Trip Report We'll Do As Dreamers Do... *COMPLETED*

Another fall has arrived at Walt Disney World, and so have we! For our 4th annual September trip, we returned to the basics that we fell in love with. A lot of resort hopping, getting a little wet at the water parks, and food (snack credits...so many...help!) It was a wonderful 9 days, and I can't believe I have room in my heart to love Disney even more, each and every time. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing these. Let the memories begin!

The cast: My husband, J, and I. People call us Mickey & Minnie.

Travel dates: September 3rd - September 11th, staying at All Star Music.

Pre-trip report: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/weve-fall-in-in-love.913624/

We began with the earliest flight I could possibly find, getting us into the promised land at 8:30 AM. Win! With a speedy check-in at All Star Music, we were off to Animal Kingdom...Lodge!

For the first time ever, we decided to take an entire non-park day to fulfill a bunch of dreams that we've always had on our bucketlist. We did so on our first day because it was the Saturday of a holiday weekend and hoped to avoid the crowds that way.

It definitely felt weird not heading straight to a park to begin the trip, but I really did appreciate the relaxing start. Just us and a quiet, beautiful morning sky at AKL.

Still in awe at how unique of an experience it must be to stay at AKL. It will be done in this lifetime!

On the way to 'breakfast' at The Mara (yup, I'm already talking about food), we passed by this beautiful waterfall area that I didn't notice the last time we were here. I was instantly wowed - the reality of it is that Disney can truly transport me to another place.

The Mara is the perfect stop for breakfast, because the perfect breakfast is...

Zebra Domes! Been absolutely CRAVING these for the past two years, and the time has finally come. It was everything I had hoped it would be.

J points out that I look ridiculous when photographing my food, but I needed to remember this moment.

We sat by the pool and snacked, not truly believing that we were here yet. It always takes a while to sink in, but what is perceived as mere decoration and foliage always mean something a little more to me.

The day had started off cool, but you could already feel that Florida heat doing work. Not fully acclimated yet, we retreated to the great indoors of Jambo House to look around some more.

Next stop...Kidani Village!

 

[belledream]

It was about time for breakfast, so we meandered back towards Tomorrowland...

Past Cheshire Café where I thought this lantern looked so cool and also kinda tasty. Like a strawberry yogurt smoothie or creamsicle type candy.

Loving the fall colors in this summer world.

Plentiful foliage on 7DMT. Sometimes I wish I could take a leisurely mine train cart ride through this place!

And breakfast would be an all-natural M&M-covered Mickey Rice Krispie Treat of course! This proved to be a very messy snack, as we stood outside Big Top Souvenirs trying not to litter the ground with fallen M&Ms. It also painted our face in all sorts of colors! Yummy though.

After that, we decided we wanted to spend some quality time at Mickey's Star Traders. (Who reads that and hears it in the old TTA narrator's voice?) But first...we can never get enough!

Blue on blue on blue.

It's like playing Where's TTA? in this post.

This place is a Hidden Mickey aficionados dream!

The 5 year old girl in me wanted to buy a plastic snowglobe. They're just so cute and oddly satisfying!

Little things like wandering Mickey's Star Traders are one of my favorite things about Disney. Just the ease of freely moving in and out of attraction to shop to attraction, and so on, where everything is themed just so perfectly, is quintessential Disney to me.

 

[belledream]

FP for 7DMT time! Not gonna lie, I kinda miss going through the standby queue...I wanna twirl those barrels!

Always filled with a thrill of excitement when I walk into the mines though. It's like telling you, you're going on an adventure!

After that, we made our way to Castle Couture so I may proceed in freaking out! Love the sparkly ears, but if you're gonna have Snow White and Belle, might as well make all the princesses so us pack rats may hoarde them all.

Favorite dress in the whole world.

I don't think I've ever noticed that the Make it Blue, Make it Pink debacle took place here. Love those little touches! Also, stained-glass appreciation.

She changed! Last year, she was wearing Elsa's dress! How many of these dresses do they have in store and who gets to play doll? I want to do that!!

We decided to catch an early showing of Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire. This kept flying under my radar leading up to the trip. So much fun seeing Mickey & the gang in their royal outfits!

They first introduced, from the Land of the Bewitching Bayous...Tiana, Naveen and Louis in a fun New Orleans jazz number, filled with dance and song. (I think it was my favorite number!)

Next, from the Land of the Enchanted Woods, Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, and some Snugly Duckling patrons!

And last, but certainly not least, from the Land of the Mystic Mountains, Anna, Elsa, and Olaf rounded out the Friendship Faire with some blasts of icy magic.

That moved us into the just-premiered 'fall edition' of the finale where dancers came out in lovely orange and gold, autumn costumes and gowns. What a fun little change to the daytime stage show! We enjoyed it a lot and were so glad to see Princess and the Frog get some love!

 

[belledream]

After the show ended, we decided to head to Liberty Square to hang around the area before lunch. Love this place. It's a bit understated and quaint, yet anything but boring.

I mean, look at the different structural details in each building. So. Cool.

Also, because it's something you may find in the real world...and when you do...it reminds you of these places.

Haunted Mansions aren't real, right?! My attempt at being artsy and hiding the scaffolding = failure.

Interactive queue still lookin' good as ever.

It happened, you guys! We got stuck at the ballroom scene. Hallelujah!

Even though I've been on this ride a million times, I can never get enough of this scene. The ghost paintings dueling, the one sitting on the chandelier, the dancers, the table settings...

There's just so many little details to take in in that brief moment, but we got bonus time this go round. WINNING!

 

[belledream]

That glorious moment when you realize, we have a lunch reservation at that little tavern right across the street from a haunted mansion.

We have not been here since our first trip together in 2010. It was our last meal on that trip. I remember being over the moon about the week we had just spent together, but feeling absolutely gutted that it would soon be over. Who knew that life would take us on a Disney trip every year after that? Wow, we were babies then.

Inside was as classic and colonial as I remember it. You know those 'if you could live at Disney, where would you live' type questions that come up? Liberty Tree Tavern might be up there.

We were seated by this bay window and I could not have been more ecstatic. One, because bay windows are the cutest things to have in/on a house and I want one badly. Two, because we had a choice of views!

Outside, or the restaurant itself. Yes, please, I'll take both. The rich wood paneling, cozy fireplaces, and gleaming candelabra...it feels like a charming home of way back when.

Each room is dedicated to an important figure in U.S. history. We're with Ben Franklin!

Omgah, would love to sit on that bench too. Coming back with a party of 6 ASAP. This is what excites me at WDW.

Well, you know everything excites me, and very few things beat the arrival of your food! I chose the Tavern-battered Fish and Chips, because I am a good wife and know that my husband wants this so badly, but also wants...

...The Liberty Boys Sandwich. And he cannot decide.

Anyways, my fish and chips were pretty good. Standard stuff, in my opinion, because how different can it taste? (I could be very wrong on this...) J's sandwich was packed with delicious slow roasted pork and arugula, with a great mushroom-mayo spread. We fought over bites of the pickle too. Would definitely recommend, but it's off the menu now!

However, do not fear. If you eat here, you will undoubtedly still enjoy the fabled Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. WE CAME HERE FOR THIS. AND IT WAS WORTH IT. A HUNDRED TIMES YES! It's like a cookie, but a cake, ooey on the inside, topped with melting, mouth-watering vanilla bean ice cream, caramel, coffeetoffee stuff, and chocolate drizzle. Oh. My.

 

[joshsprincess921]

The first thing I did when I saw the lunch menu had changed was skim through and see if the ooey gooey toffee cake was still there!

 

[belledream]

The first thing I did when I saw the lunch menu had changed was skim through and see if the ooey gooey toffee cake was still there!

There would be some seriously angry people if it was taken off!

 

[belledream]

Can you say food coma? It was after lunch, we were full, sleepy, and ready to beat the heat inside some good ol' Country Bear Jamboree.

Max looks like he's about to fall asleep too. We ebbed in and out of consciousness, waking up to the rowdy and celebratory grand finale.

Keepin' it in the theme of cool dark places, we then journeyed over for another voyage on Pirates. Not sure how much napping can be done here...especially if I'm getting bombed! This ride is too awesome to sleep through, anyways.

Queue and shop love.

And right outside POTC was a little Arribas Brothers cart where we happened to run see one of my very good friend's younger sibling who worked there! We were absolutely stoked to see her and spent some time chatting and catching up, but mainly being nosy and curious about what it was like working at WDW. And it was there that we discovered our I-MUST-HAVE-THAT souvenir of the year. This adorable little suncatcher that is proudly displayed on our kitchen window right by the sink, so I may see it each and every day and smile.

After we said goodbye, we popped into A Pirate's Adventure ~ Treasures of the Seven Seas just to take a look at some of the cool maps and décor they had up. We did this a couple of years ago and found it to be a fun little diversion for the day. Plus, the maps are great keepsakes!

Reversed from Adventureland and back to Frontierland...our friend had given us a little 'behind the scenes' tidbit of info by pointing us to where their stockroom was (which was up the stairs on the second floor of an Adventureland building) and now I'm looking for other places where things may be hidden!

Over in Liberty Square, it was blooming fall!

Love the little (and big) touches!

We continued our afternoon renaissance of leisure by indulging in a cushy-seated performance of Mickey's Philharmagic Orchestra!

I play flute and he plays violin. How perfect!

 

[belledream]

Another relaxing ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority was in order. And a train sighting! That's always fun to catch.

Entering Space Mountain is always so fun.

What time is the 3 o' clock parade? Now! We joined a busy Main Street and awaited the sound of regal trumpeting and fanfare.

These dresses...where can I get one?

I'm always astounded at the number of flowers adorning this float. It's quite amazing! Tale as old as time...

The window/sky behind Cinderella & Prince Charming...the magical colors of a Disney night sky.

The touches of snow on the trees...

The Tangled float is one of my favorites. So ingenious to have Flynn Rider swinging back and forth. Kudos to him for keeping that up! I also find it funny that he just has a wriststrap up there, and Rapunzel is strapped in by the waist.

Love these avant-garde costumes, and that we get opportunities to see them up close!

Her fin is sooo pretty! Perfect colors, shine, and a flowy-quality to it.

I'm obsessed with this parade, mainly for the princesses.

 

[belledream]

And it continues with Merida! I'll have some of what those bears are having...

The glimpse into the inner-workings of Maleficent is just as cool as the fire-breathing.

There's our seven little friends!

Possibly my favorite float right here. I am dancing my heart out at this point and nothing can stop me. The music is way too infectious!

And the grand finale...our favorite couple in the whole world!

Speaking of which...there they are! I loved these figurines. Best friends and the love of each other's lives. It doesn't get any better than that.

I also was particularly fond of these princess figurines. There was something about their faces that was so lovely. The all look so soft, classic, and the epitome of a true princess. The cartoons we all know and love give them the personalities that they totally belong to them, but the more demure quality and beauty seen here was attractive to me.

This little nook is a favorite spot on MSUSA for us. We always sat at these tables at the end of the night and just savored the glow and peacefulness around us. During the day, it's quite bright and cheery in a different way!

The glass blowing displays from afar in the windows were so cute, I just had to remember this. As well as the beautiful buildings again.

The buildings, the buildings! Everything about them is just so gorgeous. I sound like a broken record...

There's just no two ways about it!

 

[belledream]

We found ourselves weaving in and out of the shops, through the Confectionary, right into the Emporium.

This chandelier is quintessential Emporium to me. One glance and I know I'm here!

Halloween merchandise in full swing. I love my "Mickey Mouse Jack O' Lantern Votive Candle Holder." It's anything but a seasonal item in our household!

As we meandered towards Adventureland, the sun was shining brightly, and Crystal Palace gleamed amidst the lush greenery and water. One of my best views of the day.

We passed through Adventureland and Frontierland without a real destination in mind...

...and ended up in Liberty Square, again! Right outside Liberty Tree Tavern where J was like, 'Hey! That's where we sat at lunch!' Well whaddaya know!

This replica of the Liberty Bell is cast from the mold of the actual Liberty Bell.

This tree is just awesome. To me, it's a tree full of character and wisdom...anyone else feel that?

Each building is unique in it's own right. According to J, that's because they are supposed to represent the progression and different styles of architecture through the years. I can see that!

We ended up in the not-often-visited, but aesthetically-pleasing-place-to-be area behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe and just savored the waning afternoon. We'd be heading to dinner soon.

But for now, it was a moment of peace in an unlikely place. And we enjoyed that.

 

[belledream]

Just breathe it in...just reflect on how nice it is to find new beauty in such a familiar place.

Speaking of new, it was time to dinner at a very new establishment...Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen!

Feels authentically Jungle Cruise-like, with the outdoor waiting area keeping you kinda-but-not-really cool.

I'll be honest - I did not have high expectations for this restaurant. The menu seemed like it would be exotic, but again, not really. And all the food pictures I had seen prior didn't look the most appetizing. Yet J and I both knew how much we both value trying new things, and when we entered the restaurant, we were not disappointed. It was quite attractive inside!

I loved the mismatching, vibrant colors, the windows, chandeliers, and the open-air feel of the place.

And of course, all the artifacts surrounding us for our viewing pleasure.

We gotta have some Backside of Water around here somewhere, don't we?

The presence of Jungle Cruise fun was not lacking. From the notes on our menu to our exuberant waiter, we were given the royal Jungle Cruise treatment!

We started with a Schweitzer Slush to share. It reminded us very much of LeFou's Brew with the apple taste. The boba balls were not what I was used to, in that they exploded in my mouth and left the 'skin' on my tongue. It was weird and oddly satisfying. However, how people use this as their sole drink during a meal is beyond me. So sweet...need...water...!

Next up was the 'very special' Ethiopian bread called Ambasha, served with honey for dipping. Neither of us really cared for it. It was kind of bland, and the honey didn't really do anything to fix it. We passed on most of it.

Really hoping that the rest of the meal wasn't going to be a bust!

 

[belledream]

Despite my unnerving lack of enthusiasm over a brand new menu at a brand new Walt Disney World restaurant, one of the reasons I was still happy to come here was because I knew J would love the Dr. Falls' Signature Grilled Steak. It has everything he absolutely loves. Steak, avocado, yuca. So at least I knew one of us would be happy. The chimichurri sauce added a powerful kick to the dish, and we both agreed it was a good pick!

I debated between lamb, fish, other fish, pork, but ended up choosing the Whole Fried Fish with a 'well I know I haven't eaten anything like this at all this year sooo might as well shake things up'. When it arrived at our table, our waiter said that "the cook only had three Lion Fish left" so it "my lucky day because I got 3 instead of 2." I smiled and laughed awkwardly as he left because I thought it was some kind of joke I didn't understand, but then we realized that they must only serve two of these guys per plate and instead of wasting one, they gave me an extra. Plus, the replacement fish for the evening was a boring fish, not an awesome LION FISH, so I was like, SCORE!

This was a big undertaking of a meal. Knives, forks, and hands were all involved, but I slowly picked my way through this DEEELICIOUS dish. Like seriously, I was blown away by the soy-ginger flavoring of the crispy, succulent, fish skin and friedness. I was AMAZED and SO HAPPY over my groping-in-the-dark choice, eating away every single preconceived notion I came into this meal with. Not my most attractive food picture, but it shows that I may have enjoyed myself.

Dessert brought me back to earth a little bit. J's Kungaloosh! was an okay-ish mixture of chocolate, banana and coffee flavor. Meh.

My Coconut Bar with Pineapple-Basil Compote and Vanilla Cream was a vanilla cake with flavors of coconut and lime. Also meh and not as pretty as I had hoped. However, I was 1. really full and 2. high on the success of my fish, that I didn't care.

After we finished eating, we took a quick tour around the restaurant to look into the other rooms. We were in the Mess Hall, which was good for our first go round, but I absolutely loved the intimate feel of the Jungle Parlor room and these AWESOME lamps!

We then found ourselves in the mysterious Society of Explorers and Adventurers - S.E.A. meeting room.

I kept hearing 'butterfly room' floating around, and there they are! Pretty neat stuff.

This room was 'concealed' behind a secret bookcase (so I guess we went backwards - oops!) which I just loved the detail and thought that was put behind this.

Another view of the Mess Hall as we walked out...

All in all, despite what I've been writing, this was a hit due to the theming of the restaurant, funny CMs, a killer winner of a dish, little pleasant unexpected surprises, and sharing this new adventure together.

 

[joshsprincess921]

Wow that was a very interesting meal.

 

[belledream]

Wow that was a very interesting meal.

It was! Just goes to show that you can't always trust what you read on the internet. Everyone is different, every day is different, and you just gotta try it out for yourself if that's what you want!

 

[MinnieM123]

It was! Just goes to show that you can't always trust what you read on the internet. Everyone is different, every day is different, and you just gotta try it out for yourself if that's what you want!

That's true. There have always been some places I've enjoyed that received low marks from the foodies. But all that matters is what YOU like!!

 

[belledream]

That's true. There have always been some places I've enjoyed that received low marks from the foodies. But all that matters is what YOU like!!

Also true! It's your vacation - you do what you want! Honestly, dining at Disney is more of an atmosphere thing for me anyways!

 

[belledream]

After dinner, we made our way around the rest of Adventureland.

Stopping for another ride on Pirates...truly became our new go-to ride this year.

Then one of the things I look forward to the most when I dream about going to WDW. Riding the Walt Disney World Railroad as the sun goes down. We embarked at the Frontierland Station.

Impeccable theming...I wish I had more time to appreciate it but we were right on our way!

I hear Colors of the Wind, always.

Steaming and chugging along, feeling 100% satisfied and at peace with the world.

And I thought I had it good, until we finally pulled up to the Main Street Station and I saw the beginnings of an alluring sunset, just waiting for us. Then I knew we had only scratched the surface.

Disembarking the train and walking down from the station was a surreal experience, for some inexplicable reason.

I think all the different sources of lights, the elegant attributes of the station, combined with dusk, just set the mood for a perfect experience that you can't always 'plan for'.

The effect was quite lovely.

And so begins our walk down Main Street at the best time of day.

 

[belledream]

Bubbles floated around us, City Hall looked beautiful, as did the pumpkin citizens of Main Street. It was just delightful to see!

I really don't mind the hustle and bustle of Main Street at this time of day. The energy and buzz is paradoxically relaxing and satisfying after a long day of play.

Even so, it still felt like just us, the lights of Main Street, and the sky.

And a few balloons! Icons in their own right.

I can never get enough of the different angles, shades, and various illuminations that the Cinderella Castle can wear. Simply stunning.

To me, this is what it's all about. This is me, being happy at Disney.

Yet, these moments move fast. Savor them.

Seeing it now, it's not just about the castle. It's about all the new lanterns adding life, seeing the carousel through the archway, and every turret and flying flag not just on the castle, but around and behind it.

Sparkling trees, an enchanting sky, and music. The music.

It was the complete package.

How lucky we are to call this place home.

 

[belledream]

The lights of Tomorrowland were calling us...and so we journeyed that way.

Stealing glances back at the Cinderella Castle as we walked.

The sunset was something fierce...too fierce to describe. You just had to be there.

We went for a nearly-nighttime ride on TTA, which is extra cool when the red strip is lighting up all around you. Blurry views:

I don't know why I bother. Except the complete amateur in me still finds joy in looking at these because I can still picture where I am.

Once we got off, we headed back towards the hub to the deep blue sky and twinkling trees.

Our last nighttime adventure in Magic Kingdom...I'm not emotionally prepared for this!!!

We would be catching Wishes again, of course, but from a different vantage point. So we went for a quick nighttime stroll around Magic Kingdom to our new destination.

The Beast's Castle glows in the night. I love looking at all the lit up windows and imagining what is going on in each room of the castle.

We spent an inordinate amount of time sitting by this fountain and watching the water spew and trickle everywhere. I was completely mesmerized and entertained to no end.

But it would come to an end soon, as Wishes was about to begin and we'd be watching from a new spot...hoping it would give us an entirely new perspective on the show!

 

[belledream]

Even though people tell you not to watch Wishes from the hub, standing up close to the castle, I like it. I like the darkness, I like feeling just how big Cinderella Castle is, and I like the fireworks that frame it. But it was time to try something new out. We had caught Wishes whilst on 7DMT one time and it was such a wonderful new surprise, so we decided to revisit the New Fantasyland area. We settled in front of the Beast's Castle, so we at least still have a castle to look at.

It was a change, and a good one at that. The fireworks were bigger, brighter, and louder than ever...and we kept turning our heads left and right as others shot up near the Cinderella Castle.

But our attention was mainly diverted to right above us, where fireworks materialized right above our heads and filled the space in ways I have never seen before. It was dazzling and impactful. We loved every moment.

After it was over, we went back around to the hub to find a spot for the parade.

But first, I had to take a picture of the best turret because the detail makes my heart flutter with love.

The lovely colors of the lanterns...

And at last, we would end our day with the Main Street Electrical Parade...the last time we will see it. Glad we were able to catch it. Though SpectroMagic is and will always be #1 in my heart, the cheerful, upbeat music and loveable characters and floats will be missed. So for the last time...

When the dancing butterflies came around, a lady next to us was literally trembling with tears. She then said, "that's my daughter!" and I thought was pretty adorable. What a special moment to share with your parents!