SandmanGStefani24
10-27-2010, 09:58 PM
Well, I'll sum it all into one post. Here goes...
I decided to get one more vacation in this year and after the turmoil and issues this year why not go back to the place I love the most? So I left sunday so as to arrive with a night to sleep in and get almost a full day at both MK and Epcot. Check in was quick and easy, and the tradition of always getting rooms on the 2nd floor was about to continue until I asked for a top floor room. (for noise issues.) Fortunately my request was filled and I found myself in Touchdown. (im a football fan too!) I was pleased in a greedy way to see that all the rooms were dark and seemed empty on my row of rooms! However 5 minutes after I walked into my room a family of what seemed to be about 6 walked into the room next to me. D-oh! lol...
Anyway I took a few minutes to get unpacked, turn on WDW TV and get settled and then went to indulge in one of my fave WDW foods, the chili cheese dog. Messy, unhealthy, and a little overpriced, but I love it so!! I then used my free game play card and took a stroll down the hall to look at the pictures of the sports celebs on the wall. (very dated, aren't they?? like early 90s?) I then sat at the bar and enjoyed a Sam Addams Octoberfest. (never had one before) After a few I called it a night.
The next day I set out to see MK after a little sleeping in. I stopped at Mcdonalds to grab a snack, and was a little bummed to see that it was no longer in the shape of a giant happy meal. I made it to the parks and found an amazingly long line at the monorail station. (people standing in the hot sun, away from the platform.) not wanting to wait that long I noticed the ferryboat area only had a handfull of people so I went for it. Have never done it before, but what a nice quiet way to make it there! Very nice way to start. I got to the gates in almost a full sweat and made it into the parks. I found that dispite what i had read here and (ahem) elsewhere that the parks were crowded. There was nothing with anything less than a 25 minute wait. The shortest line was for the TTA, which stalled for about 10 minutes while I was inside Space Mountain between the initial climb sections. (not a bad place to stop) I then made it over to the Carousel, which was nice to see again, but the 3rd scene was marred by a screaming bratty kid (not a baby, either..) who needed some discipline as my mother would say, lol. One funny bit to the final scene, was the fact that the Dad was missing his left hand!! Im very surpised that WDW let the show go on with a missing part so noticable! Either way I then used my FP for Space Mountain and after a spin I then rode Buzz, saw the Hall of Presidents, and stopped to eat at Columbia Harbor when Pirates was broken. After some dry and overcooked fish (albeit in a very nice restaurant, with a great quiet upstairs) I rode the Hm and Pirates after it had been fixed. I also rode Splash Mntn for the first time in over 15 years! (has it really been that long??) I finished with one more ride on Space Mntn and the railroad and called it an evening. Upon arriving at the resort I found myself in more pain than usual after MK. I took a very much needed shower and discovered blisters on my right foot, something that has never happened to me ever at WDW. Shoes, more than likely the cause. I went over to the AS Sports store to see if gauze or something could be found. I then found what many here have mentioned before, moleskin. Folks, let me tell you, the stuff works wonders and if this skeptic believes in the stuff you can too!
I slept in a little more the next evening and now pain free thanks to my discovery I soldiered on to Epcot for the F&W festival. After literally just walking onto Test Track I attempted to go to Mars. The posted 5 minute time was more like 20 but was still better than standing in the heat. I was excited but my fun buzz was killed by a woman who ignored all warnings of enclosed spaces and proceeded to have a panic attack inside the vehicle and caused her child to do the same. Her husband and I tried to calm her down as she beat on the side of the door until takeoff. The sound was loud enough that most of her issues were drowned out save for her husbands laughing. (what a class act, right?) Undaunted I made my way to the WS and made the lamb slider with tomato chutney first. :sick: I didn't think I was gonna hold it down. Terrible start, but I erased the taste with some excellent miso and sushi at Tokyo Dining. Great food, and excellent service as always...I then proceeded to try the pork lettuce wrap with kimchi which was absolutely delishious. After riding Malestrom and Mexico's ride I grabbed a medianoche sandwich at Puerto Rico which was also excellent. I made another lap and had the lamb wrap from Tangerine Cafe and absolutely loved it. (also caught MoRockin while eating.) After that it was about time to catch Billy Ocean's free concert. He's still got it boys and girls!! He sounded just like he did when i heard him on the radio in elementary school and the crowd was very receptive. I then decided to go back to Japan's pavillion and try the sake bar in the back of Mitsukoshi. I don't like sake but I wanted to give it another try, and picked the sparkling version. WAY better!! I highly recommend...Last stop for me was Bistro de Paris. I had the cheese sampler plate with the duck as my main. While I am a foodie of sorts and enjoy trying new things I am conflicted with it. I'll review it later, but I think I would have rather taken the same money and eaten elsewhere. It wasn't bad, but thats a story for another day, and another forum. lol...
All in all, I still had fun dispite it being a little more crowded than expected and way, way hotter than expected as well. (local news says record highs all 3 days.) I'll give more reviews on both the resort and food areas in their respective areas later but hope I wasn't the only one who had fun these last few days. And if a red mustang convertible blew by you on the roads it was probably me...:D
I decided to get one more vacation in this year and after the turmoil and issues this year why not go back to the place I love the most? So I left sunday so as to arrive with a night to sleep in and get almost a full day at both MK and Epcot. Check in was quick and easy, and the tradition of always getting rooms on the 2nd floor was about to continue until I asked for a top floor room. (for noise issues.) Fortunately my request was filled and I found myself in Touchdown. (im a football fan too!) I was pleased in a greedy way to see that all the rooms were dark and seemed empty on my row of rooms! However 5 minutes after I walked into my room a family of what seemed to be about 6 walked into the room next to me. D-oh! lol...
Anyway I took a few minutes to get unpacked, turn on WDW TV and get settled and then went to indulge in one of my fave WDW foods, the chili cheese dog. Messy, unhealthy, and a little overpriced, but I love it so!! I then used my free game play card and took a stroll down the hall to look at the pictures of the sports celebs on the wall. (very dated, aren't they?? like early 90s?) I then sat at the bar and enjoyed a Sam Addams Octoberfest. (never had one before) After a few I called it a night.
The next day I set out to see MK after a little sleeping in. I stopped at Mcdonalds to grab a snack, and was a little bummed to see that it was no longer in the shape of a giant happy meal. I made it to the parks and found an amazingly long line at the monorail station. (people standing in the hot sun, away from the platform.) not wanting to wait that long I noticed the ferryboat area only had a handfull of people so I went for it. Have never done it before, but what a nice quiet way to make it there! Very nice way to start. I got to the gates in almost a full sweat and made it into the parks. I found that dispite what i had read here and (ahem) elsewhere that the parks were crowded. There was nothing with anything less than a 25 minute wait. The shortest line was for the TTA, which stalled for about 10 minutes while I was inside Space Mountain between the initial climb sections. (not a bad place to stop) I then made it over to the Carousel, which was nice to see again, but the 3rd scene was marred by a screaming bratty kid (not a baby, either..) who needed some discipline as my mother would say, lol. One funny bit to the final scene, was the fact that the Dad was missing his left hand!! Im very surpised that WDW let the show go on with a missing part so noticable! Either way I then used my FP for Space Mountain and after a spin I then rode Buzz, saw the Hall of Presidents, and stopped to eat at Columbia Harbor when Pirates was broken. After some dry and overcooked fish (albeit in a very nice restaurant, with a great quiet upstairs) I rode the Hm and Pirates after it had been fixed. I also rode Splash Mntn for the first time in over 15 years! (has it really been that long??) I finished with one more ride on Space Mntn and the railroad and called it an evening. Upon arriving at the resort I found myself in more pain than usual after MK. I took a very much needed shower and discovered blisters on my right foot, something that has never happened to me ever at WDW. Shoes, more than likely the cause. I went over to the AS Sports store to see if gauze or something could be found. I then found what many here have mentioned before, moleskin. Folks, let me tell you, the stuff works wonders and if this skeptic believes in the stuff you can too!
I slept in a little more the next evening and now pain free thanks to my discovery I soldiered on to Epcot for the F&W festival. After literally just walking onto Test Track I attempted to go to Mars. The posted 5 minute time was more like 20 but was still better than standing in the heat. I was excited but my fun buzz was killed by a woman who ignored all warnings of enclosed spaces and proceeded to have a panic attack inside the vehicle and caused her child to do the same. Her husband and I tried to calm her down as she beat on the side of the door until takeoff. The sound was loud enough that most of her issues were drowned out save for her husbands laughing. (what a class act, right?) Undaunted I made my way to the WS and made the lamb slider with tomato chutney first. :sick: I didn't think I was gonna hold it down. Terrible start, but I erased the taste with some excellent miso and sushi at Tokyo Dining. Great food, and excellent service as always...I then proceeded to try the pork lettuce wrap with kimchi which was absolutely delishious. After riding Malestrom and Mexico's ride I grabbed a medianoche sandwich at Puerto Rico which was also excellent. I made another lap and had the lamb wrap from Tangerine Cafe and absolutely loved it. (also caught MoRockin while eating.) After that it was about time to catch Billy Ocean's free concert. He's still got it boys and girls!! He sounded just like he did when i heard him on the radio in elementary school and the crowd was very receptive. I then decided to go back to Japan's pavillion and try the sake bar in the back of Mitsukoshi. I don't like sake but I wanted to give it another try, and picked the sparkling version. WAY better!! I highly recommend...Last stop for me was Bistro de Paris. I had the cheese sampler plate with the duck as my main. While I am a foodie of sorts and enjoy trying new things I am conflicted with it. I'll review it later, but I think I would have rather taken the same money and eaten elsewhere. It wasn't bad, but thats a story for another day, and another forum. lol...
All in all, I still had fun dispite it being a little more crowded than expected and way, way hotter than expected as well. (local news says record highs all 3 days.) I'll give more reviews on both the resort and food areas in their respective areas later but hope I wasn't the only one who had fun these last few days. And if a red mustang convertible blew by you on the roads it was probably me...:D