Saturday, August 29, 2009

Coming home soon!

It is Saturday morning and we are finishing up our final packing to head home. We have lunch scheduled at Tony's Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom at 11:30am and our bus for Magical Express will pick us up at 2:30pm at the resort for our flight home at 5:30. It's been a great week but I am ready to see my pups....
See ya real soon!

Last full day with a spectacular end!

Friday, our last full day, we decided we would go to Hollywood Studios to ride Toy Story Mania.
First for breakfast we used our snack credits and went to the food court to get a couple of danish. Then we headed to the park. It was very hot outside. When we arrived the wait said 60 minutes for the ride and fast passes were available for 5:30pm. We opted to stand in line and it took approximately 45 minutes. The ride was great and I did much better this time. It is a 3D ride/game in which you pull a string to shoot targets. It is very exhausting for your arm to keep pulling the rope but it was fun. After the ride we went to see the Beauty and the Beast show. We hadn't seen it in years. It was good but they should have enclosed the theater as it is very hot with little air circulation.
For lunch we decided to go to Downtown Disney and eat at Wolfgang Puck Express again. We just loved this place. To get there we took the boat to the Swan/Dolphin hotel and then took the bus to Downtown Disney. The lunch was great. I got the crispy chicken again and Chris had pizza. We then walked back to our hotel. Chris went swimming and I read my book for a bit. My sister called and we chatted and then my mother in law called and we chatted.
For dinner we went to Japan and the Tokyo Dining restaurant in Epcot. It was good. We both had Tempura. It was very hot outside and we took the bus to Hollywood Studios and then walked to Epcot so we were just happy to be in air conditioning.
After dinner we headed back to the resort as the Patriots were playing the third preseason game of the season. We watched the game and stayed up until 11:59pm when to our delight we got to watch the Spaceshuttle Discovery lift off. It was spectacular to say the least. We had a great view from just outside our room and it lit up the whole sky! So glad we had the chance to see a nighttime liftoff.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Dining plan & no dining plan

On Thursday we started the day at the Magic Kingdom because we wanted to eat lunch at Columbia Harbor House. Chris was up early taking pictures around the resort so we didn't arrive until around 11am. We went to the Monsters Laugh Floor which was actually a different show than we usually see. We walked around the back side of the park and went to eat lunch. Chris was excited because they had a shrimp platter on the menu. As far as counter service goes this is one of our favorite places to eat. The chocolate cake was awesome too!

After lunch we returned back to the resort for some pool time. The weather was cloudy all day but it did not rain. We went to the quiet pool again. We have yet to go into the main pool as it is always a zoo when we go by it.

Our dinner was scheduled at Narcoosees at 5:30. This is a signature restaurant and we chose not to use the dining plan here. We ate here in May and loved it. This trip was no exception. I had the green goddess salad with avocado and the crab crusted halibut again. Even better this trip. The only thing we noticed is there were many kids. Not sure if this is due to the fact that the dining plan has forced families to fill all restaurants or if they just wanted to eat here. Seems kind of funny that families would spend two credits of the dining plan for $60 lobster for their 10yr old. Who knows.

After dinner Chris wanted to see Spectromagic. It didn't start for a couple of hours and I decided not to wait just to have him sit and take pictures. Instead I went back to the room and read my book. Of course upon my return I learned that our friend Bob's dad died that day so I made a phone call to Robyn and expressed my saddness.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Backstage Safari

Wednesday we got up early to do the Backstage Safari tour at Animal Kingdom. We had to meet at the park entrance at 8:15am. They gave us ear piece headsets so we could hear the tour guide which was pretty cool. Because you are backstage for most of the tour you are not allowed to take pictures. First we went to the housing barns for the rhinos and elephants. We got up close to a rhino and we talked with the keeper for a bit. This was my favorite part. Very interesting. The rhino was similar to this one:
Next we went to the animal hospital. Usually we go there early on weekdays to watch the procedures through the window. This time we were on the other side of the glass in the operating room. We saw a porcupine just waking up from anesthesia and we got to see the room where they examine the blood and do big surgeries. The whole building was pretty interesting. There were a lot of classrooms and hallways filled with information. Our next stop was the nutrition center. I liked this area too. We saw the warehouse where they keep the many bags of food and hay. Then we went into the prep area as cast members were preparing meals. They are preparing meals for the next day. One does vegetables, one does greens, and the other does frozen rabbit, frozen mice, fish, etc. It was gross but interesting. They each have a book with sheets they follow and they weigh everything and the food goes in labeled containers. Some are for animal groups and some are for individual animals. There is a nutritionist on property that decides what each animal is eating and provides these cast members with new sheets for their book if necessary. After this we went onstage and into a safari truck. That was good because we didn't have to wait for the ride. Our tour guide narrated the entire ride and told us about things we wouldn't know otherwise. She pointed out where the animals go for their night barns etc. This was also the best shot of the lions.
After the tour we watched the Birds of Flight show and then we went to lunch at Flametree BBQ. Chris had ribs and I had the chicken. Both were good but the sides and desserts were weak. I am still not loving the counter service portion of our dining plan.

After lunch we headed back to the resort. Chris has run out of clean clothes so he went to the pool and did wash in the nearby laundry area and I stayed in the room and read my book. Although it wasn't raining it was cloudy all day. At around 3:30 we took the bus to the Yacht club as we had dinner in France at Epcot.

By now it was raining just a little and we arrived about a half hour early so we went to watch the Impressions of France movie which we had never seen. It was good and it finished up at 5pm when our reservation for Chefs de France was for. The meal was good but the best part was meeting our chef, Remy:

After dinner we took the boat over to Hollywood Studios because the grand finale show of American Idol Experience was at 7pm. They told us on the boat that the park closes at 7pm and we would arrive too late. We went anyway and we arrived at the main gate at 6:53pm and asked if we could enter to go to American Idol. They said we could but they couldn't guarantee we would make it into the show. We entered and walked very fast and when we arrived they were counting empty seats and holding us outside. We had made it into the last group of 14 to enter. Thank God! It was great. There were seven singers instead of the three. These are the winners from each of the shows throughout the day. The girl I voted for won. She was 16 and from Rhode Island. She wins a ticket that gets her to the front of any real American Idol audtion in the country.
After the show we headed back to the resort. It was still raining just enough to be annoying but not really hard enough for a poncho. We went down to the main area and filled our mugs with iced tea and lemonade, searched for a snack which we passed on and then went to bed.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tuesday...

Today we went to Animal Kingdom. I wanted to see the procedures that they show in the animal hospital but we got there just as they were finishing up with a turkey and his bandaged foot. Chris wanted to take some pictures. Ok well maybe a lot of pictures. We did however get fast passes from the central fast pass station which was good because you can get more than one. We did Expedition Everest and the Sarangeti Safari ride.
For lunch we decided to go to Port Orleans food court. It was a long bus ride for a mediocre lunch. It was ok but I am really not digging the dining plan we picked. I just don't care for the counter service stuff. I miss my sit down lunches. I think next time we need to do the deluxe plan.
After lunch we headed back to the hotel and I went to the pool for a bit. Chris took a nap. Then we headed to the Polynesian for one of my favorite dinners....Kona Cafe. We stopped and had a drink at the Tambu Lounge and met a nice couple from Boston who were on their honeymoon. Our dinner was great. Chris was able to get the noodle dish he loves which wasn't quite the same but better than the last time. I had my favorite teryiaki steak and then we tried to finish dessert.
It was raining a bit so we headed back to the hotel because we have to get up early tomorrow. We are doing the Backstage Safari tour at Animal Kingdom at 8:30am. Can't wait!
One note... the monorail was PACKED! I think everyone has the dining plan and all the restaurants are full especially in the resorts.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Lazy day

Today we hung out. We decided to go over to Downtown Disney at 9:30am when they opened. Chris wanted to Design a Tee in the new store and we didn't get a chance to shop earlier because it is so busy there. After the shirt was done we went back to Saratoga for lunch. We both got the flatbreads. I got pepperoni and Chris got the cheeseburger one. Both were good. We each had the chocolate cupcake for dessert. The meal plan seems to be working for us.
In the afternoon we swam for a bit and then Chris headed to the Magic Kingdom for picture taking. I stayed back and read by the pool. Then I called work. It is Monday and lots happens. Of course something went wrong when I wasn't there. Nothing that I could fix but the girls were on the case. Brenda did good just a few hiccups. Seems like all is under control while I am gone.
I met Chris later on at the Magic Kingdom. We did a few rides...Teacups, Tiki Bird show, Mickey's Philarmagic, and Small World. Then we went to dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern.
We had never been before and it was great! Turkey, Ham, Flank Steak, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, mac and cheese, delicious rolls, apple crisp.... all you can eat. We will definitely return here. We used two snack credits today finally... Dole Whip and Popcorn.
We are booked early Wed morning for behind the scenes tour at Animal Kingdom...can't wait!

One day...two parks

On Sunday we did two parks... In the morning we did Epcot. We rode Spaceship Earth, which is much improved with a cool video game that shows your pictures. Then we did the Trash Pickup game similar to the Piggy Bank game last trip at Innoventions. We ate lunch in the Land building and then did Nemo and Friends ride. We had gotten a fast pass for Test Track so we rode that on our way out.

In the afternoon we napped since we had gotten up early.

Our dinner was at the Yacht Club Galley so we decided to leave an hour for the bus ride from Downtown Disney to the resort. We needed the full hour. After hovering under a tree on the walk to the bus due to torrential rain we finally made it and then had several stops along the way. The main reason for eating here was so Chris could have the crab legs.

After dinner we took the slow boat to Hollywood Studios. I wanted to see Fantasmic and there were two showings that night. We didn't get into the first one so we walked on Tower of Terror and Great Movie Ride. Toy Story Mania was still a 50 minute wait at 9pm so we just waited and went to the 10pm show of Fantasmic. It was as good as always.

When we got back to the resort we were locked out of our room. Apparently the key card entry died. So after calling the front desk the maintenance man arrived and finally finished up around 12:45. Needless to say after an early morning it was a long night.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Up early...

Today we woke up early... 5:45am. I guess between going to bed early last night and this being our normal time it was expected. Chris decided to go out and take pictures before the sun came up. I decided I would stick with my plan of using the gym. I made the long trek to the gym and did the treadmill for 20 minutes. To my surprise the gym was empty. Although by 6:30 a few more guests arrived. Then I took the long walk back around the resort. This is one thing I love about this resort. There are walkways around the resort, a long bridge to cross, and tons of fountains. I have to admit it was peaceful. I saw a couple of bunnies along the way. I am going to check the maps and see if there is something that shows the distance around the resort so I can see how far I walked. It was humid but with the sun just coming up it is not too hot yet. I feel good and soon we will venture out to the parks.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

One of my favorites!


This is one of my favorite meals. Usually we eat at the Turf Club for lunch but this trip we stuck with tradition and ate our first dinner at our resort. I always get the Penne Pasta with Shrimp. It has artichoke hearts, kalamata olive, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes in a garlic wine sauce. I just love it and it was once again delicious. For day one of the dining plan we have spent $108 on dinner and lunch and it cost us $80. We didn't even use a snack credit today which means I have an extra to spend one day.

We have been here one day and have yet to do a park. After being up since 4am we are both going to crash tonight and hope for more energy tomorrow.

Back to the World!

Well here we are back at Disneyworld. This trip we are staying at Saragtoga Springs Resort. We are off to an ok start. We awoke this morning at 4:15am... the dogs were confused to say the least. We drove ourselves to the airport and decided to park in Zparking. That was great because it was raining and they are a valet service. We made it through checkin fairly quick but the long wait happened at the Dunkin Donuts. We made it to the gate, boarded right away and had a smooth quick flight on Delta. We took Magical Express transportation and were at Disney by 10:30. We had done online check in for our resort and we got our keys right away but our room was not ready. This kind of puts us in a weird state because you don't have the right bags to travel to the park with so you just seem to wander.


One great thing about this resort is the boat transportation to Downtown Disney. We decided to go over there for lunch. Of course another new thing for us this trip is we have decided to do the Disney Dining Plan. We get one counter service meal, one sit down meal, and one snack every day. We decided today we would have lunch at Wolfgang Pucks Express, a great deal on counter service credit. The food was AWESOME! The fries were fantastic! I had crispy chicken and fries and Chris had Rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes. For dessert I had a cookie and he had frozen yogurt with strawberries. The lunch totaled $40.15 ... we have already covered one of our 39.99/day per person fee for the dining plan.



After lunch we browsed the stores at Downtown Disney and then got our call that our room was ready....HUGE dissappointment. We were in Grandstand section, close to the pool, but we had a parking lot view. Not acceptable. We like to relax on the balcony and this view was not going to cut it. Needless to say we called the front desk and they moved us to Congress Park section. Of course our view is better, I wouldn't call it premier like they did, but we are now the furthest from the main area as possible. We are in walking distance of Downtown Disney but far from the drink stations and main area. Oh well... can't win it all. These are some pictures of our new view:



Anyway it is now 3:15 and my spa appointment for my pedicure is at 4pm so I will end for now. Gotta start the long trek back to the Spa.