October’s “Not So Scary” Food and Fun Trip – Day 8
When I woke up this morning, I had no set plans for my last full day. I did have a couple of hours’ worth of work that I needed to get done at some point today, and I had found a nice quiet little area in Disney Springs a couple of mornings ago that looked like it would be a perfect spot. So, once I got around, I jumped on the first Disney Springs bus. This resort is very convenient for getting to Disney Springs…not quite as convenient as Saratoga Springs where you could actually walk there, but it is still very close. There is a boat that runs between the Port Orleans Resorts and Disney Springs, but it does not start running until 10:00 when Disney Springs officially opens. They also provide bus service all day long, which starts around 9:00. Once I arrived at Disney Springs, I grabbed my coffee and got to work. The place I found is the seating area for Dockside Margaritas, but in the morning before the bar opens, I have seen several people just sitting here enjoying their morning coffee, or working on laptops.
Once I finished working, I hopped on a boat to head back to the resort to decide what I wanted to do for the rest of the day. After relaxing in my room for a while, I decided I wanted to head over to Animal Kingdom for lunch. I usually eat at Flame Tree Barbeque every trip but that didn’t sound good today, so I thought when I got to Animal Kingdom I would see if there were any walk-up tables available at the Nomad Lounge. This is another favorite of mine as it is a very relaxing place to have a small plate and a fun drink. Once I got on the bus, I decided that doing a “relaxed” 4-park challenge today would be fun. I planned to start at Animal Kingdom, then hop to Hollywood Studios, take the Skyliner to Epcot, and finally use the Monorail to get to Magic Kingdom. Both Hollywood Studios and Epcot were open until 9:00 and Magic Kingdom was open until 11:00, so I had almost 11 hours to complete my mission. I set the criteria as something to eat or drink, at least one attraction or ride and a Photo Pass picture at each park. For those who don’t know, Disney has photographers set up around all the parks to capture pictures of you and your family. The service is free, but it does cost to download the photos. You can choose to buy and download one photo, or you can add on the Memory Maker for either a single day of your trip or multiple days. I always add this service to my annual pass, which costs around $100 extra per year, but for me, it is worth the cost as I get to be in the pictures instead of behind the camera. Once you add on the service, you get the rights to the photos, can download them to your personal devices, and can even print them off once you get home. Most of the photographers will also do a “magic shot” where they will add something fun to your picture. Enjoy my Magic Shots from today.
I arrived at Animal Kingdom around 12:45 and checked to see what the wait time for a walk-up table would be at the Nomad Lounge. It was a 45-minute wait, and since I now had a different plan for the day, I decided that I should just find a quick lunch somewhere else. I decided to grab the Chicken Street Tacos from The Smiling Crocodile Kiosk and found a quiet table overlooking Discovery River. I had never tried them before and they were actually pretty good… just the right size for a small lunch and they even came with a side of chips and salsa. While eating I was able to catch the Discovery Island Drummers as they came by on a boat. Several times throughout the day there are boats that cruise around the park on Discovery River. Some of them have characters on them and some have entertainment.
Once I was done eating, I wandered around Animal Kingdom taking a few pictures. I love the theme of this park and all the little details. I can easily spend hours exploring, as there are so many little nooks and crannies to explore, and a lot of great places just to sit and people-watch.
Next, I went to watch It’s Tough To Be A Bug, since we missed it the other day, and it is going to be closing soon to be rethemed into a Zootopia Show. I hadn’t watched it in several years, but it was still a great little 3D show and was one that my kids loved when they were little. The show is inside the Tree of Life so the walk to and from the theatre has great up-close views of all the beautiful carvings in the Tree.
Tree of Life Carvings
It’s Tough To Be A Bug Tribute Pictures
At this point, it was about 2:20 so I figured I should move on to my next park, Hollywood Studios. As I walked out of the park I called an Uber, as this was going to probably the quickest way to get me to my next destination. The Uber pickup is also a lot closer to the entrance than the bus stop so win-win for me. Within 5 minutes I was picked up and on my way. I walked into Hollywood Studios at 2:40. Once inside the park, I spent some time checking out the walkway in front of The Chinese Theatre. This centerpiece of Hollywood Studios opened with the park (originally called MGM Studios) in 1989 and was the home to one of my favorite “extinct” rides, The Great Movie Ride until it closed in August of 2017. Now it houses Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. The theatre sits at the end of Hollywood Boulevard and is almost an exact replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, which opened in 1927, including many famous people’s handprints.
Then I headed over to the Tune-In Lounge for a Loaded Schofferhofer, which is a Schofferhofer Grapefruit Beer with a shot of Grapefruit Vodka added. The Tune-In Lounge is a neat little bar that is attached to 50’s Primetime Cafe. Both the restaurant and lounge are set in the 50’s. The restaurant is “Mom’s Kitchen” circa 1955 and the lounge is themed as the living room, and is also the waiting area for the restaurant.
After I finished my drink, I headed over to watch Vacation Fun, which is a cute animated short featuring Mickey and Minnie, then slowly made my way out of the park, stopping for my Photo Pass picture on the way out.
It was only about 3:40 when I walked out of Hollywood Studios to get on the Skyliner to Epcot. When I got to Riviera Resort, I decided I was ready for a short break from the parks so I stopped at Bar Riva for a beer. This little pool bar is a nice and quiet relaxing spot away from all the hustle and bustle and is set in a beautiful resort, themed after the French Riviera. I am excited for my first stay at this resort in December when I come down for the Festival of The Holidays at Epcot. I ordered a Sunset Key West Ale and enjoyed a relaxing hour long break.
Around 5:00 I decided it was time to get moving again, so I finished my journey to Epcot via the Skyliner. I was starting to get hungry so I planned on trying a few more Food and Wine Fest goodies for dinner. Once inside, I stopped for a Photo Pass picture in France, then ordered a Grey Goose Lemonade Slushy. I found a nice place in France to enjoy it and do some people watching, before moving on to my favorite pavilion, Morocco.
Next, I stopped in Japan. I ordered the Beef Wa-Gyu Don, and a Momo Amber Ale and found a place to sit down to enjoy it and relax for a few minutes. The dish, which was Wagyu Beef served over Steamed White Rice was really good, as was the beer and I would order them both again in the future.
Then, I stopped in Italy for another picture and at the Alps Food and Wine Fest Kiosk to get the Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with Shaved Ham, and Baby Potatoes, served with a Baguette. I have had this dish in past years and enjoyed both then and now. My last stop for food was at the India Kiosk, where I got the Curry-Spiced Crispy Cheese. I also had this a couple of years ago, but today I think it had been sitting a little too long, as it was cool and the cheese was hard. The flavor was still good, but I was disappointed as I have enjoyed this dish in the past.
On my way out of the park, I stopped to ride Spaceship Earth, before getting on the Monorail to head to Magic Kingdom.
The Monorail from Epcot stops at the Ticket and Transportation Center, which is the parking lot for the Magic Kingdom. When Walt built the Magic Kingdom, he wanted you to feel like you were entering another world, so it was built across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the parking lot. From the TTC you either transfer to another monorail, or a boat to get to the Magic Kingdom. From the TTC you can also walk to the Polynesian Resort, which is right next door, and can actually walk all the way to the Magic Kingdom, since the walkway from the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom opened a couple years ago. The walking path is a little under 2 miles. The only two modes of transportation I had not yet utilized today were boat and walking to a destination, so once I got off the monorail, I walked over to the Polynesian Resort and got on a boat there to head to Magic Kingdom. This resort is one of my favorite places to visit. Marc and I stayed here for our Honeymoon. It is one of the three original Disney Resorts, along with Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, which opened with the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971.
I arrived at the Magic Kingdom around 7:30. I forgot the fireworks were scheduled for 8:00, so in hindsight, I should have hung out at the Polynesian a little longer and watched the fireworks from the beach over there, as it was a mad house trying to get down Main Street due to everyone waiting for the fireworks. My must-do here was the Carousel of Progress, which is in Tomorrowland, so I thought if I could get off Main Street maybe the crowds would be a little better. I was wrong so as I rounded the corner into Tomorrowland, I saw an area inside the taped fireworks viewing area that was available, so I decided to stop fighting with the crowds and just watch the fireworks. I had never watched it in this area before. It was an interesting view and was directly under the area Tinkerbell flies over at the end of the show. I would not recommend this spot for a first-timer, as it was hard to see the projections on the castle and some of the fireworks were behind a building across the street from me, but I didn’t think it was too bad as I have seen the show from all the “prime” locations in the past. The other advantage of this location was I was right at the entrance to Tomorrowland so I didn’t have to fight too many crowds as I headed there after the show.
As soon as the fireworks ended, I made a beeline to Tomorrowland. I noticed the Tomorrowland Transit Authority was a walk-on, and since it’s one of my favorite rides I decided to do it first. Once I got off the TTA, I watched Carousel of Progress before stopping at Casey’s Corner for a Mint Julip Lemonade Slushy. When I got up to the counter to pay, I got a magical moment, as the cast member told me it was “on the mouse”. I took my drink and found a spot to chill, listen to the music on Main Street USA, and people watch, before getting my last Photo Pass picture. I made my way out of the Magic Kingdom around 10:00 and got on a bus back to my resort.
Once I got back to my resort, I decided to head down to the gift shop to buy a bottle of water and look around. On my way out, I walked past the River Roost, a little lounge here at Riverside, and was able to catch Yehaa Bob’s last set. He is a wacky entertainer, who performs several nights a week at the River Roost. He puts on a fantastic show and always gets the audience involved. After his show, I headed back to the room to get most of my stuff packed up as I am headed home tomorrow evening.
