Trip Report The Emmy and Matt’s Birthdays and Audrey’s First Trip Trip Report…!!!!!

Who: myself (Steve), my wife of almost 35 years (Carolyn), our 3 grown children (Megan, Matthew -Matt turned 31 during our trip- and Sarah), our son-in-law (Daniel), and our 2 granddaughters (Emory, “Emmy”, turned 5 during the trip, and Audrey turned 2 in June)…!!!

When: Oct. 3rd to Oct. 8th, 2023.

Where: AKL, and our first deluxe resort stay. My dear DWifey found some crazy deal online and we stayed for about 65% off regular room rates…all the beautiful women in my life do this, they find deals…!!!!!

Anyway, this is us…!!!!!

 

[rshell68]

we thought this place also had the Nutella waffles

Oh no when did the Nutella waffles disappear They were very good!

 

[donaldtoo]

Oh no when did the Nutella waffles disappear They were very good!

Yep, that’s somethin’ we were very much lookin’ forward to, and we thought that’s where ya’ could get ‘em, but, apparently, it’s off the menu now…is there a Nutella supply chain shortage…?!?!?!

 

[littleroo]

A supply chain shortage of Nutella??

 

[donaldtoo]

After that, it was time for Emmy’s first ever roller coaster…the ride that takes longer to walk through the walk-on queue than the ride actually lasts…I give you………THE BARNSTORMER…!!!!!!!

Sorry, only load area pics…!!!!!

But, she loved it…!!!
And, Emmy’s thrill quotient ended up goin’ a lot higher than that over the trip…!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

A supply chain shortage of Nutella??

She’s, obviously, Nutella police on the take…!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Wednesday, October 4th, and Emmy’s 5th birthday, continued…

We then headed to IaSW (also, jokingly named by us as “It’s a Smell World” for a guy in front of us one trip way back when that probably hadn’t showered/bathed in a coupla’ weeks…!!!!! ) which was Emmy’s first ever attraction on our one day “Worldwind” trip back on October 29th of 2019…maybe some of y’all remember this pic from that TR…?!!!!!

And again, I finally got some decent pics of this beloved Mary Blair art directed attraction…!!!!!
(Last trip I had an iPhone 8, this trip I had an iPhone 12 Pro Max, which seems to have made a difference, yet I’m still three releases behind again…!!!!! )
Anyway, I got the best pic of my favorite character in this attraction…yes, the wonky-eyed hippo…!!!!!!!

No, this wasn’t the smelly dude…!!!!!

‘Smore pics, including the wonky-eyed hippo…!!!

 

[Jenniferlt]

Really enjoying your report! Your family is beautiful! AKL is our favorite. There is so much rich atmosphere.

 

[donaldtoo]

Really enjoying your report! Your family is beautiful! AKL is our favorite. There is so much rich atmosphere.

Thank you so very much, and thank you so very much for following…!!!
And, AKL is indeed a beautiful jewel…!!!!!

 

[MinnieM123]

And again, I finally got some decent pics of this beloved Mary Blair art directed attraction…!!!!!

Until you mentioned it, I hadn't made the connection to Mary Blair's artwork. I've always loved the beautiful displays inside IASW, and now I know why!

Your new phone took some excellent photos.

 

[donaldtoo]

Until you mentioned it, I hadn't made the connection to Mary Blair's artwork. I've always loved the beautiful displays inside IASW, and now I know why!

Your new phone took some excellent photos.

Thanks, Minnie…!!!
The camera of the iPhone 12 is much better than the 8.

The art direction on IaSW did indeed come from Mary Blair, but, of course, many other Imagineers (Disney Legends) contributed to the attraction… short article below…!!!

Designing "it's a small world" - Mary Blair

Learn about the characteristics of the art of Mary Blair and the visual style of "it's a small world".

www.designingdisney.com

 

[donaldtoo]

Wednesday, October 4th, and Emmy’s 5th birthday, continued…

After IaSW, Daniel wanted to head over to Gaston’s Tavern to try a LeFou’s Brew, and Megan hammed it up a little…!!!

I liked it. It tasted (to me anyway) kinda’ like butter scotch with a fruity background…!!!

After that short break, it was Dumbo time, which Emmy and Audrey really enjoyed…!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Wednesday, October 4th, and Emmy’s 5th birthday, continued…

After Dumbo, there was a bit of a photo shoot, including Daniel and Megan wanting a shot as close as they could get to the very spot (the doors for the Castle stage show are located there now) that Daniel proposed to Megan on her 21st birthday, back on our family trip in July of 2012…!!!

Sorry for the current TR interruption…some nostalgia got the best of me…!!!

All the pics below are from that day in July of 2012.
We all (including Sarah’s best friend Sam, and Megan’s best friend Morgan…checked in the one pic) rode the trolley from Town Square to Cinderella Castle with The Dapper Dans on board, and they sang Happy Birthday to Megan…!!!!!!!
To this day, Megan says she had no clue a proposal was coming. Daniel, like the good man that he is, of course, asked Carolyn and myself for permission to propose to Megan beforehand, and we gave him our full blessing. He is an unfailingly good husband and father…!!!!!
Anyway, those pics for anyone interested…!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Wednesday, October 4th, and Emmy’s 5th birthday, continued…

Then we headed to Columbia Harbour House for some lunch. I wanted to try the lobster roll, as I usually have the delicious fried fish and shrimp, but, I had also heard good things about the lobster roll…!!!

The only table I could find upstairs was basically a two-topper, as, apparently, everyone now knows the stairs to the upper floor aren’t fake…!!!!!

The sweet couple in the first pic that had a big, round table in the middle, offered to trade us for our little table with a view , when they saw all the rest of our crew come up…!!!!!

Long story short, the lobster roll was one of the most disappointing food items I’ve ever eaten in my life. The only thing that had even remote flavor was the actual roll itself, and that was just a bit of a buttery, garlicky flavor.

I should have just stuck with the yummy fish and shrimp. I even ate pieces of the lobster by itself, and the texture was fine, but, the flavor was non-existent.
Anyway, really only the one food bummer of the trip…!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Wednesday, October 4th, and Emmy’s 5th birthday, continued…

After CHH, we headed to East Center Street (also known as Market Street) so Emmy and Audrey could get their silhouettes done…my gosh, these folks are incredible artists, and captured both of them so perfectly and beautifully…!!!!!

 

[Jenniferlt]

So darling!!! Have they brought back the Dapper Dans and other Main Street characters? I haven't been since COVID and am thinking of planning a trip, but I don't want to return until things are more back to normal. The Dapper Dans and the Trolley Singers are my favorite thing about Magic Kingdom. They make me feel that I have truly entered a magical land.

 

[Minnie1986]

Wednesday, October 4th, and Emmy’s 5th birthday, continued…

After Dumbo, there was a bit of a photo shoot, including Daniel and Megan wanting a shot as close as they could get to the very spot (the doors for the Castle stage show are located there now) that Daniel proposed to Megan on her 21st birthday, back on our family trip in July of 2012…!!!

View attachment 750304View attachment 750305View attachment 750306View attachment 750307

Sorry for the current TR interruption…some nostalgia got the best of me…!!!

All the pics below are from that day in July of 2012.
We all (including Sarah’s best friend Sam, and Megan’s best friend Morgan…checked in the one pic) rode the trolley from Town Square to Cinderella Castle with The Dapper Dans on board, and they sang Happy Birthday to Megan…!!!!!!!
To this day, Megan says she had no clue a proposal was coming. Daniel, like the good man that he is, of course, asked Carolyn and myself for permission to propose to Megan beforehand, and we gave him our full blessing. He is an unfailingly good husband and father…!!!!!
Anyway, those pics for anyone interested…!!!

View attachment 750309
View attachment 750310
View attachment 750311
View attachment 750312

I'm not crying, you're crying!!

 

[Cesar R M]

Wednesday, October 4th, and Emmy’s 5th birthday, continued…

Then we headed to Columbia Harbour House for some lunch. I wanted to try the lobster roll, as I usually have the delicious fried fish and shrimp, but, I had also heard good things about the lobster roll…!!!

The only table I could find upstairs was basically a two-topper, as, apparently, everyone now knows the stairs to the upper floor aren’t fake…!!!!!

The sweet couple in the first pic that had a big, round table in the middle, offered to trade us for our little table with a view , when they saw all the rest of our crew come up…!!!!!

View attachment 750359

Long story short, the lobster roll was one of the most disappointing food items I’ve ever eaten in my life. The only thing that had even remote flavor was the actual roll itself, and that was just a bit of a buttery, garlicky flavor.

View attachment 750360

I should have just stuck with the yummy fish and shrimp. I even ate pieces of the lobster by itself, and the texture was fine, but, the flavor was non-existent.
Anyway, really only the one food bummer of the trip…!!!

I sometimes wonder if they overboil the lobster with no condiments.

 

[donaldtoo]

So darling!!! Have they brought back the Dapper Dans and other Main Street characters? I haven't been since COVID and am thinking of planning a trip, but I don't want to return until things are more back to normal. The Dapper Dans and the Trolley Singers are my favorite thing about Magic Kingdom. They make me feel that I have truly entered a magical land.

Thank you very much…!!!

Yes, The Dapper Dans have been back for quite a while now. They perform while they ride the trolley, up and down MSUSA, and I’ve seen them perform (on vlogs and streams, as well) everywhere in between.
And The Cadaver Dans perform in Frontierland during MNSSHP…!!!

However, I have not seen them on the trolley with Guests, like they were with us back on that day in 2012.
Also, I have yet to see any other Main Street Characters that have been brought back, such as the Trolley Singers, The Mayor, etc.

 

[donaldtoo]

I'm not crying, you're crying!!

I didn’t even cry that day…!!!!!
It was awesome and Magical and all, but, I guess I’m just stone cold…?!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

I sometimes wonder if they overboil the lobster with no condiments.

Yea, I’m not sure Cesar, but, it was just plain blaaahhhhh, and a complete disappointment.
No lobster/seafood flavor at all.
Also, that lettuce was much larger before I trimmed it down. Not sure what was up with that.

On a side note…
When I went back to work full-time at the firm over a decade ago, I was ordering sandwiches for lunch from a Jimmy John’s just down the road. Did that for about a week, then I noticed how much lettuce was on the sandwich vs. the other ingredients. The next time I ordered a sandwich from them, I ordered it with no lettuce…wimpiest looking sub sandwich I ever bought, and that was the last sandwich I ever bought from Jimmy John’s. They just use all that lettuce as filler, obviously.

Fast forward to last Monday…
I was way overdue for my annual review at the firm. The partner doing my review suggested Jimmy John’s for lunch, I ordered a roast beef with no lettuce, and got a bit of a weird look. Once we got our sandwiches, I showed him why I ordered it with no lettuce, and he was like… “WTH…?!?!?!”

Oh, and yes, I got a raise, and a bunch of retroactive back pay back to my actual anniversary date…!!!!!