp backgrounds and a stage show/dance party.   Banners were all over the place and the regular Tomorrowland music loop was replaced by an Incredibles themed soundtrack.   We weren’t fans of this since 1) we don’t really enjoy The Incredibles and 2) it replaced the theming of Tomorrowland.   Dino-Bash was an add-on vs. an overhaul.   There’s rumor Edna Mode is going to narrate the Tomorrowland Transit Authority.   If that’s true it’s time to bring headphones with us to stream an old narration.

We dined at Spice Road Table in Epcot’s Morocco for the first time.   We never included this location on our dining list before because the outside patio area was usually empty when we passed by.  They have a great location on the water so something must be wrong if it’s empty.  We booked a table in time to see Illuminations (fireworks show) and enjoyed how close we were to the action in the lagoon.  Then we remembered this used to be where we watched Illuminations before they built the restaurant.   Food was good, portions were large and reasonably priced.  We could come back and share an appetizer and share an entrée and be content.

Several months ago Dooney & Bourke  released a purse with a Disney dog pattern that Holly was after.  She missed out online at the release date (setting an alarm to get up in the middle of the night).  While we were on property some were being released in very limited amounts.    We got to Animal Kingdom later than we normally would one morning and she missed it by 10 minutes.  We started rope-dropping stores selling purses vs. attractions for a few days after that.   No luck.

Flights of Wonder bird show in Animal Kingdom was overhauled to be Up! A Great Bird Adventure.   By doing this they have incorporated characters from Up! into the show.   The birds are basically the same, just the main narrator’s “Eat, Pray, Love” shtick is more annoying than the tour guide shtick from the old show

Even though it was his birthday, Dave agreed to go to the princess character breakfast at Trattoria al Forno in the Boardwalk Resort.   Characters are not his thing, especially ones that talk back.   The food was good – can’t argue with steak at 8am and the character interaction was quick.    They had the annoying kid parade around the restaurant and other songs so be ready for that.   The characters were nice and knew to limit interaction with Dave, even when they found out it was his birthday.   This is worth a try if you want to see Ariel, Rapunzel, and related princes.

Since we are on the topic of the Boardwalk Resort we’ll cover our check-in mishap.   We left Animal Kingdom around 3:45 and finally got the notice that are room was ready.   We arrived, asked Bell Services to bring our bags (we dropped them off earlier that day), and went to our unclean room.   The room had not been serviced.   Dave called the desk (which is a central line for all the hotels) while Holly went to the desk directly.   We were told it would be 45 minutes and received some compensation for our troubles.   45 minutes turned into almost 2 hours.   After some additional conversations were received 3 bonus Fast Passes (shorter wait tickets) per day.   

We were going to write a glowing review of Matboukha Groove at Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion but the band is no longer there.   They engaged the crowd with their high-energy performance.   Sahara Beat is the replacement act.

Brown Derby’s outdoor lounge in the Hollywood Studios is still enjoyable.  It’s a really nice dining venue with great appetizer selections and the chance to get Zellwood corn soup from the inside menu if you ask nice.    Sitting at a two-top we were not given the advantage of an umbrella for shade.   While dining around noon the breeze had stopped and the sun shifted perfectly over us.   It was HOT!

Those were some of the highlights.  We'll return back to Disney World Labor Day Weekend for a few fun days at Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival (Tiffany is performing that weekend) and to check out the Studio's new Toy Story Land.   This will also be our first time staying at The Grand Floridian Resort.

Epic 2017 Walt Disney World Christmas Visit - Part Two

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Sunday

Today was our Magic Kingdom day. We had tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party in the evening giving us a bit of time to take in some Christmas around the resorts. Originally we were going to drive to the Magic Kingdom area and park at a resort (which can be tricky if you are not staying at that hotel) or the main parking area. We knew we would not be back at our hotel until around 1am and tried to determine which offered less hassle. We chose the bus system.

Another day in a row we missed rope-drop. That meant we were behind the crowds and standing in long security lines. Before entering the park we rented a locker to store blankets we appropriated from the airline (for ground cover on the parade route) and to hold purchased items for the day. Our first planned event was to watch the holiday Trolley Show on Main Street.

The 4-minute show was well themed. We grabbed breakfast from Starbucks and ate al fresco at the Casey's patio. After hitting a few shops on Main Street we exited the park so we could tour the decorations at the Monorail resorts.

A note on the weather. It sucked. At nights temperatures dipped into the 20's or 30's. These temperatures in Florida feel way colder than they do back in Illinois. We were layered up all day Saturday in Epcot. On Sunday we had pleasant temperatures (50's) in the afternoon but frigid at night during the party. The few hours after leaving the park were the only chances we had to show off our matching shirts.

Both the Contemporary and Polynesian Resorts were low-key in terms of decorations. There was a cute Cinderalla's Castle gingerbread sculpture in the Grand Canyon Concourse and the Poly's lobby had tropical themed garlands and trees. The Grand Floridian is the must-do on this route with its huge tree and large-scale gingerbread house/shop. Everything covering the small building is edible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wanted to take the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom so we could get a boat to the Wilderness Lodge but there was a snag. The line at the Grand Floridian was backed up because they were down to one security gate. The monorails also seemed a bit delayed which allowed more people to build on the outbound platform. After a few minutes we came up with the bright idea of getting an Uber. A few minutes later we were picked up and delivered to the Wilderness Lodge. Cost $7 plus tip. Worth it. The Wilderness Lodge had an awesome tree with appropriate-themed ornaments. We lunched at the newish Geyser Point on burgers while enjoying some dark beers and cocktails. These were the only drinks of the day given we were going to be in MK the rest of the day.

Once we re-entered the park we were checked-in for the party and given our wristbands. We were directed into the Main Street bypass (area behind the hat shop they sometimes open for crowd control) for photo opportunities with props and our first cookie break. The party has several designated locations to get free pre-paid snacks and treats like cookies, candy canes, pretzels, and hot chocolate. Costs for the party vary by evening - our price was around $90 each for access to Magic Kingdom and the party from 4:00 - midnight (party starts at 7:00).

We were able to spend some time taking pictures, buying merchandise set out early, and ride a few rides. The Castle Lighting Show featuring friends from Frozen started at 6:15. Disney has updated the lighting on the castle since we last saw it a few years ago. The show was fun and the projections that aided the castle lighting were a nice touch.

 

 

 

 

 

After the lighting we split up. Holly wanted her photo with the Pooh characters, but did not want to miss out on a place to sit for the parade. Dave grabbed the airline blankets and nabbed an area near a trash can (after trying several) midway down Main Street. By the time Holly met him there was still plenty of curbside seating. When the party started there was an announcement welcoming folks and then the snow started on Main Street. People were losing their minds as soap bubbles were blasted from the rooftops!

 

 

The parade would not reach us until around 8:50. Sitting that long on the cold concrete at such and odd angle did a number on our muscles. Dinner came from Casey's: hot dogs and fries. Really haven't had a day of eating such generic food at Disney since we were kids. Dave almost had a meltdown when the pre-parade entertainment came out. There was a spotlight coming from a second floor window across the street: ruining the lighting for photos. Thankfully it was turned off for the parade.
 
This was our first time ever seeing the Christmas Parade and we were not disappointed. We actually think it is our favorite parade. It was filled with floats and characters that only come out for this parade like the wooden soldiers, gingerbread men, and reindeers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the parade we made our way up to the castle for Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration. This castle-stage style show features many characters, dancers, and two human hosts/performers (don't know how to put it - Peter Pan and Buzz are humans, but also characters. The hosts were singers in shiny outfits) singing songs, performing little skits, etc. Mickey and Minnie come out in Santa outfits at the end. The show was actually one of the better castle-shows. Once the show ended we made our way back to the Main Street bridge for the Holiday Wishes Fireworks. This show was ok, not really the best fireworks we have seen in Magic Kingdom. Maybe being frozen and wrapped in airline blankets didn't help.

 

 

 

 

Once the fireworks were over we beelined it to Tomorrowland where Cosmic Ray's was turned into Club Tinsel: a DJ dance party with polar bears and elves. They were serving cookies and hot chocolate (along with food you could buy). We watched the dance party fun while warming up. Dave felt great after 3 hot chocolates and was sad when we had to leave in the middle of the Quad City DJ's C'mon N Ride It (he claims it is his jam). But we had to leave in order to make it over to the Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show. Luckily it was next to Joffrey's and he could get a coffee while we watched. The show featured a lead singer/host whom interacted with an onscreen Stitch. He was trying to kidnap Santa or some such nonsense. Various Tomorrowland characters had musical numbers including Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski, and finally Santa Stitch. It was a bit goofy, but the performers were very good.

 

 

For our final hour in the party we hit up a few other snack stands, caught the backhalf of the second showing of the parade in Frontierland, hit some Photopass spots, and just enjoyed being in the environment. We took our second ride of the day on The Jingle Cruise, a Christmas version of the attraction. We thought it looked better in the day time.

 

 

Dave would like it to be noted his other winter hat is causing his coat to bulge out so much.

 

 

This was our favorite party experience in The Magic Kingdom. It would be fun to repeat it within the next few years. All the show performers seemed to be better than usual and the environment is festive.

Our wait for a bus back was less than ten minutes and thankfully we departed without waiting for the bus to be full. We did not forget to take everything out of of locker. We arrived in the hotel room after 1AM and were planning a Studios rope-drop the next morning.