Sun,Fun and Mickey Mouse Our 2 week vacation About This Page:

[angelina]

Day 7: Chef Mickey's and Typhoon Lagoon
Today we all slept in. And boy did it feel good. As much as I love getting up at the crack of dawn, some days you've just got to sleep in. The sadness was starting to set in, we only had two days left at Disney. Although one bonus to driving is we still had another four days of vacation after we left Disney World.
We had a 9:30 PS for Chef Mickey's so we had to get going. This would be our first time at Chef Mickey's and we had heard so many great things about the breakfast we were really excited. At the CR's security gate they checked for our name on a list before they would let us in. This was something they didn't do when we dined here (at CG) only a few days earlier, or at any of the other resorts.
We valet parked and then made our way upstairs to the restaurant. We were sent off to get our picture taken and then seated after that. I couldn't believe how huge the restaurant was. We could see all the characters milling about singing songs and all the diners were waving their napkins in the air. It looked like a lot of fun. But instead of being seated in the middle of it all we were led through several rooms, past the buffet table, and into a tiny room with about ten tables near some windows. We weren't thrilled to be sitting in no man's land, but we would make the best of it. It would be about 45 minutes before any characters reached our table, but Goofy was in the lobby.
The buffet selection was wonderful. DD loved the Mickey waffles and potato cakes. We had a really nice server and he kept us very informed of what characters were coming and when. The wait passed quickly while we ate. When the characters arrived they came one right after the other. Each one was a lot of fun, and once again very good with DD. They knew when to keep their distance and when to be a little playful.

Pluto and Minnie were especially enjoyable as Pluto kept stealing DD's bottle from her and Minnie was teasing DH.


Our last character was Mickey Mouse and he was worth waiting for. When he finally arrived the people in our little room started chanting his name. He was hamming it up, dancing around the room and signalling for more and louder chanting. It was a lot of fun.
At the end of our meal they brought us the photos we had taken when we'd first arrived. I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's such a blatant push for you to spend even more money. But for the three of us, it's hard to get pictures all together, and we liked this one, so we bought it. I would like to see them do this at CRT. It would be a beautiful place to get a full family shot.
We used two Magical Wishes to pay for our meal. We really enjoyed the food and the character interaction at Chef Mickey's. But I did not like sitting so far away from the action. Next time I'll definitely ask to be seated in the main dining area.
We shopped in some of the stores in the CR and then headed out. We were headed for WL. On our trips to Disney we love exploring the resorts. We've stayed at four different resorts ourselves and on our two week honeymoon back in 2000 we toured every resort except WL. My DS and future DBIL are doing the land and sea cruise for their honeymoon coming up and while on land they'll be staying at WL. So we promised to go take some photos and video for them. Wow, were we impressed.
The WL was stunning. When we entered, the front doors opened to reveal a huge lobby with high ceilings and a geiser right in the lobby. We walked around inside and out taking pictures of everything. I would definitely like to stay here on an upcoming trip. We've always decided against this resort because being from the North we've stayed in a lot of lodges and cabins. Also I wasn't sure I would like this theme being that it's in a tropical climate. But we were so in awe of the beauty of WL we quickly changed our minds. When we returned home we were eager to tell DS and future DBIL, they had made a great choice!
It was just beautiful out today and we had plans to head over to Typhoon Lagoon so we left the WL by about 11:30 am and headed to the water park.
Up Next: Swimming with the Sharks at TL

[angelina]

Day 7: Swimming with the Sharks at TL
We always include a stop to the water parks on our trips. DH is partial towards TL and I like them both, but the slides at BB give it a slight edge. DD loves to swim. We live on a lake back home and she loves swimming in our local pool as well. She loves hot tubs, the shower, baths, it's like having our own Little Mermaid [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Last year she had so much fun at TL we knew she would enjoy it again this year.
There was no one at TL, I mean no one. We arived a little before noon, and we parked in the second row! That was unbelievable. I love the themeing of TL, the imagineers really outdid themselves with this one. We got our locker and towels, changed and picked out a nice shady spot, right on the water. Normally if you arrive at noon, there's no way you'd get a chair, let alone the four we had. But like I said the place was empty. DH headed right into the wave pool to do a little body surfing. He went right out to to the deepest part of the pool. DD and I stayed closer to the shore. DD has swam in both the Pacific and Atlantic and her favorite part about the ocean is sitting down in the waves and letting them splash over her. So that's what we did while DH practiced hanging ten.

That big splash in the middle of the picture is him crashing towards the shore. If you've never been here before, let me tell you the waves are HUGE. And they're not nice, calm waves. They will knock you over. So don't attempt them unless you are a very confident swimmer. On almost all of our visits to this park DH has fished a teenager out of the waves, because they were struggling. DH used to swim competitively and I used to be a lifeguard, so we are at ease in the water. But these are some big, strong waves. Don't let little ones go out in this pool alone.
After a little more swimming we were ready for some slides. So we headed to Humunga Kowabunga. There was no wait, so DH and I took turns. I forgot how fast you go down and how far your suit creeps up. The lifeguard keeping watch at the bottom of the slide must get quite a show [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img] You can't help but scream when you go down this slide. It's just so much fun. We were excited to learn Shark Reef was open, as it's usually closed in Feb. So we put on our snorkel gear and headed under the sea

It's absolutely amazing to be that close to so many fish and I'll admit a little scary when the sharks swim by. I think it's a lot more enjoyable than snorkeling in the actual ocean, because I don't hear the Jaws theme song playing in my head. There were very few people snorkeling so we really got to take our time and enjoy it. We took turns snorkeling and watching each other. We watched with DD from the bridge over the water and the viewing windows below the surface. She loved looking at the fish. If you do this you have to get an underwater camera, it makes for some really cool pictures. We also bring the camera in the pool and on the slides.
Our next stop was Castaway Creek, the lazy river that winds it's way around the whole park. This is so relaxing and romantic, we always love doing it. But usually it's so crowded, you have someone's feet in your face the whole time. But today we had the whole creek to ourselves. We got a two person innertube and DD lounged on top of me. We drifted all the way over to Ketchakiddee Creek, where we got off. This is the children's play area. It's filled with little slides and shallow pools. DD ran around like a crazy baby, until she was so cold she was blue. That was a sign it was time to dry off [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] But DD would have kept swimming all day, blue lips or not.
DD was hungry, so we got her a little snack while I had one of my favorite cocktails at Disney, at Typhoon Tilly's. It was called (appropriately enough) Typhoon Tilly. It's a blue, pina colada, pineapple, coconut flavored frozen drink that is so delicious. Especially out in the hot Florida sun. We left TL and headed back to our resort for a quick change because we had to make it to MK by 3:00 to see the parade.
Up Next: Share a Dream Come True and 'Ohana

[tikibird]

Loved hearing your initial reaction to WL - awesome, isn't it? [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img]

Thanks for posting the pics of TL - I've never been, so really appreciated this part of your report!

Keep up the great writing and photos! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[joyjoy]

Wow, I've never seen Typhoon Lagoon so deserted! What a treat. Wasn't the snorkeling great?

I'll be sorry for your report to end, I'm really enjoying it.

[angelina]

Thank you, that's so nice of you to say. [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img] And TL was the least crowded we'd ever seen it, but we didn't mind. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[PS - I LUV WDW]

Thanks for a great report and some awesome pictures. Somehow I had managed to miss the rest of this report [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] and just read the whole thing. Your daughter is adorable! And I really loved her picture with the purse.

[ 03-14-2003, 08:45 PM: Message edited by: PS - I LUV WDW ]

[angelina]

Share a Dream Come True Parade and 'Ohana
After TL we headed back to POFQ and frantically tried to get ready to make it to MK for the 3:00 parade. Our conversation the whole time went something like this;
DH: We're not going to make it
Me: Yes we will
DH: No, we won't
Me: Yes, we will
DH: We're really not going to make it
Me: Yes, we will
You get the idea. Well, guess who was right [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Of course we made it, but just barely. We arrived on Main Street with about ten minutes to spare. And once again, the crowds were non-exsistant. We found a great spot right in front of City Hall. There were open spots all over Main Street, and many of them were never taken. The sun was really hot, and beating down right on our backs. So I took DD and we shopped in the Main Street Gallery (which is now closing [img]graemlins/cry2.gif[/img] ) This is such an incredible store. The artwork and statues are just amazing. We always managed to find something to buy here. We headed back out to DH who was ready and waiting for the parade with his tripod and video camera all set up. The parade reached us at around 3:15.
This is such a fabulous parade. I think it is easily my favorite parade in The World. We collect snowglobes. In fact we have the Mickey snowglobe that is the first one featured in the parade. We now have 15 snowglobes, and it is such a wonderful collection to have. We got our first one in 1999, and are still finding new ones to buy.
I love the collection of characters in this parade. Although I would like to see some of the newer characters added like Mulan, Lilo and Stich or Buzz and Woody. DD went nuts right off the bat when Mickey came out. I think there may have been some sort of technical difficulties, because the parade litterally came to a stop for about five minutes. But we didn't mind because Mickey was right in front of us the whole time. Next came Pinnochio, Snow White and of course all the dwarfs. Snow White even blew a kiss to DD. The other floats include Aladdin and Genie (just out of curiosity, where the heck is Jasmine?) with Pooh and Mary Poppins. The Villians snowglobe had Malificent this time (a change from the last time we saw this parade) But my favorite snowglobe is The Princesses. In fact we bought this snowglobe the day before in Downtown Disney.
The picture just doesn't do it justice, it's so stunning. The costumes on the characters and the roses lining the snowglobes are just beautiful. One interesting note, when DS and future DBIL saw this parade in June this float was missing, isn't that weird? The parade finishes up with Minnie, Goofy and the rest. Each float, or snow globe, is so incredibly detailed. And the whole parade is just so magical. That's what makes it different from Stars in Motorcars for me. I think MGM's parade lacks a little magic. TOD at Epcot will always be special to us, because DD was mesmerized by it. Also, the puppetteers actually reached out and touched her. But for sheer beauty and that Disney magic Share a Dream Come True is definitely the parade to see. I also love the beginning with "Walt" drawing. It's a perfect way to remind us how this whole thing started. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I promise to post some more pictures of this parade as soon as I have them scanned.
Up next: Exploring the Poly and 'Ohana

[angelina]

Exploring the Poly and 'Ohana
We left MK right after the parade because we knew we wanted some time to explore the Poly. We took the resort boat there. Which is, in my opinion, the most romantic way to travel around The World. We all love boats, especially DD. She just laughed as the water sprayed her in the face. The boat first stopped at the GF and then the Poly. It was such a beautiful day out. The sky couldn't have been any bluer.
The CR looks so cool, almost like it's floating on the water
We still had our tripod with us so we took advantage of the beautiful day and took some family pictures.

I'm going to digress for a minute to tell you that we never have luck having other people take pictures of us. In Disneyland in the animation building in DCA there is this beautiful blue wall that has the words, "And they lived happily ever after..." painted on it. We asked someone to take our picture here, and we lined up next to the words. When we got our pictures back there was a beautiful picture of the three of us and the "ter..." [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] The person had completely cut out the words. But the worst was in V&A when we got engaged. Our server, who was absolutely wonderful, offered to take our picture right after the happy moment. We posed in front of the floral centerpiece in the middle of the restaurant. The server took one picture, and then a second, "just in case" she said. Well, when we got our pictures back she had cut our heads off in both shots [img]graemlins/cry2.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] We do have a lot of pictures from all around the GF that night, so it wasn't too terrible. However, we rarely ask people to take our picture anymore. But anyway...
We headed over to the Poly pool, which had been refurbished since our last visit there. It was a beautiful pool, a lot of fun stuff for kids to do here. We each got a beer at the Barefoot Bar (the poolside bar) and headed off to explore.
The grounds of this resort are so lush and tropical, everything is green. They had some beautiful flowers in bloom, orchids and hibiscus maybe? Sorry, I don't know my flowers. Whatever they were, they were bright pink and red and yellow and they smelled incredible. We walked down to where the luau was and ran into the director of the luau. He was so friendly, telling us all about the new show that was to open in a few days. We'll definitely have to make it a stop on our next trip. As we had visited the WL only a few hours ago I found myself comparing the two. I couldn't pick one over the other. I think it's just another reason that makes Disney the best. Where else could you go to find a massive mountain lodge across the lake from a Hawaiian retreat?
We headed into the resort which was just as beautiful, with a waterfall running through the lobby.

After a little shopping, we headed up to 'Ohana for our 5:00 PS. We checked in about five minutes early, we were given a beeper and told it would just be a few minutes. We took a seat in the Tambu lounge next door. The large wicker chairs were like something out of "Fantasy Island". DH had a beer while I ordered a Back Scratcher. This was a drink that was way too strong for me, but came with a handy back scratcher in it. In about five minutes our beeper went off and we were seated. The CM seating us took a look at our table assignment and said, "you have a killer table" and that it was. We had a window table, with a perfect view of Cinderella's Castle. Our server's assistant came over first and explained a little bit about how the meal worked since this was our first time here (all the great reviews on these boards convinced me to try this spot) He was wonderful, really friendly. He asked if he could bring something for DD, he returned with about 10 straws with little tufts of tinsel wrapped around the ends. DD loved them. Our server came over, and the food soon followed. As both DH and I hadn't eaten since breakfast this food didn't stand a chance. The first course included salad, stir fried vegetables, shrimp wontons and rice, along with three dipping sauces. Then came the meat. I really enjoyed the turkey and the shrimp. DH said the pork was good as well. The restaurant itself is very cool, with a large grill in the center where they cook all the meats on large skewers before they bring them to your table. DD had mac and cheese and some fruit. During our meal they announced they would be doing coconut races. DD and DH didn't make it in the first one, becuase they ran out of coconuts. But they were ready for the second. DD was going nuts, she just loved chasing that coconut with her little broom.

We ordered the chocolate pave (which was like a torte with macadamia nuts and graham cracker crumbs in it) and the chocolate mousse. Both were so scrumptious. A chocolate lover's dream.
This was a wonderful dining experience. We used two magical wishes to pay for our meal. Everything was perfect, from the view, to the food, to the coconut races. I couldn't find one fault with the meal. So thanks to everyone here, who convinced me to give 'Ohana a try. We took the monorail back to our car at TTC and headed back to POFQ.
We had been puting off doing the laundry on the whole trip, but we had no choice now. So while DH loaded up the machines, I started the packing. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] We had a cooler in our room and we had bought some beer at Goodings earlier in the week, so we enjoyed one while we watched the finale of "Joe Millionaire" and packed. I know, it's a despicable show, but it's the only reality show we've ever watched. I've never seen "Survivor" or "American Idol" or even "The Bachelor". But this show was just too good to pass up. DH calls it a "train wreck", you know you shouldn't watch it, but you do.
The packing was really starting to bum me out. And it was not going very fast as everytime I put something in DD took it out. Apparently, she didn't want to go either. Once I had most of the packing done we called it a night.
Up Next: Day 8 or How To Cram as Much Stuff as Possible into Your Last Day

[tikibird]

More great pics (EXCELLENT shot of the Contemporary!) and writing! Glad you enjoyed Ohana - but sorry your trip is coming to an end! [img]graemlins/cry2.gif[/img]

Looking forward to hearing about all you squeezed into you last day! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[chezp]

Another couple of great installments! I loved your photo of TL with no-one really in shot, amazing! I also couldn't agree more with you about the boats being the most romantic way to travel around Disney.

Cheryl

[rebecca c.]

Love your TR and the pics as well! DH is too cute. Can't wait to hear more.

[ProChristo]

Love it, love it, love it! More please...

[angelina]

Thanks for all the replies [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] It's been a busy weekend for us so I wasn't able to write anything. But I'll get a new installment in tomorrow. Happy St. Patrick's Day [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[angelina]

Day 8: Packing and EP
Ok, sorry for the delay. It's been a crazy week and now I'm having scanner problems [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] so most of the pictures will come tomorrow. But anyway, back to the TR.
It was our last day in POFQ, and our last day at the parks. We had to check out of our room, then we would head to the Downtown Disney Best Western on Hotel Plaza Blvd. Since we had done most of our packing last night, we only had to load the car up today.
We got up early and had one last workout here at Disney. As DH loaded the car, DD and I took one last stroll around POFQ. It really is such a beautiful resort. I'll write much more about it later.
One definite plus to driving is getting to spend one last full day in the parks. When we would fly, we could only stay until we had to leave for the airport. But the park tickets are good all day, so we were missing out on most of the day. Now we get to spend one last day in the parks, and then we stay off property for the night and head out in the morning. Still, it doesn't eliminate all the sadness. We watched our last of the resort televsion. And DD learned a new word, "Port Orleans" Our check-out was quick and easy. With heavy hearts, we said goodbye to our home for the last seven days, and headed out. We were going to EP.
One of the features of our package was a Leave a Legacy Tile. So we decided it would be DD, as only two images fit on the tile. So we went to the Leave a Legacy Booth, near the entrance to EP. We filled out a form and waited in a short line, and then they took DD's picture. It turned out really well and we can't wait to see her picture when we go back. We had a PS for San Angel Inn in Mexico at noon, so we headed to WS. We did some shopping in Canada and France. DD stopped at the Kidcot Stations, and she just loved them. She got her mask in France, and she was the only child at their art tables. She could have stayed there all day coloring. We headed to Mexico, just in time for our PS. We checked in and were seated right away. We had a beautiful table, just one row away from the river. I love this restaurant, it's so peaceful and scenic.
It's also very romantic, with the low lighting and the beautiful river flowing by the pyramid backdrop. The food is also very good. We ordered margaritas and they also brought us chips and salsa. The only complaint I would have about this restaurant, was their lunch menu didn't have enough choices. We ordered the queso dip for an appetizer. It was prepared right at our table, and it was delicious. DH and I both had sampler platters for entrees. Mine included a chicken taco, cheese enchilada and rice and beans. DH's entree also included a burrito. Just as our food came DD decided she did not want to sit down anymore. This was the only meal she didn't make it all the way through, so we were very lucky. We decided one of us would take her to Mexico's Kidcot Station, while the other ate, and then we would switch. So DD and I headed out. On the way out of the restaurant I got stopped by someone who asked me, "Where are your restrooms?" I was rather amused and I told the woman I didn't work there. She seemed quite disappointed, and said, "well you just look so Mexican." The whole thing was pretty funny. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
There was a wait at their Kidcot station so DD and I went shopping and she tried on all sorts of jewlery. We returned to the Kidcot table ,and there was an opening for her. We got her mask out and she added more artwork. Whoever came up with this idea is an absolute genius. For those of you who haven't visited the Kidcot stations, they give the child a white cardboard mask attached to a small yard stick. Then at the stations they have markers and paints for the kids to decorate them. Each county adds a charm onto the mask that represents their country, for example in Mexico, she got a pyramid. There is a star attached to each mask where the CM's working the station write a word in their language. I only know what the French word meant, it was "dream". I assume that's what the other words meant as well. In the center of this star is a coin that pops out. During the TOD parades kids make a wish with this coin and give it to one of the characters in the parade. The whole thing is so fabulous and it's free. It's the most precious souvenir we brought home from this trip.
After about 10 minutes DH came out to us and I headed back to the restaurant. The manager greeted me on my way in and offered to get me some new food if mine was cold. I thanked him, but assured him it wasn't neccesary. After all, once you become a parent you forget what warm food tastes like anyway [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] . Well a couple minutes later he came up to my table and offered again, this time he wouldn't take "no" for an answer. He took my food, which I had already eaten some of, and within one minute he had returned with a brand new plate of food. It was so nice. The food was excellent and our server and the mamger of the restaurant were wonderful as well. I paid the bill and we headed outside. We were on a mission to find The Beast.
Up Next: More EP, Wide World of Sports and MK

[tikibird]

What great service from the staff at Mexico! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

You had a wonderful start to your last day at the World, looking forward to hearing more... [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]