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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Rista1313

Rista1313

Well-Known Member
Matt and Kelly said:
The Plaza is definitely a restaurant that Kelly and I will do everything we can to find reservations for an upcoming WDW trip. Including one that was booked with less than 48 hours notice. At first we came up empty when using the Disney World site to find an opening but using the reservation finder option on Touring Plans turned out to be a saving grace. Even if the reservation was a little earlier than what we would typically look for, we were happy to know we could carry on a dining tradition.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Now that Kelly was satisfied with the photo opportunities and the group had met me near the Plaza entrance, the pager started to light up and buzz signaling they were ready to take us in. We met the hostess at the table and she led us to a great table with a killer view.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

We’ve always been sat in the main dining area when eating at the Plaza but this was a nice change of pace.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

I also forgot that they started to serve alcohol at some of the MK restaurants so that came as another surprise when our server ran through our options including the seemingly endless variety of milkshake flavours!

The moms happily ordered a Blue Moon but the rest of us were much more interested in the bottomless milkshakes. I ordered a Mint Chocolate Chip for my first serving and Kelly went a little off the board with a PB and J shake.
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr
WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr

Both turned out to be excellent decisions and the mint shake made Deb very jealous she didn’t get one, though that didn’t seem to slow down their consumption of the Blue Moon!

The moms browsed the menu options and couldn’t quite decide what they wanted to try but Kelly and I had made up our minds long before sitting down. She was getting the honey BBQ brisket Mac and Cheese and thanks to all of the glowing feedback I received from people posting to my solo pre-trip report, I was going to try the fried green tomato sandwich for the first time. The kids were most pleased with their sandwich choices, one PB and J and the other a grilled cheese.

After seeing that I was going with the fried green tomato sandwich, the moms piggybacked on my lead and ordered the same thing. I wasn’t sure what to expect but if the reviews held true, I knew we were in for a very solid meal.

While we waited for our food we all found ourselves staring out the window enjoying the sights around the castle and the people passing by. Though not our first choice for this vacation, things had come together really nicely and we were all having a great time.

The food arrived and we were quick to dig in. Like everything else I’ve had at the Plaza, the sandwich was outstanding. Probably my new favourite thing to order so thank you to those who suggested it. The moms were thoroughly impressed as well. Kelly loved her mac and cheese as did the rest of us around the table that snuck a taste here and there.
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

As we cleaned our plates, I did make a request for another milkshake as I polished off the mint chocolate one pretty quickly. I asked to give the Raspberry sherbert shake a try just to mix it up. Our server brought it back in a to-go cup so I could take it out into the park with us after we finished our meal and squared up on the bill.

Another very satisfying visit to the Plaza was complete and like us, the moms said they would definitely return on any future visits they make to WDW.

It was about noon at this point and we wanted to get a few more things done before heading back to Port Orleans to hopefully take a dip in the pool before getting ready to return to the Halloween Party.
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So tell me how you felt about the fried green tomato sandwich also having a red tomato on it as well? That one befuzzles me!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Rista1313 said:
So tell me how you felt about the fried green tomato sandwich also having a red tomato on it as well? That one befuzzles me!
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You know what? I thought nothing of this until this very comment!

I will say that the sandwich was excellent. The cheese, the bacon, the actual fried green tomatoes and, now that I'm thinking about it, the red tomato! Everything just came together really nicely so I guess that's why I didn't even think about the red tomato.

This was a darn good first experience with fried green tomatoes. I would absolutely order this again in a heartbeat.
 
Rista1313

Rista1313

Well-Known Member
Matt and Kelly said:
You know what? I thought nothing of this until this very comment!

I will say that the sandwich was excellent. The cheese, the bacon, the actual fried green tomatoes and, now that I'm thinking about it, the red tomato! Everything just came together really nicely so I guess that's why I didn't even think about the red tomato.

This was a darn good first experience with fried green tomatoes. I would absolutely order this again in a heartbeat.
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Thanks... I love fried green tomatoes.. but I was worried the red tomato would mess with the flavor of the green tomato. Silly I know.
 
slipperalwaysfits

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
We've never tried the Plaza but will now have to put it on our list, none the least for the milkshakes!!! YES, to getting to MK that early so you can walk on BTMRR and Splash and HM!!!! I hope your mom had fun in the front row of Splash, even if she was worried.
Under the Sea is such a fun ride for kids. I'm so glad your daughter can appreciate the magic! I can see how it would get old, though.
Lots of great pics!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
slipperalwaysfits said:
We've never tried the Plaza but will now have to put it on our list, none the least for the milkshakes!!! YES, to getting to MK that early so you can walk on BTMRR and Splash and HM!!!! I hope your mom had fun in the front row of Splash, even if she was worried.
Under the Sea is such a fun ride for kids. I'm so glad your daughter can appreciate the magic! I can see how it would get old, though.
Lots of great pics!
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We highly recommend the Plaza even if just for the milkshakes!

MeeskaMooska0714 said:
YAY!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed this - I wish I could have it right now!
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SO good! Even though we don't plan to go back to WDW for a few years, I've already got this on my list of places to eat and things to order!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Upon leaving the Plaza we still had a few plans before heading back to the resort for a bit, including our return time for Peter Pan. Since we were somewhat close to Tomorrowland, Lennon really wanted to stop over there and ride the PeopleMover. She has become quite fond of the ride over the last couple of visits. I think mostly because she can go through Space Mountain without actually riding Space Mountain!

So that’s the direction we headed in. It was still super nice out and the typical afternoon storm clouds hadn’t rolled in just yet. We arrived in Tomorrowland and jumped on the moving walkway up to the PeopleMover.

We all squeezed into the same car and off we went, riding through the land of Tomorrow. We hadn’t had the chance to jump on Space Mountain during this MK visit so far but Len was happy to see what she could inside the building without getting on the ride itself.

PeopleMover is a pretty fun ride to get off your feet and see some cool views from different areas of the park.

After PeopleMover our time for Pan was open so we hoofed it back into Fantasyland and climbed about our Pirate ships. No matter how many times I’ve been on Peter Pan I think I’ll always have that same feeling with every ride. The movie is one of my favourites and the ride is just as good. Sometimes the high tech thrills aren’t needed when you’re moving through a classic like that.

With our return from Neverland, we made the short walk over to the It’s a Small World for a quick cruise. Still miss all the Disney character cameos like you would see throughout Small World in Disneyland but the videoboards towards the end of the ride always seem to capture everyone’s attention!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGD4wF]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/NySr1Q]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aCd9Xq]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As you can tell, we didn’t overly plan our attack that well as we now had FP+ times for Space Mountain which meant heading back to Tomorrowland. True, we had a lot of back and forth during this trip but since I did guzzle two milkshakes and a full meal at the Plaza I guess the walking wouldn’t be that bad!

We knew the moms were not going to ride on Space so we had changed their FP+ to Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters while the four of us readied ourselves for takeoff. Three of the four were excited, but Lennon was super cautious walking through the queue.

She definitely got a little nervous just as we were about to load but to her credit she toughed it out but had to make sure Kelly was holding her throughout the entire ride. Funny girls but at least they have been getting braver with each trip! I asked the guy behind me if he needed to hold my hand during the ride but he shot down my request pretty quickly for some reason,.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/PfNL4s]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MCNYnt]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The moms had started to make their way back towards the bus stop to head to the hotel after they finished on Buzz knowing that we wouldn’t be far behind them. It was definitely looking like the pool would be an option for us but before leaving we ended up walking by, and turning around to get in line to meet Stitch.

I don’t get the whole Stitch fascination but as you may have seen in a picture from earlier in the day Ella had already picked up a Stitch stuffy so she has somehow bought in as well, figuratively and literally.

Stitch was just coming back for his meet and greet time and we were pretty close to the front of the line so that was definitely good timing. I will say the little guy is pretty cute and the girls absolutely loved him. He was beyond excited to see Ella had his stuffy and made sure to play it up pretty good. I thought I was taping the whole encounter which truly was awesome but instead of hitting record I missed the button completely and by the time I clued in I was way too late! Oh well, we got some good pics just the same.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ai6ZwE]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MCRSRn]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28skA1w]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2a7LXE1]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2b8WmmQ]WDW 2018 (222) by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/P5zEVh]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we said goodbye to Stitch and walked back out into the park, the storm clouds had quickly appeared. We were able to get through the pack and to the bus stop with no issues but it really started coming down as we were riding back home. Heavy rain and loud blasts of thunder and lightning. So much for our plans for the pool.

When we arrived back at the hotel we ran towards our room. We stopped by the moms' room to find out what their plans were. They planned to hunker down until the rain subsided then do some shopping. The kids wanted to stay and play in their room for a while which was a-ok with us. Kelly and I went back to our room and Kelly was ready for a much-needed nap. Since I couldn’t soak in the hot tub I ended up in a hot bath relaxing my feet while the sounds of thunder and lightning crashed around. It was easily one of the loudest storms I can remember but at least we were in the rooms and not stuck in it.

It rained pretty heavy for quite some time but eventually we needed to start getting ready for the Halloween party. Looked like we were in for a wet one.
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
mlegerto said:
Matt, your girls are just too adorable. It's crazy to see how much they have grown since the first TR of yours I've read. What a lovely family you have.
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Thank you so much! We are very fortunate to have such loving little girls. It's been great being able to share their development with so many from on this site but at the same time pretty scary to see just how quickly they are changing!
 
Gurt

Gurt

Well-Known Member
All caught up, I have been wanting to try that fried green tomato sandwich for a long time but I had never noticed it had bacon on it now I absolutely have to have one on our next trip! The girls are adorable.
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Gurt said:
All caught up, I have been wanting to try that fried green tomato sandwich for a long time but I had never noticed it had bacon on it now I absolutely have to have one on our next trip! The girls are adorable.
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If it weren't for the suggestions in my pre-trip report, there would have been no way I would have tried it but I'm definitely glad I did. I'm sure you'll really enjoy it!

And thanks for the kind words about the girls!
 
slipperalwaysfits

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
I wasn't able to figure out Stitch for awhile, either but now I :inlove: him! Glad the girls were brave for Space Mountain!! Did Len like it? Sometimes in the MK, we lack our planning as well, with Fastpasses and end up criscrossing the park more than we'd like to. Maybe this year we will think it through more. :geek::geek::geek:
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
slipperalwaysfits said:
I wasn't able to figure out Stitch for awhile, either but now I :inlove: him! Glad the girls were brave for Space Mountain!! Did Len like it? Sometimes in the MK, we lack our planning as well, with Fastpasses and end up criscrossing the park more than we'd like to. Maybe this year we will think it through more. :geek::geek::geek:
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She did enjoy it, even if she needed to hold Kelly's hand the entire time. Surprised Kelly didn't dislocate a shoulder during the process.

Typically we are usually very well prepared leading into a trip but since this was a fly by the seat of your pants type trip we just rolled with the punches. Turned out just fine but we were a tad all over the place at times!
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We retrieved the girls from the moms' room to start getting them ready for the Halloween Party. The rain was still coming down pretty good which put Lennon in a sour mood as she didn’t want to get wet nor did she want to cover up her costume during the party. We were hopeful it would start to lighten as we got closer to party time but at the moment it wasn’t letting up.

The moms had their own plans for the night and they seemed pretty pleased not to be heading back to the park and doing something a little different for an evening. Sounded like they were going to head back to Disney Springs or grab a cab and head to a mall. They needed to feed their shopping addiction I suppose!

We spent the next little bit getting the girls ready and packing up to head back to Magic Kingdom. The ponchos were a must for Kelly and the kids but I threw on a sweater and was ready to roll. A little water wasn’t going to slow us down.

We made our way to the resort entrance and decided to hail a Minnie Van instead of taking the bus. On our trip in December when Minnie Vans were still in test phase it was really difficult to get one at the Beach Club. Thankfully this trip wasn’t the same, we put in our request and it was confirmed moments later. We were told it would be about 5 minutes so we stood outside, looking at the rain, waiting for our van.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29Baytf]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

The girls were pumped for the party and so were we.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29AUXQA]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGzHCi]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29iFBkB]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

Our van arrived soon after and we loaded up and were on our way back to the park.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/27WDjvs]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

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!

We arrived at the park with the rain still coming down pretty steadily. We said thanks and goodbye to our great driver and off we went to enjoy the event. We were early, maybe a little after 530 or so but solid streams of people were arriving at the same time as us.

With the hoards arriving and leaving at the same time, we were directed to the backstage entrance to Tomorrowland to allow party guests to enter the park and avoid some of the crowd exiting the park. I had never seen this backstage area but it was definitely a cool way to help divert traffic (looking ahead to my Disney Institue visit, we would be led through this backstage area to reach the utilidors during one of our field experiences). And I really liked the theming to draw your attention away from the backsides of some of the buildings and get you in the Halloween spirit.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/27W3p2b]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGwVBK]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29AtXP3]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGvQPv]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aGD9MR]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

As we arrived near Tomorrowland, Cast Members were providing guests with candy bags and we had the chance to get our first helping of candy.

#PurpleWall
[url=https://flic.kr/p/PfQBeE]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28CCT8J]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We had some time to kill before the actual party started so we decided to try a do a few things we’d yet to experience on this trip. We made our way towards Fantasyland and jumped in line for the teacups.

Lennon rode with me and Ella with Kelly. Ella loves to spin, which I do not, and Lennon is too weak to spin the cup on her own so I ca at least control how crazy things get. My kind of ride!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/LWn7jn]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

After our teacup ride, Kelly was dead set on heading to Gaston’s Tavern to pick up a cinnamon bun, something she loves to snack on but we didn’t have the chance to do so last trip in December. She was so bummed not to get that cinnamon bun and wasn’t going to pass it up this time. Plus it gave us a chance to get out of the rain for a bit.

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.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aCdcT5]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/29AXy2C]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2aBX7AS]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

With our snack done we lingered a little longer just to stay outta the rain, which was finally starting to let up a tad. We decided to head over to the hundred acre wood to ride Winnie the Pooh before committing to some of the party attractions Kelly had in mind.

Pooh was only about a 15-minute wait which only ended up being about 8 or so. We bounded through the ride and it was nearly time for the party to begin. Kelly’s plan was to meet some of the characters we normally wouldn’t get to during regular park hours. This brought back nightmarish flashbacks of spending over two hours in line to meet Moana during the Christmas Party in December…here we go again!

This meant heading over to Tomorrowland to find the line to meet Lotso at the Sunnyside Daycare. We found a few deserted PhotoPass opportunities along the way as well.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ai6nmy]WDW 2018 by Matt Mandrusiak, on Flickr[/URL]

We were ready to enjoy as much of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party as we could!
 
slipperalwaysfits

slipperalwaysfits

Well-Known Member
What a cool photopass op!! Last year, we were there for the Halloween party and we loved walking down the side street of MK, seeing all the cool statues :geek: Impressive the Pooh wait was so short! I LOVE meeting rare characters but I get so little time in the parks I really have to decide if their line is worth it.
Are you still munching on candy from the party?
 
Matt and Kelly

Matt and Kelly

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
slipperalwaysfits said:
What a cool photopass op!! Last year, we were there for the Halloween party and we loved walking down the side street of MK, seeing all the cool statues :geek: Impressive the Pooh wait was so short! I LOVE meeting rare characters but I get so little time in the parks I really have to decide if their line is worth it.
Are you still munching on candy from the party?
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HAHA We did end up getting a good haul of candy that we snacked on throughout the rest of the trip but the rest of it didn't come back home with us.

joshsprincess921 said:
That Vamperina costume is the cutest!
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Lennon thought so too! That's why she didn't want to cover up with the poncho HAHA
 

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