Janmac
09-09-2012, 11:26 PM
The Epcot Flower & Garden Show DBF Cousins Amtrak POR/VWL April Experiment
Monday Day 1
Cast of characters
>From Missouri 15 22 April, Sunday to Sunday
Me [ineffective] OCD planner
DH my dear husband, almost immune to Disney magic
Eeyore - my dear sister
Tink - Eeyore's daughter
Pluto - Tink's 7 year old daughter
DBF Tink's significant other & sorta newbie (visited almost 20 years ago as teen)
>From Illinois - 17 22 April, Tuesday to Sunday
Remy - my dear cousin
Pirate Remy's DH
Wall-e 7 yr old son of Remy & Pirate
The Plan:
We have an ambitious plan this morning. We had originally thought we'd do DHS with breakfast at Hollywood and Vine. Then Eeyore and Tink wanted lunch at Sci Fi Dine in Theater. And then Tink thought of having a fun ponytail with glitter (for the Sci Fi) at Harmony Barbershop, since they now take reservations. So, we made ADRs for Crystal Palace for 8:10 am, Harmony Barbershop for 9 am and Sci Fi at 11:20 am.
After breakfast, while Tink's at Harmony Barbershop, we'll do Aladdin's Magic Carpet, Space Mtn, and possibly Buzz Lightyear and then transfer to DHS for Tower of Terror and possibly Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. After lunch and resort time, we'll head to Japan for pearls and Teppan Edo for supper, and then browsing Epcot, leaving just before Illuminations, to avoid the crowds at the bus stops.
We have two in our group that have food problems: Tink has an onion thing and Remy has a gluten difficulty. Neither are life threatening allergies but we have alerted Disney. We're interested to see how successful this will be. In the past Tink has missed some attractions because of hidden onions.
What really happened:
DH and I walked to the east bus stop at Port Orleans Riverside, arriving about 7 am. We had to wait awhile before an MK bus came by but we still beat the VWL group to the turnstiles. They had run into a couple of travel snafus of their own, but since they were already at an MK area resort, they still arrived well before the turnstiles opened.
We were first through the turnstiles at about 7:50, and then first at the rope. We got some stickers from the CM there which Pluto shared with a young Asian couple who were also at the rope. They had an interpreter guide person with them, who explained that Pluto was trying to share. Once they understood what was going on, they were all smiles.
When the CM removed the rope, we headed for Crystal Palace, taking some Castle photos along the way. I checked us in and got the pager. To our surprise we were called as the First Family and got to have a small ceremony presented by some of the CP servers. This was new to us.
We had our usual great food (love strawberries and whipped cream) and fun time with the characters. We really like eating a buffet breakfast and Pluto rarely indicates any interest in interacting with characters we see along the way. If we want photos with her and characters, meal times are the place.
DH went with Tink to the barbershop while the rest of us went to Pluto's traditional first ride: Aladdin's Magic Carpet. Next, Space Mountain. On our 2010 trip, Pluto got to ride one day when apparently CMs weren't paying attention to height. The next day she tried to ride, she was too short broke her heart. Today she was happy to ride again. Tink texted that she was done, so we headed for Main Street to exit MK. We opted for the Ferry to the TTC, as we had not ridden the Ferry in years, and one was just offloading a bunch of MK guests. This ferry ride was a hoot since we were almost the only Guests on board. I think we were outnumbered by the crew.
Once at the Studios, we headed for Tower of Terror which is Eeyore's and Tink's all time favorite ride. Pluto has long been too scared to ride either PotC or Haunted Mansion, so we tried to pump her up, saying don't let Walt fool you with the scary stuff in the line, you'll be ok. She kept trying to be brave and was rewarded with a fun ride in the elevator. She said that ToT was now her new favorite screaming ride way better than Space Mountain.
Next was my favorite Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (DH and I had held down a bench while the others did ToT). Pluto was a bit timid about this one, too, but kept trying to be brave and again said that Space Mountain was not as good as RnRC. ToT is still number one for her tho.
By now it was time for the Sci Fi Dine Theater reservation. DH does not care for eating in the dark so he and I were going back to POR for lunch, since we wanted to try out the counter service offerings there. All morning I had been looking, unsuccesfully, for a hat to protect DH's noggin from the Florida sun. I decided to walk through the store next to Hollywood & Vine, instead of down Hollywood. And there we found a very nice straw fedora that even fit (DH wears a LARGE size) except, oh, no!, it had an embroidered Mickey Mouse on the hat band. DH said that was no problem (!) and he had his sun protection. Back at Riverside Mill we found out that salads are now to be considered as desserts, which was wonderful. I had a custom made pasta with salad while DH had a sandwich and a salad.
After a bit of a rest, we were again at the east bus stop waiting for an Epcot bus. We were already forming a pattern of getting off the bus at the south depot (nearest the POR entrance) and boarding at the East bus stop. Once into Epcot we wandered down to the World Showcase Lagoon, looking at the Garden show additions we could see from the main walkway. At the Lagoon, we found a Friendship at the dock. DH likes the Friendships less walking - so we got on. We got some beverages at Morroco and people watched while we waited for the VWL folks, who were exploring Future World.
We watched the little ceremony in the department store at Japan while Tink and Pluto had their oysters opened and pearls measured. Pluto's pearl is the same size as Tink's from our last trip, so they traded. We went upstairs and checked in at Teppan Edo about ten minutes before our ADR and then waited an hour. We had not eaten at Teppan Edo in several visits and this might be why. Once seated, with another couple who visit WDW and Teppan Edo every year, we had a great time. Our chef, a woman, was apparently still in some sort of training. She cooked each dish separately, and was watched constantly by a woman supervisor person, who stood in the doorway between our room and the next. I could see a couple of the other chefs, who cooked multiple things at once, with many flourishes. Our chef wasn't as flashy but she was outgoing and fun. The first thing she did was discuss the ingredients in the sauces as well as their names and then put only the one onion-free sauce in all the compartments of Tink's sauce dish. She then prepared Tink's supper choice before preparing the rest of ours so that there was no cross contamination from the onions.
After supper, we strolled around World Showcase, over to Germany, where we watched the trains awhile. It seems to us that even this model landscape has been spiffed up for the Flower and Garden Show. We continuing on, strolling through Future World and out the exit and back to our resorts. Tomorrow is early entry to Animal Kingdom and breakfast at Tusker House.
Oops!
Tink's ADR at Harmony Barbershop was disappointing. She said she felt a definite undercurrent of disharmony in the air when she walked in. She said Michal finally warmed up she wondered if he ever would. She did get a fun pony tail with plenty of pixie dust. Michal's always been a hoot so we haven't written off the barbershop yet.
Surprise: Salads as dessert! Also, the fruit cups can be substituted for counter service dessert on the Dining Plan. This makes the DDP wonderful in my book. I did have a carrot cake at Cosmic Ray's later in the week because I ordered a salad as an entree, and I hadn't had a carrot cake all week!
At the end of the day - we were first family at our favorite Crystal Palace, which was closed on our last trip. Pluto has two new favorite screaming rides. DH actually has, sort of, a Mickey hat. Epcot has such a lot of stuff to look at, I don't know where to start. Tink had some great, onion free meals. It was a pretty good day.
Jan
Monday Day 1
Cast of characters
>From Missouri 15 22 April, Sunday to Sunday
Me [ineffective] OCD planner
DH my dear husband, almost immune to Disney magic
Eeyore - my dear sister
Tink - Eeyore's daughter
Pluto - Tink's 7 year old daughter
DBF Tink's significant other & sorta newbie (visited almost 20 years ago as teen)
>From Illinois - 17 22 April, Tuesday to Sunday
Remy - my dear cousin
Pirate Remy's DH
Wall-e 7 yr old son of Remy & Pirate
The Plan:
We have an ambitious plan this morning. We had originally thought we'd do DHS with breakfast at Hollywood and Vine. Then Eeyore and Tink wanted lunch at Sci Fi Dine in Theater. And then Tink thought of having a fun ponytail with glitter (for the Sci Fi) at Harmony Barbershop, since they now take reservations. So, we made ADRs for Crystal Palace for 8:10 am, Harmony Barbershop for 9 am and Sci Fi at 11:20 am.
After breakfast, while Tink's at Harmony Barbershop, we'll do Aladdin's Magic Carpet, Space Mtn, and possibly Buzz Lightyear and then transfer to DHS for Tower of Terror and possibly Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. After lunch and resort time, we'll head to Japan for pearls and Teppan Edo for supper, and then browsing Epcot, leaving just before Illuminations, to avoid the crowds at the bus stops.
We have two in our group that have food problems: Tink has an onion thing and Remy has a gluten difficulty. Neither are life threatening allergies but we have alerted Disney. We're interested to see how successful this will be. In the past Tink has missed some attractions because of hidden onions.
What really happened:
DH and I walked to the east bus stop at Port Orleans Riverside, arriving about 7 am. We had to wait awhile before an MK bus came by but we still beat the VWL group to the turnstiles. They had run into a couple of travel snafus of their own, but since they were already at an MK area resort, they still arrived well before the turnstiles opened.
We were first through the turnstiles at about 7:50, and then first at the rope. We got some stickers from the CM there which Pluto shared with a young Asian couple who were also at the rope. They had an interpreter guide person with them, who explained that Pluto was trying to share. Once they understood what was going on, they were all smiles.
When the CM removed the rope, we headed for Crystal Palace, taking some Castle photos along the way. I checked us in and got the pager. To our surprise we were called as the First Family and got to have a small ceremony presented by some of the CP servers. This was new to us.
We had our usual great food (love strawberries and whipped cream) and fun time with the characters. We really like eating a buffet breakfast and Pluto rarely indicates any interest in interacting with characters we see along the way. If we want photos with her and characters, meal times are the place.
DH went with Tink to the barbershop while the rest of us went to Pluto's traditional first ride: Aladdin's Magic Carpet. Next, Space Mountain. On our 2010 trip, Pluto got to ride one day when apparently CMs weren't paying attention to height. The next day she tried to ride, she was too short broke her heart. Today she was happy to ride again. Tink texted that she was done, so we headed for Main Street to exit MK. We opted for the Ferry to the TTC, as we had not ridden the Ferry in years, and one was just offloading a bunch of MK guests. This ferry ride was a hoot since we were almost the only Guests on board. I think we were outnumbered by the crew.
Once at the Studios, we headed for Tower of Terror which is Eeyore's and Tink's all time favorite ride. Pluto has long been too scared to ride either PotC or Haunted Mansion, so we tried to pump her up, saying don't let Walt fool you with the scary stuff in the line, you'll be ok. She kept trying to be brave and was rewarded with a fun ride in the elevator. She said that ToT was now her new favorite screaming ride way better than Space Mountain.
Next was my favorite Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (DH and I had held down a bench while the others did ToT). Pluto was a bit timid about this one, too, but kept trying to be brave and again said that Space Mountain was not as good as RnRC. ToT is still number one for her tho.
By now it was time for the Sci Fi Dine Theater reservation. DH does not care for eating in the dark so he and I were going back to POR for lunch, since we wanted to try out the counter service offerings there. All morning I had been looking, unsuccesfully, for a hat to protect DH's noggin from the Florida sun. I decided to walk through the store next to Hollywood & Vine, instead of down Hollywood. And there we found a very nice straw fedora that even fit (DH wears a LARGE size) except, oh, no!, it had an embroidered Mickey Mouse on the hat band. DH said that was no problem (!) and he had his sun protection. Back at Riverside Mill we found out that salads are now to be considered as desserts, which was wonderful. I had a custom made pasta with salad while DH had a sandwich and a salad.
After a bit of a rest, we were again at the east bus stop waiting for an Epcot bus. We were already forming a pattern of getting off the bus at the south depot (nearest the POR entrance) and boarding at the East bus stop. Once into Epcot we wandered down to the World Showcase Lagoon, looking at the Garden show additions we could see from the main walkway. At the Lagoon, we found a Friendship at the dock. DH likes the Friendships less walking - so we got on. We got some beverages at Morroco and people watched while we waited for the VWL folks, who were exploring Future World.
We watched the little ceremony in the department store at Japan while Tink and Pluto had their oysters opened and pearls measured. Pluto's pearl is the same size as Tink's from our last trip, so they traded. We went upstairs and checked in at Teppan Edo about ten minutes before our ADR and then waited an hour. We had not eaten at Teppan Edo in several visits and this might be why. Once seated, with another couple who visit WDW and Teppan Edo every year, we had a great time. Our chef, a woman, was apparently still in some sort of training. She cooked each dish separately, and was watched constantly by a woman supervisor person, who stood in the doorway between our room and the next. I could see a couple of the other chefs, who cooked multiple things at once, with many flourishes. Our chef wasn't as flashy but she was outgoing and fun. The first thing she did was discuss the ingredients in the sauces as well as their names and then put only the one onion-free sauce in all the compartments of Tink's sauce dish. She then prepared Tink's supper choice before preparing the rest of ours so that there was no cross contamination from the onions.
After supper, we strolled around World Showcase, over to Germany, where we watched the trains awhile. It seems to us that even this model landscape has been spiffed up for the Flower and Garden Show. We continuing on, strolling through Future World and out the exit and back to our resorts. Tomorrow is early entry to Animal Kingdom and breakfast at Tusker House.
Oops!
Tink's ADR at Harmony Barbershop was disappointing. She said she felt a definite undercurrent of disharmony in the air when she walked in. She said Michal finally warmed up she wondered if he ever would. She did get a fun pony tail with plenty of pixie dust. Michal's always been a hoot so we haven't written off the barbershop yet.
Surprise: Salads as dessert! Also, the fruit cups can be substituted for counter service dessert on the Dining Plan. This makes the DDP wonderful in my book. I did have a carrot cake at Cosmic Ray's later in the week because I ordered a salad as an entree, and I hadn't had a carrot cake all week!
At the end of the day - we were first family at our favorite Crystal Palace, which was closed on our last trip. Pluto has two new favorite screaming rides. DH actually has, sort of, a Mickey hat. Epcot has such a lot of stuff to look at, I don't know where to start. Tink had some great, onion free meals. It was a pretty good day.
Jan