Disney: SNAFUS, Glitches & Good Times

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“Always let your conscience be your guide.” ~ Pinocchio.
Well gotta say we're living the life of Riley here at our villa to the point old Riley is jealous. 😊 The pool with the waterfalls is heaven - it's so nice to float the day away in 100F temps since spring at home didn't get the memo it should've arrived by now. 😞 Although we've not had a lot of pool time since we've been on the go.Our first day was great, enjoying wine & cheese around the pool then hit Disney Springs to walk about and enjoy the sunset.
SNAFUS, GLITCHES & GOOD TIMES

Even in the happiest place on earth, there's always a snafu. When we stopped at Guest Services to get our passes to DW they were missing one of our passes. They could see it was paid, yet 'Debbie' the 'cast member', who by the way should actually hang up her hat & enjoy retirement from a lounger by the pool was very nice but not too sharp. After her repeating that she'd get this sorted out for half an hour, she was getting on my wick. Finally after I insisted she call head office, away she went. Her manager processed about 100 guests while we were there so I sidled over to him and begged him to help us out. Within minutes we had her cards. PLUS, he gave all 8 of us 3 VIP fastpasses each for our inconvenience. VIP are regular fastpasses on steroids. That means even if they are sold out on the fastpasses we can just walk up & ride. No booking ahead, just show up & ride.Now this was absolutely a huge perk in high heat with long line ups. The first ride at Hollywood Studio the kids went to use it on, the VIP pass didn't work. That's after waiting in line at Tower of Terror until they announced it was closed to the throng of people. Arr tartar sauce. (That's not the words I used but this is a family blog.) I was beginning to think this was a Disney conspiracy. (Once again SuperMom had to go & sort that out. Happiest place on earth? Hmmm, sometimes...)


HIGHLIGHT

For those of you who've seen the live action performance at Indiana Jones, it's fantastic. It's like being on a live set where you see how movies are made. Explosions, airplanes, shootings, fights, fire, etc. Their audience is huge; over two thousand folks. They choose 8 guests out of the entire audience to perform as an 'extra'. Guess who got picked? No not me, but I yelled loud enough to get my oldest gal chosen! So this was cool - she was on stage introducing herself & doing a few poses (pretend you're holding a boulder) and then they were whisked off the stage to get into their acting attire & learn their roles. So there she was performing as an extra at Hollywood Stuidos. What a cool memory to have. So after exploring Hollywood Studios it was time to move onto Animal Kingdom.

So after leaving the park & driving to Animal Kingdom (I love the lushness of AK), we walked all the way to Asia to go on the Everest Expedition to find it too was closed. OMG, really Disney? You give us all these perks that we can't use.) It was hot man - how hot was it you asked? It was so hot I saw the Devil in Walmart buying an air conditioner. (Insert smile here.)

So we walked back to hit the bar/restaurant Yak n' Yedi and the line is out the door but I wiggled my way into the bar & saw 2 people leaving so I literally lunged for the bar stool as I'm sure my temperature was 120F. This dark cool bar was heaven. Al & I had a wine/beer & enjoyed a miso glazed salmon with coconut jasmine rice & a medley of veggies. So good. The kids got ice cream & sat in the shade at the side of the restaurant. Anyhow, they finally opened Everest & they had the ride of their life.

Next up the Kilimanjaro safari trek where we gleefully got to use one of our VIP fastpasses & headed quickly to the front of the line to enjoy this 20 minute open-air trek through the safari park. We hit it towards the end of the day when the animals come out to graze. This reserve is home to 34 species living in 110 acres of lush open plains, shady forest landscapes and rocky wetlands. It's a rugged drive through with an expert guide who points out the animals & shares very fascinating wildlife facts during the drive. We saw giraffes (baby ones...awwwww!), huge crocs, wildabeests, hippos (baby ones too), rhinoceros, warthogs, African antelope (very long horns), watusi cattle ( these aren’t your typical livestock. A symbol of wealth among Rwandan tribes, they were traditionally sacred and only used for milk and status. Blood circulates through their horns to be cooled, and then back into the body to give them a built-in cooling mechanism. (Man I could've used a pair of horns that day to keep me cool too!) We briefly saw an elephant, but the herd was at the Yak & Yedi having a beer. Too hot to be out & about. We all loved this trek - there's something so magical about seeing these rare animals up close, what their habits are, & sadly hearing how many are endangered. Disney raises money for endangered animals as well.

I really enjoy AK. It's so lush, green, with trails, water ponds, fountains, birds singing, monkeys howling... Part theme park and part wildlife refuge, Animal Kingdom has unique rides and attractions that you will not find anywhere else. The park appeals to nature lovers, but also does a great job of introducing nature-novices to wildlife and the outdoors. There are many sights around the park that will take your breath away. From the nightly glow of Pandora’s floating rocks to the sight of the Tree of Life you see upon entering. Each of these showcase the majesty of nature, and they both accomplish this task in their own unique way. The focal point of these views, such as Everest amongst the Asian themed landscape, are what Walt Disney called “weenies” because, like a wiener to a dog, they draw guests in from a distance. I was a wienie for a day! Animal Kingdom doesn't get as much respect as the other parks, but to me it is the most beautiful park to visit.

Before we left, my eldest decided she'd had enough of us not being able to use our Fastpasses. So she heads off to Guest Services to take them on. The apple does not fall far from the tree, DNA wise. (Nice I didn't have to kick any more "bleeps" if you catch my drift. So she comes back with more fastpasses (not VIP but still wahoo!).

Marth then dropped Al & I at Epcot and the kids headed to Magic Kingdom to try & use more of these elusive VI-friggin-P fastpasses. So guess what? Then space mountain was closed? No kidding you say? So they went on the Haunted Mansion & Peter Pan ride & finished the day with the big finale of fireworks at MK.

Meanwhile Epcot is alive with the Spring Flower & Garden show on till June 3rd and what visions of greenery did we see! Epcot is fun; the 'grown up park' for adults who like to have a drink or 10. Nothing requires strong hooch more than witnessing screaming kids, fed up parents, millions of scooters barking at your heels, and overzealous Disney freaks.

The International Flower & Garden Festival is just awesome even if you're the type that can't even grow a succulent or don't have a green thumb like me. It's pretty fascinating what goes into putting on this year's display. The highlight of Epcot’s festival is the topiaries and glorious garden displays. These make Epcot pop with color and beauty.

I'll start by by hitting you with some fact-bombs about this cool festival. First, it takes a full year and 400 Walt Disney World horticulturists to prepare for this 90 day festival. The culmination of those efforts are 30-million blooms, 240 floating flower planters, 700 gardens, nearly 100 Disney character topiaries, 30 flower towers, and one beautiful butterfly tapestry of flowers all culminate in an incredibly vibrant atmosphere here now. And at night the topiaries take on a whole new life as the gardens and sculptures are illuminated.

It also offers the Goodness Garden Butterfly House which is full of colorful blooms and a flurry of several species of butterfly. You get to explore the life of a butterfly from its emerges from chrysalis to adulthood and watch as the fully-grown butterflies flutter around the garden from flower to flower. If you're wearing a colorful shirt, be prepared for them to land on you! This was so cool; note the pic of the chrysalis's developing into butterflies. Nature rocks!

They also are offering Garden Rocks; concerts every night offering up the likes of Journey, Air Supply, (them I could do without...), Sister Sledge, A Flock of Seagulls, The Loving Spoonful, Guess Who, Blood Sweat & Tears etc. It's all included in the price of admission so lots of bang for your buck.

NOW what had me dreaming about Epcot for months is that they've added 17 outdoor kitchens to compliment the spring flower festival. I researched each kitchen, and made a note of what they were offering, and was ready to go, appetite and all. Each kitchen has 2-3 mini entrees, a dessert, and then a wine, cocktail and/or beer flight to compliment your food. Insert googly eyes & a martini glass.

So we started the World Showcase at Mexico & worked our way to Canada which is a fair distance. On the menu lobster tail on a stick, crispy chicken on a bed of greens with an aoili dip, Spicy Schezuan Beef on rice, potato pancakes with caramelized onions, ham, Tuscan Pizza with 3 cheese, Beef Brisket Burnt Ends & Smoked Pork Belly Slider (Al's favorite), & warm chocolate cake with bourbon salted caramel sauce & spiced pecan.

Canada's showcase offered Beef Tenderloin Tips with mushroom gravy on whipped potatoes with garden veggies, and seared scallops wrapped in applewood smoked bacon, with French green beans, & butter potatoes. Their drink: a massive Stow Away Mary: Classic Bloody Mary with Vodka garnished with Pimento-stuffed Olives, Cherry Tomato, Celery, Jumbo Shrimp, and Smokehouse Jerky. (This was a meal in itself.) Nicely done Canada! You did us proud.

After all that food, drinks and exploring the countries, it was all topped off with the very moving Illuminations fire show at 9PM at Epcot. We were full from the tips of our toes till the tops of our heads. All the walking helped burn off some of the food & booze.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY/SATURDAY

Thursday we packed up and spent a day at the old town of Celebration. Celebration is a charming small town with tree-lined streets, captivating architecture and a welcoming mix of shops and restaurants. In fact, Celebration was named one of America’s 10 prettiest towns. The picturesque downtown is compact and walk-able and the community features a diverse and interesting mix of housing, from grand estate-style homes which are situated on pedestrian-friendly streets. It was SO quiet here. Hardly anyone around, and it was just perfect. No one hawking Disney merchandise or streets jammed with strollers. Ahhh peaceful.

Friday we spent all day at Epcot. We wandered through the Butterfly Exhibit, and the gardens. We enjoyed Soarin' which is an innovating motion based ride that lifts 87 guests at a time 40 feet aloft into an 80-foot projection screen dome & there you are hand gliding over the globe's landmarks. Another attraction I really enjoyed & never tried in our previous visits was Spaceship Earth which is actually housed in Epcot's giant sphere. We visited each country, saw some performances, and tasted more of those heavenly menus.

Yesterday we toured a few of Disney's AAA mucho expensive resorts as guests which as I mentioned, you are allowed to do. Unless you've stayed in these, you can't imagine the architecture, decor, furnishings and layout. Marth dropped us off at the Polynesian Disney Resort to start our tour of the resorts. Marth's bum knee was acting up so she elected to stay home by the pool. The Polynesian is designed as the name infers, and gives off that island feel with tiki totems, tiki torches, waterfalls cascading, all simply stunning. All the resorts have their own pool designs, shops, dining & fun bars. If you ever land here, check out Trader Sam's cool bar which only seats 50 people inside & features views of the marina and Seven Seas Lagoon. This tiki bar has its own lore built in: It was started by Trader Sam, Adventureland’s famous “head” salesman, who welcomes you to his enchanted South Seas hideaway to explore a menu of “magical tropical drinks and food.” The Grand Floridian resort hotel has such a high level of refined Victorian elegance that your average tourist is likely to feel under-dressed. We all dressed up for our tours so they wouldn't throw us out!

From there we took the monorail to the Contemporary futuristic resort which the monorail goes right through! There we had lunch and drinks up on the 5th floor overlooking the lake. From there we took a boat to Fort Wilderness Lodge; once again nothing was overlooked by Disney. As you wait at the marina, they have outside pool tables, foos ball, bean bag throws etc. Games to keep the kids happy so we don't know we are all baking in the sun.

Once we boarded the boat, the Captain sang 'The Bare Necessities' for the entire 5 minute boat ride. Brought a smile to our faces. Ft. Wilderness evokes the timeless beauty of the American frontier, with deer, rabbits, ducks and armadillos roaming the Resort’s 750 acres of pine and cypress forest. It enjoys woodland trails, spectacular pool areas and rip-roarin’ entertainment. We stopped for lunch at the Geyser Bar on the lake; open space with lots of big chairs & couches.

Here I learned something new. I had asked the waitress if I could charge my phone. So she comes back with this cylinder thing called a Fuel Rod which are the first reusable, portable charging system that allows you to fuel (charge) your mobile device on the go, and then recharge or swap for a fresh one. It delivers up to 8 hours of additional talk time on the average smart phone, or nearly 4 additional hours of usage on the most demanding of tablets. It comes with a bunch of adapters that a whole family can charge whatever type of phone you have. You buy it from a machine, and then when it dies, you can swap out of the machine at no cost for a new one. These have yet to come to Canada I believe, but they can be found in all the Disney parks, airports and malls.

From there, we took an Uber to Animal Kingdom Lodge which captures the essence of an African savanna lodge. This resort is the perfect blend of nature and architecture. Through an ingenious barrier system, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, elks, kudus, gazelles, wildebeest's and exotic birds come incredibly close to the resort! We were there at dusk to see the animals graze. Then we went & grazed ourselves at the impressive Victoria Falls lounge & enjoyed tasty cheese and a meat plate. The kids enjoyed the outdoor bonfire (yes they could partake even though we weren't paying guests) and they enjoyed the s'mores. From there we went back to the Polynesian Resort & enjoyed drinks at the Tambu Lounge & met a wonderful couple with two little girls. They are from Tampa, & after telling them our plans for an ocean day, they told us to hit Clearwater Beach (well more Sand Key Park) with its soft sand beaches which offers a great family outing with million dollar views, beach cabanas, large boathouses etc. So I'm mobilizing the troops so we can be on the road; approx. 2 hours to Clearwater.

So I was up early having a coffee, with the warm sun hitting the pool, and the birds are chirping & that cascading pool waterfall is lulling me into a zen like state. Sometimes when we walk out of the house, 2 flamingos (husband & wife? wife & wife? hubby & hubby?) are grazing. What a nice thing to see on a daily basis...

I am so very grateful for this trip & what great bonding time as a family... Lots of laughs, special moments and adventures.

DISNEY LESSONS

It's not lost on me that Disney is a huge money-making machine running us all around like minions, with folks rushing from one attraction to another, spending money like fools, wearing every assortment of ears that they can dream up etc. The mouse. The memories. The magic. Yes, every child’s dream destinations. The Disney parks.

On one hand it is a money sucker and very commercialized. On the other hand (and this is a big hand), I can't help but be mesmerized by the sheer imagination of the behind the scenes staff that make all of this happen. So who are the people behind the Disney experience?

The company has three categories of employee: cast members, crew members and “Imagineers”. The vast majority of the employees are the cast members. That’s anybody working in the parks and resorts. And then there are the Imagineers who are the employees behind all of the Disney parks and experiences. The title combines the terms “imagination” and “engineering”, and Imagineers can take on a wide variety of roles, from research and development, to scientists to rock work designers, to graphic designers to project controllers. There are storytellers, people that are specialists in paint and color, there are architects, engineers, technologists, producers, chefs, horticulturists, bar tenders, etc etc. In the end you’ve got a little bit of everything, as you can imagine, coming together to create these amazing experiences. In an effort to give you a fully immersive, all-five-senses experience, the Disney Imagineers have infused many of the attractions and environments with aromatics designed to enhance your park experience. A prime example of this is found on Main Street. Ever find yourself eagerly sniffing at the air? A delicately sweet vanilla scent filling the space? It’s not your imagination, it’s Walt at work. In Soarin' they pipe in the smell of the pine forests and orange groves of California. In Spaceship Earth they evoke the smell of Rome burning. Again they thought of everything...

I spoke to a lady pruning the gardens. She told me she started at on the trees, and moved to making the big flower pots that are throughout the parks. Now she was placed in the Butterfly Garden and was loving this new experience. She loves her job and brings in a solid pay cheque as she put it.

However you feel about Disney, they hire the very best people; hardworking, welcoming and sooo friendly. And man, you try standing around in the Mickey Mouse outfit in this heat. HEROES!

I'll leave you with this Disney quote. "How do you spell love"? (asks) Piglet. "You don't spell it, you feel it". (says) Pooh

Cheers to a sunny day wherever you are! (lots of photos so click next below!)

Sal & the cast of the 'Incredibles'.

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Comments

[Zully]

Amazing photos Sal!
Woww Photos again!!! I will say these are my faves. Numerically arranged:: #5 (Animal Kingdom) My fave in fact,/ #10 (Canadian Beef tips),/#11 for color,/ #14 for all the gals,/ #19 you and Al posing,/ #38 and #42 Lara and HAT!,/#41 Mickey Mouse ,/ # 53 Lara and Ava....and again that HAT. Did Martha stay behind? I thought she was going too....Again, love the photos!

[Playagal]

Photos
Thanks Zully the backdrop offered many opportunities to take great pics! ??