Just Keep Swimming 2017- Day Five

Our fifth day in the parks was our second and final day at Epcot. Fortunately, the crowds were on the low side of moderate (our previous visit was the high side of moderate) which helped us have a better day. The morning of this day was definitely one of my favorite mornings. We had a wonderful breakfast at Garden Grille and then walked on to Soarin' with no wait. We then had our own boat for Livin' with the Land. It was truly a magical morning!

Location- Epcot's Land Pavilion, Seas Pavilion, Imagination Pavilion and the World Showcase

Eats:

The Garden Grill- I was a little nervous about this choice. We aren't breakfast people. On all the other days, we ate poptarts, fruit, granola-type things, etc... In addition, Garden Grill was family-style. We don't eat a lot in one sitting, so all-you-can-eat type affairs aren't something we enjoy. And lastly, we've avoided character meals due to price, crowds, anxieties, etc... So, why did I pick it? Well, I got a pre-rope drop reservation which was supposed to allow us to go on Soarin' with no lines! It was highly recommended by WDW Prep as a good touring strategy, and I decided to give it a try.

It turned out to possibly be my favorite meal. The food was delicious. Neither of us ate the bacon because it was way undercooked, but this didn't matter to me because I actually loved their cinnamon bun. I don't like cinnamon buns/rolls at ALL. This thing was delicious. All of it was delicious. Delicious waffles, scrumptious tater tots, yummy sausage, POG juice, and more. Service was great. We got a great booth with a nice view of Living with the Land. We saw all the characters. It was a wonderful experience, and it worked like a charm! NO lines for Soarin' and we got to ride Living with the Land by ourselves!

Not only will I do a pre-rope drop ADR at Garden Grill again, I plan on doing it next year!

Lotus Blossom Cafe- This wasn't part of the plan, but Jimmy was starting to fade so I wanted to stop somewhere and have him sit down for a bit. We shared Orange Chicken and Potstickers. It was average- worse than last time we are there. They also had a special Festival of the Arts food. It was cute, but bland, and way overpriced.

Tangerine Cafe- For dinner, we at the quick service place in Morocco. We shared the Chicken Schawarma platter. It was pretty good. I liked the quiet atmosphere.

Rides & Attractions-

Soarin', Living with the Land, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Journey into Imagination, Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, Friendship Boats, Japan Pavilion, Frozen Ever After, Gran Fiesta Tour, Spaceship Earth, American Adventure

Diversions-

We did the "Pick-a-Pearl" in Japan...there was no wait! I got a single golden pearl. I also met Baymax.

Side Notes-

I had a beautiful Festival of the Arts dessert that turned my tongue blue!

While Jimmy relaxed in the hotel room that evening, I went down to the gift shop to pick up a bag we had sent to the hotel a couple days prior, and I took a quick snapshot of our lobby.

Just Keep Swimming 2017- Day 4

I really need to work on doing these faster, as my memory is not very good! Unfortunately, things have been quite hectic the last couple weeks.

Our fourth day was our first and only day at Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS). Because of all the construction, DHS is really just a one-day park for us. Once Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land open, I'm certain it will get upgraded. Despite the limited rides, and this being my least favorite park, this day was one of my favorite days of the trip!

Location: All of Disney's Hollywood Studios

Eats:

50's Prime Time Cafe- The 50's Prime Time Cafe is setup like a kitchen from the 1950s. They refer to it as "Mom's kitchen" and to their patrons as "cousins". Our server was excellent and polite, but he didn't quite play along with the theme as much as I expected. We shared the Fried Herb and Garlic Cheese served with Raspberry Sauce, Grapes, and Apples, and the Grandma's Chicken Pot Pie- A creamy Cheese mixture of Chicken, Mushrooms, Carrots, Celery, Onions, and Peas topped with a flaky Pastry. Jimmy also tried the famous PB&J milkshake (it tasted mostly like PB to me). Our meal was scrumptious, the environment was great, and it was really quick. Definitely one of my favorite eateries on this trip.

PizzeRizzo- This is a quick service dining location in the Muppet Courtyard. The food was standard Disney quick service pizza (meh) and I wasn't a fan of the Caesar salad. The theme was a little more subtle than I would have liked. Still, I like having more Muppets and the place was SO quiet. We had the top floor completely to ourselves. Finding quiet spaces in Disney to unwind is important. I think this pleasant experience is one of the reasons we made it all the way until park close on this day!

Rides and Attractions:

It was morning extra magic hours at DHS, and we headed for the new Star Wars Launch Bay first. We had a private showing of the documentary film, and then toured around the exhibits with very few people in line. We met Kylo Ren and Chewie with very little wait, and then I traded with the Jawas and had no wait! We met Mickey & Minnie, rode the Great Movie ride (x2), Toy Story Mania (x2), Star Tours (x2), First Time in Forever Frozen Sing Along, Muppet Vision 3D, Indiana Jones, Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away, One Man's Dream, Star Wars: Path of the Jedi, Fantasmic! and Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular. 

Diversions

We earned our Disney Historian Certificates by each completing a trivia quiz in One Man's Dream. Our question's were different, which I liked. 

Side Notes

As usual, we collected pressed pennies.

I met two Green Army Men. One was able to give me a signature, and the other was able to chat. The chatty one said a "friend of Andy's" was also from New England, and we chatted about that for a bit.

The first time we were on Star Tours, I was on Dramamine and did great. The second time, it had worn off and I hadn't taken more- it was a noticeable (and not-so-fun difference). I was the Rebel Spy on our second excursion. 

Just Keep Swimming 2017- Day 3

Our third day of the trip was our first day at Epcot. Sadly, this was one of the least favorite days of our trip. We still had fun, but we had to leave early. The crowds in the world showcase overwhelmed both of us (thanks to Festival of the Arts), and we became tired, cranky and stopped having fun. The morning was was great, though. I have some ideas on how to do Epcot in the future, which I'll discuss in the planning posts for my next trip.

In front of my Dory!

Location- Future World East, The Seas Pavilion, and the World Showcase

Eats

Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe- This bakery and cafe in Norway is often raved about on Disney blogs and podcasts. We ate here for lunch and found it underwhelming. It was small and crowded. We had the Traditional Kjøttkake (Norwegian Meatballs) which were just okay. We also got the Schoolbread (which is pretty infamous) as well as a Troll Horn for later. We found both too sweet and rather bland. We rank this pretty low on our list of eats for now.

Norway lunch.

Coral Reef- This was our second time dining at the Coral Reef. We love the atmosphere and watching the fish tank. This time we sat on the second tier, but up front, so we still had a good view of the tank. I had the Oven-roasted Chicken Breast with Creamy Polenta Cake, Pearl Onions, Swiss Chard with Bacon and Mushrooms and thought it was wonderful. Jimmy had the Seafood Scampi- Seared Skewer of Sea Scallops and Shrimp, Prince Edward Island Mussels, Diced Tomatoes, and Pasta served with Scampi Butter, and thought it was good. We got a free dessert: The Chocolate Wave served with Raspberry Gelato.

Rides and Attractions

Jimmy at Test Track.

Test Track, Mission Space: Green, Ellen's Energy Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Cabelleros, Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo & Friends (x2) Turtle Talk with Crush, The Seas Pavilion

Required fish face

Diversions

Joy & Sadness Meet & Greet- The *best* meet and greet! They were so adorable!!!!!! And their area was super well themed.

Sadness gives the best hugs! She really hugs you tight, and she rubs your back. Adorable.

Worth the wait! Will definitely do this meet and greet again!!!

Side Notes

Two pressed pennies (third row), 1 set of signatures, and a couple of resort pennies (right hand side)

Loot for the day!

Just Keep Swimming 2017- Day 2

Our second day was in Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is different from the other parks as it is not about the rides...it's about observation and exploration of the world around us. In the Disney-style of "edutainment" the park has a very clear message about conservation. The Disney Conservation fund does extensive work in many areas of the world (most of which is completely behind the scenes). In Animal Kingdom, they try to inspire appreciation for the natural world, and to provide their animals with amazing exhibit habitats that are as natural as possible.

Location: Africa and Discovery Island in Animal Kingdom

Eats:

Harambe Market- The African area of Animal Kingdom is centered around the fictional town of Harambe (no, it is not named after the gorilla). While the village was designed to be a port in East Africa, the various decorations and creativity reference many of the Imagineers favorite places as they toured Africa for their research. Harambe Market is a fairly new addition...an open air food court based on a marketplace.

The atmosphere was wonderful, if a bit loud, and the food was very good. We had the Tikka Masala Chicken served with Basmati Rice and Black-eyed Pea Salad and the Beef and Pork Sausage Fried in Curried Corn Batter served with Green Papaya Slaw and Black-eyed Pea Salad. We tried two African soft drinks- Bibo (kiwi and mango) and Sparberry (tart and tangy). 

Harambe Lunch

Flame Tree Barbecue- Flame Tree is a quick service location on Discovery Island with a shaded outdoor seating area. We loved the seating area...there was a quiet, cool area, right by the water. It was very calming for a theme park.

Jimmy had the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich - topped with cole slaw and served with baked beans, and I had the Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich - with lettuce and tomato on multigrain bread topped with cranberry mayonnaise, served with fresh fruit. We also split french fries. I thought mine was pretty good for a quick service location. Jimmy liked his, but not quite as much as I liked mine. He thought the BBQ sauce was just okay.

Rides & Attractions:

Kilimanjaro Safaris (regular- x2, sunset- x1), Discovery Island Trails, Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Festival of the Lion King, It's Tough to Be a Bug, Tree of Life Awakening

Safari Selfie

Diversions:

Various small acts (singers, dancers, etc...) in Africa and Discover Island. They have lots of smaller shows...something is always going on, making the atmosphere very lively.

Wilderness Explorers! This activity is not just for kids...it's so well done, everyone will enjoy it. You get an activity booklet and you need to complete certain activities all around the park to receive badges (stickers). It's so fun, teaches you, and gets you to explore the park better. We LOVED it. Obviously, it is themed after Up. <3. I highly recommend this. Don't be shy! I will do a separate post about this later!

Tree of Life Selfie

Sidenotes:

I did my first character Meet & Greet today- Russell from Up! He had a short line. He was really great, and he gave me confidence to continue meeting characters. 

We checked out Zuri's Sweet Shop in Africa and got some cookies...I got a Lion cookie (after Miles) and Jimmy got a Peanut Butter cookie.

Memories:

The sunset safari gave us great views of the lions. A small herd of zebra were moving in the savanna across from them, and we could see them watching the zebra intently. The ride is so different- even if you go on it back to back like we did in the morning. Definitely one of my favorite rides. 

Loot from the day- including a new Animal Kingdom lanyard and my pressed penny folder!

I also took the "Which Bug Are You Like?" quiz in the Wilderness Explorers guide, and I got spider. Mainly because I like to eat things. Throughout the rest of the trip I would affectionately and gently bite Jimmy's shoulder and when he'd look at me, I'd just say "I'm a spider". (For the record, Jimmy was a worm). 

One of my favorite parts of the Animal Kingdom is the music! 

Just Keep Swimming 2017- Our Day 1 Adventure

Many folks are asking me for all the details of our latest Disney trip, so here they are for you, in blog form. I'm going to take one day at a time and cover all the highlights. For those of you who haven't been to Disney, it would take all day to tell you all the details about the trip. Walt Disney World is amazingly huge, and we are very active on our trips!

The castle

Our first day was in the Magic Kingdom...the park that everyone thinks of when you say "Disney World". It has the most rides and, of course, the infamous castle. Over the last couple of trips, Magic Kingdom has elevated itself to my favorite park. The environment is so happy and energetic. I will always be a child at heart, so it suits my silly personality.

Waiting for Adventureland to open

Location:

Adventureland & Frontierland with just a touch of Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom

ShellieMay was in her Sleeping Beauty outfit, while Duffy had a treasure map on his t-shirt!

Eats: 

Nigerian Bread.

Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen- The Skipper's Canteen is a restaurant modeled after one of the classic Walt Disney Attractions (and one of my favorites!), The Jungle Cruise. It is travel and adventure themed with decor and a menu based on tropical destinations in Asia, South America and Africa. The ride has a cast member (a skipper) who takes you on a guided tour. The restaurant is filled with the same pun-filled "dad"-style jokes that are on the ride , and that I adore. The menu and servers at the restaurant have that exact same sense of humor. 

Exotic Coca-Colas.

To drink we had Coca-Cola flavors that are found in other countries. Jimmy liked the Melon flavored one of Thailand, but I preferred the Guarana Kuat of Brazil. Nigerian-style bread with honey was delivered to our table while we waited for our food to arrive. We shared the Falls Family Falafel (A secret recipe of Chickpeas, Garlic, Onions, Lemon Juice, and Herbs served with White Bean Dip and Tomato-Cucumber Salad) and Skip's Beefy Baked Pasta
(Egyptian-inspired dish of Spiced Braised Beef, Pasta, Cheese, and Béchamel Sauce served with Seasonal Vegetables). For dessert we had the Kungaloosh! (An African-inspired Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Bananas served with Cashew-Caramel Ice Cream topped with Coffee Dust).

Everything was delicious, the ambiance was fun, and our server was great. This was definitely one of my favorite meals.

Tortuga Tavern- 

We had planned on eating at Columbia Harbor House, but they closed at 5pm on that day (for some strange reason). We ended up wandering in to Tortuga Tavern, hungry and tired, and afraid other things would close soon too. We ended up having hot dogs, as their menu was limited. The environment was great (quiet, outdoors, plenty of seating, themed like Adventure Land), but the hot dog was average theme park food. This was counter service, so we didn't have a server.

Rides and Attractions:

Jungle Cruise (x2), Pirates of the Caribbean (x4), Splash Mountain (x2), Country Bear Jamboree, Enchanted Tiki Room, Swiss Family Treehouse, Big Thunder Railroad, Haunted Mansion

It'd be too long to explain each of the here, but if you are curious about any of these attractions, please let me know. I love talking about Disney. I also know a great website for ride videos if you want to see what any of them are. Disney attractions are unique- so much more than roller coasters and motion simulators. The detail that goes into the theme of each attraction is simply amazing.

Splash Mountain Drenching!

Diversions:

A Pirate's Adventure- Treasures of the Seven Seas- This was a four part quest around Adventureland. It was a bit like geocaching...we got clues, had to find the right spot, and then got some loot in exchange. I will write more about it in a later post, but I highly recommend it!

Great Moments in History with the Muppets- A short little outdoor show that retells pieces of American history in the style of the Muppets. Adorable and not too crowded. It was a nice filler while waiting for our next activity.

Sidenotes:

We left the park earlier than planned, but accomplished everything we wanted thanks to our customized touring plan (touringplans.com). 

We had no character greetings on Day 1 since there aren't too many in this area of the park.

We gave a shout out to Skipper Patrick when we took an in-park survey about our experience in Adventureland. 

I didn't trade any pins on this day. However, as with pretty much every day, I did purchase a couple of Hidden Mickey pin pouches. I also started my Pressed Penny collection!

Memories:

This was my first time using Dramamine on the rides, as well as being on anxiety medication. WHOA! I had so much fun on Big Thunder! I had my eyes open the whole time and was pointing out decorations I had never seen before. I had no anxiety during Splash Mountain either! In fact, Splash has now become one of my favorite rides.