How Many Attempts Does It Take To End Up in a Diabetic Coma: An Adult Adventure at Food and Wine Festival *completed*

20191114_190806_zps6swqjuhn.jpg


My opinion on the success of Galaxy’s Edge is the approach that Disney took with it. I think that in the short term, the land has not been an automatic home run because they decided to base it on a “create your own adventure” perspective. How many people knew the planet “Batuu” prior to Disney’s announcement of a new land: a very small group of avid Star Wars fans. If instead they were to create a place with places and characters that most people could identify then it probably would have a more immediate success story. Part of the reason Harry Potter lands have been working for Universal is because they populated it with places people could identify from the films. People knew Hogwarts and Diagon Alley. Instead, Disney decided to create a world in the Star Wars universe that you could create your own adventures independently of what transpired in the films. Trust me, I work with people every day and most have very limited imaginations. They are not used to exercising that part of their brain now that we have technology. It is imagination that the imagineers are asking the guests to employ. This might be changing. A new ride, Rise of the Resistance, is about to open. It could be called three attractions in one and utilizing technology like never before. Also, Disney+ has introduced a new Star Wars story, the Mandalorian. If you watch the first three episodes, I swear that Batuu looks so much like the planet where much of the action takes place. If people would understand it is a place for an outer space adventure and forget about Star Wars, Galaxy’s Edge probably would be more successful.

That was our day at Hollywood Studios. We needed to rest and recharge so off to Port Orleans French Quarter we went.

20191023_075830_zpsxqzo9lnh.jpg
20191023_075930_zpsaiomt48y.jpg


20191023_075952_zpsmcbqmiwy.jpg
20191114_190342_zpsktfwgrke.jpg


20191110_080846_zpsxkchvdiw.jpg
550830406_zpsfjbxkgeb.jpeg


550831125_zpslvhyjkd3.jpeg
 
20191023_191131_zpskmlsf8kr.jpg


We took a Disney bus over to Epcot which was our closest park. From there we took a bus over to Wilderness Lodge. Where do you think we are having dinner? We ate at Wilderness Lodge resort, Geyser Point Bar and Grill. I have never been at this restaurant or this resort before. I felt like I was at the home of Aaron Copeland. I don’t know what his home looked like, but I just got this feeling of Americana from the huge Lincoln Log lobby. I loved it. I totally could see myself staying here. We needed a little help from a cast member to help us find our way out to the restaurant. We first encountered a takeout window. I thought we had to order our meal there and then take it over to a table. Instead, they directed us to a couple of cast members who were hosting, like a full-service restaurant. It was another quick service restaurant. What was quick service about it? It functioned just like a full-service restaurant, if you ask me. So, if you want a great use of a quick service credit for the Disney Dining plan I would say go here. Once again, my name badge did its magic. My hosts were awfully curious about me. I told them I just was “very special”. They agreed, yes, we all are very special. We had a good laugh. A server came by and we placed our orders. Once again, Keith and I had very similar orders. We both ordered Bison cheeseburgers, bacon, cheddar, sweet onion, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli and Marionberry barbecue sauce on an artisan roll served for $16. That barbeque sauce was awesome. Mine came with a side of quinoa salad. I had a wild strawberry lemonade (non-alcoholic) beverage. Even though the dining plan allows for alcohol, I just didn’t feel like it this time. Keith got waffle fries. Our biggest difference was he enjoyed a Northwest Iced Tea (alcoholic) which was Bacardi Superior Rum, 44° North Idaho Potato Vodka, Aviation Gin, Cointreau and Sweet-and-Sour with a splash of Coca-Cola® at $14. Our total bill came to $54.84. But since this place had a server, our dining plan did not include a tip. We paid a $10.30 tip out of pocket. Dinner was absolutely delicious. My bison burger was made to order. I ordered a medium rare burger and that is exactly what I got. Also, the burger was sizable. For $16 it really was a great value even by non-Disney standards. Bison meat isn’t inexpensive. Just as my hosts, our neighbors at our table was curious about my name badge. Then, my server overheard our conversation and we talked more about what it could mean and what it actually did mean. She was super sweet. If you get LeAnna, you will be in good hands. She and I got in a discussion on climate. She definitely is a Floridian and would not be able to tolerate anything lower than the lower 70’s. It just made me laugh. The restaurant sits on Bay Lake. The darkness of night blanketed our view. Actually, we were seated so that we couldn’t really see the lake. But maybe you could, but at night it really wouldn’t matter. Try eating during the day for a view. It looks like a great place for a burger and a beer while you relax on the lake.

20191023_193319_zpsftaatt2j.jpg
20191023_195132_zps8acoevwl.jpg


Geyser Point Bar and Grill


Ambiance 8
Food 9
Price/value 9

Overall 9
 
20191110_083615_zpsjlum1rgk.jpg


We allowed enough time, so we didn’t feel rushed. When it was time to leave, we decided to take a boat over to the Magic Kingdom to experience Happily Ever After, the nighttime spectacular at the Magic Kingdom. We just missed a boat, but they run so frequently that we didn’t have too long to wait. We sat in the bow and I really loved the breeze. As we were waiting to get underway, I overheard a family start to freak out that their little boy (about 5) had lost his Magic Band. I was able to calm them down and brought reality into the situation. I asked about their plans and told them where it would be easiest to get a replacement for him. I assured them every day some little tyke loses a Magic Band and they will be able to replace it no problem. You could just see the anxiety and fear disappear and at about that time we were underway. The crew member who was up in the bow with us was very entertaining with all sorts of trivia about Walt Disney World. He was great at making the time fly by. Before you knew it, Keith and I disembarked and were through the turnstiles. We were dodging guests left and right and tried to find a spot to view the show. So many areas were blocked off already. I don’t know how we did it, but I found a really great spot looking onto the front façade of the castle. Just after we arrived, they were closing off the area to guests so no one else could enter. We were fairly close to the castle and left of center. I think we were lucky. I’m guessing we got there 40 minutes before the show began. We were right next to a toddler who was enjoying her bubble wand that lights up. She was able to entertain herself no problem. Her parents were so anxious about their daughter annoying me. The little girl was quiet the entire time. I told them bubbles in my face was a small price to pay for good behavior. Keith and I had a nice conversation with our neighbors. If I have one criticism of Happily Ever After is that it is a montage of images and sounds of different Disney animated intellectual properties. I think it might be a bit more of a pull on the heartstrings if you had a bit of a storyline. That’s part of what Disney does well is story telling. If they had incorporated just a little bit of a plot to hang all of this on would have been great. In truth, I loved the whole show. It was the next evolution of nighttime spectacular with how much use of projections were used. I loved that Tinkerbell is still flying through the sky in the show. No one does fireworks like Disney. No one. The last Magic Kingdom show I saw was Wishes which I loved. But once again, they present a wonderful spectacular. The crazy creativity that they had with all of the projections upon Cinderella’s Castle was incredible. They were able to take 2D images and make you believe a 3D event was happening. Maleficent’s fire ended with a firework where it landed. You could have done a show with just projections. But no, they incorporate fantastic fireworks on top of it. Good for Disney for pushing the innovation envelope. There was so much going on throughout the show that I would need to see it several times. It was a bit hard to focus on the projections and on the fireworks, listen to the music, and then get all the visual references. I am sure I missed stuff even though I was right there with no interruptions. Next time I will just allow more time to find a viewing spot that is a little bit better. No doubt it is on your list of must do’s for each trip. It is for me.

20191110_083658_zpstgqamuqo.jpg
20191023_203331_zpssc8arpls.jpg


Look at that crowd behind me!

20191110_083638_zpsgqyb8okw.jpg


20191023_205914_zpsv2wju8td.jpg


We lingered quite a bit. We knew the buses back to Port Orleans French Quarter would be insane. We didn’t feel the need to rush. Instead, we looked around the shops of Main Street. But honestly, I thought that was ridiculous. I spent the whole time dodging people. I really didn’t find it much fun at all. Next time, I’ll just be prepared and sit down and eat something. Maybe a sundae? Something to get me away from all of the people. It was a tiny bit of insanity. Eventually, we decided we had waited long enough and exited out of the park. It will be time for me to play park commando in only a few hours.

NEXT: I was present for what woke half of Walt Disney World up at an ungodly hour. Another first is recorded in the books
 
Last edited:


551552852_zpsmzbpgw9s.jpeg


Good Morning! I’m the only person on the bus. I’ve got my own personal chauffer and I’m loving it. He’s playing “Somebody’s Watching Me” which I haven’t heard in forever on the radio. It’s early in the morning on Thursday, October 24, 2019. There is no traffic at a couple of minutes past six am. I am the first person at the Magic Kingdom! That has never happened before. I picked a good day because they are about to use this time to test out the holiday fireworks. There are about 30 security people and soon others join us. I’m there filming the fireworks on my phone for three whole minutes when one of the security staff starts raising her voice, “No pictures! No pictures!” Why did none of her 29 other colleagues have a problem with it during those 3 whole minutes. I put down my phone and she relaxed. But how great that I got a little entertainment while I waited for the Magic Kingdom to open. I chatted a bit with some other guests and a cast member in charge of holding us at the overpass where the train runs. I was the first person through security and the now I was the first person to enter the Magic Kingdom. I just found that incredible. (Keith decided when we got back to the room last night that he would sleep in and join me when he was up and ready.) Others eventually overtake me in walking super-fast over to Fantasyland. We are held in the spoke that leads into Fantasyland. It becomes clear to me that everyone is about to head over to 7DMT as soon as the clock strikes seven. I was in the cluster of the first 30 waiting to gain further into the park. Before I even got to that point, I had my own photo taken in front of the castle with it all aglow. They had this cast member lead us over and that cast member walked at a super-fast clip. He probably walked as fast as you can walk without actually running. I wonder if they pick the person with the longest legs for that job?

I was among the first to ride 7DMT that day. I absolutely loved that attraction. It helps that while you are riding you hear “Whistle While You Work”. It was a whole lot of fun. The fact that the ride vehicles are able to sway really didn’t impact me all that much. What I liked is the story telling aspect of the ride. It is a full-fledged dark ride that tells the story of the seven dwarfs. I also loved seeing the enhanced animatronic dwarfs with digitally mapped media projected onto what would be their faces. I’m looking at the pictures to jog my memory for this trip report and realize one of my fellow Touring Plans Magic Maker “family”, Betsy, is at the Magic Kingdom at the same time with her son. It looks like we just missed each other because their pictures of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are right before the ones taken of me on the same attraction. We had to be just feet apart and never knew it. Talk about a Small World.

551555571_zpsaa483wat.jpeg


551555779_zpszv6uxkiq.jpeg



The Magic Kingdom was practically vacant. The extra, extra magic hours really paid off. Any attraction in Walt Disney World would have been a walk-on. All that freedom was a little intimidating. There were hardly any guests around me. By the time I was done with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train the sun had come up. Since it is Extra, Extra, Magic Hours I really didn’t have a game plan. I tried to tackle as much of Fantasyland as I could excluding what I would guess Keith would enjoy. I love the Mad Tea Cup Party ride. But it was harder with only one person in a cup. I had to do a lot of work. There are a number of attractions that are the same kiddie attraction just dressed up in different ways. Since Dumbo is the grand daddy of them all, I decided I would just do the original. If the wait is short and you need to relax, I highly recommend it.

20191024_073552_zpsstvb4hlb.jpg
20191024_081644_zpspxsu4llc.jpg


I’ve gotta fess up. With no crowds and no wait times I was a bit of a mess. Somehow, I had wandered over to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. I do my best. I but I gotta say I have absolutely no idea if I am hitting targets or not. I feel like I just don’t know what I am doing. I think it was been far more fun if I knew those are my red dots and not someone else’s. I just aim and hope for the best. Visually, it’s a fantastic ride.

551559890_zpsa76kepfk.jpeg



Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid was new for me. A dark ride that included the top tunes of the movie was a winner for me. I really enjoyed the time my ride vehicle (my clamshell) pivoted and moved with my back going first. It forced me to look up and digital bubbles were projected on the vehicle in front of me. This attraction utilized the same projection mapping on faces which provided the ability to provide expressions. I thought it was a can’t go wrong attraction, great for all.

Since all the attractions were a walk on, I probably had a much better attitude about everything than if I had to wait 45 minutes. Since Barnstormer with the Great Goofini has been billed as an entry level roller coaster I thought it was going to be a big ho-hum. But I really had a lot of fun. Granted, no one is going to be flipped upside down. But, I found it exciting enough for me to experience quite a bit of fun. I wish it was a little bit longer it is quite short, not even lasting two minutes.

20191114_204954_zpsmzyctk5e.jpg
 


I still had quite a fair amount of time to go do whatever I wanted. I decided now would be a good time to have a photopass picture taken of me and Mickey Mouse. I started to walk back to the front entrance of the Magic Kingdom. On my way, I spotted another photopass photographer. He had zero people, so I had him take a bunch of photographs in front of Cinderella’s Castle. When I finally found the Town Square Theater the line to see Mickey was very short. There was only one family ahead of me. They had a toddler who was super sweet. At one point, he did not want to let go of Mickey during their hug. There were a bunch of infants and parents all in this family, so they took a bunch of different combinations. It was extra, extra magic hours so they could afford to take so many pictures. I didn’t mind. Finally, it was my turn and the photographer there was outstanding. It was as if I had a photo session there, she took so many photos. Somehow it was very easy for me to conduct a conversation with Mickey even though Mickey can only gesture and not speak. We high fived over his recent 90th birthday. We hugged. We “talked” about a bunch of things. I tried to make it quick because there were other people waiting.

551566859_zpsmj7wm6fw.jpeg


551596302_zpsk58gygpp.jpeg
551596245_zpsbgojpgku.jpeg


I had seen prior to my trip that there was a photopass photographer that could take a video of you where it zoomed in and then zoomed out. There is a camera up above The Plaza restaurant. They have you stare up there and remotely activate it to create the video of you at the hub. It came out terrific. I like it so much, that I just had Canvas Pop transfer the picture of the Magic Kingdom onto canvas where I can make out little, itty bitty me. I should have it by Christmas. Now where do I put it?


551576579_zpscf0qsrjw.jpeg


Since I had all this time on my hands, I went on the Many Adventures of Pooh. It was quite cute. But it was definitely designed for the pre-school set.

Mickey’s Philharmagic is so old that the quality of the visuals has diminished. I think I had issues with the glasses. The glasses are so worn that I had trouble seeing. There are issues, but I do enjoy that movie and it is very entertaining. I felt like I could reach out and touch the jewels when they came out at me and I always love that. All through the movie, Keith and I have been texting to figure out meeting up. There were so few people, there was no one remotely near me in the theater. Trust me, no one was getting disturbed during that movie from the light of my screen when I needed to text. I had a row to myself. The row in front of me was empty as was the one behind me.

Our meeting place is Gaston’s Tavern. I had a big cinnamon roll with extra icing ($5.99) and a cup of hot tea ($3.49). Gaston’s Tavern is very dark. I imagine that when it gets to be hotter in the day this would be a nice place to cool off because it is dark and cool. I happened to snag one of the last seats inside. Score! The cinnamon roll was large enough to make for a breakfast all on its own. Was it a must do? I don’t think so. It was rather on the dry side even with the extra icing that they poured over the cinnamon roll. I’m with AJ Wolfe and the Disney Food Blog people, you really need to do the extra icing. It needed to be more moist. I know people don’t like that word, but that’s what it needed. It was good, not great. Maybe I’ve been spoiled. I love a “Cinnabon” far more. It would be a good use of a snack credit if you are on the dining plan. I was just finishing up with my breakfast, when Keith joined me.

20191024_085131_zpsocxjb61n.jpg
20191024_085922_zps0rzea2u4.jpg
20191114_204904_zps0y22f4xz.jpg


20191024_093539_zps1dbrecjg.jpg


Keith and I were game to take a boat ride. I’ve got to see if you’ve got a teenager, skip It’s A Small World. I hated it and was bored by it when I was a teenager. Now, I rode it to appreciate the art of Mary Blair. I looked at it as an art installation that I get to move through.


Once again, I’m spinning as if I can make a cup and saucer fly. Keith and I work together to make ourselves dizzy. I love spinning attractions and this time it was far easier having another set of hands to help spin us around. I like how the rider has the control to make it as maddening or carefree as you like.

20191114_205352_zpsabcbnqgl.jpg
20191114_205622_zps6cxiwe14.jpg


20191024_102728_zpsgcw308b9.jpg
20191114_205513_zpsouttysyi.jpg


20191024_111208_zpsghriwz0u.jpg
 
We had a FastPass+ for Pirates of the Caribbean and that brought a surprise for me. This is one of my all time favorites so I had to make an appointment to see this. What I wasn’t expecting was to be completely fooled by the audio animatronic of Captain Jack Sparrow. I swear Johnny Depp was in that attraction with us. I really enjoyed comparing the 1973 technology with the 21st century technology. It utterly is amazing. FastPass+ gave us quick access to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. If you are looking for another thrill ride that your child can enjoy, this might be another ticket. I don’t find it too scary just good, clean fun. By the time we exited we discovered the Country Bear Jamboree was about to start a show so we hopped over there and sat down for some old fashioned humor and song. I was a bit trepidatious about this because the last time I saw it was the very last thing after a long day and I was soaked from rain. I was dead on my feet. I did not enjoy it at all that time. Now, it’s still morning and I have a great attitude. My advice is to see this when you are full of vim and vigor. If you wait until the very end of your day it will seem like the longest show ever. We tried to see about the Hall of Presidents, but it was too long of a wait until they were open again. We walked over to Tomorrowland to have fun at Monster’s Inc, Laugh Floor. I found that my elbow got tickled. I especially liked how they picked on some man and kept of flashing an image of him and poking fun at his expense. He was a good sport about it. Was it hysterically funny? No, but it was funny enough to cause me to laugh out loud. It would think it would all depend upon the cast member and how funny and quick witted they can be.

551947959_zpsxbi97ape.jpeg


It is time to leave the park and have some lunch. We walked from there to the Contemporary Resort for a full-service meal at The Wave…of American Flavors. Those three dots are very important, I’m sure. Who is naming things over here? I am ready for some cocktails! Keith had the spicy poblano margarita and the blood orange margarita (14.00). Once again, we each ordered the same thing! You would think that we would order different foods and then share and taste. No. We want what we want, and we just happen to want the same thing. We both ordered the pappardelle pasta with butternut squash puree, roasted vegetables, and a truffle arugula salad ($20.00). For dessert, Keith had the Seasonal Flight ($12.00). It was a little Pineapple cheesecake, Strawberry Mousse Cake, and the Florida Key Lime Tart. I almost always go for some kind of baked good. But this was lunch and I knew what craziness I had in store so I had the Trio of Sorbet ($11.00) Lemonade-Ice Sorbet, Stone Fruit Sorbet, Blueberry-Banana Sorbet. I was living for this. You’ve got to come to the Wave. It is good. I am enjoying this. No, that is not the blood orange cocktail talking. That is me talking. We told our server, Michele, who was excellent, that we loved our cocktails. We are picky about our pour and this was perfect. We both like our cocktails strong. And they were plenty strong. She was so happy to hear that because it was the bartender’s first day at the Wave. He was over at the Beach and Yacht Club before this and she convinced the manager to bring him over. Good move, Michele! The only downside is the restaurant looks like it is a middle American hotel chain restaurant. Not inspiring, at all.

20191024_123045_zpsx5vmsjzn.jpg
20191024_123523_zpsng3cplje.jpg
20191024_125531_zpsgubgokw8.jpg
20191024_125545_zpsegzkfdiw.jpg


The Wave…Of American Flavors

Ambience 7
Food 9
Price/Value 9
Overall 9

The service and the food far outweighed the looks of the restaurant. I felt the food and drink were on the level of a signature restaurant. The service was excellent. I felt lucky that I only had to spend one full-service restaurant credit. I would make it a point to visit before Disney manages to screw this up. I had consulted with Denise Lang, my travel planner to get her thoughts about it and she recommended it. Home run for The Wave!

After a short walk back to the Magic Kingdom, we once again took a spin on the People Mover. We both really enjoy it. It is then that we get a text from Andy letting us know he would not be able to join us. His doggie, Susie, is having serious health issues and needs to see the vet. We are sorry to hear about Susie and disappointed that Andy can’t join us but on we go with our adventure.


I had a list of things that were MUST DO and/or SEE for me. On this list was a food hack from the Disney Food Blog people. It was a create your own ice cream sandwich. First, I went to the Confectionary on Main Street and purchased 2 large Mickey chocolate chip cookies ($10.98). Second, I went to the Plaza Ice Cream parlor and ordered a double scoop of cookies and cream ice cream ($7.68). I also asked for a side of hot fudge. I took all of this out to the terrace and underneath an umbrella Keith and I sat down and enjoyed the Festival of Fantasy Parade which was finishing up. Keith had some kind of treat for himself, as well. DFB tried to warn me that this was something to share. They were not kidding. I have a huge sweet tooth and thought I could do it all on my own. Wrong! It was humungous. I could not finish it especially so soon after lunch. When it became apparent that I would not be finishing this in one sitting I decided to eat all of the ice cream as much as I could before it all melted away. The Plaza had given me a plastic container to hold it all in. I just closed the container and put the leftovers in my bag. Now that all sounded fantastic, right? For me, it wasn’t. It was down to the consistency of the cookies. They were really crunchy instead of cake-y. It made for a tough sandwich, even with my reusable bamboo knife and fork. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed it, but I would not do it again. I would buy a pre-made ice cream sandwich instead.

20191024_143059_zpsvwj9aclo.jpg
20191114_205959_zpsuzk7s4aa.jpg


20191114_205908_zpsl6nzzymt.jpg
20191114_205737_zpsz5vmq0yr.jpg



I love me a parade. Nobody does a parade like Disney. They are like Nazi’s with smiles. You better not think of moving an inch off of that curb because they will sweetly and kindly tell you where you need to be with a smile. Their parades are efficient and timely. It goes like clockwork.


In the Tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room we enjoyed all the birds and flowers singing words and crooning. We had a tiny bit of a wait. But it’s funny to see in the same day one of the latest audio animatronics and ones created when the Magic Kingdom opened.

Even though the extra, extra magic hours had passed the crowds are still rather light. It is about 2 o’clock hour at this point. Back on to Under the Sea -Journey of the Little Mermaid and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with both of us this time.

551873270_zps29bfjqla.jpeg
551872456_zpse93cwgns.jpeg


NEXT: Trying to figure out what is the best lounge in Walt Disney World the only way I know how
 
Time for an adult afternoon. Some, like toddlers, might take a nap. We, who enjoy the occasional adult beverage, embark on a Monorail Pub Crawl. Our goal is to have at least one beverage at a lounge at each of the monorail resorts. First up, I knew that Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. We got there at 3:30 and when we got to the front desk were told that it already was filled to capacity after only being open for thirty minutes and there was a half hour wait. I’ve got to say that cast member was so happy that we would need 30 minutes before being seated.

We didn’t feel like wasting time, so we went out to the terrace where they have the same menu as inside. We were seated immediately, and Skipper Tim was an enthusiastic server. He was very old school. He was definitely playing on our team, very light in the loafers. Tim was awesome and amazing. I felt like he fit right in on the vibe of Trader Sam’s. Keith gave a big thumb’s up for his Rosita’s Margarita which included Casamigos Reposado Tequila, Bols Orange Curaçao, fresh Lime Juice, Falernum, and Organic Agave Nectar. I enjoyed my Mosquito Mojito which consisted of Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum, Organic Agave Nectar, Falernum, Mint, and fresh Lime Juice topped with Soda Water. The drink menu was full of choices if you like rum. If tropical beverages are your thing this is the place to go. Of course, they had beer and wine choices, but Keith and I are more hard liquor folk. Keith thought it was great and it was the best drink of our little crawl that we did.

From the Polynesian Resort we moved on to the Grand Floridian. The Enchanted Rose bar had just opened a few weeks ago. It replaced Mizner’s Lounge and expanded it’s use of space. It really was a beautiful lounge. The price point for the beverages was a bit high if you ask me. I had the French 75 with Veuve Cliquot. I was good. It was very light. It was perfect for warmer weather. Keith had the Manhattan and it was fine but not for the price they were charging. I think our drinks were about $18 each. We had a nice chat with a guy that must work for Disney because he said that he lives on property. He was talking our ear off. Keith wasn’t feeling the Grand Floridian so much so off we went to our final destination of the crawl.

20191114_210030_zpsbungppct.jpg


No trip to Walt Disney World is complete without a trip on the monorail

20191024_163336_zpsnltd9c5l.jpg
20191024_164123_zpszu1mq9nr.jpg
20191024_170355_zpslulsnsag.jpg


Originally, we were going to visit the Outer Rim lounge at the Contemporary but since we had such amazing drinks at lunch we went to see if Danny, our bartender, was working at the bar over at The Wave Lounge. We tried asking the staff if Danny was working as we entered the bar, which was a little awkward, since we didn’t know Danny’s last name and we didn’t know what he looked like. But we did know it was his first day so that pinpointed exactly who we were looking for. I had the Ultimate Long Island Ice Tea ($15.00) which I enjoyed, but I should have ordered something else because I wanted more alcohol truth be known. But there must have been plenty of alcohol because by the end of our little crawl I was feeling no pain. Keith had a Blue Glowtini ($15.00). The Glowtini was sugar upon sugar upon sugar with a spritz of vodka. And that is not Keith’s jam at all. Keith likes alcohol. You better serve him some alcohol. It was all about the gimmick for that one. It was all about the ice cube that glows in the dark. The staff was excellent. We also had a lot of conversation with Nathan at the bar. He’s been around for a while and totally identified my name badge and remarked how he hadn’t seen one of those in forever. He was the only person the whole trip who was able to clock me on it. We both had a good laugh about my tall tales about my name badge that I told to the college program cast members.

20191114_210145_zpsx36vqxd6.jpg
20191024_174004_zpswzmo71eb.jpg


NEXT: What are we going to do with this chocolate cake? There was so much food!
 
We finished our drinks over at the Wave and the Long Island Iced Tea was really kicking in as we rode a Disney bus over to Disney Springs. I’m talking to this whole group of people from the UK on the bus. Every time up until the monorail crawl, I let my listeners know at some point, it is just a name badge with no special significance. Today I just leaned into the story talking about being a Disney executive. I told folks, when asked, that I was working for Josh D’amaro , who will become the President of Walt Disney World in November. He was over at Disneyland and now will be taking over Disney World. We’re looking into guest services. We are trying to see what works and what doesn’t and come up with some best practices so we can go forward. Kinda plausible, right? It rings true. It could be true except I’m wearing this patch. Except someone doing that job would never wear that badge. If someone was young, I could fool them. If they’ve been around the block for a decade or more here at Walt Disney World, they would know better. There was guy on the monorail who wanted to tell me all what is wrong with Walt Disney World and the funneling out of Main Street after the fireworks is just a mess. I let Keith listen to all his complaints and enjoyed a conversation with others.

Once we got to Disney Springs, we did a bit of shopping focusing more on Star Wars gear than anything else. I had the vain hope that I could find the rebel alliance jacket here at the Springs. Unfortunately, that was not to be found. So far this week I kept on seeing these mugs that I had been eyeing even before going on the trip. I’ve expressed how much I love the Mad Teacup ride. Well, these are mugs made to look like the ride vehicles or teacups and saucers. They only had two of them. Tonight, I’m at World of Disney and decide that it is a sign that I keep seeing these mugs. I arranged to have them sent to my resort. It was a pity there were only two. I figure it is a missed opportunity they should do all of the colors of the ride vehicles. I would have purchased a complete set.

It is now time for our dinner reservation at The Edison at 7:45 pm. The Edison is located at the Landing at Disney Springs. If memory serves me right, this used to be the Adventurer’s Club back in the day on Pleasure Island. I loved that place. Sigh. Anyway, this is probably the most well themed adult restaurant I’ve visited. It is very Steampunk. Or as Disney described it as “Industrial Gothic”. The story behind the theming is that an electric power plant opening in 1901 later gets transformed into a restaurant in the 1920’s. There is a lot of mechanical décor. There are giant clocks, mechanical knick knacks galore.
We both wanted to try the Clothesline Candied Bacon. Since it is four strips of bacon hanging with clothespins from a string, we decided to share it. The strips of bacon are covered in Maple, Black Pepper, Fruit Mustarda, Sweet and Spicy Pickle for $16.00. It was delicious. To be honest four strips for me would have been too much. I’m glad that we were sharing. Keith ordered a very good Hendrick’s Gin cocktail and I had a Sazerac $14.00 each. For my entrée I had the gilled Atlantic salmon, Roasted Butternut Squash, Green Beans, Cranberries, Smoked Maple Syrup for $28.00. Keith had the Queen Cut Prime Rib which was a boneless 14 oz. steak with au jus, horseradish cream sauce at $38.00. We had the best time at dinner. The food was perfect, and we were well entertained. I can’t recall all the music acts that performed, but they were all entertaining. We had a table for two on the upper level that looked over the stage. For me, it was perfect. I could enjoy the live entertainment but still could carry on a conversation with Keith. Since we were using our dining plan credit, we were entitled to a dessert. We ordered the Triple Chocolate Voltage Cake, a Chocolate Mousse topped with Espresso Ganache, and Whipped Cream. Ordinarily it comes with raspberry sauce but I don’t care for that, so I had them make it without it for $13.00. We were so full! We barely could touch dessert. So just a taste and then we had the restaurant box up the rest of the cake. It was incredibly decadent and wonderful.

Both Keith and I had an amazing time at the restaurant. I felt like it was a very adult dinner. I wouldn’t necessarily take my children to this place unless they are very adventurous eaters. It just had a very adult vibe and it fit our needs perfectly. It is a Patina Group restaurant. So now that they are the ones behind the new Space 220 restaurant next to Mission: Space in Epcot, I’m very excited to see what that will be like on my next visit.

The Edison

Ambience 9
Food 9
Price/Value 8
Overall 9

By the time it was time to leave it got a bit confusing trying to figure out the situation for the boat back to Port Orleans French Quarter, so we took a Disney bus back. We were dead to the world and called it a night back at our room.
 
20191114_210618_zpslej58zrw.jpg


Welcome back! I’m enjoying the smell of a French bakery as if I were back in the France Pavilion at Epcot thanks to a favorite candle maker who produces candles of all the smells you find at Walt Disney World. It helps with the task at hand of telling the tale of my trip. Speaking of which, let’s get back to the story…

Today is Friday, October 25, 2019. Predictions by touringplans.com is for a Level 5 crowd level which I predict will be a shock to us because every day before this one has been a Level 1 on the crowd meter. Today’s high reached 87° in Orlando. It is below freezing as I type this in Philadelphia in December. What a difference!

We are back at the Wonderful World of Walls. We’ve got a FastPass+ for Soarin’ for 9:05 am. We managed to get to Epcot for rope drop. We waited with a whole bunch of people just to the left of Spaceship Earth at 8:41 am. As soon as that rope drops, we are heading back to the World Showcase to have coffee for Keith and French pastries for us both at Les Halls.
I’m loving my park bag from Timbuk2. It is just the right size to carry what I need. It’s a strong, durable bag at just the right size and weather resistant. It is the Timbuk2 Flight Classic Messenger Bag size small. It is 16.1”x10.6”x5.12” and only weighs a pound and a half.

The vast majority of people visiting the parks are super friendly and nice but then again, these people are on their vacation. If you are not going to be friendly and nice at that point, when are you? Right? It’s nice striking up conversations with complete strangers while you are on a bus or something, kind of cool. We’ve been in this holding pattern, but they brought out the Jammitors to entertain the crowd while we wait to go into the park. The Jammitors are a group of custodians that entertained the crowd using trash cans and whatnot like drums and percussion instruments. Since it is Food and Wine Festival, they are the Jammin Chefs so their get up is more in line with being chefs instead of janitors. It’s nice that they are doing that. Let me tell you something. Those guys are way too peppy for this early in the morning. I mean they are super enthusiastic. I just shake my head like ‘how do you do that this early’. They have a ton of cast members out and about lining the path of the people coming into the park once the rope finally drops. Custodians, everyone, lining the street as we make our way coming into the park. All the waving and smiling is so sweet. I like it.
I’m experiencing “Battle of the Battery” with my phone. I don’t know what exactly is wrong. I don’t know if the problem with charging is due to the port in my phone or the charging cord. In order to ensure that the phone charges, I need to manually hold the charging cord into the port. It’s a pain. I’m editing my activities, so I don’t use up battery power. Now that I’m home I purchased a wireless charger so I don’t need to use the port of my phone to recharge.

Breakfast was at Les Halles Boulangerie and Patisserie. Did I feel like I was in Paris? No, sadly not. But I did like having something for breakfast that was not the ordinary fare. It was just ok in terms of quality. In terms of ambience, it reminded me of an upscale cafeteria. Or maybe it was a hybrid patisserie/cafeteria? We were among the first into the place. We just walked up to the glass cases and placed our orders and once the line reached the register, we paid. I was able to have a decent breakfast of a tartine aux fromage (country bread, tomato sauce, swiss, parmesan & goat cheese) priced at $6.75 and was able to use one snack credit. I had my water bottle with me and drank some water. I really could not complain. Especially since they had me there at Disney.

Les Halles

Ambience 7
Food 7
Price/Value 8

Overall 7

20191115_052725_zpsb86lhtv4.jpg
20191025_091725_zpscpwmyih4.jpg


20191025_092707_zpsqqspalmb.jpg
20191025_092713_zpsrx1mc9ox.jpg
20191025_092717_zpsdnnmmrqu.jpg


My tartine aux frommage Keith's breakfast

20191025_093152_zpsantklnmz.jpg
20191115_053011_zpsuc605qfj.jpg
 
20191115_053110_zpsfve3h8t3.jpg
20191115_053132_zpsgdop0djw.jpg


20191025_105957_zpsctvkxfmk.jpg
20191114_210708_zpschtd2tu8.jpg
20191114_210647_zpsqj6uofz5.jpg


We had some time before our FastPass+ reservation. Keith wanted to explore the shops in the UK Pavilion. While there I just thought they have some ingenious ways to part me from my money. So many unique items. Thankfully, I know my budget for souvenirs is set and I’m able to resist temptation.
I should have brought my glasses with transition lenses. It is getting ridiculous switching between the sunglasses and the regular glasses. One second it is sprinkling rain with clouds and the next minute I have to put on my sunglasses. That’s my tip of the day. Bring one pair of glasses with transition lenses. That way your lenses will turn from clear to dark depending on the amount of UV light. Less to pack, less frustration.

Soarin’ is one of the best attractions at WDW. Thanks to advice I’ve read here I discovered to ask for section B to avoid curvature of the images. For example, if you end up on the periphery things bend. So, the Eiffel Tower becomes the leaning tower of Paris. We didn’t have to ask for B at all. We were assigned B with how everything worked out. I had a mini scare after being seated and securing my harness. I noticed my magic band was missing. Oh no! My immediate reaction was to panic. Me in panic mode is not pretty. Where the BLEEP is my magic band? Keith was calm and said, “Listen, it is probably down here somewhere. Once the attraction is over, I’m sure we’ll find it. It’s not like it is a roller coaster.” Thankfully, I knew I had just noticed it on my wrist right before entering the room where all the action takes place. Within a few moments I found it lying at my feet. I was able to squeeze down even with the seatbelt locked in place to grab it. I absolutely loved the illusion of flying through the air and being a part of all these scenes. I really believe they should keep Soarin’ California Adventure in Anaheim and Soarin’ Around the World in Orlando. Each park has its own separate identity that way.

Following Soarin’ we had another FastPass+ for The Seas with Nemo and Friends. Finding Nemo is one of my favorite movies. I was just happy to sit down and relax in my clammobile and watch what basically was highlights of the movie projected onto detailed 3D sets. It wasn’t amazing but I did enjoy it. While at the Seas, we had a little bit of fun watching a 15-minute visit at Turtle Talk with Crush. It just is crazy how that animated turtle could interact with people in the theater. While whoever was voicing Crush was funny and was able to come up with banter on the fly, he lacked in using a surfer dude accent.


Then we had a FastPass+ for Journey into Imagination With Figment. I miss the original Imagination Pavilion brought to you by Kodak. Yes, I’m that old. The whole time I’m missing the Dreamfinder. Basically, he was the main host of the attraction. His inspiration came from Professor Marvel from the Wizard of Oz. I have a memory of going on that attraction over and over again as a kid with friends and we would sing along “One Little Spark”. I don’t know why we loved it so much. I miss the voice of Billy Barty as Figment. I was happy to see Figment in a much more prominent role than in versions past. However, since they are planning on reimagining Future World, I think this pavilion has had its day. I like the pyramidal building. I would keep the outer shells of the pavilion but create a totally new set of attractions inside.

552419368_zpsgtojfnzk.jpeg
552419315_zpsp8evs2vr.jpeg
 
Last edited:
It is time to inaugurate Food and Wine Festival! Keith starts off with the “Duck Confit Poutine” served with Fig Demi Sauce and Brie Cheese Fondue for $8.49. He let me have a taste. I have had poutine in Montreal, home of Poutine. I just do not care for it at all. I have even had it at the wee hours of the morning after a night out at the bars of Montreal which is when it is intended to be eaten. I have had it in Philadelphia. Still, no go. This, however, was amazing! The downside was the cost. Because it was so much money it was considered too much for a snack credit. Our plan was to use our snack credits to pay for our Food and Wine purchases. We both agreed the Brie sauce made the dish for the poutine.

My turn! I had the Filet Mignon from the Canada booth just outside the Canada pavilion. The Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce was delicious. At $8.25 it might have been the best use of one of my snack credits. My only critique is I like my beef rare. This was well done which it needs to be when you are cooking for such big masses of people. I think I just might make Le Cellier my signature meal on my next visit. If at well done it was this yummy, I probably would be over the moon with a version cooked the way I prefer.

While we were in the neighborhood, they had converted the Canada film theater to a venue to enjoy beers, ales, wine and ciders featuring apples. Appleseed Orchard offered an Apple Pie Beer for $4.50 and it was pretty good. I enjoyed it. At this point of the day, it was just what the doctor ordered. It was a good size. If I had a full 12 ounces or more, I probably would find it overkill. Keith claims the Disney Mom’s Panel recommends double fisting. By that they mean when you order alcoholic beverages order two for yourself. The line can get ridiculous and you end up waiting a long time. This would cut down on your wait time. If you want to escape the heat or the crowds, this was a good place for either. Plus, the Appleseed cast member that served me was tasty too.

I was loving the Brazilian music piping from the Brazil booth. They have little tables right beside the Brazil booth. I has been showering so all of the chairs are a bit too wet. But we enjoyed resting our trays on the tables. I saw all of these vlogs on the Food and Wine Festival to make a good plan of what I wanted and what was worth my time and what wasn’t. Almost all of them were raving about this cheese bread at Brazil – the Pão de Queijo. I just had a couple of bites, it’s fine, it’s good. I just don’t understand what all the fuss was about. What was the excitement about?

Thank goodness I had a game plan for the Food and Wine Festival. I didn’t make a wrong move as far as I was concerned. It also saved a lot of time.

552512286_zpsvi4mu4ui.jpeg
552514538_zpsmykluers.jpeg


Jerk Spiced chicken with roasted sweet plantain salad and mango chutney yogurt from Islands of the Caribbean - $4.50 – delicious!

The Africa booth had wonderful Kenyan Coffee BBQ Beef Tenderloin with sweet potato and corn mealie pap – $5.75 – wonderfully yummy!

I’m eating on top of a garbage can with my Disney Food Blog tray in the rain showers. A true Food and Wine Festival trooper.

I ended my time with a Capiotada de Chocolate, bread pudding with chocolate sauce at the Mexico booth. OMG, the center of the dish had such warm, gooey amazingness. It was wonderful. At first, I was going to get a Belgian waffle. But they are at so many brunch places at home. I went with something that is a little different for me. By the time I was done eating it in a pagoda, the sky cleared up.


At the beginning of indulging in all the goodness of Food and Wine Festival we stopped at the festival main store. I was on the hunt for the salt and pepper shakers shaped like trash cans. I looked all over the shop and when I was unsuccessful finally asked a cast member and they told me they were all sold out. It’s not even the last week of the festival. I was so disappointed. The only solution was to pick up a Food and Wine Festival 2019 mug with Mickey and Minnie on it. I guess I was on a mug kick this trip. The only downside is I really didn’t think about it too hard. The mug is painted with gold paint making it not suitable for the dishwasher or the microwave.

20191025_135900_zpsjrf9bbwj.jpg


Jerk Spiced Chicken from the Islands of the Caribbean

552653020_zpsva8xrslf.jpeg


Next Time: Where is that Phallic Wall?
 
20191228_191259_zpsubhaalar.jpg
20191228_191241_zpsy1pqi5il.jpg


20191025_123330_zpsvn1kkvv4.jpg



Nap time for the dynamic duo. Well, nap time for Keith. We took the Disney bus back to Port Orleans French Quarter. Keith napped while I went off and explored over to Port Orleans Riverside. I grabbed a drink with my refillable mug and walked over. My feet were ok, why not punish them some more?

Surprisingly, I thought I would have preferred staying in the mansions of Magnolia Bend if I were to stay here prior to my trip. But in person, I found them on the sterile side. Maybe my taste has changed with time. I much preferred the aesthetics of Alligator Bayou. Also, Riverside is definitely spread out. It took quite a while to journey back to Port Orleans French Quarter. On my journey back it really started to rain again. I just got wet. It was a nice time to decompress. It was very quiet. I was the only person out and about between the two resorts. I really enjoyed that time of just taking a deep breath. I did the big loop. I went to the farthest portion of Port Orleans and then return to the room. I took a nap when I returned. Apparently, I needed it. I was just going to lie down. Then I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was concerned that we had missed our dinner reservation. But no, it was still daylight. I went to the bathroom and while I was in there, I could hear someone came into the room even though we had a “do not disturb” sign on the door. Disney was doing a security check. It was the 4 o’clock hour and they still hadn’t done housekeeping. They didn’t come in to take care of housekeeping since Keith was out like a light in his bed. They must have turned on the lights, then turned off the lights and then immediately left. I was in the bathroom the whole time, but I could hear it. I came out and lied down again.

Finally, we venture back to Epcot and it is Friday evening at Food and Wine Festival. It is like an obstacle course. We are dodging left; we are dodging right. You either take it stride or you get upset, take your pick. Today at Epcot was more crowded at Walt Disney World than we are used to.

I had t-shirts made for Keith and me. When Keith was around, he got a ton of compliments on his shirt. When I was going solo, I got tons of compliments on mine, even from cast members. I would say they were a hit and made Food and Wine Festival more fun.


Keith went shopping, mostly at the shops at Japan. While he was wandering around the shops, I went to check out Sheila E at the Eat to the Beat Concert. That woman is a pro. She knew how to work a room. Such a fun night, living our “Glamorous Life”. I stayed toward the back of the audience because I knew I was going to need to leave soon for our 7:00 pm dinner reservation.

20191115_053530_zpsh58h55mm.jpg
20191025_182645_zpsyfuyqoha.jpg



Once we reconnected, we explored the whole Moroccan Pavilion. I think it is so great because it was funded by the Moroccan government. King Hassan sent over artisans to make sure their culture was accurately represented. As we explored, we found a couple of Instagram walls. Namely, the mosaic wall and the phallic wall. The mosaic wall is beautiful and is quietly tucked away. The phallic wall has had to be a mistake. I can’t believe they left this the way it is. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

20191025_183137_zpst6tjyrd9.jpg


20191025_184126_zpsk5nvz9zl.jpg
20191025_184148_zpsbvycoohd.jpg
 
Last edited:
20191115_054410_zpstah9kwnk.jpg


We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at the restaurant, Marrakesh. It really hasn’t failed to provide a great meal every time I experience it. Also, reservations aren’t difficult to get because it tends not to be on people’s radar, especially since it is located all the way to the back of the pavilion. Keith enjoyed an adult beverage, the Marrakesh Express which includes Rum, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, topped with Dark Rum ($11.99) while I went with a non-alcoholic Moroccan mint tea ($3.99). Since we were using our Disney Dining plan to pay for the meal, we skipped an appetizer since it does not cover that and ordered entrees. My entrée was rack of lamb with zucchini, olives, and toasted garlic au jus accompanied by rosemary pancakes ($36). Keith enjoyed his order of braised beef short ribs “Meshoui Style” with garlic aged butter and cumin salt, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and baby carrots ($36). For dessert we both ordered plates of Bastilla ($8). Bastilla was crispy leaves of pastry topped with vanilla cream. Keith’s was sprinkled with almonds on top. Since I’m allergic to almonds I asked to have them make it without the almonds. Everything about dinner was delicious. The only thing I would change is if I could have ordered an appetizer on top of everything else. Sitting down to a table service meal was enjoyable and forced me to take my time. As we were waiting for the food to arrive, we were treated to a belly dancer in the dining area. It came off as all in good fun. In fact, she picked about 4 or 5 children at one point to come dance with her. It was perfectly timed for our meal because we were playing the waiting game. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with mosaic tile throughout, so you got to experience more of what the King of Morocco intended.

20191025_192815_zps5dyfvxuo.jpg
20191025_192832_zpsvg83vtni.jpg
20191025_194555_zpsjkc1cspu.jpg
20191025_194606_zpsbyjctcif.jpg


20191025_200430_zpsxh2rxx99.jpg
20191115_054539_zpsku6tefkp.jpg


Restaurant Marrakesh

Ambience: 8
Food: 8
Price/Value: 7
Overall: 8


If I had not had some of the other meals that I had on this trip to compare it to the scores might have been even higher, but when compared to the food at the Wave, for example it was just a tiny bit less impressive. I’m looking forward to my next visit.

Next: A Frozen Ever After Sparkling Dessert party, what could possibly go wrong?
 
Last edited:
We had booked the Frozen Ever After Sparkling Dessert party in which we had reserved seating to experience the Epcot Forever show near the Mexico Pavilion along with a dessert buffet. Following the dessert party, we would be invited to experience Frozen Ever After once the fireworks show was over. It was a beautiful night with wonderful weather. We had really enjoyed our tasty dinner. It was all going good and then right before the dessert party the heavens opened, and it rained. It wasn’t just a shower, it was raining. Poor Keith did not bring any rain gear, he looks like a drowned sewer rat. I had a poncho thank goodness. They led us from our party area near the Mexico pavilion on the edge of the lake all the way over to Norway at a slow-ish pace as we experience the wonders of water falling from the sky and end up in a line in one of the Norway gift shops. We were not told anything at all about the plans for the evening. We are just in a holding pattern in a line in a Norway gift shop. Joy of joys. Eventually, after what seemed an eternity and seemed even longer because on one was telling us what was going on, they had a room for us in the Norway Pavilion. We were probably in a room that was above the Frozen Ever After ride itself. They had set up all the desserts up there and non-alcoholic beverages. They did not have any alcoholic beverages. Ordinarily, there are some alcoholic choices. Keith and I were planning on making the most of our money and drinking quite a bit of alcohol. That was fine. I didn’t need alcohol to have a good time. I guess we made up for the value by eating more as opposed to drinking more. It was just nice to finally sit down and enjoy some desserts. I should have gotten some hot tea. I didn’t. There was a good array of desserts from which to choose. Towards the end of the buffet, I went back up to the tables of food and asked if the yummy bread pudding and other choices had nuts in them. The server did not know so he had the sous chef come out to talk to me. She asked me what table are you at? I told her I was at Table 7. They assign us tables. She said she had something in the kitchen for me. I was at my table talking to people and finishing up eating whatever I was having. The sous chef came back out bringing a gift bag with all sorts of desserts that were allergy friendly. On top of that she was just incredibly sweet. I didn’t need her to do any of that. It all was overwhelming and amazing. As soon as she gave me the bag it was time to see the fireworks display. Someone was looking after us because the weather had cleared up, no rain and the firework show was about to begin. Off we went. We were guided by cast members who had blue glowing wands and they cleared the way of the walkway of the World Showcase of people. We would have a much easier time getting to our seating area. We were right at the edge of the lake next to the Mexico Pavilion. Keith and I sat ourselves down at a small little table for two. Disney distributed these paper glasses much like the old 3D glasses you would wear at movies. The purpose was to create prismatic snowflakes out of the firework lights. I get it. It’s the Frozen Sparkling dessert party. But I found them annoying. We watched the show without the glasses. Only party guests received the glasses, so the show is meant to be seen without them.

20191025_211903_zps709fyoks.jpg
20191115_054813_zpsqnkwiu68.jpg


20191025_215742_zpsr20xsivt.jpg
20191025_221104_zpsgkbs1o29.jpg


I absolutely loved Epcot Forever. There was not a bad vantage point to see this show. They arranged it so that your position around the World Showcase is not nearly as critical as Illuminations. Everything is produced high above you. You don’t have to worry about a globe in the lake. I remember Epcot in the 80’s. They were playing all these Epcot 80’s and 90’s music. It was incredibly nostalgic for me. I loved hearing “Magic Journeys”, “Tomorrow’s Child”, “One Little Spark”, and “Making Memories” and all of the other music from my first visits to Epcot. For me, I think it was much more meaningful. What about the folks whose visit this is their first? It would still have been an entertaining firework show but it is geared more towards the older Disney park fan that have been coming to these parks for years. It is a firework show. Unlike Happily Ever After, there are not projections to distract you. They did incorporate some jet skis with colored lit up kites. That was entertaining, but I was distracted by the fact that the people on the jet skis were dressed all in black. I just thought that could be potentially dangerous considering it is being held at night. What if there is an accident? I guess that’s the worry wart in me. Basically, Disney is using this show as a palate cleanser. If it runs for a year or a little bit more then folks won’t judge Illuminations intended replacement, HarmoniUS too harshly. They are letting Epcot Forever take the heat by having the direct comparison.

Once the firework show had ended, Keith had had it. He was done and too tired. He decided to go back to the resort. I stayed behind and joined the other party guests to experience Frozen Ever After. It was like salmon swimming upstream. We were fighting the current of the hordes of people exiting the park the opposite direction. We got to experience the attraction all on our own. I absolutely loved that.

Frozen Ever After is the 21st century dark ride. It starts with the audio animatronics of Olaf and Sven. Their movements are so incredibly smooth. Then you add in projection mapping throughout the journey whether it is to create an environment or to create expressions of a face. They add mist/fog. You’ve got backwards movement of your ride vehicle. Plus, hints of all the main songs from the movie, Frozen. If you don’t like this ride, I don’t understand you.

553081193_zpssxwxixud.jpeg


Disney did a wonderful job with creating good value for your money when it came to the dessert spread for this party. On top of that they did all sorts of design touches to bring in the sparkling or frozen theme. One dish was a nitro ice cream feature. Ice cream was scooped into liquid nitrogen to freeze it. They then had to scoop it out, smash it with a hammer and add toppings. Great gimmick and perfect for the Frozen party. The staff was excellent, friendly, and helpful. Such great attitudes were helpful to keep my spirits up despite the poor weather. The viewing site was excellent. I felt like I had plenty of room with no one crowding me. It was wonderful being able to sit down and watch the show. To top it all off we got to experience Frozen Ever After without a crowd. Our cost for the dessert party was $79 each and I felt like I got my money’s worth. I know it has gone up since I booked the party and like everything at Disney it will only go up from there. By I would recommend this dessert party and very likely would book it again and pray for no rain.

20191115_054906_zpskifwb0wm.jpg


When I exited the ride and started to exit out of the park, it was practically deserted. Just the odd cast member here or there. I walked my way towards Future World and found my bus stop to get back to Port Orleans French Quarter with my bag of allergy free desserts.

Next: Was I going to get stuck on the new Skyliner?
 
I have been having trouble sleeping during this whole vacation. My first three nights I would only have three hours sleep each night. I had continued trouble sleeping and wake up way too early. Once again, I wake up far earlier than planned and just could not get back to sleep. Also, I have been bugged that they did not have that rebel alliance jacket in my size. I decided going up a size wouldn’t be so bad. It’s a new morning and decide to head over to the Studios to see if they still had that available. I get myself ready.

My breakfast this morning was a trio of beignets ($4.99) from the Scat Cat Lounge and a cup of tea in my refillable mug at my resort. The beignets were freshly made and hot, hot, hot. They were Mickey shaped, of course, because it is Walt Disney World. Powdered sugar got everywhere, and I had all three beignets myself – glutton much?

I had to deal with my dinner from Morocco. It was doing a little bit of a number on my gastrointestinal system. I was in the bathroom quite a bit. I still would go back in a New York minute. It was a wonderful, wonderful dinner. I really love their tasty food. Service was awesome and friendly. All of our servers were wonderful. Our hostess was so cute, and she just was so sweet.

Yesterday, Keith had me cancel our FastPass+ reservations except for TestTrack that I had scheduled to Epcot today. We had already gone on those attractions the very first night for extra, extra magic hours.


I returned to the room after my breakfast to return my refillable mug and have one last visit to the bathroom. Currently, it is about 6:30 am and Keith wakes up and asks where am I going? I told him my plans and we agreed to meet up later in the day and he went back to sleep.

20191026_061559_zpsbiisbbdx.jpg


Today is Saturday, October 26, 2019. The high for this day was 88°. It was bright and sunny for the most part all day long. The crowd level was rated as a 6. Remember, the crowd levels are largely based opon line waiting for attractions. The Food and Wine Festival will attract people who only will be participating in the festival having food and drink and won’t go on the attractions at all. In reality, the crowds for the Festival were much higher. It was busy, busy, busy.

I arrive at the Studios around 7 am. It is still extra, extra magic hours. I wander around Batuu to find the only shopping cart in Walt Disney World to sell that rebel jacket. Batuu is filled with all sorts of ambient noises. I don’t know what half of these noises are here. Engines are going. I hear knocking, cracking, sizzling. It’s kind of crazy. The characters are in full force once again. I had to wander quite a bit because I couldn’t remember where the cart was exactly. I finally find it and lo and behold they had the size I wanted originally! I snagged that up pdq. The only disadvantage was that they were unable to send purchases back to the resort from that cart. Not a horrible development but be aware. I decide to kill some time by taking another visit at Toy Story Mania. I enjoyed it so much the first time. My performance probably was very little different than the first time. I rode with a mother. Her husband and daughter were riding in the car next to us. At the very end they were teasing each other about how the husband had cheated. I found that very funny.

20191231_085428_zps0rj7x42k.jpg
20191231_085407_zpsiwuj5jzw.jpg


As I write this report, Rise of the Resistance has opened in Walt Disney World. It had not opened yet on my visit. You don’t hear much about the Skyliner in the news since Rise of the Resistance opened. I expect you won’t again until it becomes rainy season in Florida. When every day has thunderstorms, it will have to temporarily stop operations. I took a gamble – the Skyliner hadn’t gotten the best press with an emergency evacuation that took three hours to rescue folks. I was hoping I would not get stranded for three hours with seven other strangers. I waited for a Skyliner car to not have a character wrap so I would have a better view. The character wrap cars obscure your view I had already learned. I decided to take a ride in the sky to go from the Studios to Epcot.

My first leg on the Skyliner was shared with two others. We went from the Studios to Caribbean Beach Resort. Everyone must get off there. It is a hub of the system. My next leg I had an unwrapped car all to myself. At first, it was a little off putting because of the height. If you are concerned about heights, do NOT give the Skyliner a try. I had a little twinge of fear at first. My safety flags were going off in my head. It goes pretty quickly as you launch from the station. There are announcements that keep popping up as you travel. It gives you information about Walt Disney World and your destinations. The airflow on the Skyliner is really nice and cooling, but then it isn’t all that hot yet. It isn’t even 9 am. The ride is nice and cool.

When I was getting out of the Skyliner, one of the cast members shouted out to me, “Welcome back to work!”. I was wearing my ‘Guest of Honor’ badge and it was doing its magic. I don’t know if there is enough room for 10, but room wasn’t an issue for me this morning. I spotted the emergency kit with zip tie seals on it. It’s a scenic journey at times. I loved coming into Caribbean Beach Resort. It was beautiful. I really enjoyed my bird’s eye view of the new DVC resort, Riviera, not opened yet. When I looked to the right, I could see the back of World Showcase. I came in behind Italy pavilion and American Adventure. The big downside is that the “show” has been removed, the curtain has parted. You see backstage areas. I don’t know if I want to see gritty parking lots and construction. It takes you out of the Disney bubble.


This just in…I received a text message from Keith. He has decided to skip Epcot today. He is staying back at the Port Orleans French Quarter. It was still so early that Epcot has not opened yet. Today it looks like I will be doing the rope drop from International Gateway. Since I had experienced most of the Future World attractions, I decided to go on an Instagram Disney wall treasure hunt.
 
Last edited:

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top