Trip Report *COMPLETED* 6 Parks, F&W Fest, MNSSHP & One HUGEEE Surprise!!!

Hi everyone! We got back from our Disney vacation two days ago and I am still exhausted and unfortunately sick, but I wanted to jump right into the report because if I don’t do it now, it will never get done!

You can find my pre-trip report here, http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/first-trip-in-6-years-with-a-wdw-first-timer.915675/ but here is a quick recap:

Who: My boyfriend, Mark, and yours truly

What: 5-Day Park Hopper Tickets, Food & Wine Festival, One night at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party, One day at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure and one HUUUUGE surprise, but I’m not giving anything away just yet!! You’ll have to follow along J

When: September 26th-October 3rd

Where: POP Century

Why: Mark’s first trip to Disney, and my first time back since being an AP 6 years ago!

Now that we have the particulars out of the way, let’s dive on in!

 

[Second Star to the Right]

We had a pretty good view of the castle considering we only had 10 minutes before the start of Celebrate the Magic, so that was a definite positive! Now, on with the show:

 

[Second Star to the Right]

Considering this was taken with my phone, I'm impressed with the clarity

It looks like Pixie Dust!

The end! It was a great show and I was very happy we stayed to see it; I would have been disappointed with myself if we hadn't gotten to see Wishes at least once on the trip.

 

[Second Star to the Right]

Earlier in the day I had selected another FP+ for Splash Mountain that night, so we were off to Frontierland after Wishes!

Splash has always been one of my favorite Disney rides at night. You get some awesome views of the castle and it just has a different feeling. I think the standby wait when we got there was about 30 minutes.

We were in the second row and I was nice and let Mark take the left seat so he might not get AS wet...I, on the other hand, got completely soaked! That was the wettest I have gotten from Splash, but I'm usually in one of the back rows. It wasn't even from the Splash itself. I got soaked after the little hills and the water came pouring in over the side of the boat onto my seat.

I would love to show you guys the photopass picture from the ride, but I just checked online and they gave us the wrong one! So I have a nice picture of a random family I don't know haha. BUT, we actually bought that picture because it came out really cute. I knew where the flash was, so I was going to lean over and pretend like I was giving Mark a kiss on the cheek as he screamed going down the ride. But, he realized what I was doing, and turned to give me a kiss back right as the flash went off After that we HAD to buy it haha.

After Splash we had time to set up in Frontierland for MSEP which is where I wanted to watch it from, especially after the earlier Nightmare on Main Street. Unfortunately, it was starting to drizzle so they delayed the parade. We stuck around for a bit to see if it would resume, but when it didn't I decided I couldn't justify standing around in the event the parade may go on. I would have been really upset if we missed it, since we didn't get to see it earlier, but I also didn't want to just stand around. So, off we went.

We were heading toward Pirates when Mark saw the Pirate's Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas sign and he got distracted He loves everything pirates, so we decided to see what it was about. I love scavenger/treasure hunts, so this was a fun little adventure for us. We completed one map and then heard them announce that MSEP would be starting in a few minutes. Since we were so close to Frontierland still, we headed back that way to get a spot. I wasn't really concerned about finding the best spot, I just wanted to be able to see the parade with minimal interference.

We ended up close to Splash and I stood on the curb against the fence there. Being 5' 4" has some disadvantages sometimes But, this actually worked out nicely because I was able to see (mostly) over everyone's heads.

 

[Tuvalu]

What you experienced trying to get down Main Street was awful...but unfortunately has become the norm rather than an exception!
Every time we try to either enter or exit the park during evening activity (parade, castle show, fireworks) it is pretty much the chaos you described.

For what it's worth, the inside entrance to the bakery is always roped off. It changed when the bakery was refurbished into Starbucks. They should have just built a new wall there, rather than tease us with a rope.

 

[Second Star to the Right]

I didn't take too many pictures during the parade because I wanted to just enjoy it in the moment. But here are the few that I took of my favorite characters:

If you haven't guessed yet, Peter Pan is my favorite Disney movie, and Tinkerbell is my girl!

She's so cute and sassy!!

This just felt absurdly large. Mark and I were cracking up.

And here is Mark's favorite character: Captain Hook!

Again, I'm really glad we got to see this, especially since it's now gone. I'm still more partial to SpectroMagic though and would love to see a version of that come back!

 

[Second Star to the Right]

Since we were already in Frontierland...and we hadn't done it yet...and there was only a 10 minute wait...I convinced Mark we needed to go see The Country Bear Jamboree. I LOVE this show. It's adorable and gimmicky in all the right ways. Plus, it would be a long night, why not sit down for a bit. I can't believe I didn't take a single picture, but I guess I just wanted to enjoy every country-bear moment haha. Mark thought it was cute which made me very happy! We kept singing snippets of their song the rest of the night!

From there we hit up Haunted Mansion again and then made our way to Fantasyland.

He's smiling!!! Too bad the picture is pure junk in terms of quality

We went to check the wait for 7DMT, but it was at 40 minutes so we passed. Instead, we went to get a Lafou's Brew at Gaston's Tavern.

Now, these pictures he volunteers to take

Very good, but it's not butterbeer. Good try, Disney.

 

[LeighM]

Then we realized we still had our desserts...We both forced ourselves to eat a few bites. It was good, but again we agreed it didn't need the chocolate crust around the outside. That was a bit heavy and didn't really add any flavor. The custard portion was good and had a nice flavor. I would definitely eat here again, but I want to try Flame Tree BBQ first the next time.

We said the same thing about the milk tart. It was a lot better without the thick chocolate crust. We ate about 75% of it before we realized that

 

[Second Star to the Right]

We walked around a bit just enjoying Fantasyland at night, but then we saw Under the Sea had no wait, so off we went to sing along with Scuttle and friends.

Since we had barely spent anytime in Tomorrowland, we decided to head over there next. I wanted to go for a ride on the PeopleMover, but it was closed. Bummer.

Instead, I challenged Mark to a duel at BuzzLightyear's Space Ranger Spin. I won!! Of course, he said I cheated hahaha.

It was close to 12:30 a.m. when we got off the Buzz ride, so we still had a little time. We started making our way over to Adventureland to see if we could catch the Jungle Cruise ride.

The wait for Jungle Cruise was 35 minutes and we didn't want that to be our last ride of the night, so we kept walking. Pirates only had a 10 minute wait, so we took another spin around the Caribbean.

After Pirates we headed back to Fantasyland. My plan was to see if we could get on 7DMT right before closing in hopes of a shorter wait time, plus I heard the queue is really fun at night. We made it to 7DMT at 12:58 and it was only a 20 minute posted wait. In actuality it was probably closer to 15 minutes. Since we had done the FP+ for this the day before, we skipped the regular line. But everyone was right, the queue is very cute at night. The jewels and lighting effects were great. That really is a very cute ride.

The park was officially closed once we were off the ride, so we started to slowly make our way back to the front of the park. I snapped a few pictures along the way.

We stopped in a few stores along the way out on MSUSA, but they were closing them down so I didn't want to stay too long. Plus, I had a goal for the evening. I had never seen the Kiss Goodnight, and it was a goal of mine for this trip. I asked a CM if it had already happened and she said it had run a few times already so there might not be another showing for the night. I continued to take a few pictures on our way out, and then Mark decided to use the bathroom before heading to the buses, so I had a bit more time to enjoy MK at night.

One happy camper!

Just as Mark emerged from the bathroom, it turned 1:30 a.m. and I heard the music starting
I was at the end of Main Street and it was a perfect view of the castle to enjoy the Kiss Goodnight. I was so happy I got to see it! I didn't take any pictures because I just wanted to enjoy in the moment.

Mark was such a trooper for staying with me that late, so I didn't push it by asking to stay any longer. Besides, we would have a long day ahead of us the next day as well. It was another great day even with the horrendous crowds during MSEP when we arrived at MK. I got so many of my "must-dos" off my list that day, Wishes, MSEP and the Kiss Goodnight. I will count that all as a win! Thus ends Day 2!

 

[Second Star to the Right]

We said the same thing about the milk tart. It was a lot better without the thick chocolate crust. We ate about 75% of it before we realized that

It was really good without the crust! haha We should suggest that to Disney

 

[dclfan]

Ahhh I'm so happy you got to see the kiss goodnight. I have never seen it either. MK is having EMH the night of my birthday so I am going to try and see it that night when we're there.

 

[Tiggerish]

I'm late to this fantastic trip report, but I'm really glad I found it! I love both sets of sparkly ears that I've seen so far.

Wow, you packed a lot into your first day!! Yachtsman is one of our absolute favorite restaurants, and thanks to your photos, I can see that they've updated the menu! I just made a reservation for our "tentative" trip at Christmas, and the addition of the cavatelli may just be what turns that trip from tentative to confirmed!

Great photos from AK--so many animals on your safari! And I love the walking trails. I agree with you, the bats are kind of freaky/creepy.

I had the bread service from Sanaa for the first time last month, and it was as good as everyone says! We had stopped into the bar for a couple of drinks and ordered the bread service to soak up the alcohol.

Horror show at the start of your night in MK, but glad to see it turned around. 7DMT is different at night! I can't decide which I like better, day or night rides.

Waiting for the surprise!

 

[DimpledDevil18]

I'm going to ask a total noob question here, but what exactly is The Kiss Goodnight? I've seen it mentioned in a few TR's recently, but I never head anyone talk about it before.

 

[lostpro9het]

I'm going to ask a total noob question here, but what exactly is The Kiss Goodnight? I've seen it mentioned in a few TR's recently, but I never head anyone talk about it before.

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Still loving this!! Your AK day was awesome! I loved all your pictures, and that Sanaa bread service has now gotten my stomach grumbling too! I swear, food pictures are the best pictures LOL!!

Tarzan getting out the bugs in your hair really cracked me up! love how in character they truly are!!

And asking the bartenders for their recommendations is such a good idea! Totally stealing this when I go, I will try to break out of my comfort zone!

 

[Second Star to the Right]

Ahhh I'm so happy you got to see the kiss goodnight. I have never seen it either. MK is having EMH the night of my birthday so I am going to try and see it that night when we're there.

I hope you get to see it when you are there! I'm so glad I got to see it, and I did my best to keep away and not watch any videos of it prior to the trip. It was exactly what I was hoping it would be. And EMH on your birthday, WIN!

 

[Second Star to the Right]

I'm late to this fantastic trip report, but I'm really glad I found it! I love both sets of sparkly ears that I've seen so far.

Wow, you packed a lot into your first day!! Yachtsman is one of our absolute favorite restaurants, and thanks to your photos, I can see that they've updated the menu! I just made a reservation for our "tentative" trip at Christmas, and the addition of the cavatelli may just be what turns that trip from tentative to confirmed!

Great photos from AK--so many animals on your safari! And I love the walking trails. I agree with you, the bats are kind of freaky/creepy.

I had the bread service from Sanaa for the first time last month, and it was as good as everyone says! We had stopped into the bar for a couple of drinks and ordered the bread service to soak up the alcohol.

Horror show at the start of your night in MK, but glad to see it turned around. 7DMT is different at night! I can't decide which I like better, day or night rides.

Waiting for the surprise!

Thanks for joining in on the fun! There is still plenty for me to report haha.

The sparkly ears are actually reversible! I found someone who sells her ears on Instagram and she can custom make any you want, so I went with classic black and red on one side and then the rose gold on the other side. I figured I should give my black Straight Outta Neverland t-shirt some color

I wish I had remembered to take a picture of each menu when we ate, but I honestly think that the Yachtsman may have been the only one. I'm glad it may have helped persuaded you to go there again

We learned very quickly that AK is A LOT of walking. It's not like MK where you can sit down and enjoy an attraction or show for 5-10 minutes, but it was great seeing all of those animals!

 

[Second Star to the Right]

I'm going to ask a total noob question here, but what exactly is The Kiss Goodnight? I've seen it mentioned in a few TR's recently, but I never head anyone talk about it before.

Thanks, @lostpro9het for supplying a video.

 

[Second Star to the Right]

Still loving this!! Your AK day was awesome! I loved all your pictures, and that Sanaa bread service has now gotten my stomach grumbling too! I swear, food pictures are the best pictures LOL!!

Tarzan getting out the bugs in your hair really cracked me up! love how in character they truly are!!

And asking the bartenders for their recommendations is such a good idea! Totally stealing this when I go, I will try to break out of my comfort zone!

Thanks for continuing to follow along!

I swear, I have terrible timing because every time I have posted food pictures it's been close to lunch or dinner and it gets me that much hungrier!

Tarzan was great, he absolutely didn't break character and it had me laughing so hard when he just started picking at my hair

If I don't ask for a recommendation, I will just end up ordering a beer, wine or a Jack & Ginger, but I can get those any ole' time! So I figure that's a good way to take a plunge and try something different. I asked for a recommendation on a glass of wine at The Yachtsman as well since I'm not as much of a fan of red wines, and the waiter recommended an incredibly smooth red which was great with my steak. I also appreciated the fact that the glass of red he suggested wasn't the most expensive option on the menu Give it a shot on your trip, hopefully your bartenders/waiters are as good as ours were!!

 

[Second Star to the Right]

Day 3: Epcot & Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween

Since we had such a late night the night before, I let us sleep in the next day. Today would be our Epcot day, and we were going to have another late night because we had tickets for MNSSHP. Even with sleeping in, we still were out of our hotel room by 9. This would come back to bite us the next day, but we wanted to enjoy our time at Epcot and not sleep in too late.

When we got out to the buses there was no bus for Epcot and one wasn't set to arrive for another 20 minutes, but there were three waiting for MK. I have an issue just standing around waiting for a bus, so I figured let's just go to MK and take the monorail over to Epcot. It might end up taking longer, but we hadn't been on the monorail yet so I figured that could be fun as well. Plus, the line for the bus going to Epcot was so long that we wouldn't even have gotten on the first bus whenever it came. So, off to MK we went!

But first, here are my shoes for the day. If you read my pre-trip report you already know about these. But if not, I'll explain. I have a custom pair of Harry Potter-themed TOMS that I wear every time I go to Universal. I am always incredibly comfortable in them so I figured this trip is a great excuse to get some Disney-themed TOMS. There were so many Mickey/Minnie options, but I wanted something a bit more unique. That's when I found these Mary Poppins shoes. That is probably my second favorite Disney movie, and I had only seen 1 or 2 pairs of Poppins shoes, so I knew they would be a bit more unique. I didn't take a picture of the sides, but there is a quote from the movie that says, "There's the whole world at your feet. And who gets to see it but the birds, the stars, and the chimney sweeps."

AAAANDDDD they match my Mary Poppins ears! By far, I got the most compliments on these ears! Every time we stopped to get a drink or food or had to wait in line for a ride, someone said how much they loved them, or commented how unique they were. I got these ones from modernmouseboutique on Etsy, in case anyone is wondering I figured since we would be going to the UK that day, Mary Poppins was a must! You can't really tell from this picture, but Mark is rocking a TaleSpin shirt. Throwback! He also received many compliments!

When we got to the TTC to transfer to Epcot there was a monorail there! BUT every compartment was full...with strollers . There was actually plenty of room in one compartment for us to have fit, but there were 2 ginormous strollers taking up all the space. The kids weren't even in the strollers. They were sitting in the seats, but the parents still didn't collapse them. Apparently it must be a huge pain to do that??? So, we had to wait for the next one. Oh well, can't win them all.

First monorail ride of the trip!

Beautiful day out!

Gotta love that view!!

 

[Second Star to the Right]

You can tell I was pretty tired this day because there aren't nearly as many pictures as I would normally take. It was also scorching out that day, so that didn't help my energy-levels. We actually noticed that each day we were there it got progressively hotter and hotter.

I was really excited for our day at Epcot though since the F&W Fest was going on, and I had never really experienced it before. Even when I had my AP and would visit Epcot during that time, I never felt like waiting around for a bite-sized snack, not to mention paying $4-7 for said snack. BUT, this time we had the free dining and I planned on using all of my snack credits there Since we did a bit of Epcot on our first night there, my plan today was to eat around the world

Our first stop in Epcot that morning would be at Club Cool though. Coca-Cola is Mark's favorite soda, so this was a fun stop for us. I almost tricked him into trying the Beverly, but he heard someone say it was disgusting right before he went to take a swig

The Farm Fresh booth was the first one we hit up for the day. I had seen pictures of the loaded Mac n' Cheese and knew I needed to try it. I LOVE Mac n' Cheese...add in bacon...yes please!

Yum!!!

Food with a view. Glad we got a table to enjoy this. I liked the Mac n' Cheese overall, there may have been a few too many green onions for my taste, but it was still very good and not a bad portion size either. It was creamy in texture and the bacon was a nice touch for a bit of crunchiness.

Next stop was Patagonia. Each of us had two extra QS credits to use on this trip, and I had heard I could use 1 QS credit for 3 snack credits, even at the F&W fest as long as I ordered all three things at once...well, that worked out perfectly! Patagonia was one of the first places we redeemed a QS credit.

I swear, the salmon is under that pile of green sauce

Mark and I both loved the grilled beef skewer, mostly because the chimichurri sauce was excellent!! I loved the salmon as well; it was cooked nicely and the sauce with it was very good. There may have been a bit too much, but at least it tasted good, so I didn't really mind. The beef pocket was just okay. Nothing all that special.