Trip Report "Where Are All the People?" A September Trip Report Brought to You by Hurricane Dorian

Hi there! My dad and I have been home for a little under a month, so I decided it was probably time to bite the bullet and write this report!

This trip was...different, for a lot of reasons. Considering I was coming off my 30th birthday trip with my mom in April that I've ranked as one of my top three favorite WDW trips ever (TR here!), this trip with my dad had a lot to live up to! We had some epic, awesome moments, some extreme fails, and lots of little moments in between! And it was HOOOOOOOT.

WHO: My dad (Matt) and me (Carrie) — we left my mom home for our very first father/daughter trip!

WHEN: August 30-September 8

WHERE: Port Orleans French Quarter

WHY: Cause it seemed like a good idea at the time...

(Remember these sweaty, sweaty faces...)

As I mentioned in the PTR, originally, my dad and I were planning a trip to Disneyland. But then we heard that Galaxy's Edge would open there first, in the Spring. So we decided that it would be way too crowded for a while, so we'd put DL off until another year. I mentioned that WDW hadn't been too crowded at all when my friend B and I were there the week of Labor Day in 2017 and that the crowd calendars were mostly showing 1s and 2s for that week in 2019. Since we had to leave our 2018 Christmas trip four days early since we were all very sick, wouldn't it be nice to have a WDW do-over before Galaxy's Edge opened in the late fall (which is WHAT THEY HAD ANNOUNCED)? Since we all know "late fall" for Disney means like December 20, we'd beat the GE crowds and have a hopefully pretty chill week. The only thing we'd have to contend with would be the heat.

We sort of ran around like chickens with our heads cut off when they announced the GE opening dates (it was opening the day before we checked in), and debated canceling. But we'd already booked our flights, and we figured we'd just try to avoid the inevitable crowds and still have fun. This was before GE had opened in DL, so we were still expecting huge crowds.

What we got turned out to be way different.

Please join me on a trip filled with plans rearranged on the fly, surprise private tours, a literally EMPTY Magic Kingdom, more humidity than Tatooine on a bad day, and a little thing called Hurricane Dorian. Oh yeah, and we did hit up a galaxy far, far away, too.

 

[PacNWTigger]

I'm glad that you picked up your TR again! I loved the AK pics.

 

[Swissmiss]

I love the picture of you and Mary Poppins - your red dress goes so nicely with her sash.

 

[carriehpotter]

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1: RESORT HOPPING AND DISNEY SPRINGS (continued)

We bought some presents for my mom (she joked when we got home that she got more stuff on the trip she wasn't on than any other, haha), and then decided it was time for another nap. We found a nice secluded couch and grabbed a few more winks while listening to some beautiful piano music.

After our rest, we went through bag check again and made our way to the Poly.

(Maybe we were finally getting the hang of selfies? Maybe not...)

I'd timed our arrival at the Poly so we'd arrive about a half hour before Trader Sam's opened. It was my dad's favorite thing we did over Christmas 2018, so I made sure we'd have time to do it on this trip. But like a dummy, I'd forgotten to check the opening time (I just assumed it was the same as over Christmas), so by the time we got there, they'd already been open a half hour and there was an hour wait to get in. Oops. Well, we decided we definitely still wanted to do it, so I gave my cell number and we proceeded to wander around the Poly, checking out the decor and stores (with me convincing my dad to buy a Tiki Birds Hawaiian shirt...I am a terrible influence) and eventually just hanging out in the lobby waiting for our text. A little over an hour later, it came.

The only seats available were at the big table in the middle (the one shaped like a surfboard) and while they were across from each other, they weren't dead on, so it was a little strange. After a while, the group of three girls next to the pole got up and my dad and I hopped into the two end seats immediately. Much better!

My dad exclusively gets the HippopotoMai-Tai here because a lot of the drinks are made with either Orgeat (Almond) or Falernum, which also contains almond. The HippopotoMai-Tai is one of the few drinks he was told they could make without the Orgeat, and it would still taste the same. With how conscious Disney is of allergies, it blows me away that a majority of the drinks contain almond (9 of 14 specialty cocktails, and none of the almond-free ones have a "special" interaction when you get your drink).

Luckily, he absolutely loves it, and he also loves the call and response that goes with it ("TWO SHOTS OF RUM!").

I got the Polynesian Pearl (I'd wanted it last time, but they were out of pearls!), and it was OK, but I don't think I'd order it again. For my second drink, I got the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum (which I ordered correctly), which I enjoyed last time, and it was super yummy again.

Trader Sam's was on that late afternoon/early night! All of the servers were super into it, the bartenders were fantastic, and it was so much fun. At one point, someone ordered the Shrunken Zombie Head, and besides the waitress wearing "zombie glasses" and walking like one to deliver it, the bartender took out a ghost on a stick and waved it around the bar, shouting, "This is all we can afford--thanks, Star Wars!"

(The bartender gave that "Just Married" couple a really hard time. It was so funny.)

(Uh-oh, we woke Uh-Oa...)

After two drinks each, we decided it was time to make our way to Disney Springs for our ADR. Neither of us had eaten since brunch, so we were starving!

UP NEXT: A new-to-us restaurant in Disney Springs!

 

[carriehpotter]

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1: RESORT HOPPING AND DISNEY SPRINGS (continued)

We didn't wait long for a bus to Disney Springs, and we were there in no time! We had a little time to kill before our dinner ADR, so we wandered around a bit, slowly making our way to our destination: Morimoto Asia! I've always wanted to eat here, and as I mentioned earlier, my dad loves sushi, so this seemed like the perfect trip to try it out! We arrived about a half hour before our ADR, but we figured we'd check in early since we were so hungry! We only waited about 10 minutes for our table ready text, and then we were heading in!

This restaurant is beautiful!

We got seated directly next to the show kitchen, which was super fun to watch while we ate!

Because we hadn't just had enough alcohol, we each ordered a drink.

(I got the Sake Sangria, which had sake, light white wine, plum wine, asian pears, apple, plum, and tangerine juice. It was AMAZING.)

(Dad got the Morimotini, which had ao japanese vodka and morimoto junmai sake. He also really enjoyed this.)

We got a ton of small plates to share to start.

(Chicken Bao, steamed buns, teriyaki chicken, lettuce, and spicy mayo)

(Kakuni Pork Bao, steamed buns, braised pork belly, lettuce, and spicy mayo)

(Pork Egg Roll, pork, cabbage, and apricot sweet chili sauce--we had to see if this was better than Yak & Yeti's and, wouldn't you know it, Y&Y still reigns supreme in the WDW egg roll game!)

(Kanikama Rangoon, krab meat and cream cheese spring roll, with apricot sweet chili sauce)

All of the small plates were super yummy! And they were just the right size so that you could try several things and still have room for your entree!

After we were done all of our finger food starters, our awesome waitress, Victoria, brought out warm, damp towels for us to use before our entrees came out:

UP NEXT: Finishing up at Morimoto Asia and exploring Disney Springs!

 

[Sulley_1313]

Yum! California Grill Brunch and Morimoto Asia are two of my favorite meals/dining on WDW property. This sounds like the perfect "Resort Day!"

 

[carriehpotter]

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1: RESORT HOPPING AND DISNEY SPRINGS (continued)

I wasn't feeling overly adventurous that night, so I ordered the Morimoto Gomoku Fried Rice (duck, chicken, pork, shrimp, vegetables, and spicy house sambal sauce, which I asked for on the side). It was very tasty, but don't let the pic below fool you into thinking it was a small serving: that was a huge plate!

My dad, of course, got sushi, which was a big part of the reason we'd booked the ADR!

(Looking at the menu now, I'm pretty sure this is the Jyo Sushi Combo, which is the chef's daily selection of 9 pcs of nigiri and 1 roll.)

(We call this face "sushi happy.")

(One of the CMs at the Poly had given me a live flower, and I'd proudly been wearing it ever since!)

All in all, another fantastic (and pricey!! hoo boy) meal with delicious food and excellent service! I'd go back in a heartbeat. And if you go, ask if Victoria is working--she was super knowledgeable and attentive.

We decided to walk our meal off around the Springs a bit. First we hit up Disney Style, which has become my new favorite store in DS (I think it has for a lot of people). Got a kick out of this display on one wall:

When we were checking out, a lovely South Korean CM was ringing us up. We somehow got to talking about the impending hurricane and bonding over being a bit worried, but also knowing we were in a safe place. He said his parents, who were in Seoul, were worried about him, but he kept saying, "It's Disney, I'll be OK, it's Disney!"

Next we stopped in Ever After Jewelry and a fellow New Jerseyian helped us. We found out we only lived two towns away from each other! While my mom absolutely hates the song, it really is only a small world after all!

Finally, we did a quick run through of World of Disney, a must on every trip. By then, we were done with shopping, and, as if we hadn't eaten enough, ready for dessert. And where else would you get dessert in the Marketplace in DS?

Ghirardelli, of course!

I got the Treasure Island (vanilla ice cream, a warm Ghirardelli chocolate brownie half, and handmade hot fudge topped with whipped cream, diced almonds and a cherry) and since my dad insisted he didn't want any, I got it with the almonds. No sooner had I sat down with it than he decided he wanted ice cream, but didn't want his own sundae. I carefully ate the almonds off the top, closely examined the ice cream under the whipped cream (but the almonds had only been on the very top), changed spoons, and rinsed my mouth out, and then we shared. The things you do for your parents...

It was honestly only OK. Not enough hot fudge and the brownie was a little stale. And their vanilla ice cream is not the star of the show at all. I'd definitely order something different next time (I usually get the Crissy Field, which is delicious. That's what I get for trying to expand my horizons...).

We decided it was time to head back to French Quarter for the night. We decided to take the Sassagoula river boat back. We waited a decent amount of time for a boat to come, and then the ride back itself was basically pitch black! (I'm used to the boats to and from Wilderness Lodge, with a lot more light from surrounding buildings.) It was also pretty long. We ended up wishing we'd just taken the bus, which would have been faster.

But all in all, we'd had a great "rest" day, with lots of new experiences, yummy food, and "two shots of rum!"

UP NEXT: Walking right down the middle of Main Street USA with a couple of thieves!

 

[carriehpotter]

I'm glad that you picked up your TR again! I loved the AK pics.

I'm glad I did, too! And thanks!

I love the picture of you and Mary Poppins - your red dress goes so nicely with her sash.

Thanks! I hadn't noticed before, but you're right! How fortuitous!

Yum! California Grill Brunch and Morimoto Asia are two of my favorite meals/dining on WDW property. This sounds like the perfect "Resort Day!"

It really was! And it was so needed after our super long day the day before!

 

[carriehpotter]

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2: MAGIC KINGDOM

On our way back to FQ the previous night, we changed our 9:00 am Wave breakfast ADR to 10:15. What was that I said in the PTR about rope dropping? Haha.

The Wave at the Contemporary is one of our favorite breakfast buffets at Disney. It has sweet potato pancakes and whole wheat Mickey waffles (and it used to have these amazing sticky buns, but they were absent this time ) and other more unique options, so it's one of our go-tos (it's also slightly more reasonably priced). Unfortunately, it seems to be a trend that I get sick leading up to or in Disney now (that's the third trip in a row!), and taste is always one of the first things to go for me, so I didn't taste this breakfast much at all. But my dad enjoyed it!

(My first plate.)

(Dad's first plate.)

(Since the sweet potato pancakes are served with pecan butter, the kitchen made my dad his own short stack!)

(My second plate.)

Service can be hit or miss there, and our waitress that morning was sort of distracted and seemed to be annoyed whenever we'd ask her for things. But hey, everyone can't be perfect all the time!

After what I'm imagining was a yummy meal, we made our way up to the monorail for our first trip into Magic Kingdom! Not going into MK until the third day is very unlike us, so I was ready for that MS USA stroll and that first look at the castle!

But that look would have to wait, as I heard the sweet sounds of a Dapper Dan performance starting as we walked under the train station--what a way to start the day!

The Citizens of Main Street eventually wandered over and got involved, too, which was so fun to see!

So of course when they asked if anyone wanted a picture at the end, I said yes and jumped right in!

After such an awesome start, next on the agenda was getting on a very important line in the Town Square--the line for Robin Hood and Little John!

When they first announced that rare characters would be meeting in Town Square as part of Mickey's 90th Celebration, I was super excited! But then when my mom and I were there for my birthday, it was Chicken Little that day. No thanks. So I was so happy to be there on a day with characters I really wanted to meet (Robin Hood is one of my top 10 Disney movies, for sure!). The line wasn't too bad, but of course they took a break with only three groups left in front of us. The skies were looking meaner and meaner, and it started to drizzle just a bit. So we all trooped over to continue under the train station, with RH and LJ leading the way!

This was an awesome M&G!

UP NEXT: More M&G and the wildest ride in the wilderness!

 

[carriehpotter]

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2: MAGIC KINGDOM (continued)

What a fun M&G! The pictures turned out great, and there was a lot of fun interaction. They definitely tried to steal something from me and give it to their handler--I wish I could remember what!

It was finally time for that walk down Main Street USA!

There she is!

We stopped for some quick PP shots.

And then made our way to our first FP of the day!

We caught a favorite sight on the way there: a MK bunny!

We hopped in line for our FP and we breezed through the line...

Can you guess where we are?

One special request later and...

It was time for the wildest ride in the wilderness in the best row, AKA the back row!! (Don't worry; I took my hat off right after this picture!)

When we got off, I couldn't believe the stand-by wait time (it was well after noon at that point!):

We briefly debated hopping back in line, but evetually decided against it, as we had somewhere else we had to "drop" by!

UP NEXT: More MK and the skies are falling, the skies are falling!