Trip Report You Can't Beat This Deal...Two Trip Reports for the Price of One! *COMPLETED*

Hi Everyone!

As some of you may know, it's been a very busy, Disney filled, end of the summer for us! After scrambling to find new vacations plans thanks to Hurricane Lane and having just returned from a solo trip to attend the Disney Institute Approach to Quality Service course, I have almost been able to get all of the photos downloaded and I'm nearly ready to report on our adventures.

Both trips we're remarkably different from what our typical Disney trip would look like but both were fantastic experiences and I'm really looking forward to sharing them with you.

I am planning on uploading the last of our pictures from the camera tonight and will start diving into the details very soon!
 
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Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
As we continued our morning at MK, our next stop was Adventureland for the trip on the Jungle Cruise. The queue time was 15 minutes so we jumped in line and quickly made our way towards the front of the line. Every time I stand in that line I always remember a trip in 2014-ish when Lennon had an absolute meltdown in line and I had to gingerly slip out of the line and head back to the hotel to put her down for a nap. Ah, the good old days of taking scheduled breaks to get the kids back to the hotel for some shuteye.

Thankfully no meltdown this time and we were loaded onto our boat and sent through the jungle. No pics from me on this ride but I will say we had a great skipper how even threw in a few new jokes I had not heard before. I quite enjoy the Jungle Cruise but Kelly seems to be able to take or leave it.

After the cruise, we made our way onto Aladdin’s Magic Carpets.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nz6nJd]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

From there it was time for a morning snack. What better snack than another Dole Whip?! We were right there, it was scorching hot, nice way to cool off and refuel. Kelly didn’t want one but me and the girls definitely did. The three of us sat down to enjoy our snack while Kelly waited in line for Aladdin and Jasmine. It was amazing how quickly the soft serve started melting! The kids were a mess but it was well worth it.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nz1vsj]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I got them cleaned up before they joined Kelly in line in time to meet the characters. They love all characters but seem to prefer the live characters because they can talk and ask them their goofy questions. Lennon love to blabber on and this was no exception.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MCS4Ai]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nz9Avj]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MCS2ar]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2boMSzT]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

When we said our goodbyes we made our way over to Fantasyland for our return time on the Mine Train. We scanned our bands and made our way through the FP line. Both kids were excited for yet another roller coaster and as we got closer to the front of the line it was looking like we might get lucky and get the front row. The CM did send us to the first two rows and to my surprise there was no fighting whatsoever for who would be in row one. Kelly and Ella climbed into the front and Lennon and I sat behind them. Off we went into the diamond mines once more!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MCPc4R]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

With another Mine Train ride under our belts, we kept our momentum moving. We were sure the moms were enjoying some sun by the pool at this point which no doubt they were happy about but we were just as pleased to be flying from one thing to the next! We all walked towards Peter Pan to grab a return time then hop over to Small World while we waited. The automated system that the CMs use to provide return times was not working so they went old school and provided us with a paper copy…kinda cool to have something physical, not on the MagicBand.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/27W1GcC]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

With our return time set up we walked through the queue and sailed away through Small World. Such a nice break from the heat.

Dumbo was next on Lenny’s to-do list but instead of heading over to the big top with the girls, I decided I would run over to Space Mountain to see if we might be able to double up on return times due to the error at Peter Pan. Kelly took the girls to Dumbo and I was lucky enough to get a return time for me and Ella to ride Space later in the morning. I was putting on tons of steps already today and was quick enough to get back to Dumbo just as Kelly and the girls were being loaded onto their elephant. Ella was pumped to ride on her own!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29B6wyw]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As they jumped in, a very short but somewhat heavy rain came out of nowhere. Only lasted a few minutes but definitely added to the humidity that us Canucks never seem to get used to, no matter how long we’ve been around to get used to it.

The girls had their spin on Dumbo and we all got back together to head over and cash in our Pan return time.

It was about lunchtime now and Lennon was pretty hungry so Kelly decided to take her to Pinocchio’s Village Haus to grab a table and eat lunch. We had packed for the girls but Kelly went in and picked something up for herself. While they went to eat, Ella and I went over to Space for one more thrill before lunch.
 
slipperalwaysfits

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
The Jungle Cruise is always fun! Here's hoping I hear some new jokes on the Jingle Cruise in a few weeks! :happy:
I love how you and Kelly double-up and one waits for characters and the other with kids DOLE WHIP!!!:hungry::hungry::hungry: I'm glad your girls seem to really enjoy the face characters...I have so much I want to say to the characters but I get too nervous when I'm next to them! :jawdrop::oops:
I'm impressed the rain didn't keep DUMBO from flying!!

The BTMRR video is adorable!!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Ella and I made our way through Fantasyland, into Tomorrowland and over to the Space Mountain entrance. We scanned our bands and entered the line. She was super excited, Space has become a top draw for her over the last two trips. I had to throw everything I had to convince her to try it last trip but once she did, she was hooked. She may need you to hold her hand or shoulder, which makes for an uncomfortable ride, but she loves it!

We rolled through the queue pretty quickly and made our way onto our rocket. We were ready to blast through space. I started with my hand on her shoulder but quickly let go and surprisingly she didn’t seem to mind. We had a blast!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MCNTRe]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

They were doing some type of refurbishment on the exit of the ride so we had to exit outside the building, not through the gift shop. They had walls up to cover up the refurb work with these types of sayings plastered along the way.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29izL4a]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

It was kind of a cool almost backstage-ish walk that had us cross over the train tracks to get back into Tomorrowland. Once we were back we made a quick stop at the washroom before running into Elasti-girl. Ella was so jacked up since we just recently saw the Incredibles 2.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aC21Sj]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We grabbed a refill to our popcorn bucket and made our way back to Pinocchio’s so that Ella could eat lunch as her glucose levels were starting to drop pretty quickly. We met up with Kelly and Lennon who were still eating so Ella joined in.

I had to make a stop at City Hall to smooth over an issue I was having with MDE. Because I had FPs booked for my Disney Institute trip, I had apparently met my quota of FPs so I wasn’t showing up on the next two days of FPs with the family.

The line for City Hall wasn’t crazy but it did stretch outside, which was not fun just baking in the sun! I finally got in and was happy to be in the AC. The CM I was talking to was most helpful but did take a little longer than I was expecting. While I was at the desk, Kelly messaged to say she was taking the girls to meet Snow White right beside City Hall. Looks like they got some good pics during their visit.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28CCwZs]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/PfQcd3]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bjjTCU]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bjjS7Y]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/PfQ8B5]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

They met back up with me inside City Hall just as I was wrapping up. Since we were so close to the exit, we figured it was a good time to head back to cool off in the pool and find out what the moms were up to during the morning.

Before we hit the front gates, we stopped to watch a little bit of the Dapper Dan’s. The Dan’s are one of my favourite entertainment options during a Disney trip but we never seem to take the time to stop and watch/listen. They are excellent!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/LWAvGD]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

After a quick show, we found our way to the bus stop and waited to get back to the resort. It was clearly an Incredible day for us, as confirmed by our ride home!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29AXZXq]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

When we got back we did a little more exploring before heading to our room. The resort is definitely well thought-out for families. With the pool, the kids splash area and the playground all in the same area, there are more than enough options for families to stay busy and entertained while not enjoying the parks.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nz5EAG]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We went back to our room to quickly change into our pool gear and I grabbed an ice cold beer before heading to find the moms who were laying poolside. Sounded like they had a very slow paced, relaxing morning, mostly spent lounging in the sun. The girls immediately jumped in the pool, while Kelly grabbed some sun on a lounger. I made my way to the hot tub to soak my legs and we enjoyed some quiet time for a bit.

Seemed like the moms were most pleased to skip the morning after hearing how much we were able to accomplish. They were a few beers in as well which likely added to their enjoyment of their relaxing half day.

We had plans to head over to Hollywood Studios later in the afternoon for dinner at 50’s Prime Time Café and to experience Toy Story Land, and the rest of the park, at night!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
slipperalwaysfits said:
The Jungle Cruise is always fun! Here's hoping I hear some new jokes on the Jingle Cruise in a few weeks! :happy:
I love how you and Kelly double-up and one waits for characters and the other with kids DOLE WHIP!!!:hungry::hungry::hungry: I'm glad your girls seem to really enjoy the face characters...I have so much I want to say to the characters but I get too nervous when I'm next to them! :jawdrop::oops:
I'm impressed the rain didn't keep DUMBO from flying!!

The BTMRR video is adorable!!
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We're always trying to be as efficient as possible when we visit Disney!

By the way, we watched the Disney Halloween decoration special last night. So cool to see how much work and the amount of planning that goes into creating magic. At one point Kelly was ready to cancel our Hawaii trip next year and head back to the Parks!
 
Songbird76

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Matt and Kelly said:
As we sat on the bus back to the French Quarter, the rain came down pretty hard. Ella was worried we wouldn’t get the chance to go in the pool but as we were pulling into the resort the rain was letting up and the sun was starting to shine through the clouds again.



We got to the room to find Lennon and Kelly waiting for us. The kids were ready for some pool time and I was ready for a dip in the hot tub. We changed into our pool gear and made the short walk from our room to the pool entrance.

The recent rain had cleared out the pool so it was essentially deserted when we arrived. We found a row of loungers in the perfect spot to keep tabs on the entire pool and get the sun while we were lying out. The kids took no time at all in grabbing a life jacket and jumping in for a swim.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The moms eventually arrived and they joined us on the loungers. We enjoyed a beer as the kids continued to go between the pool and the waterslide. Eventually, I decided to head over to the hot tub, which was located outside of the enclosed pool area which actually made it nice and peaceful for whoever was taking a soak. I walked through the gate and jumped into an empty hot tub. Immediately I felt my legs/feet thanking me. It was definitely relaxing.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

I likely stayed a little longer than I told Kelly I would be when I returned to the pool I jumped in the water to play with the girls for a bit before we decided to head back to the room to shower and get ready for a trip down the Sassagoula to spend the evening at Disney Springs.

We were ready to head over to DS somewhere around 5 or so but the moms we not quite ready. We told them we were going to head over and we’d meet them when they arrived. Off we went to the boat launch to hitch a ride to the Springs.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The more I visit WDW, the more I enjoy any opportunity to take advantage of the water transport options. This was one ride I have yet to take and it was a welcome break from the bus system. It was a gorgeous night and the trip down the Sassagoula was pretty relaxing. One of the really cool things that I wish I had taken a picture of was getting a great view of the Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs along the riverbank. I’ve always wanted to stay in one of the Treehouse and that was only reinforced after seeing them in person. They look very cool and have no shortage of space. I’ve added them to my bucket list of Disney accommodation to eventually stay at some time in the future.

As the boat rounded in towards Disney Springs, you got a great view of the entire complex around the waterfront. We arrived at the dock, unloaded and made our way towards the Springs. But first, a photo. Nice shot, Ella!
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Our first stop was the Days of Christmas store. One of our traditions is to always bring back a Disney ornament to add to the Disney tree we place in the living room over the holidays.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We looked around and found a number of cool options but instead of buying now, Kelly pointed out her top choices and I agreed to come back to the store and grab one or two of them when I returned for the Disney Institute training. One less breakable things for us to worry about taking back with the girls.

The moms met up with us as we were touring through the art store across from the Days of Christmas. We had planned to split up and go our own route but before we did, they had promised to buy the girls a gift so we made the rounds to figure out what they wanted to pick up. We stopped in the Disney home store near the Days of Christmas where I picked up some of my favourite Disney coffee to take back home.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The toy store, Tren-D’s, and the World of Disney were all stops along the way as well. We ended up spending quite a bit of time in the Tren-D’s store, and adjoining stores, as there was a ton of cool stuff to be had. Kelly is planning to create a Disney wall down our upper floor hallway full of photos, Disney-based signs and these little beauties that she found in the store.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

I didn’t leave empty-handed either as I stumbled upon an area full of DVC merchandise. I debated what to pick up but having seen the DVC MagicBands on Twitter and other trip reports, I couldn’t pass up the chance to pick up my own. A nice upgrade over the standard blue band I have used for the last couple trips.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

The last place we visited before splitting up was the World of Disney. Quite the condensed store with all the renovations going on but I’m sure it’ll look great when they do reveal the work that has been done. And the girls did end up finding something for the grandmas to pick up for them so everyone left happy.

We left the store and went our separate ways. I think the moms were excited to do a little shopping and Kelly was too. I made my usual stop at Uniqlo and found a great pair of dress pants and a sweet purple dress shirt for a total o f $39.00. Love the sales there and I was pretty pleased to continue to upgrade my wardrobe.

Kelly spent a good amount of time at the Anthropology store while I sat on a bench outside and watched the girls play with their new toys. It was a gorgeous night so I had no issue hanging out and taking it easy while I assumed Kelly was dropping all of our spending money on clothes. I was pleasantly surprised to hear she only bought one item when she reappeared. From there we hit up a number of different stores and walked around throughout the Springs.

I love coming to Disney Springs each trip, especially at night, with all of the unique things going on everywhere. The live entertainment, the dining options, the shopping options, it’s a great place to take a break from the parks. I just find we never spend enough time there.

Finally, we were getting pretty hungry and Ella’s glucose levels were starting to drop so we decided to try D-Luxe Burger. We had planned to eat here on our last day in December but the line was far too long and we had to get back to head to the airport. We arrived and it was still busy but at least the line wasn’t out the door. Kelly went in to order and I took the girls to find seats.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Took a while to get our food but it finally did arrive and we could dig in. The girls ordered kids chicken nuggets and fries, Kelly ordered the grilled chicken burger and I went with the El Diablo burger. Kelly also ordered a s’mores gelato shake which was very good.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

I will say, the burger I had was very tasty but outside of that, the rest of the food was a massive let down. Kelly’s burger was just ok, the fries were awful and the kids chicken was really subpar. We were pretty excited about trying this place but we left feeling pretty disappointed. Definitely not a place we will be visiting again on future trips.

After dinner we walked around for a little longer just to soak in the atmosphere before deciding to head back to the boat launch to head back to the hotel.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We jumped on board and sat back as we made the trip through the moonlight back to the resort. The treehouses looked even cooler in the dark somehow with the glow of the lights amongst the woods and the water. We arrived back at the French Quarter, walked off the boat and made our way back to the room.

It wasn’t overly late, maybe around 930 or so but with the long days we’ve already had on the trip it was a good time to hit the sack, get a nice long sleep and get up early to head back to Magic Kingdom for park opening.
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I know I'm incredibly late, but I'm enjoying reading, and I wanted to commend you on your excellent use of grammar in saying "lying out" at the pool instead of "laying out". Well done, sir!

The kids are adorable! They are much more adventurous than my 2! Neither of mine will try EE. I'll be lucky to get DS on FoP.
 
Songbird76

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
Matt and Kelly said:
The driver was a delightful young woman who was happy to strike up a conversation about where we were visiting from and how our trip was going so far. When she learned we were from Canada she was pretty fascinated about life in the great white north. She had only seen snow once in her life, in Alabama a few years back, and couldn’t believe we lived with snow for nearly half a year. She asked about differences about the two countries and how she’s always wanted to visit. We told her she wouldn’t really notice a massive difference other than the lack of Chik-Fil-A, which I have yet to try in all of my visits to the States even though people rave about it!



Kelly grabbed her cinnamon bun and I ordered a LeFou’s Brew. We grabbed seats at an empty table inside the tavern and enjoyed our quick snack. Kelly said the cinnamon bun wasn’t as good as its previously been but the brew was a big hit with me and the kids.
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Unpopular opinion time...I don't get the rave about Chik-Fil-A. My food there was never good the couple of times I ate there, and I really don't like waffle fries. I wouldn't eat there now, for personal reasons, even if I liked their food. The fact that I don't makes it easy to obstain. I'll take KFC any day.

As for the cinnaon roll at Gastons, I've read that you can ask for extra icing and that it makes it a whole lot better. That's my plan for our next trip.

Love the girls' costumes!
 
Songbird76

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
O
Matt and Kelly said:
We had arrived at the line to meet Lotso just as the party had officially begun at 7. The line was pretty healthy already but it looked far more manageable than the Moana line in December. I was hopeful things would move a lot quicker since Lotso can’t talk to guests which should keep things moving.

It was still raining but much lighter than earlier in the afternoon. The girls had no interest in waiting in line with me so Kelly took them on the PeopleMover while I shuffled my way through the line. Lennon is still obsessed with that ride and since it was just a few feet from the Lotso line it made for an easy time killer.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

It was pretty fun to watch other guests jump in and meet Lotso. So many excited kids which I found odd considering he was a villain in the movie. I was curious to find out if he actually smelled like strawberries but would task the kids with finding out as it would just be creepy to see a middle-aged man sniffing a giant pink teddy bear.

The girls found me in line after their ride and while we were pretty close to the front, I left the line to grab some popcorn for us to snack on. I returned to find us just a few families away. The line moved much quicker this time around. Only about 30 minutes from start to finish. We got up to the front and were informed we’d be the last family before a quick break.

We jumped in and the kids were all over Lotso.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We even got a few unique shots as he went for a quick break...we coulda used that umbrella!
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

And according to the girls he did not smell like Strawberries!

From Lotso we hit up the Monsters Inc. Dance Party for a little bit. I am not a dancer but the girls seemed to be happy to bust some moves for a few minutes.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We were reminded that we needed to find more candy spots but as we were walking around the park it was clear the candy lines were the most popular stops for everyone. The lines to grab a handful of treats were massive. We passed a few but ended up walking through Cosmic Rays to fill our bags before making our way over to Dumbo for a soggy soar.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

No waits for Dumbo or the Barnstormer so we rode those back to back before jumping in another candy line near the Fantasyland train station entrance. Lines we pretty much this big, if not bigger, everywhere candy was being handed out.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

With the bags filled with another helping we walked towards Ariel and ended up right back in another candy line where the Ariel meet and greet would normally be. We worked through another long line, loaded our bags and hopped on the Undersea Adventure.

Thankfully the rain had stopped at this time and we decided it would be a good time to walk towards the Haunted Mansion to look for picture spots and to jump on the ride. What better night to tour the mansion along with 999 happy haunts.

As we got toward HM, Kelly spotted the Tangled lantern PhotoPass opportunity and immediately jumped in line. She had been talking about this for months and was super excited to wait for it. The line was pretty long and it was closing in on about 830 or 9 at this point. The girls had yet to eat dinner and were getting pretty hungry so I went searching for a hot dog while Kelly waited with them.

I found the dogs right near the Hall of Presidents and was back within about 8 minutes after leaving to find their grub. They were about halfway to the front which gave us enough time to eat before their pics. However, as we went to give Ella some insulin for her meal, the device that does all of the calculations and administers the insulin to Ella’s pump slipped out of Kelly’s hand and came crashing to the ground. It landed face down on the hard concrete and we froze just looking at it. As we picked it up and it became clear it was not turning back on, we panicked thinking that the device was broken and we were in deep, deep trouble!

Admittedly we, ok I, had a bit of a freakout but put that aside to figure out next steps. This wasn’t the first time something like this has happened and in a previous episode with this problem, we were able to reset the device and getting it working again but we needed to find something small to hit the reset button. I ended up rushing to the First Aid station to seek out a needle, a safety pin or a paper clip to help us out. I arrived in a huff and the nurse on call was super quick and helpful after I explained the situation.

She did have a safety pin which enabled me to push the button and thankfully the device popped back on and was up and running again. The only issue now is that the pump that Ella was currently wearing was no longer connected to the device due to the reset and of course, like ill-prepared parents, we had not packed a replacement pump. The nurse was great to inform me that they had needles we could use if needed and paramedics on standby should something go awry. I thanked her for her help and rushed back to the girls.

As I was gone the girls had scarfed down their dogs and taken their pictures. We potentially had a massive issue on our hands had the device been broken but I guess that would have been something we’d deal with after the lantern picture was taken!
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

With all of the craziness that had just taken place and the wait for the photo, we decided or next move would be to skip the Haunted Mansion and find spots for the earlier parade that would be somewhere close to the First Aid station just in case we needed to duck in there for an insulin shot.

We ended up front row just outside the Liberty Tree Tavern which gave us a great viewing area for the parade and a chance to escape to First Aid if needed. One thing was for sure, we needed a chance to settle down for a bit and get our bearings back!
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
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Oh wow, that must have been scary!! I think most of us take it for granted that our kids don't need any sort of meds or treatment that would be hard to replace on vacation. I never thought about that until I read this and thought...that would be terrifying. I hope the thing reconnected to her pump alright!!
 
Rista1313

Rista1313

Well-Known Member
Songbird76 said:
Unpopular opinion time...I don't get the rave about Chik-Fil-A. My food there was never good the couple of times I ate there, and I really don't like waffle fries. I wouldn't eat there now, for personal reasons, even if I liked their food. The fact that I don't makes it easy to obstain. I'll take KFC any day.

As for the cinnaon roll at Gastons, I've read that you can ask for extra icing and that it makes it a whole lot better. That's my plan for our next trip.

Love the girls' costumes!
Click to expand...

I love Chick-fil-a, I eat there every Friday morning, which I've rename Chick-fil-a Friday... today however their opener didn't show up and they had no food and they ended up giving me Mini's instead of a biscuit (I consented to this) then they gave me 3 coupons for free breakfast biscuits or mini's for the future... all for waiting on the inconvenience. Really their customer service can't be beat!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Songbird76 said:
I know I'm incredibly late, but I'm enjoying reading, and I wanted to commend you on your excellent use of grammar in saying "lying out" at the pool instead of "laying out". Well done, sir!

The kids are adorable! They are much more adventurous than my 2! Neither of mine will try EE. I'll be lucky to get DS on FoP.
Click to expand...
Songbird76 said:
Unpopular opinion time...I don't get the rave about Chik-Fil-A. My food there was never good the couple of times I ate there, and I really don't like waffle fries. I wouldn't eat there now, for personal reasons, even if I liked their food. The fact that I don't makes it easy to obstain. I'll take KFC any day.

As for the cinnaon roll at Gastons, I've read that you can ask for extra icing and that it makes it a whole lot better. That's my plan for our next trip.

Love the girls' costumes!
Click to expand...
Songbird76 said:
O

Oh wow, that must have been scary!! I think most of us take it for granted that our kids don't need any sort of meds or treatment that would be hard to replace on vacation. I never thought about that until I read this and thought...that would be terrifying. I hope the thing reconnected to her pump alright!!
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First of all, thanks for reading along! Late or not, we appreciate those who are following our adventures. Kelly did regret not asking for extra icing and I'm sure that's something we will request next time!

We have had pump issues many times before but it's always a little scarier when we are traveling outside of Canada simply because you never know if things can be replaced as quickly if something does happen to go really wrong. Thankfully we were able to get everything up and running again as soon as we got back to the hotel but it did point out that we need to be a little more prepared for these types of incidents cropping up at unexpected times!

Rista1313 said:
I love Chick-fil-a, I eat there every Friday morning, which I've rename Chick-fil-a Friday... today however their opener didn't show up and they had no food and they ended up giving me Mini's instead of a biscuit (I consented to this) then they gave me 3 coupons for free breakfast biscuits or mini's for the future... all for waiting on the inconvenience. Really their customer service can't be beat!
Click to expand...

That's terrific customer service! Sadly, I can't comment one way or the other on whether Chik-Fil-A lives up to the hype but at some point on a future trip I'm going to go out of my way to finally try it out!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After some much-welcomed pool time, a few frosty beverages and a little relaxation, we all went back to our rooms to get ready to head over and spend the evening at DHS. We had dinner reservations at 50’s at 520 pm and FPs for a few different rides after dinner and before closing.

We all met up once we were ready to go and made our way to the bus stop. No threat of rain this evening so we were happy to pack a little lighter and enjoy the parks up until closing time. We didn’t wait overly too long for the bus to arrive but instead of heading straight to DHS, we did the tour of Riverside to pick up guests staying there.

I really enjoyed the look of Riverside but I do like that there is only one stop at the French Quarter. Without having to roll through the multiple stops at Riverside, you’re in and out very quickly and there never seemed to be huge crowds waiting to either get to a park or head back to the resort.

We arrived at the Studios with more than enough time to comfortably make the long walk from the bus stop to get through security at the front entrance. As we entered the park I dashed ahead to make a quick pit stop in Toy Story Land for a Slinky Dog return time. Kelly, the girls, and the moms made their way to 50’s. Along the way they stopped for a quick PhotoPass shot. Not sure why but we also had great pics of this lovely couple!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ai6byS]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ai692h]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a1aLta]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MCNLyZ]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bjjMTY]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

I met back up with everyone outside of the diner and we all checked in. The place was nowhere near as busy as our December visit and we had no problem finding a place to relax in the living room while we waited to be seated.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/NyRXcd]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As always, very cool hidden details that makes for a true Disney experience.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Nz4biw]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We were called up after about 5 or so minutes and escorted to our table. Amazingly, the hostess even pronounced the last name right on the first attempt which is definitely a rarity! We were seated and introduced to our Cousin Megan who would be taking care of us for the evening.

Cousin Megan was a terrific server and played the part brilliantly. I love the food at 50’s but I think we always end up going back more for the show than anything else. We browsed our menus trying to decide what to eat. One thing we weren’t passing up was an order of onion rings to start. Some of the best rings I’ve had and the dipping sauce is the real kicker. So good.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aBWEbN]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We all made our decisions and placed our order with Megan. Fried Chicken for me, Pot Roast for Kelly and Deb, Chicken Pot Pie for my mom and mac and cheese for the kids.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/27WEkzj]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29Bdmej]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The fried chicken continues to be one of my favourite dishes on the property and I was more than happy to finish every bite. Rave reviews from everyone else around the table but we decided to pass on dessert, even at the urging of our long-lost cousin. We squared up, said our goodbyes and headed back into the park.

Our first FP was for Tower of Terror but Kelly and I were the only ones up for riding. The moms ended up taking the girls to watch Voyage of the Little Mermaid instead. Probably a good way for them to ease back into it without losing their dinner at the Hollywood Tower Hotel!

Kelly and I made the walk down sunset towards ToT.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGkyMk]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

This is Kelly’s favourite ride so we were both pretty excited. Would have been fun with the whole crew but what can you do? We arrived, scanned our bands and made our way quickly through the queue and right into the library.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29jcR24]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The ride, as always, was excellent and I get such a kick out of Kelly screaming like a little girl. Makes me laugh every time!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MCNzsF]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We debated going again as there wasn’t much of a wait but we knew the kids wanted to get on Slinky Dog so we ended up walking back to meet them at the theatre. Their show let out a few minutes after we arrived and off we went, making the stroll back to Toy Story Land and straight to Slink.

Ella scanned her band and the rest of us followed as we entered the PF queue. I loved all the details around the queue. There’s so much to see as you get through the lines. The Imagineers did a great job all the way around on this ride.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aFYA4F]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We loaded up after a short wait and took off through Andy’s backyard. The moms were well rested from their morning away from the park which gave them plenty of energy to scream throughout the ride.

They do still need to work on getting the on-ride photos figured out!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a18sRk]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We got off Slink and had another FP open up, this time for Rockin’ Roller Coaster! Not a chance the girls or the moms were riding that one so we ended up making a quick change to the final Frozen Ever After Show of the evening. We all walked towards the Hyperion theatre to make sure the moms wouldn’t get lost if we let them roam on their own. As they took the girls inside Kelly and I made our way back to sunset. We were ready to rock and roll with Aerosmith!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Spash007 said:
I have to stop reading TR's before lunch - I was going to get a salad, but ended up going to Chik-Fil-A instead!

Besides the Chik-Fil-A, also enjoying your TR!
Click to expand...

HAHA sorry to be such a bad influence. I hope the Chik-Fil-A was tasty!

I will say, I did have a salad for lunch but if I had the chance to have Chik-Fil-A instead I probably would have joined you.
 
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slipperalwaysfits

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
50's is a nice spot for dinner, it's always hard for us to chose between that or the Sci-Fi for dinner. Glad you and Kelly had your own special TOT ride! I'm excited to try Slinky Dog soon, it looks like so much fun!
 

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