WDWabby's First Trip to THE WORLD!

[wdwabby]

Small preface: I am 23, done with school and moved out on my own. I live about an hour away from my parents, who I went on this trip with. We booked the trip in late April and had been counting down and planning voraciously since then. We planned for 9 days, 8 nights at the Port Orleans French Quarter

My parents were celebrating their 26th anniversary on this trip and it was the first trip ever for both my mom and I.

Enough back story - on with the pictures!

Indeed, let the excitement commence! I didn't know if I should start a whole new separate thread, but liked the idea of keeping everything together in one place. Easier for all of us, right?

Our story begins on Friday, September 7th ....

when I last left off I was preparing to drop off my cat Zoë at her "aunt & uncle's" house Thursday night. I got back to my apartment around 11pm, finished up a few things and decided to take a couple hour nap. Woke up, showered, finished packing my things and the rents arrived at 4:30. AM! oh yeah, THAT'S early ...

Off to Bishop International Airport! One of the few things the city of Flint, Michigan has going for it ...

Naturally, three unassuming adults had a "fun" time going through security. Let the record just say that 2 out of 3 of us received special TSA attention. I was not one of those two!

Well, I half take that back. My personal bag had to be run through twice because they were picking up on the big bag o' trading pins (read: large mass of metal) and the M&M minis container full of quarters and pennies (read: medium sized cylinder of metal) once I explained that they kinda had a chuckly and let me go on my way.

Mom attempted to bring a pretty silver pocket knife on board. She claims that it was an accident, but I'm sure we all know she was going to use that to hijack the plane. It was already a 2 hour non-stop flight - I don't think there was a way to hijack it to make it go faster. We collected our belongings from the xray conveyor and put ourselves together. There's nothing that makes you feel quite like a terrorist like going through airport security.

After that we had nothing better to do than wait. And eat airport bagels and drink really bad airport coffee. Whatever. It got the job done!

Shortly after 7:00am, we began to board. Naturally, dad got pulled out of line for a random search. Since he looks so scary and all that. It really was random though because the next person they pulled for a search was this girl about my age who couldn't have been more than 100 pounds and was wearing a teeny little tank top and couldn't have hidden any weapons of mass destruction anywhere.

Off we go! My mom and I both forgot to pack a magazine, a book or general outline for plotting world domination so we had nothing to do for the duration of the flight. Except have running commentary on all the weird clouds. Good times! When we got close, we actually were able to make out the Epcot ball and a couple of the resorts, which was pretty exciting.

We gathered our luggage and made our way to our waiting chariot ...

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Travel in style! Much quicker, much more comfortable and much MUCH more stylish than that silly Magical Express bus! 20 or 30 minutes later we pulled in to the gorgeous Port Orleans French Quarter Resort - and when they say resort, they aren't kiddin'!!! I think we agreed that we'd never seen anything like it ...

[wdwabby]

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I loved the butterfly wings everywhere ....

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and when you walk in to a lobby that looks like this, you know you're off to a great start! :)

We made our way over to the check in area and it was around 11 or so I believe and waitied in the very short line (maybe only one person in front of us)

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We're so happy to be here!

[wdwabby]

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and Mary was the CM who helped us out for our check in. She was fabulous and as the first CM we interacted with really set the mood for the vacation. Her spirit was just infectious ... she quickly found out that the rents were celebrating their anniversary and it was mom and I's first trip - celebratory buttons all around! She explained our reservations and our all important Keys to the World. and you know what else?

our room was ready! thank YOU and have a magical day!

We trekked it out to building 6, room 6239 and let ourselves in ...

someone was already in the room though
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he seemed friendly, so we decided to let him stay.

The room was gorgeous as well, but yet very homey and comfortable. We put in a call to bell services to have our luggage brought up and had a message from Mary welcoming us again and wishing us a magical vacation! We could get used to this!

Our luggage arrived promptly, we unpacked a bit and then we were off!

Up Next: The First Surprise is revealed!

[wdwabby]

For weeks now we had been saying "3 weeks from now we'll be eating at Coral Reef" ... "2 weeks from now we'll be eating at Coral Reef" ... "1 week from now we'll be eating at Coral Reef" ... needless to say that got me through quite a few PB&Js at work! And now it was time!

We bustled out of the room in our crocs and lime baggallinis bursting with excitement at what wonders could await us in Epcot. Unfortunately we were running a tad late and it took a while longer than we would have liked to catch a bus. The bus stop was pretty full with other vacationers ready to hit Epcot, including a gentleman on an ECV waiting with his family. We didn't think a whole lot of it, though noticed he really had no problems hopping right up when he got on the bus or having his kids climb all over him during the ride over. At any rate, none of our business and we had a lunch ressie to make!

We disembarked and made our way towards the entrance though we were all pretty mesmerized by that giant ball! We made it through our first bag check of the trip and made our way towards the ticket gates. Remember that gentleman I mentioned earlier? We looked over at the next ticket line to see him standing up, walking to the line and having no problems and then his wife sped up next to him driving the ECV! Guess they were just switching off to make it easier to cart their stuff around (and I have to say they really maximized the cargo space that ECV had to offer!)

At any rate, everyone makes their own choices and it didn't affect us (though we found it interesting) and we snatched up a map and looked to find our way to the Living Seas. After a little confusion and asking help from a couple CMs we rounded a corner and found Nemo! (and my lovely "MINE" gulls!) Shortly after, we found the Coral Reef.

Though we were really looking forward to this meal, some of the recent reviews on the DIS had been less than favorable, so I think that we were all a little curious as to what it would really be like.

Walking in to the restaurant out of the steamy heat was like walking into a wave of cool water. Once our eyes adjusted to the dimmer light, what we saw was a beautiful, calm interior. Glass tile mosaic walls and hand blown glass fish decorated the lobby area. We checked in and waited a few minutes before we were taken to our table - right next to the tank! And what a view that was!

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the hundreds of fish, sharks and rays were just beautiful to watch and certain didn't have stage fright!

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Our waitress was extremely nice and very warm and friendly. She welcomed us to the restaurant and upon finding out the rents were celebrating their anniversary offered some champagne to start out the meal. Being the little lushes that they are, they gladly accepted:lmao:

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[wdwabby]

She then brought us our menus and brought us our menus.

Not a typo! We had two different menus for our meal:

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Dad had worked with the restaurant to put together special menus with pictures to kick off the anniversary celebration! The pictures were a little timeline from when they got married to the present. It was very cute

Once we recovered from that surprise, we focused on making our difficult lunch selections. I settled on the mahi mahi with couscous:

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Mom had the salmon sandwich

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[wdwabby]

and Dad had the Pan seared Tilapia

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all of our dishes were beyond fabulous! Even my dad, who hates fish with an absolute passion thoroughly enjoyed it! I don't know what happened with those bad reviews, but the 3 of us have nothing but glowing things to say about this restaurant and would go back in a heartbeat!

What? You thought that we could leave without dessert? Hello! We're on the Disney Dining Plan - you can't leave unless you have to roll yourself out the door!

In the mean time, please turn your attention to the tank ...

I unfortunately couldn't get a good shot of any of the sharks, but had a lot of fun watching the others and trying to take pictures.

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but something else appeared in the tank ...

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A message from Mickey himself?! How cool!

then our diver started figeting with the sign ...

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two sided! Guess Dad couldn't decide which one he wanted to go with, so the Coral Reef let him do both!


he scooped up some of the shells from the bottom and threw them up like confetti then floated back up to the surface. I had been expecting the diver (which was one of the main reasons I was futsing with my camera and praticing taking pictures so I could be ready when they showed up. On the other hand, mom had NO idea and teared up - Mission successful! The first surprise(s) had gone off without a hitch!

[Hedy]

When does the surprise Sunshiners know about but the DIS muggles don't happen?

I know I said this on the DIS, but ::sniff:: your family is adorable.

[nurseminnie76]

Abby -

I'm having so much fun reading your report. I got a little teary eyed myself - lol. Keep up the good work!

[nolacindy]

Your mom and dad are so cute! Great start to the report, can't wait to see more.

[coastalgirl]

How sweet your dad is! :love: Wonderful start and great pictures!!
Thanks for sharing and I can't wait for more!!!

[eaglesdare]

what! where is the rest? i need more, hurry type more.


i love the coral reef. i had the diver for my son's 8th bday. boy was he excited. the diver even came out and hand delivered the sign to my son. this all brings tears to my eyes.

who wants an everyday theme park when you can have these types of memories from disney!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JillyFish]

Lovin' it so far!!! Great pictures! Can't wait for the next installment!

[wdwabby]

When does the surprise Sunshiners know about but the DIS muggles don't happen?

I know I said this on the DIS, but ::sniff:: your family is adorable.

Yes, that should be Sunday! that actually turned into surprises for all and I need to get real film developed and put on CD for that section ...

Abby -

I'm having so much fun reading your report. I got a little teary eyed myself - lol. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for reading! It's just gonna get a bit long because I have a ton of pictures and the board only lets me post 4 at a time! :(

Your mom and dad are so cute! Great start to the report, can't wait to see more.

welcome and thanks for stopping by - they are cute, haha, they were fun to travel with (for the most part!)

How sweet your dad is! :love: Wonderful start and great pictures!!
Thanks for sharing and I can't wait for more!!!

Thanks for reading :) It was a perfect kick off - and there's plenty more coming!

what! where is the rest? i need more, hurry type more.


i love the coral reef. i had the diver for my son's 8th bday. boy was he excited. the diver even came out and hand delivered the sign to my son. this all brings tears to my eyes.

who wants an everyday theme park when you can have these types of memories from disney!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The rest will come hopefully quickly. I probably won't be able to write more tonight as I have to work late, but I will upload more pictures so that I can hopefully write the next installment on my lunch at work tomorrow. I'm gonna try to kick this baby out in a timely fashion!

and how neat for your son - I knew the diver sign was planned, but it was so cool to see it happen. That's extra neat that your son got it delivered afterwards - it really is a unique memory

Lovin' it so far!!! Great pictures! Can't wait for the next installment!

yay you're here too! We have a great group here - next installment should come tomorrow. I'll finish day one and hopefully get most of day two done!

[wilsonfamily4]

Tomorrow?! Imagine me saying that whiney like!
I love trip reports. Yours is fun and I love surprises. Can't wait to see the rest!

[ligrumpygirl]

oohhh I'm loving it!!!

[wdwabby]

seriously, can we up the image limit on posts? I'm camera crazed!

or otherwise titled: with a start like that, where do you go from there?!


You hit the high Seas!

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(I love Gil)

We loved the Nemo ride - the Clam-mobiles were great and it was the first time we'd been on a conveyer belt style ride (obviously not the last though!) I was so taken by the que - it was so inventive and gorgeous. The ride itself was very cute and very neat - definitely well done. I loved it! Especially the jellyfish and the deep sea angler - completely different from anything I've ever seen before. This one was a winner

and for your viewing pleasure ... the little birds who stole my heart ...

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Arrival%20Fri%20Sept%207/th_MVI_1312-1.jpg (http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Arrival%20Fri%20Sept%207/?action=view&current=MVI_1312-1.flv)

Yes, that is my voice you hear saying "I'm waiting for them to do it" right before they start up ... I was getting a little impatient ...

[wdwabby]

oh yeah, and that little silver ball was hanging around too ..

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But enough gawking ... we had another important date to keep - a date with Miss Beverly!

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of course, we had to spring it on the one person who hadn't been trolling the boards ... my poor, innocent mother ...

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Does that make us evil? Beverly: Satan's Drink!

Thankfully we gave her a Mezzo Mix chaser and all was forgiven in short order ; )

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[wdwabby]

Where to now? Perhaps a venture to the United Kingdom?

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That was a short flight!

In all seriousness, we had no idea what to expect out of world showcase and didn't see near as much of it as we would have liked ... but each country was so unique and wonderful. We did stop through Canada first and caught the 360 degree film - very cool format, though it left out my Mr. Don Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada fame.

We also took a quite break to pick up pin lanyards to go with our trading stash and I took a chance to call my kitten. Talked to my friend Eren and was on speakerphone with Zoe for a few minutes and then it was ON. UK here we come! We wandered through many of the neat little shops and had a general grand time!

There were great details everywhere you looked - it really is true, Disney does details very well ....

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The ceiling of the perfume shop in UK ... it also had gorgeous trim.

We rounded the corner and discovered that the British Invasion would be performing shortly so we staked out a seat. It didn't take long and the guys come strolling out - and they were GREAT! If you have a chance to see them perform, DO IT! Granted, I do enjoy the Beatles immensely, so that may color my perspective, but we all really enjoyed them.

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and like the little fan girl I am, I got in line to meet them and get autographs afterwards ... I know the pic is a little fuzzy, but it's still cute and I guess I just have to go back again to get a clear one ; ) any reason to return, right?

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[wdwabby]

We wrapped up with the band and headed over to the Rose and Crown. Due to some miscommunication it was over an hour before we got seated, but were able to get a table with a partial view of Illuminations. This ended up being a good thing as we weren't able to get back to Epcot to view it again. The food was delicious, though I'm afraid we didn't fully appreciate it because we were coming upon the 19 or 20 hour mark of our day. Mom and I split the beer flight :drinking1 I indulged in the much raved about Harry Ramsden's fish and chips - and they certainly earned their reputation, even though the portion was so large I felt like they had just breaded up the entire fish and served it to me - definitely a split-able meal. But I continued to stuff myself like a little pig because it was so delicious. I paid the price though by not being able to eat my dessert, but Katie, our waitress boxed me up the Guinness torte to go. The rents also received a magical moments certificate for their anniversary signed by our waitress (who was super adorable!) and the restaurant staff and were crowned king & queen of the Rose & Crown. Very cute and they enjoyed it a lot.

We trudged our tired, stuffed bodies through the International Gateway and took one of the Friendships over to Boardwalk, grabbed a cab and eventually crashed back at POFQ - but not before we had one more little surprise ....

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This was sitting on the table in the room waiting for my parents - I ordered a gift basket from Memories by Betsy ( www.memoriesbybetsy.com ) and it was a big hit! Mom got a Minnie dressed up as Tinkerbell, Dad got a toy monorail, they both got nametags and there was a set of Mickey etched wine glasses. I had the wine glasses put in because they still have the champagne glasses from the restaurant where they got engaged - so I was trying to work on a theme!

After that last bit of excitement, we crawled into our immensely comfortable beds and were probably asleep by the time that our heads hit the pillows ...

it was a WONDERFUL, AMAZING, first day! What else could the week possibly have in store for us?

Tomorrow: the beginning of Day 2 and our adventures into old Hollywood at MGM! :) Hopefully I'm not bothering anyone with all the pictures ... if I am, let me know and I can start putting out a more abridged version ...

[Kycha]

Please! Keep the pictures in! I love having visuals to go with the story. Your family is so sweet. I am so glad you guys had a good time and that your parents had such a magical anniversary.

[wilsonfamily4]

keep it coming, and the pictures too. Love it all

[coastalgirl]

Oh yes I love the pictures too!! What a great first day for all of you!!

thanks again for sharing, I can't wait for more!

[howdyfrtx]

Great job...enjoy it...and the pictures.

Its making me wish I was there.

[wdwabby]

seriously, this is going to be like 8 or 9 posts .... so hang on, they're a comin'!

DAY 2: A Taste of Old Hollywood

After a thoroughly exhausting, yet fantastic first day, we allowed ourselves to sleep in until 8 or so. We took our time getting up and ready, unpacked and straightened up a bit and mom and I ran to the food court to snag some breakfast - and our first beignets! Beignets are tasty, but it did take a little bit to figure out just how one is to go about eating them without causing a collosal explosion of powdered sugar!

After causing a little bit of a mess and finishing up breakfast, we decided to head out to hit MGM. Now after the reviews on the board, I was looking forward to the park, but figured it wouldn't be all that overwhelming ... especially since everyone seemed to view MGM as a half-day-and-get-it-over-with kind of park.





WRONG-O!



Right from the moment when we approached the gates, I just had this feeling that I would love it. The art deco styling, the ambiance. I could feel my excitement building! Stepping through the entryway, I felt like I was stepping right back in time, to Hollywood's heyday.

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I think that the only thing that kept me from taking 2 hours to take in every detail on the main street was that beautiful, blue hat!

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I think that now is an appropriate time to let you all know that of all the roles Mr. Mickey Mouse has played, Sorcerer Mickey is my absolute favorite. Therefore, I adore the hat! So if you're reading this and you're one of those people in the "The Epcot wand is gone, now let's do away with the hat!" camp, kindly keep those thoughts outta here! Needless to say, I took several pictures of the hat ... we also noticed that Ms. Snow White was present as well, though she was acting a little tarty, kicking up her heels with some Dopey guy
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[wdwabby]

After a sufficient amount of gawking, it was pretty much settled. We were really going to like MGM! It was time to accomplish some things though and set off in search of adventure. In this case adventure is spelled M-U-P-P-E-T-S!
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(on a side note, my sorority has a connection with the Muppets. Jim Henson's wife was also an Alpha Xi Delta and Fozzie bear was named in honor of our sorority as our mascot is a bear and our nickname is the Fuzzies. Just a little bit of trivia for you all!)

but it was time to get down to business! We had muppets to mingle with!

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Let's go in!

[wdwabby]

Let's go in!

hmmm ... looks like no one's here - security has gone on break!
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it's ok though, they left us the key!
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These Muppets sure have a lot of important offices, though I have to say that this one was my favorite -
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Making the world a prettier place - shouldn't that be a goal for all of us?

We got lucky and only had a few minutes to wait before the show. The pre-show area was so cute - and SO detailed! I kind of wish we had had more time to look at everything, but I was completely taken in by the preshow! This became a trend I noticed throughout Disney. The ques were very elaborate and you were able to waste a lot of your waiting time on taking in all of the details and/or enjoying a pre-show to get you excited for the main event. I knew from the preshow that I was going to be in for a TREAT - the Muppet penguins were running back and forth across the screens! We snagged our 3D glasses and went in to the show - PENGUIN ORCHESTRA!!!

We all were amazed by this show - none of us had ever seen a 3D show like this - it was absolutely incredible and something that I would be able to sit down and watch over and over again.

and even the exit was detailed with these great promotional posters ... naturally I had to take a picture of this one!
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[wdwabby]

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We rounded the corner from Muppets and found the mothership. We were in Tatooine!

I love Star Wars. Right up there among my cinematic favorites and this did NOT disappoint. The que felt like we were walking into the ewok village
and the marquee said it all -
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I was so excited I could barely contain myself - and then we started moving through the line ...


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Dad decided that he didn't really feel like journeying to Endor right that moment, but Mom and I forged ahead - I had heard that the Endor tour was really spectacular! (again, pay attention to the pre-show, it's great) We boarded our transport and buckled in for an enjoyable ride. May the Force be with you!

Only it wasn't with our pilot! Why they allowed a rookie pilot to take a transport full of tourists is beyond me ....

but we survived, thankfully. Again, this was a ride that I absolutely LOVED. It was so neat - and felt so real. I really felt like I was making the jump to hyperspace and dodging comets ...

we exited the ride and went back out into the steamy heat and with a quick look at our watches, we knew it was time ...


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[wdwabby]

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PARADE TIME!

and we got great spots, right in the first row along the route immediately after a curve, so we got a head on view as well as the passing view - it was so perfect that I barely noticed that I was dripping sweat just standing there!
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The lead off hitter?

Emile, from Ratatouille ... eating, of course ...
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1376.jpg
and Remy!
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[wdwabby]

now here's a group of stars!
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(this Bert was ON! It was like watching the antics of Dick VanDyke himself!)
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[wdwabby]

there seemed to be a threat of evil in the air ...





http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1402.jpg

(but they were great with crowd interaction!)

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1404.jpg

but all was soon set to right as everyone's favorite troublesome two-some dropped in for some fun!
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followed by that sassy mermaid!
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1409.jpg

and I have to say, Ariel is so sweet! She even noticed my mom's anniversary pin and wished her a Happy Anniversary from her car!

ok, I promise only one more post with parade pics ...

[wdwabby]

and then, it was the car with the stars we'd all been waiting for ... the Big Cheese himself (and may I just say, his car is VERY nice!)
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1417.jpg

where's Mickey? Did Minnie push him out? Did he call in sick?

oh wait! There he is!
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1418.jpg

Minnie's dress was fab too - I've got to get the number of her stylist ...

finally, Pluto brought up the rear, but still had a moment to strike a pose
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1419.jpg


and that was it - the Stars and Motor Cars Parade had come to a conclusion. This was the first parade that we were able to catch and we were thrilled! Just like everything else so far, Disney showed that they really knew how to put on a show! All the cars were so cool to look at as well. I'm glad we were able to see this one since they're replacing it with that Block Party Whatever thing - but I would gladly watch this parade again and again.

We were having an absolutely great day - but did you take a look at the clouds over Snow White's head? It looked like trouble might be headed our way ...


but it did little to scare away our appetites! We had gotten lunch when we first got to the park at the ABC Commissary (another CS that had gotten poor reviews, but we all enjoyed it. Dad and I both had the curried chicked, which was very flavorful and tasty!) but that did little for us now, so we headed over to this little dingy to see what they had to offer.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1420.jpg

milkshakes, water and some sort of snack were procured and we sat under an umbrella.

and then it arrived.


The Rain.



Guess that means it's time to shop! We dodged raindrops and headed for the glories of Disney retail : )

We meandered through the little shops (nice feature that they'll all connected even though I never would have guess that looking at their facades) Mom and I did some pin trading with the CMs and browsed. I even purchased my Minnie ears on a headband with the YOAMD bow! (with my SR gift cards no less ....) Unfortunately, the rain continued to stick around and it was getting close to our dining reservation for the Fantasmic package - what if the rain didn't stop? What if they cancelled Fantasmic? There wasn't another night on the schedule for us to catch it!

[wdwabby]

We gathered ourselves and half-dashed over to the infamous Hollywood Brown Derby and hoped for the best. The Maitre D said that Fantasmic wouldn't be cancelled due to rain, just thunder and lightening, which gave me some hope. At any rate, we checked in and received our buzzer and settled in to wait. Not long after, it went off and we were seated.

If you haven't had the opportunity to try this restaurant, add it to your ADRs IMMEDIATELY. Everything about this restaurant screams old Hollywood glamour. The ambience, the cariacatures, the lighting .... we were lucky enough to be seated in one of the leather booths and began to soak it all in. We decided that we should behave as the atmosphere dictated and indulged in a pre-dinner drink. Mom had the Derby Delight, which looked like a giant ice cream treat, but she said it was very good. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a huge sweet drink girl, so dad and I both ordered Sidecars. This was the first time I had one of these, but I really enjoyed it. After that it was on to the lobster bisque - very creamy - I would have licked my bowl if it wouldn't have been completely inappropriate! For my entree I had the filet - and it was fabulous. For all of you who swear by the filet at Le Cellier, give this one a chance as it is excellent. The seasoning is very different, but in a good way. I believe that both parents also had the filet ( you guys can correct me if I'm wrong) during dinner, some of the street-mosphere actors came in to the restuarant and interacted with the diners. They didn't come over to us, but they were great fun to watch.

We all decided on dessert and actually went three different ways. I had been waffling between the raspberry white chocolate cheesecase and the grapefruit cake, since that's the signature item at the Derby. Well, mom got the YOAMD flourless chocolate cake:
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1421.jpg

Dad got the grapefruit cake:
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1423.jpg

and what did I get?


you honestly expected me to resist the combination of white chocolate AND cheesecake?!

Dad was nice enough to let me try some of the grapefruit cake though, and it like everything else was very very good. Definitely a different taste, but it was very light. The cheesecake was wonderful as well.

We were extremely pleased with this meal and our waiter was impeccable. He was the perfect blend of knowledge, welcoming and elegance. I would go back to the Derby in a heartbeat and it was one of the best meals of our trip. Again, I know this is a restaurant that seems to get mixed reviews on here, but we loved it and had a great experience.

We wrapped up and guess what? The rain cleared! Fantasmic here we come!

We stopped outside the restaurant to appreciate the topiary and brooms


http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1425.jpg

(yeah, not only do I love sorcerer Mickey, but I love the brooms as well)

and then it was off to Fantasmic! As part of the dining package, we were given a voucher that would give us access to reserved seating so we wouldn't have to get to the show 3 hours early to get a good seat. So not only did we have a fantastic dinner, but we saved some time and got great seats - the Fantasmic dining package is absolutely worth the $ or the TS credits you spend. We made our way over and got our seats. I wasn't able to get any decent shots during the show, but didn't make much effort either. The way I figured it was that I knew my night photography skills were moderate at best and facing the choice of semi-garbage-y pictures or being able to relax and enjoy the whole show, I chose the latter.

Again, yet another show that just blew us away. The sheer amount of imagination and planning that goes in to these productions is just amazing. Can you imagine working at a job where any idea is encouraged? Where anything is possible - no limits of rigidity or finances? Where you can completely allow your imagination to run wild!

I was very glad that we had the opportunity to see this show and would definitely recommend seeing it if you have the chance.

We kind of hung out after the show as the herds made their way to the exits. It was easier to just sit and relax and let them fight each other. Then we could just hurdle the dead, trampled ones on the way out!: D After hanging out for a while, we made our way to the exits, still awed by the show we'd seen (don't you wish everything could be solved as quickly and easily as it is in Mickey's imagination?) We stopped on a bench on Sunset Boulevard to take in the scene around us and look at everything all lit up.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sat%20Sept%208/IMG_1443.jpg
ah yes, the Hollywood Tower Hotel - we had a date there later in the week ...

I picked up an original sketch of Belle for my apartment and we headed out to return "home" to POFQ. May I just say that I love how the hat looks all lit up at night?

and yes, I realize that throughout the report so far, I've pretty much "loved" everything. This trip was incredible to me. Being able to walk around somewhere I thought I would only dream of being able to go and seeing everything that I've heard my friends talk about or have seen on TV ... was just a dream come true. So I'm sorry if you think I'm annoying or over excited. But if you were priviledged enough to be able to go to WDW when you were younger - or just reflect back to whenever your first trip was, you'll probably find that a lot of your reactions were similar to mine

It had been a great day at MGM. We took several breaks and really just took our time and enjoyed the park. We knew that we would be rearranging our plans to return to MGM to see some of the things we hadn't had a chance to see that day ...

but tomorrow held very special plans .... (yes, the plans that SR friends know about, but DIS muggles do not!)

and this concludes Day 2 .... the day of a billion pictures and believe it or not, there are more on my main TR on the other board .... this 4 pic limit is killing me over here!

[coastalgirl]

I have to tell you that it is really nice to hear it in your words. All the awe and fascination. I love it!!! It makes me want to go back now!! Thanks for sharing!!!!

[pbhall13]

okay I need more.................this is a great Trip Report!!!!!

[bs4free]

I am Hooked! Give me more Photos, Btw great shots whats your camera!

I know the 4 Image Limit can be a pain, but you have done great, and i love each and every shot!

Thanks for shareing and keep it up I know its time consuming, Speaking of which i need to write mine too!

[JillyFish]

Great TR Abby! Keep it coming! Love the pictures! :)

[eaglesdare]

i love the excitment in your words! my hubby just doesn't get it though. so keep on typing happy.

[wdwabby]

thanks for all your kind words everyone - it does mean alot! :) I will post the next day (Sunday) tomorrow! I had to work at 12.5 hour day today and just don't have it in me right now ...

Brian, my camera is a Canon PowerShot A540 and I absolutely adore it. It hardly left my hand the entire vacation and yet I still don't know all of the functions it's capable of. It was my grad school graduation present a little over a year ago :)

[bs4free]

That is a nice camera i have its bigger brother the CAnon PoswerShot S2 IS Its nice but some times a pain to get out! I think my next one will be smaller and more pocketsized like tha A540 was!

Cant wait for the next update! but Take you time! Have a great Night!

[wdwabby]

After a great first full day in The World, we rested up. Dad and I had yet another surprise in store for mom. The plan was to get up, grab some breakfast and then head out to the Wide World of Sports so mom could take a spin around the track with the Richard Petty driving experience. For whatever God only knows why reason, she LOVES Nascar. Don't ask me, I don't know ...

ANYWAYS! Up we get - and by the way, have we mentioned how much we liked the beds at POFQ? We all had another good night's sleep to prepare for our first MAGIC KINGDOM DAY!

So it was off to the food court - again something else that we were very pleased with throughout the week ... I do believe that this morning it was Mickey waffles all around (what is it about putting food into the shape of Mickey's head that makes it taste better?) and then towards the end of breakfast we had an unexpected turn of events ... a CM in the area, Ethel noticed my parents anniversary pins and after a little conversing asked them to kindly stay put for a few minutes ... she'd be out shortly with a little surprise...







http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1454.jpg

and she didn't come quietly! Ethel and one of her cohorts from the kitchen arrived hootin', hollerin' and banging on kitchen ware. Yup, prime embarassment material for the parents and it wasn't even 10am yet! Ethel kindly let the entire food court (and possibly the sitting area, gift shop and lobby too - that woman had an impressive set of lungs!) that it was Fred & Lynn's anniversary and that they were celebrating 26 years.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1455.jpg

that naturally meant decadent chocolate cake as well and a magical moments certificate to commemorate the occasion.

Ethel was a very sweet lady and you could tell that she just loved being able to interact with guests. She chatted afterwards with us and my dad especially had a great time talking with her.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1456.jpg
and even though he looks very concerned, he was actually really enjoying the conversation!

It was a special way to start out the day, though I was getting antsy because I was afraid that we'd be running behind schedule! We had a surprise to spring!


or is that a new surprise to be sprung on more than one member of the 3 Bears party?


We cleaned up from breakfast and I expected us to try to track down a cab to head over to Wide World of Sports .... but dad directed us to hop a bus to the Magic Kingdom ... this wasn't quite right - but OMG CASTLE!! hehehehe

I started to get excited as we came in to view of the Train Depot - since we knew the castle was lurking just behind it ...

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1457.jpg

[wdwabby]

but we didn't go in!?! Dad took full control and said, why don't we go take a family picture in the ears over at the Contemporary? Most people don't know about it, it'll be really cool. Now, by this point I think you all realize that I've got a little commando streak in me. This really irritated me, we had an entire magical Kingdom waiting for us! Naturally, my dad knows me and assuaged my irritation by danging my first monorail ride in front of my nose. Ok, let's go to the Contemporary on the monorail, THEN we're going to the MK, right? We found the metal sculpture in the back and quickly set about our picture.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1458.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z105/fredbear34/Fred-WDW/P3230980.jpg
There is a stand there so that you can use the timer on your digi cam and not ask innocent bystanders to take your picture. It wouldn't work. There was a pair of friends that wanted to do the same thing, so we excused ourselves and let them go ahead. They had the same problem we did. So conveniently, I offered to take the picture and they offered to take ours in return. Problem solved! One good family picture - check. Off to the MK!





nope.



Dad - hey let's go check out the lake! (being from Port Huron, Michigan we have our share of watery bodies available for gawking so of course we like to gawk at other more exotic bodies of water as well but I was in no mood to gawk at water! Magic Kingdom! Stat!)

So we trudge down to the lake. At this point, I'm pretty outwardly grumpy. Everyone apparently forgot that miss Cindy's castle was just a short distance away.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/028_25A.jpg

yay.lake.can we go now?

no, of course. Have to go closer, upon which we round a corner and find this:
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1460.jpg
and we're told to sign some paperwork. I jump in and start signing and dating (only after clarifying that I was not going to actually be going IN the water. My Si & Am shirt deserved a full day of viewing for the other several thousand park guests that day. A wardrobe change was not in my plans) Mom, of course wanted to know all the silly answers - what is this for, why am I signing, etc. Just sign!

[wdwabby]

Apparently, we're going PARASAILING. Tandem. at 10:30am.

Bring it on.


After signing our souls away, we had to wait for the boat to return for our time slot. I'm convinced that the birds knew we were sitting at the little table and were aiming their little "gifts" at us. Needless to say, I chose to stand.

Our time came and we headed down to the boat, got our instructions, got strapped in and then we were off!
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/027_24A.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/025_22A.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/021_18A.jpg
(check it out, you can see Space Mountain and the Castle!)
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/019_16A.jpg
the construction at the Contemporary

[wdwabby]

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/004_1A.jpg
Self-Portrait - we're having FUN! (well I was having a blast, mom was having fun, but was still a bit scared ... which is ok, we were kind of high up I guess)
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/009_6A.jpg
there's our shadow ...

back on the boat, my dad took some video (which I'll be hopefully pulling some still pictures off of) and one of the boat employees tooks ome still pictures while he was doing that, including this one:
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z105/fredbear34/Fred-WDW/P3240984.jpg
Before we knew it, our time was up and we were coming in for a landing...
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z105/fredbear34/Fred-WDW/P3240990.jpg

The whole experience was exhilarating ... it was SO still and peaceful being up there - helps you understand why birds like to fly so much. I felt completely safe and secure but at the same time felt very, very free. There wasn't any wind that you could feel, even though you could see the effects of it on the water and trees and the view - the pictures don't do it justice. We could see out across all of Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary property and a lot of wooded area. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

[wdwabby]

After we came down off of our high - figuratively and literally, we discovered that it was time for our much coveted Le Cellier reservation ... so we hopped the monorail to the TTC to catch the monorail over to Epcot. And I think it stands to be said that for as much as I was anticipating my first monorail ride, we had 3 monorail malfunctions in those first 2 rides. Kinda frustrating. But monorails are still fun!
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1461.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1462.jpg

(and yes, like the OCD photographers we are, my dad and I both waited for the monorail to decide to show up so we could have a perfect shot ) We were early for our reservation but a little over an hour, but found out that the big How Dreams Hap'pin event would be open to the public for its final day. Since my mom and I had dove in to the pin craze head on from the time we set foot on property, we decided to head over. SO glad we did, though admittedly it was pretty intimidating when we first walked in. I asked a couple of very nice CMs what one does at an event like this, and they ran me through the ropes (including the warning about staying away from the serious traders in the back who were out for profit!) Mom and I picked up some of the event pins, took a deep breath and walked in. There was a lot going on. On the left side of the room were lines of boards displaying pins that were slated for release at each of the Disney parks around the world. On the right were lines hosting various types of pin trading. In the very back were trading tables for you to trade pins with other guests if you felt so inclined. We decided to go for the speed trading for our first adventure - we figured out that we were supposed to offer 2 pins for trading and would then have 60 seconds to chose 2 from the big board. Wow - 60 seconds sure can feel really long but extremely short all at the same time! I managed to get a pin of Minnie dressed as Belle and a cast lanyard hidden mickey pin with a cobalt blue classic mickey on a black circle. Mom picked up a couple of Tinkerbell pins.

We reported back to dad with our success when we were joined by a new friend ....
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1463.jpg

DALE! (Chip and Goofy were running around there as well)

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1465.jpg

That Dale was quite a flirt and pressed his "kissy" noisy maker a few times and made the "call me sign" as he was walking away.

Mom and I jumped in a couple other trading lines after my little flirtation and then wrapped it up to head to lunch. Off to LeCellier! Would it live up to the DIS hype?

[wilsonfamily4]

That parasailing looks amazing! What a treat! Keep it coming!

[eaglesdare]

OMG! there must be some kind of rule against this. you just can't leave us hanging like this!!!!

i need more.

[wdwabby]

We meandered over to Canada to check in for our Le Cellier ADR. Obviously, we all know that this restaurant has pretty much been elevated to "God's Gift to All Food-kind" status, so we were anxious to see (and taste) for ourselves.

We got seated in a corner half booth/half table type deal and settled in. Cheese soup all around. I really liked the cheese soup, it's just the type of thing that you would want to settle in with on a cold winter day and it was nice dipping the bread in it. I didn't care for the pretzel bread that everyone raves about, but I typically don't care much for pretzels (though I do love bread...) For our entrees, again we fell into suit and all got the filet with cream cheese mashed potatoes. This was very good, the meat was very tender and tasty and the mashed potatoes were fabulous. Dessert, I went with the creme brulee duo as did my mom and dad went with the famous Canadian classic:


http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1470.jpg
MOOSE! (to get the full effect, please extend all the fingers on both hands, place them on either side of your head and say MOOOOOSE!)

Overall review: very good restaurant, but not nearly as impressive as some of the others we ate at this trip. For myself, it's not something I would go out of my way to make an ADR for as I discovered other favorites, but it was good food and we did enjoy our time there.

But, enough with the eating, it's time to roll ourselves over to the Magic Kingdom, the mecca of all Disney-osity!
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1472.jpg

We entered the park and you could just feel it. You know exactly what I mean.



My first instinct was to sprint straight towards the Castle and demand to move in.



My second instinct was that it looked like those clouds might be coming with a complimentary shower and I wasn't interested, so we hopped on the Roy O. Disney train for a spin around the MK.

This was fun, and very relaxing and it was neat to see everything from the outside.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1473.jpg
That's the back of Big Thunder Mountain, which we didn't get a chance to ride this time around.

Once our little jaunt was done, we disembarked ready to explore!

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1475.jpg

[wdwabby]

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z105/fredbear34/Fred-WDW/P3240997.jpg


http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1478.jpg


I kinda liked the Castle. Just a little. I'll pic-spam you with more Castle action later in the TR!

We decided at that point that perhaps we should stop gawking and get around to doing something! Any time that we've discussed Disney World -while I was growing up or while we were planning the trip - my dad mentioned how cool he thought the Country Bear Jamboree was the first time he saw it. Well, we'd heard enough about this! We were a short walk away, so it was time to see it for ourselves. We found our way over to Frontierland and the next show was slated to start in just a few minutes. We went in, and I for one wasn't exactly sure what I had gotten myself in to. The show was VERY cute, though I have to say that my favorites were the talking heads on the wall. The tarty little bear singer on the swing couldn't take her eyes off of dad though (we were at the front, almost underneath her and it seemed like she was looking straight at us the whole time - kinda creepy actually)

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1480.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1481.jpg

but I was glad we went in and it was a great way to kick off our MK day - beginning our trip with something that had stuck with my dad so much the last time he had been there.

We exited to find ourselves facing a wall of people. Apparently we had managed to time it so that we came out when some sort of small parade/street performance was going on. A small parade/street performance that was cutting off our planned route to Adventureland.


No worries. My dad can navigate through anything. True story, he can pretty much go anyway and get around with ease. Doesn't even really need a map, though if there's one available he's good at deciphering them!

So we consulted our handy MK map, dad took off on his scooter and we hustled along behind. Our mission was back on track. We entered adventureland and planned on bee-lining it straight to Jungle Cruise. Noticed I said planned. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that there is NO wait on another MK favorite ...

[wdwabby]

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1482.jpg

Then Pirates it is! Again, I have to comment on how neat the que area for this was. Disney knows that there is a good chance you'll be spending a lot of time becoming friends with the que area, telling it your life story, laughing with it, crying with it and asking for it's cinderblock in marriage. So kudos to them for putting in the extra work to make it interesting to look at and get you in the mood for your ride. (and bonus points to dad for pointing out that the small powder keg-sized containers weren't actually for gun powder, but were the world's first 6-pack hahah I love beer history!)

I don't know what I was expecting on this ride, but it wasn't what the ride actually was. I still really liked it though - very cheesy, but very fun. I can definitely see why this one is a classic and the updates with Mr. Jack Sparrow were nice as well - Take a wench for a bride anyone?

We exited, pleased that we had accomplished a classic with no wait, but this now meant it was definitely time for Jungle Cruise! We hoofed it over there, chuckling under our breath at the humongous line for Peter Pan's Flight and qued up for our jungle adventure (ooooh I hope we see tigers!)

I figured that we had chosen a relatively successful company for our voyage - even their sign said that they'd never lost a boat, even with all those jungle dangers lurking.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1483.jpg
But there were a few signs along the way to the dock that caused me a little concern:
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1484.jpg
I kinda like my hands ... maybe this cruise it too dangerous for us. We came to Disney to have fun, not lose body parts! And contrary to popular belief, those two things DO NOT go together!
Our boat was coming ... we had to make a decision soon ...
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1485.jpg

[wdwabby]

and we decided - what the heck?! the sign said they hadn't lost any boats (though come to think of it they didn't say anything about not losing any passengers .... where is the manager? I think I have some questions!) but caution to the wind, we're going on!

we saw large animals
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1492.jpg
and some lions playing with a sleeping Zebra! I didn't know the Jungle was such a warm and fuzzy place ... maybe I should move there instead of in to Cindy's place ...
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1494.jpg
and some happy elephants
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1499.jpg
Our cruise captain Jenna, kept us on course, though we did have some scary moments. There was a boa constrictor and natives and a head hunter! But she got us out just in the nick of time. whew! What a trip, I think I'll keep my sites set on Cindy's place all the same ....
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1500.jpg
Needless to say, we LOVED Jungle Cruise. We had a great skipper who had tons of the best corny jokes. (passing the headhunter: He's our best salesman in the jungle - 2 of his heads for 1 of yours! No matter how you look at it, you always come out a head!)

so, where to next?

[wdwabby]

After we returned safely from our Jungle Cruise expedition, we found that time had really gotten away from us (apparently Disney does that to you somehow, it's weeiiirrddd.....) but it was time for us to begin to lay the final pieces of groundwork for the last surprise of the day ... many of the park guests were beginning to stake out prime places for Wishes viewing and Mom asked if we should begin looking for one too.

Earlier in the day when she had brought up the fireworks, we had mentioned that since we were going to have several chances to see Wishes, we were thinking that maybe we didn't want to watch them from inside the park since we'd be doing that later on in the trip. We hadn't ate since LeCellier earlier, so Dad suggested we take a boat over to the Grand Floridian, check out things there and then see what we could figure out for fireworks from there.

So that's what we did, everything was going very well.


We enjoyed our boat trip over and explored the grounds for a little bit - the Grand Floridian is definitely a gorgeous resort. I don't know if it's necessarily my style, but it was absolutely beautiful. Dad decided to go check out Gasparilla's, the cafe and said that he would report back with culinary options if we just wanted to hang out by the dock. We agreed and watched the monorails go by (again, I love monorails)

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1502.jpg

and then we watched the sun set over the lagoon/lake/body of water. Finally, Dad called my cell phone (sort of - he actually had forgotten to take his with him, so I ended up with both cells ... so he walked around the corner of the building and said "ring, ring" ) and we walked over to meet him ...

and some new friends! Cody (Code) and Lisa (Lease) along with Lisa (nobodies36 - she's been following the pre-TR but hasn't commented for reasons that will become clear shortly), Lisa's mom Linda and brother Paul as well as Paul's girlfriend Leeann.

At this point mom began to question if we really came over to the GF to eat at the cafe .... turns out we had a date with a boat, a fireworks show and 6 of our new, closest internet friends. That's right baby, Sunday night's surprise was a WISHES CRUISE! Which, miraculously dad and I were able to keep a total secret from mom. Technically, I wasn't supposed to know, but dad let it slip not long after we booked that there was something that he couldn't reserve until 90 days out. So naturally, I turn my mad internet skills on, figure out what's going on and ask dad. At first he tried to deny it, but he knew I had him. I think it really turned out to be a good thing because I became the person he could tell things to - which alleviated the stress of not being able to tell anyone.

We had an absolutely fabulous time!
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http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1509.jpg
Here is our whole group: we'll go around left to right starting with me, Leeann, Linda, Lisa (Lease), my mom, my dad, Cody, Lisa (nobodies36) and Paul

We had sandwiches from the Grand Floridian catering along with chips and pop and then the piece de resistance,
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/IMG_1507.jpg
The Grand Floridian Bakery cake, complete with white chocolate Mickey and Minnie. (Which I was not allowed to eat the heads off of. Or the feet or the frosting flowers. It survived the flight home and is sitting in their fridge and I'm still not allowed to eat it. They don't even like white chocolate. )

Our cruise departed at about 8:30 and we headed out for the open water. Our boat skipper was very knowledgable about the various resorts and told us a lot of interesting fact about each one as we passed. We got a water view look at the Contemporary, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge and of course the Grand Floridian. We even caught the Electrical Water Pageant, which was an unexpected treat before the fireworks started. Once the pageant was over, the boat turned around to take position for the Main Event. We, along with the veritable armada of rented Disney boats, started jockeying for the best position. Our driver was great, and we had a great view, right in the front row. The music began, and so did Wishes.


Now I'm not a crier, and I didn't cry, but I did tear up a little bit ... I don't think that you can help it seeing Wishes for the first time.


Once Wishes was over, so was our time on the boat and we headed back to the Grand Floridian Marina. But we still had a cake to eat! So we disembarked and took over the outdoor seating by Gasparilla's and continued our party. It really felt like we'd all been friends for a very long time and we didn't wrap up until after 11pm

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

So you may be wondering at this point, how we ended up with our happy little group. Fun story. We "met" Cody & Lisa we through the DIS meet thread for the Tower of Terror meet on Sept. 13. Unfortunately, it turned out that they weren't going to be able to make the meet because of the timing of their flight. But we quickly found out that they'd be staying at POFQ and we'd have a lot of days overlap. Lisa PM'd me to set up a meet, and since we already had one in mind .... we extended the invite to our little boat party. There was a small hiccup at first with Cody's Kona ADR, but they were able to shift it around, rechedule the ADR and make the boat. Things were starting to fall in to place quite nicely.

Lisa (nobodies36) and her family we met through a little fun we had over on the UK board. When dad and I were tossing around ideas as to whether or not we should find people to invite and who would we invite if we decided to?

Half jokingly, I said I wanted to find some people from Scotland to join us. We're Scottish by heritage and I was a Scottish Highland Dancer for the majority of my young life. So our little idea was hatched. Dad posted a little contest of sorts over on the UK community board, simply asking if there were any Scottish families who would be in WDW at the same time as us. We received a few responses, mostly good ones, some snarky ones, some confused ones. Lisa (nobodies36) was one of the respondants and we offered her the chance to come on the cruise with us and she accepted! She and her family are from Glasgow, Scotland. We began emailing back and forth and exchanged pictures and got to know everyone a little bit. I'm certain that we'll all be able to keep in touch and I know that we'll be keeping in touch with Lisa & Cody as well. Lisa and Linda spoiled us rotten with Scottish goodies, including a wonderful variety of sweets, which I will be trying to make last as long as possible. Growing up on all of those candies, it is SUCH a treat to be able to have them again! Lisa also brought me a new friend too - a beautiful stuffed Scottie Dog, who will have a photo shoot this weekend. This was especially special to me as the stuffed scotties from my childhood were pretty much loved to the point of no return. He will have a place of honor in my apartment that's for sure!

Our group was amazing and this was definitely one of the highlights, if not THE highlight from our trip. If you have the opportunity to go on a Wishes cruise or even better, have the chance to share it with new friends - jump on it! Cody should be posting some more pictures of the fireworks from that night as well on his TR (This Trip Report Title Intentionally Left Blank (http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1550901))

[wdwabby]

After cake, Cody, Lisa and I dashed over to MK for the last little bit of Extra Magic Hours and booked it straight to Space Mountain - my first big ride of the trip. I loved it - what a fun ride! and a great way to end the night. We took our time getting back to the front of the park and stopped for a picture
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Sun%20Sept%209/image32.jpg
Definitely the perfect ending to the perfect day.

And we're only on day 3! What more could our vacation have in store?

[eaglesdare]

great trip report and love the pictures. you really brought back memories for me.

i tried to surprise my son and husband with the wishes cruise. but hubby sort of figured it out, the first give away was the timing, the only thing around that time was fireworks, then when we were trying to find the marina, well what else could that possibly mean, but a boat ride.

[wdwabby]

great trip report and love the pictures. you really brought back memories for me.

i tried to surprise my son and husband with the wishes cruise. but hubby sort of figured it out, the first give away was the timing, the only thing around that time was fireworks, then when we were trying to find the marina, well what else could that possibly mean, but a boat ride.

we got kind of lucky with that - my mom is on the DIS boards, but isn't very active. We were banking on the fact that she wasn't going to research anything that extensively and wouldn't find out :) she started to piece things together at the GF when we were sitting near the boat dock ... but again, we got lucky because the Marina screwed up and put Happy Birthday signs on ALL of the boats and since it wasn't anywhere near her birthday, that helped (though it really worried my dad since it was supposed to be a Happy Anniversary sign - they eventually switched it out for the Congratulations one)

[coastalgirl]

Now what is your dad going to do for your mother next year on their anniversary that will compare to all of this??
How neat that you met some DIS friends. Sounds and looks like you all had a wonderful time and made some life long friends!

[linanglab]

Great TR! I very much enjoy reading it. I LOVE your humor! Great job!

[wdwabby]

sorry for the delay everyone, work has been very busy (including some 13, 14, or 18 hour days)

anyways, carry on! Time for breakfast with royalty!

Well after our very eventful, very exciting and somewhat late evening (later for some of us since I hopped over to EMH at MK with Code and Lease after the Wishes cruise extravaganza) we all got up early to make ourselves presentable for an audience with the Lady of the Castle ...

We were off to breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table! We got ourselves around and headed out. When we arrived at the most magical of kingdoms and bypassed all the peasants waiting to be let in at the "normal" time. Excuse us, we have an audience with Cinderella herself, no time for "lines" and "waiting for a rope to drop"

Being able to walk down Main Street towards the Castle with almost no other people was a pretty magical experience in and of itself. It really gives you a chance to take in some of the details that can get lost in the ebb and flow of a large crowd filling the street. Naturally, we had to have photographic evidence of the emptiness ...

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The Halloween decor was showing in full effect, so of course I had to take a picture of that too.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1518.jpg

[wdwabby]

onward!

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walking through the center pathway of the Castle - can I just say, it's completely gorgeous, especially all of the mosiacs which I supidly didn't take pictures of. Blame it on early morning brain. So many details, including the mice at the tops of the columns
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1520.jpg

we checked in and were given our "invitation" and told it would be just a little bit before Cinderella would be there! The new Bibbity Bobbity Boutique location was open and bustling at that time of the morning as well and it looked like it was really well put togehter. There were several girls waiting with their parents for breakfast that had already been BBB'ed - cute and VERY glittery. They probably ended up washing the glitter out of their hair for days and days afterwards.

Finally, it was announced that Miss Cinderella would be joining us and we should move into the main audience room ...


and then it was our turn!

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Now, I have to rave about our Cinderella. I am by no means an unintelligent individual, having graduated from both undergraduate and graduate schools with honors. I am aware that Disney employs a wide range of very talented CMs.

Cinderella was the real deal. The combination of her presentation and the atmosphere of the Castle ... all of my logical thought went out of my head - I was talking to Cinderella herself. She had the most gently accented voice and all the manners, grace and poise you would expect of a storybook princess. When I walked up, she addressed me as princess and I suddenly felt very underdressed in my denim skirt and tee, though she did like that it was a shirt that featured her! I began to babble on about how excited I had been to meet her and how much I had been looking forward to this day. She responded: "And it's such a great honor to meet you as well princess" and when my parents walked up for the picture, she addressed my mom and "my lady" and my dad as "your grace" The entire exchange was just magic. Pure, wonderful magic. I don't think I will forget that for as long as I live.

[wdwabby]

We moved out of the line and waited for the "Royal Family Bearman" to be summoned to the dining chambers for breakfast. Our wait was over shortly and we ascended the stairs to the dining room.

We passed a beautiful stained glass image of the Lady of the Castle on our way up:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1528.jpg

and then were lead to our seat - right by the window overlooking all of Fantasyland! The table had been sprinkled with confetti in the shapes of silver Cinderella castles and golden carriages in honor of my parents anniversary. We were quickly greeted by our server, David, who was very much in character (as were the majority of the other servers - always addressing us as Princess, Lord and Lady - this is something I could definitely get used to!) he took our drink orders ( coffees and orange juices) and our breakfast quickly followed.

In the meantime, I was in full-on princess preparation. I laid out my princess coordinating colored Sharpie markers, my autograph tags and my camera. I would be READY.

And then they arrived! Who needs breakfast when there are princesses to meet!? We were about in the middle of the window row, so we had some time, during which David, our server, was asking me how I referred to my parents other than mom and dad. Again, having early morning brain, and trying to fit in with the atmosphere I said "your highness?" Apparently, not the correct answer and he said he'd be right back. He returned and asked me again, and at this point I had no idea what he was going for. He gave up with me, I apparently hadn't had enough coffee and asked them their names directly. He disappeared again and returned with a pair of glass champagne glasses with the CRT logo engraved on them and a magical moments certificate made out to Lord Frederick and Lady Lynn in honor of their anniversary. Duh! That's why he needed the names!

and the princesses were upon us!

Jasmine came first and asked me if I was an only princess ...

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1523.jpg

I told her that I was, but I had moved out a year ago ... to which she responded "Oh, so you've escaped?! Isn't it wonderful?" hahahaha

our next princess was the one I had been dying to see ....

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1524.jpg

OMG BELLE!

again, I began babbling like an idiot and told her she was my absolute favorite (to which she said "you must be a bookworm too!") then I told her that I would be dressing up as her for the Halloween party that friday - I had made the costume myself, and she said "well then you must come see me!" and I said "You'll be there?!" "of course! I'll be in ToonTown in my gold dress and I'll be looking forward to seeing you!"

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1525.jpg

then she was off - she was VERY energetic.

[wdwabby]

before we could blink, Snow White appeared at our table -
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1526.jpg

and then finally, the Fairy Godmother herself came by!
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1527.jpg
(that's our server, David, in the background of the picture)

All of the princesses (and Fairy Godmother) were wonderful. Not only did I get their autographs, but they all signed my parents magical moments anniversary certificate as well.

After the princesses went through, we focused in on our breakfast, which was all you can eat and very good! I know that some people knock the food here, but we found it to be quite tasty, very plentiful and very filling. David was a phenomenal server - checking in on us, interacting with us - he really took the experience up a whole nother notch. As we were finishing up eating, an annoucement came on that there would soon be a very special ceremony for the young princesses and young knights in the audiences (all the kidlets had been given either a wand or a sword along with a wishing star when they first came in for breakfast) when the announcement came on, David had been walking towards our table, then quickly turned away. He returned a few minutes later with a surprise for me ...

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z105/fredbear34/Fred-WDW/P3241009.jpg

I'm not entirely sure why he did it. My dad said maybe it was because he could tell that I "got it" Whatever the reasoning was, I was thrilled. Then the overhead speaker said to place your wishing star on the table, close your eyes and wave your wand (or sword) over it and make a wish...

then open your eyes and look up!

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z105/fredbear34/Fred-WDW/P3241011.jpg

and tiny lights lit up and sparkled up to ceiling - it was our wishes ascending. It was very, very cute.


I've read a few places about people having pictures that really make them look like a little kid enjoying some Disney magic, and I have to say I really see it in this one ... I was a little girl, meeting princesses in the Castle seeing her wishes being sent up to heaven. The wand is on display in my sewing area right now and I will be having my dad drill a hole in the top of my wishing star so that I can hang it on my Christmas tree ....


and all this before noon!

[wdwabby]

We departed the Castle, bellies full of food, hearts full of magic and minds full of wonder. I immediately spotted the famed Cinderella fountain and yes, indeed it's true when you kneel down, she does wear the crown ...

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1529.jpg

Then we headed off to find what attractions we could find ... beginning with the much raved about Mickey's Philharmagic.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1530.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1531.jpg
(yes, I took this picture because it featured Wheezy the Penguin. If you're new around here, I kind of like penguins. A lot.)

and then we went in.


WOW!


put this down as yet another thing that we all absolutely loved. It was absolutely phenomenal. Yes, I dropped the "phenomenal" - watch out!

I actually caught myself ducking the instruments and reaching out for the jewels. Not to mention the scents, wind and other special effects. I could have sat through that over and over again. We gathered ourselves and exited completely taken aback - this one deserves all of the raves that it gets and more!

The shop had a few fun displays, so naturally, we took pictures of those too -
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z105/fredbear34/Fred-WDW/P3251012.jpg

[wdwabby]

I really LOVE how this one turned out ...
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1532.jpg

But I was really starting to feel bad for Donald ... he really does play a severe second fiddle to Mickey .... poor little feathered guy ....

From there, we decided to head across the way to that great Disney classic, synonymous with the Disney experience. That one ride that gets into your brain and under your skin: It's a Small World!

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1535.jpg

This was on "my list" for the pure, simple reason that it's a you-have-to-do-it-once-or-you're-being-disrespectful-to-Walt type of ride. Helpful Hint: If you have bad knees, like my dad, avoid this special experience. The boats are made for midgets, gymnasts and other small or otherwise limber people. The seats are very low.

Anywhoo, we got into our boat and off we went. This ride is everything I dreamed it would be: cutesy, charming, creepy and now checked off of the list.

We actually kind of got stuck in the last scene. I was getting kind of concerned and then we finally started moving again. *whew* There were 2 things that redeemed this ride: the little bagpiper and ...

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1534.jpg

yes, weird little penguins! Apparently, there is a WDCC ornament of the weird little penguin. I may need to track that down at some point

after that little Disney classic, we saw that it was time for the next Dream Along with Mickey show. Off to commandeer a prime viewing location!

Mission Accomplished:
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1536.jpg

[wdwabby]

Now, we just had to wait .... and then it began!

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1544.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1540.jpg
The part where Mickey tells Minnie: You've always been a princess to me!
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1548.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1550.jpg

[wdwabby]

but Donald doesn't believe in dreams ... maybe I don't feel so bad for the little bugger afterall ...
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1557.jpg
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[wdwabby]

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1564.jpg
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http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1569.jpg

Great show! We loved it : ) Again, when Disney does something, they do it BIG. Now here was an interesting observation: the female dancers were allowed to be as tarty as they wanted, showing spankies when they spun, etc. The princesses however, had bloomers and opaque tights. Just a little detail, but one that demonstrated that the pincesses are elegant and reserved - just how proper royalty should be! We looked at the time, realized that we had a little bit of time yet before we had to go back to POFQ to get ready for dinner and just decided to mosey our way down Main Street towards the exit and try to soak in some of the atmosphere.

Look! It's atmosphere!
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1575.jpg

[wdwabby]

and then we ran into these fellows, the Dapper Dans
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1573.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/IMG_1574.jpg
so we sat down outside of the ice cream parlor and listened to their set. We had been hoping that we would get a chance to see them at some point and were so glad that we did. If you haven't had the opportunity to listen to them, they're wonderful. They're also very funny - great showmen.

After their set, we continued our way down mainstreet and headed back to POFQ. We had a big night ahead of us!

[wdwabby]

... and a fine dining experience extraordinaire!

We left Magic Kingdom and headed back to POFQ to recharge, and more importantly, get ready for our much anticipated dinner at the Grand Floridian's Victoria & Albert's, Central Florida's only five star restaurant.

Of course, my mom and I needed more time to get ready than my dad. It's the rules of nature. BUT, I do think that it deserves to be said that we were both ready on time. We called for a cab because our apparel wasn't exactly bus-ride material ... and besides, it was appropriate to pull up to the Grand in style. Of course, the one time that I decided to fight the Florida weather and straighten my hair, it decided to threaten rain. DO NOT WANT! so yes, I walked from our room in building 6 to the front of POFQ with my umbrella.



And then, like the little girl scout I am, I managed to put my very compact umbrella into my clutch and act like nothing happened. I'm talented.

We pulled up and one of the valets came over to assist us ladies out of the vehicle. He was very nice ... and complimentary ; ) We made our way into the lobby - the gorgeous, very luxurious lobby (which for some reason had a bird cage large enough to hold 3 or 4 adults ... ) and then we headed up to check in at Victoria & Albert's

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We had a few minutes to wait until our seating and had to wait anxiously looking at the wooden and etched glass doors that held culinary wonders beyond our wildest imaginations...

and then it was time.

We were lead into a very intimate, warm yet dimly lit room. Everything was very ornate, slightly ostentacious, but yet the epitome of elegance. Our seats were pulled out for us, napkins laid across our laps and the experience began. All three of us decided to go with the wine pairings (and after a quick check of my ID) and we began with a glass of champagne and our menus.

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Our serving team was Jack and Sherry, both of whom were extremely knowledgeable and really took an already incredible experience to a whole new level.

Denotation: I do not have pictures of our food. With the lighting and the atnosphere, I didn't really feel like it was appropriate. So if you're looking for more pictures, there will be some to the end of this section for the evening wrap up.

Our first selection was an Amuse Bouche, which for this evening was a lobster salad garnished with finely diced melons. This was a very different, very crisp taste. Lobster is one of my favorite foods and this was a mixture of tastes and textures that I had never experienced before.

Then the difficult decisions came. We each had to make our selections for the remaining courses. I'll go through mine and then my parents can pop in with theirs and their thoughts if they would like to.

First Course Chorizo Crusted Tuna with White Beans, Arbequina Olives and Banyuls Vinaigrette
This was excellent, the tuna was excellent and the chorizo gave it a little bit of a kick, which was unexpected. This was paired with Prior d'Scala Dei, a red wine which complemented the spicy undertones very well.

Second Course Ballotine of Poulet Rouge with Duck Consomme and Scottish Chanterelles
Again, very excellent (running theme of the evening) I hadn't had duck prior to this dish, but I really enjoyed it. The chanterelles, a mushroom, were an unexpected touch for me. I hate mushrooms typically, I actually refuse to eat them, but made an exception for Vic & Al's. I'm very glad that I did. Again, all of the components of the dish worked together beautifully. This was paired with Pere & Fils Christian Moreau Chablis, another red. I have to say I'm typically not a fan of the red wines and I think that they have a tendancy to be a little heavy. Both of the reds that were selected for my first two courses were wonderful.

Third Course Alaskan King Salmon with Celery Root Puree and Carnival Cauliflower I chose this dish because I had read that Alaskan King Salmon is among the most prized for it's flavorful white meat - and this did not disappoint. Absolutely delicious, through and through. The pairing with this was Morgan Cru du Beaujolais Cote de Py Propser Maufoux, a white wine.

Forth Course Kansas City Angus Beef with Fingerling Potato Lyonnaise Essentially this dish was a very high end filet, accompanied by the fingerlings and a dressing of carmelized onions. Like the mushrooms mentioned in the second course, I hate onions. I think that the more correct term is loathe onions. I decided to live in the moment and go along with the concept that if they served it in a five star restaurant, they may actually know what they're doing ... The meat was absolutely the best filet I've ever had and probably ever will. It just melted. Combining it with the potatoes and carmelized onions made it absolutely heavenly. Yes, I used 'onions' and 'heavenly' in the same sentance. This dish was incredible. This was paired with Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon, another red, which was the perfect compliment.

Fifth Course (palate cleansing course) For this we all had the choice of the cheese plate or the lemon gelato, all of us chose to go with the cheese plate. Again, extremely good and composed of Comte Saint Antoine, Monte Enebro and Brie de Nangis and paired with Cockburn's 10 year old Tawny Port. This was the first pairing of the evening that I wasn't a big fan of. I found the port to be overpowering and extremely sweet. I ended up passing it over to my dad. The cheese plate was fantastic though.

Dessert Course Grand Marnier Souffle - AMAZING. I'm not an huge chocolate fan, but Sherry recommended it and I'm so glad that I agreed. It was decadent without being heavy, very chocolatey without being overwhelming. In short, the most perfect chocolate dessert ever created.

We also all had coffee with our desserts, which was the perfect touch and it was brewed right at the table is the coolest coffee press I've ever seen

At the conclusion, my mom and I were both brought beautiful red roses along with a fresh baked mini loaf of orange-date bread. Just an absolutely extraordinary experience. We found out through the course of the evening that our serving team was actually married! They were very fun to watch together and you could tell that they really enjoyed their jobs. Jack had been trained at the Culinary Institute of New York but chose to pursue a career outside of the kitchen.

It was also very different having an escort when you chose to leave the table to use the restroom and having your napkin replaced simply for doing so! If you used a utensil, that was replaced prior to the next course as well.

I definitely plan on doing Victoria & Albert's again at some point in my lifetime.

[The orange-date bread made it safely home and we enjoyed it the weekend after we got home. Delicious ... that bread was gone in a matter of minutes : ) ]

After dinner, we took a cab home and nixed our original plan of heading over to DTD. I did decide though to meet up with Code and Lease for what was left of EMH at MGM. I changed my clothes and headed out to the bus stop to wait. It took a little while longer than I thought and the bus driver gave me a really weird look when I got on the bus and asked me if I knew what time the park closed? I responded midnight. And then he started muttering and I couldn't understand him. I got out at MGM and called Lease to let them know I was there. I felt like a salmon swimming upstream against traffic - everyone was pouring out of the park - didn't they know they had and hour and a half of park time left?!

I snagged a PhotoPass picture while waiting for Code & Lease to locate me ...

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Mon%20Sept%2010/NewImage38.jpg

and then Code & Lease found me ... turned out MGM was only open until 11, not 12 like we thought. I told them I was up for anything and they made the executive decision that it was time for my first Tower of Terror experience. Game on!

We raced through the que and got right in to the pre-show ... kinda spooky, but they have really great spidewebs! we made our way on to our elevator and I braced myself....











and we dropped!





and back up! then we dropped! then back up! then we dropped!




and before I knew it, it was over. I giggled through the whole thing, we looked at the picture from our car and you would have thought I was at a birthday party, comedy show or some sort of hilarious thing. We're dropping to our death in a haunted elevator! YAY!

so we did the only thing you do after that - we went on again! YAY!

again, I giggled through the whole thing, I really loved TOT and knew I'd really enjoy it when we had our DIS meet on Thursday.

The three of us trudged back out of the park and headed back to POFQ ... tomorrow was another Disney day full of magic just waiting for us .....


unfortunately, at this point some weirdo Florida germs were waiting to begin working their magic on me ....

[wdwabby]

Well, we last left off after our beyond gourmet feast at Vic & Al's and my quick romp around MGM with Cody & Lisa...

I headed back to the POFQ, the rents were already asleep and I quickly followed suit. The Florida germs did not, and I woke up feeling not so magical. Dad had unfortunately been not feeling too fantastic himself beginning a couple days earlier, so the germs had taken 2 of the 3 Bears down.

Doesn't matter - we're at Disney! Pop some drugs and have a magical day!

Today was our first REAL Epcot day. I know, you're thinking - didn't you go there for your first day? Yes, we did, but we kind of lazed around and meandered and soaked in that "I'm in Disney for the first time!" feeling. We were on a MISSION today.

On our list:

Soarin'
Test Track
Gawking at the ball
Les Chefs de France

and whatever else we could fit in. We would be heading off to DTD, La Nouba & Raglan Road in the evening.

First stop? A pit stop in the food court for more waffles shaped like Mickey's head! Sorry Mickey, but you're tasty! Then it was off to the bus stop to be whisked away to the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow!

If memory serves correctly, we didn't have to wait very long.


Isn't there something about walking in to the park each day? Hearing the music, breathing in the air, the anticipation of a day full of activity and magic? We entered, got searched, entered for real and then I collected everyone's tickets and booked it over to Soarin' for FPs while mom and dad picked up the scooter. I was off like a shot! Mind you, I didn't run, but I did walk at an impressive speed, constantly scanning my surroundings for directional signs (since I didn't know where I was going and didn't think to grab a map before my mad dash) bobbing and weaving through the slow walkers.

Then I finally spotted the sign outside of the Land Pavillion and rushed in. *panic* I wasn't sure where to go, but quickly spotted the ride down below and pushed on. SUCCESS! Our FPs were a go with a return time of 10:30. This was my first experience being the FP runner, but wouldn't be my last, and it was fun! I made my way out of The Land and smiled at the CMs who were greeting since I was going at a fairly decreased speed compared to the first time I rushed past them :) I mumbled something about being the FP runner and ducked out...

The rents and I hadn't set up a real meeting place, so I figured we'd just cross paths along the way, I hadn't been gone for that long and I was right, I spotted them just as I was getting close to Spaceship Earth - then I promptly got distracted by a group of CMs with pin trading lanyards. Everyone knows the best pins are out in the morning, so I stopped to check the situation out and since I had made eye contact with the rents, they would just meet me there.

Did I happen to mention that my group of prime-pin-trading-material-CMs also happened to be wearing blue button-downs? With the YOAMD logo? Yuppers, trading with the Dream Team - gotta figure that they'd DEFINITELY have some good pins. And they did - I snagged a cast lanyard pin from the license plate collection (ZPDDUDA) from one of the CMs. He noticed my first visit button and asked how it had been so far, which parks we'd been to, what was my favorite thing, etc. I told him that we were on our 4th day of the trip and we'd been everywhere except AK at least once so far, but today was going to be our big Epcot day! At this point my parents caught up with me and joined in the conversation, as did a couple other Dream Teamers ...
One asked me if I had gotten a map yet, and since I hadn't, I smiled and took it since we were going to need one.




Then he asked me if I could read it.




*huh?*





Yeah. The map was in Japanese! :lmao: We had a good laugh and he handed me another one and asked if that was better.





*huh?*




Yeah. That map was in German.:lmao:




Pretty good joke if you ask me, they definitely got me on that one. I gave the German one to my dad since he took that language all through high school and whatnot.



Dad in the mean time had taken a shine to these CMs - and I think they kind of liked him too ... he was beginning to tell them about some of the surprises that he had planned and had been revealed and they REALLY got a kick out of that - especially the Wishes cruise! It was really just a lot of fun talking to them - I mean, you have to expect that the Dream Teamers would be some of the most vibrant, outgoing CMs, but it really is true.

I also ended up pin trading with my joker CM, and ended up with a gold stamp Euro Disney pin. Then he turned to my dad and asked "So Fred, what do you want to do today?"

My dad was kind of like, what?


So he asked again, "where are you off to from here? where would you like to go?"

[wdwabby]

Now what is your dad going to do for your mother next year on their anniversary that will compare to all of this??
How neat that you met some DIS friends. Sounds and looks like you all had a wonderful time and made some life long friends!

you bring up a good question! I don't really know what he could do to top this, especially with all the surprises. Maybe he better start planning now!

We met more DISers at a meet later in the week, which was a blast as well.

Great TR! I very much enjoy reading it. I LOVE your humor! Great job!

Hey thanks for stopping by - I've been reading yours as well - it's definitely helping my Disney blues!

[JillyFish]

Abby, How DARE you leave us hanging like that!!!! :rotfl:

[bs4free]

That Dinner at V&A Sounded Wounderful!

And of course your a princess, and CRT breakfast looked like so much fun!

[linanglab]

Okay...you are leaving us, like a cliff hangar! COME BACK AND CONTINUE....oh...please. Did you get something special from the dream team? I am anxiously awaiting your return! And thanks for writing! I have said this before, but I LOVE reading people's TR. You kind of get to know each person better and get to relive the trip with them!

[wdwabby]

Abby, How DARE you leave us hanging like that!!!! :rotfl:

:angel:

That Dinner at V&A Sounded Wounderful!

And of course your a princess, and CRT breakfast looked like so much fun!


CRT was a blast, I'm so glad we did it - my parents both really enjoyed themselves too and you can't beat eating in the Castle! I'd recommend it to anyone, so put that on your list for next time Bryan!

Okay...you are leaving us, like a cliff hangar! COME BACK AND CONTINUE....oh...please. Did you get something special from the dream team? I am anxiously awaiting your return! And thanks for writing! I have said this before, but I LOVE reading people's TR. You kind of get to know each person better and get to relive the trip with them!


:angel: hehe, maybe I'll post the answer to his question tonight ....

[wdwabby]

The Dream Teamer asked "Where do you want to go?"


and Dad paused, thought for a moment, and said "Well, I've been really looking forward to Soarin'"



and our Dream Teamer said "Ok, let's go!"










Our Dream Teamer, Irvine as it turned out, led the way and retraced the steps I had so hurriedly passed over only minutes before. We chatted along the way about the fun of planning surprises for people and how much fun they are when they go right ... he and his family had planned a surprise cruise for his dad's 50th birthday, so he told us all about that! Before we knew it, we arrived at The Land pavillion and were making our way to the entrance to Soarin'. He made some small talk with the CM at the gate and then led us straight through to the que. We waited in the line for a few moments and then when it was our turn, the CM assisting guests with their line placement asked how many were in our party. Dad instinctively said 3, much to the faux offense of Irvine, who quickly stated that we were a party of 4 - looks like our Dream Team fun was going to continue! He said that he wasn't going to miss out on the ride either - especially not Soarin'! He even pulled strings and got us seats in the first row, front and center! We settled in, full of excitement and still pretty taken aback at the surprise that none of us had been expecting!

Flip flops off, seat belts buckled and then we were off. What an [I]amazing ride. There really aren't words to describe it. It is just absolutely incredible and I was just amazed. I was pretty much on the edge of my seat the entire time, trying to take in as much as humanly possible. I'm pretty sure that my jaw was dropped open for the duration of the ride because I just couldn't believe how real everything was. I looked over at Irvine at one point in the ride to find that he was actually watching my reactions to the ride.

We came in for our landing, gathered our things and exited the ride. We were all pretty speechless. Once we emerged, Irvine asked us - where to next?



*huh?*


We said that we didn't really have plans for the next ride on the docket, so he asked if we liked plants - well, my mom loves plants. The woman can just about grow anything and we responded to that effect. Irvine asked if we'd like to take a quick detour and hit Living with the Land ... sure!

So we headed over there, and after another quick chat with the greeting CM, we were through the line and on the ride - Irvine just said "I don't like waiting in lines!" This ride was really interesting and it was really neat to see all of the different things that Disney is doing for conservation and in the effort of scientific development. Not to mention, who doesn't love seeing Mickey shaped pumpkins? I sat next to Irvine during the ride and he asked how we seemed to know so much about Disney-ing when it was our first time? That was when I started telling him about the DIS - which had taught us how to do everything from dipping the breadsticks into the cheddar soup at Le Cellier, to what types of surprises were available for the choosing, to the little lime mickey heads to the celebrity status that Elton from the TV commercials had on the board. He got quite a kick out of it and it kinda turned in to a joke - hey did you learn that on the internet?

We got off the ride and all worked our way towards the front of The Land - after a quick pop quiz on which seasons each of the hot air balloons represented. We got back outside and collected dad's scooter and expected to part ways and have a chance to thank Irvine for a wonderful start to our day. And then he asked "so where are we going next?"


This is fun! Well, we thought about it and said that Test Track was next on our list. We had a little more time to chat with Irvine on the way over and he talked a little about his road to working at Disney (college program) and what life was like on the Dream Team (I get to meet lots of people, hang out and go on rides - sounds like a pretty good gig to me! and no lines! ) It was really neat to get the perspective of a Dream Team member on their own job - it really sounded like he enjoys it, but then again, who wouldn't? Now, I wasn't sure if my dad was going to want to go on this one, but he decided that he was game. Irvine led us through the back entrance and we got straight in a car. What a cool ride! We all absolutely loved it - I especially loved the speed it gets towards the end. I could definitely ride it over and over again! Naturally, we stopped to put the picture on my PhotoPass card (and I almost had my card eaten by the machine cause I almost put it in too far ...)

The picture turned out really good - as what turned out to be the norm, I was smiling and giddy even though we were apparently about to slam into a wall, Irvine went with the silly look (though it was kind of cheating since he's ridden Test Track a few times and knew where the photo was and he tried to give me some warning but it just wasn't enough lead time), mom looks scared and dad looks pretty happy too.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Tues%20Sept%2011/NewImage40.jpg

and of course, with the border too ...
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee191/wdwabby/Tues%20Sept%2011/NewImage41.jpg

We got off, giddy and windstrewn and were met with what was now a familiar question - where to next? He had been working on us more of the morning to give Mission Space a try and we had pretty much resisted, thanks of course to our internet friends ; ) But at this point, I was feeling lucky and rather adventurous ... so I decided that it was time to go for it! So we walked over there and decided to go green side - mom and dad went to wait in the post-ride area and play on the games there. Mission Space was fun! It was so much tamer than everyone says - I think that next time I'll go for Orange ... but it was hilarious because I kept missing my navigator ques and couldn't press the right buttons in time, so Irvine kept reaching over and pressing them for me, since you know, he was an expert and all. Good times! We returned from our successful space mission, collected the parents and considered where to go next. Irvine asked if we had done the Nemo ride, which we actually had on our first day, but he said that maybe we should see if Turtle Talk with Crush had room in their next show - so we headed over to The Seas .... at this point, dad kinda looked at his watch and Irvine asked if we had plans - well we had a lunch ADR at Le Chefs de France. Unfortunately Turtle Talk was full and we realized that we were going to need to start heading over to World Showcase. I was all in favor of dumping the lunch ressie. As with Dining Plan fun throughout the vacation, I was NOT hungry! We had done all of the attractions in Future World now, except for Ellen's Energy Adventure (which Irvine said was like a 45 minute show, so we passed on that one) We thought that we were going to have to say our good byes - but then he spotted someone that he wanted us to meet!

[wdwabby]

ELTON! Turns out he was working that day, so Irvine took us over to introduce us to him. He had said earlier that Elton just has endless amounts of energy and it was written all over his face! He immediately wanted to know why Irvine was hanging out with us and what we had been doing and had we gone on any rides - and which ones? We had a great time recapping our morning, but the big excitement came when Elton found out about the Wishes cruise surprise that dad had planned and implemented. He went NUTS! He was so thrilled! It was like "you should be on the Dream Team with us!" He was just an absolute ball of energy. When he found out that dad's name was Fred, he started telling us stories about when we used to work Splash Mountain. He was responsible for starting up the ride in the mornings and apparently the computer's name was Fred too!

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z105/fredbear34/Fred-WDW/P3261028.jpg
Here's Mom and I with our new Dream Team friends - obviously you know what mom and I look like, and hopefully you'll all recognize Elton (just in case, he's the one in the hat - in the WDW commercials for the YOAMD, Elton is the one who blows the pixie dust and makes the stuffed Mickey toy appear in the sleeping boy's hand) and then Irvine is on the far left.

They also sang their birthday song to a little boy and then dispersed as quickly as they had appeared, leaving us with Irvine. Again, we prepared to have to say goodbye and end our magical morning, but turned out that Irvine's actual assigned zone was World Showcase, so he walked over there with us. We talked a little about us being from Michigan, he being from Florida and the differences in weather. He told us about how Epcot was his favorite park (and he was pro-wand removal) and that we should definitely try to catch the Voices of America - which was his favorite entertainment in WS. We eventually made it to France and really did have to come to terms with the fact that our magical morning was about to come to a close. A little more conversation, a quick picture

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z105/fredbear34/Fred-WDW/P3261029.jpg

and then we parted ways - he said that if we came across him in WS, to definitely stop him and say hi and if there was anything else we wanted to get on, he'd make it happen.




It was an absolutely MAGICAL morning and we were all just in absolute shock and wonder and definitely on cloud 9 It may not have been an "official" dream, but it was better than anything we ever could have imagined. We had our own personal Dream Team member fast pass - and he was a ton of fun to talk to too! We had such a great time hanging out with him, so if any of you run in to Irvine in Epcot, tell him we said hi! He was one of the biggest highlights of our vacation! I still plan on sending along a little note to guest services to let them know just how fabulous Irvine is and want to send along the pictures in hopes that they'll end up getting to him as well.


I think that Epcot at this point is pretty much becoming our favorite park - it definitely already holds some amazing memories for us!

and it was only 1:00pm - we still had quite a lot of day ahead of us!

[coastalgirl]

How fabulous for all of you. I am just in awe. I am so glad that you got such a wonderful dream.
And that picture of you and your mom going to V&A is just gorgeous. Your dad seems to be just having the time of his life in all these pictures.
Thanks again for sharing all of this with us!

[bs4free]

WOOT! That was worth waiting to read WOW!!! That was just so neat!!!!!

What happend Next...

[linanglab]

Very fun! I love the picture of TT. You look so terribly happy and I love your mom's expression, as she is holding on to your dad for dear life! Very cute!

[Hedy]

Wow, that's an awesome dream.