Trip Report And everything you do...celebrate you! *COMPLETED*

Oh what an adventure this year has been, and the journey only continued as we embarked on our 8th annual Walt Disney World trip together!

This trip report follows in the footsteps of the inspiration for my not-always-sunny pre-trip report: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/its-the-time-of-your-life.928664/

But we can skip that and get to the good stuff. A whirlwind of Disney, both the old and new, was just the thing we needed. A reminder that life is good, despite not always going to plan, and to never stop dreaming as we look to the future.

The cast: J - the husband. And myself. Goofy & Pluto Pook-a-looz babies.

Travel dates: September 2nd - September 10th...but Hurricane Irma changed that a bit. Returning home to All-Star Music.

Let the memories begin!

We arrived within the Disney bubble a little later than we were used to, and with an 11am - 12pm DINOSAUR fastpass that we were itching to get to, we barreled into Animal Kingdom around 11:45 desperate to make it. DINOSAUR is one of my favorite all time rides, and it was down for refurbishment last year, so it's safe to say I was going through a serious DINOdrought.

We powerwalked through the lush Oasis, taking in the familiar sights and sounds, maybe beginning to register that we were finally here at Walt Disney World!

Labor Day Saturday at Animal Kingdom probably wasn't the best idea. Especially when you see that both Na'vi River Journey and Flight of Passage were temporarily down on the My Disney Experience app, therefore inflating wait times at everything else. But we'd deal with that later. Must...get...to...DINOSAUR.

As we turned right and rounded the corner to the Dino Institute, there were CMs lined up in front of the entrance. Not good! We stood there panting and clutching the stitches in our sides as they announced the ride is down with no ETA of coming back up yet.

Ugh. Fine. We drowned our sorrows by splitting the Ribs, Chicken, and Pulled Pork Sampler at Flame Tree Barbecue. Food does solve a lot of problems.

This baby was definitely large enough to satisfy two starving adults...but it was a messy experience. At one point, J said to me: Um...you have meat in your hair.

The view didn't hurt either.

We took the time to reset our plans, as DINOSAUR would turn into a recovery FP, and Na'vi was our next one, but apparently down. Ah well, at least we had company! Look who stopped by during lunch:

Animal Kingdom is full of natural beauty.

And wildlife everywhere you turn.

As we cleaned up our colossal mess of a lunch and pulled up the app to see what we could do, J delivered the good news: Na'vi River Journey was back up. Whoopee! It's time to really get this party started.

 

[belledream]

We were escorted along with a throng of people to Pixar Place, but the long way! I asked J why we couldn't go down the stairs and he said that would just be bad news all around. I guess I can see that.

We soon shrunk down to fun size and became one of the toys. How I love the transformation! Tinker Toys + Christmas lights are a beautiful combo...I love waiting here so much.

All the familiar feelings came rushing back as the game started. Being tossed around, feeling the nerves as each new set came up, and of course, losing to J all because of that last spamming scene. (We were a little rusty.)

'You've Got a Friend in Me' is THE Disney song that puts a smile on my face and makes me bob my head side to side, always.

Toy Story Land coming! I am probably the only person who is more excited about this than Star Wars.

Then it was off to Sunset Boulevard for something I was truly DYING to ride.

I needed it so badly.

J wonders, 'Do you think they actually have to clean this place?'

That's actually a fair question.

Every part of this ride has my full and undivided attention.

Enjoy your stay, they said. Oh, I did.

 

[belledream]

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I booked another night stay. In all my haste to get onto the ride and run through the queue, I'm not sure I ever noticed these statues.

This time, I chose to keep the camera out for a drop pic. At the time, I wasn't sure what I got, but it was somewhat successful. I actually ended up taking another picture accidently. It was pitch black, so I guess it was an accurate representation.

When you exit the ride to see your official drop picture, the room behind the screens has a bunch of standard décor and artifacts in there. But is that all? J seems to think he found a Hidden Mickey. Good job hunny!

While he's scoping out details like that, I'm just over here taking pictures of Stitch.

Ugh, Tower of Terror is such coolness, both inside and out. It'd totally be the most popular kid in school.

My baby Goofy is scared of heights, and of Tower of Terror in particular. He asks who put him in this outfit?!

So one ride of Toy Story Mania and two on Tower of Terror were in the books, it was time for breakfast!

There was no question about it. We were going to Sweet Spells.

J was requesting the Oreo Whoopie Pie...but also doing the 'get whatever you want' bit...so I made the selfish choice, but the right one.

I have finally tried the Carrot Cake Cookie. With Cream Cheese filling. And it was heavenly. It was everything a carrot cake and a cookie and cream cheese frosting should be. It was oh-so-soft, but dense and packed with all the right flavors on the inside. Even J, a total weirdo who does not like carrot cake, thought it was great. Baby, you were worth the wait.

We sat on a bench along Sunset Boulevard as 9 am approached and the crowds picked up a little bit. We smacked our lips, people-watched, and also got mistaken as parents to the two ~7 year olds sitting on the bench next to us by a PhotoPass photographer who took some candid shots of them and proceeded to try to scan our MagicBands.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Following along!

 

[belledream]

Following along!

Welcome aboard! Great to have you.

 

[belledream]

After a nutritious breakfast, we wandered over to the Chinese Theatre just to look around. Nice to see some familiar fountains and foliage, but other than that, it was pretty quiet.

But it was back to Toy Story Mania for Round 2.

I just completely lost it this time, in more ways than one. Just, terrible.

Just beyond Toy Story was the Cruz Ramirez Meet & Greet. There was no line, but J just wanted to take a picture of the car. Not with it. I just couldn't get over how awkward this would be. Do you talk to him?

Continuing our wandering, we ended up at Star Wars Launch Bay, which reminder, I don't know do Star Wars (I tried this year, failed). But it was interesting to see these Stormtroopers mill around freely. A girl dressed like Rey (not Ray as I originally wrote before I thought I'd run that Star Wars spellcheck) was, I guess, apprehended by these two and put in time out in the corner of the room.

Some more pictures for your (or most likely just J's) viewing pleasure:

Then it was back to Tower of Terror for our FP.

All was right in the world again.

 

[belledream]

We headed towards Muppets Courtyard to see if we could squeeze in J's favorite 3D show before lunchtime. Passed by these new bathrooms. Despite outward appearances, they were nice.

Our timing at Muppet Vision 3D was either perfect or terrible, since the show was just starting and we walked right into the theater...but then we didn't get to see all the preshow shenanigans! But we're all winners in the end, because the show was as patriotic as ever.

LUNCH TIME! We weren't quite sure why we were so excited to eat at PizzeRizzo, but the feelings were genuine and we went in with the mentality of "we HAVE to look at all the little details here".

Ok, so maybe that was why. This was definitely one of those Atmosphere over Food situations. Especially if the pizza was indeed Most Likely to Have Been Made by Rats, as the little pizza trophy in the bottom corner proudly displayed.

Transcribing to make up for the blurriness: Rizzo, Down to my last monies, so I took your first monies...I.O.U. - Pepe

We had a hard time deciding where to sit, but we scoped it all out. The "cheesy" banquet wedding room?

Pretty enticing, but we ended up outside on the deck briefly before deciding it was too hot and we just wanted to sit in the main room and look at all the wall décor.

No surprises here. J got the Meat Lovers Pizza. I can't remember the last time I had Disney QS pizza (not counting flatbreads) but this wasn't terrible chewy cardboard like I've been led to believe. I can only guess this is a good thing.

I was going to get the Antipasto Salad, but once I saw the Meatball Sub came with a Caesar Salad side, I was like, why not?

The meatballs were sizeable and the provolone cheese was good. I would only like more marinara sauce because I like to drown my food sometimes.

Food wasn't half bad and I much preferred this to eating ribs/chicken in the hot outdoors.

 

[belledream]

After we finished eating, we spent some time looking at the drawings/caricatures of some familiar faces.

And of course, we had to spend some time reading the notice board, for there was bound to be some items of importance on there.

We found out that the banquet room was hosting the wedding Gil & Lill, daughter of Will & Jill, Son of Phil & Bill. BYOB & P. Annnd you could still see the writing of the previous event underneath this announcement. Annnd yes, it was for a Memorial Service.

Before we left, we took one more look around and J hit the jackpot again as he discovered this little baby:

We moseyed over next door to It's a Wonderful Shop...which it is, because it's Christmas!

So we got ear hats and shoes, and I guess we've moved onto purses now.

We love seeing our babies hanging out together in the parks.

Stage One Company Store is full of real gems.

We could spend hours looking here.

It's a piece of WDW that truly makes our experience feel complete.

 

[amjt660]

Great pictures of DHS - the park is not at full operating efficiency but it looks like you are having a good time!!

Max

 

[belledream]

Great pictures of DHS - the park is not at full operating efficiency but it looks like you are having a good time!!

Max

Thanks! We always find that we're still going strong at HS thanks to a combo of rides/shows/shopping/food.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

OMG. That carrot cake looks soooooo good! Of course having Celiac, I'd never be able to actually try it, but man. It looks awesome!

 

[belledream]

OMG. That carrot cake looks soooooo good! Of course having Celiac, I'd never be able to actually try it, but man. It looks awesome!

It WAS sooo good. Immediately and permanently on my favorite snack list now and forever. Good thing Disney has plenty of different treats for everyone to enjoy!

 

[belledream]

Our third FP selection is almost always Star Tours. Whether we feel up to actually riding it or not is another story. But today, our stomachs felt solid, and we said, why not?

It turned out to be a lot of fun actually. I feel like it's the most real, intense simulation that Disney does. Of course, I haven't ridden Flight of Passage yet, but this one is feels pretty real...unlike some others (cough UNIVERSAL cough).

We had some time before our first show of the day, so we popped into Keystone Clothiers where my heart exploded at the happiness of Disney shopping.

J is really into socks, and I told him I'd totally approve of him wearing monorail socks, but he politely declined.

Heard some commotion outside and stepped out to catch a glimpse of the stage show going on.

I had more important things on my mind...1 pm Beauty and the Beast show!!! Of course, the way I pump myself up is by poring over all the BatB merchandise in the Carthay Circle shop...and upon entering, I experienced the ultimate I-MUST-HAVE-THAT moment.

Mrs. Potts and Chip!!! To match my Lumiere and Cogsworth!? I've been searching for you ever since those two joined my family and all I could find were plastic childrens tea sets and giant Chip cups that are totally disproportionate to my collection. I was not expecting to see this when I walked in and I immediately knew this would be our souvenir of the year. It was $65 to which J was like 'woah'...and I was like NO BRAINER. Great to know we are on the same wavelength!

We left the shop to catch the show, with intentions of coming straight back to make the purchase.

I was giddy with excitement during this whole show. The costumes, the music, the dancing...it sends my mind into blissful overdrive for 25 minutes.

And true to our word...we were back. I spent 10 minutes examining each box trying to find MY Mrs. Potts. And I found her!

Can we also take a minute to commend Disney for sending your purchases straight to your resort? It's a great service! And also a great way to get my $$$...

 

[belledream]

On a shopping high, we wandered through the rest of Sunset Boulevard's shops. I loved the simple representation of Hollywood Studios here.

We had grabbed a FP for Toy Story, so we made our way back to Pixar Place, but stopped inside One Man's Dream. Was so happy to see this open!

In looking at the replica of Walt's desk, J found this ladybug. Me being the silly that I am, I asked if it was real.

On the flip side of the display, it looks like Walt may have been enjoying himself a Pad Thai or something. Noodle.

Mickey Mouse really does evoke feelings of joy in many minds, doesn't he?

I adore all the artwork and displays here.

NEVER FORGET: Mulan was produced right here at Disney MGM Studios.

How I miss The Magic of Disney Animation at this park!

 

[belledream]

And we're back! This has got to be one of the best Disney touches in the World.

I tried to make up for my abysmal performance earlier. My best today, still not enough.

Good job.

After that, it was time to catch some Indiana Jones! There was no line, yet we snaked around to this pleasant view.

We were pretty late to the game, so we ended up on the very far right corner. I actually really enjoyed this vantage point. We saw Indy himself come out from the stairwell right next to us, then walk himself up to the rafters to prepare for the opening scene.

We also got backstage glimpses of an already-backstaged area.

Even though they're supposed to act like it's just 'another day in the office', I was interested to see how these guys acted off-OFF camera. They waved to the kids in front a lot. It was cute.

A FP for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster? Don't mind if I do [squeeze this in before dinner]!

I tried to make J say 'How about some backstage passes?' but he refused. The CM did it for him anyways.

Rockerstitch sighting!

And finally, it was time for dinner. We've dined at 50's Prime Time, Hollywood & Vine, Sci-Fi, and Mama Melrose's many times together. So what does that leave us with now?

 

[fractal]

Love all the detail pics!

 

[belledream]

Love all the detail pics!

Yay, I'm glad! They're not the best quality but they help me remember for sure.

 

[belledream]

You guessed it right. We were heading to The Hollywood Brown Derby!

We lingered in front of the restaurant to enjoy this woodsy view. J told me that ever since he first came to WDW with his mom, he always wanted to eat at Brown Derby because it seemed like the 'elite, signature status restaurant' in Disney parks. That made me glad that we were finally attaining one of his dreams.

I, on the other hand, haven't eaten here since I was a kid. And while I do love me some 50's and Mama, I was very enticed by upscale menu and ambience.

We sat in the outer rings of the dining room, offering us great views of the chandeliers and caricatures. All felt calm as we basked a cozy, circular booth, taking in the warm glow of the dark woods and muted lights.

We started with a basket of bread rolls and salted butter. I'll usually dig in to one roll of bread and forgo a second helping, but I was starving, the rolls were warm, and the butter was too good. I ate my two.

Another day, another dining package. I was torn between a lot of appetizers, but I ended up going with the Togarashi-crusted Ahi Tuna. I do spicy. Disney, not so much. But this was actually really spicy, and I found myself downing a lot of water as I ate this up. The kimchi and soy-ginger glaze added some unique flavors that I've never really gotten to have at Disney!

J has been drooling over the Beef Carpaccio for over 180 days, and I can totally see why. Thinly sliced raw beef with ranch, mustard, and toasted bread was just dish for him. Of course, he forgot to eat his greens. Our waiter asked to take the plates away, and he said yes even though there was a handful of salad left on the plate. I gave him 'the look' and he said, 'Actually, it appears I am not done.')

For entrees, I was going to get the Grouper, but I had fish yesterday. I need some REAL MEAT. Therefore, I got the Marcho Farms Veal Chop, which turned out to be some of the juiciest, most tender meat I've ever had. Underneath was a bed of lentils, beans, and CUCUMBERS. I saw it on the menu, but I didn't think it'd be so chopped up and integrated with the sauce. It turned me off initially, but the power of meat allowed me to get over it. This was good - would recommend.

J got the Charred Filet of Beef. It completely blew his Tiffins steak out of the water. It was obviously tender and bloody, but most of the flavor came from the sauce and the bacon. The best part for him, surprisingly, was the truffle potato mash hiding under the filet. It was on another level of creamy and flavorful. I may have stolen a lot of it.

We dined and people watched with pleasure. And even though we were so full (that second bread roll was probably a mistake), we were really looking forward to dessert. They came out with the Banana Toffee Cake and the Grapefruit Cake! Both of our top choices. We LOVED the Banana Toffee, and I was not surprisingly the bigger fan of the Grapefruit.

We wanted to eat every last bite, even including the dry grapefruit slice, which I attempted first, and had to spit it out because it just wasn't dissolving in my mouth and was way too acidic. I guess J didn't see me spit it out because he proceeded to try and hate it, and then accuse me of not forewarning him. Regardless, Brown Derby was a hit! We really felt like we stepped into the Golden Age of Hollywood glitz and glamour and dined like the stars.

 

[belledream]

Some post-dinner shopping was in order.

Tummies full, eyes happy.

I read this article about How 'Up' Provides The Formula to a Perfect Relationship a few years ag,o and it is one of my few bookmarks. I read it when I need inspiration and a gentle reminder that I am grateful for everything I have. What we can all learn from up: teamwork makes the dream work, set goals as a couple, support each other in sickness and health, the little things matter the most, capture and record memories, dreams are flexible, and of course...love is an adventure.

We headed to the Guest Relations building here at Hollywood Studios, a place I don't think we've ever been, just to check it out.

I was immediately drawn to all the artwork on the wall. Posters, paintings, some signed by the voices behind it all. It was so cool to see all these things! I had no idea they were in here.

I totally have the bottom left painting! I bought it at Marshalls for 10 bucks...

We wandered back to Celebrity 5 & 10 Shop where I just couldn't get enough of all the home goods around the place.

Can you imagine how dangerous of a path this would be to travel? 1) EXPENSIVE. 2) I would be afraid to use any of it. 3) Would cry and be very devastated if anything ever happened to it.

I'll settle for pictures.

And finally, one last ride of Toy Story Mania. Let's just say we both let our audible, anguished screams of pain by the end.

We really needed a break after this. And I mean a real break. We hadn't originally planned for this, but a peaceful evening at the Boardwalk sounded simply divine.

 

[belledream]

We exited the park to find a Friendship Boat arriving just in time! We got on board and savored the silence and as we head off towards Swan & Dolphin. Every time I see it, I just fall in love with the familiar color palettes of...everything!

But my heart truly skips a beat or five hundred when we pass by my beloved Yacht & Beach Club.

I truly ache for this place. The grays and blues, each distinct structure, the lighthouse and beach. I will be home soon...I promise!

But tonight would be a Boardwalk-type of night. And we would not regret it!

We stepped off the boat just in time to get to the [I guess] good part of Coney Island Chris' act.

Laying on a bed of nails and pulling the lever with the intention of smashing himself in the face with a sledgehammer...but you may be able to guess it swung a different way...

While Coney Island Chris was a comedian, this next guy was more of a performer. Except it really turned out to be a comedy...because he had a child assist by tossing him a third prop, except that failed.

We continued our stroll down the Boardwalk as the sun began to set on this fine evening. We popped in and out of Thimbles & Threads, and peeked at Boardwalk Bakery and Ample Hills just for fun. I wish I had the room to eat!

Oh, and we got another dose of comedy as we found our juggler friend's failed routine just floating along the water.

But that's not all. A third entertainer was taking his time explaining a card trick to an audience of children, but I guess it wasn't as captivating as he had hoped, for a girl blurted out, "I want to see REAL magic!" Kids say the darnedest things!

 

[belledream]

We made our way back to Hollywood Studios for the nighttime festivities. The blue night skies were so calming. It had been a cool day in general, and the temperature was just perfect now.

Hollywood Studios may not be anyone's favorite nighttime park, but there's something about it that really charms the heck out of me.

The unique architecture, the lighting, the sounds of hustle and bustle.

There goes balloon man! We see a good number of people ask balloon man to hold the balloons and take pictures. I asked J if he thought balloon man was annoyed by it. He said probably yes.

Want all. of. it.

We were pretty pumped to be watching Star Wars fireworks tonight. Last year, it sort of got rained out and we received a very watered down version. But not today. Today was going to be A Galactic Spectacular.

But first, we got a surprise in a showing of Disney Movie Magic, a celebration of Disney's live-action productions. (Projections for everyone!) Of course, I squealed with joy when Beauty and the Beast came up.

We were in for a treat with Star Wars fireworks. It was a hectic show, to say the least, with a combination of pyro, projections, lasers, and fireworks themselves. So much going on on the left, then the right, no you're other right!

Again, I don't know much about Star Wars, but I caught things here and there like the "I love you. I know." exchange...and Darth Vader's admittedly chill-inducing breathing.

The sky dazzled before our eyes, the trees on both sides of us sparkled red with crazy frequency, and we all awaited the spectacular ending.

Finally, we got the show we deserved! And with that, we said goodbye to Hollywood Studios. It was a fulfilling day. Cannot wait to see this park blossom in the near future!