Trip Report Relaxin' on the Rue D'Baga *COMPLETED*

Another school year is winding down and students are being tested on what they have learned. Have they mastered what was taught? A good teacher will ensure that most will pass with flying colors. Experience in itself can be a good teacher. We learn what works and what doesn't. We learn patience. We learn to adjust our expectations. And hopefully, we learn from our mistakes.

Those of you who read my last trip report ~
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/go-with-the-flow-its-spring-break-you-know-completed.912354/
know that I am a planner who doesn't always adapt well when my plans go awry. But I am learning to be more flexible (though will always be a work in progress!) And what better environment to learn in than Walt Disney World?! :happy:

So on with the show!
Cast: Tuvalu and Woody

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(Wait, no Em? She's one of the teachers doing the testing! :joyfull:)

Dates:
May 3-8, 2016
Location: C'mon, the title gives it away!

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Join us as we spend extended time at the Flower and Garden Festival (the main reason for this trip) and find pleasure in slowing down to stop and smell the roses (literally and figuratively :inlove:.)
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
I will live vicariously through your TR, as I should have been at WDW during that week! It's the first time in over 10 years that we didn't manage to getaway to WDW for our anniversary. :(
Oh that is sad! Hopefully you can celebrate your anniversary in the world next year!

Looking forward to the report, always enjoyable!
Yay another TR! Anxiously waiting to read more. :)
Thank you both! More coming up...
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Tuesday, May 3
Woody and I had obligations during the day, so we were booked on a 5 pm flight...which meant I actually got a decent night's sleep! I managed to trick my brain into believing I would be waking up to a "regular" day :). (Of course it helped that I had already been packed for a couple days and had opportunities to double-check that I hadn't forgotten anything. ;)) When I received the "your room is ready" text before we left home, it was almost surreal.

We drove ourselves to the airport and sailed through security, thanks again to Woody's TSA pre-check. It was a clear day and the forecast for Florida was for sun, so we were quite surprised to encounter strong turbulence mid-flight. Beverage service was suspended and the plane jerked and bumped. It was NOT a magical way to begin a vacation!

But Tink must have been following us since we were definitely "pixie-dusted" after we landed. Woody's suitcase was on the carousel as we arrived at baggage claim; there was no line to check in at Disney's Magical Express and we walked right onto a bus; the bus driver immediately climbed into his seat and began to back up; and Port Orleans French Quarter was the first stop! From getting off the plane to getting off the bus was under an hour :geek:.

Since we did not need to stop in the lobby, we planned to just walk through and exit into the courtyard and head to our room. We did not expect to encounter this:
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There were wall-to-wall guests in the courtyard, including numerous children with hula hoops...it was like trying to walk through an obstacle course while pulling along suitcases and carry-ons, all to the soundtrack of rock 'n roll music (not sure how that genre correlates to Mardi Gras!)

Once we cleared the Block Party, our building was only a few steps away. I had requested a second floor room near transportation and was pleased that our room met both requests.

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POFQ is our favorite moderate resort and we have stayed in each of the seven buildings except for #4. I thought that this time we might get it since it is also "near transportation". Guess we'll just have to come back!

The first item I unpacked was the most critical item for our room:
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Gotta have my clock!

It was also the only item I unpacked, since Woody and I were starving! We hadn't eaten anything since lunch. Sassagoula Floatworks, aka the food court, was the closest dining option. Thankfully there were just a few lingering guests in the courtyard as the Block Party was closing up. The food court wasn't busy at all and we had our food in no time.

Cheesesteak and a grilled chicken sandwich. Both were surprisingly good (or we were just to hungry to care!)
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Time for a stroll down memory lane....
On our first visit to WDW as a family of 5, way back in 1993, we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside (when it had the politically incorrect moniker of Dixie Landings.) The bakery in the food court had these scrumptious M&M cookies ~ so good, in fact, that not only did I buy some to take home with us, I insisted on visiting the bakery on each subsequent trip whether we were staying at the resort or not!!

(How many times did poor Woody have to explain to the guard at the gate that we were just coming in to buy cookies??!!!???)

For several years it was the only place on-property that carried M&M cookies (trust me, I was a cookie-hunter!) When I finally spied an M&M cookie at another location I was elated...until the first bite. It was a white sugar-based cookie, unlike the brown sugar/molasses based cookie at POR/DL. On my next visit to the bakery, the CM confirmed that the recipe they used was unique to them.

I remained in vacation cookie bliss until the early 2000s. It may have been at the time of the resort name change or during the post 9/11 attendance drop that they stopped making the M&M cookies!! :jawdrop: And when M&M cookies began reappearing again, they were all white sugar-based. :(

Ever the hopeful optimist, I continue to try Disney M&M cookies when I find them.
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These were not the classics I remember. Tasty, but not nirvana. I would have been perfectly content to share one cookie with Woody, but when I stood at the display case couldn't help but get two ~ cause what if??!

Woody and I took a delightful evening stroll around the resort grounds before turning in for the night.
 

prfctlyximprct

Well-Known Member
I love that your clock lights up in different colors! That is so neat! The little things, I tell ya LOL.. and glad to hear your afternoon flight had no snafus! I am flying out at 6 PM on a Friday in November and am soooo nervous! I loved POFQ, definitely following along on your next adventure! :)
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Wednesday, May 4
I'm thinking the Tiki gods were angry with us because we weren't staying at the Polynesian ~ it was thunderstorming when I awakened at 6:30 a.m. Seriously! Thunder, lightning and torrential downpour at that early morning hour! We were going to spend our first day at the Flower & Garden Festival wet. It was too late to change our park plan for the day since we had a lunch ADR, and I refuse to pay $20 for a meal we don't eat.

We took our time getting ready and when the rain let up a bit I went to pick up breakfast. Woody requested an egg croissant sandwich, but Sassagoula Floatworks has its own variation ~ bacon, egg and cheese on French toast. Woody said it tasted like a McGriddle (and he's not a big fan of McGriddles.) It came with a hashbrown patty, but it certainly wasn't worth $9...especially in comparison to my kid's meal of scrambled eggs, hashbrown patty, Mickey waffle, apple slices, peaches and small bottle of orange juice for $5.

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I also picked up the brochures about the limited time "Early Morning Magic" and "Disney After Hours" to see the official corporate spin on these up charge events. The three Fantasyland attractions open in the morning are favorites, but I'd rather have a pre-park opening breakfast at Crystal Palace or BOG and then ride 7DMT, Pan and Pooh once (don't need to ride multiple times) before it gets crowded...for half the price!!

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I will admit to *briefly* considering attending the After Hours event, only because as AP-ers we could go for half price. It would be fun to be in a nearly-empty MK at night, but it was the same night as our eagerly-awaited California Grill dinner. After drinks and a large meal, it was doubtful we would even be awake when the event started! (Note that the brochure mentions "A delightful ice cream treat and beverage", not "unlimited" Mickey bars and sodas that were referenced in unofficial posts.)

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Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Before leaving our room we grabbed our umbrellas but neglected our jackets...this ended up being a big mistake, since it never warmed up as predicted. We walked around Epcot wet and cold. :bored:

Good news about the rain though...it kept folks away in droves! There were no lines at the security tables. We walked right on Spaceship Earth (our FP totally unnecessary.) We were bummed that our faces did not appear in our "Welcome to Your Future" video, even though the photo was taken. It's just not as fun to watch the video with cartoon characters.

We would have taken a lot of pictures if it hadn't been raining. But here is one on our way to the Imagination pavilion...see how empty it was at 10:30 a.m.!
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We were the only ones in line for Figment. The CM happily announced, "It's your lucky day! You can sit in whatever car you'd like!" It wasn't until after we were already moving that Woody said it would have been funny for us to it in separate cars :cool:.

We saw these adorable Jungle Book Tsum Tsums in the gift store.
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We used our next FP (again totally unnecessary) at the Pixar Short Film Fest. We had just missed a show, which meant we had to stand through the 18-minute pre-show.
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The 3D shorts that we saw were "Go Get A Horse", "La Luna" and "For The Birds". Since this was our first visit, I don't know if the shorts shown change or are always the ones we saw. Since the theater had special effects that coordinated with the images onscreen, I'm betting the shorts stay the same.

It was time to make a long walk around World Showcase for lunch at Tutto Italia. I had tried to modify our ADR for a little later time but got the dreaded "No other times available" message (twice.) When we arrived at the restaurant, we were the only ones waiting and just three tables were occupied :rolleyes:. (And when we left over an hour later, the restaurant was not even half-full.)

We had never tried Tutto Italia, though the former Alfredo's was a fave. I had read about the new lunch prix fixe menu and thought it was time to give it a try! We were seated in the small room with the windows.

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Service was impeccable and the food very flavorful. We started with bread and olives.

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I was pleased that the portions on the prix fixe menu were full-sized. I shared the Caprese appetizer with Woody.

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For my entree I chose Chicken Scallopine.

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Woody had lasagna. The pasta was definitely freshly made! And it was large enough to share.

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Dessert was yummy chocolate gelato. It was very rich and too much for one, so I let Woody join me. :hungry:

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Again, I ended up with the better value meal...appetizer, entree and dessert for $27. Woody's lasagna was $26.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
I love that your clock lights up in different colors! That is so neat! The little things, I tell ya LOL.. and glad to hear your afternoon flight had no snafus! I am flying out at 6 PM on a Friday in November and am soooo nervous! I loved POFQ, definitely following along on your next adventure! :)
I so appreciate your perspective on my clock...at first I wasn't sure I liked the multi-colors...but now I will see them as FUN! :) Glad you are following!

Yay!! Can't wait to read more!
Looking forward to reading more!
Happy to have you both along! :happy:
 

Tiggerish

Resident Redhead
Premium Member
Again, I ended up with the better value meal...appetizer, entree and dessert for $27. Woody's lasagna was $26.

:jawdrop: $26 for a lunch portion? :jawdrop: You certainly did get the better deal there.

That said, your Tutto Italia lunch looks delicious. Alfredo's was also a great favorite of ours, but we've only eaten at Tutto a few times (we can get a comparable dining experience for much less moolah here in NYC).

I so appreciate your perspective on my clock...at first I wasn't sure I liked the multi-colors...but now I will see them as FUN! :) Glad you are following!

I thought that might have been a trick of the camera--multicolor clock display is very cute! And I agree, a clock is a must to have in the room.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
We exited Tutto Italia into steady rain.

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I had a flashback to my Food & Wine Epcot day last September when vacationing with my son Drumr. That day was a wash-out, too!

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Woody and I did not leisurely stroll around World Showcase like I had pictured in my mind :(. Instead, we pretty much power-walked to France where we ducked into the waiting room for Impressions de France.

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Never noticed this gargoyle before, probably because the place was empty! According to the timer on the wall, we had about 15 minutes to wait before the next show. After a few minutes, Belle came out to greet guests. There were only a few people in line; perhaps many (like us) didn't realize Belle meets inside during the rain. Two little girls got extended time with Belle and it was adorable to watch.

The theater doors opened and the movie began, transporting us to the romance of France. Holding hands with my sweetie while pretending to be in the real France made up for the yuckiness outside. :inlove:

Afterwards, we sloshed our way back to Future World to use our final FP on Living With The Land. Having the FP was beneficial this time, because the standby wait was 25 minutes. (Folks came into the pavilion to be dry!)

We made one last stop before leaving Epcot ~ had to get May's Flower and Garden Passholder print:
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Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Not sure if you are being serious or facetious, that is how empty that pavilion always looks when we go regardless of time of day. ;):D
It actually has been busy our last few visits. I probably should have taken the picture from the other side, since there wasn't a soul in front of the Land pavilion either or anywhere in the vicinity. We really felt like we had that side of Future World to ourselves.

YAY!!!! Another one, already?? Super excited! :)
It's an addiction...:oops:

:jawdrop: $26 for a lunch portion? :jawdrop: You certainly did get the better deal there. That said, your Tutto Italia lunch looks delicious. Alfredo's was also a great favorite of ours, but we've only eaten at Tutto a few times (we can get a comparable dining experience for much less moolah here in NYC).
Yeah, price is a reason we had waited to try Tutto Italia until now. The a la carte offerings are expensive.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Woody napped upon our return to the room while I journaled and tried to come up with an evening plan. I did not feel like going to a park for dinner if it was going to continue raining, and I didn't feel like eating in Sassagoula Floatworks again.

For fun I searched for availability at Boma. There was a 9 pm ~ too late for my liking. How about Sanaa? A 6:45 pm ~ yes, please!! I had a quick moment of panic when the website timed out...thankfully the ADR was still there when the site began working again.

We were at the bus stop at 5:50 pm. AK closed at 6 pm, so when the AK bus pulled up and emptied, we anticipated a snarky comment from the driver when we boarded. Instead he politely asked, "Are you going to the lodge for dinner?" We -- and the three others who had boarded -- said yes. The driver continued, "Let me radio in and get permission to drive you folks straight to the lodge after I pick up at Animal Kingdom." SWEET!!

There were some pretty wet (and tired looking) people at the AK stop. A man who sat across from Woody asked us, "How come you're so dry?" (Ummm, because we know when it's time to get out of the rain?) We had to excuse ourselves through the drowned rats when the bus arrived at Kidani.

We checked in at Sanaa and had to wait a few minutes before our pager buzzed.

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When we were seated, Woody looked over the wine list while I perused the drink menu. I honestly don't know why I even bothered, because I already knew what I wanted: :D

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I don't need the glow cube as the drink is delicious by itself...but it is cool to watch the colors change.

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Woody selected a Malbec which he enjoyed. And no visit to Sanaa would be complete without < drumroll, please >

BREAD SERVICE!! :hungry:
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Our accompaniments were Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chuntney and Tomato-Date Jam. Highly recommend them all!

We knew we'd pig out on the bread, so we decided to share an entree. We ordered a potjie with Butter Chicken, Braised Beef and Rice Pilaf.

(Full disclosure...I forgot to photograph our potjie. Please enjoy the following picture of Em's potjie from last summer: Butter Chicken, Basatmi Rice and Paneer Tikka)
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(Astute readers will notice a glowing Magical Star Cocktail in the background ;).)

We enjoyed watching the animals on the savanna as we ate. The zebras and giraffes were not bothered by the rain! We were too full for dessert and left Sanaa as happy campers. We caught the Epcot bus and then transferred to the Port Orleans bus.

We went to sleep praying we'd seen the last of the rain.
 

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