Trip Report Hakunamatata's Ultra .000001%er 2017 "Whats All This Pandoramonium About?" Trip Report

(This trip takes place May 25, 2017 through June 11, 2017).

This year the 'matata family is celebrating a few milestones (I really hope to get one of those special "milestone celebration" magical fastpasses). One of which is the daughter turned 18 this last fall. We were initially going to do a Disney cruise but a couple people in the family have iffy constitutions and likely would have been life flighted off the ship half way through due to severe motion sickness and claustrophobia. So we elected instead to do an extended land vacation at Universal (3 days) and Walt Disney World (11 days).

We will be driving to our destination via our Honda Pilot SUV. During our Universal portion of the trip we will be staying at the gorgeous TownPlace Suites - Flamingo Crossings. During the WDW portion of our trip we will be staying at Disneys Polynesian Village Resort and Fruity Adult Beverage Oasis. Way back in the day when vacationing as a young chap I remember the monorail trip from the TTC to the MK, passing over the Poly thinking to myself, "self, hopefully you will stay there one day before they take out the big lobby water fountain and create DVC rooms and pier top huts over the aligator infested waters of Seven Seas Lagoon". Well, didnt make it before some of those things happened, but I am going to get to stay there none the less.

I hope to be able to "live" report during our trip. We were not expecting to be there during the grand reveal of The World of Pandora, but I am looking forward to the sparkly bling of a jewelry themed land. For the benefit of all that follow, know that I will have received countless eye roles and stink-eye looks bringing you this live report as well as a number of "your taking a picture of that?" and "another churro?" questioning.

So in the words of Walt Disney....."For all those who come to this happy place, we accept cash and credit cards only, no checks please".

Enjoy!

 

[Hakunamatata]

Clearly Fake News. There aren't nearly enough burned out bulbs in any of those pictures.

#photoshop

 

[Bob]

I was hoping to have a Schoferhoffer as we passed through Germany but the stand they sell it at was closed due to rain. @Bob heads up for your trip later this fall.

Not trying to jinx myself but we've never experienced rain at WDW during our previous early Dec trips.

<knocks on wood>

It's one of the many reasons why that is our favorite time to visit The World....along with lesser crowds, holiday decorations and cooler temps.

Duly noted that they close up the beer stand at the Germany Pavilion during bouts of precipitation.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I finally got around to putting finishing touches on the last few days of trip report.

Overall we had a great time. The rains really put a damper on FP use as major attractions went down due to rain. I really think Disney needs to consider that weather has a much larger impact than it used to because everything is so much more scheduled out and if a ride goes down it can mess with your day. Dining was good. We did way more table service since we did dining plan than we would have most likely. I think Disney does need some additional counter service options with non burger menus. The Pandora counter service and Pecos counter services were the best. Food pricing for counter service I think was reasonable. Looking at menu prices for table service is high, but I think thats because of the need to make the dining plan look like a deal. I make these observations based on a second trip we took in the last week which I will comment on in another post.

Im glad we were able to experience some classics that are changing and attractions that are leaving. With all the new stuff coming up and with what im sure will be a crazy year after SW Land opens, I think we are probably not going to be back until after 2019/2020.

I hope you all enjoyed this semi as-it-happened trip report.

 

[Bob]

I hope you all enjoyed this semi as-it-happened trip report.

 

[Hakunamatata]

So this past week we had an extended family trip to Arizona. We celebrated my dad's 80th birthday and he wanted to take the grandkids to the Grand Canyon.

We met dad, his wife (my mon passed away about 7 years ago and dad remarried) abd ky sister and her husband and kids in Sedona on Saturday. They flew from Texas and we drove from Kansas. We spent Friday night in Amarillo Tx and had dinner at The Big Texan Steakhouse (google it if you have never heard of it. It has a back story of its own). Sedona is beautiful.

Great little town and nice old town shopping district.

We checked into Maswik Lodge on Sunday in the Grand Canyon Village. On a side note, I was on day two of a sinus infection and was feeling like crap. Monday we did a sunset tour after hiking the South Rim from the visitors center to the Bright Angel Trail Head.

Tuesday we did a float down the Colorado River through Colorado River Discovery. Four hour float that starts at the base of Glen Canyon Dam.

Breathtaking. Just amazing.

Wednesday was a morning tour of Hermits Rest.

Wednesday night we had dinner at El Tovar Hotel restaurant.

Really nice dinner and great ending to a great trip. Allot of history at the El Tovar and park in general.

We parted ways with the other part of the family to start our trip back. We headed to Cameron and stopped at the Little Colorado River Gorge overlook and Navajo market.

Picked up some really cool Native American stuff there versus buying it at one of the bigger retail places. Had Navajo Fry Bread at Cameron Trading Post at lunch. That stuff is tasty. Its the base of this desert and is like a thick benet.

We drove through the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert then spent the night in Gallup NM. We had dinner at El Ranchero on Route 66 which is famous for being a central hub back in the day when filming westerns.

I bring this up partly because without a doubt, the food at the Grand Canyon lodges was as expensive, if not more expensive than Disney and the quality was inferior. Tshirt pricing was just as expensive as Disney.

 

[Bob]

I bring this up partly because without a doubt, the food at the Grand Canyon lodges was as expensive, if not more expensive than Disney and the quality was inferior. Tshirt pricing was just as expensive as Disney.

Don't let TDO know about this.....they'll get jealous that they're being outdone.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Don't let TDO know about this.....they'll get jealous that they're being outdone.

I can say that there were no strobe lights on the grand canyon....