Trip Report Everything is So Contemporary (Fall Anniversary Trip)

EDITED 07.07.17 - Photobucket has updated their policies so my photos aren't displaying. I'll try to switch them all over to Flickr eventually!

Pre-trip report here

Who: Me and my husband
When: Sept 28-Oct 2
Why: Our third anniversary (Oct 6, we celebrated early)
Where: Bay Lake Towers, rented points

Hey y'all! We've been home less than 24 hours, but I want to get a roll on this report before I forget everything. I have the world's worst memory, so I'm doing this partially to be able to look back at it for myself and recall my experiences. But I'm also doing this for all the other Disney fans like me who love reading trip reports

Day 1: Road trip!

We got up early Sunday to head out. I think my goal was to leave the house between 7 and 8, and we got out around 7:40. Not bad! Sadly, we had to drop our best buddy off at his new home for the week. He loves it there because he has a little pup friend, but we miss him so much.

We finally tore ourselves away from him at about 8:30, and off we went! We had about a 12 hour drive, and it seemed like we stopped about every 2 hours for either food, bathroom or gas. We never stop for more than about 5 minutes, so it doesn't add much, but it helps us not go crazy.

The scenery between our home in West Tennessee and the Georgia line is lovely, so that kept me entertained. Unfortunately, beyond that, it gets quite boring. I spent a lot of time reading a political satire, Boomsday by Christopher Buckley, which I finished on the trip. It was good!

It ain't a road trip without a little fast food! Gas station coffee (Pilot, especially) and fast food are two reasons I love road trips. And beef jerky. And sour gummy worms. And those 79 cent huge sodas!

I was sooooo looking forward to the orange juice at the welcome center! It was closed by the time we got there, and I was bummed. It's fine though because I don't even like orange juice. I'm just a sheep who doesn't want to miss out

I don't know if you can tell from that picture, but I realized about halfway down that I was having an allergic reaction. My face was getting swollen and bumpy and burned a little. I've had a few issues with beauty products, so I wasn't entirely surprised. I had just bought the Aveeno CC cream to use under my powder, and I guess something in it is an allergen for me. Not the best way to start a vacation, but I figured as long as I didn't use it again, I'd be alright. Glad my husband loves me no matter how bumpy my face is! ha

The drive was smooth (unlike my face). We got a SunPass, so we cruised through the tolls with no cares. I think it ended up deducting about $4 on the drive down, and then $3 on the way back. We got in around 10 (we lost an hour going from Central to Eastern) and checked in at a Fairfield Inn and Suites for the night. It was close to WDW and a really nice place! The decor was great, it was quiet, and the staff was friendly.

We didn't waste much time getting to sleep because we had an early day!

Up next: Brews, Breakfast and MUCH more

 

[ScarletBegonias]

So much food! I don't know if I could eat it all!

 

[sheriffwoody]

So much food! I don't know if I could eat it all!

I really thought I could eat more! All of these food and wine fest things were shared with my husband, so I was really only eating half of this stuff.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 4 (continued again): Dinner in Epcot, best Margarita EVER

After my dip in the pool, I relaxed in the room for a bit. We decided to head back to Epcot for our dinner reservation pretty early. I'd rather be there early than get stuck in transportation and be late. Well, as luck would have it, the trip was smooth and we got there an hour early! Since we missed Living with the Land before, I convinced my husband to do that. It's one of my favorites!

Mmmmmmm love tomatoes! We actually brought a bag of tomatoes with us from home My husband's granddad gave them to us the day before we left and we certainly weren't wasting them! We snacked on them throughout the trip.

We were still a bit early, so we took a leisurely walk over to Mexico's San Angel Inn where we were eating. It is hella dark in there! I mean I could barely see the food. I felt like I needed to wear a headlamp.

I really don't think some string lights over the tables would kill the ambiance. It would feel even more "patio-like" I think. Anyway, despite my pupils having to fully dilate to read the menu, I was pretty excited to try my first drink: a horchata margarita.

I love horchata, but I am not a big margarita drinker, so I wasn't sure what I would think. It was amazing! I mean, it could easily be a dessert, it was so sweet. I sucked that thing down way too fast. I also inhaled the salsas they brought out with the chips! The dishes of salsa were practically microscopic, so they didn't last long.

Food doesn't look so yummy in the dark I think it was the mahi mahi a la parrilla. I should really write these things down. It was good, but didn't knock my socks off. I would probably try something different next time. My husband got their combination Mexicana, which he loved.

After dinner, we shared a blood orange margarita. Not as good at the horchata, but still yummy. I also wasn't super impressed with the server we had. He was nice, but super quiet. I guess I've gotten spoiled with servers who chat with me.

We walked all the way around WS, but we only stopped in a couple of spots. I wanted to shop in Germany, so we bought some candy and I got my friend a little souvenir pen. I love that shop!

We stopped in the Chase Lounge for some soda. It was really nice up there! I played some Disney Infinity and we tried out the photo booth. It was a pretty janky booth, and I was not about to log into my facebook to share this. That was the only way to get the photo! I'm a wedding photographer, so I've seen A LOT of photo booths, and it is not hard to set up a halfway decent one. I've even seen some where you put in your phone number at the end and the photo is texted to you later. That works much better in my opinion. But no one asked me for my opinion...

We watched Illuminations as we walked through World Showcase, and I stopped at this spot (near the new Chew Lab) to do a long exposure. Even with my camera on the railing, I moved too much. I guess it was worth trying. Alas, this is why I shoot weddings and not fireworks.

That's the end of day 4! Up next: Bonafide AP Holder. First Stop AK!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I'm a hobby photographer, and I've been asked to do weddings several times and won't touch it. Too stressful for me! Kudos to you for doing it!

 

[sheriffwoody]

I'm a hobby photographer, and I've been asked to do weddings several times and won't touch it. Too stressful for me! Kudos to you for doing it!

It's the only thing I do (outside of working as a university staff photographer by day). Admittedly, it took several years before I felt confident in what I was doing, but now I would shoot 1000 weddings before I'd take another newborn or family shoot. But I have friends who are exactly opposite, so we send each other business. haha

 

[ScarletBegonias]

It's the only thing I do (outside of working as a university staff photographer by day). Admittedly, it took several years before I felt confident in what I was doing, but now I would shoot 1000 weddings before I'd take another newborn or family shoot. But I have friends who are exactly opposite, so we send each other business. haha

yeah, I am in NO way a professional, but good enough that my friends and family use me and pay me decently. I did a newborn in July and it was So hard. We did it in their house . I think we got a few really good ones though, and they were happy!

 

[Mom@disney]

I agree about San Angel. It's really dark in there. When we ate there we waited 1 1/2 hours to be seated, waited about 1/2 hour for our waiter to show up and then once we ordered it took another hour before our food came....it was a disaster with 2 kids.

 

[mousefreak]

Loving your TR! We were at WDW the same as you.

 

[FlaggNL]

Thanks for the updates! Love all the food pics! Off course still foloowing along! Love the report!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 5: Bonafide AP Holder. First Stop AK!

Since the bus took so long for our Hollywood Studios day, we headed down a bit earlier for Animal Kingdom. Wouldn't ya know it, we were there about a half hour early! That's more like it. Since I had a little extra time, and I saw a lady at the ticket counter with no one to help, I decided to go ahead and update my ticket to an Annual Pass. It saved me a couple hundred dollars over buying tickets again for January. I did this just in time too! They changed the APs just a couple of days later.

As we were doing this, we saw our friends from the F&W event passing by, but they were too far away. I wish we'd been able to say hi again! We didn't see them again once in the park

I've always heard the safari is nice in the morning, so that was our first FP+. We were in the second truck to the leave the station! It was a really nice safari, and I feel like we did see more animals this time. Our guide kept saying "now those ____ are gonna have long horns. And they're gonna hunt at night." I can't remember any of the exact facts, but I thought it was a weird way to talk about them. Like they're not already doing these things, but they will! haha

Lazy, just like our dog!

We stopped for a little rhino baby to cross with its mommy. The mom was giving us a death glare!

The lions were out and about! I don't have a long lens for this camera, so I couldn't zoom in very far. They were so pretty! The two females were scrapping a little.

So after the safari, the park was still pretty empty, so we just walked around and peeked in the new Harambe Market. We forgot to eat breakfast, so we were hungry, but nothing was open (except Starbucks).

Soooooo many items offered here that I want to try next time!

We went over to my favorite thrill ride for our next FP. Unfortunately it was down, so we sat there and talked about what we could do instead. My husband looked up the times of the Festival of the Lion King show, and there was one starting in 10 minutes. I was optimistic that we could make it, so off we went! My husband wasn't happy with my speed walking. His poor flat feet were suffering at this point! We made it with a couple of minutes to spare though.

This show is SO beautiful. The four main singers were spectacular, and I think they might have been the same ones from last year. Circle of Life really chokes me up every time. After we left the theatre, it looked like Everest was back up and running, so off we went.

I just love this ride . I wish I could convince my husband to ride over and over with me, but he's just not interested. When I go with my friends, you better believe I'll be doing single rider multiple times in a row! We headed over to Dinosaur after this.

Dinosaur is just ok. I would honestly be fine to skip it. I like the Indiana Jones ride at DL soooooo much better. We had a weird experience with a cast member though. The guy putting people in rows was calling for party of two, but the people in front of us were two, so they went on. When we got there, he put us in a row, then while we were talking and waiting for the next car, we hear "party of two!" And then more forcefully a couple of times "PARTY OF TWO! PARTY OF TWO!" I looked around and everyone in line was looking at us. I thought that was really strange, but whatever. They I hear in another rude tone "excuuuuuuuuse me folks!" right behind us. The guy was trying to get us to move over one row, so we did. Now why he thought yelling "party of two" at us would get our attention, I don't know. That phrase is usually for people in line, so it was just strange. Whatever, we rode and moved on.

It was finally close enough to lunch that some places were opening. I really wanted to try Harambe Market, but it was all the way back on the other side of the park, so we headed to Flame Tree.

We should have shared this. He didn't even come close to finishing it! I tried it, and it was yummy.

I really wanted to like it, but this BBQ was just not good. There was no flavor except grease, and there was like a teaspoon of slaw of it. I may be a snob because BBQ is huge where I live. We even smoked some butts for our wedding, we love it so much. So, even though I was disappointed with the sandwich, I was hungry enough that I ate it. I just put quite a bit of sauce on it. The beans were yummy though!

If any of you who like this Disney BBQ want to come visit me in Tennessee, I'll feed you some good stuff . Or if you happen to be traveling through on I-40 sometime, Exit 87 BBQ across from the Loves Truck Stop (at Exit 87 of course) is a perfect place to get some really good Tennessee BBQ. It's a food truck, but they've built a little pavilion so it looks more legit now.

We doubled back a bit for me to get something I haven't had before

This was so much better than any ice cream bar you can get at the grocery store! What in the world makes it so amazing?! I can't believe it took me four trips to the World to try this. Deplorable.

So, we barely did anything at the park, but we REALLY wanted to squeeze in some time at Disney Springs (as it was just christened on that day!) We headed out around 12:30 I think.

I wanted a picture in my gator dress at Animal Kingdom. The print has little geometric gators on it, so I thought it would be appropriate for Florida! I probably shouldn't wear it at home though...the Vols are still a little sore from their loss a couple of weeks ago

Ta-ta for now! (I think this picture was actually as we were walking in...it just got out of order). I was sad to leave this park so early because I enjoy it so much. We usually walk around a lot and take in all the wonderful theming and details. We just spent so much time in MK and Epcot this time that we had to cut somewhere. I also really wanted a photo with Baloo, but I never saw him out.

Up Next: Hanging at the Hangar

 

[ScarletBegonias]

On our trip I decided that AK was pretty close to my favorite park. It's just beautiful!

 

[MRGEFF]

Day 3: I Make Terrible Decisions

I really should have known that day two (first park day) was TOO good. There was no way the whole trip could be that good right? Right.

The plan was to get up and go see the opening show for the first time at MK since we could walk instead of depending on a bus. Well, guess what we woke up to? Rain. Dumb, stupid rain. And it looked like it would be sticking around. In typical "us" fashion, my husband and I argued about what to do because neither of us would make a decision. He finally insisted that I make the call, and I decided we'd go. It had slacked up, so I thought we'd be fine.

5 minutes into the walk the rain starts picking up. And up. And up. When we got to the gates, it was pouring and they wouldn't let us stand under any overhangs while people were still trying to get in. It was AWFUL. A nice woman did give up the tiny piece of covering by a pillar she had since she had a poncho, and for that I was super grateful. Of course, I figured they wouldn't do the show in the pouring rain, and they didn't. Since we'd walked over there for nothing, my husband was annoyed, so we headed back.

Not happy people.

We hung up our wet clothes and dried off. We decided we would head out to a grocery store for some sodas, water, breakfast food and cream for my morning coffee (I always bring my own coffee). We went to a Publix and the gps took us a really crazy route through the bowels of the Disney property. It took forever to go like 6 miles. Sometimes Google is dumb! We also stopped at a Walgreens and got some ponchos for later. This is literally the first time in four trips that we've needed them, so I guess we've been lucky.

(Note: A lot of the pictures in this post are with my phone. I didn't want my camera out in the rain.)

Around lunch I grabbed a buffalo sandwich from the Contempo Cafe and got a shot of that awesome Mary Blair mural. The sandwich was actually really good, and not very expensive!

We hopped on the monorail and rode to the kingdom even though it takes longer than walking. We didn't want to soak ourselves again.

First up, we took a trip to space! I wish I could convince my husband to ride over and over, but he's more of a one and done guy. Just means we have to take more frequent trips! Also, notice our March Magic shirts. He picked the losing Cannonballs, but I picked the winners, the Gracey Manor Ghouls. Not that I'm gloating...

We hit up Monster's Inc Laugh Floor (always funny) and the delightful Carousel of Progress before heading over for a little Adventure! I tried my very first Dole Whip, and the verdict...

HOLYOMG so good! The hype is definitely deserved. I think the cast member at the entrance could tell I was looking at the menu quizzically so she asked if I knew what I wanted. I just said, "yeah, a dole thing!" ha! I couldn't remember my words, I was so excited. She recommended that I get the float, so I did. I really loved the pineapple juice with it! I make a frozen pineapple sorbet at home, and this was quite a bit more delicious.

We did the Tiki Room for the first time and got out of the rain for a bit. Before the Tiki Room we were running around in the rain trying to find a bathroom, and somehow we got separated (those ponchos limit your peripheral vision) and went to different bathrooms. My husband went waaaaay far away to the Tangled bathrooms, but I finally pulled out my phone and found the closest one. We reunited in time for the show, and enjoyed it.

We got the red card for Jungle Cruise! And we look like some wet hot messes...please excuse. Clearly my husband was getting tired.

Our skipper was adorable and hilarious. I would LOVE doing this job. I'm a very big pun fan

On our way out of Adventureland, we noticed the FOF parade was starting, which is always a must-do. I don't know why I didn't realize it was already time for it! It was still raining on and off, so we stood under the little DVC area. The cast members in there were super nice and happy to let us stay out of the rain. They were dancing to the music too. I took some pictures over other people's shoulders, so they're not great, but oh well.

My husband thought this tattoo was Pocahontas choking out Merida . I thought it was really pretty, so I snagged this shot when Merida came by. Sorry to be a creeper! I tried to catch up to her after the parade and compliment her tattoo, but she was too fast.

Donald is my favorite!

I had to get a photo outside Gracy Manor in my Ghouls tshirt. Again, excused the drowned rat look. It was a rough day. Before we left we rode Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain (I had changed our morning FPs to later ones after the rain fiasco).

Up next: Reunited at the Boardwalk!

Oh, the hubby so wants one of those socializing buttons. !!

 

[Mom@disney]

Love your dress! Your food photos look good enough to be in a magazine

 

[sheriffwoody]

Love your dress! Your food photos look good enough to be in a magazine

Thanks!! It was such a comfortable outfit for the park. I am planning on looking for two or three dresses like this with pockets for my next trip. Pockets are one thing I didn't realize was so necessary since I don't carry a bag most days. And thank you, I don't know if the photos are THAT good, but I tried to make them look appetizing when I could

 

[sheriffwoody]

Oh, the hubby so wants one of those socializing buttons. !!

They are super affordable! I'm already deciding which ones I want to buy for me and my friends to wear in January

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 5 (continued): Hanging at the Hangar

We were originally going to head back to Epcot this day to chip away at our goal of eating at each kiosk, but I decided I really wanted to check out Disney Springs, or at least a little of it. My main goal was getting some art while I was there. I secretly hoped I would find a retro Disney art section and get a Mary Blair print, but that's never going to happen it seems.

We stopped in a couple of stores and I was really having to clench my fists to not grab everything! I could have spend hundreds. I am the opposite of a hoarder though, so every time I wanted to get something I just reminded myself we don't have anywhere to put things. One thing we do have is walls. Lots of walls! So I found some art! I debated between the Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion prints from Dave Perillo. He was going to be signing the next day, but it's such a process to get over there, we didn't go back

I ended up choosing Haunted Mansion (who are we kidding, there was no contest). I'd love to have the other two someday, but for now I'm trying to decide on a frame and location for the one I got. I ended up getting another pack of attraction posters on our last day, so I've got a TON of Disney stuff to get on the walls now! I may take some of the posters to my office. Everyone there knows of my Disney obsession

I wanted one of all of these dishes. When I finally get my kitchen renovated, I may add some shelves on one wall for things like this in the future. They're just so adorable!

We were so hot and so tired walking around. It wasn't crowded at all, especially to be so close to lunch time. We rounded the corner to see the beautiful Boathouse restaurant, which is on my to-eat list for the future. Then we kept going and saw that Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar was open and mighty inviting if I do say so myself.

It took a few minutes to understand what was going on with the menu, but once I got it, I was impressed. The first part is like a captain's log where Jock Lindsey tells his favorite drinks from his adventures. They have all the stuff actually listed at the back too. I love the theming so much! We sat outside by the water, so next time I want to sit inside to get that full experience.

The husband surprised me and ordered a Hovito Mojito (Barson Quebranta Pisco, fresh Lime Juice, Mint, and Simple Syrup topped with Soda Water). I was sticking with my normal drink order: a beer. They had a grapefruit hefe on the menu, and I ordered that. I was PUMPED about it. Alas, our server came over and told me they were out, and she recommended the Paulaner since I'm a wheat beer fan. I usually prefer draft beer anyway, so it was fine.

This is probably a weird thing to say, but isn't that a gorgeous beer?! Such a pretty color. It was a perfect refreshment on such a hot day by the water.

We ordered the Lao Che's Revenge, which is "Spicy Asian Sticky Wings direct from Club Obi Wan." They were delicious! I always enjoy a honey bbq sauce on my wings, so this was right up my alley. My husband acted like he wasn't hungry before they came out, but he ate just as much as I did. Mmmmm I want to go back for these right now.

We loved watching the boats on the water. This was one of those afternoons where we truly felt like we were on vacation. We just go-go-go on Disney trips, so I cherish these quiet moments.

Ok, this entry was pretty short, but I probably need to do the Halloween party as one post, so that will be next!

Up Next: Boo to You and You and You

 

[Mom@disney]

I love those prints of the attractions too!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Oh! Can't wait to hear about the Halloween Party!

 

[Mindy16]

Love your sushi shirt!!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Day 5 (continued again): Boo to You and You and You

To preface this post, we did the Very Merry Christmas Party last year and I hated it. It was extremely crowded and another guest upset me at once point. We headed out during the fireworks, so all we really got to see was the parade and we tried some of the snacks. Because of this, I had more realistic expectations for the Halloween party. All I really wanted was to see the parade, fireworks and stage show. Those were priorities, so that's how we planned our evening!

We arrived a little before 6 and hung out at the train station to people/monster watch. We saw some really cool costumes! I wish I'd taken pictures of costumes before it got dark. I think my favorite was a couple as Mary Poppins and Bert with their toddler as a penguin. So stinking cute! After checking out costumes and debating the train station as a parade spot (we gave up on it), we decided to try to tackle Main Street with the masses.

We made it to the castle and took in the sunset view. We got a photo pass photographer to take our picture. I'm glad I got her to take one with her camera too since this one isn't in focus. It's only $15 for one download though, not too bad for stuff like this. When I run races the photos are always like $35! No stinking way. I had a few more items in my costume originally (some blue shorts and purple leggings and a kimono) but it was hot so I just kept it simple.

We made our way into Tomorrowland. I think we considered Space, but I was wanting to hit the first Hocus Pocus show so I didn't want to wait. We ended up hopping on the People Mover since we hadn't done that so far on the trip. It was so peaceful and pretty at this time of night.

We headed back to the castle and it was already pretty packed for the Hocus Pocus show, and there was nowhere that we could stand and not have to move for the parade. I chatted with a cast member for a little bit about my Haunted Mansion button and the party. She was really nice, and after talking to her, we just decided to watch one of the later stage shows and go ahead and find a parade spot. We ended up in the same spot as the Christmas one (down a little ways from Hall of Presidents), but we made sure we stayed in the front and had a good place. Besides the lady next to me constantly leaning over me with her GoPro, it was great. I absolutely LOVED this parade.

These guys and the zombie dancers were amazing! Both were hard to get photos of, so I gave us after this one. haha

I love the parades so much! My husband humors me because he doesn't really understand the appeal. I'm just glad he's willing to stand there and wait with me, because it's so worth it.

We were both incredibly thirsty after the parade, so we went to Sleepy Hollow. I don't know if they were understaffed or they were just slacking that night, but it took forever to get a couple of waters and some ice cream. It seemed like most people were getting iced water with whatever they were ordering and for some reason that's what was holding them up. They finally realized they could just have one person sit there and fill up a bunch of ice waters at once! It's not like they're going to go flat if they sit there

I regretted this. The ice cream was good but the cookies were too rich, which just made me more thirsty. Oh well, we found a table to sit at and decided to just watch Celebrate the Magic and Hallowishes from there even though it's a pretty bad view. I'd rather have a bad view with a seat and space around me than fight to get on Main Street. The music and atmosphere is what really makes these shows for me anyway.

I can't help but tear up during this show! It's so beautiful and the projections are so impressive.

Hallowishes is ABSOLUTELY my favorite fireworks show. I'm not even a huge halloween fan, but I just love this show so much. There was a cast member over by the path up to Fantastyland who was dancing his little heart out. I really wish I could have gotten up and joined him, but I would have embarrassed by husband. ha!

After the spectacular show, we took our time getting over to Haunted Mansion. I can't remember the order of events, but we rode Big Thunder Mountain and Haunted Mansion before heading back to the castle area to catch a Hocus Pocus show. We got an ok spot, but I wish we could have gotten closer.

It was so good! I grew up on Hocus Pocus and still watch it around this time of year when it's on TV all the time. The Sanderson Sisters and their fellow villains put on a great show.

After the show, I convinced my husband to ride Seven Dwarves since we hadn't made a fast pass for it this trip. We only waited about 10 minutes, and it was a ton of fun! He said it was more fun than he remembered, so he was glad we rode it (see, I'm right sometimes!) I wish more rides had that rocking car system. It makes it so much smoother.

So after the ride, I was happy to head on out. I saw my shows and enjoyed exploring the park and people watching. We had thrown our candy bags away long ago, so we didn't have a haul to take home. I guess we could have gotten some, but we don't have kids, and we can get candy at Target any day. One thing I wanted to do that we missed was the Monster's Inc dance party because of our costumes. Alas, it wasn't in the cards, but that's ok!

So was it worth it? Yes! Absolutely. Would I do it again? Not any time soon. It's quite a bit of money and they jam-pack the park so full that you don't get to do a ton to get your money's worth. The shows were worth it to go at least once though.

Up Next: Last Day, Magical Anniversary Dinner