Trip Report We'll Do As Dreamers Do... *COMPLETED*

Another fall has arrived at Walt Disney World, and so have we! For our 4th annual September trip, we returned to the basics that we fell in love with. A lot of resort hopping, getting a little wet at the water parks, and food (snack credits...so many...help!) It was a wonderful 9 days, and I can't believe I have room in my heart to love Disney even more, each and every time. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing these. Let the memories begin!

The cast: My husband, J, and I. People call us Mickey & Minnie.

Travel dates: September 3rd - September 11th, staying at All Star Music.

Pre-trip report: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/weve-fall-in-in-love.913624/

We began with the earliest flight I could possibly find, getting us into the promised land at 8:30 AM. Win! With a speedy check-in at All Star Music, we were off to Animal Kingdom...Lodge!

For the first time ever, we decided to take an entire non-park day to fulfill a bunch of dreams that we've always had on our bucketlist. We did so on our first day because it was the Saturday of a holiday weekend and hoped to avoid the crowds that way.

It definitely felt weird not heading straight to a park to begin the trip, but I really did appreciate the relaxing start. Just us and a quiet, beautiful morning sky at AKL.

Still in awe at how unique of an experience it must be to stay at AKL. It will be done in this lifetime!

On the way to 'breakfast' at The Mara (yup, I'm already talking about food), we passed by this beautiful waterfall area that I didn't notice the last time we were here. I was instantly wowed - the reality of it is that Disney can truly transport me to another place.

The Mara is the perfect stop for breakfast, because the perfect breakfast is...

Zebra Domes! Been absolutely CRAVING these for the past two years, and the time has finally come. It was everything I had hoped it would be.

J points out that I look ridiculous when photographing my food, but I needed to remember this moment.

We sat by the pool and snacked, not truly believing that we were here yet. It always takes a while to sink in, but what is perceived as mere decoration and foliage always mean something a little more to me.

The day had started off cool, but you could already feel that Florida heat doing work. Not fully acclimated yet, we retreated to the great indoors of Jambo House to look around some more.

Next stop...Kidani Village!

 

[belledream]

Loved hearing about AK at night! Maybe on my next trip i'll be able to see it for myself. I really want to do EE at night!

I hope you get to experience it! It's a completely different park at night. And hopefully Rivers of Light will be up and running soon!!

 

[deanna88]

By this time, it was almost 11, which meant the World Showcase would be opening soon! That means food, that means fun, that means shopping, that means BEAUTIFUL SIGHTS AND SOUNDS! But first, pay respects to the best fountain in all of Walt Disney World.
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The world needs more Disney flowerbeds.
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We headed over to Showcase Plaza to feel the breeze and gaze over the water. The day seemed so young. As we were taking pictures, I realized that I have hardly ever captured the entirety of each country from afar, so I zoomed in and took a quick snap of everything...(except Canada and Mexico because the angles weren't right, but I lament that I didn't at least try.)
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I like how you see nobody on the Canada side and then you get to Norway and it's like BAM! Anyways, my eyes really enjoyed going over these photos. Like I said, I always get that 'Showcase Lagoon shot' and those 'Featured Building in X country shot', but rarely do I take the time to admire the plots as a whole like I now can from this angle.

Love these pictures!

 

[belledream]

Love these pictures!

Yay! I enjoyed looking at them too. It's not your everyday view of the countries, interestingly enough.

 

[belledream]

We moved onwards towards France on a picturesque day...

Probably the first full one since we got here!

Feeling blissful in the wind, listening to the music transition seamlessly as we walk.

This beautiful thing! It sparkles before my eyes...

To get the complete French experience...we headed to Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie.

Food is beautiful, choices are painful to make!

We ended up with a gorgeous Strawberry Tart. It was light, it was fresh, and just the right amount of sweet holding the flakiness together. The perfect snack!

We sat outside, munching to this view. Life is good!

Just fell in love with the architecture at every glance.

After that, we took a stroll through the shops, where J loudly and unnecessarily coughed amidst all the perfume scent.

But he tails me around because I have to get my fill of shop wanderlust!

 

[belledream]

In Morocco, we stopped inside the exhibit, Moroccan Style: The Art of Personal Adornment. I have never seen another soul in here. It's a huge respite from the hustle and bustle outdoors, and there are a few nice decorative pieces on display.

I've always admired the architecture of this pavilion, this area in particular.

The marketplace area really makes me feel like I'm worlds away in another country...

Unique smells and hidden corridors.

We had originally planned to split QS meal in two places, one being Norway, and we were eyeing a return to Tangierine Café for the other. However, we really just didn't feel the hunger, and decided to save the credit for another day.

We journeyed onto Japan, one of the best pavilions for a plethora of reasons. Food, shops, entertainment, displays...oh boy, we were excited to see what we would find today!

We made a beeline into Mitsukoshi. Bears in a bear onesie, anyone? Maybe they aren't bears. I don't know.

For the first time, I actually paid notice to some of the masterful clockwork in the back of the shop. You know if you slap a Disney castle on something, I am going to be very attracted to it.

Spent some time watching the Pick a Pearl festivities, of course.

Would definitely go for a tuna roll right now, but we had an early dinner to make!

If you asked us what our Top 10 Things to Do at Disney were, wandering Mitsukoshi together would be on that list.

 

[belledream]

We took a peek inside the Bijutsu-kan Gallery, where the display was "Kawaii". I've heard this term before, but I didn't quite understand what it was. I do now.

Looking around Mitsukoshi at all the interesting things they have, it's really permeated everyday life in Japan. A look into a model of a Tokyo apartment:

I suppose I can relate, the culture of my home being Disnaii. But in all seriousness, this display got me really wishing we would see more types of displays like this around the World Showcase!

We chilled in the shade while waiting for Matsuriza to start. It was a beautiful afternoon.

The stamina and steadiness of these drummers is appalling. This show is captivating from start to finish!

We had spent more time in Japan than all the other pavilions combined by this point, so it was time to move onto America. We honestly didn't spend that much time here, but went inside Heritage Manor Gifts.

Because we knew we'd find gems like these.

USA!

It's a great place to be.

 

[belledream]

Italy! You are breathtaking.

Not just in the featured buildings, but in every nook and cranny.

Which we would have the pleasure of exploring before dinnertime! Keeping it in the moment, you know?

So until then, we entertained ourselves at the miniature train set garden at Germany! It doesn't matter how old you are...this stuff is cool!

While I was waiting eagerly for a train to travel under the bridge I was standing on, J was really getting into the details. Little Food & Wine banners spotting? That's my hubby! I must have just looked at him with hearts in my eyes.

Lizardgeckozilla is attacking!

Would very much like to live here.

And saving the best for last...

The Disney Details, The Disney Difference, whatever you want to call it, I appreciate it very much.

I'm living a real life fairytale!

 

[belledream]

Germany has awesome shops. Case in point: Die Weihnachts Ecke (The Christmas Corner)

This shop is so bright, it makes me so happy just to be in it!

Found myself more interested in the ceiling of Stein Haus instead of the steins themselves.

Though this pear in a bottle did catch my eye. There's magic at work here.

My boys all decked out in jewels.

And eating that bratwurst and pretzels. Oh gosh, the temptation to go to Biergarten is strong! But we had a new experience to look forward to.

So as we headed back to Italy, we saw the Illuminations globe coming out. Seeing the drawbridge in action was so cool!

Right before dinner, we caught a performance of the Flag Wavers of Sansepolcro. Amidst the trumpets and drums, these four engaged in some fancy flagwork and tossing exchanges.

Visiting the Trevi Fountain before dinner.

Just like we would in Italy, right?

 

[belledream]

Dinner would be a first, at Tutto Italia. We had never been, as we usually looked for more unique options around the World Showcase, but trying new things is always tempting, and the menu had a few enticing propositions, so we finally committed to trying out an Italian restaurant!

Upon entering, I immediately got a signature dining 'feel'. The ambience definitely felt more upscale than other World Showcase venues we've dined at before.

We weren't seated in the main dining room. Instead, we ended up in the wing with a window that looked out to the outdoors seating area and the stage where the flag wavers just were. I still wanted to see what the main dining room looked like, so I made J put the camera up to the glass and take a picture for me because I was too shy to go in myself. The things he does for me...

We started with some bread service, all of which was very appetizing! The thing in the wrapper turned out to be hard breadsticks, literally. Those olives were good stuff as well.

Those enticing entrees I was talking about? I totally wanted the Cremagliera d'Agnello. Rack of lamb, with touches of sage and mustard. I normally don't care for mustard, but I gotta say, it was delicious on this lamb! Best lamb I've ever had at Disney, and blows the one at Be Our Guest out of the water. I couldn't get enough of the leeks and potatoes underneath. Just delicious!

I even cut it open and took a picture of the perfection, for everyone's viewing pleasure.

I think we came here because J wanted this Bistecca del Macellaio. I enjoyed this too. The potatoes and onions on top were seasoned to perfection, and added the necessary flavors to the steak, which didn't need to come with any other kinds of sauce. He was very pleased. For one credit, this rocked our socks off.

As you can imagine, we needed some dessert after this. I chose the Panna Cotta Delle Langhe, having no idea what to expect, and from this picture, it's still hard to show what it looked like. Imagine layers of vanilla and chocolate 'pudding' underneath all these crumbled cookies and strawberries. It was light and fresh, but nothing special.

J decided he wanted some coffee and ordered 'Coffee Americano' which turned out to just be...coffee.

But it paired wonderfully with his dessert choice: Bacio al Cioccolato. Oh boy...after the risotto after California Grill, this was probably the next thing that stopped me in my tracks and made me question how good food can be. This cake was warm and the inside was filled with liquid chocolate goodness. A fresh scoop of vanilla gelato that was slowly melting against the cake made it just that much creamier.

While we ate, we caught another flag show from our view. We enjoyed good food and good conversation. Here's to sharing many good meals together!

 

[MinnieM123]

I'm enjoying your pictures and commentary. In the most recent batch of photos, I really liked the ones you took of Morocco--you had some interesting angles in your photos. Also, I liked the Christmas part of the shop in Germany. That beautifully decorated tree was cheerful!

 

[belledream]

I'm enjoying your pictures and commentary. In the most recent batch of photos, I really liked the ones you took of Morocco--you had some interesting angles in your photos. Also, I liked the Christmas part of the shop in Germany. That beautifully decorated tree was cheerful!

Thank you! I'm glad you like them. I get "interesting angles" I suppose because I'm trying to cut people out of my pictures LOL but I'm glad it comes out artsy!

 

[belledream]

Post-dinner walks around the World Showcase are one of my favorite things. You're full, you're happy, the sun begins to set, and the sky and the water look otherworldly.

Ciao, Italy! You are a delight.

Really thought this t-shirt was adorable.

I always enjoy seeing two birds together. I always tell J, "they're married!"

We spent a good amount of time perusing China's shops and admiring the emptiness of the pavilion

We were awaiting a performance from the Jeweled Dragon Acrobats. We've been trying to catch these guys for years, and last year, it got rained out. But not today. Today was meant to be beautiful.

But because we have no self-control and wander like it's our job, we somehow found ourselves at Future World watching the Fountain of Nations dance.

Can you blame us? It's always such a joy to watch! I can hear the roar of the water, feel the mist, and smell that unique scent now.

Okay, seriously, time to book it back to China to catch those acrobats!

 

[belledream]

Entertainment. Sunset. At Golden Hour. What more could you ask for?

Times like these are what makes the World Showcase so immeasurably valuable. It's what you make of it, it's how you decide to spend your day.

The crowd had gathered, and it was showtime! These guys came out of seemingly nowhere and got right down to business. This one was tossing this pot way up in the air, and catching it in so many different ways, it was hard to count!

Then we had the nail-biting-chair-stacking-risky-moves number.

Then two of them donned pogo-stick-feet and did some spectacular flips and stunts. J and I always wonder how hard each and every performer in WDW finds their job. Are they straining? Could they do this in their sleep? Both?

After the show was over, we lingered by China to watch the sun set over the World Showcase Lagoon. It's not often we actually get to watch every moment of the sun going down. It was a moment of peace and awe I'll always remember.

Then, my favorite time of day, no matter where you are in WDW, comes.

Dusk!

Zai jian, China!

 

[belledream]

And so the nighttime walk around World Showcase begins...and it is a wonderful one.

No place I'd rather be.

I am fascinated by water, the way it ripples, moves, and breathes in the wind. I want to capture it in my mind forever.

Friends, I have done it! I have photographed the moon and it doesn't look like a complete failure!

So to celebrate, (okay not really, but we're always celebrating when we're here), we went back to France for a different kind of treat. This time, to L'Artisan des Glaces.

I adore this milk jug chandelier.

What should we get, what should we get...there are so many options to choose from! Is that a Strawberry Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich?!

Gimme!!! (I'm a strawberry fiend, if you couldn't tell by now).

This beautiful confection melted in my mouth and was easily one of my favorite snacks of the trip. The macaron portion was light on the outside, but dense with just the right amount of sugar on the inside. The ice cream held it together wonderfully.

But what might have been even more perfect was how we enjoyed it. Sitting down together, with these views.

Life is good.

 

[belledream]

Night fell fast.

But we weren't finished with our World Showcase walk yet.

We ended up all the way in Canada, where we caught a tiny glimpse of Beach Club beyond the rocks. Wait for me, baby! I will come home soon.

Hotel du Canada looking very romantic, lit up at night.

This cottage always makes me feel at home. We sat on a bench and laughed about the last time we sat here and J was passed out from food and (mostly) drink on my shoulder. This is why we don't drink at Disney now.

We had about an hour before Illuminations began, but we were also feeling like finding a nice spot along the water (literally right along the water) and relaxing together. So that's what we did!

We sat and listened to the water, felt the wind blow intensely on our faces, for a long time. World Showcase glows. The pre-Illumination music plays to the beat of my heart.

Good evening. On behalf of Walt Disney World, the place where dreams come true, we welcome all of you to Epcot and World Showcase. We've gathered here tonight around the fire as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us... to share the light... and to share a story. An amazing story as old as time itself, but still being written. And though each of us has our own individual stories to tell, a true adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one. We hope you enjoy our story tonight: Reflections of Earth.

The Greatest Of All Time.

 

[belledream]

It was evening Extra Magic Hours, but we weren't really itching to go on any rides. Instead, we opted for yet another walk around the World Showcase. With Promise playing in the background, then Tapestry of Nations, it was such a familiar atmosphere and heartwarming moment.

The next picture I have is of a Cronut. So I guess we really enjoyed ourselves to the point that we subconsciously found ourselves arriving all the way at Refreshment Port for one of these. Warm, crispy, and sugar all over my lips...just what I wanted!

We indulged on a bench by Canada, with people leaving and staring curiously at us. Hey, we are two people enjoying life!

Back to Future World we moseyed on, to the favorite, MouseGear.

This shop is so lively. I absolutely love it!

Interesting Find of the Day.

Innoventions Plaza at night!!!

Like many other children, we love standing in the middle of these and watching the ground illuminate before our feet.

But the most iconic of all...

The childhood memories are so vivid.

We ended the night with a ride on Spaceship Earth. A classic journey through time. Every little details and familiar sight and sound really makes this ride to me. The thumps of the carts as we ascend and descend, the smell of Rome burning, the music of the Renaissance, the boy yelling "Extra! Extra!"...it was the perfect way to end our first day at Epcot.

 

[Tuvalu]

Really enjoyed your slow exploration through all of World Showcase. Your pictures are fabulous. Thanks for taking the time to appreciate all the details of the various countries and then sharing your observations with us.

 

[belledream]

Really enjoyed your slow exploration through all of World Showcase. Your pictures are fabulous. Thanks for taking the time to appreciate all the details of the various countries and then sharing your observations with us.

Thank you so much! I'm glad that you like the pics, and that I have people to share my enthusiasm with! Everyone in my life in real life don't understand the Disney Details at all! It's frustrating, really!

 

[steffib]

you write so well-it really captures the mood of Disney world and often things i feel when I am there.,thank you for sharing

 

[belledream]

you write so well-it really captures the mood of Disney world and often things i feel when I am there.,thank you for sharing

Aww thank you for that! I'm not so sure I write "well" but I am okay at blurring out my feelings. Hope you enjoy the rest of the journey to come!