Trip Report COMPLETED: Ex-Floridians take on Walt Disney World during summer

Aaaaaaand we're back! From July 9-14, 2015, my DW "M" and I ("B") stayed at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. We had an AMAZING time and an absurd amount of fun! Here is our pre-trip report: The "OMG I can't believe we actually get to go now!" Pre-Trip Report

And here is our trip report!

Note: I have already written the entire TR like last time and will post a little at a time so I don't bombard this board with messages. Another note: My last TR was just over 11 pages in MS Word. This one is almost 21 pages and I'm still adding to the "Final thoughts" section. Another note (last one I promise!): All photos were taken on smartphone cameras. Some turned out pretty nicely! Some...just get the job done.

Day 1: Thursday

On Wednesday night we were originally planning to stay with DW's grandpa, where we had been the previous six nights; however, he lives 90 minutes away from the Milwaukee airport and he insisted on paying for us to stay in a hotel so we wouldn't have to get up quite so early. So instead of getting up at 2:15 we slept in until 3:45! We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to print boarding passes, check two bags (yay Southwest!), get through security, and eat a little breakfast.

Airport breakfast

We had a whole row to ourselves on the plane!

I don't think that's quite right, flight tracker...

Our flight was uneventful and we landed a bit early! Since we had used our good ol' yellow Mickey tags we went right to the DME check-in area. Our bus was already there and we only waited about ten minutes to start the drive to Disney.

Obligatory first Disney photo!

Coronado Springs was our first stop (yay!) and I went right to the check in desk since I hadn't received a room number text. We were originally planning to stay an extra night but a few weeks prior to arrival we decided to leave a day early; the Cast Member who checked us in still had the old dates in his system for some reason but I let him know and he said he would change it in the CSR system. We had decided to call this our anniversary trip (8 years together, 1 year married. The dates of the trip were between the two dates) so I had called ahead to add a note to the reservation. The CM gave us our red anniversary buttons and told us how to get to our room, which was already ready at 11:00am! We got all of our room requests: Cabanas, top floor, and close to transportation!

The Coronado entrance!

Almost there!!!

Yay fountain!

Our room was gorgeous! We are used to New York-sized accommodations from both living here and the times we had to travel here prior to moving, and our last two WDW onsite stays have been in Value resorts, so it seemed huge to us!

Beds!

TV and storage

Bathroom area

Curtains and ottomans

Next up: Epcot!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Great report! I'd love to stay at Coronado someday. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of the trip. You've got me craving pretzel bread now!

 

[bee]

Great report! I'd love to stay at Coronado someday. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of the trip. You've got me craving pretzel bread now!

Thank you! We found Coronado to be beautiful and even better than we expected. Later in the trip I got some pretty nice photos on the water which I'll post as I go along. And I've had MYSELF craving pretzel bread since the end of the trip lol! Spoiler alert: there is more pretzel bread coming up...

 

[bee]

Day 2: Friday, cont.

After breakfast we took the Monorail to MK, where we had FPs scheduled for Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Seven Dwarfs. We walked right on to Space Mountain and it was not quite as fun as I remembered but I still liked it! After we exited SM I got an email that said my FP for Space Mountain had been canceled due to the attraction being "currently unavailable." That was strange since we had definitely just ridden it and plenty of riders were still getting in line. I checked the app and it still said I had an unredeemed FP for one of a limited number of attractions, so we decided to try the Buzz Lightyear ride. It worked! On the ride my laser was not working so I had no idea where I was shooting. I think I only got 700 points. In the PhotoPass photo I am making the most disgusted and disgusting face because I was trying to figure out what was going on. Oh well, free FastPass!

Next was our FP for Haunted Mansion. I remember loving this ride as a kid before I was old enough or brave enough to go on thrill rides. We had a lot of fun! I loved the updates, especially the one where the ghost in your Doom Buggy switches your heads!

We still had time before 7DMT so we headed to Fantasyland and watched Mickey's Philharmagic. I loved all the scenes from/inspired by Disney Renaissance movies. I am a 90s kid after all!

These guys again!

Pagliacci is a really famous Italian opera, so of course I had to take this pic.

A Must Sea! GET IT??? SEAAAAAA!!!

Waiting for the show to begin...

I thought it was cute that the 3D glasses were called "Opera Glasses."

Finally it was time to re-ride the Mine Train! This time we were in row 9 (second to last) and the experience is certainly different, aka way better, in the back. The level of thrill was much higher, as is usually the case when it comes to placement on roller coasters. Plus is was nice to ride during the daylight! We were excited to ride it again later in the trip.

Row 9!

Next we went to Golden Oak Outpost to try the Tex Mex Waffle Fries. However, upon arrival I noticed that they were not listed on the menu. I asked the CM about it and she said due to low popularity they no longer made the Tex Mex fries. She suggested the BLT fries without bacon as an alternative and they were definitely tasty.

BLT waffle fries. Or should I say LT waffle fries?

Did I enjoy the snack: Yes

Will I be back: No. The fries weren't that special.

On the way out of the park we passed the temporarily closed Pirates of the Caribbean. I hope by the time we get to go back they are finished swabbing the decks!

DW took this is some point during the day, though I'm not exactly sure when.

Next up: Drinking around the world, part 1

 

[ColoradoEquestrian]

Yay! A fellow Coronado fan! Enjoying your TR. I love the yay/nay recaps on your dining

 

[worldfanatic]

Enjoying your report.
And love Coronado Springs.

 

[bee]

Yay! A fellow Coronado fan! Enjoying your TR. I love the yay/nay recaps on your dining

Yay for Coronado fans! I'm glad you are enjoying the report and that you like the dining recaps! On my last report several people commented that they liked how I took photos of everything we ate and drank (I was very diligent!) so I decided to take it one step further. And at least half of a Disney vacation is about the food, right??

Enjoying your report.
And love Coronado Springs.

Thanks for reading and I'm glad you are enjoying it! Yay for ANOTHER Coronado fan! I think it is a highly underrated resort. I love that you get many of the amenities of a Deluxe without Deluxe prices. I like that it's spread out but not too huge. And I know some people don't like sharing their resort with conference-goers, but I think that actually makes for a quieter resort experience and it means fewer people are taking up space on the bus during the day!

I'm preparing the next installment and it should be ready shortly...

 

[Tink28]

Loving the trip report and pics, makes me excited to be going back soon! Thanks for posting

 

[bee]

Day 2: Friday, cont.

Next we headed to Epcot to Drink Around the World! When we DATW, we share a drink in each country for a total of 5.5 drinks each, or sometimes we will each have our own in one country, for a total of six drinks each. We are both 5'4" tall women so eleven drinks is out of the question! We make sure to eat and drink plenty of water between beverages. If you can handle eleven beverages on your own more power to you but that's definitely not our style and would end in disaster for us!

The first stop was La Cava del Tequila, a first for us. There was no wait to get in and in fact there were at least five empty tables inside. Our server promptly brought us iced water (very appreciated in the mid-90s weather!) and we were given the free chips and salsa for following them on Twitter (which no one verified but I've heard they usually don't). We shared the avocado margarita, which lots of people seem to rave about. While this was tasty and refreshing I couldn't taste either tequila or avocado. It didn't really taste like a margarita to me at all. I think if it had been called something else I might have enjoyed it better.

La Cava menu

Free chips and salsa! It was just the red chipotle salsa this time, no salsa verde

My quickly finished and much appreciated glass of iced water

Avocado margarita!

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes

Will I be back: Probably, but not for this drink in particular.

Drunk Around the World: Mexico

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: Norway China Germany Italy America Japan Morocco France UK Canada

Our next stop was Kringla in Norway. Last time we tried the Aquavit shot and it was one of two drinks from that trip I would never get again. This time we tried the iced Viking Coffee: iced coffee with Bailey's Irish Creme and Kamora Coffee Liqueur. I don't know how authentically Norwegian this was, but I know it was delicious!

Viking coffee! Mmmmmm

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes

Will I be back: Yes!

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: China Germany Italy America Japan Morocco France UK Canada

After Norway we headed to China; last trip's plum wine was the other drink I would not try again. This time we shared the Tipsy Ducks in Love from Joy of Tea, which was bourbon mixed with iced tea, coffee, and chocolate. This was my favorite drink from DATW. The flavors of the bourbon and other ingredients blended so well and it was sweet but still strong.

Tipsy Ducks in Love sign...

...and the real thing, sans whipped cream.

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes

Will I be back: Yes!

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway China

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: Germany Italy America Japan Morocco France UK Canada

Next we headed to Germany's Weinkeller. Since we had shared the beer flight the day before and weren't in the mood for shots we went with the red wine flight, which by the way is different from the last time I had it in 2013 (or 2014?). Last time the wines were all on the sweet side but this time they were much drier. The flight included a Lemberger, a Pinot Noir, and a Trollinger. I liked all of them but my favorite was the Trollinger. This flight is a pretty good deal in my opinion as it's about the equivalent of one standard glass of wine (3 2 oz. pours) but you get to try three different wines. With tax the total was $9.99.

No one was sitting over here because it was SO. HOT.

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes

Will I be back: Yes, to try the new white wine flight, try the red flight if it changes, and/or get a whole glass of one of these wines

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway China Germany

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: Italy America Japan Morocco France UK Canada

Our next stop was Italy and we decided to stop into Tutto Gusto for another wine flight. Last time we ate/drank here we had to wait about half an hour for a table but this time we were seated immediately. Given how empty both Tutto and La Cava were even though it was a Friday during summer (and EMH day), I'm wondering if most of the guests in the parks were first-timers who just didn't know about these things. I'm certainly not complaining, because we had a whole "room" to ourselves!

Private "room" (if you've never been there before, we were in the part with couches that is sort of closed off from the rest of the bar. It's not as open in real life as it looks in this photo)

Private chandelier

We decided to try the "All Bubbles All the Time" flight. It's hard to pick a favorite from this flight because they were all different. The first was a slightly sweet Prosecco; the second was a drier Prosecco that was VERY bubbly; and the third was a somewhat sweet sparkling red wine (definitely not Rosa Regale or anything that sweet but I'm not sure exactly what it was). If I can find the paper with the names of the three wines I will update this post. The flight cost more than similar flights in the counter service wine locations in Italy, Germany, and France, but it seemed like more wine (maybe three ounces per glass instead of two?) and we enjoyed sitting inside a quiet location with never-empty glasses of ice water thanks to the diligent staff. Plus they accept TIW which basically covers gratuity and made it extra worth it in my opinion.

Sparkling wine flight!

And from another angle

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes!

Will I be back: Yes, and on this same trip in fact!

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway China Germany Italy

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: America Japan Morocco France UK Canada

Next up: First time at Le Cellier!

 

[sheriffwoody]

That bourbon drink sounds like a winner! Definitely putting that on the list.

 

[Mickey2422]

Really enjoying your trip report so far. Your food pictures and drink pictures are making my hungry and thirsty. I love the San Angel Margarita at La Cava. Definitely can taste the tequila in that one Looking forward to more of your report.

 

[bethymouse]

Great TR! Thanks for sharing!

 

[bee]

That bourbon drink sounds like a winner! Definitely putting that on the list.

Oh, it WAS a winner. I am inspired to try and make my own version somehow.

Really enjoying your trip report so far. Your food pictures and drink pictures are making my hungry and thirsty. I love the San Angel Margarita at La Cava. Definitely can taste the tequila in that one Looking forward to more of your report.

Thanks for reading and I'm glad you are enjoying! Is the San Angel Margarita a classic margarita or does it have a flavor added?

Great TR! Thanks for sharing!

Im glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for reading!

 

[bee]

Day 2: Friday, cont.

After Italy we decided to take a short break from drinking since we had a reservation for Le Cellier coming up. We stopped at the America Gardens Theater where an a cappella pop group called American Music Machine was in the middle of a set. Despite a few intonation issues they were pretty good and we enjoyed listening to their set. We also spotted the Illuminations globe hiding near the theater!

American Music Machine

I see you, globe!

Finally it was time to head to Canada for our first experience at Le Cellier! Despite having had a late breakfast and some snacks throughout the day we were HUN-GRY. The check-in CMs all immediately noticed our "Happy Anniversary" buttons and asked us about them and congratulated us. We were also wearing Beatles shirts that day and someone asked who our favorite Beatles were. They definitely reflected the stereotype that all Canadians are nice!

Chandelier!

We were seated promptly (maybe even a little early) and upon viewing the drink menu decided to each get our own cocktail. M had the Sassy-Berry Martini and I had THE Apple-tini.

Sassy-Berry Martini

THE Apple-tini

Our server, Theresa, was seriously amazing. We told her we were vegetarians and she was very knowledgeable of the menu and knew all of the hidden meat-based ingredients. She made sure to explain everything and offer her suggestions based both on her time as a former vegetarian and on having tried all or most of what's on the menu.

Pretty menu!

Can you spot the typo?

Pretty candle!

While we were deciding on food Theresa brought us a bread basket, which including the famous pretzel bread. I have to say it lives up to the hype! I wanted about eighteen more pieces of just the pretzel bread! The sea salt butter on the side was delightful as well.

BREEEEEEEEAD (sorry it's blurry, must have just been way too excited to start eating it!)

We decided to share the seasonal vegetarian entree, which was House-Made Potato Cannelloni. It came with a variety of vegetables, pecorino cheese, and-my favorite part-tomato jam. We also shared the Wild Mushroom Tart; if you are a big mushroom fan you will love this. It was super dense and rich and mushroom-y.

Cannelloni

Mushroom tart. SO GOOOD

Theresa brought out the dessert menu, making sure to tell us which items contained gelatin. We already knew we wanted to share the Maple Crème Brûlée. When it came out it had a cute little "Happy Anniversary" garnish. I'm not really an experienced Crème Brûlée eater so I can't really compare it to the standard dish but this tasted amazing to both of us!

DESSERT. I'm drooling just thinking about this.

Overall this was one of our favorite dining experiences of the trip. I know some people feel cramped inside the restaurant but I didn't get that feeling at all. Maybe I'm just jaded having been in New York for awhile but it seemed like plenty of space to me. We also shared an entrée, side, and dessert so even with drinks the meal didn't end up being terribly expensive. They accept TIW which makes it an even better deal. Also, some restaurants seem to make a very boring vegetarian dish but this pasta was outstanding.

Did I enjoy the meal: Yes!

Will I be back: Yes, especially if the seasonal vegetarian option changes so we can try something new.

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway China Germany Italy Canada

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: America Japan Morocco France UK

Next up: Nemo, more drinking, Illuminations!

 

[ColoradoEquestrian]

SQEEZED?!

 

[FlaggNL]

Wow a lot of booze I think I really need that Bourbon tea/coffee mix Good thing to start the day here LOL Thanks for the updates!

 

[sheriffwoody]

SQEEZED?!

I looked FOREVER and couldn't find that! I feel silly now

 

[bee]

SQEEZED?!

DING DING DING!

Wow a lot of booze I think I really need that Bourbon tea/coffee mix Good thing to start the day here LOL Thanks for the updates!

And there is more booze coming! Thanks for following!

I looked FOREVER and couldn't find that! I feel silly now

Haha, my eyes are usually drawn to that sort of thing in other people's work. Now in my own writing it's a different story (as I'm sure you may have noticed...).

 

[bee]

Day 2: Thursday, cont.

After dinner we stopped by the FP+ kiosk by the International Gateway and picked The Seas with Nemo and Friends. We rode and then walked around the aquarium a bit before heading to The Land since it was still quite hot out and there would be plenty of air conditioned places to sit inside. I was feeling a little icky from the heat and reeeeeally craving a Perrier and my wonderful wife bought me a bottle while I waited at a table. Side note: This was the first time I noticed that the tables for Sunshine Seasons have pictures for THE SEASONS on them. I've been in there hundreds of times and never picked up on it! I feel silly!

More bunnies on the way to Nemo!

My Perrier thanks to DW! And SNOW FOR WINTER!!!

Next we rode the Vegetable Boat Ride again and an older male CM thought it would be funny to make us "prove" we were Beatles fans by asking us to sing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" as we boarded. We indulged him with a bit of the chorus and another CM at the ride mouthed "Sorry!" to us as the boat departed. It was a bit weird but amusing.

Love this ride!!

This little groundhog's mouth made a loud click-y noise every time he opened and closed it. It happened every time we rode too. Clearly this ride needs some TLC.

"Here at Epcot we're learning..." NO. You mean "Here at Epcot we WERE learning..." because that hair style has been out of style for decades. How much does it cost to re-film this scene with a more timeless hairstyle on the person in the scene?? I'll do it for free!

M loved these flowers and pointed them out every time we rode. I wish I remembered what they were called.

SNAKE GOURDS!

After the Vegetable Boat Ride we continued Drinking Around the World. We decided to start at the America pavilion so we wouldn't be stuck in the middle of WS after Illuminations. It was an EMH night and we wanted to get over to Future World to ride some rides! In America we had the Red Stag Lemonade. After the Tipsy Ducks from China, this was my second favorite beverage. I didn't know I was such a fan of bourbon until this trip! (That's a total lie. I knew I liked bourbon. That's probably why I ordered every bourbon cocktail I could find.) The cocktail was cold and refreshing and the tartness of the lemonade meshed well with the bourbon, which was definitely present but not overwhelming.

Red Stag Lemonade. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes!

Will I be back: Yes!

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway China Germany Italy Canada America

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: Japan Morocco France UK

Our next stop was the outdoor sake bar in Japan. We weren't in the mood for sake so we tried the Green Tea Colada. It was very sweet but I could definitely taste the rum and the green tea. We drank it while browsing the shops of the pavilion and then headed toward Morocco.

Green Tea Colada (sorry it's so blurry!)

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes

Will I be back: Maybe, but not for the same drink. Some time when I'm up for sake I'll try a flight or sake cocktail.

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway China Germany Italy Canada America Japan

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: Morocco France UK

We were hoping to get a drink at Spice Road Table but they were no longer seating for the night. Since the drink stand outside SRT just serves very generic slushy cocktails we took our changes with Tangierine Cafe. Luckily they had one Moroccan beer, Casa. We ordered and then found a bench outside Japan from which to enjoy the beer and watch Illuminations. The beer was definitely flavorful and reminded me of Stella Artois. I'm not big on beer usually but I know Stella because we have a friend in NY who ONLY drinks Stella so I've acquired a taste for it from hanging out at his apartment.

Casa beer

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes

Will I be back: No. I'll make a reservation at Spice Road Table next time.

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway China Germany Italy Canada America Japan Morocco

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: France UK

I love all things Epcot and Illuminations is no exception. It's my favorite fireworks show at Disney. Or maybe anywhere ever. Though the view from our bench wasn't as good as it was at the Sparkling Dessert Party (which we decided not to attend this trip as we didn't feel like standing and sweating for $49 a person) we really loved watching the fireworks and the globe and hearing the songs and just...everything! A lot of guests seemed to be clearing out of the park during the show but that just meant more room for us!

Waiting for Illuminations...

The globe emerges! I didn't take more photos because I was busy CRYING AT HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS SHOW IS.

We still had France and the UK to drink at and luckily the park had EMH until 11:00! In France we tried the red wine flight. I really wish the CM had given me a sheet of paper about them or at least told me which was which because let's face it, three glasses of red wine in the dark are pretty hard to tell apart! I am reasonably sure the chilled one was the Beaujolais nouveau but I have no idea what the other two were.

Wine flight. At the top is a red. At the bottom right is a red. At the bottom left is a red.

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes

Will I be back: Maybe, but not for a flight because I like to know what I'm drinking! If the Wine Walk (two samples each from Germany, Italy, and France) sticks around and the wines have changed from the last time we did the WW we might do that again. I like trying new wines without having to buy a whole bottle or even a whole glass (and ending up too drunk to remember what I liked if I actually drink six whole glasses haha).

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway China Germany Italy Canada America Japan Morocco France

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: UK

Finally, we walked to the UK for our last drink of the night. The outside drink kiosk was closed for the night but the Rose and Crown pub was still open. We decided upon the Magners Pear Cider. It was definitely lighter-tasting than standard apple cider but apparently has the same alcohol content. If only it had been on tap instead of in a bottle.

Pear cider. Last drink of the night!

Did I enjoy the drink: Yes

Will I be back: Yes, to either the Pub and/or the Dining Room depending on the menu

Drunk Around the World: Mexico Norway China Germany Italy Canada America Japan Morocco France UK

Not Yet Drunk Around the World: NOWHERE!

We did it! We finished Drinking Around the World! I didn't feel any drunker than "pleasantly buzzed" at any point in the day/night and therefore was actually able to enjoy each beverage, so I'd call this a success. Since it was only about 10:00 we decided to check out the wait for Test Track. The standby line was too long for our tastes but the single rider line had a posted wait of ten minutes. After the previous day's misadventures in the single rider we were a bit hesitant but figured we would go for it since we didn't have any reservations to make afterward.

This time the posted wait was much closer to our actual wait and we had a blast! After TT we headed back to the resort and saw a bunny grazing near our building!

This was the trip of bunnies! We usually see MAYBE one or two but we saw at least 5-6. Can you spot this one?

Next up: I finally ride the jaguar water slide!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Mmmmmmm another good sounding bourbon drink! Thanks for documenting all of this and giving your reviews. This gives us all a great idea of what to look for.

 

[Mickey2422]

Oh, it WAS a winner. I am inspired to try and make my own version somehow.


Thanks for reading and I'm glad you are enjoying! Is the San Angel Margarita a classic margarita or does it have a flavor added?


Im glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for reading!

I think it is a classic margarita - no extra flavors added. My husband enjoys the jalapeno one - good if you like spicy