An April 2011 Trip Report!!

So here we are again, about to embark on another magical trip to "the world" so let's get right to it!!

The Cast: Me (obviously) and my DBF Ryan. We will also have a few special appearances from other members of my family!

When: April 15 - 24 2011

Where: Pop Century Resort

Why: Well not that we needed any excuse to take our third trip to the world in 14 months but, my goddaughter was dancing with her dance troop as part of Disney's Performing Arts. I was also on spring break from work this week :animwink:

April 15, 2011

So if you have read my previous report you will see that Ryan and I have taken the drive to WDW before and we would be doing it again on this trip! Because it was leading into Easter, airfare was just astronomical so we decided to hit the road. Before work I packed up the car and at 2:45 Ryan was at my job and we were ready to go. Unfortunately we were not as lucky as we had previously been on the ride down. From where we are in NJ to the gates of WDW usually takes 15-16 hours; we only stop for gas, insane, I know. The traffic was just unreal through DE, MD, and VA; we made it to South of The Boarder in South Carolina by 2:50 am!!! Normally after being on the road for 12 hours we would have been somewhere in Georgia and not just entering South Carolina :fork:

Finally like music to my ears I see this..

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Oh and yes, by this time it is:
April 16, 2011

I actually don't remember what time we finally arrived at the hotel (my guess was somewhere around noon), probably because I was dirty, delirious, and sleep deprived! I had used the on-line check in prior to leaving but our room was not ready when we arrived. The CM told us they were just finishing cleaning the room and would not be long so we decided to lay by the pool. Two hours had passed and we had not heard anything so Ryan went back to check on the room. He spoke with a different CM this time who told him we had been misinformed before, so we played the waiting game for another hour or so. I don't like to make a fuss or cause problems, I understand it's a busy time of year so I kept trying to not get all worked up. It seemed like an eternity of waiting and after being in the car for so long and not sleeping I broke down and started to cry. Ryan hated seeing me upset and went to speak to a manager about the room, within 10 minutes he had moved us from the 50s to the 90s building, with a king bed, and gave Ryan 2 flowers to give to me.

We threw our stuff in the room, got cleaned up, and headed right out to HS because we had a reservation at Sci-Fi! This was our first time there and although I wasn't trilled with my chicken sandwich the atmosphere was great. Ryan loved it, but than again, I feel like he would eat anything! After we ate there really was no time to stick around, we were meeting my Aunt, Nanny, God-Daughter, and Cousin over at Magic Kingdom! It was time to...

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We headed over to the Haunted Mansion to check out the new interactive queue. Now, I should let you know, I am the certified Disney nut in the family and my Aunt had said that when they rode it earlier they did not see anything, little did they know, they took the wrong route through the cemetery!

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My nan is not one for rides but she came along, as soon as our Doom Buggies turned around and went down hill she started freaking out, I should mention my nan was born and raised in Dublin and did not come to American until the mid 1960's so she has a pretty distinct accent, nothing was funnier to me than hearing her yell "AHHH JAY-ZUS GET ME OFF THIS TING" :ROFLOL:

Afterwards we headed into FL because I needed to see what was going on behind those construction walls, the suspense had been killing me since our previous trip in August of 2010 when there was nothing but dirt and some metal. But now what do I see peaking over the walls, in between the trees...

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The Caste of The Beast (it's amazing how much has been done since these pictures were taken), at the time this was the only visible structure of the FLE
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
April 16, 2011 cont..

We ventured into the hundred acre wood because the new interactive queue at Pooh had opened since our last visit as well. I popped into Eeyore's Gloomy Place for a visit!

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Ryan couldn't resist either, he couldn't contain himself once he seen the bongo's (He is a drummer and is constantly banging around)!

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Nan also started yelping when we bounced along with Tigger. It was just so great being able to share the magic with her, even if some of it did give her a good scare! She had never seen the MSEP before so we got a great spot over in Liberty Square. Watching my Nan bounce and clap along while my goddaughter was hanging on to me and seeing Ryan bond with my cousin was just such so touching for me. I can't wait to one day share all of these things with a family of my own.

We all made our way to the hub after the parade to catch the new castle show...we were all blown away! I took some pretty awesome pictures of it later in the week but for tonight the camera was away as I enjoyed these special moments with my family. Of coarse we stayed for Wishes but we were all exhausted :snore:. We said our goodnights and headed back to Pop, my family was staying at AS Movies, we all had breakfast reservations at 7am the next morning!!
 
Sounds like a great start to the vacay! I'm super excited to see the new show as well as the Haloween Party and Food and Wine. Can't wait to hear more!

FYI, I hear ya about airfare. Flying outta Newark is bad enough but to pay those rates is absolutely insane (but I'll do it anyway, I hate driving!). Where in NJ are you?
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
The new castle show is GREAT!! We didn't even plan to see it, we just caught it between MSEP and Wishes and now we're making sure we see it in November when we go!!!

And there's nuthin wrong with multiple trips in 14 months!! I'll be making my 3rd trip in November in 12 months!!! I love it!!! :sohappy:
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
Sounds like a great start to the vacay! I'm super excited to see the new show as well as the Haloween Party and Food and Wine. Can't wait to hear more!

FYI, I hear ya about airfare. Flying outta Newark is bad enough but to pay those rates is absolutely insane (but I'll do it anyway, I hate driving!). Where in NJ are you?

It was over $1200.00 for the two of us to fly, there was just no way we could swing it LOL We are flying though when we go in September. I live in Harrison, i'm actually 10 minutes from EWR!

Sounds like a good time I'm hitchin a ride,can't wait to read more:wave:
Thanks for reading along! I hope to get more done today. I pulled a muscle in my back twice this week so I'll have this to keep me busy!

The new castle show is GREAT!! We didn't even plan to see it, we just caught it between MSEP and Wishes and now we're making sure we see it in November when we go!!!

And there's nuthin wrong with multiple trips in 14 months!! I'll be making my 3rd trip in November in 12 months!!! I love it!!! :sohappy:

I can't wait to see it again, it is just so amazing to me that they can do all of that, it really blows my mind!

I love it too:sohappy: there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, I wish I could spend more time there but work gets in the way :lol:
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
April 17 2011

It's 7am and we are already up and out, we hopped the bus to MK and the monorail over to Chef Mickey's where we were meeting my family for their first character breakfast experience. We had originally planned on taking them to Crystal Palace, but my aunt LOVES Goofy and she was determined to see him. I tried for weeks to get us into Chef Mickey's with no luck, but as fate would have it, we scored a 7:20am reservation a few weeks before we left.

We were seated in an area of the restaurant I had never been by and we quickly went to grab some food before the characters came around. It was so great seeing my aunt so excited as Goofy came around.

The Chef made his rounds

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And than Nan and I met Mrs. Mouse
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Ryan was still half asleep since we hadn't really slept much in the past two days but he and my cousin Andrew humored us
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And here she is, the love of my life, my goddaughter, Alexa!
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Spending this time with her and seeing her so happy made this even more special for me!

Ok no time to get all sappy, we had a breakfast to finish and a water park to get to!

We arrived here maybe 15 minutes after park opening

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Ryan had never been to the Disney water parks before, and I had not been to Blizzard Beach since I was 13 so we were excited that this time we had purchased water park passes. We were lucky enough to get front row chairs right at the edge of the wave pool so Nan could sit an relax while Ryan and I took Andrew and Alexa on all the rides. The park was basically empty at this time of the morning and we were able to get on everything with no lines before noon!

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We were exhausted and decided we would go back to the room for a nap before our reservations at Tokyo Dining.
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
April 17 2011 cont..

So after our much needed siesta we headed over to Epcot, not only to catch our dinner reservations but to see the Flower and Garden Festival for the first time!

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As we made our way around to the Japan pavilion I could not believe how amazing it all was. If you have never been to the Flower & Garden Festival, I suggest you check it out if you have the opportunity. Disney really can do anything!

Dinner was at our favorite, Tokyo Dining. I had my usual, chicken breast with teriyaki sauce. The veggies are always so fresh and the chicken is always so juicy and tender. The ever oh so delicious ginger cake was for dessert, I don't think I could ever pass that up! Not only is the food here amazing but the service is outstanding and the views are breathtaking. We were meeting my family back at MK to spend some more time with them before they left in the morning. There was EMH that night and we planned on taking advantage of them, but not without taking some pictures on the way out!

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We normally take the monorail straight to MK but for whatever reason tonight we decided to go by boat

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WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
We met up with my family who had gone to Tony's for dinner on our recommendation and they absolutely loved it, which made me happy. My cousins where so exhausted so we hoped on line for Peter Pan than went to catch the parade and Wishes again.

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My family had an early flight the next morning and the little ones were too tired to make it until 3am so we said our goodbyes, which really broke my heart, I wish I had gotten to spend more time with them but was so thankful for the time I did have their with them.

Ryan and I hightailed it over to It's A Small World than down to the Haunted Mansion where I came out with both flip flops this time!

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We were exhausted ourselves by this time but Ry want to head over to Space Ranger Spin..so we did..I am so competitive and always take these games way too seriously, I am always determined to beat him. As you can tell by my concentration

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It was 1:30, and although I hate to leave before I am kicked out my eyes were fighting me..darn them! So we decided to head out, but not before I snapped a shot along the way..

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Up next..AK and more Epcot!
 

mamamouse

Well-Known Member
omg I just noticed we r going at around the same time aswell,I hadn't payed attention until someone else mentioned it I'll be at Carribean Beach sept 29-oct 4,see ya there lol
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
Definitely! First MNSSHP and F&W and the 40th of course! Our trips will be here before we know it!:sohappy:

omg I just noticed we r going at around the same time aswell,I hadn't payed attention until someone else mentioned it I'll be at Carribean Beach sept 29-oct 4,see ya there lol

I think it's so great that so many people from here will be there to celebrate the 40th, F&W, and MNSSHP. If either of you see me feel free to say hi!! :wave:

I feel so left out now! I'll be there October 8th-15th. Can't wait for all of the festivities though!

Looks like you are going to have to bump your trip back a few days so you can party with all of us!! :ROFLOL:
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
April 18 2011

After sleeping in we skipped breakfast, got ready and headed over to Animal Kingdom. We got to the park around 12:30 and headed right into ITTBAB. By now our tummies were grumbling so we took a walk over to Pizzafari for some lunch.

We ended up not riding EE, the wait was too long and to us, the ride is not worth it. I know a lot of people think this is a great ride but after being on coasters all over the east coast and at Cedar Point in Ohio, I feel like EE is not that great of a coaster. I was able to snap a pretty awesome pic of the mountain though.

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My favorite thing, and really the only thing I enjoy about AK is the safari. Mainly because I LOVE giraffes! We had a few, including a baby, stroll right past our jeep. For whatever reason I couldn't get my camera going fast enough. Next time I feel like we should ride this in the early AM. People tend to say more of the animals are out for once I'd love to see the lion awake!

After safari we headed off on our trek to see the tigers. I think we spent about 45 minutes just watching them. They were so playful and kept walking around and jumping in the water. I wish I could have one!!

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We headed out after this. If you've seen before, we really aren't too into AK so we headed over to Epcot for our reservations at Le Chef's. Before we made our way over to France we stopped to take some more pictures of the topiaries,

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Than we headed into Bambi's Butterfly House

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Le Chef's was OK, nothing spectacular. This was our first time there, and although I would return, it's not a priority.Although, I will say, the french onio soup was amazing! I was kind of bummed that we were not able to see Remy. We finished up and made our way around the rest of world showcase.

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Even though the park was super crowded we stayed to catch Illuminations. We decided not to watch from World Showcase so it was easier for us to get out with the crowds. As soon as it was over we literally booked it our of there. We were on the bus and back at Pop by 10! Another busy day was waiting for us in the morning. Our next adventure would be a first for both of us..stay tuned!
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
April 19 2011

This morning we were doing something neither of us had done in Disney before. If you are questioning what that could be, question no more. We were headed to...Typhoon Lagoon. We were up early, had a quick breakfast at Pop and we were on our way by 9:30.

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I could be wrong, but I feel like TL is bigger than BB, and honestly, I enjoyed this park much more. We nabbed to chairs on the beach, by the beach bar of coarse, and made our way to Crush n Gusher. We were able to ride all three slides with minimal wait, it was awesome! Normally I don't go on body slides, mainly because I feel like it scratches up your backside pretty badly, but I gave in and did the Storm Slides and they weren't so bad. There was no way I was going on Humunga Kowabunga, so I waited at the bottom for Ryan. We hit up the lazy river and noticed how crowded it was getting so we decided to head back to our chairs for a bit. Fortunately, we were side tracked by the bar! I could not believe there was a bar at a water park, it does have the potential to get dangerous, especially when your laying at the edge of the wave pool and the waves start. I was getting tossed around like a dead fish and I was laughing to hard to save myself LOL

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It was sometime after 1:00 and we decided to waddle on out and head across to DTD. Ryan had heard so much about Earl of Sandwich from his friend so he was dying to go there. Luckily it wasn't super crowded and we were able to get a table inside. I don't remember what Ry had but I had the BLT which was your normal BLT, nothing special. We browsed around for a bit, picked up a cupcake at Goofy's Candy Co and headed back for a nap and to get ready for our night at Hollywood Studios! :sohappy:
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
April 19 2011 cont

After a nap and getting all ready we were on our to Hollywood Studios for the night.

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After a quick photopass stop we headed to Mama Melrose for our dinner reservations. This would be our first time eating here and to be honest, I was skeptical going in. I had read so many negative comment on-line and was pleasantly surprised. Mama Melrose, hands down, has the BEST calamari I have EVER had. Ryan who normally would not touch it, could not stop eating it! The breading was so light, it was absolutely delish! I had penne vodka which I enjoyed and the chocolate cannoli cake for dessert. Our server was also wonderful, she was helpful and attentive but not overly so.

We decided to catch the later showing of Fantasmic! When we arrived near the theater the line wasn't too bad so we decided to hop on and wait so we could get a good spot. As we were waiting a snapped a quick pick of my favorite window display

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While waiting for them to let us in a little girl started talking to me. Soon Ryan and I were chatting it up with the family. They were all so sweet and I really enjoyed talking with them, it made the wait bearable. Every time we visit Disney we always end up talking with the nicest people, such a treat from the real world where for the most part people can be pretty standoffish. We finally headed in and we nabbed a spot that was front and center. My only complaint about Fantasmic! is the BUGS!! I was constantly smacking myself to get them off and I ended up with dozens of bites all over my feet and legs..boo!

This is Ryan's favorite nighttime show, I however, will be looking forward to the refurbishment.

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Afterwards we caught our bus and headed back to POP. We needed our rest for the 3 full days we still had ahead of us!
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
Original Poster
April 20 2011

We had another late start this morning, I don't remember why but for whatever reason we didn't arrive at Epcot until around 1:00 pm. Before we began our adventures in World Showcase I made sure to go check on Figment. We had spent a lot of time at Epcot during this trip and Figment was always down. I finally got lucky this time!

After I got my Figment fix we headed over to Mexico where we decided to grab a snack. After all, we can't be drinking on an empty stomach, so we decided to split some nacho's which were so yummy!

We ventured inside the pavilion, grabbed some margaritas and some tequila and went for a ride with the three caballeros

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We made our way to Norway where we spotted a photopass photographer and Ryan begged me to take pictures like this:

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Vikings aren't really "my thing" but it made him happy. He actually has two of these viking pictures hanging up.

While in Italy another photopass photographer was asking me to come over, so I did, obviously. He took about 30 pictures of me by myself, posing me around the scenery, even telling me my hair bow matched the flowers. Than he put Ryan in the mix

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I wish I got his name, but I never did. He was the sweetest man, he kept telling us what nice people we were. We would bump into him again later in the day, but more on that later.

We continued to make our way around and stopped on the bridge between France and the UK for another photo op

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We headed into the Rose and Crown where we met a great bartender by the name of Carl, he took such good care of us, maybe too good because by this time we were both a little silly. For reasons unknown we headed back towards France. All day I kept seeing Belle but I didn't want to go see her without Beast. A CM told us when they would be back together and what time we should arrive. With some time to kill we strolled back towards Italy. As we are walking the same photopass guy walks by us and says oh my friends, come with me, and takes me by the hand. He brought us onto the bridge looking out onto the lagoon and took so many pictures of us, I was so grateful.

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I must have thanked him a million times! We actually purchased a few of the pictures he took. The whole experience with him was fantastic, he went above and beyond to spread the magic!

Some time had passed and I knew we had to run...I had a date with Beast!

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I can't remember where we had dinner but I'm pretty sure we went to Tokyo Dining again. Afterwards we headed towards the exit and got the monorail to MK.

Yes, I will watch Wishes at any opportunity I get. I try to watch it as many times as I possibly can when I am there and tonight was not exception to the rule. I really wish I knew what it was but Wishes gets me every single time and every time I swear I will not cry...and I do.

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I always take so many pictures during these shows!

I have mentioned previously that I left my Aurora tiara at home and Ryan kept saying he would get me a new one. He kept insisting that he buy me a real one, I didn't want him to spend the money but he would honestly not let up. We went into the crystal store on Main Street and Ryan picked one out. He had bought me a pearl ring earlier in the trip and he found a tiara that had a small pearl as well, I tried it on being silly and he said that it looked so good on me that I had to have it. Ryan swears that I am a princess, it is so cute, and I am so thankful he thinks that!

Besides, where else would I be able to wear this thing without getting crazy looks LOL.

Next up: The tiara is out and lunch at Crystal Palace! :sohappy:
 

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