Trip Report!
Background: my Dad (DF?) and I @BenF12400 did our first Daddy-Daughter trip in 2016. After a fun, but at points…interesting…trip in 2013 with our 4 person family we determined that Disney trips are better suited for the two of us (sorry not sorry Mom and brother). We are both type A planners, early risers and just work really well together. I only learned about RunDisney two years ago and had determined that a race would be my bucket list item. This time last year I noted that the Princess Weekend 10th anniversary happened to coincide with my 30th birthday and approximately 2 years since our last DD trip and therefore it’s fate, so we began planning.
Getting there: I fly and my Dad takes the auto train. He usually gets in on a Thursday around 10am and I try and take one of the first flights out of DCA to arrive around the same time. Since I knew we were going in February and there is always a chance of snow coupled with knowing I don’t do well waking up at 3am multiple days in a row (like I would have to for the Thurs 2/22 flight and the 2/23 5k) I decided to fly out Wednesday night and have a solo evening until meeting up with him at BC. The airport hotel was $300+ that Wednesday night and the value resorts were crazy cheap so I booked a night at All Stars Music.
Day of: After a super stressful couple of weeks at work and personal life I decided to same day change my JetBlue flight and left a few hours earlier which was SO WORTH IT. I was originally getting into MCO around 6pm and somehow thought I could easily make HEA. No way. So, I worked a couple of hours, took the metro to DCA, flew out around 12, landed at 2pm and got in line for DME (literally trains, planes and automobiles). It was quite a wait. As in…20 minutes waiting to board then sat on the bus for another 30, plus the 40 minute drive to the resort. If that had happened with my original flight I would never have made HEA.
In DISNEY(!!):I already had received my room ready text so I just went straight to the room to change and hit the pool for 45 minutes. I was in the Country building so it was a bit of a walk from the lobby, but my room was an easy distance from the second, more quiet pool. While lounging I decided to perfectly plan my evening adventures. I wasn’t sure what the bus situation was like at ASM so I added some travel padding, which was wise. I ultimately decided I wanted to go to the bar at California Grill, grab a cocktail or two, a small meal and stay for HEA. But before that I wanted to roam around GF, because to me that is the most magical place. So, I went back to the room, got myself ready and headed to the bus area to pick up a MK bus and waited. and waited. and waited. and waited. and realized there was no way I could stop at GF before CR. The bus finally came and I got off at MK, had to go through security then took the path to CR. I arrived to the lounge around 5:45pm.
I hadn’t been to CG in years and forgot how beautiful it is and how much of a “real” restaurant feel it is. As in, this could be a restaurant in DC…and people were actually “dressed up.” My DF always gives me sass for being overly dressed in Disney, so I was right at home. I sat at the bar, told the bartender- blanking on his name- “I want a cocktail, but nothing super sweet, what do you suggest?” So he made me a delicious Side Car. So good. Then he convinced me to get the Spicy Kazan Roll. He was so on the money. It is sushi with crab, shrimp and tuna with the rolls in a circle, then in the middle is a spicy sauce with scallops mixed in, so you scoop some spicy scallop sauce onto your roll and devour. Then I convinced the people around me to order it as well. My favorite part about CG is that it was a total scene. At one point a young, seemingly low key looking couple came in and the staff was simply crawling over each other to roll out the red carpet for these people. After watching the show for 20 minutes or so I finally asked the Bartender and he told me that they own a vineyard or something like that, and the woman’s last name is the name of the bottle they were drinking. Meanwhile, the bartender gets a call from downstairs alerting him that one of his regulars is coming up, so he scrambles to find two bar seats together, puts out the plate/ water display, throws napkins over the seats to save them, only to have 2 different people seat themselves instead. Then he has to ask them to move and I am really now thinking to myself “wow this is like DC.” In the span of 10 minutes he has 3 other groups of people try and sit in the napkin reserved seats so I order another glass of wine.
7:50pm rolls around, lights are dimmed and they start to prepare us for HEA. Then at 7:55pm the first magic of my trip happens: HEA. It was my first time seeing it and it was BEAUTIFUL. I think everyone needs to experience Cali Grill at least once and the bar/lounge area is such a good option. I believe they have the same menu and you don’t need a reservation, but you do need to get there before it fills up or they won’t let you up.
I have to cut it off here as I’m late for my 8pm dinner. More later-
I think I would get along with your dad. This is what I say whenever I take a day off and see a lot of people out somewhere.