Trip Report I'll Never Grow up!-April 2016 Trip Report

Hi! So I'm a bit nervous...this is my first trip report actually being posted after browsing the forums and reading these for almost 7 years now. But we had the trip of a lifetime and I put so much planning and thought into it that I thought it would be really fun to share it finally, given how much I myself love reading the trip reports.

We just came back from the most amazing eight days at Disney World! I couldn't believe that after over 400 days of counting down the day finally came to go to the most magical place on Earth and from there the rest of the trip was nearly perfect.
Since I'm new to this specific thread, I thought I'd introduce our fun little family!

Cast and Crew:
Me!-A.K.A. Danielle, I just turned 18 and am graduating this year and heading off to Penn State in the fall! I'm probably the biggest Disney fan in my family as it's literally all I ever talk about. My favorite character is Stitch and my favorite princess is Mulan

Victoria-my 14 year old Ariel obsessed sister! We don't get along all of the time but managed to go the entire trip without getting into too many fights

Mom (A.K.A. Andrea)-If I told you her age, she'd probably find out and kill me! My mom is a saint for taking us on this trip! She's the most amazing woman I know and her favorite thing to do is say "watch the closing doors!" when we're in Disney! As you can imagine, she's the woman who has memorized the spanish monorail directions. Her favorite character is Tink!

Dad (A.K.A. Pete)-unfortunately dad is a big deal for his firm [PWC] and is a managing partner for the Long Island office. It's busy season for him so he won't be taking this trip with us, but he'll be with us in memory! He'll make a few brief appearances in the trip report. Dad has an awesome Goofy impression!

So that's our family!

Before getting into the details, I guess I'll briefly explain the title! I'm the biggest kid at heart, even if I'm only 18. Going off to college and having to do adult things scares me and Disney is one of the only places where I can comfortably feel like a little kid again. So my goal this trip was to make like Peter Pan and go off to Neverland! It's also my last Spring Break trip with the family so it's very bittersweet for all of us [even if dad couldn't be there physically].

Where we're staying: Polynesian Village Resort! We're so excited because it's our first time!
When: We stayed from April 23-30. 8 days packed full of fun and adventures

I hope you guys enjoy the trip report and I'll try my best to update regularly and make it entertaining [hopefully?!] As soon as I get my iPhoto issue with exporting my photos sorted out within the next few days I will get the trip report started.

 

[epcotisbest]

Great trip report. Looks like you three had a wonderful time. Very good photos too.

 

[danitaytay]

Great trip report. Looks like you three had a wonderful time. Very good photos too.

Thank you so much! And we did have a wonderful time

 

[danitaytay]

Day Four!
Tuesday, April 26, 2016: I volunteer as tribute!

I was absolutely exhausted when my alarm went off at 7:15 but I dragged myself out of bed and took a shower. I was all ready but 8:30 and headed down to breakfast with Victoria. I finally got the tonga toast which I was dreaming of trying for so long and Victoria got a kid's egg white omelette, which again for a really cheap price came with a lot of food, including a yogurt, fruit, and a small drink too. We both really enjoyed breakfast and the tonga toast was huge! I wasn't even close to finishing it but I was able to eat enough to absolutely fill me up! It was like eating a giant churro filled with delicious warm bananas.
My mouth is watering just looking at the picture!

We met back up with mom and headed to the bus stop at 9:15 but it was packed. The first Hollywood Studios bus finally came around 9:30, but there was no way we were getting on, especially with the fifteen strollers waiting in line to get on. Luckily, we saw another bus pull up right behind the first one and we got right on, even getting seats which was really nice.
I guess everyone was too busy pushing around and fighting to get on the other bus that they never saw the other one pull up so our bus was nice and empty, and very quiet!
Our first bus ride of the trip! We love sitting in the back of the bus.

Excited bus selfies!

We got to Hollywood Studios at 10 and made our way through bag check, but of course we first had to take some family pictures.

Finally we were on Hollywood Boulevard and it was very weird seeing the Chinese Theater first and not the giant Sorcerer's Hat because that's what I grew up seeing my entire life. Although I have to admit, I really liked the look of seeing the theater first; that is, if it wasn't for the giant Star Wars stage set up right in front of it which kind of took away from the scene.

And that would be the giant Star Wars stage literally obstructing almost the entire theater

We headed towards Midway Mania to grab a return time and then saw there was a very short line to meet Sorcerer Mickey so we hopped right on. He was so adorable and loved the little Minnie Mouse peeking out of my shirt pocket!

I couldn't wait to give Mickey a big hug!

We still had some time until TSMM and the Green Army Men were making their rounds so we made our way over to say hello and I gave one of them that was pretending to be part of a tree a nice salute.

Afterwards, we decided to give Star Tours a try because the MDE app said it only had a 10 minute standby wait but when we got there it was posted as 20 minutes. Of course, that wasn't a big deal and mom found a nice shady spot by the Backlot Express quick service while Victoria and I got on line. While waiting we played some more Heads Up which turned out to be a great thing to pass the time and people were getting a kick out of watching us. The Disney deck was obviously our favorite!

We had a blast on Star Tours and for the first time I didn't get motion sick! I thought it was so cool that they had managed to already incorporate the Force Awakens into the ride.
I love the Star Tours queue!

It was getting pretty hot and some air conditioning sounded nice, so we decided we'd give Muppet Vision 3D a go, since it was a walk-on. We actually just made the next show by literally a minute which was perfect because I don't love the show enough to sit there for more than 10 minutes waiting for it. I don't think any of us enjoyed the show at all. It was just outdated, not funny, and unfitting for this day and age. But hey, it was 20 minutes spent in the air conditioning on an already scorching hot day!

Still to come...How I managed to hurt myself on a ride, and the will I finally get to be an extra on Indiana Jones?!

 

[epcotisbest]

Again, great trip report with great photos. I think trip reports that are personalized with lots of photos of the actual participants are ultimately the most interesting.
Now, a question. My wife has debated wearing sandals but always winds up wearing well broken in running shoes because of support and comfort, even if they are warmer. Do you find sandals OK for full days, or do you get back to the room with sore feet? Or do you change midday as I did see a couple of pics where you are wearing sneakers?

 

[danitaytay]

Again, great trip report with great photos. I think trip reports that are personalized with lots of photos of the actual participants are ultimately the most interesting.
Now, a question. My wife has debated wearing sandals but always winds up wearing well broken in running shoes because of support and comfort, even if they are warmer. Do you find sandals OK for full days, or do you get back to the room with sore feet? Or do you change midday as I did see a couple of pics where you are wearing sneakers?

Thanks so much again! I absolutely agree, that's why I tried to make mine as personable as possible
I think it honestly depends. For this trip I brought a pair of my favorite flip flops [American Eagle ones], a pair of Birkenstocks that I just bought because I heard they were great for walking, and a pair of Nike running sneakers. I kind of wore each pair equally, and I found that I was just as comfortable wearing my Birkenstocks as my sneakers, although I did have a few blisters from them because the heat made my feet expand in the shoes. However, I did note that the arches of my feet were killing me in both the flip flops and sandals. I think it all comes down to personal preference but I didn't mind switching off between sneakers and sandals every other day.

 

[danitaytay]

Day Four Continued...

After MuppetVision it was finally time for Midway Mania and were we SO excited! When we got there we couldn't believe how long the FP+ line was in comparison to the already 120 minute standby line. It took us about 25 minutes to get on the ride which I thought was crazy for being on the FP line but I'm just glad it wasn't in the sun, or else I would've needed to get off.
I rode by myself so mom and Victoria could ride together. Unfortunately my cannon wasn't working so I missed the first set of shooting but I was able to slide under the lap bar into the next one. Somehow I still managed to beat everyone with 187,000! In my crazy frenzy to catch up with my score I managed to slice my finger open with the rope from the cannon and it actually hurt really badly! I was glad I had some bandaids on me because it stung a lot. But don't worry, I bragged about surviving my Toy Story war wound for the rest of the week

Mom and Victoria were very excited for the ride!

We also took a quick PP picture on our way out

Victoria wanted to grab a return time for Rock n' Roller Coaster so we headed out of Pixar Place, picking up a box of popcorn to hold us over. It was taking forever because they had to pop the popcorn still so I went over and watched the Star Wars stage show which was very cool. I munched just a little bit on the popcorn knowing any more would probably make me sick on the thrill rides and we were able to get a return time for RnRC in 40 minutes. In the meantime our first FP for Tower of Terror was ready for us so Victoria and I said our farewells to mom who would never in a million years try the ride and we scanned our bands.
I always love seeing the tower looming in the distance.

The ride was great but sent my stomach flipping. I screamed so much my throat was starting to hurt afterwards!
Can you see us in the front row?! I think I was more scared than I looked!

After our near encounter with the Twilight Zone it was approaching 1:30 and we wanted to make it to the 2:00 Indiana Jones Show so we rushed on over to hopefully get a good spot in the audience. It's been my dream since my Sweet 16 trip to volunteer to be an extra in the show when I turned 18 because I was so disappointed last time that I was too young.

We were sweating our butts off and Victoria saw a stand that was selling coke slushies so she grabbed one and of course, another pickle in a bag. What can I say, she's a strange child. We were so surprised when we got to the show a half an hour early and still almost all of the seats were full.
I was so afraid that mom and Victoria who were experiencing this show for the first time wouldn't get a good view of it but we were able to get a pretty decent seat in the front of the right section.

Now the show finally started and it was my chance to volunteer. After raising my hand though, I started to get a bit nervous and I wasn't too confident in my hand raising unfortunately The guy in front of me was chosen and his family told us he was a pro because it was his 3rd time int he show and he had even tried out to be Indiana Jones but wasn't willing to do the high falls course so he couldn't get the part.
Mom and Victoria loved the show just as much as me and it ended up being one of mom's favorite things from the entire trip!

By that point it was 2:45 and our TSMM FP was ready but the FP line had a 45 minute wait and we had already done it once so we decided to see what other FP were still available. I was able to find one for the Great Movie Ride which was in 15 minutes from then which was perfect! While mom went to the bathroom again [I really wish I tallied how many times she went to the bathroom the entire trip] Victoria and I took some more pictures with the Green Army Men and messed around with them. They really are hilarious!
They were playing hide and seek!

They are such jokesters

On our way to our FP we got to watch Star Wars characters walking out form the show, and Dark Maul kept making faces at all of us. I didn't realize how tall the Chewbacca character was! We still had five minutes until our FP and Daisy Duck had a very short line, so we walked up to meet her.
I complemented her outfit and then she asked her handler if she could get ones like Victoria and mine! She was absolutely adorable and I wish I got to meet Donald who was right next to her but it was time for our trip into air conditioning and also into some of the movie greats!
Isn't she just so stylish and adorable?

Still to come...Do I actually make it on RnRC, and our first time seeing Fantasmic!

 

[danitaytay]

Day Four Continued...

We made our way onto the Great Movie ride and it was fun and a nice break from the crazy heat. After that it was time for RnRC and I was absolutely terrified! The entire time on the FP line I continued to regret my decision and I wanted to get off but I didn't want to leave Victoria alone. So finally we boarded the ride, I grabbed the handbars for my life and the ride launched us. I'm not going to lie...I absolutely hated the ride but it probably didn't help that I was so nervous!

Can you tell how terrified I was?!

Victoria loved it so much that she went right back on through the single riders line and mom and I decided to grab a Mickey pretzel to share and I got a sprite. I also grabbed a return time for ToT and was very happy when I found out we only had to wait ten minutes for it.
First Mickey pretzel of the trip! My favorite snack

Once Victoria got off in about fifteen minutes we walked right onto the queue for ToT. Once again the ride was great!
We were all the way in the back left this time! It's kind of hard to see me because a hand is covering my face...

We realized as we got off that I made a mistake with our final FP for Star Tours and that it was ending in 10 minutes instead of starting in 10 minutes, so we sprinted on over and were unfortunately five minutes late but there were no issues when we scanned our bands.

Unfortunately, I think the heat and the thrill rides got to me because I suddenly started to feel very sick as we were about to board the ride so I ran off the ride and met with my mom while Victoria rode We sat in the shade watching the Jedi Training for awhile which was really cute and it was so adorable seeing how excited the kids were to fight Darth Vader.

Once Victoria came back we sat in the shade and chilled for a bit while mom had a glass of wine until it was 5:50 and we had to head over to the Brown Derby for dinner. I was still not feeling great so I was hoping I'd still be able to enjoy dinner.
We took a quick PP on the way there. I like that you can't see the giant stage in it!

We checked in and were seated around 6:10 and the restaurant was very pretty! It didn't even feel like we were in Disney.
We were doing the Fantasmic dining package so we were given the prix fixed menu, which I think was very similar to the regular menu but had a chef's selected dessert trio and possibly a few less choices than the regular menu. Mom ordered a cosmopolitan and I got a shirley temple which came with three cherries which of course made me very happy!

My beautiful mom!

Our waitress brought us out some very warm bread and delicious red sea salt butter. For appetizers, mom and I both got the famous cobb salad and Victoria got the tomato soup. Mom and Victoria absolutely loved their apps, and both were wanting another plate of it! I on the other hand didn't really love the cobb salad but I think it was because of the bleu cheese, as I forgot I usually order my cobb salads without them.
For entrees mom and I both got the pan-seared black group which came with a lobster tail and Victoria got the charred-glazed filet of beef. Everything was absolutely delicious and we were definitely impressed! I especially loved that our fish came with a lobster tail and Victoria said her beef was cooked perfectly, I think the only time it was the entire trip!

Unfortunately like I mentioned earlier in the TR, I lost a lot of pictures when I was uploading them onto my computer. A good majority were in the restaurants so these are the only food pictures from the night that I have. My apologies!

For dessert the chef gave us a trio of the grapefruit cake, the chocolate sphere, and the creme brulee. I loved the grapefruit cake, mom loved the creme brulee, and Victoria wasn't a huge fan of anything because she's not really a sweet dessert person. I know, she's a monster!

I'm craving that grapefruit cake right now!

Overall, we were so impressed with dinner and it was our favorite restaurant so far! After receiving a scarily hefty bill and our Fantasmic FP tickets, we had a few minutes so we browsed a few shops and then headed over to Fantasmic. It was so crowded!
We picked up some cotton candy and popcorn from a concession and then went to find a seat. We had the perfect seats right in the middle of the center section that was designated for the dining package holders but I can guarantee there were tons of standby people in there because Disney didn't do a great job of separating who went to what section.
We jammed along with the DJ and I was probably the only person around me full on belting out the Frozen songs, but I was totally okay with that!

At 8:30 the show started and it was absolutely incredible! We were in complete awe.

After the show, I wanted to stay to watch the Star Wars fireworks but mom wanted to leave so we headed to the bus. I got a small glimpse of them as we were packed onto the bus like sardines. We finally got back to the Poly at 9:50 and mom ran to the store to grab some wine for our pool day tomorrow while Victoria and I went to Pineapple Lanai to grab a dole whip. It was delicious, but huge, and I wasn't able to finish it. I finally changed into my PJs at 10:30, set my alarm for 7:40 the next day, and took my tired body to bed.

Total Miles Walked: 8.06

Third Day Summary:
Bad: feeling sick and missing Star Tours
Good: Fantasmic!
Surprised by: how many construction walls were up
Today I tried: Fantasmic! for the first time
The Result: incredible!
In One Word Today was…thrilling!

 

[LisaBelle]

You ladies packed in a lot ! The dessert trio at Brown Derby looks delicious.

 

[danitaytay]

You ladies packed in a lot ! The dessert trio at Brown Derby looks delicious.

Thank you! We sure did haha! And yes it was so yummy, I'm craving the grapefruit cake so badly

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Awesome trip report, it looked like you had a lot of fun!

 

[steviej]

fantastic trip report! Can't wait to see more

 

[danitaytay]

Awesome trip report, it looked like you had a lot of fun!

Thank you so much! We sure did

fantastic trip report! Can't wait to see more

Thank you so much!

 

[danitaytay]

Day Five!
Wednesday, April 27, 2016: Relaxing is hard to do in Disney World!

My alarm went off at 7:40 and I wasn't in too much of a craze to jump out of bed and get ready because I knew we were just heading to the pool. The pool opened at 9 but I was ready well before that so I decided to just wander around the lobby for a bit. Victoria had accidentally dropped her favorite powder blush and it shattered [who even wears makeup to the pool in the first place?!] so I ran to the gift shop to see if they had rubbing alcohol to repair the damage but there was no such luck.

Mom and I headed down to the volcano pool at exactly 9 while Victoria continued to get ready. Mom found a spot right in front of the pool in the sun while I found an umbrella...perks of not being allowed in the sun!
The pool area is so beautiful!

I spent the first hour at the pool relaxing and finishing my journaling for the previous day and eventually when Victoria came down we decided to jump in the pool. Instead of hopping right in we entered but he waterslide which was a lot of fun!
We swam around for a bit and rode the slide again, and it felt so nice to soak in some of the sun rays before I started to feel like it might be too much for my skin so after about 45 minutes of wading around we decided to dry off. Mom being mom couldn't concentrate on her book with the increasing level of noise by the pool so she packed up and went over to the quiet pool and at around 11:30 Victoria and I went up to Captain Cook's to grab something for lunch. We were starving!

We got the pulled pork nachos to share and they were insane! We could barely finish them between the two of us and oh my goodness were they delicious! We thought they'd be your typical nachos but the chips were actually fried wontons and kettle chips, covered in delicious cheese [don't worry I took lactaid ] and spicy mayo sauce like the kind they put on sushi. Then there were jalepenos, pulled pork, and pineapple and it was so good! My mouth is watering just thinking about how yummy they were.
The one plate of nachos took up almost the entire tray!

After lunch we decided to meet mom back over at the quiet pool. Victoria's stomach was really full from the heavy lunch so she went up to the room to lay down while mom and I laid out in the sun. It was getting so hot out!
We eventually decided to take a dip in the pool. As I got out to dry off a herd of ducklings emerged and headed over to the pool and seconds later the mom flew over them and into the pool and the babies all followed in line. They swam around together for a few minutes, all following each other and then eventually all got out together and waddled away. It was the cutest thing ever! Apparently they do this every day at lunchtime, according to one of the waitresses at the pool bar.
Aren't they adorable?!

I stayed at the pool until 1 but then it started to get too hot so I headed to the lobby. I picked out a dole whip car air freshener for myself and then decided to go rest up at the room for a few minutes. I took a very quick nap until 2 and then it was time for us to get ready for Epcot! We got dressed and were on the monorail at 2:30, getting to Epcot by 3:00.

A very nice CM offered to take our pictures on the monorail since we were the only ones in the car!

Victoria had her eyes set on riding Mission Space: Orange but mom and I had no intentions of doing so so we grabbed a hot Mickey pretzel to share, took some PP pics, and spoke on the phone with my dad while we waited. When Victoria came back she expressed her dislike for the orange level, saying it was a little too much for her, which is very unusual as she's a thrill ride junkie!

I rode Mission Space once in my life back in 2012 and will never do it again! Me and my motion sickness do not do well with spinning rides like that.

I was very excited because now it was time to explore the World Showcase! Don't get me wrong, in all the past times we've visited Disney World we've walked through the WS, but we never took the time to really look through every store, watch the performances, and appreciate everything each country has to offer. I was so excited to have a few hours to do that this time!

Still to come...I finally get the treat I've been waiting for and Victoria makes a big mistake!

 

[danitaytay]

Day Five Continued...

We stopped at a few F&GF gardens on the way over to the World Showcase and Victoria grabbed a vanilla soft serve because she was dying of heat. That ended up being a huge mistake because apparently my lactose intolerance isn't the only dairy issue in the family and she may have a sensitivity to dairy as she ended up with a very bad stomachache after eating the ice cream
We wanted to go to France first so we skipped past Great Britain and Canada and spotted the Eiffel Tower right away. We browsed a few of the perfume and cosmetic shops in France which mom hated because of her sensitive nose to perfumes.

I thought the pink flowers around the Cinderella topiary were beautiful!

I couldn't wait because it was then time for the treat I've been waiting for all trip! I beelined for L'Artisan des Glaces which had a pretty long line; I guess everybody was craving ice cream on this hot day!
Once it was my turn I ordered the Croque Glace which I'd heard so much about. I got the vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce in my warm brioche and it was delicious! While I snacked, mom got a glass of champagne and we explored the rest of France. I couldn't finish my ice cream sandwich because it was so big!

My delicious, warm ice cream brioche sandwich!

I've been trying to figure out why Victoria looks so miserable in the background but I think it's because she didn't feel well. Darn ice cream!

Our next stop was Morocco but Victoria and mom sat down in the shade because Victoria still didn't feel well and it was so hot so I explored all by myself. I'd never really taken the time to look in Morocco and I found the stores very cool, even though I probably wouldn't buy anything from then. I wanted a henna but they were pretty pricey so I decided to pass on it.

I wonder if these carpets fly?

After a while spent in the land of Jasmine and Aladdin we headed to our favorite store in Japan, Mitsukoshi! Victoria and I wanted to pick a pearl so we made a reservation but we had a 20 minute wait so we browsed the store a bit. Mom picked out some pretty chopsticks, Victoria got some Japanese candy and miso soup packets, and I got some ramune candy, Pocky, and a small lucky owl statue.
It was then our turn to pick a pearl and I was so excited! Victoria kept on telling me to pick the ugliest oyster because apparently they had the best pearls. The ceremony to pick a pearl was awesome! My pearl ended up being 7 3/4 and Victoria's was 8 3/4, which apparently is very unusual and very large.

These are our pearls! Victoria's is on the left and mine's on the right. I wish I got a picture of them set in the jewelry but you can take my word, they came out beautifully! I always get complements on my ring and I love telling the story on how I picked the pearl myself

Victoria decided to set her pearl in a basic silver necklace while I decided on a pretty ring, because I don't have any rings at home. We were told to pick up our jewelry between 7:15-9, so we figured we could just grab it after dinner.

On our way out of Japan we took some PP pictures in front of the giant arch with a hilarious photographer who had us doing all these crazy poses. It was funny because when we approached him he said "Hey, New York!" and we were so surprised and asked him what gave it away to which he responded that always everyone in Disney was from New York on Spring Break! The photographer then proceeded to scream out to random families "Hey, New York!" to prove his point but nobody was replying to him. He was hilarious and had mom doubled over in laughter.

The photographer said that only the most gullible people actually pose like we did below...and he was definitely right!

From there we moved onto America where we spent a few minutes because we had unfortunately missed the last Voices of Liberty show while picking our pearls.
Hey there, Woody! While I was taking this picture a few girls came over to me and complimented my Minnie Ears which I thought was so sweet. I of course couldn't help but notice they were also wearing gorgeous custom-made ears which we had a nice little conversation about.

We browsed the gift shop and discussed moonshine's illegality with a few CMs because I was surprised to see they were selling it! Apparently it depends on the proof of the alcohol...the more you know!

Still to come...Trouble comes when a mother can't find her son, but we come to the rescue!

 

[Ciara]

Great first TR! You and your sister are adorable and i am loving your cute outfits Following along!

 

[Figgy1]

I'm sorry you missed VOL but a pearl is probably the best reason to do so. Great TR and I can't wait to read more

 

[danitaytay]

Great first TR! You and your sister are adorable and i am loving your cute outfits Following along!

Aw thank you so much!

I'm sorry you missed VOL but a pearl is probably the best reason to do so. Great TR and I can't wait to read more

Thanks so much! I agree! Who can say they got to put together their own pearl jewelry? Thankfully I have Youtube to keep up with my VOL obsession

 

[danitaytay]

Day Five Continued...

Mom was craving a prosecco so we made a quick stop back in Italy and then spun around to go back to England. On the way there I grabbed a watermelon cucumber slushy from the Florida Fresh F&G booth which was tangy and very refreshing. It definitely helped cool me down a bit!
I wasn't expecting the cup to be so tiny but it did its job!

We got to England and browsed the tea garden before heading into the shops. We caught the end of the fiddle group's performance which I really enjoyed, being a viola player myself.
No viola here but being a music dork myself, I was in my middle school's fiddle club. That's right, total music nerd and proud of it.

After I took some pictures in the phone booth we saw a woman running around screaming a child's name. It turns out that her 5 year old son was missing. Us and a bunch of other people were running around searching for him. I suggested to the mother that he may have gone to the bathroom because in my past experiences of babysitting and being a camp counselor I know kids will do whatever they want if the bathroom is in need, but the woman said no and long and behold the boy ran out of the bathroom just a minute later. I think we all just heaved a huge sigh of relief!

I realized after sitting in the phone booth how hot it gets in there. I don't know how someone could sit in there and make an actual phone call!

After that frightening moment, I searched around to see if Alice was anywhere and after expressing my sadness over not being able to meet her, a man passing by looked over at me and laughed! I was very insulted! You are never too old to want to meet characters. Meanwhile, my mom and Victoria are hysterically laughing at how insulted I got by this guy mocking me. Go figure

I had to include this gorgeous stock photo that came with the PP because I lost my Peter Pan topiary picture in the export to my computer and this picture is too pretty not to share

I loved all the Winnie the Pooh topiaries!

We then headed to Canada and checked out the mock Niagara Falls and shops and I was very disappointed to see that the only hockey merchandise they had was covered in Canadian teams' logos, which I guess makes sense [huge NYR fan here!]. Soon enough it was 7:00 and we headed to the Land for our 7:20 Garden Grill ADR.

I'm going to move on to another post just for our dinner because boy do I have a lot of pictures!

 

[danitaytay]

We checked in at the Garden Grill and chilled on one of the benches until we were finally seated at 7:25. Our waiter pointed out a cool hidden Mickey on a mural on the wall and then brought out a basket of rolls and some salad. The salad was delicious and so fresh tasting! We ended up getting two more bowls of it, which says a lot about our family. We loved our veggies!

Our first character interaction was with Dale after we had some false hope when Mickey and Pluto walked past us multiple times but didn't stop by. Dale was adorable and probably ended up being the best interaction we had at the dinner. He kept on trying to fit Victoria's Minnie Ears on his head but it just wasn't working!
Dale is such a goofball!

Our food came out shortly after and I couldn't believe how huge the platter was. There was beef, mashed potatoes, italian peppers and sausage, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, sweet potato fries, and mac & cheese with goldfish on top! Everything was really yummy and I especially enjoyed the beef, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese.

So much food!

We then met Pluto, Mickey, and Chip! They were all lots of fun and Pluto kept on playing hide and seek.

Pluto, I can still see you!

I was so excited to meet Chip because he's one of my favorites and when he finally came he gave me so many hugs. Dale also came back for some more love and he had a blast messing around with mom.
Unfortunately, the lightning in the restaurant wasn't the greatest for pictures, so they all came out kind of meh. However, it did make for some great views of the Land ride which we got to see a full rotation of. It was super cool seeing it from up above, especially seeing the upper bedroom of the farmhouse, which only restaurant guests can see!

After getting seconds of the mac & cheese and sweet potato fries it was dessert time. Dessert was this delicious berry shortcake and I was also surprised with a chocolate mousse cake and a card signed by all of the characters there. Mickey even came back to sing happy birthday to me! Dessert was so yummy but we were so full we could barely make a dent in it.

Dinner ran later than expected and we had to pick up our pearls by 9:00 before the store closed so we quickly said goodbye to mom who was heading back to the room as we had just 20 minutes to make it to Japan. We literally sprinted across the WS and somehow made it there in 7 minutes. We were absolutely sweating and our stomachs hurt from running with them so full, but we made it just in time and got our pearls!

It was 9:50 and unfortunately too late to make it to our FP spot for Illuminations so we found a spot in front of the arch in Japan. Illuminations started and it was beautiful but our view was obstructed by the arch so we decided to move over a little bit but ended up being behind the rudest group of a school field trip who were screaming the while time and taking flash pictures of each other.
I was very proud of this picture I managed to get.

Once Illuminations was over we thought of heading to the MK for its 1:00 AM Extra Magic Hours but Victoria's stomach was still bothering her and I was still so over-stuffed from dinner so we decided to call it a night. We got to even watch Wishes from the monorail which was really cool and they piped in the music for us to enjoy. We finally got back to the room around 10:20 and called it a night.

Total Miles Walked: 7.77
Third Day Summary:
Bad: stomach aches
Good: character dining at the Garden Grill
Surprised by: how cool the Garden Grill was
Today I tried: picking a pearl!
The Result: so much fun!
In One Word Today was…relaxing

 

[blreinsel]

I ate at Garden Grill on my last trip and LOVED it! I'm gonna have a hard time eating anywhere else at Epcot after trying it. I had the same probably with barely being able to touch dessert because I was stuffed from the yummy dinner options!

Enjoying your report.