Sunday, March 15, 2009

Trip report - Pt. 2

Sunday, March 8

Our last day. We slept in a bit until around 8-ish. Then, we parked over at Beach Club around 10 a.m. to walk over through the International Gateway at World Showcase.

Brett and I toured the shops around the UK pavilion while John found a quaint little bench in front of Rose & Crown before other areas opened. I played around with a trivia game in one of the UK shops before Brett and I went to see the O! Canada movie. I haven't seen the new Martin Short version or heard the new song sung by the Canadian Idol winner, but I liked the changes.

Afterwards, we leisurely walked around to Mexico for a ride on The Gran Fiesta Tour (I still miss Cheech Marin in El Rio del Tiempo!). I was getting hungry and something was smelling amazing at the couter service outside the pavilion. We were able to walk right on the Maelstrom before our ressies for lunch at Tokyo Dining.

I have never actually gone in the Japan pavilion but was really surprised at the shops and the food was amazing! We had a great experience and the sushi was really good. Before we left Epcot, we made one last trip on Spaceship Earth. Then, we took the Monorail over to MK for the rest of the day and night. John was well involved in starting his pin trading, so Brett and I were able to catch Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! on Main Street. We walked right on to POTC. Then, we had a 50-minute wait for Splash Mountain. While we were standing in line, a little boy in front of us stepped to the side of the line and started peeing in some bushes. Really gross!

We had ressies at Liberty Tree Tavern at 8:40 so we were able to catch Country Bear Jamboree during Spectromagic. I'm surprised they didn't change the price of the meal after getting rid of the characters. We also had a LARGE family from Australia next to us -- maybe 12-14 people. It was loud to say the least. They were very adamant about the root beer tasting like medicine.

There were Extra Magic Hours until 1 a.m. so we were able to do Haunted Mansion and a few other attractions with no problem. The crowds were just a bit overwhelming. It seemed like a lot of people were being turned away for not having Key To The World cards which caused the lines to be a lot longer. We also saw paramedics carting a guy off in Tomorrowland. Very eventful evening. By the end of the night we were wasted. But, it was a great ending to the trip.

Monday, March 8

Our last day. We had to get up early to get the rental car back and get a shuttle to the airport. I managed to get some last minute souvenirs at the airport (a really cute crystal and silver Mickey ring and some chocolate covered coconut Mickeys).

It is so sad when you're riding the tram to your terminal. It's like the last ride you get in Orlando. We had a connecting flight in Atlanta. We were supposed to get home at 2 p.m. but we were delayed by four hours and had three gate changes. We were beat when we finally made it in. Plus, I had to work the next day. Note to self: Take day off after Disney vacay.

Overall, I was very satisfied with our trip. It was a lot shorter than we normally would take but the focus for me was mainly on the run, which I'm very happy to have finished. The All Star Moviews served it's purpose as a room, but for more amenities, such as better transportation, I think I'll stick with the moderates in the future. I hope we can stay at one of the deluxe resorts on our next stay.

I really enjoyed Toy Story Mania. I can see why it's such a hugely popular ride. The Table Service meals that we did have were great. (I'll post those reviews shortly...) I can't rave enough about Tokyo Dining -- the service was impeccable and the food was top-notch. The only downfall was it was a bit expensive if you're not on the Disney Dining Plan. We can get similar food at home, not the same service, for a fraction of the cost.

All in all in was a great trip away from the cold Wisconsin winter.

Hope you all enjoyed the trip reports and I can't wait to go back!

1 comment:

Laura said...

I loved your Disney trip report! Several things...

I didn't know that the new O! Canada song was sung by a Canadian Idol winner...I learn something new every day.

I, too, love watching the 7 must-sees channel...Not quite sure what it is, but I could watch it on loop for hours.

You mentioned possibly staying at a Deluxe resort next time...I stayed at the Polynesian last month--my first time at a deluxe resort (only for one night, and it was comped by Disney for the AIE media event) and I was super pumped to stay there, and I have to say, I was less than impressed! The whole resort seems in need of an update. It seems neglected in the quality you would expect from Disney. If I wanted the whole rustic feel, I would just stay at AKL. My cup of tea is more Boardwalk/Y&B, so if I was ever going to plunk it down for a Deluxe resort, it would be there. Anyway, my two cents, for what it is worth.

Sounds like you had a great time, and congrats on the 5k.