Trip Report Under the Sea Surprise-Live TR

Our bags are packed, we’re checked in for our 6am flight and tomorrow I get to wake up my 2 children at 3am and surprise them with a Disney Trip 9 months in the making.
For those of you who haven’t read my PTR here is a brief recap:
Who-Myself (Erica), My Sister (H), My cousin (M) and my two Disney obsessed children O (4) and Z (2).
Where-AoA
When-Leaving tomorrow for 5 days!

We should be arriving to the bubble sometime around 10am tomorrow and I am planning on updating live updates 1-2 times a day at least while the kids nap/go to sleep. If I can’t keep up I will add the rest when we return . Stay tuned to see how we fare with the surprise and the early morning flight!

 

[ELeigh]

After dinner, Z and I headed to guest services at MK and then this happened:

The only logical thing to do next was...

I let Z choose one ride to go on and he of course picked “Adiel” so off we went. I don’t even thing we waited just walked through the queue without stopping even though there were plenty people ahead of us.

I thought it was funny that z covered his eyes and hid from Ursula even though he loves “Poor Unfortunate Souls” and asks for it as his bedtime song often. While we were on our way over to the Ariel ride I as able to get a FP for the teacups that has just started so we rode those and Z made me a little dizzy. We were also able to get a fastpass about to begin for Buzz but I don’t think Z understood how to use the laser gun even though I showed him.

 

[ELeigh]

we had really cold dry bread too. I keep wondering what everyone loves about it so much?

It didn’t used to be like that at all! I would be upset because it isn’t a loss but everything else was so good I didn’t care too much.

 

[ELeigh]

Don’t worry, O might have missed a few rides but she had plenty of fun:

Now everyone else is sleeping and I have been I’m up for almost 18 hours so I am hoping to get a good nights sleep

 

[ELeigh]

I’m wide awake ready for our park day (or will be once I get out of bed and get some coffee). Everyone was asleep by 9 last night so hopefully they are rested and recharged soon so we can make it for EMH at MK

 

[ELeigh]

We made it to MK by 7:15 this morning and we were towards the front of the pack for EMH. When we were released into Fantasyland the crowds swarms to the left and I instructed H to stay all the way right. We followed the Storybook Circus employees as they made their way to their posts and one CM asked me if we were trying to get to the mine train (we were going the wron way if so) but we had other plans.

We were second in line for Ariel after a family that looked like they had just finished breakfast at CRT. We then walked right on for a spin on her ride.

After going Under the Sea we went up in the sky on Barnstormer and Dumbo.

Z was excited to get on the teacups again after that and we chose a purple and blue teacup to match our Magic bands.

 

[ELeigh]

After our spin it was only 8:30 and we had some time before our first FP so I suggested H grab us a snack while I took Z and O to meet some princesses. There were some mini meltdowns when the fastpass lone kept us from moving for over 10 min for a 20 min posted wait time but we piasjed through. While we were waiting a gentleman ahead of me (who appears to be visually impaired) overheard us talking about the princesses and asked me if we were in line for Pirates of the Caribbean. I told him we were definitely not and tried to give him directions to POTC I hope he made it there alright.

When we exited, H was sitting right outside waiting with this

We snacked and drank some much needed coffee and then after a quick bathroom break we were right on time for the beginning of our first FP window.

After our bounce I was feeling warn down and a bit sweaty so it was the perfect time for Philharmagic.

O was really hoping the jewels Ariel threw to her were real. After that it was off to Its a Small World which H protested but it was a very short wait and Z loves this ride. He clapped and sang along the whole way it was adorable

Up next we had a FP for Peter Pan. It was my first time riding it and we recently watched the movie ahead of the trip so Z would be pumped for this. I honestly was really underwhelmed. The sounds seemed to be coming from the opposite direction than the characters speaking and it really threw me off. Captain Hooks voice was very off to me too. I’m glad we didnt wait the 70 min posted wait for that. We had time for one more ride after that before our lunch date at the Beasts castle. There was only one thing in the area we hadn’t one yet so we checked it off the list

 

[ELeigh]

We arrived shortly ahead of our 11:15 lunch reservation and judging by the crowd outside when we left it was the perfect time for BOG. We sat in the ballroom and while I waited for our food H took the kids to explore the castle. Our meals arrived shortly after they returned and the kids split a croque monssiore while H and I split the Turkey sanwich. Both kids decided they preferred just the ham which was opportune for the adults to split the other half of their ham-less sanwich. The fries were nice and crispy and the bread and dressing on the Turkey sandwich were excellent. Of course the kids finished off the meal with a little something.

After lunch H and Z headed out of the park. I and I had about a 40 min wait until our FP and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to try this (despite my full belly):

We made it just 5 minutes early for our SDMT FP and for our firsr ever time on it we got front row. I was worried O might get scared because it’s a lot bigger than Barnstormer but she loved it! I was also a huge fan of it. Show White is my favorite princess and I love the Dwarfs.
After this it was hot and crowded we made for the exits as fast as possible but we got caught in a deluge on our way. We ended up in the middle of the move it shake it parade in the middle of the downpour but Olivia loved it and we made the best of being soaking wet by dancing and singing along. (No pictures because I didn’t want to risk ruining my iPhone)

 

[Spash007]

I'm getting major flashbacks to our trip in the fall with our 3 year old - you gotta love those EMH mornings where you don't go on the "major" rides and can just knock out all of Fantasyland! We also felt the same about Peter Pan - especially because our daughter could hardly see it.

 

[ELeigh]

After getting caught in the rain we were soaked but still in good spirits.

Z was happy to be dry back at AoA with H

We waited out the storm with napping in our swimsuits. We had no blankets in our room (more on this later) and so I was freezing while everyone else was sleeping under the tiny blankets we had brought on the plane and the double layer sheets they were passing off as blankets this week at AoA. I decided to venture out and found the clouds moving out and the lifeguards were moving back in. I grabbed a (very wet) seat by the flippin fins pool and took a short nap. I woke up to some Florida sunshine (finally). I quickly made my way back to the room and the kids were just waking from nap. We got our things together and we're out the door to the big blue pool within minutes trying to capitalize on the dry weather while it lasted. We spent a beautiful afternoon at the pool and the kids were thrilled with the splash pad. It was tough to leave but I was starting to get hungry and we had plans for dinner I did not want to miss. We all showered and got ready to go out for the ebening. We tried to leave quickly grabbing any essentials and when we looked at the weather app to decide if we should take rain gear it was a 30% chance of rain and we though put we would be fine without it-big mistake.
We made good time to Epcot and headed straight for Mexico. I was hoping to catch a PP photographer on the way in but there were none anywhere. I found this strange because last time I visited during F&G they were everywhere but maybe the constant rain this week has made them scale back? We started with some snacks from Jardin de Feistas the pork taco and the chaquiles with a Rose Margarita. The food was just melt in your mouth goodness and the margarita was sheer perfection. The kids were ready for some fun so I took them into the pyramid to check out the Gran Fiesta Tour.

After our ride around Mexico it was time to sample some more Mexican food. H and M had been in line at La Cantina and had picked up 3 different meals and adult beverages which we shared

And the kids split the kids meal empanadas (which the adults ended up finishing-empanadas were the clear favorite).
We then split up again so that I could grab a special treat and H and M could see "Donald's boat Ride with O and Z. I walked through a few countries to make my way to Germany for one of my favorites . I met the kids back in Mexico in the line to meet Donald with their caramel chocolate chip cookie and a large caramel popcorn for the group to share (we finished neither nibbling throughout the night because dinner had been so filling). I would have been fine just hanging out at Epcot after this but M hadn't gone to MK yet and this seemed like the best chance for the kids to view the fireworks so we made our way over. We got there and had a chance for one picture in front of the castle before the rain moved in.

The clouds soon opened up into a downpour and we took shelter under the Cheshire cafe pavilion. We had a FP about to end for the Ariel ride-yet again-and the rain thinned out to a drizzle so we made our way back to FL. We got off the ride 20 minutes ahead of Happily Ever After and found a decent view of the back of the castle under some cover. We made ourselves comfortable and got warmer gear on the kids who were starting to fade. The show came on and it was cool to be right in the middle of the action, but I could see how the projections would have made it better.
Midway through the show things took a turn for the worst, the sky began dumping rain on us and we had no choice but to make our way to the exits drenched from head to toe. I will spare you the details because it was not pretty and the worst of some other guests was brought out by the miserable situation. About an hour later we were back in the room and put the kids in a warm bath to heat them up and Rome out the warmest pajamas we brought afterwards. We also called the front desk to request towels and blankets and luckily they arrived quickly. Today is our non park day and I am glad to get a break after yesterday's marathon and we have two ADRs that I am looking forward to. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed for less rain and more sun for the next 3 days of our trip.

 

[ELeigh]

Today began a little more slowly than yesterday. I had to force myself to go back to sleep several times but woke up and started to get ready for the day around 7:00. We got up slowly and made coffee in the small kuerig that we brought to wake us up. We had a 10am date with some princesses so at 9:15 we were ready to go and hailed a Minnie Van. This was my first time using a ride share app but obviously different than the typical Uber or Lyft. I was nervous because we got the “connecting to nearby drivers” message for over five minutes and I didn’t know if that was normal. Once we finally connected it was a short five minute wait and well worth it to avoid the bus nightmare it would have been to get to the boardwalk for Trattoria al Adorno. We ended up arriving 20 minutes early for breakfast and decided to just check in and wait inside due to rain clouds moving in.

We were given an option to be seated right away and miss the “introductions” which was fine with us. We were given our pastries and fruit and then we ended up meeting Prince Eric before we got our drinks.

O was not interested in him and only had eyes for Flynn Rider. Once Prince Eric moved on we received our drinks (2 peach bellinis and an Italian spiked ice coffee)

Then we quickly met both princesses. O Hs to show Repunzel that she was on her purse and Z was enamoured with Ariel.

Next it was time for food. I got the steak breakfast and it was nothing short of amazing the steak was cooked to perfection and everything else on the plate was a great compliment to it (meat picture warning for anyone who isn’t a fan)

At this point the characters had gone and o was worried she wasn’t going to meet Flynn Rider. As we ate the characters started coming back out and we saw the introductions which were very cute. Flynn Rider was back but meeting the other side of the room. As our waitress finished out the check I let her know that we were waiting and the manager/coordinator of characters (not sure exactly?) came and told O that Flynn would be with her shortly. Prince Eric invited O to the parade but just then Flynn Rider came to our table. O was thrilled.

We took pictures and when it was time to wrap up I suggested to O that we join the princess parade to try to make saying goodbye to him easier. To my suprise he offered to walk with her in the parade so she was able to parade around the room with him and z and I joined behind. She looked like queen for a day waving to the people as we went it was one of the most precious things ever and some serious pixie dust on our day! We got back and the woman who had helped us out was standing near our table waiting to see how O liked the parade with Flynn. We thanked her several times and then headed out and took another Minnie Van back to the hotel.

 

[ELeigh]

Upon our arrival back to the hotel, the weather was perfect for some pool time so we were able to enjoy the big blue pool once again. We swam and splashed and then of course the clouds rolled back in. We were able to sneak in some lunch for the kids from Landscape of Flavors (and a treat of course) before being stuck in the rain.

After a somewhat restless naptime (all 3 adults slept but neither of the kids did), the kids were looking out the window at out her children running around in swimsuits and it looked sunny for the moment. I quickly got them dressed and took them to explore the hotel a bit while H and M were sleeping. We made it around the little mermaid buildings when the dark clouds returned. We made it under cover at our building just as it started pouring buckets. We watched the downpour come down for about an hour before rolling out and then started bracing ourselves to go out in the rain. This time we were prepared with all our gear and we were able to stay relatively dry. We arrived at the bus stop and waited almost 30 minutes for a bus to Disney springs and made it just in time for our reservation at Frontera Cocina. I originally was hoping to meet my aunt and uncle who live in FL for this dinner, but they were sick and couldn't make it. We were seated immediately and all of the staff we encountered were very bubbly and made it a fun atmosphere. The kids got to work coloring when we sat down

We ordered our dinners and everything arrived quickly and it was all excellent even the kids quesadillas which was a huge portion that the adults ended up finishing.

My dinner was the carne asada and the watermelon margarita. Perfection!
We did save some room for dessert of course. I ordered the 4 leches cake and it was creamy and not to sweet. H ordered the same and M ordered the tequila mousse which I tried as well and it was light and an excellent balance of sweet and tart.

After dinner it was raining hard once again (shocker). I took the kids to World of Disney to choose something with the gift cards they brought. O picked a baby dory plush and Z chose cars bath toys. My AP discount really made their dollars streatch and the have enough to pick out something else today or tomorrow. We bundled back up into rain gear (I highly recommend a plastic stroller cover to anyone traveling with stroller aged children-it works wonders), and made for the exit. H and M helped me get the kids on the bus and then headed to the Poly to check out the bar scene. On the bus a very friendly older gentleman who was with his wife chatted with me about his daughter when she was O's age. He said something along the lines of "this must be their [my kids] first time because you didn't know they weren't old enough yet". I know people differ on this point but I am I firm believer that any age is a good age for Disney and both kids went for their first birthdays and had fantastic times. I politely let him know that this is O's 4th trip to a Disney park (4 year old has quite a Disney resume!) and we will keep coming back every year until they get bored with it (hopefully never right?!). We made it off the bus in a slight sprinkle and went back to the room so the kids could play with their new toys before bedtime. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and luckily so did both children.

 

[ELeigh]

Back to Epcot today and fingers crossed once again for some reprieve from rain so that we can visit AK tonight! I am the only one awake and there's still and hour and a half before I need to get up and get ready so I will be going over my list of what to try to decide how to spend a ton of snack credits today

 

[ELeigh]

Our Epcot morning started off slow as everyone was in need of some extra rest and there was nothing time sensitive on our plan until 11am. I took the kids to Landscape of Flavors for some waffles to get them out of the room for a bit because they were going stir crazy. When we got back to the room we were ready to head out for the day. We arrived at Epcot around 10:00 and we quickly met Daisy Duck.

Then it was off to find Nemo. The ride was a bit annoying with a guest who I am hoping just didn’t understand English snapping constant pictures with the flash on but the kids loved it. We spent time in the aquarium then moved on to the land pavilion. I got to ride Living with the Land for the first time and the kids were a little confused about all the plants but they still enjoyed it. We exited right around 11 in time to head to some F&G booths.
First up was Honey Bee-stro where we tried the flat bread and cheesecake. Both were very yummy.

Then I ordered the Dole Whip with rum and the violet lemonade at the Pineapple booth while the kids went to wait in line for Pluto.

He was silly as usual, putting O’s lei on her head. After Pluto we contemplated giving in to Z’s request for more Donald boat ride but we were close on time for the end of our FP so moved ahead to Norway.

We all thought that the ride was really neat and Z couldn’t get over the snow monster. He had to tell Anna and Elsa all about it.

While I took the kids to meet the frozen sisters, M and H hit up the outdoor kitchen in China for the potstickers and saved me one. Another tasty snack but then we moved on to something more substantial in Germany. The sun was shining a bit despite the light misting that has been constant throughout the morning so the kids and I grabbed a seat by the water while H and M ordered a brat and a beer. The beer was something with grapefruit and I enjoyed the few small sips I tried even though I am not a beer drinker. The brat was good as well and the kids were happy to snack on the chips it came with. After that we pressed onward to America where we took a longer stop so the kids could get some chicken nuggets and fries and another beer was ordered for the adults. I popped over to the smokehouse while everyone was sitting to grab the pork belly and brisket sliders. Both were good but the brisket was the clear winner for us. We moved on to Japan where I had to have Frushi and I am sad to say it’s no where near as good as I remembered. I honestly like the version I made at home better

We watched the tail end of the drum show while we ate it. Then on to Morocco where I think I lost some hearing from the extreme volume of the show going on. I don’t know what appeals to people about this one and O started becoming upset with the noise so we moved on quickly as we snacked on the fried cauliflower from the F&G booth.

At this point we were full, tired and feeling like the rain was about to get bad so we made our way out of the world showcase, stopping for an orange slush in France which was the perfect ending to our snack marathon. We sipped that on our way back up to the imagination pavilion where I was hoping to use my Disney visa perks to meet Mickey without a line. We entered and there was one family ahead of us so we waited not knowing who was going to greet us around the corner and the kids had no idea who it could be. When the rounded the corner and saw Mickey they both yelled out his name and gave him big hugs. Goofy was also there so a perfect combo.

This was the perfect time to head out of the park and I grabbed my AP magnet on the way.

 

[ELeigh]

We made it home I have a day and a half left to cover in my trip report and hopefully I can get all my pictures together and get it on it later today

 

[ELeigh]

As we returned to AoA we discussed evening plans and decided to skip out on AK as originally planned due to expected thunderstorms and booked an ADR for Kona Cafe for dinner in the hopes that M and I could stay out for Happily Ever After aftwerwards (H had agreed to watch the kids for me so I could have a small break from them and we had extra TS credits because my aunt and uncle were sick and unable to make it the following day). We didn't have good pool weather so we just rested in the room and I decided we would use another Minnie Van to get to the Poly. We made it just in time and checked in with a very short wait. We were greeted with the Hawaiian rolls with macadamia butter and we devoured 2 plates full and our waitress was kind enough to bring extra butter with the second round. After being so full earlier we had worked up quite an appetite. I ordered the California roll as an appetizer (seperate from DDP) and that was very refreshing. We split two meals and got the stir fry which was very satisfying and the coffee rubbed steak which I regret ordering. It was probably very good but it was my 3rd steak in two days and I am not a huge steak person (I also had steak the next day too...note to self: avoid steak overload next trip). Sometime over the course of dinner O melted down. Z had taken a nap but she hadn't so she was overtired and couldn't make it work. She calmed down with some serious help from H and ate enough of her meal to earn dessert but then melted down again in the monorail line on our way out. We decided it was best if H take her back to the hotel and have Z stay out with me as they were in need of some serious space from each other. Sorry this post is text heavy but the stress over dinner led to less pictures.
M, Z and I headed to Magic Kingdom. We stopped for some castle pictures

We had decided to try and do AK the following day on our last day and that meant giving up POTC which was a favorite for Z in DL. I have him a choice of any ride in the park to ride and tried to push for Pirates but he chose buzz. It was a walk on and M loved it as much as he did and I got my best score ever (Space Ace lol but I will take it as a win).

Z really wanted to do the people mover after this so we went for it. It was perfect timing because the downpour started while we were on and we were able to go around a second time due to no line and avoid the rain completely. Our stroller was t so lucky but we had come prepared and wrapped Z in a poncho so keep his bottom dry. We were only 20 min out for HEA and we decided to grab coffee and popcorn and scope out a spot. We arrived in the hub 10 min to show time and got a great view from the center of the castle. Z was happy munching on the popcorn and ready for action. This was my first time really viewing WDW fireworks and I was blown out of the water. I thought the projections were amazing and the whole show was a visual overload in a good way. I liked the songs featured and my only regret was not having o there but I will make it happen next time. After the show Z was in awe but a serious trooper. We had time before park closing so I let him once again pick a ride and he chose teacups. We got some cute PP pictures on the way.

Then we had time for a bounce with tigger as M had missed this ride. It was a lot of fun but we were now past exhausted and made our way to the busses. Luckily o and H were sleeping when we arrived and soon Z joined them.

 

[ELeigh]

Our last park day started with rope dropping MK yet again. We were in the security line during the actual park opening but made it on and off Buzz by 9:20.

poor Z is too short or these pictures. We then split up as M, H and O had a FP for SDMT and I let Z have his pick of rides which ended up being Teacups again. We got off and hopped into line to meet Alice and O arrived just ahead of our turn.

While they met Alice I actually ran over to the space where Buzz meets to get our place in line. I was the first one waiting 15 minutes ahead of his meet time and everyone else arrived a few minutes before Buzz.

. At this point the park was filling up and we wanted to get over to AK so I grabbed a FP for the Safari that was starting in about 30 minutes. We grabbed one more PP and said see you next time to the castle.

 

[ELeigh]

We had a quick turn around time from MK to AK and breezed through security. After a quick stop for some PP photos...

We were soon in the FP line for the safari. I decided not to take pictures this time as my phone battery was low anyways and I didn’t want to miss anything. We had a good showing of animals, the baby hippo was out napping on a rock (so cute!) and we saw a ton of giraffes up super close. We did witness a little of the weirder side of nature though. Warning for anyone who doesn’t want to read about animal body fluids, turn back here! There were two male giraffes standing close to each other (one was smaller maybe a child?) and the larger giraffe began to irinate and the smaller one drank it. Not sure of a biological function of this but it got a huge rise out of the safari group. We also saw the Rhinos up closer than I have ever seen them before and of course it was daytime so all of the lions were sleeping. After ending our safari I would have liked to see FOTLK but the show was already started and crowds were gathering for the next show in 45 minutes. I tried to mobile order FT BBQ and it wasn’t working. We walked over (taking a long cut to see pandora) and it was packed. We had no interest in joining the mob so we went to Dino land to grab pretzels. We got to the front of the line and we’re told they were out of pretzels. We took this as a sign to get on the road. I want to love AK but my experiences there have always been marred by the humidity that seems to really come out there and the mid day crowds I can’t seem to avoid. I really hope to make it to AK during my next visit when I am kid free so I can get in closer to opening and enjoy the larger rides (and some adult beverages!).

 

[ELeigh]

When returned to AoA we headed for Landscape of Flavors as we were way overdue for some food. I tried the surf and surf burger with chips and coleslaw, everything was really good and I didn't miss flametree BBQ too much. I also got a premade mudslide and mixed it with ice and coffee it was perfect. After lunch we got ready for a swim and visited the cars pool since we hadn't seen it yet. It was really cute and the kids loved seeing all of the cars.
We then got ready for our dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse. Somehow we ended up with bad information on how best to get there and we were told at Epcot to go to Hollywood studios and walk from there. I'm pretty certain this was all wrong but the bus to HS stopped at the Swan which I knew was close so we walked from there. During the walk this happened:

They stayed asleep for most of dinner which was not a bad thing at that point. We got to enjoy some kid free time while we dined on this:

everything was great I really just wish I hadn't gone into this meal burnt out on steak. It was my 4th steak in 3 days which is just crazy for me. It was very good though. The kids woke up in time for dessert and then enjoyed checking out the fountain outside while we waited for buses

At this point we split up. I took the kids to Disney Springs to pick out toys with their gift cards while H and M decided to brace the line for FOP. The weather luckily held up as we shopped but time got away from us. It was 10pm by the time we made it back to the room and we hadn't packed yet for our 3:25am tragical express. The kids were wired and I ended up letting them play while I packed up. I finished up around 11 just as M and H were returning. They couldn't say enough good things about FOP and felt it was worth the wait for sure. We tried to get as much sleep as we could and like that our vacation was over. We made it back without issues and we're home to our house by 11:30am and took a nice long nap. I will post some final thoughts later on but thanks to everyone who followed along with us!

 

[ELeigh]

I thought I would wrap up with some final thoughts about our trip.
Some things I can't wait to do again:
Happily Ever After-the show blew me away and I can't wait to see it with our whole family there. I would consider the dessert party now that I have seen the viewing area.
Morning EMH/Rope drop-I was afraid of rope dropping before my trip but it was great to be in the park that first hour and get so much done in a short time. I will do it over my next couple of trips for sure.
Ohana-This remains my favorite meal in WDW despite the bread going downhill. As long as the potstickers, noodles and bread pudding are there I am in and I will have to go every trip.
Flower and Garden-I didn't get to experience as much of the gardens as I would have liked due to weather but the food and drinks were amazing. The rose margarita was my favorite drink all trip I really hope it makes a comeback next year!
Cantina de San Angel Cheese Empanadas-This is the thing I have found myself craving since I have been home. I do make empanadas at home so I will try to replicate as best I can soon but something about these was addicting! It reminds me of something similar I had visiting my in laws in California the Cheese is what really makes it super yummy I have to see if I can get anything like it near me.

Some things I would do again (under the right circumstances):
Art of Animation-I found the hotel to be perfect for our needs. I wasn't bothered by the walking distance to the lobby and my only complaint would be not receiving blankets until we asked for them and also not really receiving any housekeeping during our stay (I expected this but should have made time to visit the front desk and at least get a gift card).
Frontera Cocina-There is nothing uniquely Disney about Frontera but the food and drinks were great and we received the best service of our trip there by far. There are so many appealing choices in Disney Springs so this might not make the cut in my next two trips but hopefully I can at least sneak over for a Margarita .
Disney dining plan-We pretty much broke even this time and I do think I over-ate a bit because of the DDP. DH does not drink alcohol with meals so unless I plan on drinking double amd taking his drink (probably not the best plan because I am a lightweight) it would be kind of a waste in some cases. I will consider using it again though with a larger party and possibly just sharing credits among more people which could be a good value to fit in some character meals and ohana without the sticker shock.
Bon Voyage breakfast-The food was great and the characters were great I just think I might want to rotate character meals because it would be boring to do the same ones every trip.
Yachtsman-I would go back again but I would want to do this as more of a date night with DH. If I was kid free and could order a few glasses of wine I think it would enhance the experience but I am not sure this will be in the cards anytime soon so I will have to wait and see.

Things I won't be doing again:
Kona cafe dinner-The bread and drinks were amazing but the entrees and desserts just weren't as good as other WDW restaurants for the price range. The sushi was good but I can get better sushi at home. I will try to squeeze in breakfast here on my next trip to try the tonga toast.
Frushi-I was so excited to eat this again and I was just disappointed. It had been 3 years since I last had it so I am not sure if I just remembered it differently or if they changed it but I can safely say the version I make at home is much better so I won't be wasting my stomach pace on it again.
Peter Pan Ride-Of course Z wants to do this again but I feel like it would be a waste of a FP for our next family trip and the line is constantly long for no good reason IMHO.

Things a wanted to do but didn't get to:
FOP-I wanted to wait to ride this with DH so I guess I will hold out until the next time we visit together.
Bars around WDW-There is a list of bars and lounges I would like to hit up but I didn't end up taking time away from the kids this trip (my wallet was happier for it). Next trip will be kid free for a wedding so I will hopefully cross some off the list.
Mickey pretzel-I love pretzels and somehow have never gotten a mickey pretzel, I tried this time but it never worked out.
BTMRR-O was not tall enough this trip and I skipped anything that the kids couldn't ride so this went on the chopping block. Next year she will be tall enough and Z might even be too if he keeps growing like he has been.

What's next for us:
We have some non-Disney trips coming up for the summer and then in the fall DH and I will be going to a convention in Anaheim for a weekend and if I save up a bit I might be able to squeeze a day at DL into the budget/plan. I will be returning to WDW over New Years for a friend's wedding (sooner if I hit the lottery lol) and our next family trip will tentatively be next May and I am really hoping DH can make it work to get time off to make it. I am talking with my friend K who I have traveled to WDW with before and we are starting to plan out some basics for that trip so I will start a PTR once we book . In the farther further I will be having a milestone birthday in the Fall of 2019 and I would really like to incorporate Disney into the celebration-possibly a Disney Cruise but I will have to wait until my house renovation is complete to see if we can swing it (if it ever is...).

Thanks again to everyone who followed along. I can't wait to read about all of your Disney adventures and hope you enjoyed sharing in ours.