Trip Report It takes two to make a trip go right-June 2018

Who: just DH (@MSUJafar, who I will call E for the remainder of this report) and I. DD20 stayed home this year to watch the dog and also because she is taking summer classes.
When: June 16-27. We don't usually travel this early in the summer, but E is getting his Master's Degree and this was during a break for him. As for myself, it was a little stressful leaving the day after school got out (I'm a teacher for those who don't know). We really ended up liking this time of year much better than our usual July or August trips.
Where: 1 night at Pop Century (it ended up saving us money to fly out a day earlier than we had planned), 4 nights at BLT, and 6 nights at Boardwalk.
Let's get this show on the road!
Our flight from Detroit was scheduled to leave at 3:30. I think we got to the airport around noon because we were more than ready to get this vacation under way! We had to enjoy some chicken tortilla soup since the airport is our only Max & Erma's left in our area. We enjoyed a few drinks before boarding. We were flying Delta Comfort, so we were looking forward to more drinks on the plane, but because of some turbulence we only ended up having one on the plane.
I apologize for the lack of pictures so far, but my day drinking gave me an early hangover and I wasn't in the picture taking mood yet. Here are a couple from our Pop room.

As DVC members, we are definitely deluxe snobs, but this room was more than comfortable and very clean. The walk in shower was amazing (the best shower we had the whole trip)! It was around 8:00 p.m. when we got into our room. We called an Uber to take us to Publix for some water, beer and snacks. This was new for us since we usually use a grocery delivery service. We decided to try it this way since technically this was a "bonus" day for us. We were both tired and hangry, so we ended up getting into an argument at Publix. It wasn't too bad though and as soon as we dropped off the groceries and had some food at Everything Pop, all was well.

We retired for the night in anticipation of our move to BLT and our most looked forward to ADR of the trip: Brunch at the Top!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

6/18 HS without TSMM
This would be our first of 3 visits to HS on this trip. I knew going in that there would be no FPs available for TSMM for the entirety of our trip. However, I was incensed that it would be completely closed on this particular day. Incensed is a little strong...I'm very calm by nature. Secretly (don't tell E) I was glad that we wouldn't have to fast walk with the herd at rope drop! We headed to ToT at rope drop instead for our first of many visits to the Hollywood Tower Hotel.

I was trying to get a pic of Toy Story Land, but it didn't work. E was pretending to use his inhaler. We had a 9:15 FP for this ride, but the standby line wasn't long, so we rode standby again and then used our FP after that.
Our next FP was for Star Tours. We stopped at Starbuck's for some coffee and shared one of these little beauties.

Breakfast of champions! We sat by Starring Rolls to enjoy our carrot cake cookie and people watch. People are REALLY interesting!
We started to meander over toward Star Tours when we came across this.

E is a huge Star Wars fan and I like it okay, so I suggested we see it since we had some time. It was a little movie about just what the title would imply...the Path of the Jedi. Not a must see, but good to brush up if you haven't seen the movies in a long time.
We got a warm hug from Olaf since his line wasn't very long.

After Star Tours, we saw this little cutie along with the adorable Indy one at the Indy store.

BellhopStitch was missing for our entire trip! He's my favorite. Maybe he's been Stitch-napped!
Our final FP of the day was for RnR. It has been many years since I have experienced this attraction because TSMM is usually a priority. This will be my last time. I did not feel well at all after riding. Something hilarious happened while we were waiting to board. A guy getting into the limo found someone's Magicband. Because he's trying to hurry, he hollers to the CM, " Hey! Someone lost their wristband!" and he flings it at the CM. It all happened so fast that she was unprepared and it hit her right in the face. The look on her face was priceless and she had a hard time getting herself back together. We couldn't stop laughing and every so often for the rest of the trip, one of us would just say "fling!" and it would crack us both up.

It's all fun and games until you actually ride the whole ride....never again!
We had lunch at Sci Fi where we shared a cheeseburger and some onion rings. No photos because it was so dark and also because I wasn't feeling well after my limo ride. Lunch was just okay. A milkshake probably would have made it better, but I prefer strawberry which they don't have.
We watched the Star Wars stage show at some point, but I'm not quite sure if it was before or after lunch.

We left HS to take a nap.
Up next: Monorail bar crawl!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

We had Brunch at the Top on Father's Day as well. If I could have, I would have grabbed the entire bowl of both green salads to back to bring my plate and wiped them both out. I have been there for brunch now 4 times and those salads are the BEST!

I'm going to remember the idea of staying at Pop one night when we have a late arrival. The last two times we've been, our flight has been sooo delayed -- we could have stayed somewhere inexpensive and moved resorts while we were eating brunch.

I have always had the sense that there could be early (EARLY) boat noise over the marina at BLT. Is that the case?

Moving from Pop was painless since we just packed our next day's outfit in our carry-ons and really didn't have to open our other suitcases.
We've never heard any boat noises at BLT.

I'm in!

Happy to have you along! I enjoyed your TR.

 

[Shannon1984]

Bellhop Stitch was still missing July 5th! We just got home from our first 4th of July trip and it was amazing!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

Bellhop Stitch was still missing July 5th! We just got home from our first 4th of July trip and it was amazing!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

6/18 continued "Yo ho, yo ho, a monorail crawl for me (and E)"
Yes, I am a pirate in addition to being the Pineapple Princess and a mermaid as well! My classroom is pirate themed and I was a synchronized swimmer growing up. I still do some Master's synchro sometimes.
On to the monorail crawl. Truth be told, it was only 4 stops. That was about all we could handle!
After we had napped and cleaned up, we started at Outer Rim at the Contemporary. It's actually a nice little lounge with a pretty view of the marina. I stuck with Sauvignon Blanc for all the stops(except Trader Sam's) and I didn't take notes, so I don't remember what E had at each stop. Bad trip reporting on my part, I apologize.
Here are the photos from each stop:

Boring at Trader Sam's I know! We have tried some of the drinks here before and we are not huge fans, so we stuck with what we love. We shared the pork tacos and the flatbread for our dinner. They were both quite tasty.
We ended the night at Mizner's Lounge at GF. Always one of our favorite places and it was practically empty!

We had the Florida Key Lime Pie for dessert. I think it was probably the best dessert of the trip! I wish I had some right now!!

Notice the hidden Mickey's on the plate!
As I said, this was the last stop of our monorail crawl. It was a practically perfect evening, even with having to go through security each time we boarded the monorail. This will definitely be a new, much looked forward to tradition for us!
Tomorrow, we're going back to MK!

 

[Fankle]

Really enjoying reading about your trip.

 

[DisSplash]

I am normally a strictly chocolate cake dessert eater, but that key lime dish looks amazing!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

Really enjoying reading about your trip.

Thanks!

I am normally a strictly chocolate cake dessert eater, but that key lime dish looks amazing!

OMG..I am a key lime pie lover anyways, but this was crazy good!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

6/19: MK
What's the best way to start an MK day? With breakfast at Kona Cafe! It was a little stressful trying to get there. The monorail was running, but it wasn't running. We ended up taking an Uber to Poly and we were about 10 minutes late for our ADR.
I had booked a 7:30 breakfast so that we could get to MK at rope drop. However, the powers that be decided to open MK at 8:00 instead of 9:00 that day. No worries. We weren't going to try to rush through our breakfast. Our server had other ideas. I don't really know how to describe her except that she was gruff, in a hurry and not that great of a listener.
E and I always share the pineapple/macadamia pancakes with an extra side of macadamia butter and pineapple sauce. No one has ever messed it up until now. She must have heard me say "macadamia butter and pineapple sauce on the side" because we got naked pancakes! They were not photo worthy, but not to worry we went back a couple days later and I got a photo then. Don't get me wrong, they still tasted wonderful albeit slightly drier than usual.
Since this was our 2nd visit to MK this trip, I didn't take very many pics. Our FPs were for Buzz, Peter Pan, and Splash. We started out the day with a Jungle Cruise.

Always a great deal at Trader Sam's...two of his heads for one of yours!
From what I recall, our skipper was pretty good.
We managed to squeeze in Pirates and Small World before our Buzz FP.
After Buzz, we rode the People Mover and did some of the Incredible photopass shots.

Great acting here....I'm surprised they didn't immediately offer us a job!
We did a not IG worthy photo shoot at the Purple Wall ( I'll spare you the visual). On the way to PP we made a wish at the wishing well.

TMI alert! Back in 1997, I wished for a little girl at this very wishing well. Nine months-ish later Aleigh was born! Now I'm not saying that this well has magical properties, but it can't hurt to stop by to wish for your heart's desire.
Before our FP for Splash, our hearts desired some chicken nachos from Pecos Bill's. This is always enough for us to share, and the extra side of queso is only $1.00! Best deal on property if you ask me! I photographed before we hit the toppings bar.

My brilliant idea for a pose on Splash? Let's high five each other!

It's a great idea if you don't want your faces seen!
After Splash we went back to BLT to rest up and freshen up. We were having dinner at Skipper's Canteen which was a first for us.
Unfortunately, we were late for that ADR as well! We should have walked, but this was the first day we felt the heat and since we had just freshened up we didn't want to get all sweaty again. The monorail station was super crowded, so we had to wait a little bit before we got on.
Dinner was enjoyable, but I don't think we'll repeat it. I got the steak salad and E got It tastes like chicken because it is chicken. Sorry, no photos. This is the point where I wish I had taken notes. I know we stayed late because we wanted to ride some rides during HEA, but for the life of me, I can't remember exactly what we did. I do know we did the Tangled magic shot.

So we'll just end the day here.
Tomorrow would be a pool morning and an afternoon at AK.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I LOVE that tangled shot!!! So pretty!

 

[DisSplash]

I LOVE that tangled shot!!! So pretty!

I agree! Great picture of the both of you!

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

I so badly want to do that Tangled shot. I was hoping to do it last trip but a ton of people were lined up already and a photographer wasn't even out yet. I figured there was no way my kids would wait that long.

 

[PineapplePrincess]

I LOVE that tangled shot!!! So pretty!

Thank you!

I agree! Great picture of the both of you!

Thanks...you're too kind!

I so badly want to do that Tangled shot. I was hoping to do it last trip but a ton of people were lined up already and a photographer wasn't even out yet. I figured there was no way my kids would wait that long.

It was a long wait even when the line looked short. Everyone wants to do a group shot and then different configurations of people and then individuals! It was worth it though!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

6/20: An AK afternoon
Today we decided to sleep in and get a little pool time in. Our first FP wasn't until 2:05. We got down to the pool right at nine and we were the only ones there for about 20 minutes or so. It was odd that when family number two showed up, they chose to sit right by us. I guess it looked like we had picked a good spot!
We only stayed at the pool until 11 or so, then we went up and got ready. I don't think we waited very long for a bus. We stopped for some PP pictures on the way in.

For our first stop, we went where any weary traveler would go.

Can you tell he was happy to be here?! Hmmm...didn't take any pics, but we had a couple of drinks, the chicken satay and the ribs. The chicken satay is soooo good, but I recommend asking for an extra side of the peanut sauce. We really love this hidden gem and hope it stays somewhat hidden. We could've contentedly stayed there all day, but we had a date for a very important rite of passage.
We had a FoP FP first so we headed to Pandora. It was a great ride as usual.

EE was next. It had been awhile since we had ridden it. Luckily it did not make me feel like RnR did!

Our safari FP wasn't until 4:50, so we meandered around taking in the sights. We shared a Dole Whip with coconut rum. It was quite refreshing! We wandered into Dinoland. I REALLY wanted to see the chipmunkosauruses. Sadly, they had to go find some nuts and were done for the day. It's okay though, we caught them later in the week and this time we got our picture with Donald.

We saw the Up bird show. It was okay. We were glad to see it once. We really miss Fights of Wonder though!

A must do photo op!

Our safari was next. I always say I'm not going to take pictures, just enjoy the experience, but of course that's impossible! I'll just show you one.

We didn't make any ADRs for today because we wanted to try Flame Tree BBQ. I had the Mac and Cheese with pulled pork and I think E had a pulled pork sandwich with onion rings. It was good, but I really wish they had indoor seating with AC! I think day drinking makes you really feel the heat!

Even though we got a later start to the day, we were beat! We managed to stay long enough for the tree awakening before we left for the night.
Up next: We're moving to the Boardwalk, having breakfast at Kona (again) and visiting MK (again)!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

6/21: Moving Day!
For the last several years we have been doing a split stay so that we can stay at a monorail resort and an Epcot resort. Disney certainly makes moving painless. Bell services picks up your bags, tags everything (including refrigerated groceries) and when you check in to your new room just give bell services a call and they bring your stuff.
Our plan for the day was breakfast a Kona Cafe which this time did not disappoint.

After we enjoyed our delicious breakfast, we went back to MK. Our FPs were for Splash, HM and PoTC. It was a fabulous day at MK. We met some country bears.

E said he wanted to sit in the rocking chairs. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he led me to them and there we sat watching the world go by.

A nice CM offered to take our picture. It actually rained a little while we were sitting there, so we continued to sit and rock like Meemaw and Papaw. This is what you see when you're sitting on the porch.

When the rain stopped, we moseyed over to Pirates and then started to make our way out of the park. E spotted the popcorn bucket that I had been coveting.

Aaaah...I just love it! It's so cute! And of course the popcorn was delicious too. I never did take advantage of the $1.75 refills though. Who wants to carry a popcorn bucket around with you everyday?
It was around 2:00, so we headed over to Boardwalk not expecting our room to be ready, but it was! I had tried to book a boardwalk view, but it was waitlisted. This was the first time we've ever had a waitlist not come through. It was okay though. We ended up on the second floor with an obstructed view of the scary clown.

After our bags were delivered and we got settled in, we made our way to DS. We had a 7:00 ADR for Morimoto, another first for us. First though, we stopped by Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar for a couple of drinks and some pretzels. We lucked into the round room. We felt a little guilty because it was just two of us, but it wasn't busy. It was quite stuffy in there, but we toughed it out.

We did a little shopping before heading to Morimoto. We were seated upstairs overlooking the first floor. It was a nice view. I had the ribs and a side of brussels sprouts. Both were fantastic...best ribs I think I've ever had! The brussels sprouts were great too, but E didn't want any and there was way too much for one person. E had the orange chicken and he liked it.

We will probably come here again. It's hard to say though, there are so many places at DS that we want to try! Once again, we were too full for dessert. Back at the Boardwalk, I enjoyed a strawberries and cream on a cake cone from Ample Hills. It's just so wonderful to sit on the Boardwalk and enjoy some ice cream while people watching!
After that, we called it a night. Our first visit to Epcot for this trip was coming up the next day.

 

[PineapplePrincess]

6/22 Epcot!
As E and I were waiting at the International Gateway, we were trying to remember the last time we took the monorail to Epcot and entered through the front entrance. It's been a few years. Then we got to talking about the Skyliner and how we would like to buy points at the Riviera Resort. We decided that they will have to go through security before getting on the Skyliner to avoid huge backups at IG.
Even though we had a FP for Soarin', we went there at rope drop and went through our usual Epcot morning routine: Soarin' standby, Living with the Land, breakfast at Sunshine Seasons and then use our Soarin' FP.

We were in the front row for the vegetable boat ride which I really liked.
Our next FP was for Mission Space, but I chickened out and wouldn't even do the green side. E liked the changes. While I waited for him, I got the monorail shot.

SSE was our third FP. I love this ride especially creating your future. This time, I chose the opposite of what I'm really interested in and it made for a funny ending.

Snowboarding....that's so me! After SSE I managed to snag a FP for Test Track. What?! I felt like I just won the lottery! I let E design the car. He was so happy! I guess we must usually let DD design it.

After TT, it was time to become world travelers. We peeked into La Cava, but there were no tables so we "settled" for these instead.

Cucumber lime for E and Fiesta (lime, strawberry and mango) for me. They were soooo good! I was glad there were no seats in La Cava or we would never have tried these. As we wandered down to America, we were beckoned into the amphitheater for a Guardians of the Galaxy show. I've never seen the movie, so the show seemed kind of lame to me, but it was nice to finish up my margarita in the shade.
We made our way to Rose and Crown where a really nice couple shared their table with us. Thanks Cindy and Jeff! While E was up at the bar ordering, Cindy invited me to sit because she said I looked tired. I decided to look at it as a gift and not an insult. They were a really nice couple and it was fun chatting with them. I had a Carl's Combo which I think is half Harp's and half Bass, and some fish and chips.

It was so nice to sit in the AC and people watch. We had a 6:30 ADR at Via Napoli for this evening, so I'm sure we went back to the Boardwalk to rest. I really need to take notes!
This was our view at Via Napoli. A huge improvement over last year's table which was right in the middle of the dining room. I was a little worried about this meal after reading some trip reports where people had bad service because they were splitting a small pizza. E and I shared the arancini, I had the mozzarella caprese and we shared an individual pepperoni pizza. I'm happy to report that our service was fantastic!

After dinner, we spent some time slowly making our way around WS. This was our dessert. So yummy and refreshing!

Up next: more WS pictures.

 

[PineapplePrincess]

World Showcase was so pretty on this evening!

We ended up heading out during Illuminations. It's not our favorite, so we didn't mind missing it.
Up next: Rope Drop at HS. TSMM is open this time!

 

[PacNWTigger]

I am STILL singing your TR title whenever I check in...LOL!!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

6/23: Back to HS
Today was supposed to have been a sleep in/pool morning. However, because of TSMM being closed on Monday, we were chomping at the bit to ride it. Even though it was open, there were no FP available for it. So we decided to forgo a nice relaxing morning for rope drop at HS.
While we were at Boardwalk, there were no boats running to HS, so we opted to walk.
We waited with the masses and were cattle herded to TSMM with everyone else. We didn't wait too long. I took a pic of all the people behind us.

And one of our scores. I never win, but I have lots of fun and that's what matters.

Due to my lack of note taking, I'm not 100% sure of what we did, but according to my pictures we went to launch bay and ran into some Storm Troopers. E was ecstatic.

I know that I changed our RnR FP for Muppetvision and that we had one for ToT and a later one for Star Tours.

We were having an early dinner (5:00) at Holly Brown Derby and doing the Star Wars dessert party tonight.
Feeling kind of peckish, but not wanting to eat too much, we went to Baseline Tap House to check it out.

We both had the Ace Space Bloody Orange cider. It was soooo yummy and refreshing! I'm a fan of their pineapple cider, but this was even better. The pretzel was okay, a little dry. I think if they brushed a little butter on top it would have been so much better.
As we were finishing up our snack, we overheard a woman telling her companions that there was no wait at TSMM right now. We didn't really believe it, but we headed over there to check it out. Sure enough, we waited maybe 10 minutes. Bonus!

Our plan was to go back for a little nap before dinner and the dessert party. On our way out we got out picture taken with Donald and had him sign one of our Passholder magnets.

Up next: dinner at HBD and an out of this world dessert party.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Fun trip report! We recently had brunch at the California Grill too, it was amazing and the meal could have just been the appetizer buffet and I would have been happy!