Our Second Trip of Firsts
- Thread starter JAMIESMITH
- Start date
Pooh's-Honey-Pot
DVC owner since 2020 - VGF, BLT and SSR
- Joined
- May 31, 2007
Loving your report!!
TheMaxRebo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2008
Glad to hear the pistachio creme brulee was as good as you were hoping - sounds like a pretty good location for your room - other than not the best view
seemed like you plan of doing Soarin' first thing worked out with then being able to use your tier 1 FP+ for TT. Last trip we asked the loader if we could wait and ride in the first row middle section and they were fine with that (had to wait through just one extra ride) - definitely worth the wait to ride front row.
Living with the Land is one of our favorites - everyone seems to find it interesting and our kids seem to like anything that is on a boat.
Really cute pictures from the Chase Character Spot - sounds like that was a fun time. Despite the crowds seems like you got a lot done. Bummer about the disappointing treats from the Boardwalk Bakery though.
seemed like you plan of doing Soarin' first thing worked out with then being able to use your tier 1 FP+ for TT. Last trip we asked the loader if we could wait and ride in the first row middle section and they were fine with that (had to wait through just one extra ride) - definitely worth the wait to ride front row.
Living with the Land is one of our favorites - everyone seems to find it interesting and our kids seem to like anything that is on a boat.
Really cute pictures from the Chase Character Spot - sounds like that was a fun time. Despite the crowds seems like you got a lot done. Bummer about the disappointing treats from the Boardwalk Bakery though.
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Hey! Thank you for reading along
Thanks so much!
I love crème brulee and pistachios so this was a win!
The view was really not bad, it was fun to watch the people coming and going through the front entrance, but it wasn't very private.
I didn't realize you could request to sit in the front row on Soarin'! I always thought it was just luck of the draw. I'll keep that in mind for next time
We did get a lot done!We gave Boardwalk Bakery several chances during our trip, but it was always a disappointment
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Evening at Epcot
Once we were back in our room, Jamie and Maddy took a nap and I walked out on the balcony to call my parents. We all decided to get clean before heading back to Epcot. We headed into the World Showcase to look around. We spent a good bit of time looking around in the Japan and China Pavilions. Madilyn said that she was hungry. I asked her if a cheeseburger sounded good and we went into Liberty Inn. I wasn’t particularly hungry and neither was my husband so we just ordered a kids’ cheeseburger meal for her.
$528.03 (Dining Plan Balance) - $6.40 = $521.63
I mentioned to Jamie that I wanted a margarita so we walked around to the Mexico Pavilion. Jamie bought me a frozen lime margarita and offered to take Madilyn on the Gran Fiesta Tour. I drank my drink and looked around while they were off doing that. Sometimes he can be really sweet!
Shortly after we exited the pyramid, they started announcing that Illuminations would be starting in just thirty minutes. We found a spot next to the railing in the Canada Pavilion, in front of the new logger show and beside a roped off handicapped area. There were some trees that blocked some of our view of the higher fireworks, but at least the spot we were in wasn’t too crowded.
When the fireworks were over we headed to the dock to catch a boat back to BWV. I was still finishing my drink, but they wouldn’t let me leave the park with it in my hand. I don’t understand that. I wasn’t driving anywhere, I could have walked to the Boardwalk and bought another one just like it. Anyways, I drained the rest of my drink and we got on a boat and headed back to our room for the night.
I’m sorry I have absolutely no pictures to go with this post!
Once we were back in our room, Jamie and Maddy took a nap and I walked out on the balcony to call my parents. We all decided to get clean before heading back to Epcot. We headed into the World Showcase to look around. We spent a good bit of time looking around in the Japan and China Pavilions. Madilyn said that she was hungry. I asked her if a cheeseburger sounded good and we went into Liberty Inn. I wasn’t particularly hungry and neither was my husband so we just ordered a kids’ cheeseburger meal for her.
$528.03 (Dining Plan Balance) - $6.40 = $521.63
I mentioned to Jamie that I wanted a margarita so we walked around to the Mexico Pavilion. Jamie bought me a frozen lime margarita and offered to take Madilyn on the Gran Fiesta Tour. I drank my drink and looked around while they were off doing that. Sometimes he can be really sweet!
Shortly after we exited the pyramid, they started announcing that Illuminations would be starting in just thirty minutes. We found a spot next to the railing in the Canada Pavilion, in front of the new logger show and beside a roped off handicapped area. There were some trees that blocked some of our view of the higher fireworks, but at least the spot we were in wasn’t too crowded.
When the fireworks were over we headed to the dock to catch a boat back to BWV. I was still finishing my drink, but they wouldn’t let me leave the park with it in my hand. I don’t understand that. I wasn’t driving anywhere, I could have walked to the Boardwalk and bought another one just like it. Anyways, I drained the rest of my drink and we got on a boat and headed back to our room for the night.
I’m sorry I have absolutely no pictures to go with this post!
TheMaxRebo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2008
Sometimes it can be really nice/relaxing to just walk around World Showcase even if you aren't "doing" anything.
Did you get your margarita from the stand out front or in the La Cava inside the pyramid? The ones in La Cava are some of my favorite drinks at Disney
That was nice that you got a little alone time too. Is kind of a bummer they wouldn't let you leave the park with the drink but I am sure that is just an overall strategy and rule rather than having different policies per exit area ... either that or it is a strategy to get you to buy a second one once you get back to the boardwalk
Did you get your margarita from the stand out front or in the La Cava inside the pyramid? The ones in La Cava are some of my favorite drinks at Disney
That was nice that you got a little alone time too. Is kind of a bummer they wouldn't let you leave the park with the drink but I am sure that is just an overall strategy and rule rather than having different policies per exit area ... either that or it is a strategy to get you to buy a second one once you get back to the boardwalk
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Sometimes it can be really nice/relaxing to just walk around World Showcase even if you aren't "doing" anything.
Did you get your margarita from the stand out front or in the La Cava inside the pyramid? The ones in La Cava are some of my favorite drinks at Disney
That was nice that you got a little alone time too. Is kind of a bummer they wouldn't let you leave the park with the drink but I am sure that is just an overall strategy and rule rather than having different policies per exit area ... either that or it is a strategy to get you to buy a second one once you get back to the boardwalk
We saw a lot more of the World Showcase this time around and really enjoyed wandering around without worrying about missing an ADR or FP+.
I got my margarita from the booth outside the pyramid. After we got inside, I remembered how much better the ones from La Cava are supposed to be. I'll try one from there next time
I'm betting the strategy is for me to buy a second one on the boardwalk! LOL!
HikingBelle
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2014
Came here from the January FB/DIS group. Great TR so far!
saintstickets
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2009
Okay, it's official...
From this point forward, BWV room # 3073 will henceforth be named the Mississippi room!
We stayed at BWV this past June, 2014 and we too were in room #3073 and since we too are from Mississippi...
Somewhere I hear someone singing, "It's a Small World After All"
How's that for a coincidence?
Loving your TR. We like to stay at BWV and BCV especially during F&W because it is so close to EPCOT!
More please
From this point forward, BWV room # 3073 will henceforth be named the Mississippi room!
We stayed at BWV this past June, 2014 and we too were in room #3073 and since we too are from Mississippi...
Somewhere I hear someone singing, "It's a Small World After All"
How's that for a coincidence?
Loving your TR. We like to stay at BWV and BCV especially during F&W because it is so close to EPCOT!
More please
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Thank you!
Okay, it's official...
From this point forward, BWV room # 3073 will henceforth be named the Mississippi room!
We stayed at BWV this past June, 2014 and we too were in room #3073 and since we too are from Mississippi...
Somewhere I hear someone singing, "It's a Small World After All"
How's that for a coincidence?
Loving your TR. We like to stay at BWV and BCV especially during F&W because it is so close to EPCOT!
More please
No way! That is awesome! Definitely a small world
BWV and BCV would be great for F&W. I actually think I like the theming of BWV better than BCV (I visited BC&YC during this trip) and I expected it to be the other way around. I couldn't believe that people were actually swimming at SAB as cold as it was when we were there!
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Mickey Waffles Are Awesome
We got up early Tuesday morning for a pre-park opening breakfast reservation at my favorite park. This would be our first time to eat at Tusker House, in fact our first time to eat with any of the fab five anywhere. We caught a bus at about 7:15 and were at Animal Kingdom well before our 8:05 reservation. We were actually the first people let into the park that day and the first family seated at Tusker House.
We were able to make two trips to the buffet before the characters started coming around. I ate more bacon than I care to admit, a couple of Mickey waffles (which totally lived up to the hype!), and a biscuit with gravy. Jamie and Madilyn ate pretty much the same things plus some ham and eggs. Everything was very good!
First up was Donald Duck.
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Followed by Mickey Mouse. I love the characters’ outfits!
And Daisy Duck.
And then my girl’s favorite: Goofy!
We were able to settle our bill between Daisy and Goofy’s visits to our table so we could leave as soon as we had met all the characters. The interaction here felt very rushed compared to some of our previous character meals, but these were all characters we had met before so it wasn’t a big deal. We finished eating and back outside by 8:45.
$521.63 - $95.83= $425.80
Jamie might have snuck a cigarette in a non-smoking area of the empty park.
My mom ordered this coat for Madilyn from Dillards about a week before our trip because the zipper in her old one broke. She got a ton of compliments throughout the week
I wish it was always like this!
We took our time walking to Asia and were the first ones in line for Expedition Everest. We waited a few minutes before they would let us in. Madilyn wasn’t quite tall enough on our first trip and was excited to be able to ride this time around. The first time she rode in the very front with me. The view at the top from the front is so awesome! I could see our hotel J We went straight back through the line for a second ride. This time Madilyn rode with her daddy, but still in the front and seemed freaked out when she got off. I’m not sure what changed between the first and second ride, but she refused to go again.
My husband bought a Yeti hoodie from the gift shop at the ride exit. He had left his jacket in our hotel room that morning and was freezing! I may have tried to bribe my kid with a stuffed Yeti for a third go on Everest, but she wasn’t having it! Good parenting at its finest!
We got up early Tuesday morning for a pre-park opening breakfast reservation at my favorite park. This would be our first time to eat at Tusker House, in fact our first time to eat with any of the fab five anywhere. We caught a bus at about 7:15 and were at Animal Kingdom well before our 8:05 reservation. We were actually the first people let into the park that day and the first family seated at Tusker House.
We were able to make two trips to the buffet before the characters started coming around. I ate more bacon than I care to admit, a couple of Mickey waffles (which totally lived up to the hype!), and a biscuit with gravy. Jamie and Madilyn ate pretty much the same things plus some ham and eggs. Everything was very good!
First up was Donald Duck.
Followed by Mickey Mouse. I love the characters’ outfits!
And Daisy Duck.
And then my girl’s favorite: Goofy!
We were able to settle our bill between Daisy and Goofy’s visits to our table so we could leave as soon as we had met all the characters. The interaction here felt very rushed compared to some of our previous character meals, but these were all characters we had met before so it wasn’t a big deal. We finished eating and back outside by 8:45.
$521.63 - $95.83= $425.80
Jamie might have snuck a cigarette in a non-smoking area of the empty park.
My mom ordered this coat for Madilyn from Dillards about a week before our trip because the zipper in her old one broke. She got a ton of compliments throughout the week
I wish it was always like this!
We took our time walking to Asia and were the first ones in line for Expedition Everest. We waited a few minutes before they would let us in. Madilyn wasn’t quite tall enough on our first trip and was excited to be able to ride this time around. The first time she rode in the very front with me. The view at the top from the front is so awesome! I could see our hotel J We went straight back through the line for a second ride. This time Madilyn rode with her daddy, but still in the front and seemed freaked out when she got off. I’m not sure what changed between the first and second ride, but she refused to go again.
My husband bought a Yeti hoodie from the gift shop at the ride exit. He had left his jacket in our hotel room that morning and was freezing! I may have tried to bribe my kid with a stuffed Yeti for a third go on Everest, but she wasn’t having it! Good parenting at its finest!
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Prehistoric Playground
We went in search of a smoke area and found ourselves in Dinoland! After my husband got his nicotine fix, we walked right on to a time rover. I really like this ride, but my husband complained that it was jerky.
Our next stop was Primevil Whirl. Madiyn wasn’t tall enough for this last time and I was worried that she wouldn’t be this time, but she barely made the height requirement. We all loved this one! We also took a spin or Triceratops Spin. We took Madiyn to the face painting booth and asked her if she would want to have her face painted.
She chose the style she wanted and her daddy paid up (like any good daddy would!). He took off for another cigarette while I watched a sweet lady paint my girl’s face. She was really fast and it turned out cute! I’m glad Maddy chose the design she did because it set off her pretty eyes.
We went in search of a smoke area and found ourselves in Dinoland! After my husband got his nicotine fix, we walked right on to a time rover. I really like this ride, but my husband complained that it was jerky.
Our next stop was Primevil Whirl. Madiyn wasn’t tall enough for this last time and I was worried that she wouldn’t be this time, but she barely made the height requirement. We all loved this one! We also took a spin or Triceratops Spin. We took Madiyn to the face painting booth and asked her if she would want to have her face painted.
She chose the style she wanted and her daddy paid up (like any good daddy would!). He took off for another cigarette while I watched a sweet lady paint my girl’s face. She was really fast and it turned out cute! I’m glad Maddy chose the design she did because it set off her pretty eyes.
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Some Animal Encounters
We headed back towards Asia and to another new-for-us attraction: The Maharajah Jungle Trek. It was too cold for the bats to be out, but I really wanted to see the tigers! I think they are the most gorgeous creatures on earth! The detailing in this area is pretty gorgeous, too!
This tiger seemed agitated and was pacing back and forth.
I was glad to get a good photo of these. They are a very endangered type of antelope. I couldn’t get a good photo of them on the safari on our first trip to save my life.
This is not a close up shot, but I do like how it turned out. Can you see the tiger?
The bird area was really neat. We didn’t take a guide so I have no idea what birds we were looking at. Madilyn followed this poor bird all over!
These monkeys looked like they were having so much fun!
We headed back to Africa for our first FP+ experience of the day: Kilimanjaro Safaris! On the way, I was sidetracked by some other wild animals. We waited in a short line to meet Baloo and King Louie. I’m not sure why, none of us in crazy about The Jungle Book.
We continued on to the safari in hopes of seeing some giraffes. My little girl loves giraffes as much as I love tigers. We were seated in the very back of the vehicle, which was actually really nice. I only snapped a few photos because I wanted to just sit back and enjoy what we were seeing, but the few I took didn’t turn out very well.
We headed back towards Asia and to another new-for-us attraction: The Maharajah Jungle Trek. It was too cold for the bats to be out, but I really wanted to see the tigers! I think they are the most gorgeous creatures on earth! The detailing in this area is pretty gorgeous, too!
This tiger seemed agitated and was pacing back and forth.
I was glad to get a good photo of these. They are a very endangered type of antelope. I couldn’t get a good photo of them on the safari on our first trip to save my life.
This is not a close up shot, but I do like how it turned out. Can you see the tiger?
The bird area was really neat. We didn’t take a guide so I have no idea what birds we were looking at. Madilyn followed this poor bird all over!
These monkeys looked like they were having so much fun!
We headed back to Africa for our first FP+ experience of the day: Kilimanjaro Safaris! On the way, I was sidetracked by some other wild animals. We waited in a short line to meet Baloo and King Louie. I’m not sure why, none of us in crazy about The Jungle Book.
We continued on to the safari in hopes of seeing some giraffes. My little girl loves giraffes as much as I love tigers. We were seated in the very back of the vehicle, which was actually really nice. I only snapped a few photos because I wanted to just sit back and enjoy what we were seeing, but the few I took didn’t turn out very well.
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Thank you for reading
I really do think Wilderness Lodge will be the next resort we try, unless my cousin and I are able to manage the Princess Half Marathon and a super short girls only trip next year, in which case we will stay at either a value or a moderate. The Polynesian has my heart, but we liked the Boardwalk much more than I expected. We missed the monorail and the ability to take a break on our Magic Kingdom days without having to get on a bus.
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
An Indian Princess, A Lot of Bugs, and some Acrobats
There were a few characters we missed seeing on our first trip that I really wanted to meet on this trip. We headed for The Tree of Life and found a short line for one of them. Pocahontas was one of the better interactions this trip. She was very impressed with my daughter’s “war paint”.
And I learned that I really shouldn’t have my picture made with women who are thinner than I am. That never used to be a problem! I look like a cow next to her, but I wanted a picture with Pocahontas because I love the movie (the original, not the sequel).
We didn’t see It’s Tough to be a Bug in 2012 because I was afraid that it would be too scary for Madilyn. We were able to walk right in this time, although a very nice cast member did tell us that it could be scary for little ones. He said a lot of people don’t even know what they are getting in line for! Jamie really fell in love with all the 3D attractions on our first trip and really liked this one as well. Madilyn thought it was funny!
We used a couple of snack credits for a Sprite and a frozen Coke. I know, not the best use of snack credits, but we were thirsty! We were sort of across from the bathrooms in Asia, but I don’t remember the name of the place we went in for our drinks! Madilyn and I shared the frozen Coke and the Sprite was for Jamie.
$425.80 - $6.50= $419.30
We headed back to Dinoland for another smoke break. We were doing a lot of extra walking due to there only being a few designated places to light up a cigarette. There was a smoke area near Expedition Everest on our first trip that wasn’t there this time around.
We did stop for a quick Photopass photo.
The posted wait time was only ten minutes so we took another turn on Primeval Whirl. We decided that we were all ready for something to eat. Since Flame Tree BBQ was closed we thought we would try something new: Disney pizza from Pizzafari. We ordered two pepperoni pizzas which came with side salads, chocolate mousse, and cokes. Madilyn and I split one and Jamie ate the other. Disney pizza is not very good. The chocolate mousse was very good. The theming of the restaurant was pretty cool, but this was the only place we encountered that didn’t look particularly clean.
$419.30 - $36.10 = $383.20
Our FP+ for Festival of the Lion King was for 3:00. The 2:00 show was about to start so we decided to see if we could get in without a FP. We were among the last people seated, but we did make it into the earlier show. This was new to us as well because the theater was being rebuilt during our first trip. We were seated in the lion section and really enjoyed the show! I wish I would have taken some photos, but I never took my camera out of my bag.
After the show, Jamie found another smoking area near the exit and we decided to catch a bus back to our hotel.
There were a few characters we missed seeing on our first trip that I really wanted to meet on this trip. We headed for The Tree of Life and found a short line for one of them. Pocahontas was one of the better interactions this trip. She was very impressed with my daughter’s “war paint”.
And I learned that I really shouldn’t have my picture made with women who are thinner than I am. That never used to be a problem! I look like a cow next to her, but I wanted a picture with Pocahontas because I love the movie (the original, not the sequel).
We didn’t see It’s Tough to be a Bug in 2012 because I was afraid that it would be too scary for Madilyn. We were able to walk right in this time, although a very nice cast member did tell us that it could be scary for little ones. He said a lot of people don’t even know what they are getting in line for! Jamie really fell in love with all the 3D attractions on our first trip and really liked this one as well. Madilyn thought it was funny!
We used a couple of snack credits for a Sprite and a frozen Coke. I know, not the best use of snack credits, but we were thirsty! We were sort of across from the bathrooms in Asia, but I don’t remember the name of the place we went in for our drinks! Madilyn and I shared the frozen Coke and the Sprite was for Jamie.
$425.80 - $6.50= $419.30
We headed back to Dinoland for another smoke break. We were doing a lot of extra walking due to there only being a few designated places to light up a cigarette. There was a smoke area near Expedition Everest on our first trip that wasn’t there this time around.
We did stop for a quick Photopass photo.
The posted wait time was only ten minutes so we took another turn on Primeval Whirl. We decided that we were all ready for something to eat. Since Flame Tree BBQ was closed we thought we would try something new: Disney pizza from Pizzafari. We ordered two pepperoni pizzas which came with side salads, chocolate mousse, and cokes. Madilyn and I split one and Jamie ate the other. Disney pizza is not very good. The chocolate mousse was very good. The theming of the restaurant was pretty cool, but this was the only place we encountered that didn’t look particularly clean.
$419.30 - $36.10 = $383.20
Our FP+ for Festival of the Lion King was for 3:00. The 2:00 show was about to start so we decided to see if we could get in without a FP. We were among the last people seated, but we did make it into the earlier show. This was new to us as well because the theater was being rebuilt during our first trip. We were seated in the lion section and really enjoyed the show! I wish I would have taken some photos, but I never took my camera out of my bag.
After the show, Jamie found another smoking area near the exit and we decided to catch a bus back to our hotel.
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
The Sandcastle Club
Madilyn and Jamie took a late afternoon nap. I woke Maddy up a little before 5PM because she was going to visit the kid’s club at The Beach Club so that Jamie and I could have some time to ourselves. I woke Jamie enough to ask him if he wanted to go with me to drop her off, but he told me to go ahead and rolled back over and went right back to sleep. Maddy and I caught a boat to the Beach Club/Yacht Club dock.
I had a really hard time finding the Sandcastle Club. I got a map from the front desk at The Beach Club and could tell it was right past The Marketplace. The door to the kids club was only marked with a very small square sign. I walked right past it at least four times! One of the ladies working in The Marketplace was nice enough to help me find it. It only took a few minutes to get Madilyn signed in. There were four cast members working, but she was the first child to be dropped off for the evening.
I walked by Stormalong Bay to the to go window at Beaches and Cream. I got a single scoop of butter pecan ice cream in a waffle cone and ate it as I walked back to The Boardwalk. I didn’t try to take a boat back because I thought they might not let me on with my ice cream. Before our trip, I really thought that Beach Club and Yacht Club would be more to my tastes than The Boardwalk, but I actually liked The Boardwalk area better in person. Not that the other resorts weren’t perfectly nice, I just don’t think that they are for me.
$383.20 - $4.48 = $378.72
I took the opportunity to walk around some of the shops on The Boardwalk by myself before heading back up to our room. I picked up a cute bracelet for my cousin (who was nice enough to pet sit for us) and a bag of cheese popcorn for myself.
Jamie was watching t.v. when I got back to the room. We debated going to Jelly Rolls or even back to Downtown Disney, but decided that we were pretty tired. We decided to see what our options for some drinks and appetizers would be on The Boardwalk. We ended up sitting at the bar at Big River Grille. I ordered a pineapple mojito and the jalapeno spinach cheese dip with tortilla chips. This was heavenly! Jamie ordered a chicken quesadilla with a rum and coke. He ate every bite, but said that he has had better quesadillas. We paid for our drinks and appetizers out of pocket.
We caught a boat back to BC/YC and sat on the beach for a little while before going to collect our kiddo. She was playing dress up with three other little girls when we got there and really didn’t want to leave. She had a goodie bag full of things she had made while she was there: a necklace, some colored-pages, and a crown. She had a great time and I wouldn’t hesitate to use a kids club again. The staff were very professional and seemed good with kids. Once again, we walked back to The Boardwalk. We were able to watch some of Illuminations before heading up to our room for the night.
Madilyn and Jamie took a late afternoon nap. I woke Maddy up a little before 5PM because she was going to visit the kid’s club at The Beach Club so that Jamie and I could have some time to ourselves. I woke Jamie enough to ask him if he wanted to go with me to drop her off, but he told me to go ahead and rolled back over and went right back to sleep. Maddy and I caught a boat to the Beach Club/Yacht Club dock.
I had a really hard time finding the Sandcastle Club. I got a map from the front desk at The Beach Club and could tell it was right past The Marketplace. The door to the kids club was only marked with a very small square sign. I walked right past it at least four times! One of the ladies working in The Marketplace was nice enough to help me find it. It only took a few minutes to get Madilyn signed in. There were four cast members working, but she was the first child to be dropped off for the evening.
I walked by Stormalong Bay to the to go window at Beaches and Cream. I got a single scoop of butter pecan ice cream in a waffle cone and ate it as I walked back to The Boardwalk. I didn’t try to take a boat back because I thought they might not let me on with my ice cream. Before our trip, I really thought that Beach Club and Yacht Club would be more to my tastes than The Boardwalk, but I actually liked The Boardwalk area better in person. Not that the other resorts weren’t perfectly nice, I just don’t think that they are for me.
$383.20 - $4.48 = $378.72
I took the opportunity to walk around some of the shops on The Boardwalk by myself before heading back up to our room. I picked up a cute bracelet for my cousin (who was nice enough to pet sit for us) and a bag of cheese popcorn for myself.
Jamie was watching t.v. when I got back to the room. We debated going to Jelly Rolls or even back to Downtown Disney, but decided that we were pretty tired. We decided to see what our options for some drinks and appetizers would be on The Boardwalk. We ended up sitting at the bar at Big River Grille. I ordered a pineapple mojito and the jalapeno spinach cheese dip with tortilla chips. This was heavenly! Jamie ordered a chicken quesadilla with a rum and coke. He ate every bite, but said that he has had better quesadillas. We paid for our drinks and appetizers out of pocket.
We caught a boat back to BC/YC and sat on the beach for a little while before going to collect our kiddo. She was playing dress up with three other little girls when we got there and really didn’t want to leave. She had a goodie bag full of things she had made while she was there: a necklace, some colored-pages, and a crown. She had a great time and I wouldn’t hesitate to use a kids club again. The staff were very professional and seemed good with kids. Once again, we walked back to The Boardwalk. We were able to watch some of Illuminations before heading up to our room for the night.
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Can We Ride Something Already?
We never made it to Magic Kingdom’s rope drop on our first trip and I wanted to see the opening show this time around. It didn’t happen. Once again we waited about forty minutes for a bus to Magic Kingdom. We walked up in time to see the train full of characters pull away from the station. I don’t know if Disney’s bus service has gone downhill, if it is a characteristic of staying at The Boardwalk, or if we were just really lucky on our first trip. I was seriously getting frustrated!
We hopped on the next steam train (with the sexiest conductor ever!) and rode to Fantasyland Station. My husband decides that a cigarette is more important than making good use of early morning park time. Why did I marry a smoker? So frustrating! And then Madilyn must use the bathroom. Really? It’s now 9:30 and I’ve ridden the train around the park, inhaled second-hand smoke, and used a bathroom!
My husband and daughter then decide that we should get something to eat. I’m trying really hard to go with the flow, but I really just want to ride something, anything, at this point! We head to Gaston’s tavern and order two cinnamon rolls with snack credits (Maddy and I shared because they are big!). We had filled up our mugs before leaving our resort so we didn’t have to order drinks. These cinnamon rolls were fine, but not nearly as good as the ones from Main Street Bakery before it became Starbucks.
$378.72 - $8.96 = $369.76
I enjoyed listening to Gaston’s song, but I bet it gets really old for the cast members who work there! I snapped a picture of Maddy in Gaston’s chair. The theming in this place is so cool!
I also got one of the fountain out front. We did see Gaston out meeting guests, but the line was already long and I was still itching to ride something!
My husband, however was itching for another cigarette. I grumpily followed him back to the smoke area near Fantasyland Station. Once we got there I actually enjoyed watching the steam train, but my husband doesn’t have to know I said that! Madilyn had fun waving at all the passengers on the train.
Finally, we get in line for The Barnstormer. Madilyn loves Goofy and this was the very first roller coaster she ever got on so she really likes this one. We stood in line for about ten minutes before we were able to get on. I just wish this were a longer ride!
Next we headed for Journey of the Little Mermaid. I think we walked through about a half a mile of roped off line before getting right on the ride. It had a thirty minute posted wait time, but there was literally no one in front of us. We could definitely tell how new this attraction is. We liked it a lot!
We went “next door” to meet everyone’s favorite Mermaid. The posted wait time here was fifteen minutes and that was a little more accurate.
We had a FP+ for Haunted Mansion that was good from 10:00-11:00 and we were now inside our window so we headed over there.
I snapped a few photos of the Tangled/Fanciest Restroom Ever area.
For some reason my husband’s band wouldn’t make the FP scanner “go green”. The cast member said that he was supposed to be meeting Cinderella and Rapunzel right then. We all had a FP+ to meet them later in the day, but I don’t really know what was going on here. She let him through with us, but the wait wouldn’t have been too bad even without FP. This was the only glitch we ran into with our Magic Bands during our week long trip.
I liked that we were able to all ride together. This is a favorite of my entire family, but I had only ever ridden with my cousin so it was nice to experience with my husband and kiddo.
It’s a Small World only had a ten minute wait posted. My husband says that this ride is torture, but Maddy and I enjoy it
We never made it to Magic Kingdom’s rope drop on our first trip and I wanted to see the opening show this time around. It didn’t happen. Once again we waited about forty minutes for a bus to Magic Kingdom. We walked up in time to see the train full of characters pull away from the station. I don’t know if Disney’s bus service has gone downhill, if it is a characteristic of staying at The Boardwalk, or if we were just really lucky on our first trip. I was seriously getting frustrated!
We hopped on the next steam train (with the sexiest conductor ever!) and rode to Fantasyland Station. My husband decides that a cigarette is more important than making good use of early morning park time. Why did I marry a smoker? So frustrating! And then Madilyn must use the bathroom. Really? It’s now 9:30 and I’ve ridden the train around the park, inhaled second-hand smoke, and used a bathroom!
My husband and daughter then decide that we should get something to eat. I’m trying really hard to go with the flow, but I really just want to ride something, anything, at this point! We head to Gaston’s tavern and order two cinnamon rolls with snack credits (Maddy and I shared because they are big!). We had filled up our mugs before leaving our resort so we didn’t have to order drinks. These cinnamon rolls were fine, but not nearly as good as the ones from Main Street Bakery before it became Starbucks.
$378.72 - $8.96 = $369.76
I enjoyed listening to Gaston’s song, but I bet it gets really old for the cast members who work there! I snapped a picture of Maddy in Gaston’s chair. The theming in this place is so cool!
I also got one of the fountain out front. We did see Gaston out meeting guests, but the line was already long and I was still itching to ride something!
My husband, however was itching for another cigarette. I grumpily followed him back to the smoke area near Fantasyland Station. Once we got there I actually enjoyed watching the steam train, but my husband doesn’t have to know I said that! Madilyn had fun waving at all the passengers on the train.
Finally, we get in line for The Barnstormer. Madilyn loves Goofy and this was the very first roller coaster she ever got on so she really likes this one. We stood in line for about ten minutes before we were able to get on. I just wish this were a longer ride!
Next we headed for Journey of the Little Mermaid. I think we walked through about a half a mile of roped off line before getting right on the ride. It had a thirty minute posted wait time, but there was literally no one in front of us. We could definitely tell how new this attraction is. We liked it a lot!
We went “next door” to meet everyone’s favorite Mermaid. The posted wait time here was fifteen minutes and that was a little more accurate.
We had a FP+ for Haunted Mansion that was good from 10:00-11:00 and we were now inside our window so we headed over there.
I snapped a few photos of the Tangled/Fanciest Restroom Ever area.
For some reason my husband’s band wouldn’t make the FP scanner “go green”. The cast member said that he was supposed to be meeting Cinderella and Rapunzel right then. We all had a FP+ to meet them later in the day, but I don’t really know what was going on here. She let him through with us, but the wait wouldn’t have been too bad even without FP. This was the only glitch we ran into with our Magic Bands during our week long trip.
I liked that we were able to all ride together. This is a favorite of my entire family, but I had only ever ridden with my cousin so it was nice to experience with my husband and kiddo.
It’s a Small World only had a ten minute wait posted. My husband says that this ride is torture, but Maddy and I enjoy it
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Be Our Guest
When we exited It’s a Small World, I checked my phone and saw that we were now inside our FP window for lunch at Be Our Guest. We walked up to the podium to the left side of the castle bridge and were directed across. They gave us menus to look at while we waited in line. We came to another podium where a cast member directed us to one of the touch screen kiosks to place our order. Getting into the restaurant is a little hectic!
Once our order was placed we were able to fix our drinks and find a place to sit down. Jamie found us a table near the window in the center room and we were able to watch the snow fall while we ate.
This is not the best picture, but we really liked the view from our table.
The ceiling was straight out of the movie!
I really wanted to love this place, but it was really loud, it reminded me of eating in a cafeteria. I love the carts the servers bring the food out on and it’s neat how they are able to use the Magic Bands to find where to bring it.
I ordered the croque monsieur with pommes fries. There was a lot of meat on this sandwich and couldn’t finish it all. The cheese was warm and gooey, but the bread was a little harder than I like. The fries were fresh. It was a satisfying meal especially for a quick service credit, but I don’t think I will return for lunch. My husband had the slow-cooked braised pork. It looked and smelled very good, but he said it was just okay. I didn’t try it myself. Madilyn had a grilled cheese with tomato soup. She ate a lot of it and said it was yummy.
I had a strawberry cupcake and my husband had a triple chocolate cupcake for dessert. I’m sure there is an entire thread somewhere devoted to how to get the wrappers off these, but we had a time getting them unwrapped. Honestly, we didn’t think that either of them were all that great. Maddy had a chocolate chip cookie.
We explored the other dining rooms (and filled our resort mugs with coke) before finding the restrooms and the exit.
$369.76 – 50.64 = $319.12
When we exited It’s a Small World, I checked my phone and saw that we were now inside our FP window for lunch at Be Our Guest. We walked up to the podium to the left side of the castle bridge and were directed across. They gave us menus to look at while we waited in line. We came to another podium where a cast member directed us to one of the touch screen kiosks to place our order. Getting into the restaurant is a little hectic!
Once our order was placed we were able to fix our drinks and find a place to sit down. Jamie found us a table near the window in the center room and we were able to watch the snow fall while we ate.
This is not the best picture, but we really liked the view from our table.
The ceiling was straight out of the movie!
I really wanted to love this place, but it was really loud, it reminded me of eating in a cafeteria. I love the carts the servers bring the food out on and it’s neat how they are able to use the Magic Bands to find where to bring it.
I ordered the croque monsieur with pommes fries. There was a lot of meat on this sandwich and couldn’t finish it all. The cheese was warm and gooey, but the bread was a little harder than I like. The fries were fresh. It was a satisfying meal especially for a quick service credit, but I don’t think I will return for lunch. My husband had the slow-cooked braised pork. It looked and smelled very good, but he said it was just okay. I didn’t try it myself. Madilyn had a grilled cheese with tomato soup. She ate a lot of it and said it was yummy.
I had a strawberry cupcake and my husband had a triple chocolate cupcake for dessert. I’m sure there is an entire thread somewhere devoted to how to get the wrappers off these, but we had a time getting them unwrapped. Honestly, we didn’t think that either of them were all that great. Maddy had a chocolate chip cookie.
We explored the other dining rooms (and filled our resort mugs with coke) before finding the restrooms and the exit.
$369.76 – 50.64 = $319.12
JAMIESMITH
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2011
Zigzagging Across The Park
After lunch my husband wanted another cigarette and I didn’t want to walk all the way back to the smoking area outside fantasyland station. Madilyn and I got in line for the carousel and Jamie agreed to meet us back there. I am always underwhelmed by this carousel because the one in our hometown is so cool.
Here’s a picture from Maddy’s fifth birthday party at Meridian’s Dentzel Carousel. They have more than just horses (giraffes, lions, tigers, deer, even a bear) and they are actually older than the horses at Disney.
We saw the fairy godmother out meeting guests. I wish we had gotten in line to meet her, but when Jamie walked back up from his smoke break we walked through the castle and out into the hub. This was another first for us. On our 2012 trip, the castle was always roped off so that we couldn’t walk through. The mosaics are so cool. I can’t believe I didn’t get my camera out!
We headed into Adventureland and got in line (with a 20 minute posted wait) for Pirates of the Caribbean. We all really like this ride. We spent some time in the gift shop at the exit, but didn’t buy anything. I checked the wait time for Big Thunder Mountain, but it was listed at forty minutes so we decided to wait until later.
We looked around inside the Christmas store and Maddy got her first souvenir of the trip. She’d been pestering me since we got there to buy her something, but I wanted her to pick something she really liked instead of buying something just for the sake of buying something. She found a Valentines Minnie Mouse holding Duffy and wearing a really cute dress (complete with hidden Mickeys!)
We watched Philarmagic (another family favorite) before heading to Tomorrowland. We tried to use our FP+ for Space Mountain, but the ride was down. We were told that we could come back later in the day, but we never did manage to ride. This would have been another first for Madilyn.
We stopped for yet another smoke break.
Then we got in the short line for Space Ranger Spin. I don’t remember our scores, but my husband creamed me! Madilyn never made it out of triple digits!
They look so into what they are doing!
We watched a few minutes of Dream-Along with Mickey. For some reason we kept going, but I wish we would have stayed for more! We headed back to Big Thunder Mountain hoping that the upcoming Festival of Fantasy parade would draw some of the crowd away from the rides.
We had our photo taken on the bridge. My kid kept making bad faces because the sun was in her eyes, but I did get one good picture.
Our plan to ride BTMRR during the FoF parade was a good one! We rode three times without too much of a wait. I really wanted to ride the Liberty Belle, but didn’t want to miss our next FP+ so I’ll have to add the steam boat ride to my Disney bucket list!
After lunch my husband wanted another cigarette and I didn’t want to walk all the way back to the smoking area outside fantasyland station. Madilyn and I got in line for the carousel and Jamie agreed to meet us back there. I am always underwhelmed by this carousel because the one in our hometown is so cool.
Here’s a picture from Maddy’s fifth birthday party at Meridian’s Dentzel Carousel. They have more than just horses (giraffes, lions, tigers, deer, even a bear) and they are actually older than the horses at Disney.
We saw the fairy godmother out meeting guests. I wish we had gotten in line to meet her, but when Jamie walked back up from his smoke break we walked through the castle and out into the hub. This was another first for us. On our 2012 trip, the castle was always roped off so that we couldn’t walk through. The mosaics are so cool. I can’t believe I didn’t get my camera out!
We headed into Adventureland and got in line (with a 20 minute posted wait) for Pirates of the Caribbean. We all really like this ride. We spent some time in the gift shop at the exit, but didn’t buy anything. I checked the wait time for Big Thunder Mountain, but it was listed at forty minutes so we decided to wait until later.
We looked around inside the Christmas store and Maddy got her first souvenir of the trip. She’d been pestering me since we got there to buy her something, but I wanted her to pick something she really liked instead of buying something just for the sake of buying something. She found a Valentines Minnie Mouse holding Duffy and wearing a really cute dress (complete with hidden Mickeys!)
We watched Philarmagic (another family favorite) before heading to Tomorrowland. We tried to use our FP+ for Space Mountain, but the ride was down. We were told that we could come back later in the day, but we never did manage to ride. This would have been another first for Madilyn.
We stopped for yet another smoke break.
Then we got in the short line for Space Ranger Spin. I don’t remember our scores, but my husband creamed me! Madilyn never made it out of triple digits!
They look so into what they are doing!
We watched a few minutes of Dream-Along with Mickey. For some reason we kept going, but I wish we would have stayed for more! We headed back to Big Thunder Mountain hoping that the upcoming Festival of Fantasy parade would draw some of the crowd away from the rides.
We had our photo taken on the bridge. My kid kept making bad faces because the sun was in her eyes, but I did get one good picture.
Our plan to ride BTMRR during the FoF parade was a good one! We rode three times without too much of a wait. I really wanted to ride the Liberty Belle, but didn’t want to miss our next FP+ so I’ll have to add the steam boat ride to my Disney bucket list!
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Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
