Sailing the Skyliner: Life is the Bubbles on Spring Break - A March 2024 Trip Report

[Araminta18]

At first, I thought, maybe she didn’t think it was so bad. DD7 tried it next. She quickly let me know she did not like that one. But you can see in the background of her second picture that the Beverly was sinking in for DD9 and she clearly did not like it either!

Ok that second picture with both of them making faces is hilarious!

The girls kept asking me why I made them try Beverly if I knew it tasted so bad. DD7 said her favorite was the Dominican Republic (Minute Maid) and DD9’s favorite was the Korea option.

LOL poor girls. I kind of felt that way after I made Trevor try Beverly but...everyone has to try it! oh well. My fave is the Moldova 'cause I love raspberry. I wish Club Cool would sell full size bottles of the sodas so you can buy them if you like one.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I am SOOOOOO behind!!!! But I will get caught up!

One of my favorite items in the whole exhibit was the first drawing of Disneyland, drawn by Herb Ryman, who spent a weekend drawing as Walt described his vision for an amusement park. This was a reproduction of the original, but still very cool to see it so large (I think I've seen this in a book before).

I loved this as well!

We had to get our pictures with the replica of the Partners statue.

We didn't have that!!! That is cool!

We were in the Uber at 4:57am and paid $30 with tip even though we were supposed to have had a free shuttle to the airport. It was only a 7-minute ride to get to the airport and we were through security by 5:28am, with very little wait. We had just enough time to grab some coffee and breakfast before our flight.

Oof I am sure it was hard to have to pay but you don't want to miss your flight!!

Once everyone was loaded onto the plane, they immediately announced that we were going to have a one-hour delay.

Ugh!!! That is the worst.

we were going to have a one-hour delay. They said we were going to taxi to a safe place to park for that hour. We were supposed to take off at 7:15am, but at 8:18am, they said it was going to be another hour. The people around us on the plane were su

Did they say why? Weird that they moved you away from the gate.

We were on our first ride (the faux monorail) at 12:53pm! The girls got a kick out of that this time around.

Yeah!!! Love the first ride of the trip.

Here are my parents 44 years ago:

Love this!!!

We had been there for over 20 minutes when I finally got a person on the phone, and then they couldn’t find our reservation! They asked if I had a different last name. While they were searching, I tried the app again, and we finally had a room number listed! It was 7620, just two rooms down from my parents. I let the CM on the phone know that I had received my room number and quickly hung up.

How could they not find your reservation?!?! Sometimes it is amazing how bad they can be! That is awsome that you got the 3 rooms next to each other! Perfect

As a 5-year-old kid I would have been in awe to shower in Ariel’s grotto!

That is. really cool.

And for those following my pre-trip report, we were not able to see Ursula from our room

Woo hoo!

ut we did get a laugh when the girls would talk about Ursula's butt every time we walked out to the stairs. She is impressive!

ha! Such a little girl thing to do. My girls totally would have done that when they were your girls ages.

Pat sad the salad was just okay,

Pre made Ceasar salad is always just ok. I swear something happens to the lettuce!

So cute!

A little spoiler for you – it would have cost us more out of pocket than what we paid for the plan! BUT, we also ordered a lot more snacks, dessert and alcoholic drinks than we would have if we were not on the plan, in order to get that value.

That is always the stitch with the Dinning Plan. But I also just like the idea of splurging some times, you know. I would do it again if we got free dinning like you guys did.

oping to hear the music under the water in the Big Blue Pool, and he said they don’t play the music anymore! He wasn’t sure why, but I felt better about bailing after learning that.

I JUST heard someone say that they were "rescueing" too many people from the pool! Thinking they were drowning when they were just really trying to listen to the music. I have NO IDEA if that is true or not. But it kind of makes sense.

and they said yes (they didn’t mention it on the phone, but I knew to expect the $6 charge for having our groceries delivered, and we left a tip, which was worth it to save us the time and hassle).

When we called for our groceries they didn't mention it this time either. I kind of thought maybe they don't charge at the deluxes resorts... but they do. But I agree it is worth it. Especially if you got heavy things like water and soda.

Is that because we were coming from a Disney resort?

So, I noticed this as well! When we were eating at Eet, it is all the way on the side where the lyft and uber drop off. And they had security there! Which is weird, why just there? Nothing is really stopping you from parking at a park and just getting on a bus to Disney Springs.

 

[jrmint427]

Your food choices look great! It seems like you've been making really good time this day. I almost forgot about Club Cool!

Thank you! We fit a lot into that day, looking back I can't believe how much we got done even with higher crowds. I forgot about Club Cool for many years but was excited to give it another try!

Your booth choices look great. I’ve always wanted to do a F&G trip and this is making me want to go even more!

It is so much fun, you should go!!

I hope it's okay that I lol'd at this! Poor, betrayed children!

Haha definitely okay My daughter saw me scroll past that picture and asked once more why I made them try it. I also try to remind them that everyone has their own taste, but I didn't remember just how bad it was and was curious what they would think of it!

Club Cool looks fun! I knew about it before our trip but since my daughter's not drinking soda yet, we never made it a priority. Thanks for sharing! (Even if no one liked Beverly.)

It is fun! We skipped it every trip when they were younger because we hadn't introduced soda yet. They didn't want it when they didn't know what they were missing It's really only been in this past year (since they were 7 and 9) that we even let them have Sprite as a treat.

Where did you find these? I think this will be a good option for JP.

We got the scratch off books on Amazon! They were great entertainment any time we were waiting, especially at restaurants if there weren't coloring sheets for the kids or they finished their meal quickly and were bored.

Totally! We did it to JP in December. I laugh every time I watch the video.

How did JP respond?? I'm so glad to have it on camera!

Just joining in. Your issues with your flight are one of the reasons I opted to drive down this time. Just couldn't risk delays. But wow, you all have gotten a lot done in Epcot already.

Thanks for joining in! I'm with you, if we're 15 hours or less away, we're driving for sure. We don't mind long road trips and we all prefer that to the stress of flying. We're just a little too far away now. We did get a lot done on our Epcot day!

Ok that second picture with both of them making faces is hilarious!

Haha, that was a screen grab from the video I took - I thought that was so funny when I realized they were both making faces! I missed that in real life, DD9 didn't have a strong reaction at first so I had moved on to DD7.

LOL poor girls. I kind of felt that way after I made Trevor try Beverly but...everyone has to try it! oh well. My fave is the Moldova 'cause I love raspberry. I wish Club Cool would sell full size bottles of the sodas so you can buy them if you like one.

Aw, I agree, everyone has to try it! I'm always curious who will like it or at least not mind it. Now that you say that, I'm surprised they don't sell full sizes of the sodas, sounds like they're missing an opportunity there!

I am SOOOOOO behind!!!! But I will get caught up!

I'm just glad you're here!! I've surprisingly made good progress already!

We didn't have that!!! That is cool!

It's interesting to see how the exhibits vary in different cities, I'm curious to see if the next one will be any different!

Oof I am sure it was hard to have to pay but you don't want to miss your flight!!

Exactly, not a great feeling when you pay more for a hotel that's supposed to have a free shuttle, but also wasn't going to risk the flight over that!

Did they say why? Weird that they moved you away from the gate.

They just said staffing issues with air traffic control, my guess is they boarded us just in case they got the green light to go sooner, but we also thought it was weird we had to move away from the gate and just park far away.

How could they not find your reservation?!?! Sometimes it is amazing how bad they can be! That is awsome that you got the 3 rooms next to each other! Perfect

I was so confused by that too! They can have great customer service but I got really nervous when they weren't recognizing my last name. I was just thankful the room number came through so I could get off that call! We were super lucky with the three rooms in a row.

I JUST heard someone say that they were "rescueing" too many people from the pool! Thinking they were drowning when they were just really trying to listen to the music. I have NO IDEA if that is true or not. But it kind of makes sense.

Oh wow, I hadn't thought about that but it does make a lot of sense! If that was what happened, there's no way they're bringing it back.

When we called for our groceries they didn't mention it this time either. I kind of thought maybe they don't charge at the deluxes resorts... but they do. But I agree it is worth it. Especially if you got heavy things like water and soda.

That is interesting! I'm surprised they don't mention it, but it's totally worth it. We did have waters and gatorades that would have been heavy to carry.

So, I noticed this as well! When we were eating at Eet, it is all the way on the side where the lyft and uber drop off. And they had security there! Which is weird, why just there? Nothing is really stopping you from parking at a park and just getting on a bus to Disney Springs.

That is interesting! I was really surprised about the lack of security, especially with how easy they've made security check points now. I think we did see a police officer with a dog nearby, so maybe that was in place of normal security.

 

[jrmint427]

Guardians, Figment, F&G Food & Frozen​

Pat, his mom and I had an ILL for Guardians starting at 1:10pm. I got my parents and the girls a LL for Journey into Imagination with Figment starting at 12:55pm to overlap with our ILL. I’ve still never been on Figment, and this was the first time for the girls and my parents. The girls seemed to enjoy it!

We got to Guardians at 1:28pm and were in the pre-show 10 minutes later. The pre-show and the wait after took quite a bit of time, it was another 16 minutes before we were actually on the ride. However, the ILL definitely saves some time. The regular line with the VQ would have likely taken 45-60 minutes. If we estimated that the regular line was 45 min and we waited 10 (to the pre-show), then we saved 35 minutes.

We paid $54.33 for 3 ILLs, which meant we paid $1.55 (or $0.52 per person) per minute saved. This is on the high side as far as price per minute for LL or ILL, but with the rest of our family waiting for us, and the ability to schedule the time we wanted to ride, it felt worth it to us. If everyone in our party had wanted to ride, it probably would have made more sense to try for the VQ and wait together.

We had a great ride! This is one of the best roller coasters. We think we had “One Way or Another” as our song. I even said something about paying attention to the song right before we rode, and we still couldn't remember 100% later on, but that's the song Pat and I both thought we had. I wish I knew where the camera was, I was trying so hard to keep my hair out of my face this time, but I did not succeed. It’s a smooth ride but we always feel a little woozy after that one.



When we got off the ride at 2:00pm, I texted my parents to see where they were so we could meet up for our FEA LL (window started at 2:15pm). We had all gotten hungry again, so my parents were going to take the kids to look for food when they were off Figment. My parents ended up getting food from Lotus House in China but called me to say the kids didn’t want any food they had seen so far. I told them I would keep my eyes out for something the kids liked on the way back, but worst case they could have some of the snacks we packed, and we’d get them a proper lunch after FEA.

I knew we were going to pass the Honey Bee-stro booth on our way back to the World Showcase, and all three of us wanted to try the honey-glazed cauliflower there after hearing a couple of podcasters rave about it. We ordered 2 portions to share ($5 each).



This was honey-roasted carrot puree, wild rice pilaf, spring vegetables, honey-blistered grapes, and sunflower brittle. The flavors worked so well together, we loved every bite of it. The sunflower brittle was crunchy and was a really nice touch with the rice and the veggies. I hope they keep this item in future years. We found a high-top table and ate quickly, then went to meet the rest of our family in Norway.

We got to FEA at 2:30pm. The posted wait time was 100 minutes but we only waited about 8 minutes to get on the ride with our LL. DD7 was nervous about the drop at the end of this one but agreed to ride with us.



Off the ride, it was time to find some real food for the girls. We hadn't found food for them before FEA, but I think they got into our packed snacks. Pat, his mom and I were hungry too.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I’ve still never been on Figment, and this was the first time for the girls and my parents. The girls seemed to enjoy it!

First, I’m glad you had a chance to try Club Cool. My oldest doesn’t drink soda either (she drinks water and milk, and very occasionally has lemonade - she doesn’t even drink much juice!) so I don’t know that we’ll stop in this trip. I’m glad you had fun trying soda and surprising your girls with the deliciousness that is Beverly.

Yay! I’m glad your girls had a chance to go on Journey into Imagination. I know many people skip it, but I love seeing that purple dragon.

It seems ILL is the way to go on the virtual queue rides if you can swing the price. Everything I’ve read indicates you can save significant time with the ILL versus the queue - I’m glad it was the case for you! And I’m glad you loved the ride… I can’t wait to try it!

I knew we were going to pass the Honey Bee-stro booth on our way back to the World Showcase, and all three of us wanted to try the honey-glazed cauliflower there after hearing a couple of podcasters rave about it.

I’ve heard so many things about that cauliflower! That plate is beautiful.

The posted wait time was 100 minutes but we only waited about 8 minutes to get on the ride with our LL.

Wow! That’s a huge time savings! I’m so glad you got the Frozen lightning lane and that it worked out so well for you.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I made it! I am caught up!!!

Not long after we were sat, our server brought out a champagne toast for my parents to celebrate their anniversary. That was a nice touch!

that is so nice!!!

really liked this Sangria, even better than the Rose Sangria we ordered last time. My MIL ordered a beer while the four of us split the sangria. It was more than enough for each of us, I was feeling the drink by the end of our

Have you had the Sangria at Three Bridges? I was wondering how they compare

wo minutes later we received the Ensalada de aguacate y mojo verde “Spanish Diner” (avocado, mojo verde and goat cheese salad). This was a new dish for us, and it tasted as good as it looks.

This alone makes me want to go here. That looks amazing!

nd they said it’s Manchego cheese with goat cheese sprinkled on top of it. We have to try to re-create this at home, but I know it will never be as good!

Interesting... We haven't gone because I didn't know what Gwen would eat, but she would eat that and it is fancy!

aleo is included in the meal plan, but it would have cost 2 credits each, and considering that would just be the tasting menu for two of us adults (and I don’t eat meat or seafood), we decided it made more sense to pay for this meal out of pocket. The total for all seven of us was $229.01 (including tax and tip), which was only $32.72 per person including drinks. I think that is a great value, especially for table service at Disney

Sounds like a good decision!

hey pointed out that we had received 20% off coupons at the pop-up M&M stand bef

Savy Girls!!!

for three minutes before I got THE text: “Your moment is here!” I

YEAH!!!

Last time we waited 20-25 minutes outside, this evening we only waited about 8 minutes before we entered the store.

I wonder if the long wait really turned people off.

asked the cashier if the cold brew would keep okay overnight and she said yes, but recommended I order it with no ice, which is what I did. I ordered the Peanut Butter Cold Brew. The vibe in the shop is half of the fun.

I wanted to do this but we still had a dinning reservation so didn't.

The cake was only okay. It hardened pretty quickly before we got to eat much of it, which was sad. I'll have to give their cakes another chance, but only if we can eat it fairly quickly.

Weird, ours were fine. I wonder if you just had an old piece. Bummer

e had a really long walk, as the Art of Animation bus was all the way at the far end of the U-shaped bus area, so it was one of the longest walks

That bus stop is cruel!!! It is so long, and you walk all the way to one end to get to the other.

wasn’t too worried about it selling out this week, so I did not stay up until midnight each night to buy it, but since I was awake

If I need to stay up to midnight to buy Genie+, I am out. After this trip, I really don't like it.

! We wondered if it was because it was a Sunday morning (or because of Daylight Savings?), but a CM said they expected the line to get much longer in another 10 minutes or so.

Sunday seems to be quieter for some reason. But sounds like good timing! Just early enough.

We arrived at 7:37am for 8:30am early entry. I recognize that this means we basically spent an hour waiting for Remy, but it was an hour outside of park hours, which allowed us to maximize our time while the park was open

This is exactly what I said when we were doing the same thing, but we weren't as early as you guys.

At 8:16am they let us move toward the Remy queue, and that is when a lot of people behind us started to run and elbow their way forward. I know the CMs discourage running, but as I’ve seen others mention too, I wish Disney had a system that would help the crowd to move forward in a safer way at rope drop. I noticed a few people had to drop out of the line to park their strollers, and I was thankful to be past that stage! It took us 7 minutes to get from that spot above to the entrance of the Remy queue due to the crowds.

Ugh. This makes me glad we showed up when we did.

Remy’s ended up being down 25% of this day and averaged a 122-minute wait time throughout the day, so I was glad we rope dropped this ride.

Remy seems to go down way more than I would have thougth it would!

We agreed the Japanese garden was our favorite

We totally missed this!

As you can see, we had much of the World Showcase to ourselves on this walk, which is a rare sight for us!

Great Photo!!!

And this one too! You need to do this each trip with her!

Did they put a stranger with your MIL? That is weird with the show going back down...

I just noticed there skirts / dresses. Love them!

The Moana walk through is a great addition to Epcot

We loved it was well. It is a great addition. That whole area looks soooo much better now. I just wish it hadn't take so long.

I also love how they overlay characters from Nemo on top of the real aquarium at the end of the ride.

That is my favorite part as well.

to 12:55pm in less than a minute, and then 12:35pm about 5 minutes later. I realized I was paying more attention to Genie+ than the ride, which is always my issue with the app, so I put it away as we were entering the tunnel to see the plants.

I was trying to get a LL for a ride that was sold out and was checking all the time. I finally stopped. I was like this isn't worth it. And finally just decided to enjoy what we were doing at the time.

My parents went off to the Refreshment Station nearby to get a watermelon slushy and they found a table in the shade there. They knew the drill and took a picture of the slushy before drinking it.

Morgan got this as well. She really enjoyed it.

Pat and his mom went to find Farmer’s Feast. They got the Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-down cake ($4.75) and the Veal Tenderloin with Spring Pea Risotto ($8.50). They did not remember the drill (yet) and did not take any pictures.

Ha! We train them all!

sty. It’s rare for me to find “chick’n fried steak” that is vegetarian, so I had to try it. The gravy was the best part. I shared this

I agree the gravy was really good.

This is hilarious! I love it.

As we were leaving, we saw the JAMMitors wrapping up a session. I think this was the first time I got to see them in person!

This is exactly what happened to us too! Too funny. Our EPCOT days were fairly similar.

The pre-show and the wait after took quite a bit of time, it was another 16 minutes before we were actually on the ride.

the pre-show is a little much for this ride. The first time we did it, I kept thinking ANOTHER room!?!?

 

[vamassey1]

We got the scratch off books on Amazon! They were great entertainment any time we were waiting, especially at restaurants if there weren't coloring sheets for the kids or they finished their meal quickly and were bored.

I'm going to have to look for these. Thanks!

How did JP respond?? I'm so glad to have it on camera!

Danielle set him up. She gave him a sample of all the good ones then let him get the Beverly for himself. He was ok at first and then he made the most awful face. He laughed at the video too. Wanted us to post it so it would go viral.

It’s a smooth ride but we always feel a little woozy after that one.

I've only ridden it once and did not do well. I keep telling myself to give it another try but still chicken out.

I knew we were going to pass the Honey Bee-stro booth on our way back to the World Showcase, and all three of us wanted to try the honey-glazed cauliflower there after hearing a couple of podcasters rave about it. We ordered 2 portions to share ($5 each).

I want this too!

 

[awrites]

We paid $54.33 for 3 ILLs, which meant we paid $1.55 (or $0.52 per person) per minute saved. This is on the high side as far as price per minute for LL or ILL, but with the rest of our family waiting for us, and the ability to schedule the time we wanted to ride, it felt worth it to us. If everyone in our party had wanted to ride, it probably would have made more sense to try for the VQ and wait together.

Oh hmm! I hadn’t thought to try breaking out the cost of ILLs in terms of time saved. You’re right it does seem high, but I totally get the pressure of knowing the rest of your party is waiting for you.

We had a great ride! This is one of the best roller coasters. We think we had “One Way or Another” as our song. I even said something about paying attention to the song right before we rode, and we still couldn't remember 100% later on, but that's the song Pat and I both thought we had. I wish I knew where the camera was, I was trying so hard to keep my hair out of my face this time, but I did not succeed. It’s a smooth ride but we always feel a little woozy after that one.

I’m terrible at spotting the cameras in general, but all the spinning in Guardians makes it extra hard! (I also had my hair all in my face.) And it’s a little rough on the vestibular senses.

The cauliflower also looks super-yummy! Maybe I could convince my DD4 to try it if it’s around whenever we make it back!

 

[Araminta18]

We got to Guardians at 1:28pm and were in the pre-show 10 minutes later. The pre-show and the wait after took quite a bit of time, it was another 16 minutes before we were actually on the ride. However, the ILL definitely saves some time. The regular line with the VQ would have likely taken 45-60 minutes. If we estimated that the regular line was 45 min and we waited 10 (to the pre-show), then we saved 35 minutes.

Nice! Only 10 min! The pre-shows themselves do take up SO much time, and then you bunch up and it's this weird free for all - I wish they'd revamp how they do those. Trevor hates the pre-shows so much he almost doesn't want to ride anymore, despite LOVING the ride itself. That's how bad the pre-show stuff is for him.

We paid $54.33 for 3 ILLs, which meant we paid $1.55 (or $0.52 per person) per minute saved. This is on the high side as far as price per minute for LL or ILL, but with the rest of our family waiting for us, and the ability to schedule the time we wanted to ride, it felt worth it to us. If everyone in our party had wanted to ride, it probably would have made more sense to try for the VQ and wait together.

oh i've never thought of doing a price per minute! That's interesting!

We had a great ride! This is one of the best roller coasters. We think we had “One Way or Another” as our song. I even said something about paying attention to the song right before we rode, and we still couldn't remember 100% later on, but that's the song Pat and I both thought we had. I wish I knew where the camera was, I was trying so hard to keep my hair out of my face this time, but I did not succeed. It’s a smooth ride but we always feel a little woozy after that one.

Such a good coaster! I love getting the different songs - we often put on our voice recorders on our phone when we get on so we get the recording of what song we get cause I'll forget too! Also i never know where the camera is either - CMs have told us where but I still can't find it/look at it for a good shot.

This was honey-roasted carrot puree, wild rice pilaf, spring vegetables, honey-blistered grapes, and sunflower brittle. The flavors worked so well together, we loved every bite of it. The sunflower brittle was crunchy and was a really nice touch with the rice and the veggies. I hope they keep this item in future years. We found a high-top table and ate quickly, then went to meet the rest of our family in Norway.

Ok so just reading the description of this the other day I was like "meh" but with such a positive review we may have to try it!!

 

[jrmint427]

Yay! I’m glad your girls had a chance to go on Journey into Imagination. I know many people skip it, but I love seeing that purple dragon.

I'm glad they got to ride it too! I am hoping I'll ride it eventually. I think we'll need two days at Epcot on a future trip (or a day and a half if we ever do park hoppers). One day is just never enough. I can't understand the people who call it a half-day park!

It seems ILL is the way to go on the virtual queue rides if you can swing the price. Everything I’ve read indicates you can save significant time with the ILL versus the queue - I’m glad it was the case for you! And I’m glad you loved the ride… I can’t wait to try it!

I think it is! They're expensive but the LL definitely seems to save time vs. the VQ. I can't wait to hear what you think of it!

Wow! That’s a huge time savings! I’m so glad you got the Frozen lightning lane and that it worked out so well for you.

The LL paid off!

I made it! I am caught up!!!

Woohoo! You were quick!

Have you had the Sangria at Three Bridges? I was wondering how they compare

I have never been to Three Bridges, sounds like I need to go and compare!

Interesting... We haven't gone because I didn't know what Gwen would eat, but she would eat that and it is fancy!

Yes, the grilled cheese is a great option, they have a couple other kids items too! I would go for that grilled cheese alone.

Weird, ours were fine. I wonder if you just had an old piece. Bummer

That might be! We also had it in the fridge after a day or two and I wonder if we should have left it out longer. We really should have just eaten it sooner, but it wasn't my favorite flavors compared to the cookies.

That bus stop is cruel!!! It is so long, and you walk all the way to one end to get to the other.

It's SO cruel! I have no idea why they designed it that way or why our resort had to be at the very end.

If I need to stay up to midnight to buy Genie+, I am out. After this trip, I really don't like it.

I agree, I keep hearing rumors it's going to change soon and I'm curious to see what they replace it with. There is a lot of room for improvement with the current system.

And this one too! You need to do this each trip with her!

We should!

Did they put a stranger with your MIL? That is weird with the show going back down...

Yes, they did! I agree, I can understand why they might do that when the line is really long but it was only a 5-minute wait.

I just noticed there skirts / dresses. Love them!

Thank you! I love them too, they wore them on our last trip too, will see how many uses we can get out of them.

I was trying to get a LL for a ride that was sold out and was checking all the time. I finally stopped. I was like this isn't worth it. And finally just decided to enjoy what we were doing at the time.

That's the worst part of Genie+, it takes so much work that it really can take away from being able to experience the park and being present with your family. I did the same, had to try to monitor and limit myself in how much I was playing the slots vs. just accepting whatever we had.

This is exactly what happened to us too! Too funny. Our EPCOT days were fairly similar.

That is funny, I can't wait to read more about your day!

the pre-show is a little much for this ride. The first time we did it, I kept thinking ANOTHER room!?!?

It is way too long and they cram too many people in that room. And then the video just kept going every time I thought it was going to end.

 

[jrmint427]

I'm going to have to look for these. Thanks!

I hope he enjoys them!

Danielle set him up. She gave him a sample of all the good ones then let him get the Beverly for himself. He was ok at first and then he made the most awful face. He laughed at the video too. Wanted us to post it so it would go viral.

That's too funny!

I've only ridden it once and did not do well. I keep telling myself to give it another try but still chicken out.

It's so fun! But I can see how it would make many people sick and isn't worth it if the woozy feeling doesn't pass quickly.

Oh hmm! I hadn’t thought to try breaking out the cost of ILLs in terms of time saved. You’re right it does seem high, but I totally get the pressure of knowing the rest of your party is waiting for you.

I'm breaking down the cost of ILLs and LLs for our whole trip. I did it last year too, so it will be interesting to compare the various parks year over year with June vs. Spring Break crowds. This one was especially high, so I don't think it would be worth it if our whole family was willing to wait together, but it does help when splitting up.

I’m terrible at spotting the cameras in general, but all the spinning in Guardians makes it extra hard! (I also had my hair all in my face.) And it’s a little rough on the vestibular senses.

I was watching for the camera this time and still have no idea. I kept pushing my hair out of my face this time, but clearly missed doing that wherever this camera was!

Nice! Only 10 min! The pre-shows themselves do take up SO much time, and then you bunch up and it's this weird free for all - I wish they'd revamp how they do those. Trevor hates the pre-shows so much he almost doesn't want to ride anymore, despite LOVING the ride itself. That's how bad the pre-show stuff is for him.

I can understand that, you need to have a lot of patience for the pre-shows and the free for all that follows; they put way too many people in the pre-show rooms at Guardians!

oh i've never thought of doing a price per minute! That's interesting!

I did it on our last trip too! I track minutes saved with LLs and ILLs. It's interesting to compare across parks and I'll also be comparing across years this time.

Such a good coaster! I love getting the different songs - we often put on our voice recorders on our phone when we get on so we get the recording of what song we get cause I'll forget too! Also i never know where the camera is either - CMs have told us where but I still can't find it/look at it for a good shot.

That's such a good idea, we should have recorded too! I'm curious what the CMs told you to look for? I need to research more next time.

Ok so just reading the description of this the other day I was like "meh" but with such a positive review we may have to try it!!

It's hard for words to do this cauliflower dish justice! If you like the different items mentioned in it, the flavors together were unique, you should try it!

 

[jrmint427]

La Cantina de San Angel​

Most of us were hungry coming off of FEA. I knew the Mexico pavilion would have the best food options for the girls, and I had my eye on the avocado margarita there. My plan was to order food at the outdoor quick service and then head inside to La Cava del Tequila to get the avocado margarita.

I ordered two kids' meals (QS meals 3 and 4 of 16 for the dining plan) and one adult meal (QS meal 3 of 16 for the dining plan) for us to share, because Pat and I were just a little hungry and wanted to save room for more food both snacks. I asked my parents what kind of margarita they wanted, since I was going to get mine inside, and they picked the frozen lime margarita ($13.50 value). The only margarita we weren’t allowed to order with the dining plan was the Top Shelf Clasica on the Rocks ($18). My dad then insisted on going inside to the Tequila bar to get my avocado margarita.

I didn’t time how long it took to get our food, but it felt like a really long time. Most people in line behind me were only ordering drinks, and theirs were coming out much quicker. The indoor seating was closed at this time of day, so the rest of the family found a few seats around a table on the patio. We got our food around 3:10pm.

DD7 ordered the kids mac n’ cheese with apples. DD9 ordered the kids empanadas con queso with chips. The idea was for each of them to share.



I ordered the adult Empanadas con Queso. This dish was so good! The adults nibbled on this food and on the girls’ chips.



This was the lime margarita.



Total cost (paid from the dining plan): $49.52

My dad was still gone when we got our food so my mom texted him to see if he wanted me to join him in line inside, but he said no, he was close to the front, and that I should eat. When I finished my food, my dad still wasn’t back, so I headed inside the Mexican pavilion to look for him anyway and asked my mom to call me if he beat me back to the table. The line to La Cava del Tequila was really long! I saw my dad just exiting with our drinks. It was 3:27pm before we were back at the table with our drinks.

I got the La Cava Avocado (tromba blanco tequila, melon liqueur, fresh avocado and lime juice, served frozen with hibiscus salt rim, $17).



This lived up to the hype for me! It didn’t taste too much like avocado, but I really liked it, and especially liked the hibiscus salt with it.

My parents ordered what my dad said was the Pina Colada margarita, but I didn’t see that on the menu. I thought maybe it was the Pina Loca, but he wouldn’t have ordered the ginger juice, chiles or the black ant salt rim that came with this one, so I think this was just not on the online menu.



We all agreed it was really good, and my parents said it was their favorite alcoholic drink of the week.

We were disappointed the indoor QS tables were not open at this time because we could have used some A/C (why do they close it at all??) but we sat on the shaded patio for a while enjoying our food and drink, and a break from what had already been a long day.

 

[Araminta18]

That's such a good idea, we should have recorded too! I'm curious what the CMs told you to look for? I need to research more next time.

they said it's after you start going backward and you're going up that hill turning around with the flashing lights - it's somewhere in there. Good luck!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

This lived up to the hype for me! It didn’t taste too much like avocado, but I really liked it, and especially liked the hibiscus salt with it.

YEAH!!! Your Dad was determined!

We were disappointed the indoor QS tables were not open at this time because we could have used some A/C (why do they close it at all??)

So, the indoor QS is actually the other sit down restaurant in Mexico. They were probably getting ready for dinner.

 

[jrmint427]

they said it's after you start going backward and you're going up that hill turning around with the flashing lights - it's somewhere in there. Good luck!

Oh good to know, I will try to remember that! I've never noticed a camera flash but there must be a lot going on at that point. They always seem to get people looking in the right general direction so I thought there has to be something of interest to look at when they take the picture.

YEAH!!! Your Dad was determined!

Yes he was! He was on a mission for those margaritas

So, the indoor QS is actually the other sit down restaurant in Mexico. They were probably getting ready for dinner.

Oh that makes so much sense! I had no idea, I guess the restaurant is only open for dinner? We got to sit indoors for lunch in the past, but we probably ate earlier in the day. It's nice they can flex the space in that case.

 

[jrmint427]

Gran Fiesta Tour and Anna & Elsa Meet​

While we were eating, the Gran Fiesta Tour was posting a 25-minute wait! The line looked long when I went indoors to check on the margaritas, but TouringPlans said it was lower than that, and it was indoors in A/C, so we decided that was where we were heading next. We were in line at 3:53pm and waited only 8 minutes.

One thing to note is that they would not let us have our water cups (with lids) while waiting in line. We had to throw them away. That surprised me for some reason, I would have thought we could toss them before getting on the ride if needed, but maybe they have too many spills indoors and were just trying to avoid that. Then again, the Tiki Room let us bring coffee inside, so I can't figure out the different rules for different attractions.

This is not a must-do ride for us, but it’s cute and relaxing.



After that, I knew it was probably our last chance to meet Anna & Elsa. They meet until 6:30pm, but we were going to work our way through the World Showcase for the remainder of the evening and weren’t going to want to circle back. Their posted time was 45 minutes at 4:24pm, but TouringPlans was estimating a little under that, and the girls really wanted to meet the Frozen sisters. The line was where you first step inside, we ended up waiting 23 minutes.

We met Anna first. She greeted us with, “Can I say something crazy? Are you all a family or a sled racing team?” Pat said, “Why not both?” She told us her family is her sled racing team too. She chatted about Kristoff’s sled and said that Olaf prefers to slide down on his stomach instead of inside the sled, like a penguin. She asked if the girls had ever tried that before? They were quiet with most of the characters, so I jumped in to tell Anna that DD7 was a penguin in a play the week prior. Anna said she must be good at acting like a penguin in charades, then. She continued to chat about family game nights. I was impressed that Anna didn’t stop talking from the time she greeted the girls, and all while she signed both autograph books. The girls were quiet, but she filled the silence easily.

Anna and Elsa had photo boxes, which are not my favorite. I really miss the live Photo Pass photographers who capture those candid moments so well. The photo boxes caught some awkward moments with eyes closed or silly faces, but some cute moments too.







The rest of us jumped in for portraits, and I had to show Anna that I was wearing Anna earrings.



We all posed for our family portrait.



And then our family of four.



The box caught Anna waving goodbye.



Elsa was up next!

 

[disneyAndi14]

My sister actually didn’t mind Beverly at Club Cool
I think paying for Guardians is worth it. I can’t wait an hour for any ride!
We love the QS empanadas in Mexico!
The drinks look delicious. I love a Pina Colada!
The dreaded photo box pictures, ugh! The pictures did come very nice despite the box, Elsa is very fun to talk to!

 

[suse66]

Pat, his mom and I had an ILL for Guardians starting at 1:10pm. I got my parents and the girls a LL for Journey into Imagination with Figment starting at 12:55pm to overlap with our ILL. I’ve still never been on Figment, and this was the first time for the girls and my parents. The girls seemed to enjoy it!

I went on Figment for only the second time since our first trip back in 2009! It was still the same slightly surreal experience.

We got to Guardians at 1:28pm and were in the pre-show 10 minutes later. The pre-show and the wait after took quite a bit of time, it was another 16 minutes before we were actually on the ride. However, the ILL definitely saves some time. The regular line with the VQ would have likely taken 45-60 minutes. If we estimated that the regular line was 45 min and we waited 10 (to the pre-show), then we saved 35 minutes.

I do both VQ and ILL for Guardians so I can ride it as much as possible.

I do both VQWe had a great ride! This is one of the best roller coasters. We think we had “One Way or Another” as our song. I even said something about paying attention to the song right before we rode, and we still couldn't remember 100% later on, but that's the song Pat and I both thought we had. I wish I knew where the camera was, I was trying so hard to keep my hair out of my face this time, but I did not succeed. It’s a smooth ride but we always feel a little woozy after that one.

I am going to try to remember to bring a scrunchie with me because my face is always covered! It's very smooth but definitely intense. I finally got my last song of the set this trip but I think "One Way or Another" is still a favourite!

I knew we were going to pass the Honey Bee-stro booth on our way back to the World Showcase, and all three of us wanted to try the honey-glazed cauliflower there after hearing a couple of podcasters rave about it. We ordered 2 portions to share ($5 each).

This was SO good! I wish I got it more than once!

We got to FEA at 2:30pm. The posted wait time was 100 minutes but we only waited about 8 minutes to get on the ride with our LL. DD7 was nervous about the drop at the end of this one but agreed to ride with us.

FEA is always cute!

I ordered two kids' meals (QS meals 3 and 4 of 16 for the dining plan) and one adult meal (QS meal 3 of 16 for the dining plan) for us to share, because Pat and I were just a little hungry and wanted to save room for more food both snacks. I asked my parents what kind of margarita they wanted, since I was going to get mine inside, and they picked the frozen lime margarita ($13.50 value). The only margarita we weren’t allowed to order with the dining plan was the Top Shelf Clasica on the Rocks ($18). My dad then insisted on going inside to the Tequila bar to get my avocado margarita.

Mmmmm, Avocado margarita!!

One thing to note is that they would not let us have our water cups (with lids) while waiting in line. We had to throw them away. That surprised me for some reason, I would have thought we could toss them before getting on the ride if needed, but maybe they have too many spills indoors and were just trying to avoid that. Then again, the Tiki Room let us bring coffee inside, so I can't figure out the different rules for different attractions.

It's hard to know. I always have my water bottle with me and have never had an issue. What's the difference between a reusable water bottle and a water cup??

We met Anna first. She greeted us with, “Can I say something crazy? Are you all a family or a sled racing team?” Pat said, “Why not both?” She told us her family is her sled racing team too. She chatted about Kristoff’s sled and said that Olaf prefers to slide down on his stomach instead of inside the sled, like a penguin. She asked if the girls had ever tried that before? They were quiet with most of the characters, so I jumped in to tell Anna that DD7 was a penguin in a play the week prior. Anna said she must be good at acting like a penguin in charades, then. She continued to chat about family game nights. I was impressed that Anna didn’t stop talking from the time she greeted the girls, and all while she signed both autograph books. The girls were quiet, but she filled the silence easily.

What a great character interaction!

 

[Araminta18]

After that, I knew it was probably our last chance to meet Anna & Elsa. They meet until 6:30pm, but we were going to work our way through the World Showcase for the remainder of the evening and weren’t going to want to circle back. Their posted time was 45 minutes at 4:24pm, but TouringPlans was estimating a little under that, and the girls really wanted to meet the Frozen sisters. The line was where you first step inside, we ended up waiting 23 minutes.

what a fun meet and greet with Anna! And you didn't have to wait too long either! Bummer about the picture boxes - I was kind of hoping Disney had moved away from those, cause I don't remember hearing much about it recently, but then we don't usually do the set meet and greets so maybe that's why. Still though you got some great pictures!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

We met Anna first. She greeted us with, “Can I say something crazy? Are you all a family or a sled racing team?” Pat said, “Why not both?

Too funny!

And then our family of four.

This is a good photo of all of you!

The photo boxes caught some awkward moments with eyes closed or silly faces, but some cute moments too.

I hate those photoboxes!!! And I hate that you don't know what you will get till you are in there!