LIVE trip report: BLT 8/19-8/28

[BraveLittleToaster2]

8/25 First half of day!

We were up early to head over to MK for an 8am EMH. We arrived just about at 8am and headed straight for Buzz light-year space ranger spin, as my little loves Zurg and that's the only place you can see him. I've never found the shooting aspect of this ride all that accurate, but it's fun nonetheless. At the end of the ride we took photos with Zurg in the cage. You can no longer climb in the cage with Zurg for a photo, now they have placed the bars too close together. Anyone know when they did this?

After Buzz we headed to Dumbo where myself and my 13 year old sat out and just watched. They only had one Dumbo running so it was actually a 10 min wait.

Then we headed to small world and did another ride of that...we always need to do it multiple times for the youngest. It's not my favorite but I can endure...

Afterwards, we headed to haunted Mansion for the first time this trip. We asked to skip the stretch room because we were concerned the 3 yr old might be upset by it. They took us around and let us right on the ride instead and he did great. After we exited I HAD to stop at the gift shop!! I bought an adorable tank top that's white with the black haunted Mansion pictures all over it and the black had black lace. Very pretty!! I'll likely wear it tmrw!!

We also looked around the shop next to Gaston's for a gift for a friend's little girl who loves Belle. I ended up purchasing the yellow sparkle Mickey ears with bells picture in the middle. I hope she likes it.

By this time we were ready for our breakfast reservation at 10:25 at Crystal Palace. It took a little bit to be seated. We were escorted in around 10 min later. For the first 60 minutes of our breakfast NO characters came by. We hit it just right to where all the characters were far from us. But then they all came pretty quick, except Eeyore. We ended up waiting for him and finally saw him around 11:55am. Eating at this time was great because we had breakfast, then took a little break and then they had half of the Food setup with lunch. So by 11:25 lunch opened and then we ALSO had mashed potatoes and chicken...and best of all Halloween desserts! They had candy corn cupcakes, worms in dirt cupcakes, chocolate bark with spider webs, brownies, little honey pots with bees on them and apple pie type tarts. All delicious!!! So if you like breakfast and lunch get a reservation as close to 10:45 as possible!! The only problem I've seen at Crystal palace besides being one of the busiest restaurants, though we go Everytime because we love it so much, is the bathrooms. There are only 4 stalls and there is always a line. I guess I feel like there should be more space. But there are bigger restrooms right outside the restaurant to the right so not a huge deal just and observation.

After leaving breakfast we went to see the Country bear jamboree and lucked out as a show was starting in 2 minutes! It was as cute a show as ever.

We stopped in front of the castle for some pictures and got one of just me and dh since we hardly ever get pics together of quality, since our kids usually take them and let's just say they end up cutting off someone's head half the time....(shrug)

On our way out of the MK we stopped at the pin shop. My daughter wanted to buy her first pin lanyard. She picked one with two Minnie pins and then purchased a sparkly Marie pin and a Roz monster Inc pin. She then traded with the first cast member she saw and gave away one of her Minnie's for a queen of hearts!!

All the Halloween decorations are up for the first Halloween party today. We did not buy tickets only because our little one usually can't make it past 9, so we will save it for a trip when he can last a little later...

We then left the park and headed back for nap and hanging with the older kids around the community room to play some games and rest up a little.

 

[AliceNDinah]

Loving your report, thanks! We'll be there in TWO DAYSSSSSS!!!!!!

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

8/25 Second half of day!

So after nap the kids watched TV a bit while we relaxed a little. They love the Timon and pumba safety video that plays on a loop in the room. They've had it memorized since our trip last year and never tire of it. Yes, I know...they are strange.

Around 3:40pm we got picked up by a DVC van for our tour over at wilderness Lodge. I had signed up for it the day before. We have thought about joining for awhile now and jumped at the chance to see the new units. The 2 bedroom unit we were showed was beautiful!! Very well done. So my husband said he will look into it and get back to him by the end of our trip. Exciting to think I may end this trip as a DVC member!!! During the meeting they handed each of my kids a tablet to play with full of Disney stuff. That kept them completely busy the whole time. We were also offered snacks and drinks etc. So after speaking with our rep and viewing the unit we got back in the DVC van, which would bring us anywhere we wanted to go.

We got dropped off in front of the contemporary because we had dinner reservations at 530pm at The Wave. We were about 10 min late but we're seated promptly. I had the braised pork which was very good. My youngest got the rainbow grilled cheese which was really neat. So colorful! I also enjoyed the multi grain bread for the table full of sunflowers seeds etc. Tasty! Our waiter was fantastic and very attentive! However the service was very slow!! We must have waited over 45 min for our food to arrive after being ordered. Weave another ressie at the wave coming up for breakfast buffet so hopefully that will speed things along.

After dinner it was about 7pm. We promised the kids more pool time. So now we are at the pool for the next hour or so until bedtime.

First halloween party is tonight. So my dh and I plan on watching the fireworks from the balcony tonight. Exciting!!

For those weather people, it was another hot day. We finally got more rain, however it came when we were eating dinner. The ground is pretty wet so it likely rained pretty hard...when asking someone I was told it was only about a 20 min shower. Nice out again now though!

Tomorrow we have another half day park and half day at a different resort...my favorite resort of course. Anyone paying attention may know already!!

See you in the AM.

Edited to add: I have never seen mosquitoes in Disney before. But tonight at the Bay Lake pool after it had rained earlier they were everywhere. Covering the handicap water slide and all over the sides of the pool. Very strange ....anyway just an extra bit of info.

 

[DisneyElite4]

You must be eating at Sanaa tomorrow!

That sounds like the perfect day! Great mix of park fun, great food and leisure downtime. I hope you guys end up buying DVC! Would you prefer to have VWL be your home resort or would you purchase at Kidani?

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

You must be eating at Sanaa tomorrow!

That sounds like the perfect day! Great mix of park fun, great food and leisure downtime. I hope you guys end up buying DVC! Would you prefer to have VWL be your home resort or would you purchase at Kidani?

Well we would be buying into copper Creek. My dh is a cast member so to get the discount we can only buy what Disney is directly selling at this point. But ultimately, I would have loved to buy at AKL.

 

[DisneyElite4]

Well we would be buying into copper Creek. My dh is a cast member so to get the discount we can only buy what Disney is directly selling at this point. But ultimately, I would have loved to buy at AKL.

Gotcha. My DH and I were both CMs at WDW after college (where we met and got married). I sure do miss those awesome CM discounts when I'm down there now!

Copper Creek looks fantastic. I've read that AKL is easy to get into at 7 months, so you can probably still stay there as often as you like!

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

Gotcha. My DH and I were both CMs at WDW after college (where we met and got married). I sure do miss those awesome CM discounts when I'm down there now!

Copper Creek looks fantastic. I've read that AKL is easy to get into at 7 months, so you can probably still stay there as often as you like!

Thanks. I was just wondering if it was easy to get at 7 months out or not. Glad to hear it, thanks!

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

8/26 First half of day

We slept in a little this morning as a nice treat...and by sleep in, I mean about 7:40. I still have young kids don't forget. (Wink wink)

We took a taxi over to Animal Kingdom Lodge for our breakfast reservation at Boma! The selection was larger then any other breakfast I've been to, which was great. Service was good as well. My only complaint is the buffet is one big line (unlike Crystal palace and others that have two sides that are all the same) so the line to get food was VERY long which made the kids whine...But overall I really enjoyed it. I loved the donuts, as I haven't come across them at any other breakfast and they were a yummy treat.

After breakfast we went to the overlook but there weren't any animals within view today, so we walked over to Kidani (our favorite hotel we've stayed in) to use the overlook there. Sure enough, we saw plenty of animal this time. Giraffes, ankole cattle, spoonbills and cranes. We spent a good deal of time sight seeing and enjoying the ambience.

Around 1130am we took a bus to AK park so that we could then transfer back to the contemporary to prepare for naptime. It was a nice relaxing morning and just what we needed toward the end of our trip. Our bus driver named Jeff was fantastic. He had lots of jokes and was a highlight or our trip for sure. I love cast members!

After nap we will head to Epcot for some more fun!! Stay tuned..

 

[mdsouth]

Enjoying the report so far! You have indeed been able to do lots. It seems like it was a good week to go to Disney with low crowds, as long as you plan for the heat.

I am just on page one so it will take a bit to catch up.

I agree with you in that I cannot believe how people would risk their eyesight by looking up at the eclipse without eye protection.

Thanks for the info. I am enjoying your report. We went in 2015 and our next visit isn't until 2019 so you are taking me on a journey. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

Suejacken, like you I have not been in awhile. I was last there in 2014 and am looking at going again in 2019. Five years between trips. Ugg! So, I enjoy reading the TRs and getting ideas for when I do go. I need to start a 2019 thread for those of us planning far ahead.

 

[Suejacken]

Enjoying the report so far! You have indeed been able to do lots. It seems like it was a good week to go to Disney with low crowds, as long as you plan for the heat.

I am just on page one so it will take a bit to catch up.

I agree with you in that I cannot believe how people would risk their eyesight by looking up at the eclipse without eye protection.



Suejacken, like you I have not been in awhile. I was last there in 2014 and am looking at going again in 2019. Five years between trips. Ugg! So, I enjoy reading the TRs and getting ideas for when I do go. I need to start a 2019 thread for those of us planning far ahead.

That would be awesome. I was looking for one for 2019 but didn't find one. My niece and I had a good time planning for our last trip by being interactive for thread for that trip date

 

[mdsouth]

Well we would be buying into copper Creek. My dh is a cast member so to get the discount we can only buy what Disney is directly selling at this point. But ultimately, I would have loved to buy at AKL.

Now you really have my attention! I am curious what type of position your DH has as a cast member. So, you all must live close by. It is nice that you and your family choose to vacation at Disney and stay at the resorts to enjoy your time there to the max.

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

Now you really have my attention! I am curious what type of position your DH has as a cast member. So, you all must live close by. It is nice that you and your family choose to vacation at Disney and stay at the resorts to enjoy your time there to the max.

Sorry, no. We don't live local. He works for espn in New England!

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

8/26 Second half of day!

After nap we headed over to Epcot on the monorail. After renting the stroller we headed straight for spaceship earth. My 3 year old loves this ride and his favorite part is when we travel back to earth backwards. We walked right on as usual.

After that ride was through we headed for Figment as my younger hadn't done it this trip yet. He enjoyed it. My other two did as well. At this point we were all getting hungry for a snack and I had heard on the Disney food blog that at Taste Track they were serving churros sundaes. I knew I had to have one. So we headed over and all ate sundaes, which we delicious. My youngest doesn't like ice cream ( I know...the horror) so we got him a Mickey pretzel to munch on.

After this it was time for our Soarin fastpass. My DH and 10 year old wanted to go on it. So they headed on for 5:10pm or so. I figured I would take the boys on living with the land. We got there and they were having technical difficulties. So as a backup I took them to see the lion King environmental movie. I have never seen this before and the boys enjoyed it well enough. Theatre was much bigger then I anticipated. By the time we got out my dh and and dd were waiting for us. It was my daughter's first time on Soarin and she really enjoyed it, so I was glad. My youngest expressed interest but the minimum height is 40inches and he is almost exactly 40in. So I figured I will wait another year. Anyone else have experience with a 3 year old on Soarin??

After this the sky started to look really dark as we were heading to the countries. So my dh stopped and bought ponchos. I couldn't believe they were $10 a piece. But it turned out to be the best $40 we ever spent.

The sky opened and a huge thunderstorm poured torrential rain all over. We managed to have a ponchos for myself, dh, 13 year old and 1 more to cover the double stroller which the 3 and 10 year old shared. We made it to the America pavilion just before it got even worse. Luckily the building had food and a covered walkway to bathrooms. So we staked out in there for awhile. The kids had some dinner. Dh and I were still full from our sundaes. After about a whole hour the rain finally lightened a little. It was still pretty heavy rain but we started our trek back toward the monorail. The poncho did its job and kept me pretty dry except for my shoes and socks of course. Plenty of people were out walking in it and plenty of others were strewn about under overhangs waiting it out. Though this was a pretty long storm.

We finally made it out of the park around 7:30pm or so just as it lightened to a drizzle and stopped. Whew!

Kids are in bed now and we have to be up early for breakfast reservations where we will meet more characters!!

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

A lot of rain again in the forecast today...bummer. we will see. I'll let you all know!!

 

[DisneyElite4]

Did you ride FEA or Gran Fiesta Tour, or was it too rainy?

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

8/27 First half of day!

We woke up early to head to a 7:15am chef Mickey reservation. We checked in and got our family photo taken as usual. We were seated very promptly and this was the exact opposite from Crystal palace, because here we saw all 5 characters in a matter of like 15 min. I think it was the time more then the restaurant that helped with this. Chef Mickey's wasn't using all it's rooms this early so the characters had less tables to visit. So if seeing them quickly is important to you I would say to book early rather then later. My kids loved that this place had cinnamon buns. They hadn't seen them at any of the other buffets so far.

After breakfast we walked over to the Magic Kingdom. We stopped to buy my daughter a pack of miscellaneous pins for her lanyard to trade since she ran out of ones she didn't love.

Our first ride was people mover as it's a family favorite. Then we did carousel of progress, because it's a classic and let's face it you can't visit without going on this ride!!

After that my youngest wanted to try a coaster so we walked over to Barnstormer. He went on with my dh. I was a nervous wreck but he smiled through the whole thing. He wanted to try mine train but the rest of us agreed to have him try it next time when he's a little bigger.

After that it started to rain...lightly but steady. We walked to Pooh to use our fp. When coming out it was still raining my dd wanted to go on mine train with my dh. So we used two of those fastpass tickets we were given at Dhs birthday dinner. While they went on mine train me and the two boys did another ride on it's a small world. We waited about 10 min believe it or not. But it was fun.

We didn't have time to use the other 3 fastpass tickets we were given, so we handed them to a family of three on the way out of the park. They were very grateful and it was so fun to add some magic to someone else's day!!

After that we headed back to the hotel for lunch and nap as it was almost noon. We stopped in a store to allow my daughter to trade a pin with a cast member and then we headed back.

We had lunch and the little one went down for nap. This is our final night before leaving tmrw. So wait to see what's next.

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

9/27 Second half of the day!

This was our last full day. We leave tomorrow. After nap we headed over to Disney Springs. We typically head there on our last night of vacation to buy souvenirs for the kids and some gifts for our neighbors who watch our house while we're gone.

My oldest decide don something from the Lego store. No surprise there. My daughter had gotten a lanyard with pins earlier in the trip for her. My youngest chose a Zurg toy that shoots balls. He loves Zurg!! He also bought a Winnie the Pooh Mickey hat. It was super cute on him! We bought our neighbors one of those large tins of Mickey shortbread cookies!!

We also have a tradition with our children. Every year we have come to Disney we let them each pick out one Christmas ornament for our tree. They love this tradition. This year my oldest picked an Avengers symbol, my middle chose a tiny ornament of the three bears from the movie Brave because she said it reminded her of her and her brothers...so sweet. My youngest picked an Olaf ornament made out of a bell..so it makes noise.

After all the shopping and some light rain on and off we headed to Earl sandwich to eat dinner. I got a chicken, bacon, avocado sandwich. It was tasty. We usually stop at Girardhelli for sundaes but this time we opted to go to the Candy Cauldron instead. We each picked out a giant Mickey head chocolate chip cookie dipped in chocolate. Mmmmm!

After that we headed back to BLT. When arriving back we ate about half of our giant cookies and packed the rest in our carry on luggage for tmrw. Now we are packing up ahead of time. So tomorrow we can focus on our last breakfast reservation and then getting home!!

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

Did you ride FEA or Gran Fiesta Tour, or was it too rainy?

We rode Frozen earlier in the trip with a fastpass, and we did fiesta in Mexico earlier as well. Love them both!!

Did I leave those out of my earlier Epcot post? I may have forgot?

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

8/28 Last post

Well we woke up and finished our packing, then headed down to our final reservation. We did a breakfast buffet at The Wave. The selection was great! They even had devilled eggs, which are my favorite and I have not seen them anywhere else. They also had great yogurt parfaits and see potato pancakes!! I will definitely rebook that breakfast on future trips. It was also an affordable breakfast and very quiet and relaxing as opposed to the character breakfasts which can be quite loud!

Anyway, we are now heading back to our room to relax for a little while before heading out to board the magical Express and fly home today!!

It was a wonderful vacation for us, and I truly love coming to Disney. It doesn't get repetitive to me because their is always something new to experience every time we go.

I hope you've enjoyed this report, as it was my first and hopefully not last!!

Now it's time to say goodbye, to all my company....M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e!!

 

[shannie102]

awesome report, thanks again for sharing, this was fantastic! Sounds like you all had a great time and were able to balance park time and down time very well!