The Wilderness Must Be Explored (for 15 days!)- A Mother/Daughter Trip! NEW 3/6

[Happy Duck]

Chef Mickey's!!!

It was a 10 minute walk to the Contemporary!

It was a lovely walk and we were able to see MK with a different view. It is always great to see things from a different angle.​

We went in on the lower level. Can one normal Minnie Mouse (hindered by one directionally challenged Minnie Mouse, Jr.) find their way to the check-in booth?

YES! (Sort of. We had to ask the desk people. Don't judge.)

If I hadn't asked for directions we would probably still be wandering around!​

We checked in and got our picture with the statue.

Sorry, but this is just an odd use of a dining picture. Yay! Time for your picture with the....Mickey statue.....Good thing we had Photopass+! (It was included in the package.) Otherwise you wouldn't have gotten to enjoy this magical picture.

From the waiting area. Not a bad view!

I'm not sure if I could stay in a hotel that has a monorail going right by my door. It really is a cool idea though.​

We waited for about 10-15 minutes and were called for dinner at exactly 9:08.

We were seated to the right of the buffet, but at least there was a barrier between us and it. Otherwise it would have been very annoying with all of the hungry people traffic.

Our waiter came by and offered us adult beverages. I ordered the ever popular WATER!

And I had an unsweetened Long Island iced tea (minus the Long Island)​

Oh. And the family next to us was a complete piece of work. They were completely obnoxious. The kids were not respectful. Getting up, following the characters as they please, doing whatever. We were glad that they were at the end of their meal just as ours was beginning!

And when you looked the other direction there was a family of four with the sweetest and kindest little boys. We made sure to compliment them. The mother said their behavior was due to them being tired. But Ducky and I both agree that tired or not, they are good kids.​

Okay...now onto the FOOD!

First. Honest opinion? Chef Mickey's is very fun, but it isn't the most high quality food. You aren't paying for the food. But if you go in knowing that, you'll have a great time. And I think that is what we had!

My plate.

The macaroni and cheese was your basic box variety, but it needed more salt. I really liked the mushrooms on the mashed potatoes! (Creativity at the buffet goes a super long way!) I ate mostly carbs, hardly ate the meat, but I ate all of my vegetables!

Mama's plate.

The beef with horseradish cream was excellent. Mac was standard, carrots and broccoli cooked just right, yummy taters and quite the overall good first plate.​

Meeting my #1 guy!!!!

Mama and Donald are bestest friends too!

Minnie Mices!!!

Comparing their beautiful dresses!

It didn't have dots, but Minnie liked my dress too!​

Minnie looked very shocked that Coral (photopass photographer) said that we stole her ears!

Minnies and the Chef!

Ummm...yeah. This is plate #2. Which I ate 3 bites from. Literally. My eyes were way too big for my stomach. But I just had to try the wings! And the cornbread! And just a little more ravioli.......Guess not.

It's a PARTY!

SWING THAT NAPKIN!​

Mama's Plate #2.

The veggies were so good the first time I had to get more. Unfortunately they just couldn't compete -- carrots under done and broccoli over done. Oh well. I got my veggie on anyway!​

PLUTO!!!! My buddy.

Awwwww.

Deep in conversation with Goofy.

So many goofy things to discuss and so little time!​

We determined that 2 of my feet=1 of Goofy's!

And 2 of his feet are a lot bigger than mine!!!

SO FUN!

Doesn't quite understand our crazy conversation. Don't worry Mama. You don't have to.

What in the world were we NOT talking about?​

And now for the best part of the meal...DESSERT!

Starting in the upper left we have a Key Lime Tart, Minnie Cheesecake, Red Velvet cake, and Mickey Oreo Bon Bon. Yum!

Mama switched out the Red Velvet for some bread pudding.

Love me some bread pudding!​

THE CUTEST THING EVER!

Okay, I might have gone back. Just to try that fruit tart. Took one bite, didn't like it...and that's where my dessert enjoyment ended. Apparently, I'm not a fan of fruit tarts.

Never did find out how that cookie tasted!

We went back up to the monorail but it was bursting full of people. So we decided to walk back to the Magic Kingdom. It was such a crazy long walk to make it all the way around to the bus stop! We had to walk up along to the gate and then back around to the last stop where French Quarter picks up.

We were asleep by 12:30.

Where will we go tomorrow? Stay tuned for the next exciting adventure!​

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[Happy Duck]

Epcot Triple Threat

Good Morning! It is Thursday, August 15th. And we are over halfway through our first week.......ahhhhhh!

Well what are we still doing in bed? Let's get moving!​

We were up at 7:30, meaning we got about 7 hours of sleep...awesome!

I had the hardest time deciding what to wear this morning for some reason. Finally decided on my new Toy Story shirt that I bought yesterday!!!

With the various clothing that we buy while on our trips we shouldn't pack nearly so much -- always something new to wear!​

We went out to the buses and waited for our bus to Epcot. It was the fastest bus ride EVER because we didn't have to stop at Riverside. It was 7 minutes TOTAL.

7 whole minutes? the horror....​

Once we were there, of course, we had the long walk from the buses to the front entrance. Then it was the long line to get into the park. We actually made it to rope drop at Epcot!

Finally made it through the Mickey readers. It took awhile because a lot of people didn't know how to use the readers. And they don't move up to make use of the empty spaces! I know they are trying to "make them more efficient" but people just don't think that logically.

Once we were through the gates, we couldn't take much more of each other so we split up.

Nah....just kidding. We were on FP- patrol!

Mama went to Soarin' and I went to Test Track and Mission Space. NO ONE was at the Mission Space machines. I took advantage of the free time and even put in my Tables and Wonderland card just to see if the strip on it would be read. It didn't work.

Passes in hand, I headed back to The Land.

Free time 'eh? So that's what you were doing while I was waiting...... Oh well, time for me to take pictures!​

I love these balloons. They are so beautiful and represent this space so well. They could have easily painted murals but instead, they make beautifully themed balloons!

Spring!

Winter!

TREASURE!

We struck GOLD!!!!​

Mission Space is 9:50-10:50
Can't read the time on Test Track but it was in between the two...
Soarin' is 10:40-11:40

And we had them all at one time! (Yes, we did it. I know. But as of this week, we can never do it again anyway!)

We went to get breakfast at Sunshine Seasons. Mama had the kids French Toast meal.

A tasty breakfast that hit the spot.​

I had the Croissant Berry Pudding.

This pudding is like the yumminess of heaven. The berries were juicy with just the right amount of tart. Can I have some right now???

She let me have 1 bite. Just one. It was very tasty. It is on my list for next trip!​

Mission Space was first. I was the commander and Mama was the engineer. I felt the G-forces a lot more than usual. I really enjoy this ride!

Next was Test Track!

We had lots of fun designing our car! We decided to go for speed and power. Who cares about "going green"???

Isn't it pretty?

It appears that we did go green --- for the color that is! We wanted it to be fast!​

The ride was good but the card didn't scan properly. We weren't able to "track our progress" throughout the ride. But we were able to see our scores on the big scoreboard at the end of the ride, so that was fun.
We didn't bother getting our Test Track picture because Mama put her hands in front of her face! (In hindsight, that may have been a fun addition to this trip report...

Then we took the big trek back across Future World to Soarin'. We got in line at 10:55.

The decor always reminds me of Tinker Toys. Perhaps that is because the original concept was designed with a set of Tinker Toys. ANYTHING can give you inspiration!​

We still waited 25 minutes in the fastpass line. Although stand-by moved to 2 hours while we were in the line, so it was still better. Why on earth would anyone get in that line???

It smells so good on that ride!!! I love the water smell. And the orange groves!

We always suggest the middle of the top row. It is a much better flight!

B1 ROCKS!​

We were out of the ride at 11:30. We left The Land via the backstage exit, which was kind of strange, but neat. It was super sly, so that by the time we were out, we didn't quite realize it! They open it sometimes when there is a high volume in the area.

We had a Via Napoli reservation to get to and we were late. We were worried about it at the time, but in hindsight, we shouldn't have worried. It wasn't that busy.

We looked for the boat, but it was taking forever to leave the other dock, so we decided to walk.

It was such a beautiful day for a stroll around the world!

We got to Via Napoli at 11:50 and we were seated fairly quickly.

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[Happy Duck]

Via Napoli

Very colorful.

This is in the entranceway of the restaurant. Pretty cool looking. And then there were some interesting tiles on the floor.​

My view from our table looking to the right.​

And to the left.... Just like we were in Italy!​

Not gonna lie. Best part of this restaurant was definitely not on the menu. Marco the water guy. Leaving it at that. (I didn't get a picture though. I'm not that bold...)

Good thing I really like water

Good thing she was thirsty and Marco was VERY good at his job!​

Mama doesn't like water enough, so she had this for some reason.

Yes, I do like water. However; when in Italy one should drink as the Italians do! It was pretty tasty and refreshing. Acqua Fresca I believe?​

Quattro Formaggi!

The epicenter.

The service was very slow, but the pizza was very good. We split the pizza, no apps, no dessert.

Thin cheesy pizza with a nice crust. Yup. Nuff said.​

Then we checked out the rest of Italy!

Disney Details -- these stairs don't lead you anywhere,but they make you feel as if you are in a small Italian village.​

My favorite part of Italy is the architecture. It is so encompassing and completely believable. I love walking around. Even did a little dancing. You only live once!

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[DisneyJo]

It sounds as though you had a great tour, I love learning about all the tiny details in the parks

I can't believe they wouldn't give you your magic bands, especially as you'd gone all that way, and to show you them too

You guys certainly had fun with Coral And naughty girls with all your FP's, I would never do that

 

[Mom2m&k]

I just spent my Sunday afternoon reading your whole report...so much fun! You two look like you are having a great time! Can't wait to read more!

 

[wiigirl]

Great pics!

 

[Happy Duck]

It sounds as though you had a great tour, I love learning about all the tiny details in the parks

I can't believe they wouldn't give you your magic bands, especially as you'd gone all that way, and to show you them too

You guys certainly had fun with Coral And naughty girls with all your FP's, I would never do that

Now if we could only remember all of those tiny details...

It was so not fair!

No.... you'd never do that! Hahaha!

I just spent my Sunday afternoon reading your whole report...so much fun! You two look like you are having a great time! Can't wait to read more!

Welcome to the crazy!!! Glad you enjoyed it so far

Great pics!

Thanks! We tried to get artsy pizza pics, haha!

 

[Happy Duck]

Hey, before you check out this awesome update....prance on over to my youtube playlist video update---- It's Exhilarating in the Big Blue World! I just updated it with my fourth video of my Sister Trip! It's Epcot day! If you weren't watching them before, what were you waiting for? And if you haven't read about that awesome sisters-only adventure before, the link is in my signature!

PS. I think it's the best video yet. They say you only get better the more you keep doing!


Now....where were we?

THE WORLD

Hello America!

We walked in just in time for the Voices of Liberty. This was the first time seeing this choral group and it is now close to a "must-do". They are wonderful!

They were so wonderful to watch. Just sitting there on the floor and listening to them perform was pure pleasure. I was sad when they were finished and was hoping for more!​

They sang a variety of American folk songs, some traditional and some "reinvented". I particularly liked their version of Old MacDonald!

Awesome face!

I think theme parks often get a bad reputation for having overworked, overtired performers. And to some extent, that may be true. But it takes a great deal of talent to begin with to have the ability to even come close to the incredible sound that we heard. They have to take such care of their voices and sing with impeccable technique to maintain that schedule. To produce such a sound and still have great showmanship, it is truly a respectable position and not just a "theme park gig". Wonderful artistry!

Looks like they got the Official Seal of the Music Teacher!​

On with our spin around the globe!

Or more specifically, Japan.

We've seen the drummers before. Such power!

We saw the gallery first. It was very interesting to see the comparison of the old and the new. They compare the "old" version of gods to the modern day anime creations. It is interesting to see how the past influences the present.

I had never taken the time to really look at everything before so this was most enjoyable -- and the air conditioning was most enjoyable too!​

My sister did not know this place existed but she is so excited to visit it on our next trip. She says (today anyway) that out of everything, she is most looking forward to visiting Japan at Epcot. How's that for a 14 year old?

Of course, no visit to Japan is complete without Mitsukoshi!!! (the pinnacle of all department stores!) Today was special because I really wanted to do Pick-A-Pearl!

First, I looked around the store. I found dried crabs and dried fish. Ewwww. Stayed away from those....

I have always loved the Kimono hanging in this store and I was so tempted to try one on. Knowing that it was highly unlikely that I would buy one; I did not want to bother the employees.​

We got rice cakes and pocky to bring home to the family. (Cookie sticks covered with chocolate. Yummy!) Mama got little jello "cups". They looked interesting, but they ended up sticking around our house for awhile. I don't think we were fans.

Not really sure what those little orange cups were. The containers reminded me of a plastic bubble container from a candy machine. The stuff inside was a slurpy jelly consistency. It wasn't what I thought it was gonna be.... Oh well!
And then some time after we were home I found Pocky at our local Target! (but I try to forget about that)​

It was time to pick my pearl! Once I figured out where to go, I got my receipt and my number. Yay!

If no one else was picking a pearl, what was everyone else just standing around for???

Apparently, getting ready for the show!

Here we go!

I picked one that "spoke" to me....

In other words --- you picked the ugliest looking thing in the tank. I think it was even a little furry! icky!​

Then I had to count to 3 in Japanese...which was awesome! I can't remember anything right now except for something that sounds like "itchy"!

I did it!

I wonder how many times a day that these ladies perform this ceremony? They are all very gracious and smiling. It takes a special person to be that way for such extended periods of time.​

Time to drum!

Awwww....I don't have a picture right now of the finished product but it is a 7.5mm pearl! It is a very light pink color. She said it was impressive!

I had purchased a cage ahead of time on Ebay for something like 6 dollars but hadn't found a chain. They didn't have one to purchase that fit the clasp. Note to self- remember to find a chain!!!

We couldn't leave Japan without getting a very yummy snack: Kaki Gori! I love this stuff. We both got rainbow with sweet milk.

If I recall correctly, the flavors are tangerine, melon and cherry. Such yumminess in a cup! Back in 2012 when the "3 kids" and I had been here, my son was taking his first few bites of his icy treat when he dropped it on the ground. Splat! I offered to get him another, but he was too sad. It could never be replaced. (tear drops....)​

This was the first time I've had it in a larger cup, and it was so much better. It used to be so easy to spill in the smaller cup. The larger cup was very easy to carry.

So we decided to carry our Japanese treat over to Morocco! I always admire the beautiful shirts they sell there, but I can never justify the cost. I guess I could wear it to work, but it's just not typical "me", you know? It wouldn't be a typical "Disney" souvenir and I could wear it blameless at work....hmm.....look at me. Convincing myself to buy things.

Moving on.

We sat in the little fountain area in the shade and had our treat. Tip: Always investigate a shady spot, especially in World Showcase. I always see people sitting out in the hot sun. I've even been guilty of it! When you need to take a rest for 10-15 minutes, spend the extra 2-3 minutes walking in to the country and you'll probably find a nice shady spot to take your rest instead of out on the hot walkway.

The art work and details are really quite stunning. It is so easy to just glance at it while walking by. Take a few moments and enjoy the cultures surrounding you; I promise you won't be disappointed!​

Happy faces!

(in the interest of full disclosure, I sabotaged 2 pictures before this with sad faces before succumbing to the true happy face....Mama was not pleased with me....haha....always a child!)

How could I not be pleased by that beautiful smile?!??!?!​

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[Happy Duck]

The rest of the world...

We continued to explore Morocco...

So amazing to feel as if you are actually walking through a market in Morocco. I think this is the closest I am ever gonna get so I am so glad Disney does it right!​

Beautiful!

As we were leaving Morocco, we came upon everyone's favorite waiter in France!

We made it a point to watch the different acts in the World Showcase to enjoy this "less appreciated" part of Epcot. I know in past visits we go from place to place and try to get to the rides that we forget to kick back and relax. (Hmmmm.... could this be a new way for me to do Disney? ......... nahhhhhhh)​

We got a picture in front of all of France!

Gotta keep doing these fun style pictures. So much more interesting to look at!​

If anyone cares, it was 3:23pm at this point.

I stopped to make a very important phone call....on my cell.

"If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and try again."​

I decided to be different.

Mama likes to use the provided phones....

What? Cinderella wants me to stay overnight in the Castle?!?!?!?!?!?​

I was so sad to find that you can't call into these phones any more. I stumbled upon an awesome Epcot secret just in time for it to disappear

One night after dinner my son called the phone booths and talked to a young woman who seemed very unsure about the stranger talking to her. It was so much fun! Another time Lauren talked to a young princess and I am sure it just made her day! (and the young princess enjoyed it too!)​

We stopped in to ride Spaceship Earth. I almost fell asleep!!!

I'm a 100% okay!

Ummm..... that's debatable.​

We are very healthy people.....haha.

As we were walking out, this photopass photographer was high five-ing people. Because we can never make things simple...

Try #1: I missed the back hand high five.
Try #2: We did it right, but Mama missed the picture.
Try #3: We did it slow motion.

S l o w M o t i o n

But did it work on the 3rd try? I'll never tell....​

We walked up to the Port Orleans bus just as it was about to leave but we made it on. I love it when we are just that punctual!

We stopped in at package pick-up and got a rice krispie treat to share for a snack. There's just something about a simple rice krispie treat with a chocolate drizzle. Yummmmmmm.

"We stopped in at package pick-up and got a rice krispie treat to share for a snack" Package pick up had a RK treat for us? I didn't know we ordered that! ***giggles***​

We put Friends on the TV and both fell asleep by 5:00 and slept for two hours!

Don't judge!​

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[Happy Duck]

Downtown Disney!

We woke up from our little nap, feeling very refreshed, and got ready for an evening of Downtown fun! We took the boat over to Downtown Disney, which is a very nice mode of transportation.

As always, safety first. These are the cutest safety instructions ever!

It is so nice to see that Mickey cares about our safety -- Thanks Mickey!​

We went to Wolfgang Puck Express for dinner. It was the first time we had ever been there and it was super convenient. You pay at the register, get a number, find a seat, and they bring your meal to you. Very easy!

We split the Chicken Aioli sandwich, side of sweet potato fries, and kids macaroni and cheese. It was very delicious and very reasonably priced! Mmmmmmmmmmm......so good.

Probably could have just gotten a dish of mac and cheese --- it was THAT good!​

Pretty twinkle lights!

Yup, this was the life. Having dinner on the patio as the Fairy Lights twinkle in the trees. Le sigh....​

We explored Mickey's Pantry. That store is dangerous! I want everything! They had this huge wall of SALT. Like, crazy kinds of salt that you are supposed to put in different baked goods, on different types of food, and other things that are supposed to enhance flavors. You could sample them. I actually thought the chocolate salt would be neat to put into a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Alas, we didn't purchase any salt.

We started off getting a little of this and a little of that and then we realized how much it was going to cost. Also, the idea that we could come back for it another day if we REALLY wanted it! A truly scrumptious store!​

Christmas store!

The Christmas store was where I had my first EVER (unexpected) Dis Meet! Disneyfreak095 was at Downtown Disney, in the Christmas store, and said "Hello"! It was great meeting you and getting to talk a little bit about our trips! I am so bummed right now that I didn't get a picture

I think we were stunned to be recognized -- at least I know that I was! It was very nice to meet you and perhaps we will meet again someday!​

Mama got 2 ornaments (a fancy red one and a fancy green one) and I got a box ornament set with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy. Unfortunately, not all of the ornaments in my set made the trip home

Saw this outside...

I agree!

Lefties Unite! My poor hubby wanted to teach his kids his passion for pitching baseballs. Much to his dismay; the kids and I are ALL LEFTIES!​

Went over to Tren-D, where I found a very cute dress. It remained a cute dress through one washing. The dryer at POFQ was not "gentle"....case in point, the dress is now a shirt. A cute one. But a shirt.

Went to Basin. The scrub was awesome! One of my "not buying" regrets. Won't make that mistake again! I just bought a "sugar scrub" at Bath and Body Works but it is NOTHING like the one at Basin. Don't be fooled! The one from BaBW is all syrupy and full of liquid. The ones at Basin are mostly sugar and solid. Like an actual scrub. Go figure.

Well....no trip to Downtown Disney can be complete without a trip for dessert to this lovely place...

Any place that prominently displays chocolate in so many ways is #1 in my book. (and tummy)​

We split this amazing, delicious, I-can't-remember-what-it-is-called-but-does-it-really-matter-sundae.

We went over to World of Disney to explore what they have to offer.

We made our selections: pasta, a headband, and some socks!

Seriously? That's it? I wonder if we will ever redeem ourselves? Stay tuned and find out!​

We stayed through closing and then made the walk back to the boat dock.

Rainforest Cafe Volcano!

Just walking down the sidewalk and see a volcano "spewing lava". Yup. Must be Disney!​

We've never eaten here, but it was scheduled to close down the next day So long, Cap'n Jack!

Getting in line for the boat....

View from afar...

We got in line for the boat at 11:15 and we were home at midnight. I finished the update at 1am and went to bed. Good night!

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[DisneyJo]

You always update too much that I forget what I want to reply

Your food today looked very yummy, especially the sundae!

We went to Morocco last year and I can definitely say Epcot hasn't done it right, they need lots of men trying to sell you stuff, trying to wrap snakes round your neck and plonking Monkey's on your head

 

[Happy Duck]

You always update too much that I forget what I want to reply

Your food today looked very yummy, especially the sundae!

We went to Morocco last year and I can definitely say Epcot hasn't done it right, they need lots of men trying to sell you stuff, trying to wrap snakes round your neck and plonking Monkey's on your head

That sundae was soooooooo good. That ice cream is so good just by itself though. I never thought I'd say it, but a single scoop of that ice cream is perfectly rich enough all on its on!

That is crazy about Morocco! I'm glad they left those little details out! Did you ever have a snake around your neck?????? And why on earth do they try and put monkeys on your head??????

 

[Happy Duck]

I AM A TOY!!!

It is a beautiful morning!!! I woke up at 7am with a spring in my step! All because it is TOY STORY MANIA DAY!

We stopped in at Sassy's for a bagel and grapes to share for breakfast. The Hollywood Studios bus pulled right up for us. How thoughtful!

Just a bit of pixie dust giving us an idea of great things to come!​

Once we were through the readers, Mama handed me the passes and I *walked quickly with purpose* to Pixar Place

(a.k.a. lightly jogging with purpose as much as possible until a CM tells her to slow down)​

First I pulled 3 FP- for each of us (6 passes total) which were for 10-11am.

Of course, we hopped in the stand-by line! We were in the queue at 8:40am with a wait time listed at 15 minutes.

Get ready for some queue pics!

Andy is so talented! And his Mom provided him with such awesome toys!​

I may be a little obsessed with this ride...

Whatever do you mean? Just because it is your most talked-about ride and there are a whole lot of Toy Story Pix......​

We're toys!

That's one way to feel tiny..... becoming toys in Andy's room is great fun!​

The wait time was accurate. We forgot to make it known that we were a party of 2, so we did not get to go through the "special gate" and bypass the last leg of stairs (and a few minutes of waiting.)

En ride...

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!​

Lauren 1 Mama 0

No need to keep count..... But then again this Duck has a bit of a competitive streak.​

Not bad for my first round!

Post round pics...

Riding backwards through the rest of Andy's room.​

A good selection of games is essential!​

It's my victory tour!

We were out of the ride at 9:03.

The victor and her sidekick headed across the street to meet some toys. It was a very Toy Story morning. Basically the best morning EVER!

"The victor and her sidekick"? Not so sure about that. Does that make the Duck a Superhero? What would Super Duck's power be? And what exactly would be the name of the sidekick? Quacker Girl?!?!?!?!?!?​

While we waited, I had a very important photo shoot!

Isn't it beautiful???

Looking across the way. It is 9:09 am. This is 6 minutes after we left the ride. They say the wait time is up to 75 minutes. Definitely over inflated, but it is probably about 30-40 minutes.

We were waiting before the meet time even started, so we were waiting outside of the building. We saw Rex through the window!

He's so close we can reach out and touch him!​

DENIED.

Awww man! SO CLOSE!​

Look for some awesome photos in the next installment

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[Happy Duck]

Rootin' Photo Shootin'

Oh great.... a map. The GPS (Genie Positioning System) can be our best friend and now we get to follow a paper map? Well; let's give it our best shot, shall we?​

Have a great trip Lauren!​

Just waiting around for the pilot.....​

Wait a minute; wait a minute....... They're gonna let HER drive this thing!?!?!?!?!?​

OOPS! GUESS NOT! The Duck is being taken awaaayyyyyyy!​

And I am next! Uh-oh!​

Somebody must not like me if they are strapping me to a rocket!​

It appears I'm not the only one! Wherever could they be sending us?​

SAVE YOURSELVES!

HELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!​

Now, Mama. I sacrificed myself to save you from the evil Zurg. You couldn't do the decent thing and run away??? You had to go back for more?

Stinky Pete is a very appropriate name. No more beans for him!​

A fun game for a Cowboy Party!​

Must be getting closer to Woody. I see his sheriff office ahead.​

Can Ducks teach at Cowboy School?​

It's our turn!!! It's our turn!!!

Big hugs for my favorite Sheriff!

Well she got a great big hug! Let's see what Woody thinks of me?​

Apparently, not Mama's favorite sheriff!

I'm thinking we must have gotten off on the wrong foot.....​

The whole gang! Such a bunch of toys.

But all is well between us before we go!​

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[Happy Duck]

Marathoning at TSM

After saying good-bye to our new friends, and in Mama's case, maybe her jailer, we decided to head over to Starring Rolls for breakfast #2!

And no. I don't mean for a nice piece of fruit. There is only one reason someone goes to Starring Rolls.

This little beauty.

And...cue angels.

The Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcake. It's moist. It's sweet. It's decadent. And sooooooo not breakfast. Except in Disney!!!!

Mama got some milk (so cute!) and I got water (surprise!)

We split the cupcake and continued on our merry way!

Or not so merry! Hahaha!

We stopped for a "terror" of a photoshoot.

Then we got ready for our TOY STORY MANIA MARATHON!

Marathon Ride #1

Now, this is something you don't see every day. Truth. Use your judgement. Don't automatically believe the posted wait times. This is a 1/2 empty queue.

This is Buzz taking care of business.

We rode with the aliens!

Lauren 2 Mama 0

Victorious again!

I love this book! I say this phrase all of the time at home. No one has any idea what I'm talking about.

Then again, most often, no one has any idea what I'm talking about anyway.

I think we zipped so fast back through the line, we didn't take any pictures!

Marathon Ride #2

Lauren 3 Mama 0

Still victorious! (Do you sense a pattern?)

Plus, I've improved my score each time since the morning. Definitely a good thing!

And we are back again for MARATHON RIDE #3 in a ROW (#4 for the DAY!)

Get ready for the best score of the day!

(mental drum roll please........)

That's right! 193,500!!! I still haven't hit 200,000 but I got pretty darn close!

(And it is now Lauren 4 Mama 0)

Look who's the best in vehicle!!!

Oh, thank you, thank you. No applause is necessary. I would like to thank my legs for always supporting me. And my hands for always being at my side.

Ooo--eeeee---oooo---aahhh---ahhhh! Monkeys!

And of course, Mr. Spell. I think he was actually spelling things, but we didn't get a picture. I feel like that would be an easy "interactive" toy. You could have a control booth set up on an upper floor across from it and someone could just type in responses for Mr. Spell to say. "Nice Toy Story t-shirt."....stuff like that.

So we had finished our marathon Toy Story Mania morning. We rode a total for 4 times. 1 time stand-by and 3 times with FP-. Our FP- rotation started at 10:03 and ended at 10:40. We used the 2 person gate each time. I know not everyone agrees with what we did, but for a once in a lifetime moment, it was amazing. And quite a memory, especially now that it will never be an option again.

So, the park has officially been open for 2 hours. We've done 4x TSM, met Woody and Buzz, and had a cupcake. What's next?

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[Happy Duck]

A Hollywood Day!

Ahhh, my favorite luxury hotel. With a drop.

Hollywood Studios has some of the best "streetmosphere" around.

Another place to sit back and relax and enjoy the sidewalk entertainment!​

Just look at these dapper dudes!

And the vehicles are quite fun to look at as well.​

Love these ladies!

Want a blue sky above your restaurant? Just paint one on!

So I wonder what building that is that got spiffed up for our viewing pleasure?​

Found this picture in a coloring book along the way!

We pulled a FP- for Rock n' Roller coaster for after our lunch ADR.
Unfortunately, Tower of Terror times conflicted with lunch time.

RNR AFTER lunch? Were we a bit nuts? Well...... yeah, what else is new?!?!?!?​

We didn't really have anywhere to be. Great Movie Ride waits had gone up to 35 minutes (we weren't waiting) and the next available animation class didn't start until 11:30. No good.

We decided to walk towards lunch. Got in a short line for Chip and Dale. All of the sudden, they did a character switch-eroo on us! We were meeting Goofy instead!

Very snazzy.

Goofy put on his best duds just so he could pose with us! (Right??)​

I love Hollywood!

You must REALLY love Hollywood........ and alot more than those 3 strolling along like there not in one of THE BEST places EVER!​

We went to check-in at our lunch destination!

I was so excited for this lunch! We skipped it on a previous trip, and then food pictures haunted me ever after.

We checked in 10 minutes early, but waited 20 minutes.

We had car hop Tyler. He was very efficient!

We were hitchhikers.

Not the ghostly variety..... just tagged along on this couples dinner date...​

I thought it would bother me, but it didn't. You can't hear their conversations and it's not like they're close enough to lean back into your food or anything.

Verwy verwy true​

As with most things, the pictures don't do it justice!

High quality films are shown here!

Hidden Mickey!

We split some onion rings. Yum!

These onion rings are super special. The breading doesn't come off! Normally, I'll end up with a long string of onion to eat because the flaky breading has crumbled off. This breading stayed completely attached to the onion. It was amazing!

I asked Tyler what the milkshake special was...it was the s'more shake. Eh....I decided to stick with semi-traditional. Got a chocolate and vanilla split milkshake. Literally! Vanilla on the bottom and chocolate on the top. Best of both worlds! They were so thick that they didn't mix!

Why on earth did I not get a milkshake?!?!?!??! Must've been needing a break from goodie overload....​

For my meal, I decided on the spinach and artichoke dip and fried pickles. Apparently I was in appetizer heaven.

All VERY GOOD! The spinach and artichoke dip was definitely not the Applebees variety. Much creamier. Probably worse for you. The pickle chips were okay, but the spears were AWESOME! I've never had the spears themselves fried before and I love them so much more!

Mama got the vegetable burger with a side of cucumber salad.

According to my trip report, Mama says that "Sometimes you just need vegetables."

Yup; so that explains the lack of milkshake. I remember REALLY enjoying that veggie burger. A super fresh meal was just what the doctor ordered.​

Two troublemakers. Cuz that's how we roll.

Who you calling a troublemaker? Don't you see the halo above my head? LOL​

We left lunch, $49 poorer. It wasn't terrible considering. 1 milkshake, 3 apps, 1 entree.

We went to the 1:00 Beauty and the Beast show. It was wonderful! I LOVE IT! There are just some things that are classic Disney and that is one of them. You could say it's a tale as old as time or something like that...

A Broadway musical in the middle of an "amusement park" --- only Disney!​

We went over to RnR to use our fastpass. The stand-by time was listed as 2 hours. That was completely in accurate based on how many people were in line. It was more like 30 minutes. Anyway, we had fastpasses. We requested the front row, which is always worth it!

We planned a pose....which I apparently did not execute correctly.

I'm not exactly rockin' the look either!​

Still working on keeping my eyes open during liftoff...

But I love the face of the kid in the background!

We gifted 2 other FP- for RnR to another pair of people. It was surprisingly difficult to pick out 2 people touring together!

We headed out of the park and we were back at the resort at 2:15. Pool time and a nap ahead!

Nap? but there's no sleeping in Disney?!?!?!!?​

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[DisneyJo]

That is crazy about Morocco! I'm glad they left those little details out! Did you ever have a snake around your neck?????? And why on earth do they try and put monkeys on your head??????

To get money out of you it was quite scary, my girls didn't like it all and we had a guide. I would have hated it even more on our own!

OMG I can't believe how many times you rode TSM was your arm not killing you?

My youngest loves Sci Fi so we have to go every trip, I think it's the milkshakes she likes best

 

[Happy Duck]

OMG I can't believe how many times you rode TSM was your arm not killing you?

My youngest loves Sci Fi so we have to go every trip, I think it's the milkshakes she likes best

Confessions. It was a little sore by the end..... That last bonus round nearly did me in!

Hey, I'll never say no to a good milkshake. Kid's got it right! It was hilarious actually. When I asked for a chocolate/vanilla shake, I was thinking of McDonalds where they mix the two so you have a "swirl" shake. But I loved their version even more!!!

 

[Happy Duck]

The Princesses at the pool, in the rain, and at their Kingdom.

Back home at French Quarter! We were welcomed by this colorful fellow:

He obliged us with a picture. I'm sure he gets that a lot. But hey, you can't expect to wear that hat and not cause some ruckus!

He must really enjoy his job. Each time we would enter/exit the lobby (and he happened to be there) there was always a smile and a genuine "Have a nice day!". He also would be carrying on conversations with different guests. Not bad way to spend a work day!​

We got changed and went to the pool. But not without stopping for some drinks first!

As I've said before, I usually don't drink. This is a Banana Cabana (Cruzan Mango Rum, Coruba Coconut Rum, Crème de Banana, and Orange and Pineapple Juice with a splash of Grenadine) I enjoyed it!

Not a bad view! Hello Mr. Dragon/Lizard slide.

So was that supposed to be Zeus or Triton riding the Sea Serpent? I would like to think Triton since he is Ariel's father. But then again, this is a French Quarter and I wonder if there is some special kind of mythological type thingy to go with it......​

Mama's choice of drink. A Citrus Infusion (Skyy Infusions Citrus Vodka, Midori, Orange Juice, Mint, Agave Nectar, and fresh Lemon Juice)

I wouldn't normally go with something with mint but the ingredients looked like they would be very tasty together. And it was! And I must say that this was the first time I have ever sat poolside with an adult beverage. We don't drink much at all so this was a definite treat. Sittin in the lap of luxury, chillin by the pool with a cool frosty beverage.​

I tried hers, but I liked my Banana Cabana more. Apparently, I like rum.

Also evidenced by your beverage of choice at Ohana; the Lapu Lapu rum drink in the pineapple.....​

We enjoyed our drinks lounging in the shade by the pool. I believe I bragged on facebook. (Who wouldn't?)

This is why I highly recommend midday breaks. While we were lounging by the pool, others were back at the parks, at the busiest part of the day, waiting in 45-60 minute lines. We had already enjoyed park time, and now we were enjoying another part of vacation!

After lounging, we floated in the water for awhile. Very relaxing!

Ahhhhhhhh! Cooling off in the pool so we could be all refreshed for the evening's activities. Gotta love an afternoon break.​

The lifeguards were doing some sort of training for new recruits. A trainer would sink a flat thing on the bottom of the pool and see how fast the trainees could spot it. They were also showing the trainees how to scan for issues in the water. Seems like they use their hand to trace a pattern in the air for their eyes to follow. Actually, the more we thought about it, we had been seeing a lot of training around Disney. Must have been an influx of new cast members!

After sufficiently cooling off in the pool, we decided to get changed for the evening. Time to go back to Magic Kingdom!!!

At least.....we tried!

It started POURING!

We had our tiaras on.

We had our dresses on.

We were ready in full princess wear.

We opened the door, ready to return to our kingdom.

And then it started to rain! Back into the room we went

Look at this sad sight!

Just sat there and reminded myself that Fla. is infamous for these quick little showers. It would be over soon. right?!!?!?!??!​

She just wants to go to her kingdom and reign like the princess she is!


We called Dad and asked him to look at the weather radar to see when the rain was going to let up. We had things to do!!! He said we'd be in the clear in about 30 minutes.

My ensemble for the evening!

Yes, wearing a fun dress, but if you really look at the colors, it was inspired by everyone's favorite duck! Do you like the tiara-headband? It's hard to tell from the picture, but it is very sparkly!

Princess Mommy!

We couldn't bear to wait any more, so we left while it was still raining. It stopped raining not long after we got to the bus stop though! AND a Magic Kingdom bus pulled right up!

Pretty Princesses in front of the castle!

Tee hee hee --- just noticed a little Mickey between our heads. Photo bomb!​

We walked through Adventureland to Frontierland, just enjoying the atmosphere and noticing all of the little touches from the Keys to the Kingdom tour. I love being able to just walk around and enjoy the park!

Since we weren't in a rush, we decided to see some lesser-trafficked attractions. We stopped to see the Country Bear Jamboree. It was okay, but I'm not in a rush to see it again.

the last time I saw that was when I was when we brought the kids when they were little. I appreciated it more this time because i didn't have to worry about any children. It wasn't anything for my must see list but it was cute.​

Up into Liberty Square. I loved the Hall of Presidents! The animatronics were almost a little too realistic...a little creepy. Morgan Freeman's voice is always very relaxing. I can see why people take naps in there. But make sure you actually watch it all the way through once!

Philharmagic was amazing as always. LOVE! But there needs to be a Philharmagic tee that I can buy. Something that I can purchase that can mark my appreciation for it. Please?

i wonder if they have ever had souvenirs specifically for Philharmagic? The shop seemed to focus on everything but.....​

We left Magic Kingdom and went down to the boat docks. And waited almost 30 minutes for a boat to the Grand Floridian. That was our longest wait all day! It was a little crazy. I was not amused.

I thought it would be fun to take a "quick trip across the lagoon". Guess I was wrong. the monorail is our transportation of choice!​

Why were we going to the Grand Floridian? Dressed in our princess best??? Can you guess???

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[Happy Duck]

Say....cheese?

The Princesses were dining at 1900 Park Fare this evening!

I was really looking forward to this experience with Cinderella and her family. I wasn't sure who I wanted to see the most --- Prince Charming or those nasty females in her life!​

All I can say for the Grand Floridian is, WOW. The pictures do NOT do that lobby justice. I can't say that I would pay thousands and thousands of dollars to stay in the main building, but it is certainly nice to visit!

We checked into the restaurant and settled in to wait. You are allowed to wander around the lobby with your pager. Not a bad "waiting" room.

The band came out to play, which was wonderful! Made us feel so classy!

A talented group and they played such great music --- all Disney of course!​

We took a look around...

So what's with the giant bird cage? It goes with the decor but it is a bit different.​

Just living it up over here at the Grand.

Now THAT'S a chandelier.

We had fun taking pictures, exploring the lobby, and generally feeling fancy. We also saw quite a few interesting families. One had Mom and Dad generally ignoring the kids, who were playing with their tech and the pager. Kids didn't notice that flashing lights and buzzing meant that it was time to go eat. Parents didn't look up from their own screens for another 5-10 minutes before they noticed it was time to go.

I think this is one reason I don't want a smart phone. Knowing me I would have my face stuck on the screen all the time.​

We ended up waiting for 25 minutes. A little longer than I would've liked, but it was an easy wait, especially considering the surroundings.

We took the most pointless pre-meal picture ever (in front of a wall mural of a castle) and went to dinner. I won't even bore you with the picture.

Not a very good mural in my opinion. They should have Gus Gus and Jaq there for pictures instead!​

Our waitress was the worst one we had all trip. She was actually almost rude at times. I think she was half trying to be that sarcastic, funny type of person but it didn't come off well with us. You at least have to do your job well. Then you can try and be funny. More later.

The picture and the waitress really put a bad taste in my mouth. Luckily there would be some delicious food to change that!​

Now, on with the food! I enjoyed it! I really liked the strawberry soup and the meat was well done. The potstickers had great flavor also.

My plate...

I'm pretty sure I went back for some more soup, potstickers, and I tried some different salad type things. Maybe some tortellini. I wanted to try the different flavors that they had.

Mama's plate...

I like to try the unusual foods when I go to buffets. The watermelon was part of a yummy salad and the rice sorta stuff in the middle was so good I got some more!​

I did notice the wider variety of flavors at this buffet. There seemed to be more "worldly" flavors instead of the typical buffet type foods. Not all of them seemed to complement each other on the plate though. A little strange.

Me and my "almost" Prince Charming!

Prince Charming suggested that I lose a slipper to find my own Prince Charming. I may just have to try that out! We checked to make sure I had the right shoes. Haha!

Mama has a Prince already, but she got a picture anyway!

Two Princesses!

This one is NOT a Princess.

She thinks she is "all that" but we had our own thoughts on the matter​

We...uh....critiqued her parenting style. She didn't agree with our assessment.

Say....cheese?

LOL!!!!!!! Love her "smile". And Lady Tremaine's is funny too! (LOL)​

We also told Anastasia that she didn't have the greatest singing voice. She didn't particularly like that either.

She kept telling us that her Mother tells her she's wonderful. Of course!

Lauren is a music teacher and she offered her some lessons. For some reason she thought her mother was the better instructor. I hated to tell her that it just wasn't true. But she didn't want to listen.....​

I know what you're thinking. Anastasia takes beautiful pictures!

(Actually, these are much better than I've seen in a long time!)

Drizella was a piece of work.

We had a lot of fun and a LOT of laughs with these two. They definitely don't win daughters of the year award! I think we took up a little more than our share of time, but at least we put on a bit of a show for everyone else around our table!

Lady Tremaine thought she was the winner of the Mother of the Year award. We told her that it just wasn't true. And once again we were told we were wrong. I'm sensing a pattern here.....​

I think people get a little bored with the "chit chat, picture, move on" routine. It's nice to see a little improv in the middle of dinner. I'm happy to oblige!

The Tremaines spent more time with us but I think they enjoyed it as well. And the other guests were enjoying the "show" so it just made the whole thing very fun!​

DESSERT TIME!

I brought back a plate for us to sample together.

And some of this yummy goodness!

We ended up paying out of pocket for this meal instead of using Tables in Wonderland. Normally, Tables in Wonderland takes 20% off of the total of the meal but adds back on a mandatory 18% tip (so essentially, you save the tip.) This way, you can't save both off the bill and then stiff your waiter. But this time, we were definitely not leaving 18% on this huge bill for a buffet for this waitress. We still gave her something, but definitely not 18%.

Let's run down the issues. First of all, it took a few tries to get adequate silverware for the table. And some basic water. Plus, she was curt and dismissive of us. And then she tried to bring us the check half way through the meal and way before we were finished. And this was all on a simple buffet meal! I know it doesn't sound like much, but really, the job of a waitress of a buffet meal really isn't that involved. Drinks, basic needs, and the check. And all of those had problems!

Ummm..... yup. What she said.​

We paid, left, and made our way to the monorail.

We stopped along the way to take pictures of the iconic floor!

We sat next to the cutest kid on the monorail. He was learning so many new words! So adorable!

Once we got back to Magic Kingdom, via the Monorail, we made our way to the French Quarter bus stop. We were on the bus at 10pm. I was so happy that we were back at MK before the post-Wishes rush to the buses. Made it much easier. We were home at 10:08. Yes!

We stopped at package pick-up and went to bed. We were asleep by midnight!

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