Trip Report COMPLETED: The Cold(s) Didn't Bother Us Anyway

...well, maybe it / they did bother us a little bit, but we can get into that later!

If you missed my pre-trip report, you can find it here: https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/what-am-i-getting-myself-into.934410/

Now let's get into the details:
WHO: Me (Kelli), my husband (Tim), son #1 (SJ) & son #2 (H)

WHEN: 1/15-1/20
WHERE: Disney's Pop Century Resort
WHY: Again, let's be real, this isn't necessary! But, if we really need a reason, I couldn't stand being away from my most favorite place any longer!! And, the kiddos were both "free" (as in, we didn't have to pay for tickets - but they eat about as much as a grown adult), so we had to take advantage before SJ turned 3. Also, on a personal note, the past couple of years have not necessarily been smooth sailing. We have overcome quite a lot of challenges, and we wanted to do something to celebrate! I can't think of any better way than to go to the happiest place on earth!

So, clearly we survived our crazy adventure, but did we stick to the plans, or did we wing it?! Was it "better than we expected"? (points for movie reference)

Only time will tell....

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

Your family photos in front of the Tree of Life at AK are making me melt. SOOOOOOOOOO cute!

Thanks! When I saw them on the MDE app I about died!

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

So we waited, and then waited some more, and then the show finally started again! Thank you Rivers of Light gods!

I didn’t take any pictures during the show, because I really wanted to experience it without any distractions. I think the boys really liked it, especially when all the animal floats came out. It was so special to watch the boys enjoying themselves in my favorite place! And it was so cool to be at Animal Kingdom after dark with everything lit up! As for the show, it definitely didn’t give me all the feels like I was hoping. I think I was still in “Disney shock”. Ya know the feeling? Like you can’t believe that after all the planning and waiting you are finally there (and already almost done with your first day)! It was visually stunning, but I can’t say much more than that. Would I see it again? Of course! I think if we sat more in the center of the theater it would be better because you could see a little bit more.
After Rivers of Light, we headed towards Dinoland as that is where they park all of the strollers. We went back to the prehistoric days and took a ride on Triceratop Spin.

Dinorama!

By now it was a little after 7pm and the park was closing at 8pm. I really wanted to check out Pandora at night to see what all the hype was about! We made the trek to the other side of the park, stopping for some pictures on the way.

We did not watch the Tree of Life lighting, but did pass by the back side on our way.

Next trip we will stick around for this!
We made it to Pandora and I was mentally preparing myself for the acid trip we were about to embark on!
It was cool to see, however, it’s hard to really enjoy yourself when there are SO MANY PEOPLE!! I have to admit, I fell asleep during Avatar, so I don’t get what all the excitement is about. But the colors were pretty, and I was eager to compare what it looks like during the day. And, I was really excited for FOP, but we will have to save that for another day.

We headed for the exit and soon a bus for Pop arrived. How was our first day done already!? It felt like we just arrived? Why can’t work days go by as fast as Disney days?
The boys got a bath when we got back to the hotel, and then we went to fill our resort mug and get some more to eat. Sorry! I can’t remember what we ate, but it wasn’t anything special. Back to the room we went and climbed into bed. We had another big day ahead of us, so we needed our rest!

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

1/17/18
SJ woke us up a little before the alarm, but I’m not complaining! Ready for another Disney day just like his mama! We got ready and headed to the bus. EPCOT here we come!! I think this might be my favorite park! It has a special place in my heart. Every trip before this, we have always started with EPCOT. I just love catching a glimpse of SE when pulling up in the morning!
The boys made friends with everyone on the bus. There was an older lady sitting next to Tim, and SJ loves anyone that looks like they could be a grandparent. She was the sweetest, and talked to SJ and H the whole ride!
We also struck up a conversation with someone from Rhode Island who said that they come every year in January and they have never seen it as busy as it was. Glad I’m not alone in thinking that!

Ugh, I seriously wish I could just wrap my arms around you and give you a big hug!! Is that too weird!?
I took the boys through the no bag line and Tim waited in bag check. Waiting is boring mom!

They finally let Tim through and we got in line. There was a very large non-English speaking group in the AP line, so that was entertaining to watch as they were clearly not AP holders.
We’ve made it!!

I was hoping to spend a lot of time at Festival of the Arts, but unfortunately we didn’t see nearly as much as I wanted. Photopass pictures before we had a date with some friends!

Pascal!! He’s such a cutie! You are too SJ!

Next we headed to EPCOT character spot to meet some characters. I had a FP for this, and I wanted to try out characters one more time before we decided to give up on it this trip. H did a little bit better towards the end, but there was not much of a change in SJ’s reaction. Next year boys! (Hint hint Tim!)

Up first was the main mouse in his classic attire! Minnie is so lucky to have him!

Moving on to Goofy!

Haha! Mom of the year dragging her kid to Goofy! (I promise, he was not harmed in any way possible)!

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

Finally we got to meet the sweetest gal ever!

She loved H’s shirt!

PRICELESS!!!!

So with that out of the way we made our way to The Land to grab some breakfast. I had the chocolate croissant and Tim shared the breakfast platter with the boys. Sorry! This is where I started getting really bad at forgetting to take food pictures, so thank you Google for having my back!

I finished eating and was itching to use our next FP. Tim could tell that I was getting antsy, so he let me go soar around the world! I was led into concourse A and waited to board my hang glider. This ride is so unique compared to anything else (other than FOP), but I agree with the majority of others...I miss the old Soarin’, especially the soundtrack! I mean, it was nice to see some new scenery and smell some new smells, but I was hoping for more! Who knows, maybe it will grow on me! I was really excited for Tim to ride now, but apparently the boys were not behaving and he had already left The Land by the time I was done. It didn’t seem like I was gone for that long, but two under 3 isn’t always smooth sailing! He was no longer interested in riding and I was super bummed. This is one con to going with young kids. But, we knew that going into it, so nothing we can do but move on with our day! Insert fake smile!
We had an early lunch to get to (still over an hour away), so we figured we might as well start making our way around the world.

There was one festival booth item that caught my eye when I was perusing menus before our trip. I love chai tea in any and all forms, so off to Deconstructed Dish we went! I give you the Deconstructed Breakfast: Twinings® Spiced Apple Chai Tea Shake with Maple Bourbon Cream, a Waffle Crisp and Candied Bacon!

OMG!!!! I wish I could take a bath in this and have a straw to drink it all! It was so good!!!! But, I was not a fan of that bacon. It’s not that it was bad. It just had this over-smoked flavor that didn’t pair well with the spice of the drink. That wasn’t stopping me from chugging this treat though!
As we were walking through each country, Tim and I made future plans to have a “us only” date whenever we come back with my family. Even on the two trips that we have been on just ourselves, we still have so much of World Showcase to see. And we have to drink around the world!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Loving it so far! You have an adorable family!

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

Loving it so far! You have an adorable family!

Awww thank you!! We are blessed!

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

So we continued our stroll around the world, making our way closer to our lunch spot. It was nice to take a leisurely pace for once and really just enjoy our time together. More photopass pictures!

Brothers!

For the first time in our trip, it was not crowded, so we just let the boys walk for a while. There was an older couple that walked by and just stopped and watched H take his time walking across the bridge. He just started walking around Christmas, so he’s still working on it, but it’s so cute!
Bonjour!

Next up, lunch! Another @Doc Disney recommendation - Via Napoli!! I was so excited for this! Tim is Italian and from New Jersey, so he was dying for a taste of the type of pizza he used to eat back home. However, the instant we walked in I had a feeling that this would not be an enjoyable experience. The boys were OFF THE WALL!
This was actually the meal I was most looking forward to...you choose now to meltdown! We were seated in the back and immediately pulled out the snack stockpile. This made them happy (at least for a moment).

Clearly, someone is tired!
We quickly perused the menu and decided on the piccante pizza. As we waited for our food, another party was seated at the table next to us (2 women on the booth side next to SJ and a man on the other side). They were older, so I assumed that our kids would try to make friends at some point. But, I was wrong, and things seemed to go downhill quickly.
First: SJ dropped his sippy cup and it landed on the floor at the feet of the lady next to him. No water spilled. The lady looked right at it and then went back to her conversation. Fine, don’t pick it up. I will just go over and invade your personal space and get it myself.
Second: the same lady leaves the table to use the restroom. She left her souvenir bag within SJ’s reach, but we didn’t even notice it until he was arm deep in the bag. Tim quickly took the bag and set it back on the booth, but some stuff was sticking out (he never actually took anything out and nothing ever fell out). She returns from the bathroom and says (in a sarcastic tone), “Ohhh! My stuff is somehow just falling out of my bag!”
Ok lady!! Now I am the type of person to just brush things off and not create conflict, but I was close to my breaking point. It would have been a little better if the kids weren’t melting down at the same time.
Finally our pizza came and it looked (and tasted) delicious!! You really can taste the water in the crust! Google saves my butt again, as taking a food pic was the last thing on my mind!

This made Tim happy for a moment (as he was more upset than me about our current situation). He said it really was like the pizza he used to love as a kid!
We were just about finished, but not without a final comment from the peanut gallery!
Third: SJ coughed, and she says, “Ew! I hope I don’t get sick!”
I’m sorry, but at this point, we were done! I understand that not everyone likes children (but if you go to Disney World you should at least tolerate them) and I totally get that mine take after their father and are loud Italians. But, we are technically in Italy, so it should be okay, right!
Regardless of where you are, I find the way she acted totally rude and uncalled for. Our meal already started off on the wrong foot, but we can deal with our kids. When a complete stranger thinks it is okay to just voice their opinions about my child like that, mama bear comes out! I didn’t say anything to her (even though I really wanted to giver her a piece of my mind) because that’s just not me, and Tim got up and took the kids out before anything more could happen. Our bill could not come soon enough! I quickly paid and made my way out to meet up with Tim and the boys. It was so disappointing. I can’t say anything but great things about the food and cast members! It was just unfortunate that we had a bad experience because of other people dining next to us. (Or maybe I’m just being sensitive).

 

[DisneyDaver]

(Or maybe I’m just being sensitive).

You are not being sensitive. What a rude woman!

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

You are not being sensitive. What a rude woman!

Thanks!

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

Moving on from our not so pleasant lunch, we completed our trip around the world.

H fell asleep shortly after lunch...one down, one to go! SJ seemed to have regained his energy, so we stopped at the Outpost to let him explore for a while. He had a lot of fun, and I think he was happy to not be constrained to a seat for a bit!

I didn’t get a FP for Frozen, and I could honestly take it or leave it. From what I’ve read, it seems like Disney was trying harder to open the attraction than really complete every detail. I know, I know, it’s still a nice ride. But, I wasn’t about to wait 90 minutes for something that sounded like it was incomplete. So, with that, SJ and I took a little ride with Donald! I actually really love this ride, and I can’t get enough of that Donald piñata! Although I haven’t seen Coco and I have heard great things about it, I really don’t want to see it take this over (like it has the entrance of the Mexico pavilion).

Boat selfie! I loved this little one on one time with him. He’s so sweet!
We had one more FP left, so we made our way back to Future World. But first, Club Cool! This is an experience that is a must do for us each trip. I personally feel they need to redo this area because it is just too small! This is one of Tim’s favorites because it is the only place he can get his beloved Beverly! So gross! He was looking forward to torturing our kids with the nasty stuff, but, they liked it! H even asked for seconds (and thirds)! Must be that Italian blood they have. I tried to buy Beverly for him for Christmas one year, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I researched to see if there was anything similar out there, and it turns out San Pellegrino makes a drink called Chinotto.

I found it for him, and I think it was his favorite Christmas gift that year. So for all you Beverly lovers out there, there ya go!
We left Club Cool and ran into some old friends!

We go way back to the days when I used to watch Muppet Babies!! Who’s with me!? I loved that show! We didn’t end up staying for the whole thing, but what we watched was funny.
Now it was time for our last FP...Spaceship Earth!

We got in line, and there was a group of 4 Spanish speaking teenage girls. Mickey lit up for 3 out of the 4. One of them didn’t have a FP and had to get out of the line. Now, I don’t speak Spanish, but being a teenage girl at one point back in the day, I don’t think things were going to go well when they met up after the ride.
I didn’t take any pictures of our time travel experience. But, when we got to the scene with the Arab and Jewish scholars, all I could think of was that the guy was wearing a garlic bulb hat! I’m pretty sure this was thanks to @Tuvalu but I could be wrong!
I find it interesting we always talk about how Soarin’ and now FOP immerse you even more because they’ve introduced the sense of smell in the experience. But, that is nothing new at all! Disney has been doing that forever when you think about Rome burning in SE and the fire in POTC! This is what I love about Disney! They aren’t just rides. They truly are attractions - pulling in all five senses to create an experience and put you right in the scene.
At the end of our journey, I had a future by myself because H wasn’t tall enough to be caught by the camera. We exited, and there it was...the bubblegum wall!! I had been telling Tim all about the different Instagram walls and how we needed to get pictures at all of them. We were going to take a selfie, but then a nice couple came up and asked if we wanted them to take our picture. I’m so glad she offered, because this is one of my favorites from the entire trip!

But, this was the only IG wall we got to while we were there! We did walk by the infamous purple wall, but it was already dark out.
With that, we headed out and embarked on our next adventure. Where should we go!?

 

[riverside]

She was extremely rude. I know no one is perfect but I often wonder how people can feel good about themselves acting like that.

 

[DisneyDaver]

I'm enjoying reading your report. I'm going to WDW in November and my kids will be about the age of your kids then (mine will be 2.5 and 13 months) so I'm envisioning a similar trip. That said, as a Michigan Wolverine, I'm looking forward to photos without that MSU shirt!

 

[becca_]

What an awful lady!! I hate when people are like that... it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth!!

 

[Tuvalu]

@TrolleyFollower91 first dubbed him “garlic bulb hat” man.

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

She was extremely rude. I know no one is perfect but I often wonder how people can feel good about themselves acting like that.

My thoughts exactly!

What an awful lady!! I hate when people are like that... it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth!!

Yes it does! I just don’t get the reasoning behind it.

@TrolleyFollower91 first dubbed him “garlic bulb hat” man.

I knew it was one of you! Thanks for the laugh!

I'm enjoying reading your report. I'm going to WDW in November and my kids will be about the age of your kids then (mine will be 2.5 and 13 months) so I'm envisioning a similar trip. That said, as a Michigan Wolverine, I'm looking forward to photos without that MSU shirt!

Thanks for following along! Let me know if you have questions or need advice. Even though we didn’t get to do what we normally do, it was awesome to watch our kids loving every moment!
As for my choice of attire, I will keep most of my comments to myself.
Although, I assume you will be packing a wardrobe of U of M shirts and khakis!?

 

[DisneyDaver]

As for my choice of attire, I will keep most of my comments to myself.
Although, I assume you will be packing a wardrobe of U of M shirts and khakis!?

A wardrobe of UofM shirts and jeans for me ... don't stereotype

Looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip!

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

Sorry I haven't posted in a bit...things have been crazy at home (SJ started preschool , and I had a pretty big job interview ). More to come soon, I promise!

 

[MeeskaMooska0714]

Alright, let’s get back to it!

We left EPCOT and embarked on our next adventure. But not before stopping at Joffreys for a little pick me up. Extra shot of espresso please! And then, we got to hear this little gem: “Please stand clear of the door", "Por favor, mantengase alejado de las puertas.” I could ride this all day and still be happy! Actually, we did get to do this a little bit on our last trip because we had a day to resort hop. If you’ve never gotten the chance to just check out all the resorts, I highly recommend it!

So, we got to the TTC, but should we take the monorail or the boat to Magic Kingdom?! I personally love taking the boat and getting that perfect view of Cinderella castle, but we opted for the monorail this time. Hello monorail salmon? Or is it coral?

We quickly made it through security, and we were off!

So we meet again!

While we were on the monorail I snagged a FP for another new experience for us. We headed through Tomorrowland and into Fantasyland for The Barnstormer! Officially SJs first roller coaster, so we had no idea what we were in for. I decided to ride with him first, so Tim and H parked in a spot to watch. We climbed in our train (or plane) and we were off. I could tell he was nervous because he just kind of froze. I kid you not, he didn’t unfreeze until the ride stopped! I had to put my hand on his heart to make sure it was still beating! Yep, we’re good! We got off and exited and then he freaked out like he did whenever we got off of a ride, so I knew he liked it! Round 2!

While I waited for Tim and SJ to ride, I was able to get a FP to hang in the Hundred Acre Wood. The boys had a lot of fun on this one (I mean, who doesn’t love bouncing with Tigger!?). Next up, a ride on the most beautiful horses ever! This was a hit too!

SJ started doing this every time you asked him to smile. Cheese!!!!
After the carousel, we crossed over to Mickey’s Philharmagic because the show was close to starting. I love all the posters in the queue of this show!
Cheese!

H loved bouncing up and down to the music and all the different effects. It was so much fun watching him dance...and then you have SJ next to me...snoozing away! Nothing like a nap at almost dinner time! At least he wasn’t sleep eating this time!
We had left the stroller parked by the carousel, so we headed back that way. As we were packing up the boys, there was apparently some sort of “scooter accident”. We didn’t see what happened, but from what we could get from stalking, the driver of the scooter made it sound like someone walked into them. Not sure how that happens, but, she was mostly upset because she had a bucket of popcorn in her basket. It flew out after the crash and she couldn’t find the lid to her bucket. It was this huge fiasco and people with her were like, “she can’t find her lid!!”. First world problems I guess!
We continued on (but not before I pointed out the coveted lid)! #lifesaver
Alright, now we had some bathrooms to get to! How I never knew these existed on my last trip is beyond me!

So beautiful, but even more so at dusk! At last, I saw the lights!! But, I missed @becca_ ! Per her trip report, she was likely here around the same time! And I missed her by minutes later in the night too!
The boys were sleeping, so we figured we would enjoy our time together and get some food that we didn’t have to share! Tim was on a mission for his favorite treat, and I had something in mind for myself. Any guesses!?

 

[ELeigh]

We climbed in our train (or plane) and we were off. I could tell he was nervous because he just kind of froze. I kid you not, he didn’t unfreeze until the ride stopped! I had to put my hand on his heart to make sure it was still beating! Yep, we’re good! We got off and exited and then he freaked out like he did whenever we got off of a ride, so I knew he liked it! Round 2!

How exciting for his first roller coaster! My two year old had the same reaction when he went on his first roller coaster but then he asked to ride again. Now on your next trip hopefully all four f you can ride together

 

[becca_]

I'm so mad we were literally SO close to meeting!! According to my time stamps on my pictures, we were at the Tangled bathrooms at 5:40pm, and HM around 8:30