azcavalier
11-19-2012, 10:40 AM
OK, so we arrived on Saturday the 10th, and left Saturday the 17th. Here's the highlights:
1. Hit the MK first thing, since we were with a family of first timers. I've *never* been in the MK on a Saturday before. Holy cow, was it busy! Hopped the train, got off at Frontierland, and basically did SM, BTM, Tom Sawyer's Island and PoTC. I had to leave to get another in our party who was arriving via Magical Express, and while I was gone, mercifully, I missed the Tiki Room and CBJ. Over the course of the trip, we had multiple table service meals, i'll just do them all at the end.
2. Sunday (11th) was Epcot day. We got a late start, but did most of The Land and The Seas, along with some wandering through the World Showcase and snacking our way through France, Morocco, and the American Experience. Princess dinner with three young princesses at Akershus is how we ended the evening. This was the last Sunday of the Food and Wine festival. Needless to say, the alcohol was flowing (not us, we don't drink). Made for an interesting time getting around. When we left and were trying to find our car in the parking lot, it was almost comical how many people were hitting the "panic" button on their remotes to find their cars, causing it so that no one could find their cars. My wife was cracking up and commenting how we should just hit our panic button, and one of our guests added that we didn't have the excuse of being drunk.
3. Monday (12th) was EMH at AK. Pretty typical. This turned out to be our only AK day. I highly recommend riding Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing in the morning on EMH days. ALL of the animals are out and active early in the morning. We saw *everything*. Including seven Giraffes. I have been on that ride over a dozen times, and didn't even know that they had seven Giraffes.
Epcot evening, Chefs de France and Illuminations. Good stuff.
4. (Tuesday 13th) Epcot morning. Fun times, more Soarin', more World Showcase. We had two in our party try the "extreme" version of Mission: Space (including a 65-year old Grandma) and they both loved it!
5. (Wednesday 14th) First day at DHS. Typical for us...FP for TSM, while riding RnRC and ToT as many times as possible before the lines get too long. They we venture out and ride the other stuff. Had lunch at Sanaa. Took the kids to Downtown Disney in the evening for dinner at Earl of Sandwich and did some shopping. For the first time *ever*, I did NOT spend any $$$ at the LEGO store.
6. (Thursday 15th) First morning at MK. Opening show, pin trading our way up Main Street, and headed for New Fantasyland. This place looks *great*. Love the Storybook Circus. the kids couldn't get enough of the Barnstormer or Teacups. Outside of the Big Top, they were giving away samples of pastries that were inside. I had a bite of a Cream Cheese Danish, and was sold. Went inside to buy one. Holy cow! One look at the candy/pastry counter is enough to make one weak in the knees. It was incredible. So was the danish.
Found out that we could have lunch at Be Our Guest and did so. Also rode the Little Mermaid. Pretty typical of a Dark Ride at Disney. The end was very rushed...left out a lot of detail.
Epcot in the evening, along with DHS. We had dinner at Teppan Edo early (4:30), but we wanted our guests to see the Dancing Lights at DHS, and this was our only chance to see it. So, we actually parked at Beach Club (we were planning to hit Beaches and Cream on the way out), took the boat to Epcot, ate dinner, took the boat over to DHS, saw the lights and got on the last running of the Great Movie Ride before the park closed, hopped the boat back to the Beach Club, were too tired/full for Beaches and Cream, and headed back to the hotel.
7. (Friday 16th) Early Chef Mickey's Breakfast and another MK morning. Basically rode everything we wanted to ride that we had not done yet. Everything in Tomorrowland, more Storybook Circus, Jungle Cruise.
Dinner at the Coral Reef, and finished up everything we hadn't yet done at Epcot, including Mexico and Norway. Had to head back to the room to pack the car.
8. (Saturday 17th) EMH Morning at DHS. Did the same thing we did early in the week, except that by 10am, we were ready to see the shows. We did Indy and Lights, Motors, Action. Spent way too much in the Art of Disney store, had lunch at Sci-Fi, and headed home by 3:30pm.
1. Hit the MK first thing, since we were with a family of first timers. I've *never* been in the MK on a Saturday before. Holy cow, was it busy! Hopped the train, got off at Frontierland, and basically did SM, BTM, Tom Sawyer's Island and PoTC. I had to leave to get another in our party who was arriving via Magical Express, and while I was gone, mercifully, I missed the Tiki Room and CBJ. Over the course of the trip, we had multiple table service meals, i'll just do them all at the end.
2. Sunday (11th) was Epcot day. We got a late start, but did most of The Land and The Seas, along with some wandering through the World Showcase and snacking our way through France, Morocco, and the American Experience. Princess dinner with three young princesses at Akershus is how we ended the evening. This was the last Sunday of the Food and Wine festival. Needless to say, the alcohol was flowing (not us, we don't drink). Made for an interesting time getting around. When we left and were trying to find our car in the parking lot, it was almost comical how many people were hitting the "panic" button on their remotes to find their cars, causing it so that no one could find their cars. My wife was cracking up and commenting how we should just hit our panic button, and one of our guests added that we didn't have the excuse of being drunk.
3. Monday (12th) was EMH at AK. Pretty typical. This turned out to be our only AK day. I highly recommend riding Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing in the morning on EMH days. ALL of the animals are out and active early in the morning. We saw *everything*. Including seven Giraffes. I have been on that ride over a dozen times, and didn't even know that they had seven Giraffes.
Epcot evening, Chefs de France and Illuminations. Good stuff.
4. (Tuesday 13th) Epcot morning. Fun times, more Soarin', more World Showcase. We had two in our party try the "extreme" version of Mission: Space (including a 65-year old Grandma) and they both loved it!
5. (Wednesday 14th) First day at DHS. Typical for us...FP for TSM, while riding RnRC and ToT as many times as possible before the lines get too long. They we venture out and ride the other stuff. Had lunch at Sanaa. Took the kids to Downtown Disney in the evening for dinner at Earl of Sandwich and did some shopping. For the first time *ever*, I did NOT spend any $$$ at the LEGO store.
6. (Thursday 15th) First morning at MK. Opening show, pin trading our way up Main Street, and headed for New Fantasyland. This place looks *great*. Love the Storybook Circus. the kids couldn't get enough of the Barnstormer or Teacups. Outside of the Big Top, they were giving away samples of pastries that were inside. I had a bite of a Cream Cheese Danish, and was sold. Went inside to buy one. Holy cow! One look at the candy/pastry counter is enough to make one weak in the knees. It was incredible. So was the danish.
Found out that we could have lunch at Be Our Guest and did so. Also rode the Little Mermaid. Pretty typical of a Dark Ride at Disney. The end was very rushed...left out a lot of detail.
Epcot in the evening, along with DHS. We had dinner at Teppan Edo early (4:30), but we wanted our guests to see the Dancing Lights at DHS, and this was our only chance to see it. So, we actually parked at Beach Club (we were planning to hit Beaches and Cream on the way out), took the boat to Epcot, ate dinner, took the boat over to DHS, saw the lights and got on the last running of the Great Movie Ride before the park closed, hopped the boat back to the Beach Club, were too tired/full for Beaches and Cream, and headed back to the hotel.
7. (Friday 16th) Early Chef Mickey's Breakfast and another MK morning. Basically rode everything we wanted to ride that we had not done yet. Everything in Tomorrowland, more Storybook Circus, Jungle Cruise.
Dinner at the Coral Reef, and finished up everything we hadn't yet done at Epcot, including Mexico and Norway. Had to head back to the room to pack the car.
8. (Saturday 17th) EMH Morning at DHS. Did the same thing we did early in the week, except that by 10am, we were ready to see the shows. We did Indy and Lights, Motors, Action. Spent way too much in the Art of Disney store, had lunch at Sci-Fi, and headed home by 3:30pm.