Half a Decade of Christmas T[r]ips

[PlutoTheDog89]

Overview

January 2nd, 2015 marked the end of my family’s fifth Christmas vacation in six years and our sixth Disney trip in as many years. This year, we were joined by another family - a family of four. The family friends had last been to Disney in 2000. The parents, in their 50s, and their children, a 22-year-old guy and 18-year-old girl joined us for not only their first Christmas vacation, but their first Disney vacation in over a decade.

We were excited to have them come along for the trip. Being the planner that I am, I took on most of the responsibility. At the 180-day mark, the family was still undecided; so most of our dining reservations were for our family of four. In August, they finally decided to take the vacation. They tried to get a lot of the same restaurant reservations - and were successful in finding ones at or around the same time as us.

I figured that I would add a fun dynamic to our first trip with another family. I created a scavenger hunt that put the two families against one another. It was a fun idea that spread across most of our trip. We had challenges, such as getting the highest score on the Buzz ride or Toy Story Midway Mania. We also had a photo scavenger hunt - which included finding the black cat in the Osbourne Family Christmas Lights and an Alabama fan. I made sure to include things like “take a photo in front of the sorcerer's hat,” as it will be gone by our next trip. Our family wound up winning, but the other family put up a fight! There was quite the upset on Toy Story Midway Mania!

We were really fortunate to get some great weather. When we arrived, it was a little cloudy, but warm. In the following days, the temperature crept into the 80s and the sun shined bright. Toward the end of the trip, the temperature dropped a bit - hanging around the low 70s. That wasn’t the problem. The rain was the problem. It rained most of the day on 12/30 and 12/31, making the night feel chilly and damp. It was still comfortable outside, but was definitely a downgrade from the previous days.

Overall, this trip may have been the best in a long time. I know, I say it every year; but this trip really felt special and my PDD (post Disney depression) seemed to last a little longer. Maybe it was because I wrote a book about Disney during Christmas and had the trip on my mind all year. Or, maybe it was the fun of having another family on the trip this year ‘round. Either way, the trip was a memorable one. We got the opportunity to see Christmas through another family’s eyes - one that had not been to Disney in over a decade. We learned some new things in regard to FP+ and beating the crowds that I’d love to share. So join me, if you will, on my Disney Trip Report.

I will try and post as often as possible. I am piecemeal-ing everything and hope to have it all posted before February. The hardest part is going through all my photos and decided on the best ones. Stay tuned!

Contents
Weather
FastPass+ Reaction

Day to Day
December 24th - Arriving at Disney
December 25th - Hey, you guys are wearing the same shirts!
December 26th: It's Nick's Birthday!
December 27th: No Use Crying Over Spilt Tipsy Duck!
December 28th: We Grab a Ride with Tinker Bell
December 29th: It's Just Allergies, Right?!?
December 30th: Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, The Trip’s Winding Down, We Know!
Wednesday, December 31st: Magic Mike
Thursday, January 1st: 2014 Begins, Our Trip Comes to a Close…
Friday, January 2nd: They're Still Playing Christmas Music?
Overall: Thoughts, Feelings, Etc.

Restaurant Reviews
Il Mulino
​

**I'll post the Day-to-Days, followed by the dining reviews. I expect to have everything up and posted by the first week in February!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Weather

I remember it like it was yesterday. Of course, I’d check the weather nonstop - knowing very well that the weather could and would change at any time. I had been to Disney in 2009, and again in 2010, 2012 and 2013. In 2009, we were completely unprepared. We packed the way anyone would for Florida. Having read some forums and blogs, we expected some chillier days - so we packed a few long-sleeve shirts. 2009 would see a HUGE cold front kick in, resulting in days that saw temperatures in the 50s and nights in the upper 30s!

The next year was slightly different. Warmer days, but two or three days with temperatures plummeting. Having skipped in 2011, we returned in 2012. We learned our lesson and refused to under pack. We packed for every season. Our “base layers” were filled with long-sleeve shirts and jeans and pants. We also packed some hoodies, sweaters, thermals, scarfs and gloves. We packed for rain and even hotter temperatures - some short-sleeve t-shirts and shorts.

2012 and 2013 gave us better weather. Now in 2014, I started to check the weather. I was unhappy to see that the temperatures would be a bit chillier. In the 80s on Christmas Eve, and then chilly Christmas Day. The temperature would kick back up on December 26th and fall into the lower 60s on December 28th.

After packing, I checked back on December 23rd. Nothing but temperatures in the 70s and 80s. “I refuse to fall for it,” I thought. After all, you could drive yourself crazy packing and re-packing all those times! Well, I was certainly wrong - because the forecast was right. Fortunately, I had packed two pairs of shorts and some short-sleeve shirts. I sleep in mesh shorts and I had planned on going running, so I had some activewear t-shirts and shorts. Those came in handy. After a cloudy warm day on December 24th, we had a cooler day on Christmas. We layered with a long-sleeve t-shirt under our Christmas t-shirts and wore jeans (but we would have been comfortable in shorts.) The next few days, it was hot. The sun was strong and shining bright. I was happy that it wasn’t humid - it was actually a dry heat, which felt fantastic. On December 30th and 31st it was chilly and it rained. At night, it was damp and a little chilly, but comfortable.

Overall, it was the best weather we had ever experienced. It was a true vacation - from our daily responsibilities and jobs and, most importantly, the weather. Even when it was chilly, it was far better than the weather back home. I can only hope we have the same weather next year!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

FastPass+ Reaction
This would be our first Christmas vacation with another family. It would also be our first Disney vacation with FP+. We were elected to test FP+ last year while it was still in beta - but we were still able to get paper FPs and there was no tiering system in place. This made FP+ seem a lot easier and instantly won us over. It was easy to get everything done when you could reserve a FP for three of your favorite rides and then rush to the park and use your room key or MagicBand to get another. But this year would be different. No paper fastpasses, a new tiered system and every guest staying on-site would have the same advantage. And so, we would get our first real taste of FP+.

Fast forward to our 60-day mark. With our accounts linked, I logged on and made our FastPass+ reservations. We knew that we would be in Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day. We decided on EPCOT for New Year’s Eve. From there, we built out the rest of our itinerary. We were unable to get a FP+ for Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train on Christmas Day, so we figured that we would just get to the park for morning EMH and ride it then. We were able to get the 7DMT on December 30th, however, but at nighttime. This was the only problem we had with FP+ reservations. Otherwise, we were able to reserve every ride we desired. When it came to the tiered system - we only saw a problem with Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Gone were the days of riding Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster multiple times or trying to beat our score on Toy Story Mania. Because of the crowds and tiered system, we would only be able to ride once. If you wished to ride multiple times, you would have to try and get an additional FP+ at the park after using your three FP+ (which is near impossible during Christmas) or wait on the standby line. This hurt the trip a little, but also made you appreciate the ride a little bit more. It stunk that we would only get to ride RnR (our favorite ride) once, but we enjoyed it when we did get to go on.

Magic Kingdom is the easiest park to secure FP+s. Originally, we didn’t plan on going to the parks on New Year’s Day. We noticed mid-trip that we actually had an extra day in the parks. My sister told me to try and secure some FP+s for Magic Kingdom. I immediately thought “yeah, right.” But securing a FP+ was easy. I was able to get Buzz Lightyear, Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean. Previously, I thought that one-day guests were at a huge disadvantage. While I still believe that (who wants to go to a park for one day and wait 90 minutes for a ride?) being able to secure a FP+ one day before heading to the park changed my mind a bit. I was able to get a FP+ for two of the more popular rides at Magic Kingdom the day before going to the park.

So, in my opinion, the FP+ does not affect Magic Kingdom as much as EPCOT or Hollywood Studios. Until Hollywood Studios or EPCOT add more rides or attractions, the value of FP+ is not there and those who do not have or take advantage of the 30 or 60-day window are at a huge disadvantage.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Wednesday, December 24th

My heart is already aching as I type this - it feels like yesterday. This year was a bit more special. I guess it had to do in large part because I wrote a book about Christmas at Disney. The Disney vacation was on my mind almost all year. Now, the time had FINALLY come! I finished packing around 10:30pm on December 23rd. It’s funny, I make lists, I prep everything and yet, I still wind up doing everything last minute. But, I had worked all day and my family decided to go out to eat, so I got a late start on my “late start.” We packed up the car with our luggage. I then charged everything - my GoPro, iPhone and portable charger. I packed up my carry-on and finished around midnight.

With my family in bed, I grabbed a shower and hopped into bed. By 2am, I was asleep (barely.) I couldn’t wait. Maybe it was the trip itself, or the promise of warm weather. Every year I say the same things -

“Maybe we’ll abbreviate the trip next year.”

“I’d really rather travel abroad and see other places.”

And at the end of the trip, I say the same thing “I can’t wait to go back.” For my family, it’s become more than a vacation. It’s a tradition. It’s 8 days together. No work or friends calling, no going off into our bedrooms. We talk, we joke, we have fun.

My alarm went off around 4:30am. Normally I’d be miserable. Two hours of sleep?! But not today. Today was the rare yearly occurrence when 4:30am is the most exciting time to wake up. I hopped out of bed - my parents had already been up for a half an hour. The car was already packed. We did one last check of the house and off we went to Islip-Macarthur Airport. It was a cold morning. The type of cold that you could feel in your bones. As we checked in our luggage, my sister looked at me as I shivered and said “take it all in. An 80-degree temperature awaits.” All I could think is “I hope I didn’t overpack.” (spoiler alert: I did.)

We landed around 11am. Our family friend, Nick (son of family friends), texted us to let us know that he had landed 20 minutes earlier. The rest of his family, Robin (mother), Tom (father) and Kate (daughter) had landed on December 23rd. They stayed near the airport and awaited our arrival. I grabbed a peppermint-mocha latte from Starbucks - a yearly tradition. We collected our luggage and met up with our friends near the Magical Express.

After a few stops, we arrived at Port Orleans French Quarters. We would be in Building 7. We have stayed in Building 2 and 5. Building 7 felt like it was so far from the lobby, but we soon found a shortcut to the lobby and bus stations.

We put our luggage in our room and started to decorate. A cardboard Christmas tree, some window decorations and a paper wreath for our tree. After putting our luggage in the room, we were off to Downtown Disney. We hopped on the boat from our resort toward DTD. As we arrived, you could see the construction taking place. The Boathouse was there, structurally. A new walkway to and from the boats was now present. There was also plenty of scaffolding and boarding up around the area. The sound of drills, jackhammers and hammers clanking against iron could be heard throughout. I found this interesting - Disney NEVER does construction during the day, and when they do, they never show scaffolding.

But Disney Springs was a different story. Speaking with a CM, I was told that because Disney Springs is so important, Disney threw away their normal protocol and pushed to finish on time. Construction typically begins at 2am and ends at 5pm that day.

We ate at Wolfgang Puck Express - another yearly occurrence (review here). We decided to show the family around Downtown Disney, despite the construction. We stopped at a few different stores. I purchased my 2015 coffee mug. I now own a 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and a 2015 mug! I swear, they keep getting bigger!

After lunch I was feeling a bit tired. I remembered that I was working on four hours of sleep - my two from the night before and two more on the plane! I was happy that our family friends were such Starbucks lovers. Talking them into a coffee was easy. We each grabbed a drink from the Starbucks express at Downtown Disney - this place is cool!

After Downtown Disney, it was back to the resort. The boats weren’t running, so we took the bus back. We showered, got dressed, and hopped on a bus to Hollywood Studios. From there, we jumped on the boat to Swan and Dolphin. Our Christmas Eve dinner would be at Il Mulino (review here). We had an 8:30pm reservation. Our family friends were able to secure an 8:15pm reservation. When we arrived, we told them that we knew each other but were unable to get a reservation for 8. They said “no sweat,” sprinkled some pixie dust and set up a table for eight. After eating, we toured the resort. The Dolphin is really gorgeous! We decided to walk across to the Swan and check it out as well, but we soon discovered that it was pouring outside! We waited it out and finally boarded the bus to Hollywood Studios and then to POFQ. We ended the night and decided to meet back up by 7:15am Christmas morning.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Thursday, December 25th
We met up outside of our conjoining rooms at 7:15am and walked down to the bus stations. Our family friend, Tom, purchased us matching green shirts from CustomInk. The weather was in the upper 50s when we woke up and only set to hit the upper 60s that day, so we layered with long-sleeve shirts.



Today’s FP+ included a 9:30am for Buzz Lightyear, 11:45am for Space Mountain and 12:45pm for Thunder Mountain. We arrived at Magic Kingdom at 7:40am. We walked back toward FantasyLand. Our goal was to ride 7DMT first thing in the morning. As we got closer, we saw the line. The wait time was over 50 minutes already! We knew that the coaster would be hard to get on without a wait - but we were totally taken back by the wait time during morning EMHs. We decided to pass and instead walked to Gaston’s for cinnamon rolls. We had talked up the rolls to our family friends. They fell flat. They were room temperature and just lacked the normal flair they used to have. They don’t even come close to the originals from Main Street Bakery. Last year they tasted good, but this year we decided would be our last time eating them for breakfast.

After breakfast we went to the Jingle Cruise. The wait was only 30 minutes - normally it hits around an hour, so we decided to wait. After the Jingle Cruise it was around 9:15am. We walked toward Tomorrowland to redeem our FP+ for the Buzz ride. We defeated the other family handedly - with my dad collecting the highest score. We decided to hang around Tomorrowland. Our next FP+ was for Space Mountain at 11:45am. It was around 10am, so we opted for the People Mover. After the People Mover, we grabbed a photo with Stitch and joined in on the Incredibles Dance Party. We had green shirts on and the DJ kept saying “Green family, dance!” He even knew our family friends’ names. They figured that he had read it from the shirts, but I knew it was the RFID technology from the MagicBands.

After spending the morning at Magic Kingdom, we brought them on the monorail to the Polynesian. We ate at Captain Cooks, as our dinner reservation was not until 9:05pm. After eating lunch, we went back to the resort. The clouds were rolling in and it was starting to get a bit chilly outside. We napped, showered and got ready for dinner. We got to Magic Kingdom around 8:00pm. We decided to go earlier so that we could show them the Contemporary. After the Contemporary and finding the fourteen hidden Olafs, we boarded the monorail to the Grand Floridian.

We ate at Narcoossee’s (review here) and our family friends ate at Citrico’s. We got to watch Holiday Wishes as well as the water parade from outside of Narcoossee’s. We met up in the Grand Floridian lobby after dinner for pictures around the tree and the gingerbread display. After taking in the Grand Floridian, we called it a night. We jumped on the monorail to Magic Kingdom, and then the bus to the POFQ. We discovered a bit of shortcut back to the room - which was welcomed by our tired legs. Tomorrow would be a planned late start. A morning of relaxing followed by dinner at EPCOT and a late night at Magic Kingdom.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Friday, December 26th

We woke up around 9:30am - 10am. I slept really well. We walked down to the food court and grabbed some breakfast. It was shaping up to be a really nice day - it was sunny with only a few clouds in the sky. It was warm, but comfortable. We had an 8:20pm reservation for Teppan Edo in the Japan Pavilion of EPCOT. Our FP+ started at 4:30pm at EPCOT, so we decided to hang out and enjoy the nice weather. We went for a jog and relaxed by the pool. After showering, we were off to EPCOT around 3:30pm.

We had a 4:30pm FP+ for the character meet-and-greet. We made a quick stop at Starbucks, where we each got a refreshing iced drink. After meeting the characters, our next FP+ was for Soarin’ at 5:45pm. The parents went to Captain EO. Nick and I decided to try the “The Sum of All Thrills.” I had never done it, so it was a first for the both of us. This was pretty cool! It was a 30-minute wait. You go in and design your roller coaster - but it has to be realistic. You work the height, speed and can add loops and turns. After riding our creation, we met back up with the parents and walked towards Soarin’. After riding Soarin’, the next FP+ was for Spaceship Earth at 6:55pm. I actually fell asleep on Spaceship Earth! After riding Spaceship Earth, we walked back to the World Showcase to Japan. We were promptly seated at Teppan Edo (review here).

After Teppan Edo, we walked back toward France to watch Illuminations. Our family friends really enjoyed the fireworks - they were amazed by them. We returned to the POFQ around 11pm. We decided to change into something more comfortable before heading out to Magic Kingdom. The weather claimed that the temperature would drop into the 50s - it didn’t. We changed into sweats so that we'd be comfortable, but we were very. We survived.

The parents stayed behind as the kids ventured out to Magic Kingdom for the late-night EMHs. We arrived around 11:45pm. We grabbed more Starbucks and went back toward Fantasyland. Again - 7DMT had a long wait. I think the wait was around 100 minutes! Oh well, at least we had FP+ reservations for it on Monday! We checked “ride the Goofy coaster five consecutive times” off our scavenger hunt. We also rode Thunder Mountain and then took advantage of the decreased crowds and grabbed some great photos.

We called it a night around 2am and got back to our hotel and into bed around 3am. Tomorrow would be another (necessary) late start.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Saturday, December 27th

After waking up, we decided to head to EPCOT. Rather than spend the day by the pool, we’d head to EPCOT and then take the boat or walk to Hollywood Studios. If there was one thing that was certain, it's that today would be hot. The sun was shining through our windows and as we opened the door, we felt the Floridian heat. I loved it. There was a high of 80 degrees and, although I hadn't packed enough hot-weather clothes, I gladly embraced the hot temperatures. We grabbed our shorts and t-shirts and boarded the bus.

My sister stopped and got the nachos from Mexico - she’d been looking forward to those the entire trip! Nick and I decided to head to China and grab a Tipsy Duck in Love. I love this drink. It tastes just like a Black Russian! My sister wanted to try some. Well, half of the drink wound up on my white t-shirt. I’ll admit, I pouted a bit. I sat for a while annoyed, not talking to anyone. I’d be stuck in this stained shirt all day. I contemplated going back to the hotel and changing. Then the sun hit my face. I checked the forecast back home and saw a high of 40 degrees. It was 80 degrees in Disney. I walked to Norway and bought a ridiculous Olaf t-shirt. I stashed my t-shirt in my sister’s backpack for the day and never thought about it again. Hey- it’s Disney. No use in crying over spilt Tipsy Duck!

We continued to tour the World Showcase and show our family friends EPCOT. Tom really enjoyed it. He later said that EPCOT was his favorite park. Some members of the family stopped by Italy and grabbed a slice of pizza. I saved room for the brioche ice cream sandwich from France. Now that I think about it, I didn’t eat any actual food until dinnertime. Oh well - Disney diet.

The ice cream sandwich was not anything special. I can look back and say that I’ve tried it, but I wouldn’t go back and eat it. I went with the gingerbread ice cream and chocolate sauce. There was a strange lemon aftertaste that I was not a fan of. But - the bread was outstanding. In the words of Guy Fieri, “I’d eat that with a sandal!” I definitely want to get a warm sandwich from the French bakery next year. The bread was so fresh. I could only imagine what an actual sandwich would taste like!

When we got to the back of the park, the line for the boat was pretty long. I recommended walking. It would be a great opportunity to show our family friends the Boardwalk! I didn’t realize just how long of a walk it is between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios! It’s a little over one mile, and, at a leisurely pace it feels even longer.

When we finally arrived, we walked in and headed toward our FP+ at Star Wars. We had a 4pm FP+ reservation for Star Tours, a 5pm reservation for Toy Story and an 8:25pm reservation for Tower of Terror. Originally, my family had reservations for 50’s Prime Time and our family friends would eat at Sci-Fi Diner at 6:30pm. We were able to get a reservation for 8 at Prime Time (review) at 8:30pm. We would miss our FP+ for Tower of Terror, but we decided that it was far more important to eat together. Plus, we had a FP+ on Monday for Tower of Terror.

After we finished eating, we decided to check out the wait time on Tower of Terror. From a distance, we saw “30 minutes.” We power walked over, thinking that we’d be willing to wait. And then Fantasmic let out and the line grew, and grew and grew. “Oh well,” we thought. We called it a night. It would be an early morning on Sunday as we had breakfast at Tusker House.

We returned to our rooms and decided to meet around 8:30am.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Sunday, December 28th

Wow, what a morning we woke up to! The sun was shining through our curtains as we woke up around 8am. We showered the night before so that we could hop right out of bed, brush our teeth and get ready. I grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and I was ready to go!

We met outside around 8:30am. We walked over to the bus and were at Animal Kingdom by 9:00am. We entered the park and walked back toward Africa. We had a 9:35am reservation at Tusker House (review here). I was really excited. I love Boma (where we ate on New Year’s Day) and I really LOVE breakfast. I ate a solid amount. After, we ventured out into the park. This day and December 29th were probably the nicest days. Saturday had been hot. Sunday was nice - it was definitely warm outside. It was one of those days with a slight breeze, not too humid, and the sun felt comforting.

After breakfast we had a FP+ for Kilimanjaro Safaris at 11am. We grabbed a few photos in front of the tree and walked back toward the safari. I knew Animal Kingdom was under construction for Avatarland, but was unaware of the impending water display (show?) - so I was a little taken back by the amount of construction.

Our family friends really liked the safari. Next would be Expedition Everest. I forgot how much I like that ride. It’s such a smooth coaster and I love the G-force pull. I love Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, but Expedition Everest may have moved up on the list. Our family friend Tom really liked it. He said it was his favorite ride at Disney.

After Expedition Everest was DINOSAUR. I remember the first time I tried DINOSAUR I was really scared. I was also 10 or 11 years old. I can’t remember if it was the constant movement or the loud sounds, but I didn’t like it. Our family friend Robin gets motion sickness. She was going to brave the ride, but I talked her out of it. After riding, Tom said that I was right to talk her out of it. She definitely would not have liked it. My mom sat it out as well, so they waited for us to finish.

I was a little annoyed that we left the park so early. I’m normally not a HUGE Animal Kingdom fan, but we were having such a nice day. Everyone wanted to go back to the resort and watch football. The Giants had been out of the playoff race for weeks, so I wasn’t interested… but I rolled with the punches.

After watching football, we decided to head to Art of Animation for dinner. We didn’t truly venture over to Port Orleans Riverside until our last day. I wish we did. Port Orleans Riverside has a food court that offers a lot of the same options as Art of Animation - and it's much closer!

We figured that we would take the bus from POFQ to Hollywood Studios and then to Art of Animation - as this was the closest park to the resort. While on the bus, I realized I didn’t have my MagicBand. No sweat, Nick and I decided to get off and run back to the room to grab my MB and we’d take the next possible bus. The only problem was that after getting off the bus, I realized I didn’t have anyone from my room’s MB. I chased after the bus, which to Nick’s delight, made me look like a mad man. I apologize to anyone I scared… I needed my Magic Band!

Anyway, after getting my Magic Band we waited for a bus. After around 10 minutes I checked Uber. I was able to secure a car to drive us from POFQ to Art of Animation. We got there in under 15 minutes and it only cost $7. We beat our families by 10 minutes. They couldn’t believe how fast we got there. “Tinkerbell drove us” we told them. They still don’t know exactly how we got there.

After eating at Art of Animation, we jumped on the bus to Magic Kingdom. This was a fun night. We saw the parade and enjoyed a Dole Whip. After, we rode Dumbo, Small World and Pooh. I was unhappy to see that Pirates was still down! I would have liked for our family friends to see Pirates. We’ll have to bring them next year if they return!

We called it a night and returned to our rooms around 1am. Another early morning tomorrow at Hollywood Studios.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Monday, December 29th

And so it began. I woke up with a few coughs and sniffles. I jumped out of bed and asked my sister for Airborne.

My mind was racing. The weather has been perfect - how could i get sick?!

“Maybe if I take Airborne and drink some hot lemon water it’ll go away.”

“Maybe it’s just allergies. I’m not used to the pollen down here.”

But my head was pounding, I felt achy and my nose was congested. I was getting sick. I refused to let it keep me down. I took a Sudafed and grabbed a coffee and was ready to go. In my defense - I was positive that I had allergies. I wasn’t sneezing the way you would with a cold. In fact, if it wasn’t for my pounding headache, I’d be fine. So I pushed on like a champ.

Onto Hollywood Studios. I was quiet most of the morning. I wasn’t feeling well and my family knew it. We had a FP+ for the Frozen sing-along… Nothing cures a headache like a couple hundred people belting out “Let It Go.” But I was a good sport. All things considered, it was a nice show. Anna and Elsa are not present the entire time. In fact, they’re probably only on stage for a few minutes. But that makes it better. It adds to the novelty. If they were up there the entire time, it wouldn’t be as exciting as when they finally appear. It’s basically an abbreviated movie - much like the Beauty and the Beast show. Tom left the show saying “I gotta see that movie!” His positivity was appreciated considering how terrible I felt.

We hadn’t eaten breakfast - we basically got up and went straight to the park and then straight to Frozen, so we decided to eat. I couldn’t eat a muffin or anything too “cakey.” I wanted an Everything bagel with butter (my sick go-to comfort food) We went to Starring Rolls and picked up some bagels. I grabbed a banana and some orange juice. I had some false hope that loading up on "vitamins" would somehow kick my cold. Yes. I had accepted my fate.

After eating, it was time for Tower of Terror. Our FP+ for Tower of Terror was at 11:55am. I was excited but also a little unhappy. I really wanted to show Tom and Nick the Tower of Terror at night. There’s something extra spooky about the ride at night. Part of me also wished that I had enjoyed it while I was healthy. But I grinned and bared it. Tom liked Tower of Terror, but said that he preferred the coasters. Get ready, Tom, RnR was only two hours away.

**By the way - I keep bringing up Tom because it was his first visit in over a decade. The same could be said for his kids. Technically speaking, this was his kids’ first visit - the first they’d remember, at least. But Tom was like a kid in a candy store the entire trip. The kids and Robin (his wife) appreciated and enjoyed the trip, no doubt; but Tom was fully engulfed in the magic. I think at one point he said “life is good” while taking a photo with his family in front of the Sorcerer’s Hat. As someone who sometimes gets bit by the “I’ve had enough of Disney” bug, Tom really made me appreciate the magic of Disney.

Back to the day.

Only the boys went on Tower of Terror. My dad, Nick, Tom and I all went on Tower of Terror while the girls waited. I guess they got impatient, because they went back to the Animation Academy. We tracked them down and I popped another two Sudafed. Still nothing.

The girls wanted to meet Sorcerer Mickey, so they waited about a half an hour to grab a picture. I still hadn’t finished my coffee, so I wasn’t allowed in. No worries - I figured I’d sit in the sun and clear up my sinuses. After sitting in the sun a while, I started to feel a bit better. The girls finished up and it was time for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

I really enjoyed Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Hollywood Studios is probably my favorite park for rides. It was now that I started to see a bit of a flaw with FastPass+. First of all, throughout the trip it seemed like a lot of the standby wait times were much higher than last year. Don’t get me wrong - it’s the busiest time of the year. But in past years, you could easily get on these rides within 30 minutes during EMHs. But that wasn’t the case anymore. It seemed like the lines were very long, all the time. Now, I will say that we didn’t spend as much time in the parks as we did in past years. We enjoyed our relaxation and only took advantage of EMHs in Magic Kingdom. So, that could have been the reason we kept seeing long wait times. But with the tiering system and lack of rides in Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, we only got to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Test Track once as opposed to multiple times.

After we finished RnR, we went toward the exit. We decided to grab the boat over to the Yacht and Beach Club. Originally, we planned on showing them the Y&B Club after EPCOT, nut due to scheduling constraints, we would eat and then head back to Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic - because we couldn’t skip that!

The Yacht and Beach Club really is a gorgeous resort. It costs so much to stay there - but you really get what you pay for. It has a spa, wonderful food options and even a fitness center. It’s nice for a getaway. I couldn’t see staying there and going to the parks every day - it would be a waste. If you plan on spending your day in the parks, I’d always recommend a lower-priced resort. But, if you plan on spending a solid amount of time at the resorts, places like Y&B Club or the Grand Floridian may be worth it!

After touring the resort, we shot over to the Boardwalk Bakery. It was around 4pm. We hadn’t eaten anything since 11am and we wouldn’t sit for dinner until 8ish. We decided to grab a bite to eat. Boardwalk Bakery is delicious and you get a ton of value for your DDPs. It’s expensive, but if you’re on the dining plan it’s definitely worth it. It has some serious desserts! I went with the salted caramel ganache. As sick as I felt, this baby hit the spot! For lunch, I ate the turkey sandwich. It was the size of my head! They pack on turkey, cheese and lettuce and tomato. It’s sandwiched between two thin-cut slices of fresh bread. After I ate, my headache subsided a bit.

Back to the resort. I took a long nap before waking up for dinner. I grabbed two tylenol to kick my headache and I was off and running. I felt better, but not great. I was hoping to feel better by tomorrow. We grabbed dinner at Coral Reef (review here). Our family friends ate at Garden Grill. They seemed to like it.

We really cut it close with getting to Hollywood Studios. When we hopped on the boat, the captain kept reminding us that the park closed at 10 and we wouldn’t get there until 9:50pm. He emphasized that Fantasmic is usually filled to capacity by 9:30pm. We’d still try. We got into Hollywood Studios easily - with no problem. Once inside, we power walked to Fantasmic. The stadium was maybe three-quarters full. It annoyed me a little. I understand it’s the boat captain’s job to tailor expectations, but I kept thinking about people who may have given up on Fantasmic based on what the captain said. Let the people find out on their own. Maybe it was a guests’ last night and they had their heart set on Fantasmic - only to be let down by the boat captain. That’s not fair. Just a little rant.

We ended the night after Fantasmic. I was happy to be back to the hotel and get to bed.

 

[Nuts4Dale]

Just discovered your TR! I am in the planning stages of my first ever Christmas trip (12/20/15-12/27/15), so I am definitely looking forward to reading this!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Tuesday, December 30th

I woke up with a stuffy nose. I was still sick, but refused to let it get me down. My headache subsided a bit which made it much more bearable. It was a dreary day outside. It was raining when I first woke up, so I went back to sleep for a little while.

We just missed breakfast, so we grabbed some bagels and muffins and made the best of it. We decided to wait out the weather. I agreed - I ran back upstairs and went back to sleep. When I woke up, it was around 1pm. I felt a lot better. I showered and started to get ready.

We wanted to get to the park to show our family friends the parade. We got to Magic Kingdom around 2:30pm and found a great spot by the railroad station. We had front-row seats! I felt a kid against the back of my leg. I turned around and let the two kids go in front of me. It was a simple gesture. I had seen the parade so many times. As long as our family friends had a good view, I was happy. The kids’ mother thanked me. No “thanks” necessary, I could use the good karma.

After the parade I ran over to Aloha Isle to pick up some pineapple juice. Pineapple juice always works wonders when I have a post-nasal drip. The rest of the group got Dole Whips. Oh man, I was tempted to get my second Dole Whip of the trip, but I knew that it would wreak havoc on my sinuses. The pineapple juice helped my throat and made me feel even better.

Time for Thunder Mountain. I knew Tom wanted to go on the ride again. He had asked if we would be able to go on again - which made me happy that I booked another FP+. The standby wait time was ~90 minutes. We were on and off in 15 minutes.

After Thunder Mountain, it started to pour. We still had about an hour until our next FP+, so we went to Country Bear Jamboree. I don’t think our family friends knew what to think about the show. Frankly, after really listening to the lyrics - neither do I.

Next, we went to Mickey’s Philharmagic. What an underrated show! Unfortunately, it seemed like the timing was a bit off with the scents. It started to smell like blueberry pie about a minute after Donald had it thrown in his face. I love the show. I remember when it was brand new - I hope it doesn’t start to show its age.

It was still raining after Philharmagic, so we hung out in the store. We had fun joking around with the toys and trying on the different hats. Finally, it was time for our next FP+. We walked over to Peter Pan’s Flight. The wait was around an hour - we were on and off in 10 minutes. We still had some time before Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, so we went on Small World. We almost forgot about it!

Finally, time to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. We jumped on the FP+ line and were on in no time. My mom even came on - and she HATES roller coasters. She screamed the entire time. I was really glad to get the first row! This ride is really cool! It has that “new coaster glide” to it. The animatronics are definitely impressive and I love how the coaster moves side-to-side. It even speeds up on the turns, making it fun! My mom hated the drops. We kept telling her it wouldn’t be that bad. We comforted her during the mine scene telling her “it’s over.” It wasn’t. Overall, it was so much fun. It felt like Expedition Everest and Thunder Mountain had a much milder child.

After Seven Dwarfs my family went for our reservation at Be Our Guest and our family friends went to Crystal Palace. I have never been to Crystal Palace for dinner, but our family friends seemed to like it. We LOVED Be Our Guest (review here).

After Be Our Guest, we went outside - where it was raining.. hard. I was mad. We had checked the weather and it said that the rain would be done by 8pm, so I had left my rain jacket and poncho back at the room. I should have learned my lesson and known better than to believe the weather forecast. We met up with our family friends on Main Street and hung out in the store before the fireworks. Again, the kids were joking around to kill some time. As the rain started to let up, we grabbed a drink at Starbucks and waited for the show.

I’ve seen it nearly a dozen times - but the projection show still amazes me. Do you know how powerful those projectors must be to accomplish that show? Do you know how expensive they must be?! I love the 12/30 fireworks at Magic Kingdom. It’s basically the park’s NYE show, but one night early. Standing on Main Street, you’re surrounded by fireworks - a full 360-degree experience. The show on 12/30 gives you the NYE experience without the crazy crowds. Yes, it’s crowded, but it’s not nearly as bad as NYE (not even close.)

We had a long day - I was still feeling a bit under the weather and my family was tired of the weather (see what I did there?) We hopped on a bus and went back to POFQ. It was bittersweet - our trip was dwindling down. Our family friends had one night left, and we had two. Not to mention, the weather was starting to sour. My mom actually said “I wish we could reverse the weather - start our trip with bad weather and end it with the 80-degree sunny days.” Me too, mom, me too.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Wednesday, December 31st
As I write this, I can’t believe NYE was over a week ago. I was excited for New Year’s Eve, but it’s such a bittersweet day. NYE at Disney is so much fun.

Yes, it’s crowded.
Yes, it’s means the end of our trip.

But it’s the start of a new year. I love hanging out with my family all day and having a laid-back kind of day. We always avoid the parks on NYE Day. We once went to EPCOT during the day and it was impossible to move around and the ride wait times were astronomical. We decided a few years ago that NYE Day would be relaxing and that we would not head to the parks until nighttime. We definitely take a risk. Due to the crowds, the parks often see a Phased closure, but we’ve never been turned away. As on-site guests, it would have to be a Phase 4 closure to not be allowed in the park.

Last year was amazing. We had nice weather the entire trip - with maybe one or two days of rain and one chilly day. NYE Day was gorgeous, so it really sticks in my mind. It was in the mid-70s and sunny. We went to the Boardwalk Bakery and ate outside. We botched our nighttime reservations, though. We had a 9pm reservation at Portobello (we booked it late) and we didn’t get to EPCOT until 11pm. By then, we decided to call it a night.

This year would be different. No early flight on New Year’s Day and we had a dining reservation at EPCOT. The only downfall was the weather. We woke up to clouds and a slight mist. It stopped raining before we left the hotel - but we had learned our lesson from the night before. We all wore our rain jackets. It was a bit chilly, but we got by with long-sleeve tees, jeans and rain jackets.

Having gone to Boardwalk Bakery on Monday, we decided to head to Downtown Disney. Tom was craving a cheeseburger, so I recommended Cookes of Dublin. We tried this for the first time last year and loved it. The food is made to order, making it both fresh and delicious. Our first stop was Starbucks. I wanted to see the new big Starbucks in the future Disney Springs. Architecturally, this place is impressive. It has grass on the roof and the inside is stunning. As a bit of a tech nerd, I really wanted to see the interactive chalkboard, but it was turned off.

After grabbing my final Peppermint Mocha Latte of the trip (I only drink lattes in Disney, otherwise I'm a strictly-coffee guy) we walked through the stores in Disney Springs - the surf shop, showed them Splittsville and browsed the sneaker store.

Off to Cookes of Dublin. I stuck with the regular cheeseburger rather than the battered one. By this point, I’ve had enough heavy food! Plus, I planned on eating some battered fish tonight! Tom enjoyed his cheeseburger. It started raining while we were waiting for our food. Boy, I’m glad I wore a rain jacket.

We stopped at a few more stores before heading back to POFQ. I was still feeling a bit off. I didn’t want to take a nap. With the trip winding down, I wanted to milk every second. But I’d gladly trade the afternoon for an enjoyable evening. I popped a couple Sudafed and fell asleep for around two hours. When I woke up, I felt great. I still had a bit of a cough, but it was a sheer remnant of my cold. I think I finally kicked it. I hopped in the shower, got ready and we were off to EPCOT in no time.

It was a chilly night. Not cold - just chilly. The type of chilly that makes you shiver every now and then - a damp chilly. I wore jeans, a shirt and a vest. Most of our party layered with either hoodies or sweaters. We were all pretty comfortable - fortunately, there was no wind.

We arrived at EPCOT and frankly, it didn’t seem that packed. It was definitely crowded, but it didn’t seem as bad as the previous year. In 2013, we entered the park and immediately left. We didn’t feel as though we’d be able to move. The “ball” was cool. There was an up-to-the-second countdown projected onto Spaceship Earth. There was a cool DJ located on the stage near the fountains. We noticed how close we were cutting it to our reservation at Rose and Crown. We quickly navigated back to the UK and entered our name.. Now, time for the story behind our reservation at Rose & Crown and a little pixie dust sprinkled on our vacation by a manager named “Mike.”

Our family friends didn't decide to take the vacation until August. We knew we would be returning to Disney well ahead of our 180-day reservation window, so we were able to get Rose & Crown at 7:50pm on NYE. Our family friends were only able to get a reservation at Tokyo Dining.

Fast forward to our trip. We visited EPCOT earlier in our trip. Our family friend, Tom, figured he'd try to switch his family's reservation from Tokyo to Rose & Crown, so that we could eat together. There was nothing on the website. His wife tried calling the reservation number. If the CM could laugh at her, she would (she didn't, she was very respectful.) She told her that R&C was one of the most popular restaurants in the park and was booked solid months ago. But we had been to a few different restaurants that claimed to be booked that had empty tables, so we tried.

Tom approached a manager and explained the situation. He spoke to a manager named Mike and told him how they decided to take the vacation late and wanted to eat with us. He asked if there was any way possible to change our reservation from 4 to 8 people. Mike smiled and said "yes." Mike told the family to cancel the other reservation and to find him on NYE (this was almost a week ahead of time.) When we returned on NYE, we found Mike. Fortunately, he remembered us. He told us that our wait may be substantially increased, but we would be seated together. HUGE WIN. We offered him a tip for his troubles, but he politely declined and told us to add it to our server's tip. We were seated MAYBE ten minutes later than our scheduled reservation. We all had the chance to eat together and avoided losing each other in a very crowded park. Mike checked in with us and we tirelessly thanked him. It was much appreciated.

We had booked a FP+ for Test Track after dinner. As packed as the park was, I was able to secure the FP+ in November (well after our 60-day FP+ window.) My sister had randomly texted me one night saying “did we book a FP+ for Test Track?” No, I didn’t. I was pessimistic about our chances, but was able to get one around 10pm. If I had to do it differently, I would switch Soarin’ for Test Track during our first day in the park. Soarin’, for us at least, is overrated. I would not book FP+ in EPCOT after 8 or 9pm on NYE. I forgot how long the process of Test Track actually was. You have to design the car, then you have to walk through the Chevrolet showroom after the ride. In defense of the ride, Nick and I came 10 points away from designing the best car of the day… But we didn’t get back to the World Showcase until almost 11pm and we missed out on a lot of fun activities. It all felt so rushed.

We made it to the back of the World Showcase in plenty of time. We stopped at Germany for a beer and a pretzel. I went with the grapefruit beer. Wow. It was a little sweet, but this beer was GOOD. If you’re not a beer person, this is the beer for you. It tastes like grapefruit juice with a splash of beer - almost like a grapefruit mimosa. I love my dark beer, but this was pretty good!

We settled in Italy, which is probably not the best location. Everyone already had their places on the bridges. We were stuck between two bushes so our view was a little obstructed. Oh well. You can’t enter the World Showcase at 11pm and expect to find an awesome spot on NYE. Plus, we wanted to stay in Italy and enjoy the DJ after the fireworks.

The fireworks were incredible. I love that they celebrated each country’s new year. After celebrating our new year, the DJ was back. He played some techno music and his light show was spectacular. We danced a little, but mostly people watched. We had some laughs.

The park closed at 1am, which in my opinion, is a little early for the park. I guess they figured it was a long day and would rather get the crowd out of the park. We left the park and made it on the first POFQ bus - no wait! Tomorrow would be tough. I wasn’t looking forward to saying goodbye to our family friends or accepting the fate of our trip.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Thursday, January 1st

Happy New Year! It’s our family friends’ last day - they leave at 5pm. It’s our last night in Disney, we leave tomorrow. We received a message on our phone from Port Orleans. The message told us of all the New Year’s festivities at the resort and that breakfast would be served at Riverside until 12pm. Perfect. We were up by 10:30am and walked over to Riverside. The food court at Riverside is really gorgeous - a hidden gem. We almost felt like fools. For the past few years we would go through bus transfers and all to get to the Art of Animation’s food court, when we had our very own version only 10 minutes away! We’ll definitely be eating here a few times next year - they have iced coffee, the amazing Magic Cookie bar (I finally tried it!) and great options for breakfast, lunch and dinner (make your own omelettes at breakfast and pasta, salad and burgers at dinner!)

Our family friends did not have a park ticket for the day, so we we hung out by the pool. The day started out sunny, but symbolic to the weather during our trip, the clouds rolled in later in the day.

Around 3pm, we went back to our room. Having adjoining rooms (and rooms close by) definitely helped. Our family friends were able to check out and place their bags in our room. Nick’s Magical Express and flight was earlier - he was going back to Baltimore where he now lives. He left us and sent us some frowny-faced pictures from the Magical Express. An hour later, the rest of the family left. No joke - we sat in silence for a few minutes. “Wow,” I thought, “it’s over.” Our trip would still go on - we had a reservation at Boma and planned to stop by EPCOT and Magic Kingdom, but it wouldn’t be the same without our family friends. It was the beginning of the end.

We got ready and hopped on a bus to the Animal Kingdom. From there, we transferred to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We JUST made it. We were standing on the bus and the family behind us had to wait for the next bus.

There’s two things I noticed about Animal Kingdom Lodge (we hadn’t been there in a few years) - it’s massive and very, very beautiful. The details and theming are amazing. The only downfall is how far away it is from everything. I feel like Animal Kingdom is really out there on its own. Every trip feels long. Maybe I need a map.

We ate at Boma and grabbed some photos in front of its towering tree. We then jumped on a bus to EPCOT. My sister really wanted a cronut. My dad wanted to use a CS or two on the sandwiches at France. We would bring them to the airport with us for lunch.

After EPCOT it was off to Magic Kingdom. We hopped on the monorail to the transportation center, and then to Magic Kingdom. Now - EPCOT was not very crowded. The wait times were high, but it was in no way close to the crowds we experienced the previous night. Magic Kingdom was unlike anything I have ever seen. We got to the park right before the projection show. You could not move down Main Street. In fact, we tried to cross from Casey’s to the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and couldn’t! No one would budge. I think people were afraid that we were cutting them - which is understandable. But I quickly noticed that no one really listens to the CMs. They pretend to not hear them or not understand them. I can’t count how many times CMs pleaded guests to keep moving or to keep an area clear. But to no avail. We called an audible and walked from Casey’s through the souvenir store to town square. We walked backstage to Tomorrowland. We had a FP+ for Buzz Lightyear. We went to the Laugh Floor - they had all new jokes which was cool. After Buzz, we had a choice. We could wait for our FP+ for Thunder Mountain at 10:50pm, or we could go back to the hotel room. The Alabama-Ohio State game was on, so I pushed for the latter. I’m glad we did. We later received an e-mail telling us that Thunder Mountain was down.

We watched Ohio State defeat Alabama and finished packing. This stinks.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Friday, January 2nd

Welp, the day had come. Our family friends were waking up at their home in New York; we woke up in our hotel room and got ready to leave. The trip was entirely over. I say it every year - but the trip truly did fly by. A sense of nostalgia began to come over me. After checking out, we dropped off our luggage at the Magical Express. I ran to the bathroom in the lobby. It was still playing Christmas music. I started to think of all the things I wish I did

“I wish I watched “Elf” one more time.”

“I wish I walked through the park a little slower and enjoyed it more.”

“I wish I didn’t get sick.”

What made it more difficult was the fact that this trip was on my mind all year. I decided in January 2014 to start writing a book about Christmas in Disney. I hit a few setbacks, but eventually released it in October. I was constantly writing and researching the trip and now.. it was over.

Breakfast was filled with hope. We kept debating whether our family friends enjoyed the trip and if they’d return next year. We brought up inside jokes from the trip, funny memories, and what we enjoyed the most. Then, just like previous years, we started planning the next year. We spoke about the mistakes we made this year, the restaurants we’d like to try or repeat, and those we’re better off without next year. There’s no telling where we’ll be come December 2015 - but I was filled with hope that we’ll be returning to Disney once again.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Overall

Overall, an awesome trip. We were blessed with gorgeous weather for most of the trip. I only wish I listened to the last-minute weather check - but you could drive yourself crazy packing and unpacking every time the weather changes. I would have liked to have one or two more pairs of shorts or short-sleeve t-shirts, but I managed.

I think FP+ is both a positive and a negative. I loved it last year. Now, I can see the other side’s argument a bit. On one side - everything was planned and reserved. A 150-minute wait for the Mine Train? No sweat, we have a FP+ for it. THAT was the biggest bright spot on the FP+ movement.

But, it has its flaws. For one, gone are the days of riding your favorite ride multiple times. I’m going to try and crack this one. Sure, we were able to get multiple FP+’s for Thunder Mountain. We got one on Christmas Day and another two days later. But what about for parks like EPCOT or Hollywood Studios? On average, we spend the most days at EPCOT and usually ~2 days dedicated to Hollywood Studios. Due to tiering, this means we could choose one day for Toy Story Midway Mania and the other for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster - unless we want to wait on astronomical standby lines. I value my vacation time. I understand that waiting on lines is part of Disney - especially during Christmas. But think about those people doing one-day or three-day trips, that may only have one day in the respective park. That means the guest must choose between Toy Story and RnR - and then wait 90 minutes for that ride. And that’s IF they’re able to get the FP+, that’s not even certain.

So I understand the detriment. I admit that it’s not perfect.

But I refuse to let one little detail derail out vacation. We had a blast. Having another family was so much fun. Our parents were given a break. We weren’t always pulling them to the parks - if they wanted to go back to the room, they could. The kids would stay out at the parks and the parents could go back and relax. It also gave my sister and me something to do. We always share laughs with our parents, but having kids around our age made it a lot of fun. Further, Tom was a real treat. He was like a kid in a candy store. I’ll admit I get “bitten” by the “let’s take a break from Disney” bug from time to time. It was nice to see it through the eyes of an adult who really, really appreciated and enjoyed their trip. The entire family enjoyed their trip, but Tom really wore it on his sleeve - and that was refreshing.

So, we’ll be back - or we plan on being back, at least.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Il Mulino Review

We decided to go to Il Mulino on Christmas Eve. With Narcoossee’s being two meal credits, we had a choice - have one day where we depend on quick service credits for meals or have one meal out of pocket.

We had read very good reviews about Il Mulino and wanted to have Italian food on Christmas Eve - so it was settled. We booked the reservation before our 180-day mark. With it being off site, we were able to book it almost 200 days in advance.

We were happy to hear that our family friends were also able to get a reservation - and within 15 minutes of us. When we arrived, we told the hostess that we knew each other and asked if it would be possible to be seated near one another. She happily walked us over to a table large enough for our party.

At first glance, Il Mulino is dark. The lighting is low, the furniture appeared to be dark in color (like a deep, chocolate brown.) It’s very rustic. Even the entrance screams “rustic Italian.” The lobby entrance features a large a wooden archway with the restaurant’s name in a stylish script. We were seated at a massive butcher-block style table.

The meal started with some bread and a mix of mashed eggplant and soppressata. We initially planned on getting some appetizers but opted not to. Those of age ordered a drink. Nick went with wine, and the parents and my sister each went with sangria. I opted for an Old Fashioned.

I liked the idea of Il Mulino because it allowed you to order half plates of the pastas. I knew I wanted to try a few different pastas, so I narrowed it to two different dishes and went for it. I went with the Pappardelle and the Gnocchi Bolognese. I didn’t pay total attention as to what everyone ordered. I remember our family friend went with the chicken parmigiana. I remember this because there was a bone in the chicken - which is very strange. Normally, it’s a breaded boneless chicken breast. Regardless, this thing was massive. It looked like a personal pizza smothered in cheese.

As for my dishes, they were good. The pappardelle was fresh - you could taste it. It had a saltiness to it - the pasta was clearly boiled in salt water. The sauce was acidic, which was intentional. I believe it’s a butter and tomato sauce, which I definitely enjoyed. The gnocchi bolognese was also very good. The gnocchi was soft and hearty. I would have liked some more meat in the sauce. I usually like for a meat sauce to be a bit heartier and dynamic. This tasted similar to the sauce on the pappardelle, but with meat. I use Geoffrey Zakarian’s recipe as the measuring stick for most of my meat sauces. His meat sauce is the best I’ve ever had - it uses the rinds of parmesan and romano cheese to flavor the sauce, which gives it a “woodsy” “smoked” taste.

We declined dessert. Originally, the plan was to go to Disney’s Boardwalk Bakery and order some dessert. As we left the restaurant, though, we quickly noticed that it was pouring outside - so our plan was foiled.

Overall, the meal was good, but not great. I would recommend Il Mulino for anyone looking for a good Italian meal. But, I will not go out of my way to book it next year. We tried it, we enjoyed it, but will most likely not be back. We’ll probably try the new restaurant at Disney’s Boardwalk.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Narcoossee's


I was really excited about Christmas Night. I had eaten earlier in the day - a nice lunch at Captain Cook’s in Disney’s Polynesian. Otherwise, I didn’t eat almost all day in preparation of my meal at Narcoossee’s.

Narcoossee’s is a family favorite. We first tried it in 2012. We had been down to Disney in April 2012 for a wedding and a few couples dined there and highly recommended it. We made a reservation for Christmas in 2012 and instantly fell in love - so we’re a little biased.

In 2013, we were a little late to make reservations and to decide on our trip. I had been out of work for a little and was not sure if I’d be able to afford it (or if I would start a job that would not give me the time off.) We were unable to get a reservation on Christmas or Christmas Eve, but gladly took one later in the trip.

This year, we were prepared. At the 180-day mark we set our Christmas reservation. Our family friends were unable to get a reservation at Narcoossee’s, so they dined at Citrico’s. They really enjoyed Citrico’s. From their pictures, it looked like the dishes were very similar to Narcoossee’s.

Our reservation was at 9:05pm. When we arrived, we were surprised to see that the lights were dimmed and the fireworks had started. In years past, the fireworks normally started at 10pm. Usually, we’d set a 9pm reservation and enjoy our dessert during the fireworks. This wasn’t Narcoossee’s fault. But - just a note - they don’t sit anyone during the fireworks. I’m not sure if it’s because the dimmed lighting or the fact that no one is leaving during the fireworks - but we were not seated until ~9:30pm. Our only worry was that our family friends would finish before us and be left with nothing to do. Otherwise, it was understandable and we were glad to be seated and eating!

After being seated, we were served delicious warm bread and butter topped with Himalayan Pink sea salt. The salt at many of Disney's restaurants is so good! They sprinkle colored salt atop creamy butter. They actually sell the salt at the cooking store (the name has slipped my mind.) We picked up the Himalayan Pink sea salt, as well as Hickory Smoked and Bacon Smoked salt!

We learned our lesson and opted not to eat any appetizers. Our first year, I filled up on fried oysters and couldn’t enjoy the best course - dessert! My sister and I ordered the same entree we do every year, the surf and turf - a New York Strip Steak with a half lobster tail. I always order my steaks medium rare. I like a pink inside and a crusty, cooked outside. Unfortunately, this often results in a rare inside and undercooked steak. I understand that “medium rare” is not an oft-ordered cooking temperature, which leads it to be messed up. But Narcoossee’s hit it out of the park. The outside of the steak was beautifully charred and the inside was pink. The lobster is served with butter, but you don’t need it! The lobster is so soft and tender that butter would probably ruin it! It was served with mashed potatoes and (I believe) broccolini.

My dad went with the strip steak, as he's not a fan of fish. My mom ordered the snapper dish. She was worried because our server said it may have a little heat - but he said that he would make a special note to make it mild. She really enjoyed it. My mom doesn’t normally finish everything on her plate, but she wiped it clean!

I didn’t even have to look at the dessert menu as I already knew what I wanted. I went with the almond crusted cheesecake. It’s arguably the best dessert on Disney property. The inside of the cheesecake is light and airy. The outside is crusted with sugar almonds and served beside a cherry compote sauce. The tartness of the cherry compote serves as a delicious compliment to the sweet and creamy cheesecake. My dad went with my suggestion as well. My sister ordered a special dessert for the holidays. It was a white chocolate gingerbread pudding. The presentation was gorgeous. It was a firm pudding shaped like a perfect box. It was topped with a hard icing that was shaped like a bow. It looked like a present! It was set atop a snowflake-shaped gingerbread cookie. I tried some and it was delicious! I’m biased toward the almond crusted cheesecake, but this was GOOD! My mom went with the chocolate bar and really enjoyed it. She loves chocolate!

Overall, Narcoossee’s hit its mark again! My family recently made a rule for dining at Walt Disney in an effort to try new places. Effective immediately, we will not visit any restaurant more than two consecutive years. Meaning, if we visited somewhere in 2013 and 2014, we have to skip it in 2015 and try somewhere new. Well, there’s something we call the “Narcoossee’s clause” - because we will most certainly be dining here again!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Teppan Edo

I was initially resistant to booking Teppan Edo. After all, I had read reviews stating that it was your "standard Benihana-type restaurant." But, each family member gets to pick a meal and this one belonged to my sister.

Originally, we booked a 4-person reservation for our family. When our family friends decided that they would join us, they booked an 8-person reservation. Even in late September (well past the 180-day window,) we were able to secure a reservation for eight people.

We arrived at Teppan Edo the Friday after Christmas. The weather had been gorgeous all day and we were excited for our first day in EPCOT. We arrived and went to our FP+ at the character meet-and-greet, Soarin' and Spaceship Earth. Around 7pm, we walked to Japan for our reservation.

We arrived and were given a buzzer. We sat outside and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. It was nighttime and in the 60s. Our buzzer soon rang and we were seated. I was grateful that we would be seated with our family friends. The meal may have not been as fun with a group that we did not know. This was evident by the other tables that were quiet and obviously a bit awkward. I guess it's what you make of it.

First, this restaurant is beautiful. I love the long hallways with doorways leading to the communal tables. It has a very Japanese aesthetic to it. We were all seated around the grill. A quick note - leave the nice jackets/outerwear at home. You will go home smelling like fried food. This is fine if you plan on changing your shirt, but if you have a hoodie packed for the next few days, you're going to have to wash or air it out.

Immediately we started having fun. We clapped and cheered as our server came over and lit the grill. We joined her in cheering "woo-woo" for the onion train. She loved every second of it. People were starting to stare, but we were having a blast.

To start, we each got a Japanese beer. The chef presented the dipping sauces for the meal. The sauces included a mustard sauce, a ginger sauce and a "yum-yum" sauce. The "yum-yum" sauce was very much, "yum." The chef started cooking the vegetables. She cut up the zucchini and onions and performed the normal Benihana tricks. She then prepared the udon noodles. These were actually insanely good.

Most of us went with the Steak and Shrimp meal. My mom went with the chicken and my dad went just with steak, as he does not eat seafood. The steak was cooked to order, and cooked to perfection. The portions were generous and very filling. The one downfall is that the meal is served piecemeal. You receive your noodles, then your entree and then your rice. Due to cooking constraints, some will receive their meal before others. I eat very fast, so I was pretty much done before others at the table. You can't really wait for others to receive their food, as your sacrifice your food still being hot. That's really the only downfall. But the meal is so interactive that you barely take notice.

I finished with the Chocolate Ginger Cake. The taste of ginger was prominent in the cake. The cake was soft, light and spongy. The chocolate was airy, like a mouse, and it was covered with a ganache-like frosting.

Teppan Edo will definitely be a repeat. This was a first time for us, but we will definitely be back. While the food was great, I think the experience and being with a large group definitely added to the meal. I'm not sure how memorable the dining experience would be had we been seated with a group that we did not know. Hopefully our family friends will return next year. If they do, we'll be going to Teppan Edo, for sure!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

50's Prime Time Cafe

We first tried 50’s Prime Time last year (2013) and really liked it. It now falls under our new rule of not eating at a restaurant more than 2 consecutive years.

The restaurant was just how I remembered - cool vintage televisions and “tacky” decorations. We arrived a little early for our reservation, around half an hour early. We had spent the day at both EPCOT before walking to Hollywood Studios - a walk that we all thought would be much, much shorter. At this point, we just wanted to get off of our feet. The hostess told us that we were “very early” and would have to wait a while to be seated. No worries. We knew that we were early, we just wanted to relax a bit, but the place was packed. A couch became available and we waved over the moms to let them sit. My sister, Nick and I grabbed a drink from the bar and joked around a bit to kill time. I grabbed a hard cider. As I’ve said already, I’m a beer guy, but I was in the mood for something more refreshing. The woman next to me ordered a wedge salad. It looked really good.

We were finally called to our table.

Our server was fun. She was from Philly and moved down to Florida around 8 years ago. I really liked that she sat down and talked with us. She still inserted the punchy attitude that servers at 50’s are known to have, but she was extremely personable and fun to talk to. Some families would probably prefer not to be bothered while eating, but she was really fun. She sat down in the booth with us and chatted a while about Orlando, why she moved down, etc. It was the end of the night for her and 50’s would be closing soon, so we weren’t really keeping her from other tables.

Our server took our drink and appetizer order. We started with the onion rings - one order for each table. I love 50’s onion rings, they’re the size of your head! Tom got a root beer float, but it never came. After our waitress became [jokingly] punchy with us, Tom said “where’s my root beer float?” The apologized and returned with two root beer floats.

Most of us went with the sampler for our entree. The meatloaf really isn’t that good here. My parents make fresh meatloaf once in a while and they make it with brown sauce. The meatloaf at 50’s has a ketchup sauce and it’s a bit sweet. If we return, I’d go with the fried chicken.

The Islanders were playing, so I kept asking Nick to check the score. I wanted him to get caught with his cell phone out so he could endure what I went through last year. Ironically enough, we were having problems with our FP+ in 2013. Dinner was running late and I tried to change the FP+ for a later time. Boom, our server caught me on my phone and made me go to the corner. She kept giving him “strikes” and Nick caught on. She finally returned again and my dad said “he’s back on his phone.” Joke was on him. She hollered “no one likes a tattle tale!” She made him help her bring the dishes back to the kitchen. She then took a picture with him after. My dad was beet red from laughing - he loved the attention.

For dessert, everyone was pretty full, so they ordered PB&J shakes to go. I wanted the sundae. Last year I was too full to enjoy it and wanted to give it a fair shake. After everyone ordered the shakes, I figured I’d change to the shake and make it easier. The server looked at me and said “have the sundae.. you know you want it. They’ll just have to wait.”

The server brought my sundae over first and ordered everyone at the table to watch me eat. I loved the sundae. If I had to choose one dessert to eat, it would always be ice cream with endless toppings. I diet all year long and when I decide to eat (during the holidays and at Disney) I go all in! It’s actually pretty funny. I used to be overweight. Now, I’m pretty small, actually. I can eat a lot. A lot. So, when I sit down and enjoy myself, people are shocked by how much I could actually put down. I ate most of the brownie sundae - which is pretty big! You could easily split this thing between two people. It’s a huge brownie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But you wouldn’t know this - because it’s smothered in whipped cream. Then, it’s topped with caramel popcorn, M&Ms and other candy, as well as chocolate syrup. It literally looks like something you would make in your own kitchen or during a sleepover at Uncle Bob’s!

Overall, another great dinner - nothing but consistency from 50’s Prime Time Cafe. We won’t return next year, though. I noticed that we tend to get comfortable with restaurants. We find a place that we like and then keep going back. As a result, there’s a lot of places at Disney that we haven’t tried. Our new rule is that we will not eat at any restaurant more than two consecutive years. If we try it and really like it, great, we’ll return next year; but the next year it’s time to try something new. We’ve been to 50’s in 2013 and 2014. Next year we’ll skip it and try somewhere new.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Breakfast at Tusker House

I love breakfast! Boy, do I love breakfast! As a result, I was really excited about breakfast at Tusker House. What’s better than breakfast? A breakfast buffet.

We had a 9:35am reservation and arrived at Animal Kingdom around 9:00am. After a pit stop, we walked back to Africa and checked in. We were called in no time. We took a photo in front of Tusker House and were walked back to our table.

The building itself is pretty large. The first room you walk through is the buffet. It features a few different food “carts” around one major island. The carts, as they’re designed to resemble, have your hot foods - eggs, bacon, etc. The center island has the breads and pastries. It really had the look of an outdoor market that you would find in an African village. I loved the theming. After the buffet is a seating area. It’s surrounded by windows bringing in a ton of natural light. Another seating area is behind this one. It’s slightly darker. This is where we were seated. I loved the idea of natural light. I debated in my mind whether they did this as a “green tactic” or as part of the theming. Probably a combination of both.

I was happy to see that we received “complimentary” Jungle Juice. I had never tried it, but didn’t want to use it as my drink (I’d rather have a coffee.) The Jungle Juice was really refreshing. The mango is prominent and the you could really taste the papaya.

When we were first seated, I noticed that my fork was a little dirty. I told the waitress and she told me “that’s the way they dry.” Okay. It would have appeased my mind if she at least offered me a new place setting, but she didn’t. She then forgot my coffee, which I called out to her. She seemed to have a little bit of an attitude - maybe it’s because I called out the fork. She was only bringing our drinks and seating us, so she didn’t need the biggest personality, but at least pretend to enjoy your job. I shrugged it off.

Before we jumped up to grab food, a CM came by to let us know that the characters would be visiting with us in about ten minutes. It was nice that he let us know when the characters would stop by so that we wouldn’t miss them. A quick note that I found odd. We took photos with the characters when they finally came around. We had a scavenger hunt and one “mission” was to get Mickey to sign the paper. Once we broke out the paper and showed it to Mickey, a CM rushed over and checked the paper. Maybe they thought it was some kind of contract? I found this odd. We explained it to Mickey, saying “we’re doing a scavenger hunt and need you to sign this.”

Time for the food. I wanted to start with some fresh fruit. I grabbed some fruit as well as a few different breads. The fruit was your normal, run of the mill fruit salad. It was fresh. Sometimes buffets roll out frozen fruit, as it's more cost efficient and cuts down on waste. You could tell by the fruit's consistency - the fruit usually develops a softness as it thaws out. But the pineapple was ripe and had that "crunch" to it. The orange bread is incredible. I love orange flavor and this bread was packed with it! There was another corn-based bread that had actual bits of corn in it. It wasn’t very sweet, it actually tasted exactly like corn. I enjoyed it.

After my “first course” I was up and ready to try everything. I grabbed eggs, fresh ham, bobotie (an African egg-based pie), bacon, sausage and a few other things. My plate was full. Time to eat. The eggs were a little runny, the ham was fresh and delicious, and the bobotie was surprisingly delicious. The other sides (bacon, sausage) were average. You can’t really mess up bacon or sausage. Last, I grabbed some Mickey waffles as my “last course,” as well as another piece of orange bread. I loved it!

Overall, we really enjoyed our breakfast. The characters were a lot of fun. Despite the fact that we were an older family, the characters stuck around and gave us the same amount of attention they gave the younger families. For my sister, who loves the characters, this meant a lot. Aside from the “African flavors” in a few of the dishes, this was your normal run-of-the-mill breakfast buffet. We may return next year or we may try another breakfast buffet, like Boma. It wouldn’t kill us to skip, but I wouldn’t object to returning next year. The food was definitely good and fresh, but nothing blew our socks off.