Trip Report *COMPLETED* Flowers, Family, and ??Fireworks?? (and lots of FOOD): A Memorial Week Trip Report

We are back! I am departing from my usual trip report procedure in that I haven't written the entire thing yet, but am instead posting a bit at a time as I go along. Tonight I am starting with introductions of the cast, since there are some additions who haven't previously appeared in my TRs.

The Cast

The cast of this trip of course includes my wife M and me, Bee. There are three new players, however: M’s mom, dad, and brother, all of whom I consider to be my own family as well! For simplicity I will refer to them as MIL (mother-in-law), FIL (father-in-law), and BIL (brother-in-law because his name starts with M as well! Oh and we all have M last names. Even MIL's maiden name starts with M). A little about each of us:

Bee (me)
Age: 27
Occupation: opera singer/voice and piano teacher
Vegetarian, obsessed with Disney, loves seeing Broadway musicals
Married to M for going on two years, honeymooned at WDW
The planner and organizer of the bunch

M (my wife)
Age: 27
Occupation: writer/academic advisor
Vegetarian, smart and funny, not exactly OBSESSED with Disney like I am but still loves going
Married to me for going on two years, honeymooned at WDW

MIL
Occupation: church musician/voice and piano teacher
Obsessed with Disney and giraffes, loves children
Married to FIL for (almost) 32 years, honeymooned at...you guessed it, WDW!

FIL
Occupation: HS guidance counselor
Quiet but secretly hilarious, reads all the time, half Italian
Married to MIL for (almost) 32 years, can you tell where we get our Disney obsession??

BIL
Age: 23
Occupation: HS math teacher
Did not get bitten by the Disney bug like the rest of us! Guessing if he gets married he will NOT honeymoon at WDW!

As you can see education is important to this family! It goes back to the previous generation as well because both of M’s grandfathers were university professors; one has a doctorate and the other was ABD when family circumstances prevented him from finishing. In addition, BIL, M, and I all graduated from the HS where FIL is now a guidance counselor (though he worked at a different school while we were are going there) and BIL now teaches there too.

The Plans

Dates
Saturday, May 28-Thursday, June 2 (Me and M)
Saturday, May 28-Monday, May 30 (MIL, FIL, BIL)

Hotel
Pop Century one night, WDW Swan four nights (Me and M)
Two nights offsite in LBV (MIL, FIL, BIL)

Tickets
Annual Passes (Me, M, MIL, FIL)
FL Resident Park Hopper (BIL)

Flights
Southwest Airlines nonstop (Me and M. The others drove as they live 2.5 hours away)

Transportation
DME and Uber (Me and M)
Rental car (MIL, FIL, BIL)

The week before our trip was busy and we didn’t have much time to pack and prepare for the trip. A few days before I finally dragged out the suitcase and started putting things inside, but it wasn’t until the night before we left that we finally got serious about packing. I had rehearsal in Westchester that evening and got home to NJ around 9:30. M had done a lot of work toward packing and we managed to get in bed before midnight for a brief sleep.

We debated whether to bring a large suitcase or a small one and decided on a small one so it wouldn’t be too much trouble to transfer from Pop to the Swan on Sunday. Since the suitcase was small enough we had the option to check it or carry it on. We decided to put the DME tag on it in case we wanted to check it, but to make the final decision in the morning after we saw the line for Southwest bag check. I had been reading TSA horror stories about crazy long wait times and missed flights and I didn’t want to add any unnecessary time to our pre-security time.

Next up: Day 1

 

[bee]

I showed you pics and the menu to my dh and now he also wants to go there. He said we may but that would mean dropping LTT. Decisions

Oooohhh, tough choice! I've never eaten at LTT as I usually don't do TS in MK. What do they have for you? Do they have a separate menu?

 

[Tiggerish]

Great report, lovely pictures, also appreciating the f&b reviews. How odd that the tarte a I'onion smelled and tasted like Thanksgiving!

We stayed at the Swan back in 1995 and it was the nicest hotel we'd ever stayed in at that point! The following year we bought DVC, but if I ever had to pay cash for a room, I'd certainly be happy to stay there again, especially having seen your pictures of the gorgeous updates to the rooms.

 

[bee]

Great report, lovely pictures, also appreciating the f&b reviews. How odd that the tarte a I'onion smelled and tasted like Thanksgiving!

We stayed at the Swan back in 1995 and it was the nicest hotel we'd ever stayed in at that point! The following year we bought DVC, but if I ever had to pay cash for a room, I'd certainly be happy to stay there again, especially having seen your pictures of the gorgeous updates to the rooms.

Thanks for following and I'm glad you are enjoying my report!

From now on the Swan and Dolphin are my go-to choices for Disney vacations. You can't beat the combination of amenities, price, and location in my opinion. I truly don't understand the snobbery around these parts against the Swan and Dolphin. But hey, if it means it's less crowded for me, everyone can keep hating on them and paying twice as much to stay at the Boardwalk.

 

[bee]

Day 2, cont.

WARNING: FLOWER PHOTO OVERLOAD!

We were able to get a FP for all five of us to ride the Vegetable Boat Ride. However, MIL didn’t feel like riding and instead went shopping at Mouse Gear. The four of us got in line and for some reason the CMs assigned us all to one row. It was a bit of tight squeeze for all of us but no complaints.

Littering with the Land

Fallen Java Apples

One baby pineapple

Next up: Green shirts and a Gran Tour

 

[bee]

Day 2, cont.

After the VBR we went to Mouse Gear to find MIL. We picked a postcard to send to M’s grandpa and were ready to move on to something else. Outside of MG there was a beautiful succulent display.

Loved this!

Oh yeah this looks just like a trash can let me stick my Mickey bar stick here

Throughout the day at Epcot we kept seeing kids in bright green t-shirts. They said something about Class of 2020 so I guess they were kids about to enter their freshman year of high school on a class trip.

We all wanted to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour so we walked toward Mexico. There was a huge hoard of the Green Shirts outside the pyramid!

HELP

But we made it inside and waited about ten minutes in line to ride GFT. BIL likes Donald and his phone camera lens is cracked (aka completely useless) so I took lots of pics for him.

This scene is new, right?

MIL loves giraffes! We had to stop and check out this one.

Next up: Spring rolls, sunsets, and sushi

 

[Figgy1]

Oooohhh, tough choice! I've never eaten at LTT as I usually don't do TS in MK. What do they have for you? Do they have a separate menu?

LTT has a veggie sandwich with vegan mayo and I've never been there. Such a hard choice. we're going to hop between MK and DHS that day. I do like the idea of not having to be some place at a set time.

 

[bee]

Day 2, cont.

After the ride we exited the pavilion and were all pretty hungry. Since we were so close to China the natural choice for M and me was the spring rolls at the kiosk. MIL and FIL wanted egg rolls (NOT spring rolls) so they got some from the QS in China and saved a table for us. BIL considered getting the bubble tea from Lotus Blossom but decided he wanted something from The Joy of Tea instead. He waited in line with us while we got spring rolls and bubble tea (not the beer kind) and so we waited with him while he waited at Joy of Tea.

He was intrigued by Tipsy Ducks in Love and we told him how much we liked it when we tried it last year. We egged him on to try it but he went with plain ol’ bubble tea instead (booooo!). We all ate inside at the table FIL and MIL were saving.

More spring rolls!!!

Waiting with BIL

Did I enjoy the snack?
Yes!

Would I eat it again?
Yes!

The entire time we were eating BIL kept talking about Tipsy Ducks but refused to buy one. So M and I bought one to share and let him try it. The sacrifices we make for the ones we love!

TIPSY DUCKS

It was delicious as always but BIL said it was too strong and that he was glad he didn’t get his own. So we drank most of it ourselves! It was after 8:00 by this point and we decided to all stay for Illuminations.

Did I enjoy the beverage?
Yes!

Would I drink it again?
Definitely!

At some point around this time one of the backstage gates in WS opened up and about six fur characters came out for an impromptu guest greeting. I know we saw Smee and Bolt and the rest were other less common characters. We watched them give lots of high fives and hugs to guests.

The sun was setting and we could see rain in the distance near the Swolphin.

Maybe I got carried away with the sunset pics!

M and I decided we wanted one more snack for the evening so I went to Katsura Grill to grab some veggie sushi. It was on the menu last time I checked online, but not on the menu inside the restaurant. I asked if they still had it, and they did! It was a very basic pre-made roll with avocado, cucumber, carrot, and...something else?

Outside Katsura Grill

Did I enjoy the snack?
Yes

Would I eat it again?
Maybe, if I was really craving sushi and QS in Epcot was the only option. It was decent and as fresh as a pre-made roll can be.

The parents were in the store in Japan, but while we were eating they kept walking around WS. Since we are faster than they are they knew we could catch up to them. Then the first drops started to fall, and we heard, “Ladies and Gentlemen, due to unfavorable weather conditions, this evening’s performance of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth has been delayed.”

Next up: ??FIREWORKS??

 

[ScarletBegonias]

okay.. what's in the Tipsy Ducks???

 

[bee]

Making that joyous trek from NJ to Westchester during rush hour again.

 

[bee]

okay.. what's in the Tipsy Ducks???

Bourbon, coffee, tea, and chocolate. Optional: topped with whipped cream

 

[Tiggerish]

okay.. what's in the Tipsy Ducks???

That's what I'd like to know, too!

 

[Tiggerish]

LOL, @bee, we've got some kind of connection! That's twice now we've been typing at the same time in this report!

BTW, yes, that is the new scene in GFT.

And there's no such thing as too many sunset pictures!!

 

[bee]

LOL, @bee, we've got some kind of connection! That's twice now we've been typing at the same time in this report!

BTW, yes, that is the new scene in GFT.

And there's no such thing as too many sunset pictures!!

Haha nice! And glad to know I'm not the only one who loves sunset photos!

 

[Figgy1]

Making that joyous trek from NJ to Westchester during rush hour again.

Sympathy like. I'm so sorry to hear that.

 

[MinnieM123]

Bourbon, coffee, tea, and chocolate. Optional: topped with whipped cream

Hey, whipped cream should not be optional--I love whipped cream on drinks or desserts! It's one of the five basic food groups, right?

Enjoyed the pictures of The Land. Maybe on a future trip to WDW, if you have time, the Behind the Seeds tour is something you may enjoy. It only takes around an hour and is approx. $20 per adult (they keep the groups small). Sign-up is at the desk near Soarin.

 

[bee]

Hey, whipped cream should not be optional--I love whipped cream on drinks or desserts! It's one of the five basic food groups, right?

Enjoyed the pictures of The Land. Maybe on a future trip to WDW, if you have time, the Behind the Seeds tour is something you may enjoy. It only takes around an hour and is approx. $20 per adult (they keep the groups small). Sign-up is at the desk near Soarin.

Thanks! We actually did the tour about two years ago and did enjoy it. I wonder if it changes from time to time and would be worth it to do again.

 

[MinnieM123]

Thanks! We actually did the tour about two years ago and did enjoy it. I wonder if it changes from time to time and would be worth it to do again.

Oh that's great to hear. Glad you enjoyed it. I've actually gone on the tour about 4 times now in the past 7 years or so. I just really enjoy it. Yes, there have been some slight changes that you'd notice if you haven't been in a few years, but basically it's still the same backstage, fun and educational experience.

 

[cornandacobb]

But then we noticed a swarm of bees on the side of the building!

See all those little dots against the building? BEES.

Not the bees!

 

[bee]

I am so, so saddened by the news of the shooting at Pulse. It is terrifying, yet not surprising, that we, the LGBT community, are still a target of such hate and violence. I feel an emptiness inside. Though I did not know any of the victims personally, at some moments the grief over losing so many in MY community makes me feel like my insides are collapsing into that emptiness. Please be kind to each other and hug your gay friends and family members and take every opportunity to make your life count.

 

[Mickey2422]

Just caught up on your report. Thanks for the great pics and for making me drool We love staying at the Swan or Dolphin - we stay during Food and Wine and love being able to walk back and forth from Epcot- as well as - Hollywood Studios. Looking forward to more of the report and more pics!!!