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View Full Version : Merrie May Travels - Part 12



faline
05-23-2011, 04:47 PM
Monday, May 9, 2012

Who: Gene & Me

Plan for the Day:
Disney Studios
Mama Melrose’s for lunch

Well, we certainly deviated from plan this day. We were both so tired last night that I did not set the alarm (We now know that calling for a wake-up call is an exercise in futility.) It was close to 8 before we got out of bed. Breakfast is again coffee and pastries in the room.

A bus is pulling away from the stop just as we get there. The driver nicely stops and allows us to board. Once on board, the driver leads the entire bus load of folks in a rousing rendition of “The Wheels on the Bus” with enough stanzas that we are almost at our destination before the song if finished.

Disney Studios is mobbed! I suspect many folks selected this park today as it is open a bit later than usual and Fantasmic is scheduled for this evening. Tower of Terror is already at a 20 minute stand by so we grab fast passes. Rock n Roller Coaster lists a 15 minute stand by which was probably about right. There is still time before we can use our Tower of Terror Fast Passes so, just for ha-has, we walk over to see what the return time is on the Toy Story Mania fast passes. They still have fast passes available but the return time isn’t until 5:30 -6:30 this evening. I know we will not still be in this park at that time. We head back to the Twilight Zone and the Tower sufficiently terrorized us. As we exit, I see that stand by is now at 30 minutes. It’s only 10 minutes until 11 and there is already a group of folks including little kids waiting to see Beauty and the Beast. The show is still 40 minutes away!

We head over to The Little Mermaid. Look at that line! Gene asks if we would make it into the next show if we got on line and he is told we would. However, I point out that the next available show listed is close to 40 minutes away! Instead, we head into Animation where we once again relearn how Mushu came into being.

Our Mama Melrose’s reservation is not until 1:35 this afternoon. It’s only closing in on 11:30 now. I’m not sure I want to wander around this park for another two hours. We head over to Mama Melrose’s to see if we could be seated early. Unfortunately, they don’t open until 12. Hmmm! We make the decision to leave the park and go to Kona Café for lunch.

While waiting for a bus to the Poly, we see a bus arrive at the next stop for the Ticket & Transportation Center so we hop on that one. I’ve always thought of it as the Ticket & Transportation Center though the recording on the bus states that we are headed towards the Transportation & Ticket Center – when did that get reversed? Once at the Ticket & Transportation….Transportation & Ticket….whatever the place is now called, we walk to The Great Ceremonial Hall. It’s been a while since we made this walk. I love this walk! It’s so beautiful and peaceful!

We take the stairs to the second floor and check in at Kona. I ask them to cancel the reservation at Mama Melrose’s but they say they can’t. We are seated before I can complete the call to dining so I call them back once we are seated and cancel that reservation. This time, I am asked why I’m canceling and I say that we decided not to stay in that park for that length of time.

I love the pot stickers here so we share an order. Gene has a club sandwich and I have chicken with rice and pasta salad. No dessert for us! Lunch was yummy. We’ve typically had good food here – not gourmet but tasty and not disappointing in any way.

With lunch behind us, Gene leads me downstairs. We head into Wyland Galleries. Gene remembered I had admired a turtle ring I had seen here on my last trip. It’s very pretty and Gene buys it for me as a Mother’s Day gift! I choose to wear it and place the ring I was already wearing into the new ring box. I love it!

Back upstairs, we step into the waiting monorail. And then we wait! Seems like they are taking Teal off-line so we need to wait for them to complete that before we’ll move. It’s not a terribly long wait – about five minutes later we are on our way. We disembark at the Magic Kingdom and walk to the Animal Kingdom Lodge bus stop. We wait 5-10 minutes for a bus so a number of folks have accumulated before a bus arrives and we’re a pretty full bus on the way home. A little boy seated near us seems to be suffering from an ear ache and is clearly in pain though he’s being very brave! Poor kid – hope he’s okay and his vacation isn’t in the process of being ruined!

Back home, we change into our suits and head to the pool. We do not have dinner reservations this evening so there is no time pressure on us. Around 5 or so, we head back to our room, shower and change again.
We decide to have burgers for dinner and order them from room service. They are delivered within about 15 minutes of our placing our order.

We are much more refreshed than we were last night. I think we will head over to the Magic Kingdom this evening. We’ll see if we can catch the parade and Wishes!

Goofeygal
05-23-2011, 08:57 PM
What great trip reports.

mouseketeer mom
05-24-2011, 07:50 AM
I am amazed at the crowds you are describing. We had nothing like that during Easter week.
Ahhh..you gave my Poly heart a little pang whie describing Kona's and Wyland. I miss it already!
Don't you love those low pressure afternoons that you don't have to rush thru pool time for an ADR? They are the best!!

princessgirls
05-24-2011, 09:08 AM
Linda,

You and Gene are too cute!! LOVED how you just went over to the Poly and had lunch, and that Gene bought you the turtle ring for Mother's Day. Really sweet.

A good day, really good!

Julie:mickey:

yjgirl32
05-24-2011, 09:09 AM
I am loving reading your reports- getting me even more excited for my trip in June!!!!

DizNee143
05-24-2011, 08:39 PM
what a crazy day at mgm!! sounds like you guys are making the best of it though!:mickey:

Suz36
05-25-2011, 07:10 PM
Sounds like a wonderful day, despite the crowds at DHS. I REALLY need to learn to go with the flow like you - I might break out in hives if someone even suggests changing the plan! :blush: But it sounds so relaxing your way! Glad you were happy with Kona - we've never eaten there but are staying at the Poly in March and have a few meals planned there.

RedSoxFan
05-26-2011, 08:47 AM
Busy at DHS. We ate at Kona's for dinner --- excellent. Nice day!!:mickey:

KylesMom
05-26-2011, 12:34 PM
You're definitely due for a sleep-in day, Linda!

Another mobbed park? Unbelieveable, but if they're showing Fantasmic tonight, that seems to be the norm anymore.

I've never quite figured out why Mama Melrose doesn't open until noon. I would gladly schedule my lunch for 11 or 11:30 there if I could! Nice choice of an alternate - I could sure go for the potstickers right now! Strange that they couldn't cancel your ADR, though . . .

What a guy - sounds like Gene knew before you two left home what he was going to get you for Mother's Day. Very nice!

You definitely are getting a nice mix of pool and park time. I hope the MK is a wee bit less crowded than DHS was today! :mickey:

MississippiDisneyFreak
05-27-2011, 08:28 AM
Thanks for the report-DHS is my least favorite park...there are only a half dozen things I really care for in that park

vizsla
05-28-2011, 08:43 AM
Thanks for the report.

pdrlkr
05-29-2011, 08:42 PM
Thanks for the Report! :smickey:

DisneyorBust
06-01-2011, 09:54 PM
Thanks for the report! I like the way the two of you manage the crowds.

Mickey'sGirl
06-03-2011, 01:12 PM
I really don't blame you for getting out of Dodge on a crowded day like that. It's no fun at all .... but man! The rest of your day sure sounded great! :thumbsup:

brian2000boston
06-25-2011, 08:07 AM
another wonderful day.

buzznwoodysmom
06-28-2011, 10:57 AM
Oh, we love that walk from the....lets call it the TTC to the Poly. We also love to walk from the GF to the Poly. Those quiet walks with my family in WDW are some of my favorite moments.

Kona Cafe is somewhat of a hidden gem in my opinion.

What a nice, relaxing afternoon you guys had!

darthmacho
06-29-2011, 07:35 AM
Seems like DHS is a hoppin' park these days. Maybe TSM and new Star Tours have bumped up the crowds, yet there aren't many more attractions after those, plus ToT and RnR to absorb the crowds? Who knows. Was hoping for a review of Mama Melrose, but it sounds like you had a nice lunch anyhow. :mickey:

January-2007
07-19-2011, 11:25 PM
Thanks for reporting.

Jennifer_and_Chris
07-20-2011, 02:39 PM
excellent care free afternoon. I almost despise the pressure of ADR's when we want to do something else...