She's Headed to High School, a June 2024 WL Trip Report: Post Trip DL Update 10/11

[mi*vida*loca]

We were both actually terrified of her if our destination disappointed.. Ah the joys of teenage daughters.

I had to LOL at this. As the mother of an 18 year old girl I feel you on this!

 

[erinch]

We do the personalized ornaments each trip too and we always love talking about the trips as we decorate the tree each year. I did just have one break from a 2009 trip that has broken my heart. It was our now 18 year olds trip when she was 3. It was a glass teapot with Alice inside of it. I stopped getting breakable ones a few years ago. I did see it on Mercari and need to try to get it and get it painted on to recreate it.

I think eBay has several as well

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Were there any highlights from your recent Utah trip, that you'd like to share?

We had a nice trip over six nights in our trailer with our dune buggy. We aren’t going to write it up as a trip report, but we had fun visiting Southern Utah for the 30th July in a row.

Too bad that it's become such a hassle to ship home your ornament. Seems like part of an overall decline in customer service, sadly. There are still pockets of good service here and there, but the overall experience isn't as consistently great as in some years past.

Yeah, it is not the level of service we used to get, but isn’t terrible. Some things are less great, some have their former glory, and some are new and maybe even better. It’s all part of it.

I'm happy for you guys that your fireworks cruise went smoothly this time, especially after last year's weather cancellation.

So are we. This time it worked out perfectly.

Did Allie do more vlogs after the MK day?

Allie took a bunch of video for blog content, but so much that she had an overwhelming amount of content to work through and she has not edited them yet. With her headed back to school, it may not happen anytime soon.

Does this new policy extend to shipping from all of the Disney Springs shops?

I believe it is all of the Disney owned stores. They announced it shortly before our trip like it was a new enhancement, but it was a definite downgrade. Discussing it just now we both wonder if the art shop will still ship art, and we sure hope so.

That is really expensive. How much did it use to cost to ship directly from the Christmas shop?

It used to be about $25-$30 to ship, but it was wrapped into the one bill when we purchased the ornament and personalization. Now you have to pay, wait, pick it up, take it to the shipping place, buy a box, and pay for shipping home. We sure hope they streamline the process in the future.

It looks like a great place to shop. It looks like Allie really liked her carousel loungefly.

It was a lot of fun and the type of place that had something for each of us.

It looks like you had a great day. The fireworks were a great way to end it.

It was the most unique and iconic day of the trip. It’s one we will remember and compare to in the future.

Awwww love the update. I especially love Allie's face outside the Vintage store, ha ha ha ha ha. I also love the Loungefly horse bag!!!!

It was a neat side trip with excellent souvenirs.

Looks like a fun store! Can't wait for more updates, you are making me jealous today----I'd give anything to be down there right now.

We would always love to be back, but it does seem to be a little rainy there this week.

Tell me: do you just plan your trips yourselves, or use a travel agent? Sorry if you ever addressed that before, I'm just curious.

Good question. We do all of our own trip planning and always have. We used to rely on Birn aim books for info, but we now focus more on online sources of info about what’s new. We love Disney Food Blog and AllEars videos and use them to keep us informed of what’s new. We also use our old trip notes and spreadsheets to track what we have done before to make note of what we liked and what was more of a struggle.

I had to LOL at this. As the mother of an 18 year old girl I feel you on this!

Lol yes! She held her temper but we could tell she was on the edge of loosing it. Now she wants to go shop there again, whew!

I think eBay has several as well

Yes, we are fans pf chasing Disney collectibles on eBay. It might not be as special as the original but could still be neat to have.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

On Sunday, I got up at 5:35 to get an early start on our last full park day. I went out to take pictures for a bit before waking Melissa up to try for the virtual queue at 7AM. I got some more lobby pics before heading down to Geyser Point.

I once again got to see my friend come by in the little boat to check the docks.

He didn't offer me a job though. I did see my friendly local security officer but she didn't come down to the dock to chat. I went back up to the room by 6:30 to get ready for our Virtual Queue attempt.

I needed a 15 minute wake-up call to try and be awake enough to make my fingers work fast enough to try and get our Guardians VQ.

It worked though because I did it!

I focused on our Lightning Lanes and was able to get Test Track for 10:20 -11:20, and she got Guardians Group #74, so we were optimistic that we finally would be able to check out this ride. Teamwork paid off! I placed a mobile order for breakfast from Roaring Fork and Marshall and I went to go get it while Melissa worked on getting Allie up. It was successful and she was up by the time we got back with food.

We shared some Mickey waffles, breakfast tater tots, and a croissant sandwich. The tater tots are definitely a highlight. They are delicious.

We finished breakfast and watched the 8:00 Geyser from the balcony. Allie had a Minnie therme for the morning and was quite proud of her outfit.

We made it out of the room by 8:10 which I was pretty proud of. We made it to the Epcot parking lot by 8:28, two minutes before early entry park open.

I got flagged by security, we just had too much stuff clumped together in the bottom of the backpack.

It wasn’t a big deal and the wait wasn’t long. Our plan was to head straight to the Journey of Water because we didn’t need to get to any of the headliners early. We changed our minds when there was no wait at Spaceship Earth so we did that first so we wouldn’t have to wait outside in line later.

Yep, we wound up using early entry for Spaceship Earth, but it was on our must do list and is a favorite.

After we got off the ride we skipped the after ride activities and went to rent a stroller.

We got a double this time for the extra room and comfort. Marshall approved.

Then we continued on towards Moana as we were on our way towards The Land. Journey of Water turned out to be pretty cute, and a fun stop on a warm morning.

It’s really beautiful and interactive, I thought it was very well done.

I imagine it’s a huge hit with little ones who like to splash. I highly recommend bringing dry clothes for babies if you plan on even walking through here. How could you not let them get wet.

They did a good job of making it easy for adults and others with a bit more restraint to stay fairly dry.

It is still fun, and we had a good time.

Then we moved the stroller over to the Land parking area and went on in.

We hopped on Living WIth The Land at 9:28 and had a boat all to ourselves.

I was excited to see if they had tissue culture plants at the end of the ride. My two from last year are still doing great and growing.

Unfortunately when we got off the ride the little counter was empty. I was a little sad.

I was afraid they didn't sell them on the weekend, because by this point it was after park open but the counter was closed. We went and rode Soarin despite it having a bit of a wait. It showed only 15 minutes but took 25 minutes to get to the video with Patrick.

Allie hung out in SUnshine Seasons and waited for us because she does not like this version of Soarin.

Surprisingly I really enjoy Soarin even though I really don’t like heights. I think it’s because it’s not in 3d. I don’t really see 3d well and most of the time rides like this with a screen are in 3d. It was nice to get to ride though. After we got off and met back up with Allie she told us that the plant babies were out!

I went over and picked out 4. We ended up with a miniature rose, banana, coleus, and lavender.

This was the hit souvenier of the trip for Melissa so we were all excited for them. The little plants survived their hot day in the bag in the stroller and made it home to California where they are thriving in our kitchen window. After getting the plants we headed towards Test Track since our Lightning Lane window was open. We stopped by the Club Cool on our way over Allie's objections, but we still had plenty of time in our hour window and I wanted a Diet Coke float.

After getting one of these last year I think they are a must do for me now. It sure beats Beverly.

I actually like Beverly but Marshall apparently does not.

It didn’t take long for us to devour the coke float.

I finished it before we had to get rid of it in the Test Track line.

The kids enjoyed designing their cars, and Marshall was proud of the fact that he didn't focus too much on power and came up with a well rounded design that did well in multiple competitions.

We have some pretty competitive kids. Luckily the scoring system wasn’t really working well so we don’t really know who won. I think that made things more pleasant.

I hope they have some design component in the new version of Test Track, as this was one of the last days for the 2.0 version.

The kids do like that. I’m excited to see how they update the ride though. I’m hoping for more theming in the indoor part of the ride.

I'm just glad it is retaining GM sponsorship because one of my favorite memories from my first WDW trip was looking at the new GM cars and trucks.

I've always been a car guy.

It is kinda neat to check out the new cars at the end of the ride.

We checked another must-do off of the list, and then went off to continue our Epcot Day which we'll pick up in the next update...

[/B]

 

[Wood Nymph]

I focused on our Lightning Lanes and was able to get Test Track for 10:20 -11:20, and she got Guardians Group #74, so we were optimistic that we finally would be able to check out this ride. Teamwork paid off! I placed a mobile order for breakfast from Roaring Fork and Marshall and I went to go get it while Melissa worked on getting Allie up. It was successful and she was up by the time we got back with food.

I hate that they have too many things that are at 7am! Breaking it up sounds perfect.

We finished breakfast and watched the 8:00 Geyser from the balcony. Allie had a Minnie therme for the morning and was quite proud of her outfit.

Another gorgeous picture from your balcony. And Allie's outfit is another cute one.

I imagine it’s a huge hit with little ones who like to splash. I highly recommend bringing dry clothes for babies if you plan on even walking through here. How could you not let them get wet.

The Journey of Water is a big hit with kids. It is also best when it isn't crowded.

Allie hung out in SUnshine Seasons and waited for us because she does not like this version of Soarin.

I didn't like that version of Soarin'. I am glad that the good version is back again.

This was the hit souvenier of the trip for Melissa so we were all excited for them. The little plants survived their hot day in the bag in the stroller and made it home to California where they are thriving in our kitchen window.

I'm going to check out these plants out. It is good to know that they survive a trip home.

I hope they have some design component in the new version of Test Track, as this was one of the last days for the 2.0 version.

The kids do like that. I’m excited to see how they update the ride though. I’m hoping for more theming in the indoor part of the ride.

I'm curious to see what the changes are.

 

[rdkeim]

Your early morning pictures are really beautiful! I think WL has the prettiest surroundings of all the resorts. We've stayed there many times so your pictures bring back good memories. Your Epcot morning is going well so far. The plants sound interesting - I'll have to check them out next trip (2025!).

 

[AliceNDinah]

Sounds like a fun day!! I really love your Wilderness Lodge hat too Paul!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

I hate that they have too many things that are at 7am! Breaking it up sounds perfect.

It was the only way we could get both items done at 7, and paid off for us this time. We're all glad Melissa shouldn't have to get u that early net trip though.

Another gorgeous picture from your balcony. And Allie's outfit is another cute one.

It was a great room location and the views were 99% as good as the ones from the bear face rooms around the corner. We loved it. Allie paid a lot of attention to her outfits and loved having just the right combination for each day.

The Journey of Water is a big hit with kids. It is also best when it isn't crowded.

Yeah, it is pretty nicely done, and we were fortunate to se it without a big crowd.

I didn't like that version of Soarin'. I am glad that the good version is back again.

This was the 2.0 (Around the world version) Allie prefers the original 1.0 (California) version. We enjoy both.

I'm going to check out these plants out. It is good to know that they survive a trip home.

The trip home was relatively easy but the hot day in the park almost did the little rose in. They are all doing well now though.

I'm curious to see what the changes are.

Yes, so are we. I'm glad to have GM involved though, some things just shouldn't change.

Your early morning pictures are really beautiful! I think WL has the prettiest surroundings of all the resorts. We've stayed there many times so your pictures bring back good memories. Your Epcot morning is going well so far. The plants sound interesting - I'll have to check them out next trip (2025!).

We do really love WL and find it to be so beautiful, especially during the early morning with nobody else around. It is just such a nice quiet contrast to the busy parks.
We had never heard of the little plant babies until last trip, when we happened to catch them and brought some home. They sometimes sell out, but are a cool little souvenir if you can get one.
Congratulations on having a 2025 trip planned. We are looking at airfare for June as we will do this all again same time next year.

Sounds like a fun day!! I really love your Wilderness Lodge hat too Paul!

Thanks, it was a fun day and there's a great lunch coming up. I got that hat at WL a couple of years ago and it is my favorite. I bought the current one this year too just to have another one. It is my go-to park hat.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We got off of Test Track at 11:25 and decided to head for Figment. Now that the walls are down it wasn't as bad of a trek.

On the way over there I saw The Dapper Danielle, I follow her on Instagram, she’s a fun Disney person to follow. I was not a stalker though and did not say hello, we just headed over to ride Figment.

It showed a 15 minute wait but was entirely inside so we did it, and it only took 12 minutes.

While we were on the ride I booked a Lightning Lane for Jungle Cruise at 5:00 PM We weren't sure we'd be there in time but we didnt have anything we needed in Epcot so we booked it. In the dump shop we got sugar candy for the kids, as they have come to know they have it there.

It’s one of those things I never got to have as a kid so my kids get to have it, you know how that goes. Now it was time for our annual sprint to Japan for lunch.

We started the walk at noon and considered taking the boat but decided to walk it and made stops in Canada and the UK to cool off.

Stopping in the shops was essential to cool off. I don’t remember buying anything on the way though.

We made it to Japan at 12:25 and checked in for Teppan Edo. We were called immediately and headed upstairs (via the elevator).

They were making a last call for us, but they had a table with four people already seated waiting for us to fill it in. We met them and they turned out to be a nice family from Northern California with Florida Annual Passes and a DVC membership.

We had a great lunch and ordered our favorites, we ordered a volcano roll to share, and I ordered scallops.

Marshall ordered chicken. Do you remember what Allie got? It was either scallops or the filet.

You guys both got scallops and said they were perfect. Our chef was relatively new, only having done it for about four months.

She was on a 1 year work trip from Japan. She did a great job with my filet despite having to put it aside while she cooked extra veggies. It turned out just great, and is truly my favorite steak anywhere and is so worth the small extra charge to get as an entree instead of the chicken or regular steak.

I couldn’t believe how well she did with how little experience she said she had. I for sure could not do that.

It was a great meal, one of the very best of the trip and another long running tradition. It was a neat way to celebrate our anniversary, as we have done many times with meals at Disney.

It still cracks me up how much restaurant eating we do at Disney now when on our Honeymoon we had no clue that we needed reservations for everything or how many different restaurants there were.

That is funny. Most of the anniversary meals have been in California, but I like getting to celebrate at WDW, and Teppan Edo is a great one.

After we were full we rolled ourselves downstairs to Mitsukoshi. Paul took pictures of the elevator on the way down.

95% of the pictures on his phone are of elevators now.

It gives me somenting to take lots of pictures of... In the Japan store both kids got Mochi, with Marshall getting straawberry and Allie getting Peach.

I tried both and thought the strawberry was pretty good, but Melissa chose to avoid the gooey textured snack.

We found the third surface of the sun waiting for the boat to come.

It was the right call though because the walk would have been long.

We made it across the lake by 2:15, and headed in to the gift shops to cool off on our way through. Melissa saw an Epcot Dooney but Allie was concerned we were again off task, so we continued towards Guardians.

She was pushing us along. I think she was excited.

We got to Guardians at 2:34 and scanned in.

The line was entirely inside, which was cool. I was blissfully unaware of the details of this ride, swince I've not seen the movie and hadn't really followed the information about the ride since it has been a while since it was new. We had been trying for it, but it wasn't a huge deal in my mind.

I didn’t know much about the ride either, somehow the only thing I knew is that there were different songs.

The ride queue and pre-show was much more detailed than I expected, and it was a perfect introduction to the characters even for someone who was unfamiliar with them coming in.

Then the ride itself was incredible. Definitely a new favorite coaster at Disney, and in our group the opinion was unanimous.

It is a great roller coaster though, my new favorite for sure. We got Conga as our song and it seemed to fit the ride so well.

It was so smooth and fun, and is definitely a must-do for us now.

It was really a lot of fun. I need to chain you to the couch to watch the movies though, I saw the first one and it’s really cute. I think you’d like it.

After Guardian’s we made our way over to Creations Shop.

It was our first time shopping there of the trip, which was surprising. It is a good store, but to me it seems to fall just a bit short of the old Mouse Gear. Maybe I just like the old name more. I did find an Epcot T shirt since we figured out before the trip that I didn't have one, and Allie says you have to have an outfit for each park.

It was our last farewell to Epcot for the trip but we felt like we had really completed all of our must do’s.

While we were there we grabbed lightning lanes for Big Thunder, which meant we had it, Jungle Cruise, 7DMT, and Peter Pan all lined up in a 2 hour block. It had epic potential, but would we make it to it all? Time would tell.

We headed out of the park and to the Jeep. It wasn’t too far from the entrance which was nice.

Our frozen water bottle that we left in it though was completely melted and hot though. It shows how hot the day was.

We made the quick drive back to the resort and arrived at 4:27.

Check out our changing evening plans as they evolved in the next update.

 

[Wood Nymph]

It still cracks me up how much restaurant eating we do at Disney now when on our Honeymoon we had no clue that we needed reservations for everything or how many different restaurants there were.

We have a lot of restaurant reservations for our upcoming trip next week. We found out that we need to escape the heat and cool off in the summer. Outdoor dining is out of the question.

It gives me somenting to take lots of pictures of... In the Japan store both kids got Mochi, with Marshall getting straawberry and Allie getting Peach.

What is Mochi?

We found the third surface of the sun waiting for the boat to come.

How did the little fan work out?

Then the ride itself was incredible. Definitely a new favorite coaster at Disney, and in our group the opinion was unanimous.

Did anyone get motion sickness? I know that I can't ride it.

It was really a lot of fun. I need to chain you to the couch to watch the movies though, I saw the first one and it’s really cute. I think you’d like it.

The first movie is cute. The songs are one of the best parts of the movie.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We have a lot of restaurant reservations for our upcoming trip next week. We found out that we need to escape the heat and cool off in the summer. Outdoor dining is out of the question.

Yes, the indoor mid day table service meal has become a staple, and is an absolute requirement for hot trips.

What is Mochi?

It is a rice based gelatinous dessert. It has a strange texture, and usually a bit of a rice flavor, but they add other flavors to make it tolerable. Allie enjoys it, but the rest of us usually don’t care for it much. Some flavors are way better than others though.

How did the little fan work out?

They were really good. We will each have one next year, and being able to use it as a phone charger is nice too.

Did anyone get motion sickness? I know that I can't ride it.

No, we were all fine with it. I have more trouble with the motion simulator rides like flight of passage. Actually spinning around while following a track isn’t as bad, and we all commented on how smooth it felt.

The first movie is cute. The songs are one of the best parts of the movie.

I will definitely have to watch it sometime. Maybe on the plane on the way there next year. I’m glad the ride explained enough of it to stand on its own though.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

After parking the Jeep when returning from Epcot we got up to the room at 4:38. It was really hot, and Marshall was so hot that he didn't want to go out to Magic Kingdom, even with our 7DMT Lightning Lane. What he wanted to do was go swim, but we would miss out on some of the rides.

I also want to point out that we are no strangers to hot weather, it’s often well over 100 degrees where we live in the summer. I still complain about it being hot. I don’t think it’s something you can get used to.

We did make a last minute dinner ADR though at a brand new to-us restaurant.

We couldn’t decide what we wanted for dinner but found a last minute reservation for Kona Cafe at 7:30 PM. I’ve been trying to add this restaurant to the schedule for years so I was excited to make this happen.

We decided to divide and conquer, with me taking Marshall to the pool for a bit while they went to MK.

Neither Allie or I wanted to get wet and I didn’t want to miss our Jungle Cruise lightning lane so we rested a little bit and then headed over to Magic Kingdom on our own without the boys.

We went to the pool at 5:00 and swam in both pools while the girls went to MK. We only swam until 5:30 but got to do both pools and we both rode the slide. Then we showered and went to the boat dock, arriving at 6:00 invigorated and ready for MK.

I don’t have exact times but Allie and I caught the bus over to MK and made it in perfect time to get on Jungle Cruise. I’m a huge fan of corny jokes and Jungle Cruise never fails to disappoint.

We had fun but the boys were still on the way when we got off our cruise.

Unfortunately a boat didn't arrive until 6:18, leaving at 6:24 and getting to MK at 6:33.

Then I had to take my belt off for security for the first time which was a pain.

Since they weren’t in the park yet we decided we needed a Dole Whip to hold us over until dinner.

Allie got straight pineapple but they had a coconut pineapple swirl that the CM recommended and it was SOOO GOOD. Highly recommend.

We needed a place to sit down and enjoy our treat so we headed for the Tiki Room.

Allie says this was her favorite part of the trip.

Allie did love the tiki room enhanced with Dole Whip, and wants to do the same at DL in September.

After we were done at the Tiki Room the boys were just getting in the park so we headed over towards the bathrooms that are outside the Tea Cups.

Since we were now within our paid Ligntning Lane window for 7DMT, we headed straight that way to meet the girls. We met them at 6:52 and headed over to the ride. Melissa had decided not to pay to ride it, but the kids wanted to so we had the reservation for three of us.

The ride was fun and we were all glad to get to ride it, even though we were in a rush.

We made it off of the ride at 7:08, and then went to get some family pictures in front of the castle.

They came out pretty darned cute.

We then headed out of Magic Kingdom and toward the monorail.

We had Fastpasses for Peter Pan that we could have stayed and used, but we had to get moving towards dinner. It was a super quick trip into MK for us, but we were out of time and up against our ADR at Kona, which was at 7:30.

We were hot and done and dinner sounded like a better idea.

My question was how late we were going to be. We left the part at 7:23 and looked at the boats but decided to monorail to the Poly.

We walked right on the monorail just before it leftat 7:26.

When we got to the TTC a guy stood blocking the door to keep other guests from getting on, and finally someone asked him to move and he got all offended.

Fortunately the rest of the crowd had an even temper and we didn't wind up with front row seats for an all out brawl.

He was being pretty ridiculous with the way he was standing. I’m glad it didn’t escalate they would have both ended up in my lap.

We made our escape at the next stop at the Poly at 7:38, which was not nearly as late as I expected.

We went straight to check in at Kona and soon got our text and were seated at 7:47.

The restaurant was busy but not totally full, and we were excited to finally try it.

Both Paul and I ordered the Big Kahuna burger, Allie ordered the Polly Lolly Sushi roll and the Bao Buns, and Marshall got a plain cheeseburger.

This was my first burger of the trip and it didn’t disappoint. It was very good. Allie’s sushi was great too.

The burgers had pastrami on them and were super juicy. It was a very unique and exceptional burger, and was probably my favorite of the trip. Melissa had one more to come which she though might have surpassed it, but you'll have to wait for that... After our entrees were done, we knew we had to get dessert and ordered two of the Ohana bread puddings.

They were just like Ohana and were delicious. Sharing two was perfect for the four of us, and we didn't finish it all. We left full and very happy.

I would do Kona again in a heartbeat. It was such a good experience.

Absolutely, me too! That burger was just great, and you can't beat bread pudding with ice cream. The only thing I would change is I probably would not have locked in the ADR time quite so early, since it was a rush to get there from MK and it cost us our Peter Pan ride, but we are still learning. I would definitely look forward to eating here again, and it tends to be a good last minute ADR to get.

After dinner we hopped back on the Monorail to head towards the Contemporary.

The cutest kids were on our Monorail car when we got on and I made friends with a little girl from Nashville. She was just adorable and so precocious. She was probably 6 or 7 and I asked her what her favorite part of Disney World was, she thought about it for a second and then said all the babies. She just loves seeing all the babies. She was just so cute.

She was just the cutest, telling us all about Nashville in her sweet little accent and saying she just loves babies. Definitely one of the cutest things we have seen. The fireworks started just as we went past MK, which was perfect timing and she loved them too.

We said goodbye to her and got off of the monorail at the Contemporary, where we walked through Bay View Gifts while the fireworks continued.

We didn’t buy anything this time but we were soaking in the last bits of the Monorail loop before having to go work on packing up the room.

We headed down to the boat dock just as the fireworks ended and both Blue Flag boats were sitting there waiting for us.

We hopped on the one to WL and headed up to our room. I went back down to Roaring Fork for mug refills while Melissa started packing and did one last load of laundry.

Have I mentioned how nice it is to have laundry in the room?

We missed a crucial step before putting Marshall to bed though and forgot to get our luggage out of the closet. He fell asleep so fast and we didn’t want to wake him up.

That limited how much packing we could do that night, so we relaxed and went to bed just after 11PM.

We’re winding down but we’re not done! More fun to come tomorrow!

Check out what we decide to do during our departure day.

 

[alohamom]

We needed a place to sit down and enjoy our treat so we headed for the Tiki Room.

Quick question-were you able to take your Dole Whip inside the Tiki Room? I have always presumed you can't do this.

Our little cheat is to get a Dole Whip, take it to the line and wait for the room to open for the next show. It kind of forces you to relax a bit and it makes the wait time go quicker BUT if I can take it inside, that might be even better.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We decided to divide and conquer, with me taking Marshall to the pool for a bit while they went to MK.

Neither Allie or I wanted to get wet and I didn’t want to miss our Jungle Cruise lightning lane so we rested a little bit and then headed over to Magic Kingdom on our own without the boys.

This sounds like it was a perfect plan.

We needed a place to sit down and enjoy our treat so we headed for the Tiki Room.

The Tiki room is a great place to hang out when it is really hot out.

We made it off of the ride at 7:08, and then went to get some family pictures in front of the castle.

Is this the first time you wore those tee shirts? The picture is very cute.

The burgers had pastrami on them and were super juicy.

Those sounds like an odd addition to a hamburger.

She was just the cutest, telling us all about Nashville in her sweet little accent and saying she just loves babies. Definitely one of the cutest things we have seen.

She sounds adorable. Those things are the reason a trip like this is special.

We headed down to the boat dock just as the fireworks ended and both Blue Flag boats were sitting there waiting for us.

That was lucky. The ride back to WL from CR is really quick.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Quick question-were you able to take your Dole Whip inside the Tiki Room? I have always presumed you can't do this.

Our little cheat is to get a Dole Whip, take it to the line and wait for the room to open for the next show. It kind of forces you to relax a bit and it makes the wait time go quicker BUT if I can take it inside, that might be even better.

YES! They were able to take them inside, making for a great snack and show experience.

This sounds like it was a perfect plan.

Sometimes we all can’t do it all, so we kept both kids happy and fit in a little more this way.

The Tiki room is a great place to hang out when it is really hot out.

Yes and dole whip made it even cooler.

Is this the first time you wore those tee shirts? The picture is very cute.

Yes they were a gift from Grandma Nancy and we wanted to get her a picture.

Those sounds like an odd addition to a hamburger.

I am a fan of pastrami on a burger, it is juicier than bacon and adds a lot of flavor.

She sounds adorable. Those things are the reason a trip like this is special.

It was one of those Disney perfect interactions that do make trips there so special.

That was lucky. The ride back to WL from CR is really quick.

The blue flag boats are the most convenient transportation option, especially when the boats are there waiting for you.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

On Monday I slept in until 6:30 and then went out for one last morning. I got a few lobby pics, but it was harder since it was more crowded.

I checked out Geyser Point and got some courtyard waterfall pics with more light.

6:30 is not sleeping in.

It was my latest morning of the trip, and at least is later than I get up at home for work. Besides, it let me see the 7AM Geyser and watch the big ferry boat go across from Bay Lake.

I also stopped by the lobby and made a luggage tag before heading uo to the room at 7:15. Then I sat on the balcony and just enjoyed watching the morning activities until 7:45, when I woke Melissa up.

We had some packing to do of course but I don’t feel like it takes as long as it used to when the kids were small. Allie does a lot on her own and Marshall helps.

After Marshall got up we woke up Allie and then escaped the room by running down to Roaring Fork for mug refills and to pick up a Bear Claw. I had seen them earlier in the week and figured it was big enough to share.

It worked out well, and we sat at the table and talked about the great trip.

The bear claw was really good! I think we’ll definitely add it to our breakfast rotation next trip. (I may have just spilled the beans).

It was a yummy treat and big enough to share. Yeah, I think we mentioned it in comments but we do have our room booked for next year for the same length trip in the same type of room. We are looking forward to doing it once again. It sure makes going home easier when you know that you'll be back. Our packing went well but we filled our bags and had quite a few extra things leftover to carry. We were all packed by 10:15, so we spent a few last minutes in the room before we said goodbye to it.

We are good at packing light on the way to Disney but not as great at keeping it light for the way home.

We drug all of our bags down to the lobby. Marshall wanted to pin trade in the mercantile one last time so Paul and the kids went in for a minute while I sat with the luggage and contemplated how we were going to fit everything together for the flight home.

When I got back Melissa informed me she was going to head to the Mercantile and pick up another carry on to streamline our stuff for the trip home.

It really was a great decision and fixed the space problem quick and easy. It also made for a very cute and functional souvenir.

We figured out that we have done this many times, and often wind up with a new bag as a souvenier to help carry our other souveniers home. Then Melissa told Allie she could go get a luggage cart and had her go talk to the bell services person herself. She's getting bigger and will know how to do things for herself.

She was so proud when she came back with a cart.

We loaded it up and I waited out front with the kids while Paul pulled the Jeep up.

Now that we had fitting all of our stuff in luggage situated we had to figure out how to fit the luggage in the Jeep.

It was pretty full on the way there, but by carefully packing we were able to fit the extra bag in the back as well. I took a picture of our efforts.

This did fill the Jeep to capacity, and has us thinking we will probably go with a full size SUV or at least a minivan for next year. The Jeeps are fun, but we can probably get more space for the same price or less.

Yeah we just don’t quite fit in the Jeep. After we were loaded up we said see ya later to Wilderness Lodge and headed to Disney Springs. Believe it or not we still had things we wanted to pick up and see.

Shopping on departure day works well for us, since we can always use more Disney Springs time. This time we parked in the Orage Garage on the West side and went out the entrance by the theatres. We went to Disney Style and Marshall traded another pin.

Then the boys wanted to do something we’ve never done before, and something I’ll never do.

Marshall talked Paul into taking him on the Aerophile balloon.

We walked down to look at it and it wasn't crazy windy or crowded. Marshall really wanted to do it, and I was willing to go along, so we gave it a shot. It was $54 for the two of us which was a little expensive but it wound up being really neat.

We could see the different parks in the distance and got some pictures. There were only two other people and the operator on it with us, so we could walk all around and see the different views.

The thought of walking around up there literally makes me ill.

It was pretty calm, with the only odd movement being right when it left the ground and went sideways a bit and then when it bounced on the way back down. They stop for a brief second on the way up before switching to a higher speed rope release, but it just floats up nice and smooth. It is not for those too afraid of heights, and I am certain that you would not have enjoyed it. You looked pretty small all the way down there, but I'm pretty sure you were checking on my life insurance.

Allie and I hung out outside Starbucks and chatted. There’s really no way I’m getting on that balloon.

After we landed and bought the souvenier photo we all headed to the Coke store and did some shopping for our friends at the office.

Marshall and I didnt buy the Hot Wheels size cars we wanted because we had spent enough for the morning. We then followed the girls over to Lulu Lemon and the Vera store and waited outside in the shade.

Oh yeah, Vera! I found the cutest little purse! It’s black and has quilted Mickey ears all over it. I have been carrying it every day since we got home. It fits perfect in my big work bag.

Marshall and I popped in to the Columbia store and got him a blue cammo fleece. I also started looking at lunch options and we wanted to do something new and different.

With our last minute Kona reservation going so well we looked for other last minute table service availability. Having a car makes this spontaneity so much easier.

While there are so many great food options at Disney Springs, we decided to branch out a bit and made a last minute ADR for Olivia's at Old Key West. We thought about taking the boat but because we had the Jeep we figured we would drive over there. We still had some time before lunch though, so we went into World of Disney one more time. Marshall was tired and it was hot so he sat down just inside the store.

We were all tired and hot, Marshall’s poor legs were done and I was fighting heat rash on my calves. I still needed something to bring home for our pet sitter though, she’s an important part of our trip because she keeps everything alive at home. I got her a Starbucks tumbler and a throw blanket. I also picked up a throw blanket for us. We love our couch blankets.

As the girls came back with their finds I sat next to Marshall to let him know it was time to head for the car but a CM came and told us there was no sitting allowed in the store and we had to stand up. It made my job easier, but was a Disney rule I did not know prior to that. It does make sense, but so would having seating available somewhere besides outside in the sun. Anyway, we began our trek to the Jeep, but had a long way to go since it was all the way at the other end of DIsney Springs in the Orange garage.

Yeah I might rethink parking there on our last day if we aren’t ending on that side. It’s a pretty long walk at the end of the trip.

It was a very long walk across Disney Springs. Marshall wanted to stop at the Lime garage, but we had to press on and the kids just got more and more cranky. We stopped in the shade for a bit and the kids were going at each other incessantly.

Both were almost in tears and we knew they had too much vacation.

We had definitely hit a wall. Disney can be tough, it’s not all sunshine and roses. Even big kids can have melt downs and we were due apparently.

We all survived though and I was excited about our lunch adventure.

We let the Jeep (and the tempers) cool down while we packed our new acquisitiins into the suitcases for the trip home. Check out more of our departure day fun in the next update.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Was the new luggage tag themed like WL? Couldn't tell from the picture, which carry-on bag was the new one? Looks like Allie didn't mind skipping Aerophile. Don't remember, have you guys ever done the Amphicars? Olivia's is a nice, relaxing place off the beaten path. The boat to there would have been fun, but I'm guessing you didn't want to risk boat delays on departure day.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Was the new luggage tag themed like WL? Couldn't tell from the picture, which carry-on bag was the new one? Looks like Allie didn't mind skipping Aerophile. Don't remember, have you guys ever done the Amphicars? Olivia's is a nice, relaxing place off the beaten path. The boat to there would have been fun, but I'm guessing you didn't want to risk boat delays on departure day.

We got the Mickey and Minnie comic print bag that they have at many of the resorts and World of Disney. I found another picture of it:

We would have loved a WL specific bag, but the only one they had was an odd lounge fly backpack and wouldn't hold enough stuff for us as luggage. Oh well, maybe next year.

We have done the amphicars a couple of times and really enjoyed it. It is also pretty expensive, but there are discounts if you dine at Boathouse which we pretty much always do. As a car (and boat) guy, they are really cool, even if not fast. The drivers are usually friendly and informative, and Marshall enjoyed chatting with the guy last time we did it.

You are right, we considered the boat to OKW but didn't want time uncertainty on our way to the airport so we decided to drive, and that's where we are headed in the next update.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

I so feel Marshall just wanting to sit the heck down in the AC. Is this really “against the Disney rules”? They need to calm down.

 

[ambula603]

Such a delight to find your trip report and devour it in a couple of days! I always love following along with your family. The video of hide and seek was a treat!

I do have a question for you - can you explain the different parts of WL for me? I would like to stay there someday but I don't know what is the best part and what is cash vs. DVC. We stayed in the main building when I was a teen but they have added on so much now I am confused!

Remind me - have you all been to Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone?