Trip Report The Empty Nest, Flower and Garden, Club Villain, Too much Food Report! 5/9-5/15 *complete*

Well, we are just back from our first ever childless Disney World trip! I went into this trip with mixed emotions. Still excited but also a bit sad. Our children are 21 and 18 and have their own things going on that kept them from being able to go. So for the first time since we had kids, the hubby and I went on a vacation just the two of us.

I want to start this report with a photo of our original cast on our last trip together. We have been going since my son was 3. Disney holds so many precious memories of my babies growing up. I honestly did not know how I could still have fun without them but we did. I missed them but was able to relive so many things that made my heart smile so much. They were not there with us physically but were 100 percent in our hearts the whole time!
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And here we are on our Empty Nest trip-
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On to the trip!

Dates 5/9-5/15

Coronado Springs

(As a warning, this report is going to be photo heavy! I took photos of everything! Especially the food and drinks)

We left about 10:00 pm on the 8th after spending some Mother's Day time with my babies. I am a terrible rider, literally hate being in a car so it is easier for DH if I am asleep. We always do the morning show too on day one, but traffic kept us from being able to do that this year. :( Our room was ready at 7:30 though which was great because I wanted to freshen up anyway. We went straight to our rooms which were in Ranchos this time. I love Cabanas so I was disappointed at first but ended up being okay. I have never understood people complaining about the walk at Coronado but then again, I love to walk around the resort. Still prefer Cabanas but it was still nice.

Arrival shot
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Ranchos
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Room
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My family has serious Disney traditions, that we follow every trip. MK always first, Splash is first ride and lunch is always Pecos Bill's. Without both kids, I just felt like maybe it was time to do something different and save those special firsts for when we go back together. So, off to Hollywood Studios we went where our first ride was ToT! We then hit RnRC with fastpasses and then headed back to see the closed areas.
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As excited as I am for what is to come, it was an end of an era for me. I loved the Streets and Pizza Planet was our thing. The kids always loved it. The food was bad, I know but it was Pizza Planet!! I cried, I could not help it. The rocket came down the next day so glad I got that photo.

After we checked out all of that we were starving and went to eat at Rosie's, but our pin for dining and magicband did not work!! Guess what? Cannot be fixed with the ap, by phone or in the park, so we had to leave and go back to Coronado. That was a pain so we just decided to eat there.
Think I am close to my photo limit so will continue with next post.
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Lunch at Coronado. I love their Veggie Burger! DH thinks I am crazy. He got the Philly Cheese Steak.
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And we both got Carrot Cake for dessert, it was good but insanely sweet.
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The F & G Festival is the only special event we had not been to, so we headed to Epcot to check it out. I got a lot better photos the next day with camera but will include some from my phone day 1.
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The Rose Slush was amazing as was the Grand Marnier Ice Pop!
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We then headed back to take in The Seas, Living with the Land, Journey into Imagination, and SE before heading to Coral Reef for dinner
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This was our 6th trip to Coral Reef and the very first time we had a front table! It was breathtaking and the food was great as always. I had the Trout and DH had the Strip Steak. We both had the cheesecake for dessert.
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We were both pretty tired and headed out right before Illuminations to go chill at the resort and my favorite spot to watch DHS fireworks. Also had the opportunity to talk to a couple of Invictus Game families. For the record the resort felt as spacious and uncrowded as it always does and it was pretty amazing to get to say Thank you to those families. :)

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Coming up.. Day 2- MK, AK and Ohana! (I remembered my camera!)
 
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myhappyplace

Crazy Cat Lady
Premium Member
I'm in!!

It's always good to make new traditions :)

I'm debating where to stay when I take my (then 14 year old) little brother next year (August 2017). He's only ever stayed at POP, but I have been spoiled by Deluxes now that I'm married and go with my husband. I'm thinking a moderate might be ideal to split the difference. I will have to check out the CS resort sometime!
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm in!!

It's always good to make new traditions :)

I'm debating where to stay when I take my (then 14 year old) little brother next year (August 2017). He's only ever stayed at POP, but I have been spoiled by Deluxes now that I'm married and go with my husband. I'm thinking a moderate might be ideal to split the difference. I will have to check out the CS resort sometime!
We used to stay offsite, then stayed Value. All of the All Star resorts and POP before staying at Coronado 3 trips ago. I LOVE it! Would love to try a Deluxe one day but I adore everything about Coronado. Keep it on your short list! :)
 
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DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We went to Magic Kingdom early and rode Splash and Big Thunder like we normally would first day, then headed to HM. We had FP+ and wait times for rides were not bad, but after having lunch at Columbia Harbor House, it really picked up, not wait times, but the amount of people walking around. Lines seemed the shortest thing to do, but so many people walking around and standing and just chaos. We stayed 3 1/2 hours and were done.
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The Cobbler was amazing! I typically do not like desserts but it was not too sweet.

MK, we did so much less of this year, the crowds, in the park are just too much. Wait times not that bad, but people standing, stopping, in the middle of walkways, yelling at each other, just seemed crazy. We ended up spending a total of 6-7 hours the whole trip at MK. It was always my favorite park but I really, at least for May, enjoyed the other 3 way more this time.
Silly, glad to be leaving MK pic!
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On to AK! We rode EE several times, took a Safari, stopped in and said hello to Bob, from Dawa Bar, where he always still makes me a Harambe Cooler (or two)
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New Street performers!
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DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Had to check out the new bar near EE! Crazy it went up so fast! I got the Himalayan Ghost, which was pretty tasty, tad sweet, but tasty.
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Glad to see this photo op was back open too!
RoL, stadium looks gorgeous but had less seating than I thought it would. Seems like the open areas leading to it are going to packed, standing to see, unless they don't let people gather. Either way can't wait to see it.
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We saw Finding Nemo, which was amazing as always and rode Dinosaur, took in Pangani & Maharajah, then headed out to freshen up and eat at Ohana.
Our table wasn't ready yet so we stopped at the bar and I tried a Island Sunset.
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DH, went with a Bud Light..
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Food from Ohana was terrific as always! We did not take any photos of the meats, too busy eating, but did get some of sides and the amazing bread pudding.
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I missed the wraps, spring rolls. :(
And I missed my son, when they brought out the dumplings! He will literally tell them to not stop bringing them until he tells them to. It is favorite food there.
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So stuffed but shared a small piece. Stuff is so sinfully good!
More to come!
 
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DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Few more AK pics before moving to a full tour of the food and sights at F & G Festival.





The safari would be the first time I saw rabbits. For those that have not read my previous trip reports, I love rabbits. I have three that are litter box trained. I always take pictures of the many rabbits we see at WDW. This was just on the other side of the Lions, past the trench. I almost had a heart attack!!!


Silly pic that we have done for years. Mine was frilly of course.



 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
enjoying your story - don't feel bad about going without the kids, grown or otherwise. You will find plenty of people here to support taking a Disney trip without kids.
Thank you! It took me a day or two to really adjust but I have to say we had so much fun. They do love Disney as much as they do because we always have too. It was really good for me to experience it just the two of us and explore the couples Disney trip.
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I am going to start with the pictures of the Topiaries and flower pics then move onto the food and drinks. I absolutely loved this event. I liked it better than Food & Wine. I am a flower nut and we had taken the Backstage Magic tour last year and one of the highlights for me was the Nursery and seeing all of the old topiaries that I remembered from year's past. So glad I finally got to experience it.















I wanted one of the big Mickey and Minnie so bad but 499.00 each???? No way, I will figure out how to make one. 1000.00 bucks goes a long way on Disney trips. :/



It's so much friendlier with Pooh.



Continuing with more Flower pics!
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster






This was up, I want to say across from Crystal Palace or near it, our very first trip. I remember because DS loved Lion King. So good to see it again.











I was trying to get pictures of all the Dwarfs, but there was a really loud, obnoxious group of teens, on a school trip, running and screaming and acting horrid so I didn't. We went early and WS wasn't even open yet. There were a lot of school groups and most all were very mannered, this group, let me just say if my two had acted that way... they would have been in serious trouble. 3 year olds are better behaved than this group was.

Few more on phone from Future World I will come back to...
Next up, on with the food!
 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I love this picture. It so sums up this trip. Disney was all started by a Mouse (and an amazing man) and our family started 27 years ago when a really cute guy drew me a Mickey on the 2nd date. I knew it was love! All these years later, it is still love and he still draws me the most amazing Mickeys.



First stop in an early snacking lunch, because we had Fantasmic ressies for Mama Melrose at 3:45, was in Mexico for Tacos de Camaron .
We should have gotten different things but we are so much alike, we wanted the same thing.



Next stop was in Italy, where I was really impressed with the size of the Chicken Parmesan. It was thin but nice size for a snack credit. I also had the Peach Bellini, very tasty.



Next snack came from America and was the Burnt End Brisket Hash. It was amazing! The only thing is that the meat could have been cooked a little longer and slower, to get the fat cooked out more. I make a ton of briskets and BBQ and that would be the only thing I could say kept it from being perfect. It was still, by far, my fave.



You wouldn't think with no breakfast we could be full by now, but we were. I had one more snack I had to try. The Shrimp and Grits. Something else I always make, and it was very, very good. I also got the Cucumber Watermelon Slushie. It is small but very good. A wonderful fresh taste.



Close up of the Shrimp and Grits





And my last stop was to try a Pineapple Sparkling Wine. I still have not decided my thoughts. A bit sweet but I liked the pineapple fizz taste of it.

 

DisneyGigi

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My husband, every year argues with me that ToT cannot be seen behind Morocco, and he always makes his case from Morocco... so when we walk around to Mexico, I always point it out, and take a picture.


Headed to Hollywood Studios. (Always MGM to me) after riding SE and a few other rides. One thing that I have not said, is how much I missed my Tower. Especially on ToT. I wish that could have stayed. I also want to say that this park nor AK were ever half day parks to me. The areas cut from MGM I miss, like the old Backlot tour and those areas and the Streets make for less to do, but we didn't do Lights Motor Action after the 2nd time seeing it, or the HISTA playground but there I still love this park and I always will.

We caught the new Star Wars show, which I thought was pretty cool. I enjoyed DHS much more without the Frozen everywhere in your face. I always wanted to go to Star Wars Weekends and I always, always wanted to see Chewie. Few pics

He is so amazing!!!










On the way to Launch Bay... I saw out of the corner of my eye..... none other than MAX!!!!!
Old school late 90s line up Disney Channel, Pooh's Corner, Rolie Polie Olie, Bear in the Big Blue House for DD, DS was Goof Troop, Tale Spin, Chip N Dale, DuckTales, Darkwing Duck.. I randomly send him the opening to Goof Troop, cause he is so Max, and I am so, well, Goofy... Best of Friends Forever! He was on our list to meet forever. ❤️


we left and got in line for what I thought was Chewie. I was so excited I did not pay any attention, but I did wonder why the doors were Dark Side etc. Walked around the corner all excited to see my fave Wookie and there was Kylo Ren. It freaked me, not gonna lie. He had fun with it too.



Then, it was Wookie time! Always, always wanted to meet Chewie. I walked around the corner and honestly, I felt 3! I was like CHEWIE!! Held my arms out for a hug and he flat bear hugged me, swear my feet came off the ground. One of the coolest moments ever at Disney, equal to meeting Mickey the first time. (I am a character girl)



Quick photo op at Sci-Fi before heading to Mama Melrose.

 
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