Super Inconvenient, Barely Entertaining! Sept 27-Oct 5th Completed

[angelmav]

So, our second full day was about to commence, and I thought it would be fairly laid back. I had my DW scheduled for Massage #2, that morning, before we would head to Disney Springs for brunch. To my utter amazement, she confidently set off for the spa on her own, and, even more shockingly, found it and made it back without getting lost. Unfortunately, she returned in pain, as the massage therapist on this day triggered something in her hip, so she felt even worse! Well that wasn't part of the plan!

So, we hobbled down to the bus stop to head to Disney Springs. Other than a rather lengthy ride that had to go through Typhoon Lagoon, we pulled in with plenty of time to spare. Then realized we were on the completely wrong side of the springs, and it was already blisteringly hot. My DW had not recovered from the day before, and that, coupled with the pain from massage didn't really have her in the mood to do much. I should have tweaked our days plans right there, but, because you lock in your fast passes so far in advance, didn't want to deviate from 'the plan'.

We eventually made it over to Raglan Road, I don't know why I was so keen to book this, I have had dinner here before, but for some reason thought Brunch would be fun. I'll cover it in depth in my award winning DR, but we left there not feeling like we had a great meal. We passed by some shops, where I encouraged my DW to indulge in something to lift her spirits.





Why yes, I guess we ARE buying that cat and that Apron....

But the problem was, it was too dang hot for my DW. She was turning pink and fairly miserable and starting to lag. After leaving a couple of shops, she wasn't feeling like doing much. Ironically, this was originally not going to be a park day at all, I added a day to our tickets so we could see Illuminations, so I made afternoon plans there. I really didn't want to miss that, or to miss out on Soarin' so about halfway across the Springs I offered to order us a Lyft to take us to Epcot. Frankly, I have no idea where exactly we were in the Springs, but he was not supposed to pick us up there. In any event we made our way to Epcot.

My DW had not improved as we slowly made our way through security in the heat of the day. I had Soarin and Living with the Land booked on FP, with a plan to do Nemo and Turtle Talk right after. Given their close proximity, I thought it would be doable. We made it into the Land building and moods did not improve. The problem was, the 'Land' was having A/C Issues of it's own. It was not 'outside hot' but it was easily in the 80's and uncomfortable. My DW had enough at that point, and sent me off to grab snacks from Sunshine Seasons. I returned to a miserable DW and she took off her MB and said she was done. Me and Lil Mav could do the parks on our own and she wanted no part of it. Dejected, I sat there, trying to think how we could salvage the trip.

So, basically, I said how about we do the two FP's we had in the building, and then go back to the resort. She agreed to that, so we went and did Living with the Land. Now, this was in all honesty, a calculation on my part. My DW loves gardening, so I figured she would find the ride interesting, which she did. Also, Soarin is a great ride, and on an earlier trip with extended family was the first thing we did, after which, my BiL told me that one ride made the entire trip worth it. So, I rolled the dice that these two experiences back to back would rekindle some interest. I also threw away my next days plans and rearranged our week, (goodbye Birthday plans at Storybook) so we could have an off day the next day and recover. This meant ADR's were getting slashed, and we were not going to be doing hardly any rides. Out of necessity, this was going to have to be a different kind of trip, if I hoped to keep us all together.

So I swallowed hard, and we rode Living With the Land. Thankfully, the ride was MUCH cooler than the rest of the building. It was the cool down and interesting diversion that we needed. We then followed this up with our FP on Soarin'. This also turned out to be a hit. Not pushing our luck, we headed out and took a Lyft back to the resort. I mentioned at one point it was one of the final showings of Illuminations, and my DW was up for returning in the evening for that. So, with a bit of pep in my step and a plan, we returned to the resort and hit the pool. You know, that giant blue thing that nobody else was going to want to do? Yeah.




Hey look, it cools down after we leave. Also, those forecasts were WRONG! Every day was hotter than forecast! No rain either. Which I guess is lucky since I left our ponchos in Washington.

So we headed for the pool. But on the way we stopped in the spa to rearrange our appointments and make sure they were only with the Day 1 guy. That settled, I was a little unsure what would transpire at the pool. My DD had never wanted to swim. My DW does not usually care for pools. Well, they had a ball! Shades of Green has towels on the ready, a really well themed pool and slide, splash pad area, etc. They also had very good life/floaty vests. We had a ball cooling down in the pool. My DD kept ruminating that "this is the life" and "what more do you need?" She even jumped in from the side into my arms several times and my DW asked me "Did I plan any pool time for us for this trip?" Well, define Us? I quickly realized we could have fun on this trip, but it was not going to be the trip I had planned. We were going to have to lean on the resort more than I imagined, and everything else would be a bonus.

After heading back from the pool, with smiles and giggles, I felt my heart lift. I just wanted my little family to have a good time, and even though it wasn't the plan, here we were, swimming and enjoying ourselves. Next up, since I had canceled our dinner plans at La Hacienda De San Angel, (I love Mexican, my DW is not such a fan and my plan was for her to get grub at the Food and Wine Festival), we instead went to Mangino's at the resort. This turned into an exceptional meal, and a real bargain too. We left that meal happy as well. We were on a roll!

It was amazing the change that took place this day. Of course, it was also apparent that at the first sign of trouble, I was going to have to abandon our plans and make the best of whatever I had to, but at least we had found our fun!

We caught a Lyft back to Epcot, and enjoyed Illuminations. It would be the only time my DD and DW would ever get to see it. I have to say though that while all the Disney fireworks are amazing shows...they do tend to be a little bit...similar. In that fireworks are fireworks. Maybe it is just me, but I didn't feel we missed out not staying for the new show they were testing later on in the trip. Some things are just better in moderation I guess. But once again, I am getting ahead of myself.

After, amazingly, closing down Epcot, we went back to the resort, with an off day ahead of us. It would seem that the trip had bounced back from the brink of disaster. Would it stay that way, or were we sailing for rocky waters?

 

[angelmav]

I should mention from the previous night, we had done matching T-shirts for one day of the trip. It was actually my DW idea. I have no idea who this person is I married. She alternated between not wanting to go to being totally in the spirit of this. I tried ordering these in a different color, then was told, no, get the black. Well there was NO WAY we were wearing black T-shirts on a hot day to the parks, but we did bust them out for our trip back to Epcot for lluminations. I have to say, that was a good bit of geeky fun! They are Chat Flerken featuring Goose from Captain Marvel, an homage to the Famous Chat Noir painting.




We brought THOSE stuffed animals with us to Florida...



So Day three was supposed to be Hollywood Studios, followed by a resort day. Given our difficulties from the day before, I swapped out the two days. This would have some pluses (I was able to get TSMM on the new day) and some minuses (canceling Sci-Fi and Storybook ADR's). But I felt it was needed. This would also prove to be the coolest day of the trip. So in retrospect, I should have switched it with day two, but had no way of knowing this in advance, as the forecast gave no accurate warning.

The day began with a hearty breakfast at Shades of Green's Garden Gallery. This was a tremendous breakfast and all for $35. I'll cover that more on the DR, but it set us up for a nice day. We then went for another swim, even though it was frankly a little on the cool side. Everyone had a great time. It actually rained while we were in the pool, but thankfully there was no lightning in the area, so we were able to swim for quite awhile.

After that, we all got cleaned up and took a Lyft to the Orlando Premium Outlets. There, we had a really tasty lunch from a place that was both Cajun and Japanese called Maki of Japan...I don't understand the pairing, but it was pretty tasty and light on the pocketbook. We checked out the shops and never really found anything to buy, other than some Mango smoothies.



Oddly enough, my DW for whatever reason had it in her head that this is something she wanted on this trip, and then poof, there it was. These were pretty good.

It was an enjoyable side diversion, even though we didn't find anything to buy. It was at this point that my DW started asking my when we were going to see Harry Potter...Yeah, that is a future trip... We weren't done shopping yet though, as we decided to head from there to Disney Springs. This would turn into our best shopping to date, as everybody found something. We also made a stop to meet the Coca Cola Bear for some reason....

My DD had been saving tooth fairy money and looked like a hockey player with so many missing teeth at this point, and came with a list of stuffed animals she wanted to get. I don't actually recall agreeing to this, but I would supplement this idea at various points. We came away with a Woolly Mammoth (named Woolly), a Sabertooth Tiger (Named Saber), Lady, Bolt and Figaro by the time the trip was over, though Figaro and Bolt turned out to be the toughest. We had spotted Bolt at Animal Kingdom, then couldn't find him anywhere else (at the time he wasn't on the approved list of four, but became a prize for dropping a couple of character breakfasts). My DW added the cat previously posted as well, which made fitting everything in our luggage a challenge. Figaro was also a really tough find. Why my DD had that list or that mission is beyond me. But a stop in T-Rex at the Build A Dino took care of Saber and Wooly, and thankfully they could also send those back to the room. We also spotted Lady, who we carried with us. I have to say, all the ones she picked out were really nice. My DW found another shirt and some earrings at Kate Spade, and they were super friendly in there, giving my DD a pendant as well. A stop in Sephora for another bag for me to carry and we were ready to head back to the resort.

At this point, my DW had her next massage appointment booked, so while she was doing that, me and my DD headed for the playground. We had a ball. She loved thus pneumatic lift thing they had. We then took advantage of the opportunity to play giant sized checkers, bean bag toss (corn hole I guess), and a giant connect four board near the pool as well. It was a lot of fun! We were out there for about three hours, as my DW went back to the room when she was done and had a nap.




Stumped about what to do next!

I was really impressed with how much fun and enjoyment we were having at the resort. An often overlooked aspect of the vacation, Shades of Green was really the saving grace for this trip!

Eventually we made our way back to the room where we joined Momma for a nap of our own. It had been a really fun day, and I was glad that I had pumped the brakes on our plans. We needed the light day to get everyone back on track.

I had wanted to do something else for dinner, but it was getting pretty late by the time we were all up from our naps. So we decided to head back to Manginos and had another enjoyable meal. It was at this point that my DW told me about her massage session, how shocked the therapist was by her condition (having just seen her a couple of days before) and questioned if she doesn't have fibromyalgia. I have no idea if she does or doesn't, but it would make sense. She has intense muscle pain all the time, sleep trouble, can't regulate her temperature and it all effects the mood. If we got an accurate diagnosis from our massage therapist...

We wound up calling it a night after dinner, and had had a productive and enjoyable day. It actually felt like a vacation. Tomorrow would be my birthday, and we would spend the afternoon/evening in Hollywood Studios. Will our return to the parks spell disaster, or will we keep the good times rolling?

 

[VAtink]

Following along! So funny you saw me, next time say hi!

My mom's foot is so much better, thanks for the well wishes! It's funny, all the walking at Disney seemed to have made it better!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Nanceliz319]

enjoying this post!! Just curious. How much was the Lyft from resort to Epcot and other parks. adding that to my upcoming budget.

 

[angelmav]

Following along! So funny you saw me, next time say hi!

My mom's foot is so much better, thanks for the well wishes! It's funny, all the walking at Disney seemed to have made it better!

Can't wait to read more!

Very happy to hear that!

Yeah, when we missed the showing for the Festival of the Lion King we were supposed to be at and were waiting outside for our safari guide I spotted you two over by the podium. I caught myself before you would think I was a Dis stalker!

We did ALOT of walking on this trip as well, but the heat was the bigger problem for us. Well my DW to be more exact. I was used to it after the first day.

enjoying this post!! Just curious. How much was the Lyft from resort to Epcot and other parks. adding that to my upcoming budget.

It was really cheap. Granted, I did pay a premium once leaving EPCOT after illuminations because that was when everyone else was leaving, but that was still only like $12. Typically I paid between $5-7. It really was not a huge budget item and sooooooooo convenient.

 

[angelmav]

So our third park day had arrived, and I was spending my Birthday at probably my least favorite park. Yippeee. Not how I had mapped it out to be sure. We started things out slowly, a great Breakfast for the second time at Garden Grill, where a very nice lady at the table next to us was having her Birthday too! Her husband had arranged a cake delivery and they came out and sang. Afterwards I congratulated her and let her know we were both having Birthdays, when she popped off with a little trivia thing that I have always said, that it was Jimmy Carters Birthday too. Lol. Nobody else has ever said that except for me, and it was a pretty funny moment.

After breakfast, we retreated back to the room to change for the pool. Once again, we were going swimming. Who are these people that came with me and what did they do with my family? I must have gotten a dozen rides down the slide, before we headed back to get cleaned up for the park.




Me and that slide...

We had eaten Breakfast really late on this day, so kind of skipped over lunch. So just what did I have planned for this day at HS? Well, I had gotten FP for TSMM, Frozen Sing Along, and Fantasmic. Originally I had the Fantasmic package booked at Brown Derby but that was no longer available. I was happy to get a FP for Fantasmic though, because with Galaxies Edge opening, I had no idea what crowds would be like. The Brown Derby was probably my least interesting ADR before the trip, but it would have to do.

As we made our way to the park, my DW and DD were completely fascinated by the Gondolas. I am of the opinion they have to be Air Conditioned before I would risk a flight on them, but they were pretty impressed. After security, I made a beeline for Guest Services to get my B-Day Button, and they both proudly got their 1st time Buttons, and everyone was in a happy mood. Then my DW said she was hungry and wanted to eat NOW. Ummm our ADR is in an hour and we have the Frozen thing...NOW...ok let me look. Changed that ADR to about 15 min from now, and dumped frozen for Muppets (which we did not need) and other than stopping to meet Chip and Dale we were off to the Brown Derby for Dinner.

I will cover this in depth in my DR, but this was one of the top 5 meals I have ever eaten in the U.S. simply fantastic. Again, what a surprise. It was after this that I decided to change Tomorrows planned Ohana dinner for Narcoossees. After two pretty awesome signature meals, I figured why mess with a good thing? We loved The Brown Derby so much, we almost changed our plans to go back again. It was really, really, really good. It's funny, the places that had been low on my list were impressing me the most.

After dinner we went and 'experienced' Muppets. Boy has this not aged well. The theater was maaaaaaaaybe 1/5 full. Despite that, a lady felt the need to cut through us to get to 'her' seats. This despite the fact they were a large party and that meant the rest of them would get left behind us. Well that caused a bit of a kerfluffel as my DW was not having it. It was extra amusing because it was sooooo darn empty in the theater. I can't say we particularly enjoyed the Muppets, Disney should really replace this.




We were determined to make it feel cooler!


After that was over, we made our way through Galaxies Edge to sort of have a look around. Very well themed, but everything was so darn expensive. Frankly, it also seemed a little Star Wars 'generic' other than the Aluminum Falcon. Probably we should have rode that, but had no idea what the line was doing. We passed through this land and made our way over to TSMM, where we had an absolute blast! Everyone enjoyed it. Then we got in line for Alien Saucers, and had another fun ride. My DD was not interested in Slinky and thought it looked 'scary'. At this point, we headed for the shops and had a look about. We wrongly assumed Bolt could be found in HS.

After this, it was already time to head to Fantasmic. I am not really sure what the FP is supposed to do. We were still all the way over and it didn't seem like any kind of advantage. Oh well, Everyone enjoyed the show. After we left, we again had a poke about in the shops and eventually found a couple of gifts for various people. At this point, there was a helicopter hovering. One of the CM's mentioned they were going to film the new Star Wars fireworks show as it was one of the first nights. People were camped out in front of the the Chinese Theater for this, but the show was set for 1015, and frankly we were all a little ready for bed. Since tomorrow would be a Magic Kingdom day, I didn't force the issue. But once again, we left a park having actually done very little. Everyone was happy though, and still raving about our dinner at the Brown Derby. It was definitely a different kind of trip.

Up next, finally, we are suuuuuuure to do a bunch of rides in the MK! Right?

 

[DLo]

Just found your TR and now all caught up. Looking forward to reading more

 

[buteraa]

following along......

 

[shh]

you're a great TR writer! Really enjoying this.

Totally identified with you re: the panic attack when you were stuck on Dino - I live in fear of getting stuck on any ride where you're locked down with shoulder-type harnesses and can't move or you end up upside down, pitched back/fwd and just immobile like on Universal's coaster or Harry Potter rides. I'm fine while the ride is going, but if I were stuck in that position, I'd feel panicky and always consider skipping rides because of this. But I love them so much, so I take my chances. Glad your DW was there to help.

Kudos on your patience and willingness to change plans at last min - especially the ones you looked fwd to. Many people would get really annoyed at their spouses/families and the trip would be ruined. You are so patient and easygoing, able to go with the flow and do what makes your family happy without carrying a grudge or taking your disappointment out on them. You sound like a great guy!

 

[angelmav]

you're a great TR writer! Really enjoying this.

Totally identified with you re: the panic attack when you were stuck on Dino - I live in fear of getting stuck on any ride where you're locked down with shoulder-type harnesses and can't move or you end up upside down, pitched back/fwd and just immobile like on Universal's coaster or Harry Potter rides. I'm fine while the ride is going, but if I were stuck in that position, I'd feel panicky and always consider skipping rides because of this. But I love them so much, so I take my chances. Glad your DW was there to help.

Kudos on your patience and willingness to change plans at last min - especially the ones you looked fwd to. Many people would get really annoyed at their spouses/families and the trip would be ruined. You are so patient and easygoing, able to go with the flow and do what makes your family happy without carrying a grudge or taking your disappointment out on them. You sound like a great guy!

Thanks for the kind words. I just wanted my family to enjoy themselves, so I was delighted that we had a good time, even if it wasn't the way I planned it.

I was stuck on Rockin Roller Coaster for about 45 minutes on a past trip. I wont ever be riding it again and now avoid anything with a shoulder harness, so I totally get it.

 

[angelmav]

Magic Kingdom Day had arrived. I was stoked for this day, given how appealing it would be for my DD. Well hold your horses their buckaroo! This day would turn out to be kind of a flop. For starters, someone had turned the heat up to 11. It was CRAZY HOT.

We (me) gorged ourselves on Breakfast, but we were starting to run late. I had our first FP booked at Peter Pan. Well, we never made it to Pan, I could not get my Family on the move fast enough to make it on time, so had to let that go. We were then in serious danger of missing our second FP, Fantastical Tales with Belle. I knew nothing about this, other than all the FP were gone for the day, and so I was getting panicked we wouldn't make it. I had even ordered a Lyft to take us to the TTC. As soon as we stepped outside I knew our day was in trouble. It was a blast furnace. I knew my DW would not be able to hold up to the heat, but we were FP committed, so I told myself we would do the Main Street A/C shop dance and hope for the best. By the time we wormed our way through the maze that is the TTC and onto the Fairy, my DW was already turning pink.

So I was second, triple, quadruple guessing what we could do. I had grouped everything in Fantasyland, so was just hoping for the best. We made our way through the shops, and decided watching glass blowers in front of a hot furnace was a GOOD thing. For reasons. My DW did find some hand made earrings though, so keeping her spirits up, we soldiered on.




We cut through Future Land, looking for some Star Wars T-shirt that we couldn't find to send as a gift, and eventually, thankfully, rolled up to our FP with Belle, just on time or slightly late. You decide. Either way, there was no line, so we would have been fine either way. Grrrrr.

Blessedly, it was cool inside. As the cabinet starts to talk, I was impressed. Then I was 'selected' to be a knight in the rest of the thing.



Now, this kinda stinks let me say. You can't really see what is going on, and are constantly told to stand here, do this, blah blah blah. I did not enjoy that to be honest. My DW thought the entire thing was kinda lame. My DD who was not picked, wanted to meet Belle and get her picture with her too. Somehow, she had developed an affinity for the Disney Princesses from the time we planned the trip until now. They did let her get a photo as well, and she also got a book mark and left happy.

After this we were SUPPOSED to ride 7DMT. But there was a huge crowd outside the FP entrance, no idea why, but we said to heck with that and I changed it to a Winnie the Pooh FP for post lunch. It was at that point that we were close enough to our BOG lunch ADR that we steered that way. Now, the bridge was a MASS OF PEOPLE! But, I had pre-ordered our meal, so we could bypass all those sweaty losers and head back into the blessed #thankyoubabyjesus A/C while they waited behind all the people that didn't know a month ago what they wanted for lunch on this day.

My DW was incredibly impressed with me. I could see the look in her eye. It wouldn't last. It never does. The food was quite frankly TERRIBLE, though the service was ok. But it was baaaaaaad and not in a good way. But at least we didn't have to wait in the sun.

While we were having lunch Pooh must have had too much honey and broke down, so I got a message to select another FP. Oh bother. So I picked Dumbo, trying to keep us in the same area. After or less than gourmet meal, we made it onto Dumbo and had a nice ride. And that would be it for rides on this day. Dumbo. Just flippin Dumbo. We were all terribly hot, and I knew the dangers of pushing it, so we called it a day and headed for the resort swimming pool. On the way we stopped in a shop and found some more bric-a-brak and there they told us where to find Bolt. He was hanging out at the Contemporary!

So instead of heading straight back, we took the short Monorail ride to the Contemporary. I guess that counts as a ride. No I am not bitter that we used a park day so I could hold a cardboard sign and we could do ONE ride on Dumbo. Not at all. Maybe just a little. We arrived at the Contemporary, and my DW was very impressed with how nice it must be to be a monorail resort. We found Bolt, my DD was happy, and we then caught another Lyft to SoG where I tried to set a record for the most number of times down the water slide in one day.

We had an easy afternoon before cleaning up and dressing up for dinner out at the Grand Floridian at Narcoossees. With the disaster that was lunch, I figured we would have a great meal here and enjoy the Fireworks. It was somehow worse. I will cover both meals in my next Dining Installment, but this was a TERRIBLE dining day, and a huge let down. I had canceled Ohana for Narcoossees, both offered a Fireworks view, so I thought I was taking the better option. Well it sucked. We were highly impressed with the resort, but, frankly, could not get out of there fast enough after that meal.

That would bring us to a close on our MK day. We had some fun shopping and pool time, and everyone's spirits were up. Only I really knew how much we were missing out on, but had no recourse. Just had to go with the flow and keep those smiles!

Up next, one more relaxed resort day, a trip to AKL, and more Disney Springs shopping!

 

[MaidMarian444]

I love this trip report. We had several busts on our first trip to WDW and I also had a spouse who had to be dragged there. On our last day in MK, which was amazingly low on crowds due to it closing early, my whole family was so ready to leave they didn’t even want to stay for our 3rd FP, which was Buzz Lightyear. I was the only one who wanted to stay! Our AK day, my DH fell into a huge funk because the captive gorillas depressed him so much. My DD and DH were so bored and over the Spirit of Aloha dinner that they left about halfway through.

 

[angelmav]

I love this trip report. We had several busts on our first trip to WDW and I also had a spouse who had to be dragged there. On our last day in MK, which was amazingly low on crowds due to it closing early, my whole family was so ready to leave they didn’t even want to stay for our 3rd FP, which was Buzz Lightyear. I was the only one who wanted to stay! Our AK day, my DH fell into a huge funk because the captive gorillas depressed him so much. My DD and DH were so bored and over the Spirit of Aloha dinner that they left about halfway through.

Thank you for the kind words!

It's pretty crazy how hard it can be to get everyone on the same page.

 

[angelmav]

So our MK day was a bust. The day was a bust, the food was a bust, but the trip was not yet over.

We woke up for our last full resort day, and everyone was in pretty good spirits. Despite the comically few things we were accomplishing in the parks, you would have never known it from my DW and DD. They were in full on vacation mode, had scored some impressive baubles. They were just having fun 'being here', so I kept all that in mind as we prepped for the day.

You know who wasn't feeling it that day? Me. I did not feel well from the day before.

My stomach was killing me.

I took a couple of tums, and we went down to breakfast. It was at that point I realized I would not be able to eat much. For once on this trip, I did not get my $13 worth from the morning meal.

After breakfast, my DW headed off to her massage and me and my DD headed for the playground. It was then that my DD got a little impatient that other kids might want to use the elevator toy as well, and was getting downright antsy. This was interrupted by the couple who thought it was a good idea to have their argument/fight on the playground, before realizing they had an audience. They actually left in a huff because we had the nerve to be there, and that cleared out the playground which my DD was mighty happy about.



Yeah, she flashed me a look...just...like...that...

I might have laughed at that point.

Ok, I laughed.

Like a lot.

She did not get what I thought was so funny, but was happy to have the time to play.

Eventually we got messaged that we should come in and so we took a break, before heading to Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we would have lunch at Sanaa.

I had changed our plans the night before, as we were scheduled to go to a high tea at the GF, but we were not wanting to return to the resort after the night we had before. (Read my Narcoossees review if you want to know more!)

So I had booked lunch at Sanaa, and we would get to check out a resort I had always been interested in.

We grabbed a Lyft and made our way over. Wow is that resort dark. I mean, that is the fist, second, and third impression! There were plenty of animals out on the Safari though which was cool, and the meal at Sanaa was a big improvement over the night before, though I had to take it easy and it still upset my stomach even further.

Eventually we finished and decided to check out the gift shop at the main area, so we took the internal shuttle and my fourth impression was that it was even darker over here. Super cool, loved the fire pit, displays, etc, but wow is that resort dark! So much for that trip being a prelude to our next visit I guess.

We took a Lyft back after buying an egg made from a rock, and a couple of gifts, and then hit the pool for the last time. We had another blast, and I was a little sad after my 50th run down the slide, knowing that our trip was officially winding down. We had one more park day left, and a travel day, and that was it. The Disney trip ending doldrums were starting to hit.

My DW wanted to go to an early dinner then back to DS, which was fine with me. Who it wasn't fine with was my tummy, which was organizing a full on rebellion at that point. And to think, I am the one with the fewest digestive issues in the group. They would order the old standbye's at Manginos while I didn't eat at all, just nursed my iced tea. I figured I could eat something later at DS if the mood hit, but it never did.

We took a bus this time and did some night time shopping, and generally enjoyed ourselves.



Creepy!

My two goofballs were getting into the spirit.


Or maybe just trying to get me to sleep with one eye open?




I managed to spend all of my Landrys points on various items since we never ate at any of the restaurants.

We were all enjoying ourselves at this point, and even though it wasn't how I planned it, but isn't that the point of a vacation? We had barely done anything it seemed, except enjoy our time together.

I did consume one item while we were down here though. A banana and a berry Goofy's Glacier. These were terrible. The artificial banana one was better, but they were both bad. After a couple of sips my DD pawned hers off on me, so at least I had some frozen kool-aid in me. I eventually found a receptacle to ditch those in and we made it back to the resort, having checked every box we had for things we wanted to buy, then scratched our heads about how we would fit everything in the luggage we had.

In all, it was a really nice day. We enjoyed ourselves at two resorts, ate some not terrible food, shopped and had a good time.

Up next, our last chance at the Disney parks, will Epcot V2 be the reboot we need?

 

[angelmav]

So Epcot day two had arrived. My favorite park! I had also booked us a culinary demo that I thought my DW would enjoy, and we had FP's for Frozen, Spaceship Earth and Turtle Talk, Well, this was yet, another blisteringly hot day! But because we had a cool and relaxed day the day before, my DW was not running on Empty, as long as I didn't push it too much. With that in mind we set off.

Now, I happen to think the transport from SoG to Epcot stinks, as they drop you at TTC, then you have to go through security, then the monorail, then security again. I have heard this is changing, or has already changed, but there was no way we were doing all that, so we took a Lyft to and from the park.

On our way in, we were already ducking into the shops to cool off. Uh, oh.

I made a beeline for Mexico and we rode Rio Del Tempo, mostly for the chance to get some blessed A/C.



Hmmmm....didn't this ride used to be better?

We then braved the sun once again and made a beeline for Norway and our much anticipated FP on Frozen! Now, my DD loved Frozen. She had wanted to meet Anna and Elsa too, which we skipped. But we got a surprise on that end after we got back. In any event, the ride was a big hit. My DW once again commended my usage of the FP system, I think she thought I was performing magic at this point. But we all had a great time on the ride. My DW stated she thought there would be more high tech rides like that on the trip...I could only sigh at that comment.

One thing that I had avoided was getting the Photo Pass. I had planned to, but we barely got any FP pictures. Literally about a dozen. And of those, the three of us were never in them. Case in point.

Yeah, i'm blocking my DW head as this is taken. That was money saved.

We saw very few FP photographers this trip too, and they always had a line.

After the ride, we knocked about a bit in Norway. I am always impressed how well done each of the countries are. After that, we slowly made our way around the world as we had some time to kill until the culinary demo. We bought some gummi's in Germany, and hung out in the U.S. of A to soak up the A/C while letting the clock tic. I was impressed with the Native American display they had, and my DD was delighted at being able to trigger the info about the exhibit. Eventually Bolt was able to as well..



See what I can do?




Can't...quite...reach...where...we....are....from...

After the voices of America began singing, we listened for a bit, then had to excuse ourselves as it was time to head to the demo. Now, I thought this would be a really neat thing. My DW didn't understand why we were doing it. My DD was all about it, as everything else I had planned had been fun.


All that unearned admiration was about to bite me in the bum!

One of the reasons I wanted to do this was that it was a 'vegetarian' demo. I thought my DW might get some new ideas or at least it would be something interesting. Instead it was a simple show off dish made with Kohlrabi, that nobody else will ever make and they substituted ingredients to make it cheaper and easier.




Here you go, now you can make it at home. Or make coffee sauce with coffee and butter. Bet you never would have figured that one out on your own...

It wasn't any kind of cooking 'demo' it was a minor assembly with a bunch of videos and a WHOLE LOTTA PAM SMITH hamming it up with the chef and telling inside jokes. I think most everyone there just sat in stunned silence.



Ummm...WTH is this?

My DD was getting bored to tears at this point, and I really couldn't explain why we were there. Then they brought out the dish, with sour cream (which I hate) replacing the buttermilk, so I wasn't even going to eat it.



Soooo....I got to try a couple of slices of raw asparagus with coffee butter...Not what I had in mind.

They continue to ham it up on stage, and my disgusted DW drops the mic and heads for the exit. They stop to ask her if she is going to the bathroom and she replies, "No, I'm bored and i'm leaving". I gathered our things and me and my confused DD followed.

It was indeed super inconvenient and barely entertaining!

On our way back around the world, we did get to have some actual Food and Wine eats. Although I did test something out, I had heard that the Morrocco Coffee and Pastry QS was jerky about giving out water. I wanted to test that theory. So I ordered a beer, a baklava and asked for an ice water. They incredulously told me that no, they don't do that. So I canceled my order and bought it from the Japan Food and Wine cart. So, yep, they won't give you water there.


No water for you!

While we were enjoying our snacks from Japan, a guy walked by with the tastiest looking funnel cake ever. My DW looked like she was about to go ask him out, so I went and grabbed that too. It was at this point we attracted a flock of ducks.


So...you going to finish that?

Now, probably it's not a good thing to feed funnel cakes to ducks. These guys were pretty insistent. My DW also got them to do tricks for it. Flying up to get a piece, etc. We attracted a crowd of onlookers who applauded this. We had somehow turned into an attraction!

I only wish I had thought to capture it on video, but I was greedily trying to eat as much funnel cake as I could get so it wouldn't go to the ducks!

We made our way to Spaceship Earth and had an enjoyable ride on that, when my DW announced she wanted to go back to the resort to swim!

Well gosh, I had said my goodbyes to the slide the day before, but I was game, so we left Epcot for the last time this trip and headed back to the resort. Skipping yet another attraction. Getting full value outta those tickets...

We would have a great evening, and a blowout dinner, and that would do it for our last full day. Probably one of our best days of the trip actually, and who knew that ducks would be a highlight we are still talking about?

This time when we left the pool, it really did feel like the vacation was ending.

Up next, a mad dash to the airport and final thoughts.

 

[angelmav]

So. apologies for delaying my final installment. I really didn't want to be one of 'those' posters that go MIA and leave you hanging. Was I delaying because finishing this means the trip is officially over. Yes. Are other circumstances also in play? Yes.

I have accepted a position in Italy, which has caused all sorts of household chaos as we prepare to venture back across the ocean to open a new chapter in our lives and create all new adventures. It is both exciting and scary as heck!

So we finished one last great dinner at Mangino's, and then called it a night. We woke up the next day and my DW had one last trip down for a massage, so me and lil Mav snuck out to the playground for a little fun. I have to say, we used the heck out of the resort. It was a MAJOR part of our vacation! Do not overlook your resort! We raced back and met Mamma at the room, then went down to breakfast.

After stuffing myself, I had to personally thank Victoria, the omelette master of Shades of Green. She really made the mornings a joy.




Take a bow Victoria, you made each morning EXTRA special!

We then made a beeline for the PX, grabbed a couple of things for the road, and went back to the room to collect our things.

We decided to head to the airport early, even though the flight wasn't until 5pm, so we had moved up our pickup to noon. While waiting in the lobby, we had time to sneak off to the playground a SECOND time which my DD was thrilled about!


Two playground trips is twice as sweet!

On the way back I stopped to do my bidness and discovered someone's backpack left in the stall. After dropping that and the keys at the front desk, we were then alerted that our ride was there, so we stepped out to see this rickety van that reminded me of when I worked for a summer camp 30 years ago. Gee thanks for the luxury transportation Sunstate! We also met our driver.





Buckle up, it's going to be a FAST ride.

He took calls while driving. He complained about customers. He disparaged women, and he DROVE LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL! I have had less nerve wracking car rides in third world countries. We got out of the car, knees shaking, just glad to be at the airport in one piece.

In case I was not clear, DO NOT USE SUNSTATE!

We then had one of those oh so special moments that caused us waaaaaaay too much joy. When we set our suitcase down and the American Airlines attendant started to get snarky that it weighed too much (they make you take things out) only for the scale to settle ON THE DOT for the allowed weight. L O L, not today Satan! The look of disappointment and sigh she gave out caused us much merriment!

We then had a meal that made us miss Disney even more at Ruby Tuesday, made it onto the flight where the sound didn't work for one of our screens, and would be in our own beds before the day was over.

It may sound like it was a bad trip. A waste of money. Well, not so fast there buckaroo. My family is still talking about it. They want to go back! Maybe not when it is so hot, but early November 2020...that is the plan! My DW even mostly enjoyed herself, so, there WILL be another trip to plan and adventure to take!

Also, this trip, caused my DD to discover that she does, in fact, like the Princesses. On a recent day 'Elsa' mad an appearance at the BX, so we took our autograph book and had a great exchange!



This kicked off a cold spell out here which my DD has attributed to 'Elsa's; visit.

So the trip started a smoldering fire of love for Disney, even if the trip itself wasn't what I set out for it to be. I learned a lot about my family this trip, and will plan accordingly next time.

I also learned that it is OK to lean on your resort, that it can play a major role in any WDW vacation.

I learned to NEVER use Sunstate again.

I learned to be extra vigilant in the ADR planning, and when you see reviews consistently give off warning bells, RUN!

I also learned, that we can't wait to go again, even if the trip will be a little bit longer flight.

Thank you all for following along on this adventure. It was difficult to pull off on my end, just getting us all there. Then dealing with the emotions, the near shutdown of activities, the HEAT, some bad meals, but at the end, it was a vacation, and one we all miss. At the end of the day, that is really the point.

Arrivederci!

 

[hereforthechurros]

followed along on your food report and enjoyed how much detail you shared.

I noticed a few times (empanada included) that your DW did have gluten, did that have any effect on her? Sorry if I cross any lines but I found it a little odd you had to be totally in charge of food since I would think she would probably want a bigger say in the restaurants with her restrictions. if my husband booked all of this, planned everything with us in mind, and booked me five massages (WOW!) he would win husband of the decade in my eyes.

So happy to hear that despite bumps and bruises the overall take away was positive and that a return trip is in the works. The magic of Disney eh?

 

[shh]

you are a wonderful writer and this TR was a treat - thank you!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Glad it turned out to be a success in the end and that your family wants to go back! Good luck with your new job in Italy

 

[cinderaimee]

Just read your whole report and I really admire how flexible and considerate you were of your family and willing to give up plans to make them happy because this is basically me on every Disney trip:

I hope your next trip has cooler weather so your family can experience even more of the parks!

Congratulations on your new gig! Living in Italy sounds amazing!