@spoerlx3 I think why I felt like it was a higher was because of the more compact areas & the walls… plus it seemed like everyone had an electric scooter (is that the new stroller?). It was so hard getting from place to place. We didn’t really do many rides and were lucky to use the FP. But, it was worth it!!! I loved it there!
1 Like
Tasha, that is always how I feel at AK.
I think I have to agree. I know in September, we felt like we were always in a crowd no matter where we were at AK. Even though none of the rides had a long line, if we weren’t in line it felt like it was soooo crowded. I think our biggest surprise at a park in September was HS in September. Even the line to the Great Movie ride was a minimum of 45 min wait. It was sooo crazy crowded the day we went that it was miserable.
Day 4: Part 2: Pirates & Pals Cruise
At 6:00 PM it started to thunder storm. So, I made the executive decision to take a taxi to the Contemporary for our 6:55 PM dinner reservations at The Wave. I couldn’t bare another stroller ride in the rain… it’s just not worth it! It ended up costing about $25 with a tip for the ride from Pop to the Contemporary. We arrived within 20 minutes, so we were early for the reservations… Esme was so excited to see that they had escalators (yes, the moving stairs), that we went up and down them a few times. Then we found the arcade. There was nothing special or notable about it, just a bunch of video games jammed in a room.
At 6:45 PM we made our way down to the Wave. It was a really nice place. Very quiet actually. They didn’t really have a lot of options, but we ended up choosing the pizza (es) and salmon (me). We were still dressed in our pirate outfits, so pretty much every cast member at the restaurant stopped to talk to us about it. We were done by 8:00 PM. So we went back to the escalators for one more “round”.
At 8:30 PM we made our way down to the Convention Center for check in at Pirates & Pals Cruise. It was really neat actually, they had puzzles and coloring pages for the kids, as well as some really interesting decorations (jack sparrow style). By 8:45 PM they called us into a room where they had it lit really neat with colored lights, as well as a spread of snacks & drinks for the guests (lemonade, tea, coffee, mickey ice cream sandwiches, popsicles, popcorn, cotton candy, chocolate coins, bananas and cake). Esme was only interested in the chocolate coins… she ate about 15 of them… they were the size of half dollars. We then danced to some pirate tunes until these two arrived:
It was charming, as Esme brought “Gold-da-blooms” for Hook. She walked up to him & gave them to him in a small baggy. He was so tickled that he kissed her hands and let her hold his hook.
After about 30 minutes of photos with them, we were called out to the boats. Thankfully the rain stopped. We had 2 live “pirate” guides who took charge of one boat each. The boat ride lasted from 9:30 to 10:45. We sailed to a spot & watched the night time water electrical parade. Then we sailed to MK and watched wishes, they even had the music!!! It was very special. Our guide did a lot of singing & story telling, in character of course… as well as audience interaction and games. He also gave away a lot of prizes. Afterwards, we sailed back to the dock & Peter Pan was there waiting to greet us.
Peter was very vibrant and liked to hop & jump around a lot… He was very chatty, however Esme was soooo tired that she wasn’t in the mood to have a conversation. She just hugged him and said, “lets go Mom”.
So it was 11:00 PM and I just couldn’t make Esme walk to the bus stop & ride the bus back, then walk to the hotel… we wouldn’t get back until 12:00 if we were lucky. So I again decided to take a taxi. Still $25.00 with tip. We were back to the hotel & in our room by 11:30. Esme collapsed in the bed & I am about to as well!
Tomorrow is Epcot…
14 Likes
It sounds like you guys are having a wonderful time! Thanks for sharing it with us. Have you considered Uber instead of taxis? It should be a fair bit less expensive. I’ve not used it myself, but a lot of people have good things to say about it. The folks on the Be Our Guest podcast and Shannon at WDW Prep are both big advocates, and I trust their judgement more or less implicitly when it comes to Disney!
1 Like
Loving this report! 
And Esme is so adorable!! 
What an awesome day, and so great for you to be so aware of your daughter and taking time off for her to be balanced.
Awesome about Bell and Esme. Yes the walk to get to the busses is long. It is easy to under estimate how long it is until you have done it.
Great trip reports, thank you!
2 Likes
So cute! You better make her the scrap book to end all scarp books because of this trip. Keep it alive for her as long as you can.
1 Like
What fun days you have had, and I am so impressed with how well you are taking breaks with Esme in mind. I am loving these trip reports.
1 Like
Another suggestion when you take a taxi, they will barter. When we were there in September, we left for 2 days/1 night to go to Universal. We went out to one of the taxi drivers sitting right outside of POP and ask how much it would cost if we needed them to take us today and not pick us up until tomorrow night. He told us he would do a rt for $25. He gave us his card and asked us for an approximate time we needed to be picked up the next night, we gave him a location and a time and he asked us to just give him a call 30 minutes before we were ready to be picked up. We called him the next day 30 minutes before we were ready for him to pick us and he was there waiting for us. We did leave him a tip going and coming back but we were excited to get rt for $25. I love the Uber idea!
2 Likes
Day 5: Epcot
I had a really rough night. Somebody kept calling our room on accident (I think), so I woke up at 12:30, 1, 2 and 3. By 6:30 when the alarm went off, I felt delusional. But Esme was awake and bright eyed, ready to go… so I must push on.
We got to the bus stop by 7:15. It was about a 15 minute bus ride from Pop. The bus stops at Epcot are not as far away as they are at Animal Kingdom & Magic Kingdom, which is NICE!!!
The place was pretty empty at 7:45 when we lined up for rope drop… but a few minutes later there was a huge line behind us. They started letting us in at 7:50. I was disappointed that no photo pass people were out yet… apparently we got spoiled at MK and AK.
TP said it took about 25 minutes (slow walking pace) to get to Akerhaus, so we thought it would be far… but it only took me 5 minutes. Maybe I am a power walker? Some families were running to the ADR, which I thought was crazy. We got to Norway by 7:55 AM and decided to try checking in, although our reservation was not until 8:30. Thankfully they checked us right in. We first met & took a picture with Belle:
I loved the fact that Esme was so impressed with how “soft” Belle’s dress was. She’s so funny, she really appreciates the details.
We unfortunately got the worst seat in the house (in my opinion) which is directly in the center of the middle room & right next to the entry door/buffet walk way. It was madness, but I was going to make the best of it, so I allowed Esme to sit with me on the only side of the table that didn’t have “traffic”. Our waitress was from Norway and she was super nice. She directed us to the buffet to get pastries, cheese and meats. She then brought us eggs, bacon, sausage & potatoe casserole family style. It was okay food, nothing really to highlight.
This is the point where things went way wrong for us. First, once the princesses were announced (which were Cinderella, Ariel with legs, Snow White & Aurora) & Esme paraded around the room with them in the “processional”, her sandal broke. This was the ONLY day I didn’t bring an extra pair of shoes for her… yikes. Then, when she got back to the table, she tipped the table and spilt the drinks all over me… not good. Then my vertigo started… bad. Then the pouty face started with Esme… really bad. Esme felt like she was all the Princess’s best friend at this point (because we met them all yesterday at CRT), so she was very chatty with them… which cheered her up a little. We were done by 9:00.
We were told that the only place in Epcot that sold any pair of children’s shoes was Mickey Gear, which was back towards the front. So we walked there quickly & they only had a pair of croc’s that were too big… we had to get them considering the situation… which cost $45!!! I wasn’t impressed.
The heat was unbearable already, my phone saying 104 degrees (considering the pavement I think?) and I was already tired… so I was a bit grouchy at this point. Esme saw the Test Track ride on the front of the Epcot map and wanted to try it… so considering it was so early still, I figured there would be no line. We walked over there and went into standby at 9:15. We did not finish the ride until 10! I was shocked how busy it was already at 9:15!!! It was a cool experience building your car & then “testing” it on the track. Es was really impressed with the actual track part, which I was shocked about considering how fast it goes!
We then started following the TP and headed over to Journey into Imagination. This ride was completely empty, just Es & I… So I decided not to use the FP & switch it for the same ride but right before dinner. It was very strange to me, but Es really thought it was funny. She then played in the What If Lab at the end of the ride for a little bit. The labs were neat & interactive, as they used the “senses”.
We were done by 10:20 and we had an hour left before we could use our FP for Soaring. By this time it was pretty busy and crowded in the streets. So we decided to go check out the aquarium. The line for Finding Nemo was small, so we rode that within 5 minutes. Then walked onto Turtle Talk with Crush. Because I had originally had FP for Crush & didn’t need it, I switched it to riding Nemo again after our dinner reservations. We then checked out the cool aquarium exhibits, which Esme really thought was special. It had sharks, dolphins, sting rays, fish, turtles… etc.
By now it was 11:05 and we headed over to Soaring. We were 15 minutes early for the FP and the line was a 60 minute wait, so we went to the Circle of Life show. It was very cute and helpful in showing Esme why recycling was so important. We got out of the show and headed to Soaring, which is in the same building. The wait with a FP was still 30 minutes… which is the longest we’ve waited with a FP so far. Esme was really intimidated at first, but then really started enjoying the ride once she smelt the “oranges” in the orange tree farm. It’s not a good ride for people with vertigo (me!) as its very realistic. We got done at 12:00 and headed over to our lunch reservations.
We ate at Coral Reef for lunch. We were in by 12:10 and were seated right next to the aquarium tank. This was really nice, as Esme has a hard time sitting still… but this time she was so happy watching the sea-life!!! The food wasn’t good, but the atmosphere was. It took the waitress a very long time to get our check for some reason. So we didn’t get out of here until 1:30. I was so tired at this point… that I told Esme we had to go back to the hotel so I could rest… she was fine with that, as long as we could go in the pool afterwards, which I agreed to (she is more excited about the pool than the theme parks).
However, on the way out she begged me to ride Spaceship Earth… as she really wanted to go into the big ball. There was a 5 minute stand by line, so I agreed. We actually just walked on, although the standby sign said 5 minutes. It was nice because it was dark and air conditioned, with a slow car and not a lot of “action” happening… so I could kinda relax & not worry about Esme being terrified (aside from the opening scene with the dinosaurs). The ride stopped while we were “descending” so we sat there for a bit.
It took us only minutes to walk to the bus stop and board. It took 25 minutes to get back to the hotel because the bus drivers switched shifts. Once I got back to the hotel, I flopped on the bed & slept for a solid hour while Esme watched Tinkerbell. We then swam for an hour. Now Esme is napping.
We did follow the Touring Plan for the most part. I had a lot more free time in my TP than I had expected… which allowed us to do more. We did get to every ride we wanted to do. I didn’t really enjoy much at Epcot today (although it could be due to my fatigue), which is disappointing b/c everyone says so many good things about it… I am hoping tonight changes my mind. We have dinner at Garden Grill & Illuminations to see tonight. I’m going to try to get to the Grand Fiesta in Mexico before the fireworks… we will see!!!
11 Likes
That’s rotten someone kept calling and waking you so often! So sorry! Hopefully after your nap you will both feel refreshed and enjoy your evening at Epcot! 
Do you have any Agent P’s adventures scheduled in your TP? Esme might find that fun and it is a great way to make exploring a country extra special.
We really enjoyed Illuminations - hope you do as well! If you get ahead of yourself and the timing is right, the movie in France is quite nice - we liked it nearly as much as Soarin’ and it is seated and comfy.
Enjoy Garden Grill!
1 Like
Before or after eating at Garden Grill, try to find a few minutes to ride Living with the Land. It is a gentle 15 minute boat ride through the same building that Garden Grill is in (over to the side of the Sunshine Seasons restaurant on the lower level). It takes you on a tour of the greenhouse where all the veggies are grown that are served at a lot of the Epcot restaurants including Garden Grill. While you are in Garden Grill, you will be able to see the boat ride or if you go on the boat ride first, they will point out Garden Grill. It even has some mickey shaped veggies. It is such a fun little boat ride and very informative. I think you will both like it. I sure hope you are feeling better before you go to Garden Grill and that you don’t have any trouble eating there since, the restaurant rotates slowly during your meal, allowing views of different scenes throughout the Land Pavilion. A rotating restaurant and Vertigo may not go very well together.
I did find this bit of info online, courtesy of disneyfoodblog, about requesting a specific seating at Garden Grill that may be helpful.
“There are two seating styles in the restaurant, and…listen up — it makes a BIG difference where you sit. I know I’m picky about seating, but in this case, I strongly suggest that you request a semi-circular booth on the lower level of the restaurant. This isn’t just for comfort’s sake (though the cushioned booths ARE more comfortable than the hard chairs at the tables). The booths give you an unobstructed view of the scenes you’re passing by from the ride below, and the high backs also drown out some of the clattering noise from around the restaurant.”
Have fun! Can’t wait to hear more!
3 Likes
I am LOVING this trip report. Thanks so much for sharing all the details, it’s fun and so helpful. You ladies sound like you are having a fabulous time. Can’t wait to hear about more!
1 Like
Sounds like you had a good day despite the glitches.
1 Like
Sorry to hear about your phone issues. Maybe you should unplug it or take it off the hook for the night so you do not have a repeat performance.
A liner tradition you may or may not have heard about, leave a note on page 71 of the bible. Maybe there is already a message. @LaurelStewart maybe we should start something in La Cava to share these notes.
I hope your night was a good one. Love the pictures.
1 Like
@spoerlx3, I didn’t get this message until after I ate… but thankfully I did get a seat at the bottom & you were totally right about the view and the noise. BEST seating in the house!
@Jedilogray, I am def unplugging the phone tonight!!! I did check the bible and no note… so I am leaving one! YAY!
@thomasm I finally got a hold of someone about leaving the stroller. They said I can’t b/c I am leaving on the 9th and your coming on the 10th. Maybe you could call and ask? They would be more apt to agree to it if it was you, considering your staying there!!! Doesn’t hurt to try!
TashaM, YAY FOR THE SCORE ON THE TABLE! Did yall get to ride Living with the land?
Day 5: Part 2 - Epcot
So… after such a crazy morning, this evening was Magical. I feel 100% different about Epcot & am glad I gave it a second chance. We left the hotel at 5:30 and arrived within 15 minutes. Esme decided to dress up as Rapunzel:
A lot of people were leaving b/c it was lightening out (not raining though), so it was not as crowded as earlier. As soon as I put Esme in the stroller she passed out, which I didn’t expect… but I let her sleep while I walked around for a little while aimlessly.
After it started sprinkling and the clouds were getting darker… I thought it would be best to get inside. So I got in line for the character spot meet and greet (not really knowing who was in there). The stand by was 25 minutes & I was actually in there for exactly 25 minutes. I really appreciated that they had TV’s with old Mickey cartoons & facts in the queue. Esme slept until we were 2nd in line, then woke up crying. She was so confused & I told her she didn’t have to meet any of them, so she choose to sit in the stroller (the CM was nice enough to let me bring the stroller in b/c Esme was sleeping). So first up was Mickey… I went to say Hi & he walked right by me and pointed to Esme. She shook her head no. He pretended to cry, then went to hide… she then got up to console him & then agreed to take a picture. He was clever! She then was happy to take a photo with Goofy… who signed my goofy hat!!! We then met Minnie too. Three characters in one shot, what a deal!
It was now almost 6:30. We went to ride Figment of Imagination again with our FP (although we would have walked right on with the standby queue). Played in What If Labs. Then headed to our 7:00 reservation at The Garden Grill. We checked in and was told it would be about five minutes, so we again rode the “escalators” upon Esme’s request:
I was lucky to get a seat in the outter section of the restaurant, as the people in the inner section were really rowdy & loud. The place has a floor that slowly circles around a section of the Living on the Land ride. It was really fun watching the restaurant “wall” turn from a jungle, to a dessert to a farm scene within 45 minutes. Our waiter came and brought us drinks, then salad & bread, then the entrée’s (family style), then the dessert. The food was really good… I ate a little bit of everything: turkey, fish, beef, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, stuffing, broccoli, sweet potato fries… yum. The waiter gave me a really funny look when I asked him for the check right after he brought our drinks… which I politely explained was b/c I didn’t want to keep Esme out too late & it was getting really busy in there. He obliged. We saw Chip, Dale, Pluto & farmer Mickey. I didn’t realize Pluto was going to be there, so that was really cool… as he was the only Mickey character I didn’t “plan” on meeting. So now I can say that we’ve met the whole crew. They came by multiple times and were really fun with their gestures, often kissing or bowing to Esme. We were done eating & out of there by 8:05.
We then used our last FP on the Nemo ride again. We would have only waited a few minutes if used the queue, but oh well! Its a cute ride. We somehow missed this amazing photo pass spot earlier in the day:
By now it was raining & the sun was going down, so we decided to take a funny photo pass in our rain gear:
It was now about 8:15, so we headed over towards the world showcase to find a spot for Illuminations, when I saw out of the corner of my eye the sign for the Grand Fiesta Tour… I couldn’t believe I almost forgot!!!
We walked right onto this little cute boat ride. It was funny and very themed to Mexico. I loved watching Donald be so elusive… just to get caught in the end. It was fun watching Esme “find the Donald” in each scene.
Once we were done, we headed to an empty spot on the fence to watch Illuminations. It was really spectacular. Esme got bored and stir crazy after the “world” started appearing… after seeing so many comments from Liners about the crowds after the fireworks show… I packed her up & headed towards to exit before the show ended.
We were to the bus by 9:25 and hoped onto the bus with no problem. The bus was still packed… just not as bad as it would have been if I waited another 5 minutes. It took about 20 minutes to get back this time, which I think was due to heavier traffic… I didn’t remember seeing that much traffic earlier in the day.
All in all, it was a success. I followed my Touring Plan and it worked. I really feel as though I understand why some Liners suggest a day off after touring for 3-4 days in a row… as this morning was a good example of a touring crash, in my opinion. Coming back to the hotel to re-group and nap was the best decision I could have made. Epcot is a cool place, but it definitely was not as cool to Esme as MK (of course). I feel like it is aimed more towards the adults or older kids than children. It would take a very disciplined and sophisticated child to be interested & aware of the amazing things that Epcot has to offer… my kiddo is just not there yet & I’m okay with that. Hollywood Studios tomorrow!!!
17 Likes