The Tenth Honeymoon is the Best One of Them All! - May '14 TR - COMPLETED 4/19

[nilla]

It's the Great Piggy Bank Adventure! Not a bad segue, eh?

Not a bad attraction, either. In fact, this attraction in Innoventions West is a lot of fun, and a favorite of the kids. Especially Emily. Now, I could be like those other Trip Report writers and explain what goes on in this one, but if I were like those other Trip Report writers, you probably wouldn't be reading my Trip Report! Gotta focus on what you do best, and for me, it's vague descriptions and massive holes in details. So instead of telling you about this, I'll let you figure it out for yourself.





















And there it is. So what do you think, Em? Did I do a good job explaining it?



Arrr, I'll take that as a yes!

Afterwards, we hit Sum of All Thrills, with Emily/Kristin and Me/Dylan as the teams. Dylan wants to use the Top Secret Formula (tm) that Garry and I used the other day, and we do. Great ride!

I know someone (I won't out him) who works at Raytheon, so I asked him if he could get me one of these for my backyard. No go. Also no go on the iron man suit. What's the point of working there, then? Oh well, I tried.

It's almost dinner time, so we'd better head over to the Seas. After all, this is the ONLY time we head over to the Seas - when we're eating at Coral Reef - so now seems like a good time to do it.

 

[nilla]

We have 4:35 FPs for the Nemo Ride which means we can ride it now. Like, right now. As in "Kristin is walking quickly ahead so this is the best shot of the sign I could get" right now.



Hey, the ball's in the background, so that counts for something, right?

After riding (love this ride, BTW), we have some time to walk around inside the Seas. I love aquariums, but Kristin's not really a big fan. She does like getting this perennial photo, though:





And who doesn't think this is cool?



Or this?



Or this?



Manatee feeding time! Emily made a special request earlier in the day that we NOT see the manatees from above their tank, due to the smell. No problem, Em, but we can still see (and not smell) them from down here!



Rarely has watching something eat lettuce been so entertaining. But trust me - it was entertaining.

Our ADRs have just about come due, so it's over to Coral Reef to request a table right next to the aquarium. We do this every year, and it's well worth the minimal wait.

Of course, you'll have to wait until at least tomorrow to hear any more about it. It's getting late, and I have to get to bed! But don't fret - there will be LOTS of updates this week!


[POST=51722947](next update)[/POST]

 

[mamasuttles]

Our ADRs have just about come due, so it's over to Coral Reef to request a table right next to the aquarium. We do this every year, and it's well worth the minimal wait.

Awesome! We have ADRs for Coral Reef in September. Is this something we ask at the time of reserving or when we check in for our ADR? I didn't know we could do that!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

wow, bunch of good updates - looks like a lot of fun hanging out with friends ... but what is up with the lack of beer to start at EPCOT? I mean, you can't pitch something that, at least on the surface, has some educational aspects to it and not provide alcohol!

Also, glad to hear that mine is not the only kid that likes to argue and has to be reminded "who's in charge" on a daily basis

Definitely want to check out the Piggy Bank thing next trip - only have heard good things about it and I think my oldest is now old enough to appreciate

 

[nilla]

Awesome! We have ADRs for Coral Reef in September. Is this something we ask at the time of reserving or when we check in for our ADR? I didn't know we could do that!

We just do it when we check in for the ADR. Try to get there a little early. Not sure how big your party is, but the tables by the tank may be limited to four people.

wow, bunch of good updates - looks like a lot of fun hanging out with friends ... but what is up with the lack of beer to start at EPCOT? I mean, you can't pitch something that, at least on the surface, has some educational aspects to it and not provide alcohol!

Also, glad to hear that mine is not the only kid that likes to argue and has to be reminded "who's in charge" on a daily basis

Definitely want to check out the Piggy Bank thing next trip - only have heard good things about it and I think my oldest is now old enough to appreciate

Yeah, really! How am I supposed to sit through Chinese acrobats without at least a slight buzz??

I'd like to think I wasn't this argumentative as a child. Then again, I also like to think that guy I met is an actual human-sized mouse

Piggy Bank adventure is a lot of fun, and educational, too. So make sure you have a beer BEFORE hitting Innoventions!

 

[Clarf]

Innovations is a place we need to spend more time at this year. We kind of glazed over it last time, but I think my girls would love that piggy bank game. And I think my husband would love Sum of all Thrills.

The Japan store looks great too. I think I need 1 or 5 of those bobbleheads.

At Coral Reef, if you want a tank side seat and request it, will they honor it if you don't mind waiting a bit? I know we'd love to sit right next to it. We're eating there in September.

Love the Manatee pictures. We've seen them in the wild in Florida and it is so awesome. Funny they are so fat and all they eat is lettuce in captivity and various sea plants in the wild.

 

[AlyssinWonderland]

Your trip report is great! I'm totally enjoying reading it. Thanks for sharing your adventures with your family!

 

[WishnDisney]

We actually tried that psychology, if only somewhat, on this trip. I'll elaborate in my updates on either Monday or Tuesday. We could definitely stand to use it a bit more, though. Nice to hear a success story, though, and great to know there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

I'll be on the lookout for the next TR. I fear I'm too far behind on the one you're currently working on, and if I start reading it, I'll probably fall behind on Kathy's

Updates coming RIGHT NOW!

Here I thought I was the only with a kid who argues every point. It only you all had posted this last week maybe I could have save myself some aggravation the past 8 days in the most magical place on earth. I've actually decided WDW is like giving birth. You can of forget the details as soon as it's over and don't mind doing it again.

 

[MEK]

So - let me get this straight. If you read my TR you won't have room in your brain to read Kathy's. I guess that's semi-logical. Getting old really stinks, doesn't it????

That one fish picture is super cool. I think he's posing for you. Nice!

I bet watching the manatees eat was super cool. Denny and I did a kayaking trip over in the Tampa Bay area this past spring and got to kayak in an area just packed tight with manatees. It was such a great experience.

I need to borrow some kids so I can do that Piggy Bank attraction. It looks really cute and fun.

 

[nilla]

Innovations is a place we need to spend more time at this year. We kind of glazed over it last time, but I think my girls would love that piggy bank game. And I think my husband would love Sum of all Thrills.

The Japan store looks great too. I think I need 1 or 5 of those bobbleheads.

At Coral Reef, if you want a tank side seat and request it, will they honor it if you don't mind waiting a bit? I know we'd love to sit right next to it. We're eating there in September.

Love the Manatee pictures. We've seen them in the wild in Florida and it is so awesome. Funny they are so fat and all they eat is lettuce in captivity and various sea plants in the wild.

The bobble heads are the best! Lots of other great stuff in there, too. Lots.

Correct - just ask to sit tankside when you check in, and they'll hook you up. We've always had early ADRs, thought I don't know if it matters. You may wait a bit longer than we did if you have later ones. Well worth it, though.

I'd love to see manatees in the wild!

Your trip report is great! I'm totally enjoying reading it. Thanks for sharing your adventures with your family!

Thanks for reading! More adventures are coming tonight!

Here I thought I was the only with a kid who argues every point. It only you all had posted this last week maybe I could have save myself some aggravation the past 8 days in the most magical place on earth. I've actually decided WDW is like giving birth. You can of forget the details as soon as it's over and don't mind doing it again.

Sorry I didn't get that update out sooner! Hopefully you'll remember this for the next trip

Can't speak to whether it's like giving birth, but the trips do seem to bleed together at some point! That's what photos are for

So - let me get this straight. If you read my TR you won't have room in your brain to read Kathy's. I guess that's semi-logical. Getting old really stinks, doesn't it????

That one fish picture is super cool. I think he's posing for you. Nice!

I bet watching the manatees eat was super cool. Denny and I did a kayaking trip over in the Tampa Bay area this past spring and got to kayak in an area just packed tight with manatees. It was such a great experience.

I need to borrow some kids so I can do that Piggy Bank attraction. It looks really cute and fun.

I'm already following about 6 TRs, and have fallen behind on one of them. I'll definitely read your next one

I just read a book that said that getting old is really just a state of mind, and that we bring it on ourselves by assuming we're getting old ("The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne). Hmm...

You can do the Piggy Bank thing without kids!

Thanks again for reading, everyone. Now, let's close out Day 4.

 

[nilla]

When we left off, we had just put our name in for a table by the tank at Coral Reef (all you have to do is ask!), and we now have a buzzer. We sit down on the couches in the lobby. Oh, the memories this brings back...from the man thinking Dylan was his grandson to the kids dropping the buzzer down the crack of the couch, with me nearly peeling all of the skin from my arm to retrieve it. None of that this year, though. I'm holding the buzzer, and there aren't a lot of people here right now. After only about 5-10 minutes of waiting, we were seated.





Not sure what's happening with me and the camera on this trip, but I have no other photos of the tank. I do have photos of our drinks, though. Emily got a strawberry smoothie.



Alternate angle!



I got a New Belgium Ranger IPA...



...in a can? I can honestly say an IPA in a can is a first for me. I didn't even know this existed! Kristin got a seltzer, I believe, and Dylan probably got some sort of soda. Oh, that bread and butter was really good, too.

One of the downsides to sitting by the tank is that everyone and their little kids want to get up close to see the tank...which typically means squeezing between tables. I don't really mind the little kids...especially in this case. Mom and Dad are apparently scuba diving in the tank (grandparents were with the kids), so it's a nice moment for the children. Ok, now back off the table!

The meals arrive. Since this is a seafood restaurant, Kristin, naturally, got a Strip Steak.



She loved it. Dylan got the Rainbow Trout.



We have some luck with him and fish, though this wasn't his favorite. He did a commendable job on it, though.

Speaking of Dylan eating, I suggested before the trip that we simply avoid arguing with him over eating. We won't force him to eat anything, but no snacks if he doesn't. He's onboard with it, and I must say, he did MUCH better this trip than usual. And it was one less thing to argue about. We had plenty of other things for that!

"Hey look...Howard's being eaten!"



That nasty dish was my Yellowtail Snapper, one of the specials, and also a kind of fish that is in the tank. Kind of bizarre getting this. The waitress informed me it was a whole fish prior to me ordering it, but I was up for something different. This certainly was something different for me at Disney.

The waitress also let me know earlier that she loves to filet them, so I asked her if she'd like to do it. Less work for me! Here's what it looked like when I actually was able to eat it:



Doesn't look much better, does it? It was good, but not mind-blowingly good. It was a decent fish, though. And certainly worthy of three paragraphs, two photos, and one Monty Python quote in my Trip Report. Sometimes, you gotta look at the bigger picture.

Emily decided to mix it up tonight and get the mac and cheese.



How many nights in a row is that now?

 

[nilla]

The meals were good, some even great. But the real highlight at this place (besides the aquarium) is the desserts.

Kristin and I each have a favorite that we gets every year. For her, it's the Chocolate Wave, served with Raspberry Gelato.



It's AMAZING. That cupcake thing is filled with warm chocolate. Soooo good.


My personal favorite dessert is the yellowtail snapper.



Or......not. My favorite dessert is OBVIOUSLY the Baileys and Jack Daniels Mousse. Obviously. I mean, c'mon.



WOW. Delicious!

Dylan wants a spoonful. I look around for the Florida Liquor Control Board agents...coast is clear. Alright, try away! But don't eat all the jimmies!

(Dylan eats a lot of the jimmies)

Man, you ate half of the jimmies! Dylan and Emily, for some reason, think they're called "johnnies", which is even more absurd than me calling them "jimmies". But nonetheless, don't eat all the jimmies.

Besides, you already have the Turtle Cheesecake.



Also, WOW. The legs were like Nilla Wafers (not affiliated in whole or in part with the writer of this Trip Report), and the cake was drizzled with caramel. Dylan and I love pretty much any cheesecake that doesn't have fruit on it, and this is no exception. Again, WOW.

Emily got the octopus cupcake.



Also good! Meals done, it was time to head out. Overall, it was another great meal at Coral Reef. Great food, great drinks, great server, incredible desserts...all with a backdrop of live sharks, fish, and turtles. Oh, and sometimes scuba divers. This is definitely on the agenda for next year as well.

 

[nilla]

Afterwards, it was outside for photos.



Em got the thumbs up, but is unsure of what her brother is up to. I don't blame her.

We weren't ready to head back to CSR just yet, so we decided to move on. Besides, there's a possibility we will be joining Jenn, et al later to watch Wishes from Bay Lake Tower. That would be spectacular!

But we're not done in Epcot yet. First stop - Journey into Imagination.



We love this one, and it features the actor who said, "Hey look...Howard's being eaten!" The after-ride area is seriously limited though. The Simon-like wall panels are neat, but don't seem to work that well. "Make a Figment" is fun enough, as is the music maker thing (no photos - sorry! I really don't know what's happening here). The sound tiles are fun for little kids. But c'mon...do something here!

As we exit out the gift shop, Kristin and I both look at the chained-off stairs. "The rainbow tunnel is up there!" Do we run up?

Of course not. Be we want to. We would like to see what's up there, but for now, can't see with our eyes. So why not...(say it with me)...see it using our imagination?

With the song stuck in our head, we headed outside again. No time to get hit by the dancing water, and we don't want the kids getting wet right now. We stop for another annual photo op, but this year, Dylan wants no part of it. What the heck, man? Play along!

No worries - Emily's got it covered.



Done with this pavilion, we decide that we might as well just keep walking this direction and head into World Showcase. What not? We've been all over this park today.

 

[nilla]

We're starting to slow down a little, but still have time for Canada. Which means this.



And this.



And this.



And, of course, this.



But first, this.



This is one of my favorite movies in WDW. Who am I kidding? I love them all. But this one is great. Martin Short is hilarious. And the song is catchy. And Canada looks pretty cool. And the scene where Joe Carter hits that World Series-winning homerun off Mitch Williams and the hometown Phillies.

Back when I actually could watch baseball, I was a HUGE Toronto Blue Jays fan. Don't ask me why. I just was. Not even a "I liked the uniforms" story like I have for the Vikings. But anyway, this was an amazing moment, and one of the few times a team I like actually won a championship. I haven't followed MLB in years, but I still love seeing this.

After the movie, it's back outside, for this.



And this.



It's starting to get late (for us) and we haven't heard anything from our friends, so we're assuming they're still in a park as well. No worries. Let's hit Spaceship Earth and head out.



We got back to CSR around 9:00 and settled in. Not long after, my phone rang - it's Garry, and they're back at Bay Lake Tower. The invite stands, but fatigue set in quick, so we politely decline. Would've been great, but it just wasn't happening.

PHotos resized and uploaded, and it's to bed with the lot of us. Another GREAT day in WDW, and tomorrow, we hit the Animal Kingdom.


[POST=51744758](next update)[/POST]

 

[Clarf]

Excellent update! I cannot wait to try Coral Reef. Your reports are what made us want to try there! My husband is getting the Baily's Jack Daniels thing for desert. We'll definitely request tank side, too! Thanks for the tip.

I love Emily's picture pose. Reminds me of my 7 year old. Emily clearly hates being photographed.

Glad to hear Dylan's eating has been better. I can only imagine how frustrating that must be.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

fun update - Coral Reef looks great. We haven't been there in a while - we enjoyed it when we did go but it always seems to get bumped for other and/or new things

oh, and I am seeing more and more craft beer come in cans. Apparently a) they've improved the technology so you don't have to worry about any aluminum taste, 2) It's easier to take places - camping, tailgating, etc. - without having to worry about broken glass, and iii) there is more room on the can for marketing vs. just the label space on a bottle

We do something similar with the kids at home - if you don't want to eat dinner that we made that's fine, but that is what is being made so don't ask for something else later. Seems to work.

Glad you have Emily with you to pose for every possible photo possible ever

 

[KatMark]

After I made my last comment on here, I lost my subscription. I don't know how that happens. It makes me so

Great updates (of which I won't remember everything I wanted to comment on).

I love that store in Japan as well (although I've never bought anything). They really do have a lot of neat stuff.

A boy and his Ipod. Hard to tear the kids away from those things. As a matter of fact, my husband gave me grief the other night because I was texting so much. Hey, it was my daughter-in-law...I'm entitled.

Great GROUP picture. I love it and it proves you had a mega DIS meet.

I love all the movies in WS too. I agree that the Norway one needs a major update.

I'm reading another report right now where the boy doesn't want to be in the pictures and when he is you can tell he'd rather NOT.

Love your pictures and review of Coral Reef. We ate there as well and it has fast become a favorite of ours. This time we ordered an adult portion off the kids meal and it was really good. And I always get the same dessert as Kristin. It can't be beat.

For the time time ever, I did the Piggy Bank Adventure with the girls. It was fun.

 

[shan23877]

Great update!

My first thought when I saw the photo of Dylan's meal was "wow! Dylan eats fish?" Glad that he's branching out and you're having fewer arguments about it.

I'm so glad that Emily will still pose, she's such a cutie.

You guys did a ton in Epcot that day! Can't wait to hear about AK

 

[nilla]

Excellent update! I cannot wait to try Coral Reef. Your reports are what made us want to try there! My husband is getting the Baily's Jack Daniels thing for desert. We'll definitely request tank side, too! Thanks for the tip.

I love Emily's picture pose. Reminds me of my 7 year old. Emily clearly hates being photographed.

Glad to hear Dylan's eating has been better. I can only imagine how frustrating that must be.

The odd thing about Dylan is he still ends up putting on weight. He pretty much sustained himself for years on peanut butter.

One of the best compliments to get when writing a TR is when someone says they tried something after reading about it in your report. Thanks! Hope you love it!

fun update - Coral Reef looks great. We haven't been there in a while - we enjoyed it when we did go but it always seems to get bumped for other and/or new things

oh, and I am seeing more and more craft beer come in cans. Apparently a) they've improved the technology so you don't have to worry about any aluminum taste, 2) It's easier to take places - camping, tailgating, etc. - without having to worry about broken glass, and iii) there is more room on the can for marketing vs. just the label space on a bottle

We do something similar with the kids at home - if you don't want to eat dinner that we made that's fine, but that is what is being made so don't ask for something else later. Seems to work.

Glad you have Emily with you to pose for every possible photo possible ever

Interesting about the beer! I go PBR (or whatever anyone else has) when I want cans, though. It would be an adjustment! The one at CR was good, though.

Eating has gotten MUCH better, but we're not out of the woods yet. Lot's of "this is terrible" and "we don't care" in our house!

After I made my last comment on here, I lost my subscription. I don't know how that happens. It makes me so

Great updates (of which I won't remember everything I wanted to comment on).

I love that store in Japan as well (although I've never bought anything). They really do have a lot of neat stuff.

A boy and his Ipod. Hard to tear the kids away from those things. As a matter of fact, my husband gave me grief the other night because I was texting so much. Hey, it was my daughter-in-law...I'm entitled.

Great GROUP picture. I love it and it proves you had a mega DIS meet.

I love all the movies in WS too. I agree that the Norway one needs a major update.

I'm reading another report right now where the boy doesn't want to be in the pictures and when he is you can tell he'd rather NOT.

Love your pictures and review of Coral Reef. We ate there as well and it has fast become a favorite of ours. This time we ordered an adult portion off the kids meal and it was really good. And I always get the same dessert as Kristin. It can't be beat.

For the time time ever, I did the Piggy Bank Adventure with the girls. It was fun.

Glad you found it again! I'm playing "catch up on Trip Reports" this weekend, so there will be a comment from me in there at some point, too

If I text, I need to do that "hit the 1 button three times to get a 'C'" thing all the kids used to be good at, so that limits what I do with my phone. Kristin's got an iPod and plays a lot of solitaire on it. Not a lot of texting. Emily's all about the texting and Face Time. I guess these things are here to stay!

Great update!

My first thought when I saw the photo of Dylan's meal was "wow! Dylan eats fish?" Glad that he's branching out and you're having fewer arguments about it.

I'm so glad that Emily will still pose, she's such a cutie.

You guys did a ton in Epcot that day! Can't wait to hear about AK

He will eat SOME fish. He liked the brown trout we caught on Lake Ontario in April, but doesn't like it as much as Emily. She's a fish 'n chips girl!

Ok, let's start Day 5!

 

[nilla]