Live-ish TR WDW/DC/NYC/DL- now with photos!

[dabecs]

Sounds like you are having a blast! I love all if your WDW DL comparisons - hope to be able to compare them one day myself

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I've just caught up with your TR. Great work.

It's the first time I've read of the frozen chai at AK and I'm feeling very excited. I love chai.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Enjoying the Live-ish updates. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Saskiwi]

Warning - MEGA pixie dust ahead!!
We were chosen to open Blizzard Beach today and the boys got to be "Ski Captain" and first down the Summit Plummet!! AND they got a Blizzard Beach medal, AND we all got "Honorary Citizens of Disney" badges AND we got a prime position "Ski Captain" cabana to use for the day with free towels and locker!!
i love Disney! We had a blast at the park, doing all the slides and getting totally waterlogged and exhausted.
Now we are off to Cheesecake Factory for dinner- could a day get any better??

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Awesome!

 

[australiankaren]

Warning - MEGA pixie dust ahead!!
We were chosen to open Blizzard Beach today and the boys got to be "Ski Captain" and first down the Summit Plummet!! AND they got a Blizzard Beach medal, AND we all got "Honorary Citizens of Disney" badges AND we got a prime position "Ski Captain" cabana to use for the day with free towels and locker!!
i love Disney! We had a blast at the park, doing all the slides and getting totally waterlogged and exhausted.
Now we are off to Cheesecake Factory for dinner- could a day get any better??

Double awesome......so how was the cabana?? We are thinking of renting one....would it be worth it for the $$$ for 2 people???

 

[aussietravellers]

Warning - MEGA pixie dust ahead!!
We were chosen to open Blizzard Beach today and the boys got to be "Ski Captain" and first down the Summit Plummet!! AND they got a Blizzard Beach medal, AND we all got "Honorary Citizens of Disney" badges AND we got a prime position "Ski Captain" cabana to use for the day with free towels and locker!!
i love Disney! We had a blast at the park, doing all the slides and getting totally waterlogged and exhausted.
Now we are off to Cheesecake Factory for dinner- could a day get any better??

Oh my goodness! What a fantastic, incredibly exciting thing! That must have made the day so special being the opening family! Wow!

We're you at the front of the crowd to get picked?

 

[Saskiwi]

Oh my goodness! What a fantastic, incredibly exciting thing! That must have made the day so special being the opening family! Wow!

We're you at the front of the crowd to get picked?

Yes, we had left the house early as I wanted to stop at a store and get one of those neoprene straps so I could wear my prescription sunnies on the slides (geek!) So we were at the front of one of the lines, and the CM there started chatting to the boys and asked if they were going to ride Summit Plummet today. When they said yes, she said "Well we need two ride testers to check out the slide first today and open the park, would you like to do it?" And away we went!
There was film crew shooting a commercial for the park already at work in the park, with lots of actors and extras looking like happy Disney families milling about. The CM, Alicia, showed us to our "Ski Captain" cabana and then took DH and the boys up to ride the slide and open the park, while I watched from down below.
aussieKaren, I don't know if I would pay $300 for a cabana unless there was a bunch of us who could split the cost. BB has tonnes of nice little shady spots with loungers tucked away all over the park, so a cabana isn't essential, unless it was high season and crazy busy, I guess. You also get an attendant and beverage service and a cooler, I think, so it would be convenient, but we weren't in ours much, we were too busy riding slides!

The Cheesecake Factory was great, as usual. Such good food and after a few days paying Disney food prices, it seemed so cheap!! The nearest one is at the swishy Mall at Millennia, about 20 mins up the I4 from Disney.

Off to check out the craziness of Star Wars Weekend tomorrow!

 

[Travel Mum]

Sounds like a fantastic day! We loved Blizzard Beach too!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Warning - MEGA pixie dust ahead!!
We were chosen to open Blizzard Beach today and the boys got to be "Ski Captain" and first down the Summit Plummet!! AND they got a Blizzard Beach medal, AND we all got "Honorary Citizens of Disney" badges AND we got a prime position "Ski Captain" cabana to use for the day with free towels and locker!!
i love Disney! We had a blast at the park, doing all the slides and getting totally waterlogged and exhausted.
Now we are off to Cheesecake Factory for dinner- could a day get any better??

Fantastic! How awesome.

 

[Caroline NZ]

What a totally awesome day Saskiwi, you will have amazing memories to cherish

 

[gogo65]

Wow, how lucky are you guys, what a special memory you will now have.
I look forward to the next installment

 

[Saskiwi]

Well we didnt make it to Star Wars Weekend today. A sick boy forced a change of plans.

Poor youngest has picked up a bug and has been in bed sipping lemonade and nibbling dry toast! So DH headed out to the outlet mall on his own (he's the shopper in the family- not me) while I did washing and had a swim.
Then this evening we swapped and he stayed in while DS13 and I checked out DTD and Disney Quest, the 5 floor "virtual theme park."

It is lots of fun and perfect for our two boys, so we will try to squeeze in a quick return visit on Monday.

If DS 10 is back up to speed tomorrow we are planning on a return trip to Universal to do the other park and WWoHP again- fingers crossed!

 

[australiankaren]

Well we didnt make it to Star Wars Weekend today. A sick boy forced a change of plans.

Poor youngest has picked up a bug and has been in bed sipping lemonade and nibbling dry toast! So DH headed out to the outlet mall on his own (he's the shopper in the family- not me) while I did washing and had a swim.
Then this evening we swapped and he stayed in while DS13 and I checked out DTD and Disney Quest, the 5 floor "virtual theme park."

It is lots of fun and perfect for our two boys, so we will try to squeeze in a quick return visit on Monday.

If DS 10 is back up to speed tomorrow we are planning on a return trip to Universal to do the other park and WWoHP again- fingers crossed!

mate ..sorry to hear you had a sickie boy...but sometimes the down time can be a blessing...helps to recharge and do stuff you normally wouldnt do....sounds like your having a blast!

 

[Marlea98]

Despite the sickness, which every parent needs to factor in at least once, it sounds like you are having a great time

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[PrincessInOz]

Well we didnt make it to Star Wars Weekend today. A sick boy forced a change of plans.

Poor youngest has picked up a bug and has been in bed sipping lemonade and nibbling dry toast! So DH headed out to the outlet mall on his own (he's the shopper in the family- not me) while I did washing and had a swim.
Then this evening we swapped and he stayed in while DS13 and I checked out DTD and Disney Quest, the 5 floor "virtual theme park."

It is lots of fun and perfect for our two boys, so we will try to squeeze in a quick return visit on Monday.

If DS 10 is back up to speed tomorrow we are planning on a return trip to Universal to do the other park and WWoHP again- fingers crossed!

Take it easy. It is a holiday, after all.

Hope DS feels better.

 

[CJ2001]

Sorry to hear about your son being sick. Hope he gets better soon, nothing worst than being sick when you are far from home.

We were looking for somewhere to eat dinner in Anaheim and walked straight past the Cheesecake Factory, thought it was cheesecakes only!! Didnt realize it was a restaurant!

 

[Saskiwi]

Put it on your list for next time! they have a HUGE menu and it is really good...
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/welcome/Welcome

Cheesecake is obviously their "main gig" and they have about 20 varieties, but meals are massive so if you want to make it to dessert, pace yourself!

DH and I shared three appetisers this time: avocado egg rolls with a spicy cilantro dipping sauce, crunchy ahi tuna rolls ( think tempura sushi rolls) and a hot creamy crab and artichoke dip with flatbread. No main courses and that "just" left us enough room to share a slice of cheesecake. we went for the tuxedo chocolate cheesecake, which was layers of fudge cake, chocolate mousse and a mascarpone cream cheesecake ...oh and chocolate chips on the side....

Last night DS13 and I tried Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD for dinner. it was just across from Disney Quest, and super fast, as it is counter service and the chilled stuff is ready-to-go in chillers. He had the cheese pizza, which had a really good wood-fired thin crust and masses of cheese and a fresh tomato sauce. Got the Chinois chicken salad which WP is kind of famous for. it was pretty good, for a prepackaged salad. the crispy wonton strips and cashew nuts and dressing were all packed separately, so you could add and mix as you liked.
We shared the Key Lime cheesecake for dessert, which was excellent.

We have one more ADR left: Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge tomorrow on our last night, but Im wondering if we will feel like all that craziness after a big final day in the parks? We are planning on park-hopping MK and Epcot and now trying to squeeze in Disney Quest too...
Anyone eaten there who can tell me if it is a "must-try"?

the sick boy is feeling better this morning and reckons he can cope with Spiderman at Universal so off we go....!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Those avocado eggrolls are my favourite appertiser on the menu.

Enjoy your day.

Perhaps Raglan Road; if you haven't already been there.

 

[CJ2001]

Put it on your list for next time! they have a HUGE menu and it is really good...
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/welcome/Welcome

Cheesecake is obviously their "main gig" and they have about 20 varieties, but meals are massive so if you want to make it to dessert, pace yourself!

DH and I shared three appetisers this time: avocado egg rolls with a spicy cilantro dipping sauce, crunchy ahi tuna rolls ( think tempura sushi rolls) and a hot creamy crab and artichoke dip with flatbread. No main courses and that "just" left us enough room to share a slice of cheesecake. we went for the tuxedo chocolate cheesecake, which was layers of fudge cake, chocolate mousse and a mascarpone cream cheesecake ...oh and chocolate chips on the side....

Last night DS13 and I tried Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD for dinner. it was just across from Disney Quest, and super fast, as it is counter service and the chilled stuff is ready-to-go in chillers. He had the cheese pizza, which had a really good wood-fired thin crust and masses of cheese and a fresh tomato sauce. Got the Chinois chicken salad which WP is kind of famous for. it was pretty good, for a prepackaged salad. the crispy wonton strips and cashew nuts and dressing were all packed separately, so you could add and mix as you liked.
We shared the Key Lime cheesecake for dessert, which was excellent.

We have one more ADR left: Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge tomorrow on our last night, but Im wondering if we will feel like all that craziness after a big final day in the parks? We are planning on park-hopping MK and Epcot and now trying to squeeze in Disney Quest too...
Anyone eaten there who can tell me if it is a "must-try"?

the sick boy is feeling better this morning and reckons he can cope with Spiderman at Universal so off we go....!

Glad your son is feeling better.

Will definitely try the Cheesecake Factory when we go. My hubby has finally agreed to going to WDW next year IF we can save enough. I'm a terrible saver so just hopping I can do it!

Hope you have a great day at Universal