What? We’re getting to go AGAIN!?!? - New Years dancing at Disney and Universal...

[cinderaimee]

That is the strangest looking ice cream

And that pizza looks amazing!

 

[elaine amj]

That is the strangest looking ice cream

I know, right? Looks like a giant slab of butter!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

That is the strangest looking ice cream

And that pizza looks amazing!

I know, right? Looks like a giant slab of butter!

It's not very Disney like is it?!?!? LOL

When i was looking at pics after the trip I actually took a minute to figure out what that was a pic of because all i would see was a slab of butter! I finally figured it out though.

I wonder if that is how it is always served or if it was just easier some how for how busy it was that evening?

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We plan to be in Epcot for the next NYE so very interested to hear how things work out for you

It is definitely a busy night but if you go into it expecting that and go with the flow (and make sure you hit bathrooms when soon enough to wait...LOL) it is lots of fun!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We headed over to Japan next. We love it here too. Mitsukoshi was all rearranged again. The Pick a pearl had been moved and a lot of other things were changed. They seemed to have a lot less in the food section than usual which was disappointing...we usually love to look and buy Japanese candies and things. We ended up buying a multi-pack of fruity gummies and a few boxes of rice candy...usually we buy more but a lot was no longer there.

It was still warm and crowded but Illuminations was going to start soon so a lot of people were scouting out spots for that which thinned out some of the pavilions a bit. We decided we'd snack at Katsura Grill. The tables inside were all full but we were able to get a spot on the ledge along the side of the building.

Cary waited in line to order. The line was inside the building when he got in line and moved quiclky but soon after it was out down the sidewalk in front of us so while we were waiting and eating we got to watch all the drunk people tripping over a step in the dark.

We decided to get Shrimp and Chicken Teriyaki...served with Steamed Rice and Mix Garden Salad.

The three of them picked off of this...it was fresh and hot and a good amount of food. They would definitely order this again. The chicken is under the shrimp and it was very tender and had good flavor.

I had the Tonkotsu Ramen...served with Pork and Vegetables all to myself.

Well, Cary tasted it and Skye had a noodle but they were happy with the other dish so I got this one all to myself. It is a very large bowl of soup. It had good flavor. I actually could have done without the pork but it was ok. I did really like the ramen though. Tyler is a ramen nut (even has a sweat shirt and sweat pants to prove it) but he is a pre-packaged, just add hot water kind of ramen lover so he wanted no part of real ramen. I would order this again in a heartbeat!

It is really pretty up here and we had fun people watching while we are. The venue is really small but the service is quick and the food is good. We will most likely be back here when exploring the World Showcase and needing counter service. We were here at 6:43pm and our total was $27.69.

It was pretty crowded back here by the time we finished and were heading on.

So we hearded ourselves on. We kept seeing people with cool looking drinks...one of them was like a glowing ball...we were hoping to find out what the were and where they came from...

 

[tyandskyesmom]

SO we moved on to Morocco and no one felt like eating anything there except me even after I reminded Cary and Tyler they did both actually live the food we had last time. So we looked around, Skye did her kidcot thingy, and I took a picture of a light to prove we were actually there!

I love the Moroccan pavilion. It is so pretty and different. Skye usually likes to get a henna done but did not feel like doing it so early in our trip because water will help it fade faster and she know she would want it for when we got home too.

We also stopped into Spice Road Table and grabbed some party hats.

Next up was France. Which is where we found out the cool drinks in a glowing bowl were. BUT...the line had a 180 minute wait!!! Ya, no...I'm good! So we found a seat along the ledge by the center fountain and the kids ran to the bakery to see what to get. Apparently the line there was crazy long too....needless to say, they hit up LArtisan Des Glaces instead. It has a line to but nothing like the line at the bakery!

They ended up getting a Double Scoop...choice of Ice Cream or Sorbet in a Waffle Cone or Cup.

It was Mint chocolate chip but it was white??? And it did not taste good. We all tasted it and tried to like it but nope. Most of it went in the garbage. I question if it was even mint chocolate chip at all...it did not really taste like it.

They also grabbed a Macaron...Chocolate or seasonal Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich.

Which was much better! The red and green parts were chewy. I don't think we've ever had a macaron before so I don't know if they are supposed to be but it was good!

We have been here before and loved what we got so I am sure the mint chocolate chip was just a fluke and we will continue to return when we want to.

Our total here was $13.05.

Cary also went to La Mode Francaise and grabbed what is listed on the receipt as a "Krnenbrg, blnc, beer". I don't remember it and have no picture so I assume it was fine and he drank it. It cost $9.59.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

We always get the macaron's from France. Yes they are supposed to be slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and oh so delicious!

180 minute wait for a drink? That's just crazy!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

After our break in France, it was getting super crazy crowded in there! But we motored on to the UK. We looked around and decided the line at Yorkshire County Fish and Chips was too long.

We took some pictures around...and those hats ARE NOT one size fits all...we're a big head family so the only one they really fit was Cary.

We hung out a bit in the UK listening to the band playing familiar tunes (that are probably considered oldies now!) but i think that was all a video.

We strolled into Canada after that...looked around, did the kidcot...took some pictures. There's nothing notworthy to eat there so we didn't.

We crossed the center walkway heading to Mexico.

While Skye was getting her Kidcot done and getting her prize for finishing them all i took pictures and the boys went for food! That line was long too but they figured Mexican was worth it!

When we were done they were still in line but it was SO super crowded over there that Skye and I went to find a spot to eat. We ended up on the bridge into Future World by the bathrooms. We had a seat on the ground and texted where we were...

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Finally the boys found us. They said the guy who helped them was rude and either not able to hear or speak well...they were not sure which is was because it was a mad house over there!

We ended up with...

We ended up with two Empanadas con Queso ... served with Tortilla Chips, Nacho Cheese and choice of Lowfat Milk, Nestlé Nesquik® Chocolate Milk, Soda or small Dasani® Bottled Water. This is where the not hearing or understanding came in because they wanted one kids empanada and one adult one. Then got two kids. It was fine in the end...they're basically the same anyway. You get two cheese empanadas, chips, cheese, and apples and someone handed them the slaw that comes with the adult meal when they tried to tell them they wanted one adult meal. In the end we ended up with mostly what they wanted though so whatever! The kids love these empanadas. They can never seem to find just cheese ones around here.

We also got Tacos de Barbacoa ... Seasoned Beef, Homemade Corn Tortillas, Mexican Rice, Refried Black Beans and Red Salsa ... and it was as good as we remembered...if not a bit spicier that before! Cary even liked the beans and usually those are all mine!

We got a coke and a sprite with the kid's meals and Cary grabbed a "La Cantina" Clásica on the Rocks... which, of course, i have no picture of! The woman sitting next to us had one of the spicy margaritas that her husband got her and she did not want so she offered it to us...we took a sip each and were like, "No, nope...thank you though!"... I'm not a margarita drinker in the first place but it taster really strong to me. Cary drank it but it was not his favorite.

All in all, we love La Cantina de San Angel. Oddly enough, there is a lot of seating but in the evening people flock there to hold seats for Illuminations so we usually try to eat there early so we can actually sit to eat. Seating seems to be a constant running complaint of mine this time around...maybe that is part of why we love the deluxe dining plan so much...don't have to deal with that at a table service meal.

They checked out at 9:37pm and our cost was $56.71 and i am very sure we will be back!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

After eating we headed up towards Future World. It was rockin' up there! Lots of things happening all at the same time...very good party atmosphere!

There was a dance party at the fountain stage...

...that was playing a blend of music...

We stopped to hang out a bit...

 

[tyandskyesmom]

A really cool thing we did not know about until we walked up there...just in back of Spaceship Earth they were having a Silent Dance Party. It was so weird at first because we did not really know what was going on. But basically they were handing headphones out as people were let into the area (there was a line) and everyone was queued into the DJ who was playing dance music. When we were there watching it looked like line dance kind of music because it was silent but everyone was dancing the same dance...it was so weird to walk up upon not knowing what it was but so cool of a concept after you know what was going on. The kids wished we had known it was happening earlier because there was a line and they did not feel like waiting right now. But we did stand and watch for a bit. Unfortunately, I do not know how to link my video from my phone (and I did not get any pictures) so you're all just gonna have to take my work for how cool it was!

So we had decided we were not going to make midnight because we were tired but also because the thought of the buses after midnight was scary so we headed up that way...we did take out time though.

Skye has loved these lights since the first time she can remember being here (she started coming when she was 2 months old so obviously, she does not remember then!).

We played around with pictures in the front of the park...

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Of course, Skyler needed a photo shoot...

And Tyler tried to hold up the Earth...we didn't ever get it just right though...

Then Skyler made Tyler be her model..

Until, of course, she got tired of not being the subject and had to jump in again!

And once we had exhausted all picture options, we headed to a bus line that was pretty empty, a bus pulled up shortly after we arrived and we sat for a nice ride home just before midnight. So we did make it, awake, till midnight...just not at Epcot. There's always next year!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We arrived back to our room...

...and by the time we were all changed and ready to sleep it was 2019,,,HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So January 1, 2019 dawned for us around 6:30am. We all showered and the three of us (guess which one was missing) were at the bus stop, greeted by this little guy...

...at 7:22am. We were hoping Tyler (the shower hog!) would make it to meet us before we got going so we were watching the time sign. Initially it said the next bus was at 7:34am. Then it changed to 7:40am and two Epcot buses arrived at the same time. Then two Magic Kingdom buses came back to back and another Epcot. At that time it changed to 7:39am, then 7:42am, then 7:43am. We had three Magic Kingdom come through all at the same time. And FINALLY an Animal Kingdom bus came in at 7:45am.

So I am not sure how accurate those signs are but at least they gave us something to do while waiting and watching the overflow of Magic Kingdom and Epcot buses drive through...LOL!

And Tyler still did not arrive.

We got to Animal Kingdom at 7:55am and luckily we were dropped off at one of the closest stops today. I guess it does not really matter when it is before 8am and no one is heading back to a hotel yet.

The fog covering made everything look cool.

And of course we headed to Pandora with everyone else!

We hopped in line for Na'vi River at 8:15am. The sign said a 30 minute wait. We loved that there was a large, extra sign out in front of the line saying that you could not save a place in line and if you left you would not be allowed back in. Not that it stopped people from doing just that...but it made it seem a bit more like if someone actually complained about someone doing it, the CM would have more of a leg to stand on since they had to have walked past a large sign they almost could not have missed!

And we exiting the ride at 8:45am so from entering the line to walking out was exactly 30 minutes! I have to admit, I have never watched the whole Avatar movie but I have seen parts. And I think Na'vi really catches the beauty of Pandora.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We hit the bathroom and passed a Banshee cart.

Tyler has been trying to get one of these since the first time they were out and was determined to get one this time. They had plenty around but we did not see as many people walking around with them as we used to.

Tyler was on the bus almost here so we headed towards Africa.

This guy was standing right by the fence watching people go by...it was really neat to see him so close up!

Crowds were deceptive. As you can see, the walk over looked relatively empty...until you got into the land (Pandora, Africa,etc…). Then you hit the people. Not horrible crowds of people but much more than you expected from the walk over.

we waited for Tyler to catch up to us and then jumped in line for Kilimanjaro Safari at 9:14am. It said there was a 25 minute stand-by.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

And believe it or not, THAT was the only Safari picture I took this time around. I just wanted to enjoy it for a change.

Anyway...we were in our truck at 9:47am so 33 minutes, not 25, but pretty close...and we were off at 10:12am.

We wanted to catch the next Up! show so we headed that way.

It was an 11am show and it was cute. We all prefer the last version and think it was more informative on the birds and many different types of birds. We'd see it again, but we are bird people (I grew up with parrots and the kids visited my parents and their birds often when they were little) so even though we don't like it as much (we realize it is Disney but we don't need characters thrown in all over the place) we would still see it again.

We were getting munchies (after yesterday's snacking around the world, we were feeling like we were missing something...LOL) so we headed into Asia.

We stopped at Mr. Kamal's cart for an order of Chicken Dumplings with Ponzu..

And THERE WERE ONLY THREE! Ok so these were REALLY good! Skye and I fought over them. Tyler even tried a bit of one (we were not nice enough to give him a whole one!) and liked it. I am the only one who would use the ponzu but it was a nice accent to the fried dumplings.

I think the food trucks in Asia and on Discovery Island have some really great options and if you're on the dining plan a lot of the items count as snacks!

These THREE dumplings were $6.38!!!! But we'd gladly pay that again, these were so good!

 

[tyandskyesmom]

We also stopped at Caravan Road for a Teryaki Slider...

It is no longer on the menu so I cannot tell you what the description is. We have had this before and used to love it. This time it was different...and not good different. The meat was fatty and there was not Asian slaw on it than anything else. When we've had it in the past, even Tyler liked it...not this time. We were glad we only got one of these.

It was $6.69 and it was eaten but not happily. I see their menu has changed again though so maybe we will try something new next time.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So i just realized I said this out of order because i do not have snacks in my notes and no receipts but i did have the pictures so....we actually went for snacks after the safari and doubled back for the Up! show after snacking...

We sat at a table by the water to eat our snacks ...

 

[tyandskyesmom]

So after snacking we went back to the Up! show and i already gave our thoughts on that...

The Up! show was at 11am and we now had fast passes to use over here...

Another hot spot for meeting up with the crowds. We did have a slight line in the fast pass que...

We were in line at 11:34am and off by 11:50am...to decide what's next.

What was the verdict??? We walked right into the 12pm showing of...

NEMO!!! And lucked into some pretty dang good seats!

We all love this show but Tyler could have gone without. I think since it was so hot out he was easier to convince because it is always so nice and cold in there. There were some different actors this time around...is it odd that we notice these things???

 

[tyandskyesmom]

After Nemo we had another fast pass to use so we headed that way. We jumped in line for Kilimanjaro Safari again, this time with fast passes, at 1:05pm. As we got off at 1:30pm Skyler wanted to walk the Gorilla Trail so we did.

I din't take any pictures apparently...which is odd but afterwards we headed back to Pandora for lunch. We knew we wanted to eat at Satuli Canteen since we had snacked here before but not had a full meal.

So we headed in at 2:10pm. We all ordered and then Skye and I went to find a seat. We gathered our utensils and napkins. Soon the boys were there with our food.

We ordered a Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef Bowl* Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef marinated in a blend of Garlic, Herbs, Red Pepper Spice, and Red Wine Vinegar topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Boba Balls served with your choice of Base and Sauce.

We opted for the Sweet Potato Hash and the Herb Dressing. This was soooo good. The kids picked on some of the beef that did not have dressing on it and Cary and I split the rest. It all went together very well. This one was Cary's favorite of the two we have tried.

We also had the Chili-Garlic Shrimp Bowl Shrimp tossed in a Chili-Garlic Sauce served with your choice of Base and Sauce.

Here, we opted for noodles and green onion sauce. This was my favorite of the two. I did, however, wonder if the herb dressing wouldn't have been better with the shrimp and the green onion sauce better with the beef...I tried them both and I don't know about better, but they were definitely good with the opposite plate's sauce.

We also ended up with two Kid's Cheese Quesadilla Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheese in a Tortilla served with Vegetable Chips and Grapes and small Dasani® Bottled Water or Lowfat Milk

Tyler has a soft drink and Skyler had a apple juice box. They both love quesadillas and Skye loves the veggie chips. These were hot and cheesy so they all got eaten!

We also got 4 cups of ice for the pop in our bag. Again, here I am surprised that they use the same cups as they give with the kid's meals since there are self serve soft drink machines but there are a lot of CMs walking around wiping tables and stuff so maybe they also watch out for violators.

For dessert, we ordered Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse with Passion Fruit Curd...

We have had this before and even Tyler loves it! It had good flavor but not over the top flavor. It is little though so if you are all dessert eaters you might want to get multiple!

There is a lot of seating and it is very fun to look around in there. Sometimes they have guides on the tables for various things in Pandora...like the language. There always seems to be enough CMs around to clean off table when someone leaves so there is always a lot of available seats...no stalking here (at least we've never had to).

We will be back to eat here. We were intrigued by breakfast but they no longer serve it.

Our total here was $50.33.

Then Tyler had an important adoption to make!