Boo, Brew and Happy Birthday, too!

[brettcw23]

Final stop of the night at EPCOT for some EMH.
Now I have to confess some disappointment. It was the F&W Festival and I had my drinking passport in hand, was walking distance from my resort and ready to imbibe some specialty brews. Despite it being extra magic hours, that apparently did not apply to the food and beverage kiosks. I felt like Indiana Jones grabbing his hat right before the stone gate shuts. I was, I think literally, running from beer cart to beer cart slamming 9.0% ACV beers trying to get them in before everything shut down. I was on beer 4 or 5 which would be my last for the evening. Itwas a Sam Adam's that was fighting with me every sip of the way. I got it all down and then we were off to Maelstrom. Nothing like a nice, "calm" boat ride after downing a handful of brews!

I had my passport, the kids had their passports. Win\win situation...


Our vikings...



We got to see the fireworks while we were there which was a first for us. I have to say they were pretty awesome. In Pittsburgh we set off fireworks for everything so I'm slightly desensitized to firework shows but have to say this one got my attention and nod of approval.

As the World Turns...the fireworks barge with the globe passed right by us.

 

[brettcw23]

Day 6 of our fun filled Disney adventure!

Today was Maddie's actual birthday. She was super excited for this day and was not shy about letting people know it was her special day. We had a big day planned at the Magic Kingdom. Maddie chose Cinderella's Royal Table for her special dinner.

 

[GiantsNiners11]

Love the strawberries/tuxedos....awesome!

 

[brettcw23]

Love the strawberries/tuxedos....awesome!

It truly was a nice gesture. The running joke was that since I am a Type I Diabetic, I should have taken it down to the front desk and tell them that to make them feel bad. LOL.

 

[brettcw23]

Here are some pics from Maddie's Bday celebration at Cinderella's Royal Table. The food was terrific (as usual) and our waiter, Fernando, was exceptional making such a big deal about our daughter's bday.



I love watching them make their wishes!


Love me some Jasmine!

 

[brettcw23]

And the girls got some pics with the princesses, too.


And Maddie's new buddy, Fernando, who just did a super job!

 

[brettcw23]

A silly selfie on the Magic Carpets...


And my oldest DD and me...


This ride is a guilty pleasure for me. Although I swear the camels "spit" on me EVERY time!

 

[brettcw23]

Just some photos from around our resort Boardwalk Villas



Maddie in action on the slide!

 

[brettcw23]

This was a DHS day. We LOVE this park. Our girls now at the point where they both ride EVERYTHING. Maddie wasn't crazy about TOT, but we just guilted her into it and she complied with our wishes!

We of course got the obligatory pics in the car outside of Sci-Fi Diner...


Here's some photos with my girls and their friend from home. They had a blast together. We've been fortunate that the last several trips we've had friends go down at the same time.


Star Tours is one of Maddie's favorites! She would ride this over and over and over...me, not so much. I love it, but my ability to "stomach" these rides has been waning over the years!


We took this photo in the evening when we are at EPCOT and having dinner at the Crown and Rose. I had the fish and chips and it didn't disappoint! My wife ended up staying with my youngest to enjoy the fireworks while my oldest and I headed back to the room to relax...and possibly eat some of the Chocolate covered strawberries that you saw a few posts back.

 

[brettcw23]

Here is our last day before heading to the airport. We stopped at EPCOT and of course went back to the Boardwalk to visit the Boardwalk Bakery and SeaShore Sweets.



Tasty treats....


I also wanted to point out that we had some DDP credits left and the CMs at the Boardwalk bakery went out of their way to specially package some food items for us to make it through our travels to the airport. It's those little things that makes me okay with the amount of money we spend on our "Disney Lifestyle." Sure, the more time we spend at WDW, the more likely we are to have a bad experience, but I have to say, it's a risk worth taking!

 

[brettcw23]

Just a quick dining recap for you all.

Cape May Cafe (dinner) - I liked this but wan't terribly impressed. A few items stood out but I have to say that i was disappointed in the crab legs and the selection of non-seafood items. I'd eat here again, but being that my DW isn't a seafood eater, we certainly won;t go out of our way to get back. Although, given the delays in checking in, the heat, it being a travel day, I may have had a different perspective due to those extenuating circumstances.

Coral Reef Cafe (dinner) - We really enjoyed this restaurant. the kids didn't get to sit as close to the aquarium as they would have liked but they were excited by how much they could see as well the food we ate. We'll do this one again for our next trip.

Be Our Guest - I can't say enough good things about our experience here. Everything was exceptional...the wait, our server, the meals, desserts, ambiance...
I had pretty high expectations and BOG did not disappoint.

Ohana Breakfast - We had done dinner but this was our first time for breakfast. Simply delicious! It was a great start to our day. So much food and great service. The characters were especially accommodating taking lots of time with the kids at all of the different tables. I'd def do this one again. I think we'll probably start alternating the dinner\breakfast option here. We have dinner planned for November already.
Ohana Breakfast pics

Cinderella's Royal Table - While I am no longer overwhelmed by the Castle or its delectable food, I do remain impressed. This meal pulls on my heart strings a bit b\c I remember very vividly the look in my girls' eyes when they were younger. the wait staff and princesses do a marvelous job bringing this fairy tle experience to life. I would recommend this to anyone but especially to families with girls who are all about the princesses. This experience has never disappointed. If you are able to combine this with a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique experience, even better!

Other dining experiences - We did a number of QS meals at the various parks. The one that stood out for me was Flame Tree BBQ. The ribs\sauce were spectacular. From a treat perspective, the items that we got from the Boardwalk Bakery and Starring Roles were both noteworthy.

I would also point out that the Food and Wine Festival is totally awesome! EPCOT turns into Frat Party around 9PM ET! I would like to note that although there may be EMH, the food and beverage kiosks shut down at normal times. This is especially important if, like me, you are trying to get your passport filled with beers from around the world. Needless to say drinking 4 beers in less than 30 minutes made for unique experience on Maelstrom and Soaring!

We used to hit the same old QS stops tripa fter trip but have made an effort to try some new ones ever since we had stumbled across Pinocchio's Village Haus. This time we ate at The ABC Commissary, Fairfax Fare and Rosie's All American. All wee wise choices. Zero complaints and full bellies!

 

[brettcw23]

Well, this concludes my Trip Report. It was my first one and those who explore it, hopefully will enjoy it. I'm planning to do more of them for future visits.

As is the norm, we had a fantastic time at Disney World. No matter how much we go or how much I read and participate in the various forums and boards, I learn something new when we go. And each trip is its own unique experience. I genuinely feel sorry for people who don’t enjoy Disney as much as us. It's become a part of our family's very being.

Lastly, let's not focus on the fact that it took me almost 9 months to complete this!