Down where it's Wetter, the Cupcakes are Better; Take it from Me! June 2013 TR

Hi there, good to see you! Hello, welcome! This trip report includes tales of rain, sunshine, and of course lots and lots of food!

Cast: The group this time around is the Three Amigos. There is me, the 21-year-old photographer, writer, and all around Disney-nut. I go by Emily to the Non-Disneyites in the world. Next would be my wonderful mom, Tuvalu, the extraordinary planner and guide (and just may be a bigger nut than myself)! Finally we have my dad, chauffer, Disney-convert, and bread winner that allows my mom and me to take all these trips! Unfortunately, my dad ended up having to work a lot on this trip (he considered it a working vacay), so his involvement in the TR will be somewhat limited.

Reasoning: Why not, right? Actually, we have our annual big WDW vacation scheduled for August (we take shorter jaunts to the world throughout the year, but August is always our long “vacation”). However, with my trip to Disneyland in March, I had not been back to the World since December and that was just too long! I slyly convinced my parents that we should “bookend” the summer with trips to Disney. I’m so sneaky! :D

Logistics: Since this was a short trip, it needed to be done on the cheap. Originally we were booked 4 nights at POFQ. However, that just wasn’t going to cut it, so my dad used his Hilton points to book us a free night at the Doubletree Downtown Disney on the front end of the trip. Score! But wait, it turns out the original departure date wasn’t going to correspond with Dad’s work schedule. o_O I guess we’ll have to leave a day earlier. He actually had enough points to book a 2-night stay at the Hilton Bonnet Creek. So a 4-night jaunt turned into a 6-night jaunt! :D The first 2 nights were at Hilton Bonnet Creek and the last 4 nights were at POFQ.

Alright, enough jibber jabber. Everybody neat and pretty? Then, on with the show!

6/3: Departure day

My alarm went off at 5:45- early, but that’s okay since we were leaving for Disney! We pulled out of our driveway at 6:15 in order to avoid Atlanta Rush hour traffic. I promptly fell back asleep and awoke as we were pulling into breakfast at the glorious Chick fil A! A chicken biscuit and full bellies later, we got back on I-75 anticipating the dull drive through South Georgia. Dad had a teleconference to attend so he was shunned to the back seat while Mom and I gabbed up front (quietly, of course!).

We stopped in Gainesville for lunch at Bono’s BBQ to redeem a coupon we had received there in December. The food was out fast and delicious (love me some BBQ) and we were back on the road within a half hour. Around 2:30 we got a glimpse of this:


Hooray, we made it!


Dad checked us in and we headed up to the room. We were on the 14th floor with a view of the Studios, Art of Animation/Pop, and Epcot. The room was really nice (even better that it was free!).







Plus, it had a great pool!




Oh hey Studios/AK!

Mom and I literally threw on our suits and were out the door to try to beat the rain. Fortunately, it didn’t rain. However, it was super cloudy and we didn’t get much sun. We went around the lazy river a couple of times and then headed back inside.

I have recently gotten in to running, so I hit up the fitness center in order to cancel out some of the anticipated calories to be consumed throughout the week. Then it was time to shower, change, and head out to dinner!

We headed off property, which is usually forbidden on my Disney vacations. However, since we were staying off property and weren’t heading into a park that day, I allowed it. We ate at Pizzeria Uno which is one of our favorites. We got a deep dish with pepperoni, onion, and roasted red pepper. I was so excited to dig in that I totally forgot to take a picture! It was absolutely delish.

However, I didn’t forget to take a picture of the much anticipated dessert!



As you can tell we had a hard time finishing it.



After that, we went back to the room and had a spectacular sunset!



We watched Cake Boss and Little People, Big World before hitting the sack.


Next up: A trip to the MK and crossing food off the list!
 

~Tinkerbell~

Well-Known Member
Great trip report. I'm particularly enjoying the pictures and descriptions of the food! It looks like you had a wonderful time :) I'm also surprised that you had never tried Nutella before - I adore it! But I'm glad you enjoyed your first experience of it (despite the squirrel).
 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We find the new bakery at France less than desirable, the "new" ne
polians are completely disappointing. We never make a special trip to get them anymore as they are the same ones sold at my local Publix.....

I'm a huge fan of Publix baked goods, but I understand the disappointment of not getting to eat that "special" Disney treat.

Great title! Looking forward to the rest, hope the bus service got better.

Thanks for reading! We only had a couple of bad experiences, the rest were okay. It's great to have a car on property to be able to drive yourself.

Great trip report. I'm particularly enjoying the pictures and descriptions of the food! It looks like you had a wonderful time :) I'm also surprised that you had never tried Nutella before - I adore it! But I'm glad you enjoyed your first experience of it (despite the squirrel).

Thanks for reading! And food is a huge part of my Disney vacations, so clearly I like to tell people about it :D. And I will be having that waffle again!!

Great report. I'm loving all the food pics!

Thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun taking the pictures!!
 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We got back to the room, took a quick power nap, and headed to the MK.



We had 5:35 reservations at my all-time favorite WDW restaurant- The Plaza! We eat here usually more than once per trip (I think our record was three times). And due to that, our waiter recognized us…I swear we have never been recognized so much by Disney Cast Members before!





We all started off with a round of chocolate shakes:



These are my favorite desserts. There is no place on property (or in the world) that makes a shake as dark or as rich. They’re the reason I’ve started running 4 miles every day!!

I had the Vegetarian Sandwich, which ironically I’ve never had before. I usually go with the Club, but switched it up this time. It did not disappoint!



Mom had the turkey sandwich, but she got sourdough instead of the five grain.



Dad indulged in the cheesesteak (he knows by now to let me take a picture of it first!)



After dinner, we waddled our way to Frontierland in hopes of riding BTMRR, but the wait time was prohibitive. Splash was down, so I took advantage of the opportunity to take some people-less cue pics.





We decided, once again, on POTC.





 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Random Frontierland shots:





After that, we caught the Country Bear Jamboree.









Does anyone else think they made Liverlips McGraw a little too Emo?



After that, we waited in line for the Haunted Mansion.





When we came out of the Mansion, the sunset was stellar, and I grabbed a couple shots of the Tangled Toilets and the back of the Castle.





We thought about staying for MSEP but instead decided to get some libations at the Tambu Lounge and then watch Wishes from the beach.

Here’s my Tropical Macaw, which looked much cooler in person than the photograph:



I then decided to put the camera away and enjoy the fireworks. We’re staying at Poly in August, so I’ll have plenty of time to try fireworks photography then.

After we dried our tears from our favorite nighttime spectacular, we headed back to POFQ.

Up next: Our last Disney Day.
 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
6/8: Conquering the “list”, scary storms, and a magical night!

This morning I tried something new for breakfast: beignets. I had been debating all week whether or not to try them, and I just wasn’t sure I would like them.



Verdict: they were okay, but never again for breakfast. After an hour or so my sugar high wore off and I got that sick feeling of needing real food. I equated the beignets to eating spoonfuls of powdered sugar.

We decided to drive to Epcot and arrived just prior to park opening, and we experienced the downside of the RFID entrances. I could tell the people in front of us in line did not have correct tickets to go through the RFID entrance. They had bought them at the Disney Store, and though a character’s face was on the front, they were not green. We tried to tell them that they had to go to a turnstile, but they assured us they used them in the MK yesterday. We wait 15 minutes in line and finally see the RFID entrance (touchpads? Golden posts?). Sure enough, their tickets did not work. Plus they had like a hundred kids (ok, maybe 3) but they were going in all sorts of directions, they were confused and were eventually sent to the magic iPad Cast Member. Meanwhile, I could have walked right into Epcot without a ticket it was so chaotic. Every cast member was distracted and could care less if the Mickey symbol turned green before I entered. Hopefully these bugs work out soon

Note to TR readers: if you buy plastic tickets at the Disney Store, they will NOT work at the RFID entrance.

We finally made our way into the park and went straight here:



An attraction I like, but will not wait the exorbitant wait times for. Plus, I just rode it in California which is SO much better.

From there we went to the obvious next destination: Living with the Land!









Then we went to Spaceship Earth where I tried some dark ride photos to keep myself awake.





I love this ride, but it’s cool and dark- just a waiting invitation for a nap!






Does anyone else think this guy has major chicken legs?



 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Then we decided to check out TT2.0. The single rider line was doable, so we hopped in. None of us were super impressed when we rode it in December, but we decided to give it another shot.

I did get to see this little treasure. I see you peeking out at me World of Motion!



I feel like I am in a video game.





Verdict on the second trip? Ehhh, just okay. Like the high-speed loop but to me it’s the same ride without the cheesy narration (which was my favorite part!)

After that, it was time to head to lunch! We made our way to Italy for our 11:30 lunch at Via Napoli. This is my second favorite country behind France for its photographic interest!











We had the margherita with roasted red peppers. It was awesome!



Our view from the table:







We strolled through the rest of World Showcase, exited the International Gateway, and made our way to cross the final treat off my list. Any guesses? :D
 

Tiggerish

Resident Redhead
Premium Member
First: your photos are just stunning. All of them. Especially those two sunset at MK shots.

Randomly:
Chocolate shakes....yummmm

Emo liverlips made me LOL

Yes! on the chicken legs--I've always had the same thought!

Dang, that pizza looks good. Being from NY, I've been figuratively snubbing Via Napoli--I might have to rethink that based on your pic.

I'm gonna guess something at Beaches & Cream?
 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Great trip report and pictures!
Thanks, fractal!

First: your photos are just stunning. All of them. Especially those two sunset at MK shots.

Randomly:
Chocolate shakes....yummmm

Emo liverlips made me LOL

Yes! on the chicken legs--I've always had the same thought!

Dang, that pizza looks good. Being from NY, I've been figuratively snubbing Via Napoli--I might have to rethink that based on your pic.

I'm gonna guess something at Beaches & Cream?
Thanks so much! I'm always striving to take better pictures. And seriously, they changed Liverlips to look so bad. It's almost like whoever dressed him did it as a joke. And I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks that guy has chicken legs! It bothers me every time I ride.

That pizza is seriously delicious. My grandpa is from Long Island, is super particular about his pizza, and loved pizza from Via Napoli. It's definitely not NY pizza, but it is really good!?

And your guess may be a pretty good one!!

Once again, I loved reading the next instalment of your trip report! You've taken some stunning photos, my favourite is this one I think:
Thanks so much for your comments! I'm so honored you like my photo. That's actually my favorite landscape shot from the trip. Thanks for reading! I should be able to wrap up in the next couple days.


Wow, why are you keeping us waiting, what is the next special snack?
Hehe, it's what keeps the readers coming back! :)
 

jkl2000

Well-Known Member
I must admit- I am a Nutella convert! I never thought i would like it as much as I actually did :)

Someone in another post up there said it might be good with peanut butter - IMO Nutella is better on its own than with peanut butter. It already has nuts in it - it has more hazelnuts than it does cocoa. Probably great with Marshmallow Fluff, but I haven't tried that.
 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Someone in another post up there said it might be good with peanut butter - IMO Nutella is better on its own than with peanut butter. It already has nuts in it - it has more hazelnuts than it does cocoa. Probably great with Marshmallow Fluff, but I haven't tried that.
Ooooooh I love the idea of eating it with Fluff! I actually love dipping fruit into it :D
 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster


We made it! The wait was 45 minutes to an hour, but I would wait for this ice cream! It actually only ended up being 25ish minutes and we had a table in the shade, so it was a great wait.





We were sat at the counter and I was shocked at how tiny the restaurant actually was. It had been several years since I had eaten there- I love the atmosphere but I don’t know what Imagineer thought it was an appropriate size for the number of rooms at Yacht and Beach.


Instagrammin’

I love the menus:



What we’re here for!



We (obviously) just got ice cream.

Mom got a chocolate sundae with marshmallow. She thought it tasted good, but we all thought the presentation left something to be desired.



Dad got the Milky Way Sundae.



I got this bad boy:



The No Way Jose!! Let me tell you, it lived up to the expectation. I’m a little ashamed to say that I ate the whole thing, but at the same time it was totally worth it. :D I think next time I’m going to get all chocolate ice cream instead of chocolate and vanilla to put it over the top.

We then strolled back through Epcot to the car and took some pictures along the way.





We then drove back to POFQ where Mom and I were hoping to get some pool time. We suited up, sunscreened, went to the pool and were greeted by the most massive black clouds I have ever seen. These were serious storm clouds. We opted for Plan B- napping in the room.

While we napped it rained, poured, thundered and lightning-ed like I have never heard it. Did you read those threads about the raining shutting down the MK? Yeah, that was this storm. It was serious business.

We thought it might pass through, but it turned into a slow, steady rain. We grabbed our rain gear and drove to PORS to eat in the River Mill Food Court. I love the make-your-own pasta. That turned out to be a terrible decision- the places was MOBBED. :eek: I got my pasta, but it was barely heated up. I didn’t take any pictures because by the time we fought the crowd for a table I was so hungry I forgot.
 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Dad went back to POFQ to do a late-night meeting and Mom and I sucked it up to head to MK on our last night.

The rain had slowed and it wasn’t too annoying. In fact, it eventually stopped by 9:00. We were shocked at the emptiness of the Magic Kingdom. It was like I had been transported back to the 1990s when the parks weren’t nuts at the end of the night. All the E-ticket rides had less than a 15 minute wait.

Mom and I love to ride TTA at night, so it was our mission to ride. Unfortunately, it was non-operable and it wasn’t until we got home and read the forums that we realized the power was out. :( We settled for Buzz Lightyear.


We’ll rendezvous at Planet Z!

Next we went to Pooh and sympathized with the residents of the 100 Acre Wood during the flood scene.



We rode it’s a small world one more time before making our way to the watch Wishes, since it was 9:45.



We decided to take the Liberty Square Bridge around to the front of Crystal Palace to watch the show. However, we soon realized we were stuck because MSEP must have had a delayed start. We got to watch the whole show- such a surprise!



After the parade, we made our way to Crystal Palace where Celebrate the Magic was just beginning. It was okay, but I like the song from MMY better. Then we watched Wishes and sang along with the soundtrack. We had the last-night blues!


Until August, Castle!

When Wishes concluded, we stopped at the Confectionary for some snacks for the brother and an M&M chocolate covered pretzel for me, which I happily ate on the bus ride back to POFQ.

Up Next: Departure Day and Final thoughts
 

TrolleyFollower91

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
6/9: Departure Day
We “slept in” because of our late night. Usually we are on the road back home by 7:15, however it was 8:30 this morning. It was sad to leave the beautiful sunny skies but it helped that we only had 55 days till we returned! We drove through, you guessed it, rain and enjoyed our cookie from the France Bakery. We were home by late afternoon.

Final Thoughts
Despite the rain, I had a blast eating my way around the world this trip. It was so fun to try “unique” snacks that I didn’t know existed despite my 50 or so trips. It was a great way to kick-off an extremely busy summer, and it was great knowing we still have our Big Kahuna vacation left in August! (It definitely made it ever-so-slightly easier to leave!) I appreciate you taking the time out to read my report, and hopefully you’ll hear about our August adventure soon!

Y’all Come Back, Ya Hear? :D
 

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