Day 53- Epcot

Posted on November 6, 2014 by maymiller

This evening is beautiful as we arrive at Epcot. There are quite a few people arriving late this evening.

We are getting to Disney late today because we got to go and see a Steve Harvey Show taping! He is in Orlando this week and we got to be a part of the audience for the taping of the Steve Harvey Show! We arrived at 11:30am for the 3pm taping. A staff member let us know that being in line early did not make a difference in where we would be sitting, so feel free to go and enjoy lunch or something until 1pm. We got coffee and sat in a really cool Starbucks.

We get back to the check-in at 1pm and the line is very long. It was moving fast; soon we had our bag checked and were admitted into The Groove to wait to be seated.

At 3pm we were called by the numbers on our tickets and were seated. Then, we got rearranged and ended up on the end of a row. We could see Steve Harvey really well and totally enjoyed the taping! Being there was so much fun and it was so exciting to see an icon of our time!! We left at about 5pm and started the drive to Disney’s Epcot Park!

There is a line for bag check and then a line to scan our MagicBands. We are here for supper and I didn’t make reservations ahead of time, so, we chose to go to Sunshine Seasons in The Land. They have great walk-up food stations with a good variety with several gluten free choices. The chef is called and comes out quickly to let us know that our Power Salad is perfectly fine as a gluten free choice.

We enjoy our time eating, and watching how many people there are in this area.

Time to eat!

Cheese!

Yummy Power Salad disappeared!

It is getting dark earlier tonight and it is so pretty with the full moon. Twinkie stopped to look at pins, and we had a nice chat with the cast member.

What a fun day!!

Day 52- A Frozen Holiday Wish arrives at Magic Kingdom!

Posted on November 5, 2014 by maymiller

This evening is the first ever performance of A Frozen Holiday Wish at Magic Kingdom! It features the lighting of Cinderella’s Castle for Christmas, and we want to see the very first one of the season (and the first one ever with Elsa)!

We get to the parking lot and are able to park about five cars down from the tram! Oh, I love when we get to park close. We hop on the tram and once we get to the Transportation and Ticket Center, we catch to the Monorail. We get on the Monorail and the doors close, open, close, open, a few more people hop on, and the doors close. Now, there is an announcement that we are holding for a few moments due to a routine maintenance check. The people waiting to board are redirected to the Resort Monorail that stops at the Resorts and Magic Kingdom. The doors on our Monorail open and close, and open and close, and then open again. We are advised that we will be moving to the Resort Monorail across the way, and Magic Kingdom is the third stop.

So, we exit this Monorail and head across the platform, and wait a moment to board the Resort Monorail. We waited for our turn to board, but all of the cars were full since everyone had been redirected to this Monorail. We walked all the way down, and back to the middle. They just loaded two scooters and there was room for three on the seats, so, I ask the cast member if we could board this car, and he said, “Sure!” Another cast member jumped in our Monorail car just before the doors closed, then we were off and running.

When we were sitting at the second stop (Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa), we noticed that the other (Express) Monorail was passing us on the left. Tooti said, “Hey, they’re going the wrong way!” We knew it was because the Express Monorail and the Resort Monorails run in opposite directions on their separate tracks. I said, “It’s a race, it’s a race!” Our car began to laugh! As we got to Magic Kingdom, we looked and the other Monorail was still moving as we stopped! The cast member in front of us said, “Looks like we win!” Of course we had to holler, “Yay! We win!!!” as we started clapping; our whole car was cheering and laughing. The cast member thanked us for having such a good attitude about the delay and changing of Monorails. You’re welcome!

Main Street USA looks so beautiful at night! The moon is to the right and it is so beautiful. The Christmas wreaths are beautiful and brightly lit tonight. We have a few minutes before we need to be at Cinderella’s Castle for A Frozen Holiday Wish. Coffee? We stop at the Main Street Bakery for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, and then go to find a place to stand and wait for A Frozen Holiday Wish. We stand near a nice family.

The anticipation is great and there is a lot of chatter about tonight being the first lighting of Cinderella’s Castle this holiday season. The lady behind me talked about how even she is a kid at heart; she is the second person my age that told me that this evening! I love hearing ladies who love to be at Disney, and I love to hear how much Disney means to them.

Oh, listen to the beautiful sounds as A Frozen Holiday Wish begins. I love hearing the audience as Elsa and Anna take the stage. Kristoff is there too, and soon we get our very first glimpse of… OLAF! The crowd goes wild as Olaf, in all his huggable glory, appears on the castle balcony and greets us.

Soon, Elsa lights the castle with ice and snow. There are no words to describe how truly beautiful and fantastic this is, and the awe that falls over the crowd is phenomenal. This is an absolutely magical must see!

We wait a few minutes and step aside as we are waiting for the crowd to disperse a little before we make our way down Main Street USA. Soon, we are on the Ferry Boat back to the Transportation and Ticket Center. It is a warm night and a beautiful evening featuring the first ever performance of A Frozen Holiday Wish.

Day 51- Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom

Posted on November 4, 2014 by maymiller

Today is pretty and it looks cold outside, but actually, it is in the mid-70s with a gentle breeze. Tonight, we have late reservations at Be Our Guest.

It is after 8pm as we arrive at the Transportation and Ticket Center, and we are able to park really close. We walk to the Monorail and head to Magic Kingdom! As we arrive at Magic Kingdom, we begin to see the Christmas decorations as we pull into the Monorail station. How exciting!

We get through bag check, scan our Magic Bands, and go to see the Mickey Mouse formed in the flowers (in front of the train station), along with the new Christmas trees. Christmas decorations are beginning to go up on Main Street USA. It is so pretty.

We make our way to Fantasyland and watch the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It is really fun to be close to the ride watching it go by; it seems that the people riding in the front have their hands up, and the further back you go, the more they seem to be hanging on and bracing themselves. Also, where we are standing, it looks like the Mine Train is coming right at you! It is a fun spot to watch from.

There is still a little time before we can check-in at Be Our Guest so we go to the Bonjour! Village Gift Shop to look at the new arrivals for Christmas.

It is almost 8:45, so we can go check-in at Be Our Guest at The Beast’s Castle. We arrive, and there is a very long line to check-in, but as we wait, there are so many who are checking for walk-up availability and are turned away. We had heard that you should plan several months ahead to get a reservation. We have been checking often and found one three weeks ago, so we get to go tonight.

Soon, we are summoned by the Beast to be seated. We are escorted to the Rose Gallery, Belle’s favorite room, featuring beautiful pictures of Belle and the Beast’s love story on the walls. It is so pretty and the music box that Maurice, Belle’s father, built as a wedding present for Belle, plays in this room. As soon as we are seated, we hear the Wishes Fireworks starting. Oh, I forgot they were early tonight. However, it is fun to hear and the dad at a nearby table says, “They are trying to storm and raid the castle!” His kids laughed, but it did sound like the movie when they storm the castle! The little kids beside us are asleep on their parents, and stretched out on the chair and bench. It looks so cute. These are late night dinners; little ones are so very sleepy.

We meet our waiter, and the chef comes out to check on our gluten free order. We have Potato Leek Soup and Pommes Frites (French Fries) with Truffle Mayonnaise. They are amazing! Then, our favorite dessert! Lemon Raspberry Cream Puffs! Yes, it is totally gluten free and so very yummy!

We are notified that the Beast will be taking pictures until 10:45pm. It is 10:15 and we are on our way to the study to meet the Beast and take a picture with him. It is so fun to meet him and get a big hug.

After our picture, we know it is time to leave Magic Kingdom. The park is open until 10pm tonight. We stop a few times to get pictures and enjoy the Disney Kiss Goodnight as we watch Cinderella’s Castle.

As we near the front exit, we see a sign that says 51 days until Christmas! We three laugh, that is so cool! We are on our 51st day at Disney and there are 51 days until Christmas. What a really neat thing to happen!

It was such a fun evening with such fun people. We even chatted with a mom and her daughter who is working in the Disney college program. They were very nice and it made the ride on the Monorail more fun! What a lovely, cool evening!

Day 50- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at Epcot

Posted on November 3, 2014 by maymiller

Today is a sunny day in Florida! Disney’s Epcot parking lot is busy… Oh, look! We are on the very last row, facing away from the other cars! I didn’t even know this row was here! 😀 The parking attendants are alternating, parking cars to the left, and we are to the right!

Now, we cross over to the front of the line of cars, and walk to the tram! We are seated and the family behind us is chatting about their grandson, who decided to walk to the entrance. The dad said that his son thinks he can make it to the front before we make it on the tram. So, I just had to say, “It’s a race!” They chuckled. We watched as we got closer and yes, we won! It was a close race, though; the grandson was about to cross the road and had to stop to let the tram pass, just as we turned. I love hearing fun things like this happening!

We are celebrating our 50th day in a row at Disney! This is a day to celebrate with the Disney Princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway! We get to Norway and have a little while to wait, so we go to the Frozen inspired Norsk Kultur Gallery, shop in the Norway shops, and then sit for a minute to enjoy the cool breeze.

Now, we are right on time to get checked in and get in line. It is just a few minutes, and we are called to enter into the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. We are escorted to get our photo with Belle. She is so beautiful.

We are seated, and soon the chef comes out to let us know what not to eat on the banquet’s “cold buffet.” Our gluten free dinners are ordered and we soon have our first pictures with the princesses at our table.

The “cold” buffet

Lots of great foods and cheeses!

Norwegian Meatballs

Roast Beef Sandwich and warm potato salad

Salmon and salted cod potatoes

Our first princess picture is with Cinderella. She is an absolutely beautiful princess and so kind. Quickly, Aurora was chatting with us. She was so cute as she talked with us and took our pictures with her. Then, Ariel was asking us how we liked walking on our legs today. Aren’t legs absolutely wonderful? We giggled and had our pictures taken with her! To my surprise, the most beautiful Snow White touched my shoulder and began asking Twinkie, “Did the bluebirds do your hair today, too?” So cute! What a wonderful experience to get to meet so many princesses today! As we enjoyed a wonderful celebration, our photo with Belle was delivered to our table.

After we finished our delightful meal, we were back on the walkway around the World Showcase, and chatted about how much fun it was to meet all of these princesses. In no time, we were exiting through the front gates. The tram ride was quick and we recognized the driver. Now, we will easily find our car on the last row of the parking lot! 😀

The sky is so blue, with pretty white clouds on this mid-70-degree day! What a fun way to celebrate the 50th day of our 365 at Disney journey.

Day 49- Epcot: La Hacienda de San Angel, Canadian Lumberjack Show & Spaceship Earth

Posted on November 2, 2014 by maymiller

Happy Sunday Morning! It is cool and breezy on this sunny day, so we threw on our ugly sweaters and headed for Epcot!

We arrive at the park and ride the tram to the front gates, check in at bag check, scan our MagicBands, and head for Mexico! We have lunch reservations at La Hacienda de San Angel. We are seated quickly and look at the menu. Tooti has been talking about the Queso Fundido cheese dish at La Hacienda de San Angel. We are served chips and 2 salsas, the red one is hot, and the green one is not. Soon, we have our tacos and Queso Fundido, gluten free. It is a nice lunch.

There is a concert tonight with 38 Special. I was not the right age for this group, but the concert is packed out with people standing along the edges! We took a minute to listen and see the huge amount of people watching. Already, the line for the next show is growing.

Our next stop is the UK Pavilion for a Chai, and next-door is the Canadian Lumberjack Show! I have tried for a couple of weeks to be here at the right time to get to see them. It is a great show, and very fun! At the close of the show, they said they are going to be available for handshakes and pictures. The kids got a picture with them!

Next, we have a FastPass+ for Spaceship Earth! It is a very chilly walk, and I am so glad that the ride is much warmer inside. I really like Spaceship Earth and the story of how communication began and transformed over the years. Then, near the end of the ride, they put together a little video specific to you and your choices to the multiple-choice questions they ask. It is really cute and fun.

Now we are off to the front gates, it is dark and even cooler outside. The tram is very full, to the point the tram attendant said, “We are full, so full that I have to say there is no more boarding, since there is no more room.” I agree, we have 3 of us already in out row, and then a very tall, large couple got on our row, and kept scooting us over. I put my arm behind Twinkie, and the lady kept pushing me over, saying, “Excuse me!!!” I had to not laugh, there was room for 1.33 of them and they were 2+. We kept ooching over until they both fit. If I had the breath to chuckle, I would have. I did enjoy the family behind me, and I had to tell the grandmother, “I love your accent!!!” She was bashful and said, “It is not much of one,” in a very thick British accent, “It is not very good, not very sophisticated.” I said, “I am from Texas and this is what I have!” She laughed so hard, “Texas?” “Yes, but we moved down here in the summer!” “Oh, so you are living the dream!” she said. We laughed and then it was time to disembark! We all shouted, “Have a wonderful evening!” and we were off to walk to our cars. Nice to be in the warm car on a cool day!

Day 48- Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise

Posted on November 1, 2014 by maymiller

Florida is a very windy 64 degrees today, so we get to pull out our leggings, sweat shirts, and jackets to head for Disney! We had the first cold front blow into the Orlando area last night.

We get to the Transportation and Ticket Center and the parking lot is not as full as it usually is by this time. We parked close, so we decided to walk to the Monorail on this brisk afternoon. We get Monorail Black, with the black and red stripes!

Magic Kingdom is perfectly busy. We get our bags checked quickly, scan our MagicBands at the gate, and now we are ready to walk down Main Street USA. We make our way towards Cinderella’s Castle! As we near Cinderella’s Castle, the Dream Along With Mickey stage show begins. It is a really good show.

Our first FastPass+ is for Peter Pan’s Flight in Fantasyland. If you are unable to go through Cinderella’s Castle during a show, you can go around the Castle. There is a walkway to the left, as you walk toward Liberty Square, if you turn right at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, there is a path that goes up and around Cinderella’s Castle. It is a very pretty walk with the trees on the left and you can still see Mickey and his friends on stage! Oh, now they are changing groups! The princes and princesses are taking the stage!

We arrive at Peter Pan’s Flight and soon we are on our flying ship!

Next, we are going to the Jungle Cruise. I love this ride. It is so fun to interact with the skipper of the boat!

I know it is really chilly with the sun just beginning to set, but I must have a Dole Whip Float! I said to the kids, “I am getting a Dole Whip if you’d care to join me!” We will have three! We were off and enjoying our Dole Whips on the way to the front gates.

We turn down Main Street USA and I can hear the music! Oh, I just missed the Flag Retreat Ceremony, but they are walking down the street, and pause just before their final turn; I step into the street and take a moment to see the Veteran they are honoring. He has the American Flag that has flown over Magic Kingdom today, and he is surrounded by fellow patriots. As they turn, their steps are in perfect sync, and our Veteran’s face is so full of emotion. I am so touched that Disney does this for our men and women that have served our great country.

Yes, it is beautifully cool and sunny and time to head home. I enjoy watching a little family on the Monorail. The dad is sitting the little dude on the seat by the window and then, he slides over, picks him up, and sits him on his lap so the little boy can see out the windows. Their interaction is so sweet. I love seeing so many families having fun with their little ones.

What a beautiful fun day!

Day 47- Epcot: Guerlain & Tokyo Dining

Posted on October 31, 2014 by maymiller

Today we are heading for Epcot! The weather is hot, but today there is a cool breeze. We get to the parking lot park about halfway down one of the very long parking rows! So, we cheer, and get out of the car as soon as the cars next to us get settled into their spots.

When you park, be careful to wait and see when the car next to you is stopped. There should be one on the left and one on the right, then, after they stop moving, you can open your doors and get out. If you open the doors to soon, you will be prompted by the parking cast to “close your car doors!” Also to get to the park/tram, walk down the aisle that is in front of your car, not the one that people are driving in on. This is for your safety and for the safety of the cars that are just entering into their parking spots! 😀

We have a friend from Dallas in town and we are meeting him at Guerlain in France! It is so very nice to see a familiar face from Texas! A fellow Texan and a good friend!

Oh, I did think we needed a snack if we were going to be out this long, so we went to Tokyo Dining. Tooti and I went a few weeks ago and totally enjoyed our dinner. The waitress was amazing and we got to see to see her again today. Twinkie was sick the other day when Tooti and I came, so this will be her first time to eat at Tokyo Dining, and she is so excited.

We arrive and check-in downstairs, and they give us our ticket. We climb the stairs and take a minute to look around at the Japan Pavilion. It is so very pretty! Now, we go in and ask for a table by the windows if one is available. Yay! We sit in the corner by the windows and have a wonderful cup of hot green tea. The chef is able to make our vegetable sushi gluten free, and of course the miso soup is gluten free!

The miso soup is perfectly hot, we enjoy sipping it as we chat and enjoy the scenery. Soon, our vegetable sushi is here and it is so pretty! I ask our wonderful waitress for a rubber band if she has one; I wanted to make my chopsticks like the ones they made me at Teppan Edo. That was the first time I had ever been able to use chopsticks!! Our waitress said, “Oh, you want special chop sticks!” Oh, OK. Yes, I would like those! When she returned, she handed me my special chopsticks. Then she handed Tooti her special chopsticks. Finally, Twinkie! Hey, look! Your special chopsticks have an origami Mickey on them!!! I love the Mickey on the paper!

Twinkie!

Sitting right by the windows!

View out the window…

Menu…

Smile!

New Guerlain Lipstick!

Mickey!

We love origami!

Vegetable Sushi made GF!

Yum!

It was a fabulous gluten free meal and our waitress was so sweet. I appreciate all of the work they do to make it possible and wonderful for us to be able to eat! Thank you Tokyo Dining and Disney World!!!

Now it is time to go! I thought I could go past the Kaki Gori stand, but I had to back track and get a strawberry Kaki Gori with sweet milk topping. Well, make that three! As we were leaving, four ladies saw our treats and asked what they were. We explained that it is like a snow cone with sweet milk on top; they were delighted and were going to get some too!

As we head through America, Italy, Germany, and the Outpost, we stopped for a minute and saw a drawbridge! I have never seen that before! The next thing we saw was the globe that they use during the IllumiNATIONS fireworks show coming through that area. The breeze off of the World Showcase Lagoon is very chilly!

The bridge is still up? The rest of the platforms that they use for the fireworks show tonight are coming out! It very interesting to hear the narration explaining some of the details of IllumiNATIONS, and fun to watch each piece begin to take their positions! Totally FACINATING! Soon, the drawbridge is lowered and the tons of people begin to cross from both sides.

We are enjoying our Kaki Goris and the walk to the front gate. As we get close to the Spaceship Earth, I love seeing how the sun accentuates the texture and angles in the ball! Anyway, I love to look at how the sun makes it look beautiful during the various times of the day in so many different ways! Rainy days have their own ambiance.

Oh, and I love the people that never let anything stop them! This amazing lady who we met, Dorothy, is a firecracker; she gave us a moment and wonderful advice! So, I had to get a picture with her!

Now, we walk to the parking lot, row 19, hop in our car, and drive off to get the puppies from school! The sky is just beautiful and the sun is shining! What a beautiful day, and how fun to see our friend Marcus from TEXAS!

Day 46- Hollywood Studios

Posted on October 30, 2014 by maymiller

It is a spectacular day! The weather is warm during the afternoon, going up to the mid-80s. As soon as the sun begins to set around 5pm, it cools to below 80 degrees. Hollywood Studios is perfectly busy, and so many people enjoying getting here later in the day!

I check with The Hollywood Brown Derby to see if there is walk-up availability. There will be in about an hour, so I thank them and walk outside to see if there is availability at The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge on the patio. Yes, there is a table! I get to enjoy a fun lunch and the beautiful weather. The waitress is super nice and she helps me order a gluten free cobb salad. It is fun watching all of the people go by and seeing all of the families! I love eating outdoors here.

Soon, I am back on Hollywood Boulevard. Oh, wait! I hear the Film Team! They are set up just a short walk down Sunset Boulevard, so I stop to watch. It is so fun watching and hearing them interact with the guests. In the second skit, they pull a man from the audience and say, “Look! It is The Captain on Gilligan’s Island!” Applause erupts and soon they find “Mary Ann” and “Gilligan”. I am standing close to the family of “Gilligan.” The son of “Gilligan” is beaming as his dad is picked to stand on the red carpet. I look again, and he is grinning ear to ear as he is eating his ice cream cone! Then, the Film Team finds “The Rock!” “The Rock’s” sons are a little dismayed that their dad is being asked to stand on the red carpet. Soon, the older son starts laughing as he hears the Film Team talking to his dad; the boy is about 5, his younger brother, about 3, never loses his frowning eyebrows until his dad is returned to him! The dad? He had a blast being “The Rock!”

Now, I watch a couple more people get chosen to be celebrities, and the funniest was “Colonel Sanders”. It was a very funny and nice moment. I love seeing the interaction of the cast and guests at Disney! Seems the adults were having the most fun, maybe even a little more than the kids!

Well, Hollywood Studios is closing at 7:00pm tonight. It is beautiful, and the sunsets? Please, don’t forget to look at the skies in the evenings. The sunsets are absolutely amazing and vibrant in sunny Florida!

Day 45- Epcot & Dennis DeYoung (from STYX)

Posted on October 29, 2014 by maymiller

It is an absolutely beautiful day! The sun is shining and there are very pretty clouds dusting the blue sky. It is late afternoon and there is one tram running. After parking on row 42, I boarded the tram.

As we get to the main gate, there are plenty of people coming and going. There is a nice flow of people. It is fun seeing everyone getting pictures as they enter into Epcot! I see so many First Visit buttons; I am so excited and happy for the people wearing them!

I am looking forward to going to the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. Tonight’s concert features Dennis DeYoung (an original member of STYX), known for his song “Lady” and “Come Sail Away.” The crowd for the first concert is seated, and it is overflowing. I think I’ll grab a seat under an umbrella at the American Adventure pavilion and wait until the second concert! I can hear the music, and I can catch a glimpse of the drummer on occasion!

Soon, I am in line. We go in, and it is filling up quickly! It is one of the best concerts I have heard! Dennis DeYoung announced in the first concert that each of the three concerts tonight will be different. I am so glad that I was able to hear the first one! He kept saying that he is 67 years old. Dennis DeYoung and his band were awesome!

I made my way back through Japan, Morocco, France, over the bridge to England, Canada, then away from the World Showcase to the main sidewalk that leads to the Epcot ball (or Spaceship Earth)! Now, out to the main gate and parking lot! It was the perfect weather for a beautiful evening.

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

Gardens in France

Day 44- Hollywood Studios

Posted on October 28, 2014 by maymiller

The parking lot is filling up and the trams are running like clockwork! There is a steady stream of people still arriving this afternoon, and the park is perfectly crowded!

Our first stop is to check the pin board at the stroller rental. If you have kids that are tired and you need a way to distract them, pin trading is a fun way! There are cast members all around Disney who have pins to trade! We found that the kids become more excited about finding the perfect pin to trade, and are totally distracted from being tired.

We enjoy our walk down Hollywood Boulevard, with the Public Works street show on the corner. They are really funny and yell a lot! We realize that we have not eaten lunch and the 50’s Prime Time Café is close. The line is really long and they do not have any walk-up reservations. This restaurant is usually full, but sometimes they have availability.

As we get close to Star Tours, we can hear Darth Vader and the young Jedis in the Jedi Training Academy. The kids really get into the training and the Jedi Training Academy is really fun to watch.

There are several quick service restaurants at Hollywood Studios, but we are going to see if Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater Restaurant has walk-up availability. While we are waiting, I hear the Mulch, Sweat, and Shears band playing on the Streets of America! There is a good crowd gathering as they begin to play. Oh, that is fun! They recruited a dad to dance with the music, pretty funny!

Yay! Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater does have walk-up availability today, and we are soon seated. This is one of our favorite places to eat. I love seeing the vintage drive-in theater.