Trip Report Hot, wet, sunny, and too much time in Chilis; a June 2013 Trip Report

Hi folks!
This is my first ever full trip report so I hope you all enjoy it.
We’ve had a fabulous 2 weeks in sunny, slightly rainy, but mostly hot Orlando. We’ve had a lot of new experiences during our trip, more probably for hubster, and most for my parents.
If you would like to read my pre trip report, it’s here:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/its-got-so-bad-theres-even-a-jar-involved-june-2013-ptr.862626/

So we’re not ones to completely focus on Disney on a holiday, but we’ve certainly done more Disney than anything else this trip. I wanted to make sure I got in as much as possible so my planning started at 380 days out, including booking reservations on Christmas and Boxing day, and plenty of scouring the forum for ideas. Sad to say I haven’t been able to fulfill them all (Push you little minx, you alluded me once again!) but have still had plenty of new experiences.

We’ve had a 2 week stay at the Enclave Suites on Carrier Drive which is just off International Drive. Oh boy do I wish we had driven this trip. $12 per person to get to and from the World. No room tax though, but still. And because of all the rain we’ve had, it would have been just swell to have had a dry pair of shoes and clothes waiting in a car on more than one occasion.

I also took 3030 photos on this trip! I said I wanted to take more, but wow, I wasn't expecting to finish with 3030. This isn't including the ones took on James' phone either! Wowza.

Incase you haven’t read my PTR, the cast is as follows:

Me, Clare. 24 years young, dental nurse and Disney nut!

DH, James, 33 years young, dental technician, prefers white knuckle rides to Disney, but is still happy to participate in the goings on in the World.

My Mom, Yvonne, 61 years young, accounts clerk, likes Disney but not so much the heat.
And finally, My Dad, Clive, 63 years young, warehouse man, goes wherever the two women want him to go!



Coming up, Day 0: Longest work day EVER and driving down to London baby!

 

[pumpkin7]

Buzz, where's your face gone??



WANTED! EMPEROR ZURG!



Yay, fluorescent aliens!





Woohoo I won this one!



Hi Buzz



Me and Zurgy. I didn't want to go inbetween the bars incase I got stuck haha.



And look who was Meetin' and Greetin' outside? Buzz!





I'm Buzzzz Lightyear



Haha



The show was on at the castle stage so we stood and watched for a bit. I just love how they talk an blink. So realistic.










We decided, after learning the other day that a FP would be a good idea, we headed toward Splash to get FP and to ride BTM.





I also got a shot of Liberty Tree Tavern where we ate the other day.

 

[pumpkin7]

Oh and just to confuse everyone, I have two tops today. One is my Mickey T shirt, and my brown top too. I just didn't want to get cold....



As the band came out, Chip n Dale also came out. It was such a cute character moment as Dale started walking along with the band playing air guitar. It was so cute!



Hugs!



Anyway, I went and stood for our picture, and Chip started pointing at my belly, and then pointing at his arm. He kept doing it, and then Dale started doing it too. I was just completely lost as to what on earth they were on about. Which you can tell by this picture below...





Huh/??



Eventually the photopass photographer said 'They're saying that you're the same colour, you have the same colour top and fur!' OMG did I feel like a complete idiot! She said 'all you need is the black and while stripes'. I really should have asked if I could be an honourary chipmunk but I didn't think of this until after. I was so embarrassed lol!



Ah but I love Chip n Dale, they're probably my favourite characters and I'm sure they get idiots like me all the time.

And the CM chopped off our legs... oh well.



We stood and watched the band playing. It's great to see they're the same guys as when they played to us on our honeymoon.



I was king of gutted Donald wasn't out. Why was he being so illusive?

We picked up our FPs for Splash, and headed over to BTM

30 minutes! Score. We joined the queue.





I love all the new stuff they've added into the queue. It makes it a much more interesting, and seems to go quicker too.









I love the 'explosions' that you can make. Pretty neat.

 

[pumpkin7]

We had Prime Seating!



Yussssss.

Next up was Splash, FP stylie.



I LOVE SPLASH!!



A lot of the stuff that wasn't working on our last ride through was working today, apart from the Brer Rabbit before the drop. Someone needs to put his mouth back in!

Next up, Country Bear Jambouree!



Right, now, I'm all for packing out the auditorium, but we were sat waiting for them to do so for about 5 minutes. I'm not joking, we were sat in silence, no music again, being told to constantly move over (which people still didn't do!!!!) waiting for them to completely ram the auditorium with people. I'm not being funny, but I thought they shortened the show so that they could play more shows per hour? With all the waiting to fill the seats, they could have played the entire original show, and then some! This really gets on my nerves! Eventually, they started the show.

















For the record, his eyebrows no longer move at the end of his song. Epic fail. Surely that's not a difficult mechanism to keep moving?!



And then, the chaos began.
It had started raining outside, heavily. Obviously the exit area for the bears isn't massive, so aaalll the people who had been rammed into the auditorium had nowhere to go. They'd already started seating people for the next show, but we had no where to go, so we were still stood inside the auditorium. The CM was yelling at people to move down, move away, but because the people in the restaurant weren't moving, we couldn't move. They waited a few minutes and still we hadn't moved. Still the CM was 'move down! Please move all the way out!' In the end someone in front of us said to him 'we would mate, if we had somewhere to move to!'
There was a lot of yelling from CMs. Eventually we got out of the walkway, but it was a good 5 minutes again. Another full original show again.
The exit came into view and I could see why no one wanted to move. It was absolutely hissing it down.

Thankfully we had our ponchos and our flip flops so we headed out into the rain. We were getting hungry, and it was close, so we darted into the Diamond Horseshoe. We'd already decided earlier in the day that we would eat here, so I went and got a table while James ordered.

 

[pumpkin7]

I ordered the pulled pork sandwich. The sandwich was very yummy and very filling. The chips were very over done, but that's probably how they were meant to be. I ate them anyway lol.



We headed over to Pirates next. It's so much fun while in the queue to have a family, half infront of you, half behind, and grandma looking for another member of the family who isn't even in the queue. We just let them go infront because they were soooooooooooo annoying.
We saw Captain Jack too! I don't know where he'd been, I presume in the Pirates League, as I couldn't see a queue or a photopasss photographer about. I was kind of gutted, I would have liked to have my picture with him. In fact, does he do MnG?

Anyhoo we wanted to ride BTM again, as we'd picked up FP earlier.



It was kind of raining while we were on this so we had to don ponchos again.



Next up was Jungle Cruise. A very wet and soggy Jungle Cruise.





We had a really good skipper. I think the skipper really does make or break the ride, but she was totally into it, eventhough she was soaked too.

As we were in the area, it had to be dole whip time!

Sorry, I was too excited to eat it so I forgot to take an initial photo, so here it is half eaten.



At last, a castle shot in sunshine!







Of course, we had to go and walk through the castle, as we wanted to go and visit New Fantasyland and Storybook Circus.





I love the murals in here.

 

[pumpkin7]

I wanted to have a wonder through Sir Mickeys, I love the theme in this shop.





Hey Mickey!



Next up was Philharmagic. As we approached we were handed some 'surprise FP' for Philharmagic by a random guy, which I did appreciate. Unfortunately it had no wait time anyway, but I appreciated the gesture.









Right, I'm going to leave it there for today as it's 11.30 here and it's a school night! Ha, so more tomorrow

 

[TaraWdopeyfan]

Really enjoying your TR!

 

[pumpkin7]

Really enjoying your TR!

Thanks! I'm enjoying writing it

 

[jkl2000]

Yay, that was fun!

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

So I spent last night and this morning at work catching up on your report. Lots to comment on!!

First off, we used to stay at the Enclave Suites when I was younger. I recognize the pool! It's so weird to see it all this time later! That totally stinks the transportation issues you guys had getting around I Drive. I do agree with you that I Drive has gone downhill the past few years. One place we always used to go was Pointe Orlando and go shopping. We haven't been there in some time though.

I feel your pain about rude people on their cell phones during rides. If they can't put their cell phone down for the duration of a ride, then there is something wrong. People these days are glued to their social media. Why spend money to be at Disney to just play on your phone all day? You can do that at home for free!!

We have a Chili's here by our house, about a mile away and we go there all the time. I LOVE their Southwest Eggrolls and chicken sandwich!

Festival of The Lion King is my FAVORITE live show on property. Probably because it's my favorite Disney movie. It's just so lively and exciting!!

That's a bummer that the food at San Angel Inn was not that goo.d I have not read many good things about it. The atmosphere seems really great but the food.. not so much. I do know that La Hacienda De San Angel which is the Mexican restaurant outside on the lagoon serves asit down dinner and is MUCH cheaper and has gotten pretty good reviews per the trip reports here. Maybe you guys should try that one next time if you like Mexican food! Also, Liberty Tree Tavern is REALLY good for lunch. This is always a must do for us and usually our last meal before we head to the airport. The pot roast is AMAZING!!!

IOA and Uni are places we like to hit up every few years. We do love thrill rides and these two have more tha Disney. We probably won't go back until they finish the next phase of Potter though.

We just went to Typhoon Lagoon in May for the first time in many years and it was so much fun! I like it better than Blizzard Beach. We did the shark reef swim to and my oh my was it cold!! lol

Like you, I also love the meet and greets and we try to meet as many characters as possible while we're there. Donald is now meeting at Storybook Circus with Goofy! They have their own M&G location set up permanantly and they are there all day long! He also meets in Mexico at Epcot in his Mexican garb!

Can't wait to read the rest!!

 

[pumpkin7]

So I spent last night and this morning at work catching up on your report. Lots to comment on!!

First off, we used to stay at the Enclave Suites when I was younger. I recognize the pool! It's so weird to see it all this time later! That totally stinks the transportation issues you guys had getting around I Drive. I do agree with you that I Drive has gone downhill the past few years. One place we always used to go was Pointe Orlando and go shopping. We haven't been there in some time though.

I feel your pain about rude people on their cell phones during rides. If they can't put their cell phone down for the duration of a ride, then there is something wrong. People these days are glued to their social media. Why spend money to be at Disney to just play on your phone all day? You can do that at home for free!!

We have a Chili's here by our house, about a mile away and we go there all the time. I LOVE their Southwest Eggrolls and chicken sandwich!

Festival of The Lion King is my FAVORITE live show on property. Probably because it's my favorite Disney movie. It's just so lively and exciting!!

That's a bummer that the food at San Angel Inn was not that goo.d I have not read many good things about it. The atmosphere seems really great but the food.. not so much. I do know that La Hacienda De San Angel which is the Mexican restaurant outside on the lagoon serves asit down dinner and is MUCH cheaper and has gotten pretty good reviews per the trip reports here. Maybe you guys should try that one next time if you like Mexican food! Also, Liberty Tree Tavern is REALLY good for lunch. This is always a must do for us and usually our last meal before we head to the airport. The pot roast is AMAZING!!!

IOA and Uni are places we like to hit up every few years. We do love thrill rides and these two have more tha Disney. We probably won't go back until they finish the next phase of Potter though.

We just went to Typhoon Lagoon in May for the first time in many years and it was so much fun! I like it better than Blizzard Beach. We did the shark reef swim to and my oh my was it cold!! lol

Like you, I also love the meet and greets and we try to meet as many characters as possible while we're there. Donald is now meeting at Storybook Circus with Goofy! They have their own M&G location set up permanantly and they are there all day long! He also meets in Mexico at Epcot in his Mexican garb!

Can't wait to read the rest!!

This was our first stay at Enclave Suites. We stayed just a few hotels down last time at the Point Orlando and it was too amazing. It puts all other hotels to shame, so the Enclave Suites was OK but it wasn't as good as Point. But it wasn't the worst hotel we'd ever stayed in by far. (Not to be confused by the Pointe Orlando shopping area).
I thought the exact same thing about the mobile phones. Why pay all that money to get into Disney and then just sit on facebook for the entire time?
I honestly think I got the restaurant menus mixed up. San Angel Inn, I'm sure I must have looked at the La Hacienda menu because I thought the San Angel itself was very overpriced, and I didn't remember anything being as expensive as it was. The same goes for the Liberty Tree. We did enjoy what we had in the end, but again, I wasn't expecting the set menu as I think I looked at the lunch menu. Oh dear!
IOA and Uni we have to go to for James. I'm not sure he'd put up with a full 2 weeks of Disney. We didn't go last time so we hadn't been since 2008 ourselves so there were a few changes.
Typhoon is definitely our favourite water park. Well, it's mine anyway. James would say Wet N Wild for all the rides but I prefer Typhoon.
You'll have to wait until the next instalment to see whether or not we managed to meet Donald! (And he wasn't at Mexico when we went...!! Most annoying.)

 

[pumpkin7]

Next up, we went and got FPs for Peter Pan. We wanted to ride, but we didn't want to wait the usual 90 minute queue.





We wanted to go and have a better wonder around New Fantasyland, so went over there next.



Beasts Castle



We still never went inside Be Our Guest! Oh well, a reason to go back right?

I did, however, want to go into Gaston's Tavern.





I had to have my picture in the chair!



Want!



Gaston was meeting and greeting, although I didn't fancy going up to him as he was being usually up himself. Though he looks like he's aged backwards a bit!





Next up was Storybook Circus. I really like what they've done with this area. It's really well themed.



Choo choo!



I really wanted to meet Donald, so we went into Petes Silly Side Show.



The Great Goofini!





We'd queued 40 minutes for them, and I didn't fancy doing the same for Minnie and Daisy, so I snapped a quick picture of Minnie on the way out.

 

[pumpkin7]

Ooo look! There's more sweet treats in here than in MSB!



OM NOM NOM



We wanted to go on the Barnstormer but decided to skip it due to the queue being massivo.



Instead, we decided to board the Walt Disney World Railroad.



Choo Choo



We boarded the Walter E Disney.



And it was a race to the finish aside the Iron Man Monorail.



All aboard!







And another evil rain cloud!



Next up, it's Mickey time again!



I couldn't believe the queue for Mickey was 5 minutes but the princesses was 40.



The queue was very short. We were all put into a room, and then the CM turned to us and said 'Mickey's coming! Everyone together now. After 3.... 1...2.... Mickey!' Except he hadn't told us what to say so he just got a very unenthusiastic 'yeeehhhh....'

 

[pumpkin7]

We decided to take a slow walk up Main Street and visit some shops.



We went into the Confectionery shop expecting it to be full of cakes... but no, just what it says on the tin.





We heard music starting up outside, and it was the parade! So we sat and watched.





Chip n Dale!



Baloo and King Louie



Mr Incredible and Frozone



Donald! Mr Illusive.



Woody and Jessie

 

[pumpkin7]

I thought the parade was a bit short and meh. I didn't realise it met up with the rest of itself at the hub... haha.

Anyway thinking it was over we went back into the Confectionery Shop to purchase a GIANT COOKIE. Not without some window snaps first.



Ahh, there are the sweet treats!



Mmmm toffee apples.



GIANT COOKIE!



We had a wonder round the art shop and continued down to the hub, where the parade was continuing.



Sebastian!



Genie!



The Mad Hatter! He was having an absolute ball.



We stood and watched the fun for a while but the rain cloud of doom was approaching so we headed toward the Laugh Floor.







I know a lot of people don't like the laugh floor but we found it really funny. We really enjoyed it. 'That Guy' had a t shirt on that said something like 'I am so awesome you may go blind.' And the monsters really played up to that, it was so funny.

Next I wanted to get some good pictures on the Carousel of Progress so we sat right at the front.



This was my first view...

Ergh someone get the dog some glue! Poor mutt.





You could even see the motors under his fur.





1940's doggy looked much better.

 

[pumpkin7]

Woof!





Grandma's goggles were working this time, but the screen was stuck on Game Over so what she was saying didn't make much sense.



I wanted to go on the Speedway with my own car as I've never done that on my own before. It was good fun!





I've never seen this fountain before. It was pretty!



The hub was already filling up for the MSEP, and we'd arranged to meet Ma and Pa by the partners statue, so we battled over there to find them. They were there sat on the edge of the middle bit. James and I decided to go and have a wonder around the emporium as this would be our last chance to buy anything.





I took some pictures of the window displays.







It was getting dark by the time we'd finished so I battled my way back into the hub.

 

[pumpkin7]

We waited for the MSEP. Unfortunately, our very good view was quickly ruined by people being put on shoulders, which kind of sucked. But I love this parade and we could pretty much see it all. I love the music to the MSEP. And I love the atmosphere. I didn't get many decent photos unfortuntely.





Ooo look, it still says 'Disney's' instead of 'Disney'!



Tonight was also the night of the July 4th Fireworks, so it wasn't Wishes that was on. Again, unfortunately, the Partners Statue kind of got in the way of the castle show, but nevermind.

 

[pumpkin7]

I'm gonna Wreck it!









We decided once 'Wishes' had finished, we would watch the rest of the fireworks from MSS as we needed to get over to the parking lot pretty sharpish.

I spotted some more windows.







We could see the fireworks great from here.







When we thought the fireworks had finished, we made a be line to the monorail. We had just started up the boarding ramp, and more fireworks started going off! We'd exited half way through them. We managed to see most of them from the monorail though.
That was sadly our last Disney day. We were planning on going to Blizzard Beach but we didn't get round to going. We'd had an amazing Disney time, but I still feel as though we missed out on a lot ,and I can't wait to go back.

We got back to the hotel at about 11.30. We were really tired so we went straight off to bed.

Next up Day 13.

 

[pumpkin7]

Day 13

This was our last full day in Sunny Orlando, so we decided to stay around I - Drive and do some stuff around there. We hadn't really planned anything so we just decided to wing it.
We spent the morning by the pool, and after, back to Chilies for lunch.

It was a cloudy day, but still very hot.



Go away evil clouds!



Mom had got these mini Mickey Prezels from somewhere.



Us in Chilis!





We were watching the encroaching storm.





I ordered a chicken caesar salad which was super yummy.



In the breaks between storms, we made a run for Ripleys Believe it or Not. We've been a few times and always really enjoy it.

 

[pumpkin7]

Quick, get inside before it rains!



And the first person we walk into, is Wall E! Made of scrap parts.



There's some really weird stuff in here. You start out in an interactive area.



This was one of those buzzy things that you had to get the metal pole to the other end without setting the buzzer off. Look at that concentration.



They had a wedding favour from Michael Jackson and Marie Presleys wedding, as well as a Michael Jackson Voodoo doll.



A crooked room



Some of these I do not believe are real!!



Oooo taxidermy





A guy in an oven



A musical car covered in instruments



Jaws!



Frankenstein made out of computer keys

 

[pumpkin7]

This picture was made up of the words from the book Alice Through the Looking Glass



See?



A giant chair



A very tall guy



And a giant tyre which I have my photo on 4 times... lol.



Erm..



After that we decided to head back to the hotel, and have a break for half hour, then head off to the outlet mall again. I took the time to take a picture of all the stuff I'd bought in Disney.



So, I got 2 Vinylmation laptop cases, a picture frame, a couple of key chains which I got on I Drive, coasters, a salt and pepper shaker, 4 sets of Mickey earrings, 2 aerial toppers, a bag, 2 droids from the droid factory and Mickey Skywalker, plus the flag from AK.