Trip Report A tale of two Values-Split stay Pop and Aoa May 2018

We just got back early this morning from our trip after an unexpected delay so I took the day off from work. I need to unpack and grocery shop but I would rather sit on the couch and start my TR-so here we go.
Who: Myself (Erica/Mom), DH R, DD O (5), and DS Z (3)
Where: 2 nights at Pop Century and 4 nights at Art of Animation
When: May 7-13
Why: I bought my annual pass a a little over a year ago with the intention of traveling again this May. We booked this trip to be just shy of my AP expiration.
Details: I had my AP and everyone else had 5 day park hoppers that I bought from a discount 3rd party seller. I booked both rooms with room only discounts. We did not participate in the dining plan this time around even though we have in the past.

 

[ELeigh]

Day 3 May 10: Part 1

By day 3 we were getting into the flow of our morning routine. This morning we skipped breakfast in the room as we were heading out a bit earlier for morning EMH.

We hit the bus stop just as a Magic Kingdom bus pulled in. We hopped right in line and managed to squeeze on even though it was packed.

When we made through security and got four green Mickeys it was just a couple of minutes past 8. By 8:15 we made it to the teacups which was Z’s request for the first ride of the day. I let R spin with the kids while I grabbed a treat for us to share afterwards (also per Z’s request).

I ate a few bites of the Cheshire Tail and watched R spin the cup as fast as he could. I was glad I wasn’t on the ride with them as I don’t think I would have felt very nice afterwards.

O declined a bite of the Cheshire Tail so R and Z polished it off. Then we made our way to see Dumbo. The gorgeous weather as we soared made up for the wet evening the night before. Z looks grumpy in the picture I think he was mad it wasn’t time to ride Ariel yet.

A trip to the barnstormer was next on our list. Z was hesitant after his roller coaster experiences the previous two days but we assured him that he had ridden before and liked it. This time didn’t disappoint and he was happy to have a roller coaster that was more his speed.

Now we finally got to the part of the trip that both children look forward to the most, the Ariel ride. They developed their obsession in Disneyland and funny enough Z’s first time around he was terrified. But then he asked to go back on the next day and we must have ridden it a half dozen times that trip.

Z was my partner this time around.

Today we had time to spare before our next destination opened that I decided we should just ride again. O was with me this time.

I considered going to Gaston’s for a cinnamon roll at this point but more sugar didn’t sound that appealing and we decided to hold off and just do an earlier lunch.

 

[ELeigh]

Day 3 Part 2 May 10:

After getting the kids their Ariel fix, we visited Belle’s cottage. We were in the second group of the day and had a bit of time to wait in the first room.

In the next room the kids were a little confused as to what was going on (as was I) but when a magical door appeared they were pumped. We were escorted through it and the CM began preparing everyone for “Belle’s Surprise”. They began choosing children to play different roles in a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. They gave each one a cutout of their assigned character. We were on the very end so O and Z got overlooked and ended up with some of the background parts. Z had a picture frame and O had a dish. Z stuck the picture frame onto the brim of his hat so he wouldn’t have to carry it and he was quite pleased with himself.

Afterwards each performer got their picture taken with Belle and we were given a card to link the photos to MDE. The kids were also each given a bookmark which they have since been very adamant about using during our bedtime stories.

The kids were itching to get back to some rides after this and we continued our way around Fantasyland with a stop at Its a small world. This kids (and me too) absolutely adore this ride. R isn’t sold. I took a ton of pictures so that the kids could look at them when they borrow my phone.

Please enjoy some blurry iPhone small world pictures:

 

[ELeigh]

Day 3 Part 3 May 10:

It had already been a successful morning and we hadn’t even used a FP yet. Next we used our first one of the day which was for Peter Pan. I tried to relax and take in the details to see if I would like it better this time around. I rode with Z who loved it but I am just not a fan. Z pointed out the mermaid that looks like Ariel in mermaid lagoon, which was my favorite part. His favorite part was when Captain Hook gets bit by Tik Tok Croc.

Sorry for the woefully text heavy installment, unfortunately the only pictures I took during this portion of the day are these:

Your guess is as good as mine as to what they are supposed to be.
We took a pit stop at the Tangled Rest rooms and a water break at this point. I didn’t take any pictures but the kids spotted a pascal or two.
We would have done Philharmagic next as this is one of our favorites but sadly it was closed. Instead we hopped on line for the carousel. In line I reached in my back pocket for my phone and realized it was gone. I freaked out and started riffling through our bag but it wasn’t there.
I could see our stroller from where we were in line and tried to get a glimpse of the back pockets where I was thinking my phone might be. I was pretty sure it was in there so I didn’t feel like I needed to get out of line. Not having my phone meant no pictures on the carousel but both kids found horses they wanted and enjoyed the ride. When it was over I rushed back to the stroller and was relieved to find my phone in the back pocket.
It was now time for our second fast pass so we paid a visit to Winnie the Pooh. When we got to the fast pass line a woman with a maybe 8 year old child was complaining to the CM that the ride wait was posted at 45 minutes but after waiting 45 minutes they we no where near the front of the line. The CM just brushed her off which surprised me a bit I thought the response would be at least a little apologetic. We enjoyed our ride and the kids were very interested in the gift shop at the end even though they didn’t end up wanting anything there.

 

[Nunu]

Day 3 Part 3 May 10:

It had already been a successful morning and we hadn’t even used a FP yet. Next we used our first one of the day which was for Peter Pan. I tried to relax and take in the details to see if I would like it better this time around. I rode with Z who loved it but I am just not a fan. Z pointed out the mermaid that looks like Ariel in mermaid lagoon, which was my favorite part. His favorite part was when Captain Hook gets bit by Tik Tok Croc.

Sorry for the woefully text heavy installment, unfortunately the only pictures I took during this portion of the day are these: View attachment 379633View attachment 379634
Your guess is as good as mine as to what they are supposed to be.
We took a pit stop at the Tangled Rest rooms and a water break at this point. I didn’t take any pictures but the kids spotted a pascal or two.
We would have done Philharmagic next as this is one of our favorites but sadly it was closed. Instead we hopped on line for the carousel. In line I reached in my back pocket for my phone and realized it was gone. I freaked out and started riffling through our bag but it wasn’t there.
I could see our stroller from where we were in line and tried to get a glimpse of the back pockets where I was thinking my phone might be. I was pretty sure it was in there so I didn’t feel like I needed to get out of line. Not having my phone meant no pictures on the carousel but both kids found horses they wanted and enjoyed the ride. When it was over I rushed back to the stroller and was relieved to find my phone in the back pocket.
It was now time for our second fast pass so we paid a visit to Winnie the Pooh. When we got to the fast pass line a woman with a maybe 8 year old child was complaining to the CM that the ride wait was posted at 45 minutes but after waiting 45 minutes they we no where near the front of the line. The CM just brushed her off which surprised me a bit I thought the response would be at least a little apologetic. We enjoyed our ride and the kids were very interested in the gift shop at the end even though they didn’t end up wanting anything there.

Phew! on not dropping your phone at the end of Peter Pan's Flight or leaving it at the restrooms! I hate that sinking feeling at the pit of the stomach that you get when you reach for it, and it's not there!

Lovely pictures of the kiddies holding Belle's hand

 

[ELeigh]

Day 3 Part 4 May 10:

At this point we had been in the park less than 3 hours and squeezed in 8 attractions (9 if you count the double dip on Ariel).

It was time for a break and some lunch. I really wanted to try the Galaxy Fries that had been on the mobile order menu at Cosmic Rays and suggested getting lunch there. Unfortunately the Galaxy Fries were not being offered but I decided on the Mickeys Birthday Celebration special burger that had bacon and Mac and cheese and R got the foot long hotdog with bacon and Mac and cheese. We also got the kids a kids meal with Mac and Cheese to split.

Again took very few pictures but at least I got the good stuff (complete with hidden Mickey).
The side of cheese sauce was so that I could raid the toppings bar to make my fries into loaded fries to try and make up for missing out on the galaxy fries-it was not the same though. Everything was really good for what it was-Disney burgers, fries and hot dogs dolled up with crazy toppings.

As we finished up we prepared to split up. We originally had FP for SDMT in case we missed it on day one but when I asked Z if he wanted to go on again he repeated his statement from the first day “Never again”. Since we were planning on splitting up after this anyways I changed his and R’s FP to Buzz. I gave R directions and then we just had one more thing to do. We told O we had a surprise for her and I whispered in Z’s ear so he could reveal it and he told her “You are getting a Princess Makeover! Happy Birthday!” She immediately began saying “Thank you thank thank you” “Z you are the best brother ever and mommy and daddy you are the best”.

With that we headed in opposite directions.

 

[FlaggNL]

count me in as well! Thanks for sharing!

 

[ELeigh]

Day 3 Part 5 May 10:

O and I kicked off her Snow White makeover surprise afternoon by visiting the Dwarfs.

Our last stop before heading out of MK was for another Mickeys Birthday Celebration treat. There was no line at Auntie Gravity which I found odd but I was quickly in possession of this beauty:

I intended to share it with O but the CM preparing the ice cream gave her a free Sundae. She went to town on it while I tried to take on the Milkshake. It was sweet on sweet on sweet but I enjoyed it.

We didn’t finish our treats but needed to throw in the towel because we were getting full. I knew I wanted to make an appointment at Bibbidi Boppidy Boutique this trip but I sat on that idea too long to get a spot at the Magic Kingdom one so we needed to head to Disney Springs for Os big makeover.

We finished the last bites of our ice cream at 11:45 and about an hour later we were sitting on our very own boat from Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs.

The hour between was a bit of a sticky mess. We made our way out of the park and I knew I could take a bus to any resort and transfer to Disney Springs. Saratoga Springs seemed like a safe bet since it’s the closest.

The Saratoga bus took a good long while to come, but we had plenty of room to stretch out. With the AC pumping and my body relaxed I was tempted to fall asleep. I definitely zoned out for a bit and was surprised when the bus stopped at Saratoga Springs. We got off and I immediately looked up and the bus times for Disney Springs. Except instead of a bus time the sign said to take a boat. The only problem was that we had gotten off at the first stop, which was no where near the boat dock.

To make matters worse when I tried to use the MDE app to native the resort we went in 3 circles and accidentally ended up on the path for Golfers only. I decided to us goodie maps and just input Disney springs as our destination and we finally made a breakthrough and found the boat dock.

A little sweaty but we made it!

 

[ELeigh]

Day 3 Part 6 May 10:

We made it to Disney Springs with time to spare. After a quick change and some coffee we still were a little early so we spent a nice long time in the Christmas store enjoying the AC and looking at ornaments (none of which we bought-we have more than we could ever use already).

When the time came we made our way to Bippidy Boppidy Boutique. At check-in podium they confirmed our package and O’s hairstyle choice (I chose for her @Spash007 I didn’t think pink hair would go very well with the Snow White dress).

We had a short wait where we talked with another family and then O was called to meet the fairy godmother herself. I was a bit skeptical up until this point but this Disney Magic really sold me.

A Fairy Godmother in Training came in to talk about how the style would work with O’s hair. Then we were lead to the royal cash registers and I had to open up my wallet a bit.

Once I paid up it was time for the big makeover. O’s Fairy Godmother in Training led her in and got to work. She was very in character (others seemed to temper the experience based on guest ages/preferences). O was soaking it all up.

A PhotoPass CM circled the room and took pictures of each stage of the makeover. At one point I took a seat on the couch nearby and could have fallen asleep, but before I could the new “Princess Snow White” was being introduced.
She went for a royal photo shoot as the finale to the experience:

O got lots of attention as we walked back to the busses.

We waited for about 15 minutes for a bus but I was excited to see that this would be our ride

 

[ELeigh]

Day 3 Part 6 May 10:
When we returned to the room, Z was ready to go.
I needed a quick shower and change but before long we were ready to call a Minnie Van to Wilderness Lodge.
Soon we were sitting at Artists Point for the Snow White Character Dinner.

Blurry picture but the colored lights flashed different colors for different character introductions.
We had been reading reviews to see what to expect and noticed some changes in the menu:

I ordered an Enchanted Apple and it was a great combination of sour and sweet. I would have had one more but I might have fallen asleep on the table if I did.

R had wanted the Veal we read about in a review and was bummed it was off the menu, he settled on the Land and Sea.
I had my heart set on the Prime Rib and luckily for me it was still available.
Our appetizers arrived and were delivered to a large tree-shaped platter in the middle of the table. I get that this is supposed to add to the ambiance but I just found it bulky and awkward. It made it difficult to keep an eye on O who was seated across from me.

This combination of soggy fruity sausage and stale crackers came with mustard and pickles and was honestly the strangest food combination I’ve ever witnessed. The best tasting part was the pickles and they were standard jar pickle flavor. It was an abomination on a plate.
We also received shrimp cocktail which I forgot to take a picture of. It was in a little jar with shrimp on bottom and sauce on the top which made it difficult to get the sauce on each piece but the flavor was pretty good.

The Mushroom Bisque made up for the rest of the appetizer shortcomings. I was glad the kids passed on this because it meant more for me.
They had their own adorable appetizers

Veggies and fruit with a cheese stick and a roll with a dip and home made butter.
Before long the entertainment began. Snow White came out first.

She was soon followed by Dopey.

Rounding out the characters was Grumpy and Z was excited to show him his Grumpy shirt.

 

[Spash007]

haha good call on the hair! Once given the option, it's really hard to back track from it!

 

[ELeigh]

Day 3 Part 7 May 10:
Once we met the characters, our main course appeared.

My prime rib was juicy and tender. I think this was the first time I have ever ordered prime rib and finished it. The popover and vegetables were equally excellent.

R said his was very good but that it would have been better if he hadn’t been thinking about the veal dish.
I don't remember what the kids ordered but I remember them not eating much of it and Z spilling chocolate milk on his shirt (he did this every TS meal this trip).
I also opted for a non alcoholic drink and when I ordered lemonade our server brought out the color changing lemonade.

The kids thought this was pretty cool.
Dessert came and even though I had just polished off my dinner I was ready to give these a try.

This concoction was sugar on sugar but the kids enjoyed it.

This “pie” was the winner for me. The merengue was like a marshmallow (my favorite!) and the filling was tart together they were amazing.

I took a big bite of this baby not realizing it was pure chocolate. I am not a chocolate person so this just wasn’t for me. R wasn’t a fan either.
They also brought out a giant birthday cupcake for O and we had way too much sugar on the table. Even the kids hit their limits and when the waiter closed the meal with the popcorn/chocolate heart presentation (no pictures again sorry!) I don’t think anyone had more than one bite.
After dinner it was time to meet the Evil Queen.

She asked O if she was a princess and suddenly she was back to being a regular girl and then she and Z quickly pledged their allegiance to the queen. She taught them how to pose.

This was by far the best interaction of the dinner. The Queen was hilariously evil and the kids may have been slightly terrified of her.
We took a few minutes to enjoy the lobby at WL and R agreed that he would like to stay here sometime

We decided to just take the first park bus that showed up and transfer back to AoA from there. It ended up being Animal Kingdom. This meant our first visit to AK for the trip consisted of walking from one bus stop to another.
Back at Aoa I wasn’t quite up for the pool so we decided to let the kids have a few games in the arcade before bedtime.

 

[ELeigh]

Day 3 May 10 Recap:

Day three was a perfect Disney day. This trip solidified Magic Kingdom as my favorite park. O getting her princess makeover was definitely the highlight of her day. After a trip without R last year, the kids really enjoyed having him along this time for all of their favorite rides.

Steps-13,400

Disney Snacks-3

Rides-9

Characters met-5

New experiences on Day 3:

Enchanted Tales with Belle: This was a cute experience with the age of our gang (3&5) but I don’t think children a few years older than them would be very amused. If the kids asked to do it again we would but otherwise it seems like more of a one and down.

Bippidy Boppidy Boutique: I have put off taking O here until she was really ready for it. Taking her at this age was perfect and she absolutely loved the experience. From a parents point of view (doing the least expensive package and bringing our own dress) the price was not bad at all compared to other WDW experiences and similar real world experiences.

Snow White Dinner at Artists Point-I have mixed feelings about this meal. My entree was amazing but only 1 out of 3 appetizers was something I would want to have again and same for the desserts. When you are paying for everything included it seems like a bit of a waste. The characters that came to the table were standard interactions but The Queen was really something. Overall we enjoyed our meal. I am glad we gave it a try but it is not my favorite character meal I have tried and it is somewhere we won’t be coming back to for a while

 

[ELeigh]

Day 4 Part 1 May 11:

Day 4 started at a bit slower of a pace. I forever myself to sleep in but eventually got up and started gathering our laundry. Z was awake and asking for breakfast so he had a quick one in the room.

We had laundry nearby at the Ariel pool and it was empty that early in the morning.

The two of us then had some time to explore the resort. We visited the Landscape of Flavors to get some coffee for me and then went to the cars section for me to drink it while Z ran around visiting his favorite cars.

We then discovered the Nemo play area and he has a blast playing and couldn’t wait to come back with O.

After we switched the laundry we returned to the room and O was awake.

She ate her breakfast then accompanied me to grab breakfast for myself and R with a quick play time on the Nemo playscape. We delivered the food and then it was time to pick up the laundry.

The kids were both ready in their bathing suits and we had a nice long splash at the Nemo splash pad.

After a relaxing morning I was ready to get to the park so we headed back to the room to wash up and change.

 

[ELeigh]

Phew! on not dropping your phone at the end of Peter Pan's Flight or leaving it at the restrooms! I hate that sinking feeling at the pit of the stomach that you get when you reach for it, and it's not there!

Lovely pictures of the kiddies holding Belle's hand

It was a tough few minutes when I thought I had lost my phone but a quick recovery.

count me in as well! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for following!

haha good call on the hair! Once given the option, it's really hard to back track from it!

Thanks to your TR I was ready to go when the time came for this! I think the pink hair was cute with the Cinderella dress but no way would it look right with the Snow White dress we brought.

 

[ELeigh]

Day 4 Part 2 May 11:

We had a mission to make it to the Frozen ride by 12:00. We entered the park around 11:30 and I managed some drive by pictures of Flower and Garden.

We made it for our FP window with a few minutes to spare.

We had a good ride and R got the brunt of the splash (he said I set him up for that-I didn’t!).

Then we backtracked to Mexico. I sent R and the kids to ride “Donald’s Boat Ride”. I missed out but I think this was worth it.

I took my snacks into the pavilion to wait by the ride exit. I drank the margarita first and then ate half of each snack to save some for R. I thoroughly enjoyed the Margarita but started to feel the effects of it much more rapidly then I normally would-probably due to drinking it on an empty stomach.

After that R took O and Z to meet the Frozen Sisters while I snuck off to Germany.

R was in need of something a bit more hearty to eat so I got the Bratworst for him and the kids and the noodle gratin for me. The brat came with chips that were coated in a spice blend that made for a sticky mess when the kids started to eat them.

Despite chugging water, I think dehydration was getting the best of me at this point. I was a sweaty mess and also lightheaded. There was so much more I had wanted to do at Epcot but I decided it was better to start heading for the exits.

 

[ELeigh]

Day 4 Part 3 May 11:

On our way towards the exit I found something that made me feel a bit better.

After we all had a little refreshment with the Violet Lemonade I decided that I couldn’t leave without trying a couple more snacks.

R and I decided what we most wanted to try. He took the kids to the playground garden that was setup nearby while I collected the snacks.

We went with one savory and one sweet. Brisket Poutine from Refreshment Post and the cheesecake from Honey beestro. The poutine really hit the spot and the cheesecake was good but not as good as I had remembered from last year.

The playground was really the prefect setup, there were adirondak chairs to the side under umbrellas where the adults could lounge and watch the children play. The wide arm rests were perfect for placing flower and garden snacks. We lingered a bit to let the kids get their energy out. In between they snuck over for bites of the cheesecake dessert.

On our way out of the park we were given some nice cold Gogo squeeze which is one of the kids favorite snacks. They enjoyed them in some AC while R used the restroom. While they snacked I switched our remaining fast passes to use later in the day. Finally we were off to the busses.

When we returned to AoA, the kids were itching to do some swimming. R really needed a nap so Z stayed with him and napped while O and I went swimming. When we got back O took a nap and Z came to the pool with me. This was our one time using the Ariel pool this trip and it was more crowded than I would have expected but it was a nice way to cool down.

After washing up and changing we still had some time to spare and O was still sleeping so I rested a bit.

When everyone was up and at it we headed to Landscape of Flavors where we got coffee for me and dinner for R and the kids. The kids had Mac and cheese with French fries and R had the Tandoori Chicken which was a little too dialed down on flavor but otherwise good.

 

[ELeigh]

Day 4 Part 4 May 11:
We caught a bus to MK and arrived here at 6:45pm.

Within 10 minutes of arrival we were in the FP line for the much anticipated Jungle Cruise.

The kids enjoyed it and thought the animals were silly. R laughed a lot at the jokes.
We had a little time before our next FP so we headed back to a new favorite for the kids-The Tiki Room. I think the second time around for this trip was better than the first because the kids were able to notice new details and got excited for them.

We arrived just in time for Mickey to turn green at Pirates. This was the kids first time on the WDW version. Z doesn’t remember Disneyland now but at the time he loves their version and he still loves the song. Everyone seemed to enjoy the ride this time but I was starting to worry about the time.

We now had to navigate across the filling hub area to get ourselves to the Happily Ever After dessert party check-in. I was getting worried that we wouldn’t have much time to eat and I had skipped dinner in order to eat as many cheeseburger spring rolls as possible . R declared that he had to go to the bathroom immediately and I checked on MDE-The closest bathrooms were at the same pavilion as the party so he had to wait. They had begun roping off areas but we managed to get across without too many issues.
Once we all visited the restroom we checked ourselves in and we’re led to choose a table. We asked what time was best to go down to the fireworks and we had about 15-20 minutes. I decided it was best for R and the kids to sit while I grabbed snacks to save on time. We were in a bit of a time crunch so I didn’t manage to take pictures but the spread was impressive. I grabbed a little bit of everything to start. Memorable desserts were a Mickey cake push pop and a pineapple tart. I also loaded up on water for everyone and grabbed more coffee for myself. We had another round of water and snacks-this time the savory side. The only thing that was worth remembering were the cheeseburger spring rolls and I ate plenty of them. We finished up with another round of dessert. Ice cream for all-mine came with the toffee cake (served warm here) it was good but too much chocolate for me personally. I didn’t remember to take pictures as we were rushing a bit.
Then it was time to find a seat to see the show. The process went fairly smoothly and while we were some of the last ones to sit down in the garden viewing area we still had plenty of room to stretch out.
The show went on and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. R doesn’t usually care for fireworks but even he was impressed by the whole production. The kids have been singing the Happily Ever After song at home ever since.
After the show I asked R if we could stay for one more ride while the park cleared out a little, the park was open late since it was Saturday so there were still long waits for a lot of rides so I decided on the People Mover. I didn’t think the kids would be amused with the name so I told them it was called “Baby Space Mountain”. They loved it and with that we made the trek to the busses, stopping for one more PP on the way out.

The bus lines were still inflated from the post fireworks crowds. We tried to see about getting a Minnie Van but it would be just as long of a wait so we just stuck it out. Everyone fell right asleep back at Art of Animation after another long day.

 

[Tuvalu]

Baby Space Mountain ~ Love it!

 

[ELeigh]

Day 4 May 11 Recap:

This was our one real Epcot day for the trip (we had missed our other time due to rain on Day 2) and I wish we could have spent more time here but other than that it was another great day. Watching Happily Ever After was a highlight of the trip and the kids love telling anyone who will listen how they got to ride ”baby space mountain”.

Steps-12,215

Disney Snacks-Too many to count (thanks HEA dessert party!)

Rides-5

Characters met-2

New experiences on Day 1:

Happily Ever After Dessert Party:

For our situation this trip it was a perfect way for us to view Happily Ever After comfortably. It was important for me to have the experience of watching the show together on our first trip just the four of us. I don’t think the kids or R would have done well watching while fighting the crowds so it was worth the money for me for the peace of mind alone. The snacks provided for the party were more of a bonus and a nice way to try some things we might not have otherwise gotten to try.

 

[DisneyLover]

We got Mickey to turn green x3 (Z never did and the CM brushed it off-more on this later

Yeah, I always have trouble with my MB, but I think it’s my print, not the band itself.