Trip Report Not to Be Outdone - Spring Break 2016 Trip Report (Completed)

EDITED 07.07.17 - Photobucket has updated their policies so my photos aren't displaying. I'll try to switch them all over to Flickr eventually!

So earlier this year my coworker (he's a good friend, so I'll just call him friend from now on) decided to go to Disney World with his sister and brother-in-law, and I was so excited for him! He'd never been, but he's a huge animated film fan, so he's always loved Disney. I made a little notebook for him detailing all the things I thought he'd like, and in the process, I was having serious yearnings to go down there too. Well...about a month and a half out from spring break, I just booked a trip. Couldn't help it! I couldn't let my friend go and not go myself...it just wouldn't be right.

Cast: Me and my husband.
When: March 21-25
Where: Pop Century
Why: Because I can't be outdone by a friend. You go, I go!

We headed down on Sunday the 20th after I shot a wedding all day the 19th. Luckily it was a low-key wedding and I wasn't exhausted on the drive down. We made good time and checked into the Buena Vista Palace for a night. That place was NICE but the walk from the parking lot was outrageously long. Still, I'd totally stay there if I didn't want to stay on property for some reason. In fact, it would have been a lot better than staying at Pop, which we hated.

I didn't take notes this trip, so I don't remember a lot of what we did and in what order! I'll do my best though. Going to shoot a wedding in a few minutes, so I'll just leave this here and start the report when I get home...or tomorrow morning after I sleep.

 
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Tom

Tom

Beta Return
sheriffwoody said:
After my friend headed home, we hopped a bus to Epcot.


Had to get a picture of my fav on the way in. Love Donald!

We hit up Club Cool then went through the butterfly garden, which was pretty neat.


We were heading to Biergarten for dinner, but we had a lot of time to get there. We started in Canada and just meandered through World Showcase. I had to stop at the tea garden in the UK! I really wanted to come back during the day and do the tour, but we never did. I really love the Twinings Irish Breakfast, but I didn't take a picture of that one for some reason.


We made our way around to Japan and checked out the Kawaii exhibit. I LOVED this! It was so cute...I mean, obviously.




We made it to Biergarten a little early and just hung out for a few. Our buzzer finally went off, and we were seated with another couple and a group of four. We had to sit next to each other instead of across, which I didn't care for, but oh well. Our server suggested the potato leek soup which was DIVINE. I had several bowls of it as well as heaps of other food. I ate way way way too much AND got a half liter of beer. I couldn't finish the beer, but I only left a little at the bottom. We agreed that we should have shared one.


We sat there for a while after we were done because we were both trying to let our food settle before leaving. It was past park closing since we ate late, but our server said there was no rush. We chatted about Germany and he told us his favorite places. I've always wanted to visit there, so I was taking mental notes! My uncle lived there for a while, and I'll always regret not going to visit when I had the chance.

We finally got up and left, and I didn't think I was going to make it. I was so stuffed and the beer wasn't sitting well with all that German food. I REALLY didn't want to be one of those people you hear about puking in the bushes, so I powered through it and maybe I even unbuttoned my pants to help a little :hilarious:

When we got to the front of the park, we both peed (sorry, I know this is TMI), and I felt a lot better. Guess my bladder was just super full! I don't think I've ever been that full in my entire life, and that's one reason I don't do buffets very often!

As we were leaving, I noticed the moon was really bright. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it was so pretty in person.


We waited a while for a bus, which was so annoying since I felt like a cow :arghh: The bus finally came and when we got to Pop, we waddled back to the room and crashed.

Next up, Hollywood!
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+1 for incorporating bodily functions into your trip report!
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We headed to Epcot from Hollywood. I would have walked, but my husband's feet were hurting (a common problem).

Actually, side note: Does anyone else have really wide, flat feet? He has tried so many different kinds of shoes and they all end up hurting him somehow. I personally think he should get some Chacos or something similar, but he refuses. Some kind of sneaker is what he prefers. Just curious if anyone has any recommendations.

Ok, so we hopped the bus to Epcot, and soon we made it to Mexico! I got to try the avocado margarita I've heard so much about. It did not disappoint! As @dancingtodisney pointed out in her report (which you should check out), these are strong.

My husband's jalepeno margarita (above) and my avocado one (below)



We actually sat around a table with another couple and had a nice conversation with them. By the time I was halfway through my drink, I was way more talkative than I normally am with strangers. I really wish I'd asked for the girl's instagram name or something so I could have kept up with them. They were native to Orlando, so I'm sure they post a lot of Disney photos. They were talking about moving to Chattanooga though, which was cool! I'd move there too if it wasn't so crowded and expensive. I guess that wouldn't be a huge difference from Orlando except the weather is way better :) We talked with them for probably over a half hour. We had a lot in common!

When we left La Cava, we wandered around the market a bit, then went outside and caught the mariachi band. That kid with the sombrero was really into it! He had some moves.



We stopped by the Lotus House kiosk for some Flower and Garden action. We actually hit up several kiosks before and after this, but I am not posting all the photos. I was having trouble finding good spots for pictures and some of them are just too bad to post, like way way way overexposed. Sadly most of the pictures that turned out ok were of stuff I didn't even like. Go figure!

I did enjoy this Gaoli beef bun and dragon pearl drink. I love tapioca pearls. They're so weird and so good!


We watched the acrobat show. It was ok, I guess, but I wasn't that impressed. Is it just me?


I got the Currywurst with Paprika Chips at Bauernmarkt and I got a beer, but I can't remember what! It might have been the Hefe, but I think I had the Dunkel as well, so I'm not sure which one I got here. Either way, I like both :D Also this was one of the snacks I loved! Sorry for the unappetizing picture.


I loved this orchid garden we walked through somewhere. I think it was near China? Or maybe Mexico? Either way, it was pretty.


I took several "scenic" pictures this afternoon :) Can't help it!



An iphone selfie with some flowers and my finger because I'm a pro


We didn't have dinner plans this evening because we had planned to eat at the kiosks. I'll try to remember at the end to list out the other stuff we tried.

My friend from work had been at Magic Kingdom all day, and I thought we might run into him if we went over there, so off we went. I didn't want to bug him, but I asked what they were up to and they were watching the fireworks. Oddly enough half his family was down there because his little sister was doing some kind of choir competition, so he spent the day getting to see his family :)

We didn't end up seeing him, but we did watch Wishes from right outside the park, which was neat.


We made our way in when it was over and got diverted to the back alley behind Main Street. It was nearly empty, but when we came out the other side we got funneled into the most ridiculously huge crowd I've ever seen. It was shoulder to shoulder, butt to front for about 20 minutes from those bathrooms by Tomorrowland Terrace to the other side where you turn right to go into Tomorrowland. If I had been in a bad mood, I might have become one of those "meltdown" stories. Luckily I was just too entertained by how many people could be stuffed into such a small space, and I was also curious what was causing it to move so slowly. Once we got off that walkway, we were fine. The park wasn't crazy crowded or anything!

I think this was the night we rode Haunted Mansion with a bunch of obnoxious male teens. They were horrible. After the stretching room, I was trying to hang back to put some distance between us and there was a group of 3 or 4 kids doing the same thing :joyfull:. I think they were all from the same school, but the kids at the back were much more mature.

The line for Small World was short, and we still had never ridden it at MK (just Disneyland), so we hopped on.


I hate it :p. It's one and done for me. I can say now that I've done it at both parks, and that's just fine with me! No need to repeat.

We settled into a spot on the hub grass to watch Celebrate the Magic when it played at 11 then headed for the bus stop. That show makes me cry every time! I could just watch that three or four times and skip Wishes. ha!

We headed straight to dreamland when we got back to the room!
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Our next day was spent solely in my husband's favorite park: Epcot!

Had to get a selfie with my favorite topiary


We started out the day with a ride on Test Track. We didn't plan on doing much in Future World, so we just kind of wandered around. I know I got coffee at one point, and we walked over to The Land, but we didn't get on anything.

We walked through Innoventions while we waited for our Spaceship Earth FP+ window, and we spotted my friend with his sister and bro-in-law. We chatted with them for a few minutes. He seemed to be having a great time so far, which made me happy! We saw them a few more times that day as we walked around World Showcase.

After our SE ride, it was close enough to lunchtime that we could justify eating our must-do meal


After a delicious meal by the water, we strolled around World Showcase and paused at America. There was a kiosk for F&G and we both got a beer there. I also saw that the Voices of Liberty would be out soon, so I wanted to listen to them.

BTW, I told my friend he MUST have the fish n chips because he likes that dish other places, and he admitted they were the best he'd ever had. Woot! I'm good at advice.


At The Smokehouse my husband got the Shipyard Maple Bacon Stout, which I thought was horrendous. He liked it. I think I got the 3 Daughters Rod Bender Red Ale, which I enjoyed. My friend who lives in St. Petersburg was going to take me to that brewery when I visited, but we never went. Maybe next time! There are tons of them in that city.


They are SO GOOD. I could have listened to them for hours, and I got way excited when they sang Rocky Top.

We spent several hours just wandering around, and soon enough it was 6pm and approaching our ADR at Tokyo Dining...or was it?


I went up to the check in and was taken upstairs. But when the girl at the counter gave us our buzzer, she said it would be a while for the 6:50 reservation. Say what? I had it in my head that it was 6:15, so I thought we were just a little early, but we were almost an hour early. Oops! My husband wasn't thrilled with me :D



We hung out on the porch for a bit, then did a little shopping downstairs. We planned to purchase some stuff after dinner as the Japan store is our favorite.

Sooner than expected, our buzzer went off so we were seated. It really wasn't that bad of a wait!


I loved where our table was. There was a nice view out. It would be cool to sit by the window, but I was fine with where we were. Our server came over and got our orders and she was a delight through the whole meal.


My hot tea. I bought some tea downstairs after dinner, but when I tried it at home, it definitely wasn't as good as what I had in the restaurant. So sad!


I know my husband got eel, but I can't remember what roll he got. Looks like maybe the volcano roll?


I ordered tuna tataki, which I would have been fine without. It was just ok.



I think this is the spicy roll. All the sushi was good! It wasn't like...AMAZING. But it was just as good as the stuff we get at home, and priced similarly. Maybe a little higher, but I mean I don't have a view of the World Showcase Lagoon at home...so.... I'll pay a few dollars more and not complain.

Also, this was the cheapest table service meal we've ever had on property. We're used to paying around $50 when we get sushi at home, and that's what our bill was here too. I couldn't believe it! Great value at Tokyo Dining if you like sushi.

This was what greeted us when we left


We had already planned to shop after dinner, but because of the monsoon, everyone else took a shopping break as well! It was madness in there, but we still found some stuff we wanted. My husband got a ridiculous t-shirt and I got one of those waving solar powered cat things. It's on my desk and it makes me smile every time I look at it.



We grabbed a Cremoso al Pistacchio from the Primavera Kitchen kiosk. It wasn't one of my favorite things, and it was tiny, but it was pretty good. As you can tell, it was raining, and it was there to stay! I was bummed because my friend was there, and I was hoping it wasn't ruining his night. He's super chill though, so he told me later he still enjoyed watching Illuminations. Whew! I really talked up Illuminations, so I needed him to love it :joyfull:

We had plans to see Illuminations later, so we headed out. I took the opportunity to take another shot of my guy, Donald. My favorite of the trip!
 
MinnieM123

MinnieM123

Premium Member
All your pictures are wonderful. I was especially drawn to the Voices of Liberty photo. Their show is classy and entertaining. Always loved the period costumes the CMs wear.
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After a wet Thursday night, we fortunately woke up to a nice, calm Friday. Unfortunately, it was our last day :cry:



Most mornings we were there, I would shower and then go get us drinks at the cafeteria (soda because the coffee is gross). Then I would spend a little time reading on the bench outside our room. That was the best part of the resort. Whenever we had time in the room, I would take my book out there and sit by the water and read. The mornings were nice and quiet!

We got ready and headed to MK.



The spring trolly show is ADORABLE! This is one of my favorite things about Magic Kingdom. I just love all the little charming things you see around the park.




I was hungry, so we headed to Sleepy Hollow to get waffles. YUM! Messy, but yummy. I don't remember seeing the one with nutella, because I probably would have gotten that! Instead I got the strawberry one.

With our bellies full, we rode some rides. We hit Splash Mountain and Big Thunder, then we decided to check out Tom Sawyer Island for the first time ever! Don't know how we've missed this every other trip. We had a great time walking around there and trying to scare each other in the caves.


Being silly on Splash





We passed several hours on that side of the park, and soon it was time to eat again. My husband wanted to try Casey's, so we went over there. It was mobbed, so there was a cast member telling people which line to get in. He put us in the worst one apparently because it took us ages to order. We finally ordered and got some food. There weren't any seats, but we found a table to stand at on the side. It had started to look like rain by this point :arghh:




That's my barbeque slaw dog. It was delicious!!!

It started raining while we were eating, so the overhang outside Casey's got crowded. We went over to the spot outside the care center and camped out for a while. When it slowed to a sprinkle, we decided to just head out. I was already planning to come back later that evening, so I wasn't terribly sad. What DID make me sad was the number of people waiting for a Pop Century bus. It took us forever to finally get back, and of course the rain was gone when we got there. We took the time to pack up, and I rested by the water with my book.

Even though I was annoyed that we left the park when the rain only lasted a couple of hours, I was glad for the time to relax.

Soon we were ready for the evening!
 
fractal

fractal

Well-Known Member
Your husband should have his gait analyzed. That can be done at most high end athletic/sneaker shops. I used to buy Nike sneakers off the shelf and they killed my feet. After going and having someone look at how I walked and jogged they told me the Nike sneakers I was wearing were actually the worst kind for my feet. I now get neutral sole shoes/sneakers and they feel great.

Still immensely enjoying your photos!
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
fractal said:
Your husband should have his gait analyzed. That can be done at most high end athletic/sneaker shops. I used to buy Nike sneakers off the shelf and they killed my feet. After going and having someone look at how I walked and jogged they told me the Nike sneakers I was wearing were actually the worst kind for my feet. I now get neutral sole shoes/sneakers and they feel great.

Still immensely enjoying your photos!
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You know, I hadn't thought of that! I have had mine analyzed a couple of times, so I don't know why that didn't occur to me. We'll go do that for sure! Thanks :)
 
jrogue

jrogue

Well-Known Member
Your pictures are absolutely breathtaking! I'm loving them and your trip report is great! Side note -- those yellow converses you're wearing in your first post? I'm wearing them right now!! :D haha
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We drove over to Epcot for our last evening. We thought driving would be easier since we'd be leaving after Illuminations and didn't want to deal with the bus again.

We made a beeline for World Showcase and our first stop was the Pineapple Promenade for a Spicy Hot Dog with Pineapple Chutney and Taro Chip. Delicious! We were apparently on a hot dog kick today.



Next up was Urban Farm Eats for the Seared Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Ragoût, Spring Vegetables and Marble Potatoes. This was my favorite item we got! The pork was amazing.



We stopped at the Cider House for House-made Potato and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with Smoked Salmon Tartare, which I took a few bites of. I threw the salmon tartare away, but ate the biscuit. I don't know why I thought mushy salmon would be good :hungover:



At the Fleur de Lys booth, we got the Tarte à l’Onion Alsacienne. This was pretty good, but not really what I was expecting.



I was pretty full at this point, but I LOVE falafel, so I got that at the Taste of Marrakesh booth. I was disappointed though, because it was quite dry. The cucumber and tomato salad was like half a bite, and the tahini sauce didn't go very far. I couldn't finish it because of how dry it was :(


My husband wanted one more thing, so we stopped at the Hanami kiosk for some Beef Teriyaki Udon, which was delish (yeah, I stole some from him). We sat over by Katsura Grill, where I got us some cups of water. It was peaceful over there, and we had a little time to kill before our Illuminations dessert party.






When it was close to 8, we headed over to the International Gateway to check in for the party. It was pretty easy and they already had food out. We didn't realize they would have regular food AND dessert or we wouldn't have eaten as much as we did! I am so mad at myself for that, because we definitely didn't get our money's worth out of the food.

We each got 2 or 3 desserts and basically just sampled them all because we'd already filled up like dummies :facepalm:




This is where we realized taking the car was a mistake... DUH. We knew there were drinks at this thing. I felt bad because my husband was going to be taking the truck back to the resort while I went back to MK to "say goodbye" so he couldn't drink much. I think he only had one drink right at the beginning. I tried to make up for it by having 4. :hilarious: I don't know what all they had but it was Prosecco and some other wine and some kind of rum punch. I tried it all, and honestly wouldn't seek any of it out again. I'm more of a beer person.

The time came for Illuminations and we had a nice, spacious spot with a view! If we'd snagged a table on the edge, it would have been unobstructed, but we didn't care that much. We started off with a table on the edge, but the people next to us were AWFUL, so we moved after about 30 seconds. I'd rather have pleasant people in front of me than annoying people beside me.




Love this show so much!!! We left Epcot after that and my husband took the truck back while I hopped on the monorail. He had decided not to go with me because his feet were hurting so much and he wanted to pack the rest of his stuff. I was fine with that because honestly the last two trips before this I've visited MK last by myself and I love it. I don't want to say it's a tradition because I know I won't be able to do it every trip, but it's been a nice little ritual to do a few times.

I got there a little before the parade, so I stood right outside the Emporium where it steps off.




I hate this parade, but I watched it anyway. It's just boring to me :cautious: (y'all don't kill me)

My friend from work was there and he stood with me for part of the parade. He agrees that it's boring :joyfull:. After that we walked through the Emporium where he found his sister and they went off to ride something. I walked over to Gaston's Tavern because I wanted to see the fountain and I was dying of thirst. Luckily they were still open so I got some water and sat and watched the fountain a little.



Celebrate the Magic was supposed to be playing soon, so I found a spot in the hub to sit and watch it and try not to bawl like a baby. I stayed in that spot for a while just listening to the music of Main Street.



My friend's family was leaving, so he and I met up and rode Haunted Mansion. I was SO excited that he liked a lot of my favorites since I talked them all up. When we left HM, I remembered I had seen the book I had been searching for in Momento Mori, so I bolted over there before they closed. The CM laughed at me because I took a long whiff of the pages before taking it to the register. I LOVE the way that book smells.

I told my friend I had to ride the carousel before it closed because that's been my last ride on the last several trips. He said that was fine and hopped on there with me. I was trying to soak the place in as much as I could. It was so nice to get that one last ride in, even though I was holding back tears.



Well, sadly that was over and the park was closed. My friend and I walked around a little, and I had told him about the Kiss Goodnight, so we sat in the hub waiting for it. I did warn him that it wasn't really anything extravagant, it was just kind of a sweet way to leave the night. I think he was unimpressed, but whatever. After I was thanked for spending my magical day in the park, I sadly dragged myself out. I DID NOT CRY ON THE WAY OUT. This is a miracle. I kept myself talking to my friend and managed to not let the tears flow for once. I was so proud.

The bus to Art of Animation and Pop Century was combined at this late hour, so my friend and I were on the same bus. I ended up hopping off with him at AoA because my room was right across the bridge anyway. It was a very quiet walk through the AoA resort, and a nice end to the trip.

We got up super early the next morning and hit the road. The only thing that makes going home ok is coming home to this face.


Well that's it! It was the most crowded trip we've ever had, so we didn't do as many attractions, but we still had a wonderful time. We planned to wait until Fall 2017 to go back, but now we've planned a trip for this October. We're addicted :rolleyes:
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
jrogue said:
Your pictures are absolutely breathtaking! I'm loving them and your trip report is great! Side note -- those yellow converses you're wearing in your first post? I'm wearing them right now!! :D haha
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That's so sweet, thank you! I love those shoes! Converse aren't really comfy for me anymore, but I love the bright yellow ones. I MAY have asked for them for Christmas solely because I wanted them for my Donald outfit :joyfull:
 
Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Enjoyed following and your pictures were great!!

Curious as to your reasons for disliking Pop so much? (Although I understand that any resort would pale in comparison to your GF upgrade! :D)
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tuvalu said:
Enjoyed following and your pictures were great!!

Curious as to your reasons for disliking Pop so much? (Although I understand that any resort would pale in comparison to your GF upgrade! :D)
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Yeah part of it is that we have always stayed moderate or (more recently) deluxe. (Can anything compare to the Grand?! haha...not likely) We didn't like that the rooms felt like regular old motel rooms. Everything was just drab and dark. We were also there during Spring Break, so there were scores of teens EVERYWHERE. So. many. teens. Most of them were courteous, but we did run into several large groups who were loud and not paying attention to anything around them. The busses were almost always full and occasionally took much longer than 20 minutes. I was glad we could drive at least some of the time.

Everything else about it was ok. I liked having the lake right outside our door, and the store was nice. I don't really swim, but the pool areas were cool looking. I probably won't be staying value again though. It's worth the extra money for me to do moderate.

Thanks for following along! I love reading your reports :)
 
lostpro9het

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
sheriffwoody said:
When it was close to 8, we headed over to the International Gateway to check in for the party. It was pretty easy and they already had food out. We didn't realize they would have regular food AND dessert or we wouldn't have eaten as much as we did! I am so mad at myself for that, because we definitely didn't get our money's worth out of the food.
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What regular food did they have?

sheriffwoody said:
Yeah part of it is that we have always stayed moderate or (more recently) deluxe. (Can anything compare to the Grand?! haha...not likely) We didn't like that the rooms felt like regular old motel rooms. Everything was just drab and dark. We were also there during Spring Break, so there were scores of teens EVERYWHERE. So. many. teens. Most of them were courteous, but we did run into several large groups who were loud and not paying attention to anything around them. The busses were almost always full and occasionally took much longer than 20 minutes. I was glad we could drive at least some of the time.

Everything else about it was ok. I liked having the lake right outside our door, and the store was nice. I don't really swim, but the pool areas were cool looking. I probably won't be staying value again though. It's worth the extra money for me to do moderate.
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I feel ya! For years we were all about POP, never thought it could get better. Then.....we stayed at AKL. Followed that with BWV, OKW, SSR, BCV, VWL, BLT, a few more AKL stays. We then stayed at POP again last summer and were like "whaaat?".

sheriffwoody said:
, but now we've planned a trip for this October. We're addicted :rolleyes:
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Ditto! Weekend of the 24th!
 
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sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
lostpro9het said:
What regular food did they have?
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I didn't even go through that line :facepalm:. I just know it was what I would describe as "savory" and not desserts. It was probably snack-y stuff if I had to guess. I should have paid attention. Since the desserts were based on the different countries, I'd assume the savory snacks were as well.

lostpro9het said:
Ditto! Weekend of the 24th!
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Sad, we'll just miss you! We'll be there the 13th-18th. Short trip, and was going to be shorter until I found a way to squeeze another day and a half of vacation time out at work :joyfull:
 

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