dlpmikki
11-04-2010, 08:43 AM
Monday 25th October (Day 14)We are up early again and off to Epcot, where we have breakfast reservations with the Princesses in Norway. My humans decide this is a family day and leave me behind. No pictures with the princesses this time but I suppose it’s fair. I have been before.
There is a minor potential snag when the cast member checking reservations at the gate does not have our party on the list (although there is another “Young” party at the same time). Fortunately, my Mikki came prepared with her written reservation and the party is admitted. When they arrive at the restaurant, they are on the list but are sent away because they are ahead of time (what does the guy expect them to do on World Showcase at 8.30 in the morning?). Fortunately, another cast member in the shop encourages them to go back and ask again and they are accepted. My humans will note several unused tables so the place wasn’t fully booked.
The family see Belle on the way in and Cinderella, Ariel, Snow White and Aurora at the table. Quite rightly, the Disney princesses make a special fuss of the family’s two little princesses.
Mikki has a plan to get the best use of the time when the park opens to the public. She will go on her own to get Fastpasses for Soarin while the rest get into the standby line for Test Track. The rest of the family find the line for Test Track quite short and think they have missed Mikki when they are ushered into the pre-show and she has not got back to them. What a lovely surprise when they find her waiting for them at the loading point! It was a mixture of her “power walking” and some helpful cast members.
After Test Track, they move on to Mission Space and – after some deliberation – all opt for Orange Team. They enjoy both rides. Then, there’s time for a quick visit to The Seas before the return time for Soarin (unfortunately, not enough time for Turtle Talk this time). Soarin is a great success and the family take new fastpasses – returnable between 6 and 7 p.m. – they can use before their dinner reservation at La Hacienda, the new restaurant in Mexico.
The group then splits and my humans come home with Mikki’s sister. The two ladies drive off for their girls’ afternoon at the (non-Disney) outlets. I am hoping Andrew will lie down, rest and cuddle me but he tries reading or doing puzzles in the living room instead.
When our family group is back together, we set off back to Epcot. We get there in reasonable time to use the Soarin Fastpasses (Soarin is another hit with everybody). We have just time to get to Mexico for our dinner reservation and are only slightly delayed as we pass the Moet champagne stand at the Food and Wine Festival. Well, the bigger humans needed an aperitif.
The food and service at La Hacienda are good. Our only concern was that we might still be eating and miss the fireworks (there was no window table available). As it turns out, we finish our meal just before 9.00 p.m. and our server guides us to a door out to the open air section where we get a magnificent view of Illuminations, Reflections of Earth.
Tuesday 26th October (Day 15)The family guests decide we don’t need to go with them to Hollywood Studios so I have my humans to myself again. They talk about relaxing but soon we are in the car and visiting the Lake Buena Vista Outlets. They have two Disney Character Outlet stores there now, we discover, but there is some non-Disney shopping too. Lunch at “Smokey Bones” is squeezed in too.
We all get ready for the evening Halloween party (I’m going as a black and white cat). My humans have their “skulls” shirts (Effective but not very much effort) and the small humans go to a lot of trouble.
We have fun at the party – but it is busy. Face painting in Toontown Fair looks attractive but the kids give up after a bit of a wait. We don’t want to do much “trick or treating” but think everyone will have enough if we take the back trail from Toontown to Tomorrowland (correct). Once in Tomorrowland, Space Mountain calls.
We watch the first parade. The crowd is so deep, the kids need holding up, which leaves parents tired. We manage Pirates of the Caribbean before the fireworks and then the others leave while Andrew and I wait for my Mikki to see if she wants to mingle with a villain. She says none of the villains are ones she likes. That’s the point, Mikki. They are villains. You are not supposed to like them.
We take another tour or Fantasyland but things remain busy so we leave too.
There is a minor potential snag when the cast member checking reservations at the gate does not have our party on the list (although there is another “Young” party at the same time). Fortunately, my Mikki came prepared with her written reservation and the party is admitted. When they arrive at the restaurant, they are on the list but are sent away because they are ahead of time (what does the guy expect them to do on World Showcase at 8.30 in the morning?). Fortunately, another cast member in the shop encourages them to go back and ask again and they are accepted. My humans will note several unused tables so the place wasn’t fully booked.
The family see Belle on the way in and Cinderella, Ariel, Snow White and Aurora at the table. Quite rightly, the Disney princesses make a special fuss of the family’s two little princesses.
Mikki has a plan to get the best use of the time when the park opens to the public. She will go on her own to get Fastpasses for Soarin while the rest get into the standby line for Test Track. The rest of the family find the line for Test Track quite short and think they have missed Mikki when they are ushered into the pre-show and she has not got back to them. What a lovely surprise when they find her waiting for them at the loading point! It was a mixture of her “power walking” and some helpful cast members.
After Test Track, they move on to Mission Space and – after some deliberation – all opt for Orange Team. They enjoy both rides. Then, there’s time for a quick visit to The Seas before the return time for Soarin (unfortunately, not enough time for Turtle Talk this time). Soarin is a great success and the family take new fastpasses – returnable between 6 and 7 p.m. – they can use before their dinner reservation at La Hacienda, the new restaurant in Mexico.
The group then splits and my humans come home with Mikki’s sister. The two ladies drive off for their girls’ afternoon at the (non-Disney) outlets. I am hoping Andrew will lie down, rest and cuddle me but he tries reading or doing puzzles in the living room instead.
When our family group is back together, we set off back to Epcot. We get there in reasonable time to use the Soarin Fastpasses (Soarin is another hit with everybody). We have just time to get to Mexico for our dinner reservation and are only slightly delayed as we pass the Moet champagne stand at the Food and Wine Festival. Well, the bigger humans needed an aperitif.
The food and service at La Hacienda are good. Our only concern was that we might still be eating and miss the fireworks (there was no window table available). As it turns out, we finish our meal just before 9.00 p.m. and our server guides us to a door out to the open air section where we get a magnificent view of Illuminations, Reflections of Earth.
Tuesday 26th October (Day 15)The family guests decide we don’t need to go with them to Hollywood Studios so I have my humans to myself again. They talk about relaxing but soon we are in the car and visiting the Lake Buena Vista Outlets. They have two Disney Character Outlet stores there now, we discover, but there is some non-Disney shopping too. Lunch at “Smokey Bones” is squeezed in too.
We all get ready for the evening Halloween party (I’m going as a black and white cat). My humans have their “skulls” shirts (Effective but not very much effort) and the small humans go to a lot of trouble.
We have fun at the party – but it is busy. Face painting in Toontown Fair looks attractive but the kids give up after a bit of a wait. We don’t want to do much “trick or treating” but think everyone will have enough if we take the back trail from Toontown to Tomorrowland (correct). Once in Tomorrowland, Space Mountain calls.
We watch the first parade. The crowd is so deep, the kids need holding up, which leaves parents tired. We manage Pirates of the Caribbean before the fireworks and then the others leave while Andrew and I wait for my Mikki to see if she wants to mingle with a villain. She says none of the villains are ones she likes. That’s the point, Mikki. They are villains. You are not supposed to like them.
We take another tour or Fantasyland but things remain busy so we leave too.