Trip Report Disney Land & Sea is the place to be! COMPLETED

ScarletBegonias · Oct 13, 2015

OMG!!! So excited for this TR! So far the pictures are beautiful!!!

belledream · Oct 13, 2015

Much of this post is going to be devoted to Be Our Guest because it is my favorite restaurant with my favorite food, movie, princess, Disney scene, song, décor, moment, EVER. Yes, I like it.

And we ate here a lot this trip...hope you don't get tired of it...

Waterfalls are like fountains in my world. So maybe I just like water?

Disclaimer: I am not a professional photographer, I don't have a fancy camera, but I take lots of pictures because I believe pictures are the best souvenirs. This picture does not do justice to the beauty that is the ballroom. But I digress. The moment we walked in, I got chills. The mural, the chandeliers, the snow outside, and they're playing Tale as Old as Time. OUR SONG. :inlove:

Yet we decided to eat in the Rose Gallery because we hardly ever eat in here. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the paintings and listening to the sweet little music box tunes.

My pick for lunch: Tuna Nicoise Salad - always and forever. I have dreams about this meal, I kid you not. I guess eating less-than-cooked fish doesn't make a salad as healthy as it should be...whatever. It's VACAY!

J's staple: Carved Prime Chuck Roast Beef Sandwich with extra horseradish (which I think takes like white-out) but he thoroughly enjoys it.

Not pictured (Argh...rookie mistake!) is dessert: Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake for me, Master's Cupcake for J. We ate it all. And it was good.

Because every good idea starts with stuffing your face then going on a rollercoaster, we made our way to FP #2: Big Thunder Mountain.

This has cemented itself as J's new favorite ride. I gotta say, I always thought it was better than Mine Train, but now I would like to amend that to be: it blows Mine Train out of the water.*

We decided to beat the heat and the crowds and sit down for some Mickey's Philharmagic. The #1 3D show at Disney in my humble opinion. My face hurts from smiling nonstop during this entire show.

Speaking of Mine Train, you make me want to eat my words because it's just so darn cute and innovative! I guess there's room in my heart to love you both.

belledream · Oct 13, 2015

I'm a girl. I like to shop. Surprisingly enough, J loves to shop with me! How lucky I am.

Throw in the combo factor of Disney's excellence for detail and décor, and the fact that every single merchandise item has a Mickey Mouse, castle, sparkles, or glowy-thing on it, I am one happy camper.

Many times, I am more into the shop itself. There is something about them that feel so familiar, even though they're not a Disney landmark/icon-type establishment.

Like the chandeliers in the Emporium.

These sights just make me so happy.

Merchandise finds of the day:

Trash can salt and pepper shakers? Kind of a weird concept, yet I find myself wanting to collect all of them...

These would have been really cute (and expensive!) wedding favors!

Of course I want this.

And this. (I really enjoy seeing Crystal Palace depicted as a painting!)

I did intentionally photograph the price in this picture. For research purposes.

We spent some time watching this guy blow glass. It is pretty fascinating how they do this...who would've thought that this process would turn into such works of art?

We thoroughly enjoyed whiling the time away in the shops waiting for Festival of Fantasy to start. Yippee!

belledream · Oct 13, 2015

We caught Festival of Fantasy for the first time on our very last day (and hour) on our last trip. We cut it real close but it was so worth it. And it was just as wonderful the second time around!

The moment the music starts...my heart starts to pound. It's just so infectious!

This time, I was able to catch more of the smaller details on the floats.

J's favorite.

This is really something to marvel at. I can't believe Flynn Rider swings back and forth like that the entire time. At one point, he was just casually lounging like he was on the beach.

These costumes...EYE CANDY!

According to J, Ariel is the laziest princess.

And Captain Hook is the worst pirate ever because he gets thwarted by a bunch of kids.

So...this won't get old.

Tied for my favorite float (Princesses...Belle). The mini amusement park is so adorable! I want it for my house...

Last but not least, our favorite couple in the whole wide world. Love you Mickey & Minnie! Forever a member of your club!!!

Cetta · Oct 13, 2015

loving your trip report so far! awesome photos! I we Disneymooned in 2012 for a week at Pop and had the time of our lives! I cannot wait to see and read more about your trip!

belledream · Oct 13, 2015

Cetta said:
loving your trip report so far! awesome photos! I we Disneymooned in 2012 for a week at Pop and had the time of our lives! I cannot wait to see and read more about your trip!

Thank you! Glad you are enjoying. We love Pop! Not exactly what you think of when you think of a honeymoon resort but for the amount of time we spent there...absolutely the perfect choice.

geebee721 · Oct 13, 2015

Love the TR so far! Reading is helping me get even more excited for our trip at the end of January (if it's even possible to be more excited)! We took a disney/disney cruise honeymoon in November 2011 and it was the best time ever! Can't wait to read more!

ScarletBegonias · Oct 13, 2015

Loving it so far! We got to see the FoF parade on our last day! So glad we got to catch it!

DisneyPrincess5 · Oct 13, 2015

Congratulations on your Disneymoon! Nothing like it.
Beautiful photos so far!

belledream · Oct 13, 2015

geebee721 said:
Love the TR so far! Reading is helping me get even more excited for our trip at the end of January (if it's even possible to be more excited)! We took a disney/disney cruise honeymoon in November 2011 and it was the best time ever! Can't wait to read more!

Oooh it's coming up! How exciting!

Hope you have a blast!

ScarletBegonias said:
Loving it so far! We got to see the FoF parade on our last day! So glad we got to catch it!

Yay thanks! Isn't it great? I was blown away by how much of a spectacle it was! Definitely the best daytime parade I've seen. More to come!

DisneyPrincess5 said:
Congratulations on your Disneymoon! Nothing like it.
Beautiful photos so far!

Thank you so much! We had such a wonderful time sharing the old and new. Writing this TR will definitely help me preserve the memories. :inlove:

SweetEvangeline · Oct 13, 2015

Awesome report! I love your writing style. And I loved the pics of the ceiling in the Emporium. Brilliant!!

belledream · Oct 13, 2015

SweetEvangeline said:
Awesome report! I love your writing style. And I loved the pics of the ceiling in the Emporium. Brilliant!!

Thank you! I tend to blabber, but I'm glad you enjoy my musings.

Aren't those little details the best? Lesser-known things that are distinctly Disney.

sheriffwoody · Oct 13, 2015

Yay! Following along. Best place for a honeymoon.

belledream · Oct 13, 2015

sheriffwoody said:
Yay! Following along. Best place for a honeymoon.

Couldn't agree more. So many things to do, or so many places to just do nothing, food, customer service, a beautiful bubble, and MAGIC! :joyfull:

belledream · Oct 14, 2015

After the parade, we returned to Tomorrowland and took a spin on Buzz Lightyear.

J maxed out at 999,999, per usual. I honestly believe we aim for the same targets always, and that confuses me because I can't tell which dot is mine and which is his, which probably leads me to believe I'm hitting the targets. But my score does not reflect that... I believe the highest rank I got this trip was Planetary Pilot. Woo!

After another wonderful time spent on the Blue Ride, we switched gears and headed over to Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. Thanks FP! Although sometimes I felt like the line for the kiosks were longer than the actual lines for the rides...J says they should have 2 different areas for FP: one for people who know what they're doing...and well, one for those who don't. Anyways, Jungle Cruise was super punny, and we enjoyed ourselves.

Then it was onto the classic it's a small world! I will always love this ride: there's so much to look at, from the backdrops, to the different outfits, to the animals! Never change.

It was nearing 7 PM and it was a Mickey's Not-So-Scary night. As we had already crossed the party off our list on a previous trip, that meant one thing for us: dinner + resort hopping! A winning combination! We set sail towards the beautiful Grand Floridian.

Though our intent was to take our bonus day slowly, this was the first time I really just realized how at peace I was. The breeze, the waning sun, and the sound of the water was really lovely.

After a brief stop at Grand Floridian, we moved on to our destination: Polynesian (Village) Resort. Those bungalows look mighty cool!

It's safe to say we all miss the old Poly lobby with that gorgeous waterfall...

But this guy is kinda cute too.

And I definitely found the new lighting to be really interesting.

The view from the second floor as we waiting for our names to be called for dinner. Revisiting an old friend...Kona Café!

ScarletBegonias · Oct 14, 2015

Oh how I just love the looks of the Poly! I will be going to Ohana in April and I can't wait to see it!

belledream · Oct 14, 2015

Oh Kona, how we've missed you! It's been 3 years and we're finally reunited! Everything about this restaurant just screams, "RELAX!" And that's exactly how we felt.

With lighting that look like onions and a nice window for sunset, what more do you need!?

Oh, right. Food. We need food. With 3 potential winners for me, it was a hard decision, but I went with my gut and got the Pan-seared Duck Breast. Why? Because I hardly ever see duck on Disney menus - so naturally, I have to give it a try.

It was DELISH. The skin was well-seasoned and crispy, and the duck was tender and juicy on the inside. The beans had an interesting taste and texture that complemented the duck so well. Looking back on everything I ate at WDW, this has to be my favorite.

J got the Grilled New York Strip, which he devoured. That butter you see? It's called Molasses-Bacon Butter. Interesting, huh? J ate a lot of steak this trip, and behind a certain-highly-reviewed-restaurant-to-be-named-later, he said this Kona steak was the second best.

We were drooling over the desserts before we even got here. And I wasn't exactly sure why, because it all seemed so simple.

I predetermined that I would have the Chocolate Fondue. It's just fruit and chocolate right...but it is mouth-watering good fruit and chocolate. And that brittle and those macarons? Oh my gosh, simply divine. I ate everything but maybe 1/2 of the last macaron and I'm seriously regretting that right now.

J got the Kona Kone. No, this is not from the children's dessert menu.

Yes, that is cotton candy at the bottom and he went for that first.

Dining at Disney World 2015 was off to a great start! We walked around Poly for a bit, exploring the shops, and took a peek inside Trader Sam's.

I was blown away by the theming. The entire walls and ceiling were decked out in artwork, hangings, and knick knacks. It was enchanting - I forgot where I was!

We aren't big drinkers, so we didn't stick around to order anything. Instead, we monorailed over to Grand Floridian.

This resort makes me swoon. So beautiful, so classy, it makes me want to cry.

Yes, I take pictures of stairwells at Disney resorts.

We wandered the grounds for a long while that night. The buildings around us were glowing, we could see the castle across the lagoon illuminated, changing colors every once in a while. It was a perfect evening spent with the perfect person.

belledream · Oct 14, 2015

We went back to Polynesian. Along the way, the moon was shining brightly and we could hear sounds from the Spirit of Aloha. Here is my attempt at taking a picture of the moon. :hilarious:

We settled ourselves on lounge chairs right up against the edge of the beach. Then, out of nowhere, the Electrical Water Pageant popped up! I always seem to overlook this, and it was such a pleasant surprise.

Soon after, Hallowishes began. The spectacle was slightly marred by the fact that we could barely hear the music (what up with that?!) but some genius sitting near us actually pulled the soundtrack up on their phone which helped me place the fireworks with the theme of the song. Thanks stranger!

What a way to finish Day 1 of our Disneymoon! I could not have asked for anything more.

Then it was onto our home resort, the destination for serious honeymooners...Pop Century!

I kid, I kid. But Pop worked fantastically for us.

It allows us to spend more days at the beautiful World, and gives us a place to sleep maybe a max of 5 hours every night.

Plus it's cool! (Excuse the quality) I totally had that Pocahontas book!!!

Now to the room. We were in the 70's building, literally a minutes walk from the lobby. How amazing is that? First floor too. (Noise doesn't matter to us...we're the last ones in and the first ones out anyways!)

Yay! Yay for that king-sized bed. Yay for the cool curtain that separates the sleeping from the washing areas (I thought that was the coolest thing when I was younger) and yay for falling asleep and waking up to Disney every day!

Works for me! Goodnight World!

lostpro9het · Oct 14, 2015

This is my first time seeing a king bed at Pop! Very neat, we had always gotten the double beds.

Trip Report Disney Land & Sea is the place to be! COMPLETED

ScarletBegonias

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Trip Report Disney Land & Sea is the place to be! *COMPLETED*

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Trip Report Disney Land & Sea is the place to be! COMPLETED