Saturday, In the Park - I Think it was the Fourth of July Wrapping it Up 6/26

[PittypatBR]

Where do you find that Australian gold stuff? Never heard of it - of course, I am NOT really hep, you know!

Gotta love the kids who know what they want!!

 

[PrincessV]

Aw, this makes me smile.

Because you know, right?! Bye-bye little kid days, hello big boys.

Hi V!

Hey Shannon - how are you?! Thanks so much for your kind words I'm glad you're here!

Sometimes throwing the plan out is the right plan

So true!

Did she like it

She did! Just like hte last time she rode it, which she swears she doesn't remember doing.

I am so disappointed to hear this. We loved the Plaze when we were there. Hope it was just an off day!

Me too. It was a new CM and she seemed a little overwhelmed, but was super nice, so it was more of a wash than a huge disappointment.

I didn't know if I could make it when I was reading about self tanners and seeing bags and shoes. But then there were guns. And I was like WOAH! COOOOOOL.

Mama can pack some heat! Good job V!

You owe me a new monitor GB! Yep, I was packin'. AND... I'm a mean shot, too - didn't have a single miss!

I hear you on the big camera. It got to be a pain sometimes.

If only they could be Good and lightweight!

Please don't tae this the wrong way, but my favorite part of your TR's is when you discuss bronzer/shoes/bags etc.

Okay, you and GB can go in on that new monitor together! Good, I'm glad someone enjoys it.

You know, I've read this before, but never really thought about it, but your coloring is baffling. But, I love ya, my little greenish-yellow friend.

Right?! Thx T

And where does one acquire this Gold in a bottle you speak of?

Scroll down...

Yeah....I'm still on the fence with the fitflops.

I can't remember - do you have high arches? Mine are nearly flat; I've read that some folks with higher arches preferred the Sketchers version.

That's awesome! Guys def have it easier.

Yep - Leo's happy with one pair of sneakers and a pair of Crocs. I make him get flips for the pool.

Where do you find that Australian gold stuff? Never heard of it - of course, I am NOT really hep, you know!

It's pretty much everywhere down here - grocery stores, drugstores, Target, Wal-Mart... the logo has a Koala bear on it:

Here's a link to the SPF line: http://www.australiangold.com/outdoor/spf_protection.html

 

[askelton]

If you’ve read past reports of mine, you may remember that I have issues with my skin color. I look pretty good with no sun, or quite tan. Not in between, though. And, this time of year, I’m in between. Which translates into pink-ish with green undertones. Not. Good.

I've never heard of this color before.

They also make something called "Tan Accelerator." With Instant Bronzer. No SPF. I bought that, too, and mix a little of it with my moisturizer each day, since I'm in an office, out of the sun, all day. It's great! All that Instant Bronzer builds up, too, so I'm golden all the time now!

This is good to know because I just got some tanning towels to try, and if they don't work, I'll try Bronzer. But I do still love the sun.

I was also test-running a couple more new products that day – a new bag, the Baggalini Messenger in Crinkle Nylon, and my new Fit Flops:

Your bag is the perfect color red.

I informed Leo of the first step in my Plan, ride Buzz… and he said “No.”

No???

No.

No Buzz.

Also, no Peter Pan.

Or People Mover.

No Small World.

It's your birthday. It's your birthday.

However, since I’d noted Leo’s birthday on the reservation, we did arrive at a table festooned with Mickey confetti and a cupcake was delivered to the birthday boy, as well as his Mickeylodeon sundae.

An understated birthday is good sometimes.

 

[glennbo123]

What a great day you had!

I also got this neat little photo from the third trip down the falls:

Brer-Butt View?

I like this photo -- it's so crisp and clear. I guess I like well-focused photos regardless of the subject matter.

Oooo, we get a good shot of the baggalini. Looks like it'd work pretty good to me.

 

[lovealldisney]

Do you get streaky with this being a spray? Do you get even coverage? After spraying do you have to rub it in?

 

[DisneyJo]

Bless Leo and his goofy smile, so cute and OMG what a pity he didn't ride Splash in December as we have to ride it over and over and over and could have taken him with us

OK for the record I think you look great all the time and definitely not greenish yellow And Gramma, Gramma, Gramma what are you doing using factor 4

I keep looking at the fit flops but they're about $60 here and I just can't spend that much incase I don't get on with them, plus I wish they didn't have that enormous fit flop symbol on them

 

[PrincessV]

This is good to know because I just got some tanning towels to try, and if they don't work, I'll try Bronzer. But I do still love the sun.

Me too! But it doesn't always love me. I noticed while looking at AG's website that they have plain old bronzer, too - that might be good!

An understated birthday is good sometimes.

That it is!

What a great day you had!

And it's only half-done!

I like this photo -- it's so crisp and clear. I guess I like well-focused photos regardless of the subject matter.

Me too, lol! Thank you - that's actually from my tiny point-n-shoot, believe it or not!

Do you get streaky with this being a spray? Do you get even coverage? After spraying do you have to rub it in?

No streaks, totally even, but you definitely need to rub it in and all over. The "spray" function is more of an easy way to get it out than anything; I prefer to spray it into my hand so it doesn't get all over.

Bless Leo and his goofy smile, so cute and OMG what a pity he didn't ride Splash in December as we have to ride it over and over and over and could have taken him with us

He'd have had soooo much fun, too! He asked about the girls yesterday - we miss you guys!

I keep looking at the fit flops but they're about $60 here and I just can't spend that much incase I don't get on with them, plus I wish they didn't have that enormous fit flop symbol on them

I'd totally say they're worth the price... but you've GOT to be able to try them on; I tried 5 different styles and sizes before getting just the right one.

 

[PrincessV]

Oh boy, oh boy! I’ve been waiting impatiently to tell this part. We had SO much fun!


If you’ll recall, Gramma, Leo and I were awaiting a boat from the MK. To where?

Ft. Wilderness!

A month or so prior to the P-TT, I read this article on Allearsnet about the Archery Experience at Ft. Wilderness. l I can’t say as I’ve ever had a huge, burning desire to shoot a bow and arrow, but I like shooting targets in general and was a pretty good shot with the bar darts in my time.


But, as I read the article, I just knew the Archery Experience would be a big hit with Leo and Gramma. I also know better than to surprise either one of them with anything, so I told them each about it and asked if they’d be interested in doing that for Leo’s birthday. Oh yeah – they were both in and big time!

So, that’s where we were heading on Day 2 of the P-TT: to the Archery Experience.


I’ll get to the Experience itself in a minute, but I need to first talk a little about our journey there. Folks, if you haven’t before, take some time on your next trip and get on the boat to Ft. Wilderness (FW). Get over there; stroll around some. It’s Old School Disney at its finest and so very, very relaxing!

The boat ride was heaven. We sat way up in the bow of the mini-ship, in the full sun, and the wind off the still-cool water was divine. When we arrived at FW, we had to walk a little way over to a bus stop and it was really nice to see a part of WDW that’s a little less manicured and a little more rustic.

We picked up an internal bus and took it to the Meadow Recreation Area in the center of FW. From the bus stop, we had to walk around the pool area to get to the Bike Barn, where we’d sign in for our Archery Experience.

Have you seen the newly-refurbished pool at FW? It looks great! Sort of a woods-y version of the pirate splash zone at Caribbean Beach. Did I take pictures? No. Sorry. And don’t bother looking at Allears, either – those are out of date and not the new pool.

I think I missed out on pictures because the place was MOBBED. I’m talking summer in the city, every man for himself, body-to-body packed. It was so….. unDisney-like! A sidewalk goes all around the pool deck, rather like a city block. On the outsides of that sidewalk are grassy banks leading down to canals on at least two sides. Even those grassy knolls (NOZapruderFilm) were packed with people in lawn chairs, on blankets, playing Frisbee, eating picnic lunches, fishing… It was all so unrestricted, it was hard to imagine we were still on Disney property, lol!


Anyway, after gawking our way around the pool, we found the Bike Barn, signed away our legal rights should we shoot our eyes out, and stepped to the back of the Barn for our class.

Sean and Ron led our 10-person class through the safety precautions, mechanics and rules governing bow and arrow-ing. Sean and Ron ROCK. Really. They both have the best dry humor and are menacing enough to keep the young boys in check, while being warm enough to put us ladies at ease. (No, there were no men in our class until the very end, when one mom tagged out so her husband could give it a try.) Sean and Ron made us all feel like we were in summer camp, with nothing but time ahead of us and lots of fun learning to be had!

The Allears article explains the whole process perfectly, so I’ll leave that alone. Suffice it to say, archery is a lot tougher than it looks. Gramma managed to bruise a finger on her first shot and never sank an arrow into the center of a target. Leo struggled some with the fact that he’s right-handed but left-eyed (yes, they help you figure this out at the start of the Experience) and with the very tight bow. I… totally rocked the Archery Experience!!!







Sorry – I just have to toot my own horn a little, because I really expected to be the worst one out there! And at first, I was. But Sean and Ron walked up and down the line, helping us all correct our form and explained to me that, because I’m of short stature, I was already shooting up when I aimed. So if I wanted to hit the center, I needed to actually aim for the bottom of the target. It worked! I sank every arrow after that into the center. Sadly, no one ever got a picture of this feat.

Leo did great, too! My little perfectionist took the whole thing very seriously and worked very hard to attain correct form.

Hey – you can see one of my arrows in the center of this one! I was green, Leo was orange.

We spent a LOT of time shooting. I can honestly say we got our money’s worth and then some from the Archery Experience. We shot over and over and over…

Leo got too tired and took a break for a while, and Ron and Sean were very kind about that, too. They showed him a nice shady spot where he could safely sit and still watch all the action. But Leo came back for our very last shot, just to end on a high note.

All around, the Archery Experience was a terrifically-fun break from the usual Disney action and I can’t recommend it enough!



Our fun at FW wasn’t over yet, though. We took the internal bus back to the marina area, which also includes Pioneer Hall, home of the Hoop-Dee-Doo Review dinner show, and the Tri-Circle-D Ranch, home to WDW’s horses.

We’re a family of horse lovers. Leo and I started taking riding lessons a couple years ago and Gramma’s just always had an affinity for the creatures. So I’d been wanting to visit the Happiest Horses on Earth for some time and that was a perfect opportunity.

It was a little challenging to get over to the barn that day because they were setting up for the Danksin Triathlon the following morning. But we did get over and, look…

They really are the Happiest Horses on Earth!

There’s a nice little display area in the big barn showcasing the various breeds of horses and types of contraptions they pull at WDW. Four draft breeds are used: Clydesdales, Belgian, Friesian and one I of which I’d never before heard and can’t remember now. But big boys (and girls, I suppose), all of them.

A couple guys were hanging out in their stalls, so we said hello.

And these boys were getting harnessed up to do some work.

I stood there watching the process for a good 10 minutes. First, I just really enjoy the quiet, soothing company of horses. Really, were I not so allergic to hay, I could happily sit in a barn all day, listening to the whoofs, whinnies and tail swishes of the equine set. Second, that harness was pretty interesting stuff. I always pictured them as one monstrous piece that kind of got fitted over the horse’s head and then fastened around the rest of them. Nope. It’s a whole bunch of small pieces that the grooms meticulously put together on the horses, piece by piece. It clearly takes some time and the Happiest Horses on Earth took the opportunity to doze.

It was such a peaceful, quiet reprieve from the frantic pace of the parks; I could have blissfully stayed there for hours. But Leo was on his last leg and in dire need of AC, a drink and a rest, so we took another boat to leave FW with promises to return some day.



We motored over to the Contemporary, Leo’s pick for a light dinner and shopping. We liked our last meal at the new-ish Contempo Café… but this time not so much. Leo’s pizza was fine, but my salad sucked eggs. So did Gramma’s. No need to schedule a return there any time soon.

After a little gift shop shopping with birthday money, we took the monorail back to the TTC, picked up the car and headed back to the Hilton.

Where we found this in the room:

Remember what I said about the excellent service at the Hilton? This took it to Outstanding. I hadn’t noted Leo’s birthday on the reservation or anything, so the kind Concierge folks had just picked up on the fact that it was his birthday when we’d inquired about his package the previous day and took it upon themselves to surprise him with a little before-bed treat.



Hey Mickey?

THAT’s “Deluxe” service. My furry, frugal friend.


Coming soon… Mama Mia – it’s Mother’s Day!

 

[cmp1111]

Sean and Ron made us all feel like we were in summer camp, with nothing but time ahead of us and lots of fun learning to be had!

Cool!

I… totally rocked the Archery Experience!!!

Well, of course you did!

It was such a peaceful, quiet reprieve from the frantic pace of the parks; I could have blissfully stayed there for hours.

Nice!

Remember what I said about the excellent service at the Hilton? This took it to Outstanding. I hadn’t noted Leo’s birthday on the reservation or anything, so the kind Concierge folks had just picked up on the fact that it was his birthday when we’d inquired about his package the previous day and took it upon themselves to surprise him with a little before-bed treat.

WOW.

 

[glennbo123]

That Archery Experience looks great! I didn't even know that was available. And way to rock it! Go ahead, toot your own horn! I don't see Gramma doing a TR to give you props.

Whoa, a big to the Hilton concierge folks.

 

[PittypatBR]

I have always wanted to visit Ft. Wilderness, and never managed to get my family there. There seem to be lots of fun activities and neat things to do there. I didn't know about the archery, but my 11 year old grandson has just taken it up and would LOVE some expert advice. I wish we were close enough to visit more often so we could do more of the side trips like that. Glad you all had fun.

 

[Lauralee131]

Wow - what a great day!!

Love the little surprise Leo got at HBC...good thing there was a package shipped there...heh heh

I wonder if M would like the archery at FW...he did it in cub scouts, but I don't recall if he loved it or just liked it a bit...I'll have to ask Tony...I think I just blocked out the whole cub scout experience I think..

 

[cherokeemamma]

Hi V!
So happy to see you again. Hope you remember me....

Happy Birthday to Leo! I cannot believe how big he has gotten and that he is 8....wow! I absolutely love the missing tooth smile. BTW...You look wonderful also!

The Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort looks fabulous. Was the rate you rec'd a special FL resident or some other special or is it an anytime rate?

I am looking forward to reading more...

TTFN
Darlene

 

[englishrose47]

Oh Kyle would LOVE that !!! He has his own compund bow and is pretty good with it !!Also the Horses are wonderful !! Neither of these things I knew !! Thanks V!!!!

 

[Wonders10]

Archery?!?! I have always wanted to try it and had no idea it was offered at WDW! Do you mind if I ask how much it was? Last summer on our trip to Ireland, our hotel offered archery but I was too cheap to do it and now I am kicking myself.

Glad you had such a great day!

 

[DisneyJo]

He'd have had soooo much fun, too! He asked about the girls yesterday - we miss you guys!

Awwww

So, that’s where we were heading on Day 2 of the P-TT: to the Archery Experience.

Sounds like a fantastic day all round

Remember what I said about the excellent service at the Hilton? This took it to Outstanding. I hadn’t noted Leo’s birthday on the reservation or anything, so the kind Concierge folks had just picked up on the fact that it was his birthday when we’d inquired about his package the previous day and took it upon themselves to surprise him with a little before-bed treat.

Wow, how lovely

 

[PrincessV]

Well, of course you did!

That Archery Experience looks great! I didn't even know that was available.

Were it not for Allears' article, I'd never have known, either! And, given how little WDW advertises it, I was really surprised by how many people turned up for it. They limit it to 10 participants and had to turn some away!

I don't see Gramma doing a TR to give you props.

SO true!

I have always wanted to visit Ft. Wilderness, and never managed to get my family there. There seem to be lots of fun activities and neat things to do there. I didn't know about the archery, but my 11 year old grandson has just taken it up and would LOVE some expert advice.

It was such a cool experience! And Sean and Ron are indeed experts at this point; I forget the details, but they received special training from somebody prestigious.

Love the little surprise Leo got at HBC...good thing there was a package shipped there...heh heh

Exactly!

I wonder if M would like the archery at FW...he did it in cub scouts, but I don't recall if he loved it or just liked it a bit...I'll have to ask Tony...I think I just blocked out the whole cub scout experience I think..

LOL! I do think M might like it!

Hi V!
So happy to see you again. Hope you remember me....

DARLENE! Of course I remember you! How are you? I haven't seen you in ages!

Happy Birthday to Leo! I cannot believe how big he has gotten and that he is 8....wow!

Thank you! It's crazy, no? And when did you get a teenager?! Can't believe how much your kids have grown since we "met!"

The Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort looks fabulous. Was the rate you rec'd a special FL resident or some other special or is it an anytime rate?

It was a FL rate, but they had a general public special for I think $99, too, so they were definitely making deals!

Oh Kyle would LOVE that !!! He has his own compund bow and is pretty good with it !!

Oh wow, he'd have a blast!

Also the Horses are wonderful !! Neither of these things I knew !! Thanks V!!!!

My pleasure! Part of why I decided to write a PTR/TR is due to all the new things we've got going lately!

Archery?!?! I have always wanted to try it and had no idea it was offered at WDW! Do you mind if I ask how much it was?

Why does WDW hide this stuff?! It runs $25/ person and IMO is totally worth it!

Sounds like a fantastic day all round

It really, really was!

 

[PrincessV]

Okay, I need to get a move-on here. The Big Trip is but a few weeks away, and I’m still talking about the P-TT!


But…

The P-TT is still providing some insight into the Big Trip. Even on this, the last day.

That’s right boys – I’ve got more bags and shoes to review!





Sorry guys. But this is important stuff! Gotta test the goods before taking them into the trenches, right?

Anyway, I’ll get to that in a minute. First, see what greeted us as we opened the curtains that morning:

Isn’t that sweet?! Yep, it was Mother’s Day. Which meant that Gramma and I got to make the calls. And we called for Epcot (EP). And. Also. Yummy food. Which is something of an oxymoron at WDW lately. But we’ve managed to find a couple places that make our taste buds sing, and we were heading to one of them that day.



I had some decisions to make. Shoes and bag decisions.

True the Fit Flops were wonderful the previous day, but my feet wanted something different that morning. I’ve found over the years that changing it up daily, and sometimes within a day, helps keep the tootsies happy. So I packed up the Fit Flops and went with… the Danskos!

I fell in love with Dansko shoes this past winter, after my work colleague had me try hers on.

Oh. My. HECK. Are they ever comfy.


Since then, I’ve invested in several pairs of casual, dress and sandal versions. Yes, “invested.” Because Danskos are admittedly not cheap. I found some sales, and used some credits, but in all truth – they’re worth every penny, even at full price. Wearing Danskos keeps not only my feet happy, but also my back, knees and ankles. Apparently, it’s all about alignment. For V.


So, I had my shoes for the day. About the bag…

With no chance of rain that day, and no water rides planned, I couldn’t see lugging the Baggalini around. So I went with New Bag #2 – the Piazza Day Bag from ebags:

This turned out to be a GREAT bag! Compartments for everything, plenty of open space, but not too bulky, and water resistant. Aaaaand… a bottle holder! I think between it and the Baggalini I’m all set for the Big Trip. Oh, and plus another bag I couldn’t resist.



Thoroughly outfitted, we checked out, grabbed the car and headed to EP. Where Gramma soon began complaining about the heat. And her aching hips. Also her frizzy hair and an irritating tag inside her shirt.



Oh. Joy.



Doing my best impression of a deaf woman, I ignored her and directed us to the Soarin’ Fast Pass machines, through Mission: Space, and over to the Butterfly Garden.

Did I mention that we went during EP’s Flower & Garden Festival?

Yeah.

I probably forgot because the Fest isn’t so exciting these days. Maybe because we see it every year and there’s a lot of duplication. But y’know – it wasn't always like that. Used to be, we could visit the Fests (Food & Wine, too) every year and see plenty of new things. The Fests are heavily marketed to FL residents and WDW used to do a great job of keeping things fresh for us repeat visitors. Not anymore.

But the Butterfly Garden, though identical in theme and shape year after year, is still pretty cool.

Next thing we knew, it was time for our Mother’s Day lunch. Yay!!!

I know Tutto gets some diverse reviews. Some DISers love it; some hate it. We fall into the “love it” group. I’m half Italian, on my dad’s side. I didn’t grow up with authentic Italian cooking in my home, but was exposed to plenty of it on vacations with dad’s family and through my childhood best-friend’s Italian family. I know the difference between good, authentic Italian cooking and… well, Olive Garden. And Tutto? I’ve yet to eat a single thing there that didn’t scream FRESH! SIMPLE! and QUALITY!, the hallmarks of traditional Italian cuisine.

On past visits, I’ve had the salmon multiple times. It’s so good! But I really wanted to try something else and simplicity was calling me… I went with the Penne Caprese. It was absolute perfection on a plate! Such a simple dish – pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. I can, and do, make it just as well at home. But that’s the whole point with Italian food; anyone CAN make it easily at home! At Tutto, though, someone else does the cooking whilst I sip a lovely glass of Prosecco. And then a gorgeous young man delivers my meal with a smile that lights up the room. What’s not to love?!

Leo got his usual pizza, which is outofthisworldbetterthananyotherpizzaevenmygrandmother’sbutdon’ttellherIsaidso, and Gramma got the Gnocchi. That was delicious, too, though a little rich and heavy for a hot day. We, of course, topped it all off with dessert; a chocolate torta and cannoli split between the three of us.


We emerged from Tutto completely satisfied, but not at all over-stuffed… exactly how I want to feel after a meal! The courtyard in Italy was sun-drenched, but still comfortable, so we did a little photography…

I think it was around that time that I caught up with my DIS friend Michelle by phone. She and her family were at EP for Mother’s Day brunch and we really wanted to catch up; I get to see them a couple times a year and enjoy every moment! Alas, though, it wasn’t meant to be this time. I’m so sorry Michelle; next time for sure!



I’m not sure exactly what else we did that day. I know we shopped in Japan, and heard Davy Jones singing while waiting for a boat back to Future World. We rode Nemo at some point, and Spaceship Earth, of course. I did some shopping in MouseGears for a couple birthday boys. Oh, and someone got a little treat…

It was a super relaxing afternoon. Even Gramma dialed down the complaints and enjoyed strolling around.

But.

It was getting late. And we had school and work the next morning.

So we said a quick “See ya real soon!” to The Mouse, pointed the car West and headed home.


Coming soon: a few more purchases, resort picks for the Big Trip, and the need for an Owner’s Locker… maybe.

 

[glennbo123]

Normally I wouldn't get excited about a shoe and bag report, but Dansko is headquartered in my town! So, good choice!

 

[DisneyJo]

I just had a look on the Danskos website and I really like the Carmens but they're not on sale here Probably we'll get them in a few years like everything else

So sorry you missed Michelle, but you're lucky you've met so many times