Becca's Trip Report "The Rollercoaster of Food"

Anything to cure that fever of yours. They certainly do lack that je ne sais quoi, don't they? He really liked it. I tried it, but it was waaay to 'hop-y' for me. I can tolerate some types of Hefeweizen and I do like a Smithwick's here and there, but that bitterness from the hops does me in. We can be the test pilots!

Well, ya kind of have to be a Pats fan if you're from NH. Gronk did good things for my fantasy football team before he was injured.

I'd usually be the first to back you up. I loves me some blue, blue cheese. The bluer the better. But, for my palate the mold should work with the creaminess of the cheese. This didn't. It was super dry. Ah well, c'est la vie!

I love love love your trip report!!! And your pics *swoon* YAY!!!

So glad to hear your review of The Wave. It's still on my list for whenever we go back next.

PS - that is a MASSIVE beer!!! Holy moley! How did he walk straight after that? I would not make it to the door

Becca...

Yup! Thats pretty much the story, but they always put the black cat somewhere different every year. We found out about it the first year. A Cast Member told the story to our son, and ever since we have been on the hunt... lol

WE LOVE REMY!!!!!

Thank you!

I highly recommend The Wave, it's a hidden gem!

haha! I still have no idea. I'm thinking sheer stubbornness! I do have to point out that he also rode the Orange Team Mission: Space within a 1/2 hour of finishing that beer. Apparently I'm not the only one with a cast-iron stomach!

Cool! You've got to love all the fun little things that Disney does!

Day 2 - Part 4 (Whooooooo!)

We had planned to go back to Magic Kingdom after dinner, but after looking at when our ADRs were scheduled, we decided to stay in Epcot to catch Illuminations. We took in some more of the atmosphere in the WS pavilions and made our way to the Future World side of the lagoon to find a good place to sit. We ended up just to the left of the Friendship Boat launch. As we were sitting there a boat pulled up and Sean asked me if I knew where it went. It hadn't occurred to me that he hadn't heard of the Friendship boats. I told him that they go around and across the lagoon. His jaw dropped open and he looked at me and said "You mean to tell me that we hauled ourselves around that lake twice today and we could have just taken a BOAT?!?!!" I told him that we needed the exercise because of all the food we were eating.

We waited in our spot for about 2 hours. I was a really, really good spot so it was worth it. And we talked with the other couples around us and had a really pleasant time while we were waiting.

Illuminations was incredible as always, but the extra Holiday bit that put on the end just made it spectacular!

After Illuminations we followed the thundering herd out of the park and onto the Monorail. Destination - Magic Kingdom EMHs!

By this time, I ain't gonna lie, my dogs were barkin'! I didn't know how long I would last after two ridiculously early mornings and a super late night. We headed to the left (as always), but unfortunately PoTC was closed due to some technical difficulties. So, we went over and rode BTMRR and then the Haunted Mansion and then went back and rode BTMRR again! At this point I was really dragging (Goodness I'm getting old! haha! Gone are the days of closing down the clubs, going out for breakfast and going to work) so we wandered around and took a few pictures and then headed down to the boat launch to catch the boat back to the WL.

To be continued in Day 3 - Birds and Burgers and Yetis! Oh my!

I can see how that would be disappointing.

Day 3 - Tuesday 12/4 (WHEEEEE!!! Those really fun 'camel-back' hills and whoops. THAT WAS AWESOME!! Part of the ride.)

We slept in a bit to recharge since we knew that it was going to be another late night. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, here we come!

We arrived in Animal Kingdom a little after 10 and we had 11:00 ADRs at Yak and Yeti so we saw It's Tough to be a Bug! first. Stopping in the restrooms after, there was a little girl who had fallen and skinned her knee. Oh! was I happy I'm almost always prepared for these things (I said almost always. More on that later in the trip report). I was able to hook her mother up with some band-aids and first aid cream. Hopefully, it didn't slow her down for long and she went on to have a magical time.

Then we walked over to Asia and browsed around till just before 11 and checked in at the desk. We were seated almost immediately, upstairs next to the windows. Our server was Ellen. She was fabulous! Since I had already gotten the inside scoop on the Y&Y menu and such great suggestions on what to order, we dove right in! We got the Thai Chili Chicken Wings (Thai Chili Chicken Wings - fried chicken wings tossed in a sweet Thai chili sauce, spicy Asian pickled cucumbers) and Fried Green Beans (Wok-Fried Green Beans - battered green beans, sweet Thai chili dipping sauce) to start. The wings were super yummy and those Green Beans were sensational! I mentioned it to Ellen and she said "It's like candy hugging a vegetable, isn't it?" YES! Perfect description! Entrees were Bourbon Chicken for me (Bourbon Chicken - Tempura chicken, carrots, green onions, sweet bourbon sauce) and the Kobe Burger for Sean (Kobe Beef Burger - 10 oz grilled American Kobe beef burger, sesame-soy sauce, mayonnaise, crispy shoestring fries. topped with choice of shiitake mushroom & scallion compote or Asian slaw). The bourbon chicken is great and the fried rice that came with it was really good. But, that burger. OH! That burger! Sean was in heaven and I certainly knew what I would be ordering when we came back for dinner and so did Sean! Dessert was the Fried Wontons for me (Fried Wontons - Skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons, vanilla ice cream, honey vanilla drizzle) and Mango Pie for Sean (Mango Pie - shortbread cookie crust, fresh whipped cream, raspberry sauce). DH was a little leery about ordering the Mango Pie after Ellen described it. She had said it was like Key Lime Pie, which Sean doesn't like. I explained it would be a totally different flavor, it's just the same consistency/texture. So, he tried it and was soooo happy he did! Thanks for the recommendation JeffC! He ranks it in his top 3 desserts of the entire trip.

This is killing me! I had the whole day typed, and then my laptop wiped it all out! It's done this to me a few other times, hence the multiple parts to each day. I had thankfully copied and pasted the first portion so at least that didn't get wiped. Sigh, modern technology! Sorry friends, the rest of the day in AK will just have to wait now.

I loved the fried wontons.

Our local Thai restaurant has something very much like those fried green beans but as a main course, not an appetizer. Quite yummy. Hmmmm...maybe I need some Thai food today....

I'm drooling thinking about that burger again! I seriously have dreams about that kobe beef burger, and I'm regularly not a big burger girl.

Applebee's here has those fried green beans, can't get enough of them, and yes, I know what you mean about that Kobe Burger. That was the best burger I ever ate.

I am obsessed with kobe beef burgers! by me there are so many restaurants that have it! the food looks amazing! we opted not to try Y&Y's due to my husbands soy allergy. I know they can accommodate but there is just so much soy based options on that menu, it's easier to avoid it. Glad I got to experience it through you!!!avoid

Heavenly, aren't they?

Me either, but...wow. Just wow.

I've seen them in the grocery store too. TGIFridays frozen appetizers, I believe. I can't buy them though, there would be no self control available Ditto. Best burger EVER!

Oh that stinks, but better safe than sorry. I wonder if T-Rex or Rainforest Cafe might have something similar since they're all owned by Landry's? Outside of "The World" I know Cheesecake Factory has a great Kobe burger!

Day 3 - Part 2 (Whooooo! Hahahahaha! Yay!)

After our wonderful meal we checked out Expedition Everest to see what the wait time was like. Only 20 minutes so we got in line (I don't think it was 20 minutes though). Whoopeee! EE is probably our all time favorite ride. It's just so much fun! After riding we got FPs to ride again later. Then we walked over to see Flights of Wonder. FoW has been a humorous argument between DH and I since we started planning this trip. We know we didn't see it in 2010, but I say we saw it on our honeymoon, Sean has absolutely no recollection of this. Since I'm right we needed to see it again to prove it! It's such a cool show! I love birds and Sean is fascinated by the birds of prey so we had a great time. And even if Sean doesn't remember it, at least now I have pictures! After FoW we walked over to Africa to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris. We're lucky and the animals are always out and visible. I like the new version without the kidnapped baby elephant storyline. While I appreciated the conservation message, KS just doesn't need to be 'jazzed up'. A live Rhino 10 feet from your ride vehicle is enough 'story' for me! Then we did the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. While we were in the Aviary section we got in a conversation with one of the CMs and he showed us some baby chicks. Apparently the type of bird that these chicks are is the rabbit of the bird world when in captivity, so the handlers put fake eggs in their nests to stop them from laying eggs or remove any real eggs before they can be incubated. Well, you can't fool with Mother Nature like that! She always finds a way. The CM said the birds must have built a hidden nest because one day these three chicks just appeared! They don't even know which pair are the parents because all of the adults take turns taking care of the babies. The gorilla family had been taken inside so the keepers could do some maintenance on their enclosure so we didn't get to see them up close in the glassed area. But they came out on the other side when we were near the "bachelor troop". From the looks of the one gorilla, it appears there is going to be an addition to the family troop, either that, or someone has been hitting the salad bar a few too many times. By this time our EE FPs were up so we headed back to Asia for another fun ride and then walked the Maharaja Jungle Trek. I love the fruit bats (I know, I'm weird) but they were all sleeping to the side so we didn't stick around there for long. Got tons of pictures of the tigers though. There were also more baby chicks in this aviary too!

Now it was time for dinner so it was back to Yak & Yeti! This time we started out with the Lettuce Cups for Two (Lettuce Cups for Two - minced chicken breast, chopped vegetables, maple tamarind sauce, crisp lettuce cups). They were awesome! The textures with the crisp lettuce and the fillings were perfect. Thanks so much to Allie for the recommendation! Sean got the burger again and I got one as well. OH. EM. GEE! I don't know what they feed those cows, but whatever it is causes a chemical reaction that turns the hamburger into total bliss. And they're HUGE! I couldn't finish mine even though I didn't even eat my fries. We duplicated our lunch desserts, Fried Wontons and Mango Pie. Hey, if you've got a good thing going, why change it?!!

Because we were going to MVMCP, I wanted to head back to WL to change into our party gear so we started to make our way out. We stopped in one of the shops and I broke down and bought a pair of Mickey Crocs, the cuter "strappy sandal" kind not the really ugly ones! I have a weakness for shoes and my feet were bugging me so I figured the Crocs would be more comfortable for a few of the days. We also saw all of the birds (I think they're Ibis, maybe?) roosting in the park! We'd never seen that before. It was impressive!

Up next Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party....

A few more. Some of my favorite pictures just won't attach. I can't figure out why. They're not any larger in file size that the others. It's puzzling!

ZOMG i am so jealous and happy all at once! Y & Y Burgers and Mango pie twice in one trip!!!! WOO! Glad you liked it there. I will droll for the next several hours now......

Maybe he has an old football injury that prevented him from carrying the bag? Maybe? Or maybe he thought it clashed with his t-shirt? Maybe?

Hi Becca, I am really enjoying your trip report! I love the photos and restaurant/food reviews!

wow Yak and Yeti looked so yummy....We have been wanting to try it but have never gotten around to it. We are definately going to remedy that next year when it's just me and the hubby

mmmmm.....lettuce cups.....glad I didn't stear you wrong with those!

I never thought much about Yak and Yeti, but I won't miss it next trip. Sounds really good

Thank you!

You'll love it! Even though it's a big place, the tables are very cozy, nice for a dinner for two.

You sure didn't! Sean was skeptical at first but he ended up loving them!

It is! And it has a very cool atmosphere, it might call to the Adventurers Club fan in you.

Sean looooved that mango pie. He says "thanks for the recommendation!"

Oh goodness, please don't give him ideas for any more excuses!

Day 3 - Part 3 (weeeeeee! weeeee! wee! wee! wee!!!)

After stopping at the WL to change into our "party clothes" we got on the boat to the MK. We arrived a bit after 7. The Cast Members handing out the bracelets were so cute and nice!

Because people were already waiting for the first parade along Main Street, we decided to head over to Tomorrowland to catch some of the attractions we had missed. We rode Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and caught the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor before hitting one of my absolute faves....The Peoplemover! Oh how I love that ride! And it's soooo incredibly cool at night during the MVMCP!

Then we stopped by Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe for some cookies (Gingersnap for me, Chocolate Chip for Sean) and hot cocoa. Yummmm! Since "Club Tinsel" was right next door, I stopped to take some pictures. So cute! Those kids were having such a great time with Chip and Dale!

On our way to Fantasyland we saw one of the cast members drawing characters on the pavement with nothing but water. It was amazing!

I forced Sean to ride Mad Tea Party. How can you not love the teacups? He actually did have fun this time. They were closed when we went in 2010. And on our honeymoon, well, Sean did a bit too much spinning. He got a little too focused on spinning the wheel as fast as he possibly could so he was looking at the center of the teacup the whole time....ever seen the people who spin around with their head on a baseball bat and then they try to run? Yeah, it was like that! This time he spun a little, but not so much that he looked drunk.

We walked to The Hub and realized that Celebrate the Magic would be starting soon and Holiday Wishes would be right after so we started looking for a spot. We actually got a really good spot to the left of the castle toward The Crystal Palace. I don't even have the words to describe Celebrate the Magic. It is just incredible! I didn't take any pictures or video because I really wanted to experience it and not on a 2 inch screen. I also didn't think it would do it justice. That's definitely an "in the moment" experience the first time you see it. Same with Holiday Wishes. I started crying when they played "I'll be home for Christmas". Yes, I'm a sap!

After CtM and Holiday Wishes we wanted to ride PoTC, but sadly, it was not running again. So, we rode BTMRR again! As we walked through Frontierland they were putting up the ropes for the second parade and people were starting to claim their spots. I had wanted to watch the parade from Main St. but considering how busy it was in Frontierland, I figured all of the spots were already taken so we found a spot across from Pecos Bill's and there we waited. It ended up being a really nice spot. All of the CMs and characters were 'fresh' since it was the start of the parade route. I had some great interaction with the 7 Dwarfs. Grumpy saw me recording and came over to me for a 'close up'. I asked him to smile for me and I got the expected reaction! The Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is soooo cool! I think the Toy Soldiers were our favorites!

After the parade we found a bench to sit on for a while as the parade wound its way down Main Street. We were getting pretty tired by this point so we decided to start our way out by wandering through the shops. I don't trade or collect, but I do get a lanyard and pins to commemorate each of our trips. This being our first holiday trip, of course the theme was Christmas. I got a holiday lanyard and several Christmas pins (Santa Mickey, MVMCP w/ Tink, etc.). Then we headed back to WL to sleep with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads....or at least we would have, if we knew what sugarplums looked like...maybe it was visions of dancing gingerbread men and toy soldiers.

Up next Day 4 - Hollywood Studios - Fun and DISASTER! Oh no!

Great report on the party. Those characters drawn by water were amazing

We rode Peoplemover during the MNSSHP and it was hands down my favorite Peoplemover ride ever! I loved the water drawings too, how cool! Can't wait to hear about your disasterous day at DHS!

Here are a few more pics of the water drawings