Famous Last Words: "You muppet, it won't be busy today!" - October 2013! *NEW 24/6 p5

[meridascurls]

Chapter 17: A magical night
Wednesday 16 October

The park was pretty busy.

First, we went round to Storybook Circus and met Goofy and Donald. The wait time posted was 15 minutes, but a nice CM told us it was more like 5. To be honest, I don’t think it was even that.

Then we rode Journey of the Little Mermaid for the first time! I loved it even though we got stuck. It was in the Under the Sea section so it was cool!

We went to Gaston’s Tavern next and tried LeFou's Brew. Slushee number 5? It’s frozen apple juice. I think yes. It was great for the hot night.

We walked back round through Tomorrowland to try and get a spot for Celebrate the Magic/Wishes. Unfortunately everyone else in the park got there before us so our view was pretty rubbish. I did catch some of Celebrate the Magic though. I really liked the music. And Wishes. Well.

Wishes can be granted in the most unexpected ways.

Even though mum was getting tired, we decided to stay for the Main Street Electrical Parade. We walked back through Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, past the Tangled toilets...

...and into Liberty Square where we found a spot to sit until the parade started. In 2011, we got stuck watching from the bridge that leads from Liberty Square over the Rivers of America into Frontierland, because literally everywhere else was about 4 rows deep. We couldn’t see very much, but we sure as heck heard it standing next to a hidden speaker. We were determined to get a good spot this time!

Mum and I went to the Christmas shop again and bought more Christmas stuff. I think we needed it.

We went back to our spot expecting the parade to start soon, but then this announcement came over that due to technical difficulties it was going to be delayed. Mum was getting pretty annoyed as she wanted to get back to the resort.

msep better not get cancelled

The announcement came over twice more, still saying it was delayed, so we decided just to leave it and head home. I was pretty gutted because I really wanted to see the parade.

We walked round to the hub intending on just leaving the park but we heard the music playing. THE MUSIC. I cannot express my love for the music. In 2011, we had to stand and listen to it for like 10 minutes without seeing any parade so it was seriously getting on my nerves, but a couple of months later I got it on my iPod because I’d just fallen in love with it.

We got there just in time to see Tinkerbell coming up Main Street! I couldn’t believe our timing. And we still got front row spots! I was so happy.

I know a lot of people really hate this parade and want Spectromagic back. I’ve seen Spectromagic and honestly, I prefer MSEP. I just love it so much. I had the music stuck in my head all night. I listened to it on the bus back to Coronado.

Where the night is as bright as the day.

Day 4 roundup
Weather: Gorgeous
Favourite attraction: the wave pool
Favourite food/drink: donuts and LeFou's Brew
High point: Main Street Electrical Parade
Low point: Not having a good view of Celebrate the Magic/Wishes

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 18: An EPCOT Morning
Thursday 17 October

We were finally visiting Epcot and I was excited.

Dad said, "it won’t be busy today". There were crowds of people even just at the entrance. Maybe it just felt busy because on our last trip we went to Epcot one morning when it was raining and the place was practically empty.

Dad went to get fastpasses for Soarin' and we went to the new character spot and saw Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie. I was wearing my Donald bow and the attendant who was with Minnie said to me, "I like your bow! Snow White, right?" I corrected her but it was quite funny because when I was ordering the bows I wasn't sure whether to take the Donald mini or the Snow White mini, because they were very nearly the same bow. In the end I chose Donald obviously but then typically people think it’s Snow White anyway.

We found dad and went over to Test Track and joined the single rider line. It was our first time riding since the refurb and at this point I kind of had mixed feelings about it. I like how modern the new colours and queue details are, and the designing/testing of your own car, but I don't like how they've changed the actual ride. I loved how it was as if you were going through all these tests and now it doesn't feel like that to me. It just seems to lack a bit of a theme now. After 2011, Test Track was one of my favourite attractions but now I'm not so sure.

Me and dad rode Mission:SPACE next. Mum doesn't like it and my brother got ill the last time we rode so he wasn't going anywhere near it. I only decided to ride because I presumed me and dad would ride together, but I did the green side while he did the orange side so I was with two other strangers, one of whom thought it was hilarious we had to 'work together as a team'.

We had to wait for dad to come off the ride and I could see MouseGear from where we were sitting.

we're at epcot which means mousegear which means goodbye to all my money

That shop is lethal. I spent over $100 in one go in there once.

We decided to do Universe of Energy next. On the way, we passed the Wonders of Life pavilion. I've always wondered where it is actually located and this is the first time I've ever noticed it.

I'm desperate to jump in here today. #toohot

The love I have for Universe of Energy just oozes from me.

slept through the whole of universe of energy... it was that good

I love it because it is great for sleeping. I only went in for this part:

stupid judy stupid energy

And that’s like 5 minutes into the preshow. Whatever.

We got lunch at the Electric Umbrella. I had chicken nuggets and fries with a fruit cup. It was our first time eating at Electric Umbrella and it was really nice! There is a great view of the Fountain of Nations from the outdoor tables.

After our meal, it was almost time to use our Soarin' fastpasses, so we headed over to The Land.

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[hopex]

Loving your trip report, your photos are so good! I can't wait to go, exactly 13 weeks today!

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 19: Smelling all The Land
Thursday 17 October

My favourite.

I took a big sniff as we walked through the doors into the lovely air conditioned pavilion. Why does it smell so good in here?

We went downstairs and rode Living With The Land first. There is hardly ever a wait for this attraction which is great because I really do love it. It's just so peaceful and I think it's really interesting. Also the greenhouses are cool. (Mum asked if we were in Spaceship Earth whilst we were in the greenhouses. Oh dear. )

I've always had a soft spot for living with the land

It was time for our flight over California.

soarin is so peaceful and stunning yet so thrilling at the same time

I just love it. It's difficult to put into words. I think just its simplicity. It's basically just a simulator and a big screen showing some video clips, but so many little things make it so much more than that. Especially the music. And the orange groves. (I mentioned this in my introduction.) I wish they sold air fresheners of the orange groves scent like they do for turkey legs because I would actually buy them all. (Also, who buys a turkey leg air freshener?! A TURKEY LEG.) I took a massive sniff as we were soaring over the orange groves. The Land has all the best smells.

We left The Land for now and headed on to The Seas.

We rode The Seas with Nemo and Friends then did Turtle Talk with Crush. Righteous, duuuude!

It was about 3 o’clock at this point so we had to make our way out of Epcot for now.

We were heading somewhere very special!

going back to french quarter eee

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[meridascurls]

Loving your trip report, your photos are so good! I can't wait to go, exactly 13 weeks today!

Thanks! Excited for you!

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 20: This princess heads HOME
Thursday 17 October

We had to go to Downtown Disney to pick up our hire car from the Buena Vista Palace at 4pm. We decided to get there via the Sassagoula River and Port Orleans French Quarter.

We caught the bus there from Epcot and soon enough we were dropped off back home. Even mum said to me as we were walking towards the lobby, "it really feels like we're home now". It sure did.

We went to Jackson Square first where I traded for a Vinylmation pin themed like Woody, one with Belle's face in a tea cup, and one of Waldorf. I also bought a set of cupcake pins to add to my lanyard so I had more to trade.

We wandered down to the boat dock where I put my new pins on my lanyard and my brother started offering me crazy amounts of money for my Waldorf pin (Statler and Waldorf are his favourite Muppets, after MuppetVision).

It took about 10 minutes for a boat to arrive from Riverside. We boarded and I said goodbye. It was a good but fleeting visit.

We arrived at the Marketplace and walked over to the car hire centre at the Buena Vista Palace. It's so obvious just walking around there that it is not run by Disney. We didn't realise just how beautifully kept the Disney resorts are until we walked through here.

We had to wait an age for someone to actually turn up and when they did they tried to get us to upgrade our car and add on all these expensive extras. We were told we were getting a little car, a Ford I think, so we went out to the parking space we were told our car was in and instead of a little Ford there was a Chevrolet Impala. We were confused because the keys we were given worked so my dad went back and checked that everything was right. The guy told him yeah it was right and it was the only car they had. So basically they were trying to get us to pay more for a car we were getting anyway. My parents felt so good after they got everything anyway that they'd refused to pay for.

We got in and drove back to Epcot. I don't think we even got lost.

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[daisymomof4]

That's horrible about the guy trying to "up sell" you the only car they had left, that they had to give to you anyway...grrrr. Glad your parents didn't fall for it

Still enjoying your story telling and fabulous photos!

 

[meridascurls]

That's horrible about the guy trying to "up sell" you the only car they had left, that they had to give to you anyway...grrrr. Glad your parents didn't fall for it

Still enjoying your story telling and fabulous photos!

It was great. So many people must fall for it and I really hope some have seen this and maybe said no.

Thank you!

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 21: Spaceship Earth and Sunshine Seasons
Thursday 17 October

We rode Spaceship Earth as soon as we were back in the park. I am still unable to smell Rome burning.

like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time,

and for a brief moment we have been among its many passengers

We decided to try Sunshine Seasons for tea. The last time we ate here, I did not enjoy it at all. Everything on the menu is quite different and there's not very many plain things (I'm a really fussy eater) so I had a children's meal that could have been an adult's meal and that just confused everyone, and then it wasn't even that nice. I was trying to be optimistic about going back, but my expectations weren't high.

In fact, I actually really liked it. I found there still wasn't a lot of choice for me, so I had the chicken legs that I had the last time (an adult's meal though). The chicken was really good but the American mashed potato was really nasty. I've had it before so already knew I was going to think that, so it didn't really matter. I also had strawberry shortcake for dessert and another hot chocolate. I've heard so many people rave on about the strawberry shortcake and it so lived up to what they were saying. I loved it. Just look at it.

My experience with Sunshine Seasons was a lot better this time. I would definitely go back.

We went to MouseGear after we finished eating and surprisingly I managed to control myself and didn't spend too much money. But we lost dad, again. My brother and I were left standing outside watching the Fountain of Nations whilst mum went in search of him.

She eventually managed to locate him at the pins stall and we started walking to World Showcase to find the Scotland booth at the Food and Wine Festival. It was actually the first one in on the right side, towards Canada, so that was fairly easy. My brother got the haggis, neeps and tatties (I waited till another day to try them). We were just standing near the lagoon whilst he ate when we heard a couple of drunk Scottish men walking past the booth shouting "SCOTLAND!" and "I'M HOME!". It was so funny and I was just pretending not to be from the same country as them.

there's a new scotland booth at the food festival this year and all the scottish people are walking past shouting "SCOTLAND" and "I'M HOME"

it is hilarious and embarrassing at the same time

We kept on strolling round the lagoon and eventually settled on the bridge in Italy for IllumiNations.

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 22: Oh meyla weyla
Thursday 17 October

We just sat on the bridge for the 10/15 minutes before IllumiNations. I hummed along to the music.

the illuminations preshow music is my jam

TRUTH. I think it was Our Life that was playing and that one is my favourite.

I was obviously getting frustrated by some crazy stroller lady because a couple of minutes later I tweeted:

strollers need to be banned from the entire walt disney world resort

and I can't remember why. Some of the people with strollers just infuriate me though. Just because you have a small child in a stroller, does not mean you own the place or have any more right to be walking around the theme parks than I do. Please, get some respect, stop running those stupid things into our heels in your hurry. It hurts.

I was actually trying desperately to get rid of pointless apps and rubbish photos because I had hardly any space left on my phone and I wanted to take some videos of the fireworks.

taken nearly 650 photos on my phone since saturday and I'm almost out of GB space oh dear

But finally, the lights around World Showcase were blown out and the show started.

My absolute favourite section is just after the globe moves into the middle of the lagoon, about a minute before We Go On. I love the music for the whole show, preshow music included, but this is my particular favourite part.

IllumiNations finished far too quickly and we had to head out of the park.

Tapestry of Nations was playing. Oh meyla weyla, ya'll.

Day 5 roundup
Weather: Hottt
Favourite attraction: Soarin'
Favourite food/drink: Strawberry shortcake and hot chocolate
High point: IllumiNations
Low point: waiting forever for the car man to appear
Pin trades of the day: a yellow monorail, Woody vinylmation, teacup Belle, Waldorf

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[amberg93]

I need to remember to try the strawberry shortcake when I go in a couple of weeks. You're right, everyone raves about it and I need to get in on that action

Also, IllumiNations *swoon* I love it so much. It's beautiful. I hadn't even thought of watching from Italy. I've only seen it from Canada and the UK, but it looks like a good view over there. Maybe that's where I'll try from next month.

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 23: Busch Gardens
Friday 18 October

We got up early and set off on the long drive to Busch Gardens. And we did not get lost. It was a miracle.

Because there are no fastpasses at Busch Gardens, and we weren't paying for the front of the line pass thing, we had to do all the big attractions and fast. We went straight to Cheetah Hunt and I rode with my brother and dad.

We went to Montu next. I rode once and then sat with mum while the other two rode again. Wait times were still pretty short.

Next up was Sheikra, one of my favourites at the Anheuser-Busch parks.

Then we went up to the Congo to ride Kumba, and then back down to Stanleyville where my brother and dad decided to ride Tanganyika Tidal Wave. I said no, because it is a water ride guaranteed to drench you, and I was not up for that, even though the heat was crazy. Mum and I went to find a shop where we could get some food for lunch. We ended up walking way round out of Stanleyville, which felt like miles in the heat. But I had a particular shop in mind, because I was desperate for a slushee.

We found the shop, picked up some crisps and fruit for lunch, and then we both decided to get slushees. I'm pretty sure mum just had frozen lemonade but I went all out for number 6. What I loved about the slushees at Busch Gardens was that there was like self-service machines with all different cool flavours of slushee, like grape, watermelon, cherry, etc, and you just filled up a cup with whatever and however many kinds you wanted then just paid for the size of the cup. It was fab.

We walked back round seriously enjoying the cool drinks and still had to sit outside the attraction and wait for them to come off.

We found a seat in the shade at a food place next door where we probably shouldn't have been sitting and ate our 'lunch'.

My brother and dad decided that seen as they were already wet, they may as well get more wet, so they rode Congo River Rapids (another attraction I was avoiding because the last time I rode it I was soaked from head to toe) whilst me and mum walked around the tiger exhibits in Jungala.

Then my brother and I decided it was time to ride Gwazi.

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 24: An entire chapter dedicated to Gwazi
Friday 18 October

Our first experience with Gwazi four years prior to this trip left us all pretty shaken about. I actually thought I was going to be thrown from the ride vehicle, unless the whole wooden structure collapsed underneath us first. It was the most terrifying ride I have ever been on and probably one of the scariest experiences of my life as well. But four years is a quite a while, and I heard it had been done up since the last time we were there, so being the crazy person I am, I decided to ride it again.

Only one side of the attraction was operating, we thought because it was October and so outside of peak times, but it's actually due to budget cuts; so we did have to wait about half an hour for it. We got a fabulous view of the rotting wood supporting the rollercoaster from the line. How on earth did it cost $10 million to build this rotting thing? I was seriously questioning my safety (and probably my sanity).

We finally reached the front of the line and boarded our train. They are tiny. I forgot how small they are. I made sure to pull my seatbelt super tight and get the lapbar as close to me as possible. I think this was part of the problem the last time. My seatbelt wasn't really that tight and I was riding with my dad so the lapbar wasn't anywhere near me either, which probably explains why I was jumping around all over the place and nearly out of the train.

So we left the station and went out on to the open track where we were pulled up the hill. It makes so much noise and it feels as if the entire structure is going to collapse beneath you. It is a horrible feeling. I was not feeling safe at all and was preparing to hang on for my life.

We properly got going then and I was being thrown about quite a bit, whilst trying to hang on as well as hold on to my bow. But it wasn't as bad as I remembered. I wasn't sitting there willing the ride just to end before my life did. They even took an on-ride picture for us.

And you know what?

I liked it.

I still have this mindset that Gwazi is the one attraction that makes me fear for my life, but I actually quite enjoyed it this time. The ride has definitely been made smoother (or safer). And I would go on it again.

We got off and found our parents who filmed us coming towards them and my mum is like: "are they shaken to bits?" She hates Gwazi just because of her memories of last time. That's why we couldn't convince either of them to ride with us.

We needed some time to recover so we started strolling through the park and I came across the perfect solution.

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 25: In which my slushee obsession reaches an all-time high
Friday 18 October

We walked way round up the back of the park again for some reason after we got off Gwazi. Me and mum were still both feeling the heat.

So what did we do? It was obvious really. We both got another slushee. And we both got the bigger sized cups this time. It was definitely necessary after being chucked around on Gwazi. I filled it with all different cool flavours. It was great. How many times a year do I get to have two slushees in the same day? Never. This is why number seven was a big deal.

The rest of my family rode Sand Serpent whilst I watched our bags. It was mum's first ride of the day.

Afterwards, we all went to Nairobi to see the elephants, just as something a little calmer.

We walked through the Myombe Reserve next as it's in the same area.

Then we moved on to Walkabout Way.

My brother and dad rode Montu again, and I bought a Gwazi pin in the dump shop. I also found this interesting thing whilst looking at the jewellery:

found this for sale at busch gardens... no words

Some things in America have always seemed strange to me but this is just on another level. A bacon bracelet. A BACON, SCRATCH AND SNIFF BRACELET. WHY. Okay one of them did genuinely smell like bacon but the rest just had a horrible plastic-y smell. (I couldn't resist a sniff).

Dad and I rode Cheetah Run again on our way out, and then we made the journey back to Disney.

It was dark by the time we got back and we just stayed at Coronado. We went to Pepper Market for tea, and I had chicken alfredo and a cookie. Probably hot chocolate as well.

I saw this cute sign on the way back to Ranchos:

Back in the room though, my dad put on Stacey rather than the news for some reason. I was pleased but someone else wasn't.

dad: *puts on Stacey*
brother: not that annoying woman again
me: leave

He just does not appreciate Disney's finer details.

Day 6 roundup
Weather: Roasting
Favourite attraction: Sheikra
Favourite food/drink: I have no idea what all I ate today so I’ll just have to say my two fabulous slushees
High point: Slushees
Low point: Actually liking Gwazi I was disappointed it didn't live up to my fear expectations

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[daisymomof4]

Note to self: NEVER ride Gwazi! Yikes, lol.

I was thrilled to log on today and see you've picked up your TR

Keep of the good work!

 

[meridascurls]

Note to self: NEVER ride Gwazi! Yikes, lol.

I was thrilled to log on today and see you've picked up your TR

Keep of the good work!

Life got a little crazy with exams but it's good to be back! Thanks for continuing to read!

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 26: Morning at Legoland
Saturday 19 October

Today we were heading to Legoland! It was somewhere we'd never been before (it actually only opened during our 2011 trip) and we got good deals on tickets meaning we got in for about $20 each so we thought, why not?

We had to drive to somewhere completely new and we didn't get lost. We seemed to be doing pretty well so far with the whole driving thing.

We could tell as soon as we stepped out of the car it was going to be a hot day. I'm sure our car said it was about 22 degrees and it wasn't even 10 o'clock yet.

We got in and went for an explore. We bore right coming out of The Beginning and walked past the Duplo Village. There is a little farm there and the smell was horrific. We kept on walking and spotted The Dragon ride, which we got in line for. It was here I really noticed the difference in the attitudes of Disney cast members and staff at other parks. One of the attendants admitting us to the loading area just looked as if he could not be bothered and it was pretty obvious in the way he came across.

We boarded and the ride started. Before the actual roller coaster part, it winds through this sort of story section and all the little sets are made out of Lego, which was a surprise but everything was very well done. I had no idea what the story was but oh well. When the coaster comes back in to the loading bay everyone starts clapping for some reason. It’s cute but I'm not sure why. Probably something to do with the story I didn't understand.

We next went to World of Chima, but didn't ride anything because it was a water ride, and then went back through Lego Kingdoms past The Dragon and into the Land of Adventure.

We got in line for what we thought was the rollercoaster. It only had a 5 minute wait, which we thought was a bit strange, but it turned out it was the Lost Kingdom Adventure, a ride a bit like Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. It was really fun!

We did the Safari Trek next and it is SO well done. The ride is actually pretty fast so is difficult to get good pictures on but there is a lot of detail.

Next up was Coastersaurus. It is a wooden coaster which looks a lot like Gwazi, but is actually so much smoother, probably because it is only a couple of years old and Gwazi is like from the 1990s. Don't get me wrong, it was still bumpier than the other steel coasters but it wasn't Gwazi bumpy.

We wandered down the path to Lego City and found some wonderful sprinklers. It was getting really warm.

I saw the Boating School and really wanted to ride. I convinced everyone to come on too. I rode with mum. The rest of my family originally thought the boats are on a track and you 'driving' them is just an illusion, but you are actually in control of the steering and where your boat goes. I loved it. It was so much fun. (I don't think the boys liked it as much. They couldn't keep control of the boat .)

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 27: More time at Legoland
Saturday 19 October

We rode Flying School next. Me and my brother got the front seats which was an interesting experience and also gave a great view, because it's one of those coasters where the track is above your head rather than underneath you (I can't remember what their proper name is).

One thing I really wanted to do was the Driving School. Unfortunately the age limit is 13 years old and under. My dad said I'd pass for under 13 but mum said I wouldn't so I didn't bother trying.

We had some snacks we'd brought from breakfast outside the Fried Chicken Co., then my brother, dad and I decided to ride Rescue Academy. It is a very strange attraction and I'm not really sure what the point of it is but it was fun.

We walked round to the Lego Technic area but the Project X ride was down, so my brother and I rode Wave Racers, which was pretty random. Project X was still down when we got off, so we carried on to Miniland. This part was so cool.

I could feel myself frying in the heat so we went back to ride Project X, which had reopened. It's very similar to Primeval Whirl and it was good fun.

We had pretty much covered everything at this point, so we decided to watch the Pirates' Cove Water Ski Show before leaving. This show is one of the strangest things I have ever seen. I can't remember the exact plot but it involved people dressed up in massive Lego figurine costumes and waterskiing. (How on earth did they do this?!) It was very impressive but very weird.

After the show finished, we did a little bit of shopping and then started the drive back to Disney.

Went to Legoland today! It was so cute.

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 28: Downtown Disney
Saturday 19 October

We went back to the resort first for a while then caught the bus to the Marketplace.

My dad decided we were having dinner at Wolfgang Puck's. Everyone else in my family loves this place as much as I love Earl's. I had my usual, spaghetti bolognese, and I think I had a fruit cup for dessert. During our 2011 trip, we had the same server at the till the two times we ate here, and because I wore the same top both times he recognised us. I'm pretty sure we had that guy again, although he didn't recognise us. Funnily enough, I had the same top with me, but I wasn't wearing at this point. Who knows, maybe if I had worn it...

It was a lovely evening so we got a table outside. This was when I first started noticing the music loop. There was this one song on it which I don't know but it was very catchy. I do know that it came either before or after When I See an Elephant Fly. I've not been very successful in my search so far, but if anyone is familiar with this music loop, could you let me know? I'd really appreciate it.

The service and food was great as always. Once we finished up, we did some shopping. I found these in Goofy’s Candy Co:

Does anyone ever actually buy these?!

In World of Disney, I bought some clothes amongst other things. I was with my mum at the checkout when a cast member working alongside the person on the register exclaimed; "she has the Mickey cupcake pin! It's the last one I need for my collection! I've been looking for it forever!"

Since she didn't directly ask, I offered to trade with her. After all, that's what I'd bought them for. I picked a Lucky from 101 Dalmations mousekears-shaped pin and gave her the Mickey cupcake. She was delighted and told me I'd made her day. She would not stop thanking me.

made a cast member's day trading her my mickey cupcake pin haha aw

We decided to call it a day whilst I was feeling good for making someone happy and went back to Coronado. We were off for some more water park fun in the morning!

Day 7 roundup
Weather: Super warm during the day and a mild evening
Favourite attraction: Boating School
Favourite food/drink: Spaghetti Bolognese and water because heat
High point: Trading the pin and making someone happy
Low point: Not being able to ride Driving School
Pin trades of the day: Mousekears Lucky

Continued in next post >>>​

 

[meridascurls]

Chapter 29: Storming along at Blizzard Beach
Sunday 20 October

We woke up later this morning and went to the Pepper Market for breakfast. It was a bit of a disaster. Our server was very inattentive and we had to sit for about 20 minutes after we'd finished our meal to catch her attention and get her to bring us the bill. And of course, you can't actually go up to the registers yourself to pay, the server has to come over to you with the bill and you pay at your table. We were still expected to give her a tip also. This place just blows my mind.

After we eventually got out, we drove the 5 minutes to Blizzard Beach. It was literally only down the road from Coronado Springs.

We got ourselves situated in a nice shady area and then hit the slopes. Our first stop was the purple slopes and Downhill Double Dipper, followed by Snow Stormers and Toboggan Racers.

We moved on to the green slopes next, and my brother and dad rode Slush Gusher. It's the one next to Summit Plummet and it's only a little less steep. I did not ride, even the thought scares me. None of us rode Summit Plummet. This is probably the one attraction in Disney I will never, ever do.

We got the chairlift up Mount Gushmore for the first time ever and rode Teamboat Springs.

Finally, we hit the red slope at the back of the park to ride Runoff Rapids. Afterwards, my brother and dad did a few slides again, and I went back to see mum and spent some time in the wave pool.

From where I stand.

got a really attractive shorts/socks tan lol

I also had this:

reunited

It was getting a little cooler as the day went on and the sky clouded over, so mid afternoon we decided to go back to the resort for tea.

Continued in next post >>>​