WDW Summer 2013 - Day 6

I thought that it was about time I got back to telling you all about our vacation to Walt Disney World last August...so where were we?

Ah yes...Day 6...

Today was Epcot day.  We managed to get up and be at the bus stop for 9.00am but then had to wait what seemed like ages for a bus, and when our bus did turn up it decided rather than go straight to Epcot it would take a detour via Fort Wilderness Campground, which all resulted in us not getting to Epcot until 9.45am!

Anyway, once there we managed to hit all the major rides.  We rode the new Test Track and had great fun as the girls paired up against the boys and suffice to say the girls car came out tops.  The kids loved the interactive area after the ride and we spent an absolute age in there with them wanting to try everything.  We also spent a small amount of time in the gift shop purchasing t-shirts (for the kids) and a couple of car antenna toppers (for me!).

Before we knew it it was time for lunch which just had to be Sunshine Seasons inside the Land pavilion - I love it in here, the choice is great and varied which means all of us get to pick something we like and as we were on the Quick Service Dining plan great value too. After lunch we rode Soarin' (thanks to Fastpasses we picked up when we first got into the park) and then Journey Into Imagination with Figment.  Now I don't mind the Imagination pavilion ride but I have to say it's not as good as the original version...I miss the Dreamfinder with Figment but I suppose at least we still have the little purple fellow.

Now as we spent our time wandering around the Future World half of Epcot we found time for two things.  Firstly there was Club Cool, which is described as 'an exhibit sponsored by Coca-Cola'. Here you'll find plenty of heavily Coca-Cola themed merchandise plus numerous 'stations' offering you the chance to experience different soft, fizzy drinks from around the world for free.  One of these drinks called 'the Beverley' seems to have developed some what of a cult following amongst Disney fans and was on our 'To Do' list.  So off we went to give it a try...now in my opinion (and the kids) it was a bit bland and something I wasn't going to rush back to, however, Simon loved it (no accounting for taste).  Whenever we found ourselves at Epcot during our vacation and in need of a drink we would head over to Club Cool for Simon to drink the Beverley whilst me and the kids tried all the rest that was on offer - a great, and free, way to quench your thirst on a hot Floridian day :)

Secondly we took advantage of the air-conditioning inside MouseGear and did the obligatory trying on of silly hats...why...just because we could...

Molly with a platypus on her head!

Stylish Steampunk Mickey Ears (I did buy these eventually)

Molly doing her best Captain Jack

Yes I have a Figment on my head,
and no I didn't buy this one!

The afternoon saw us meet up with Michelle (my co-host from the Disney Dream Girls podcast) as we met some American fellow podcasters in World Showcase as well as some other UK friends Jeff & Chris - meeting friends new and old seemed to be the theme of this vacation!  We then decided it was time for an afternoon snack...

Double Chocolate Funnel Cake

Original Funnel Cake

...mmm yummy, one of my favourites and must do's!

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering World Showcase with a large amount of time spent in the Japan pavilion; the boys were in their element inside the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the 'gaming' section, suffice to say a couple of Zelda and Kingdom Hearts purchases were made!

Me & the obligatory Japanese fan (bought by Molly)

But the highlight of our stay in 'Japan' was our meal at Teppen Edo that evening; this was our one and only ADR (Advance Dining Reservation) and had been highly anticipated by all and it did not disappoint.

The dining here is family style with up to 8 guests seated around a large Hibachi grill and the food is cooked right there in front of you with great skill, artistry and theatre.  We all decided to go for sushi starters, a mix of spicy rolls and california rolls which were amazing (and quite filling) whilst our chef got on with cooking the main course.

Onion volcano - the skill to make this is amazing to watch

Noodles anyone?

The girls opted for the chicken and shrimp combo whilst the boys went for chicken and steak; both of which were served with rice, noodles and veggies and all tasted amazing. The shrimp was to die for!!  I can't recommend highly enough adding Teppan Edo to your Disney bucket list if you haven't already managed to get there; everything about it was fantastic - the food, the service, the skill, the showmanship - a definite 'must do'.  When we had finished our meal we came outside just in time to watch the start of IllumiNations; Reflections of Earth.

So we walked our way around the World Showcase Lagoon as fireworks filled the air and headed home...at the monorail we bumped into friends Jeff & Chris again!! And this is where I confess that I made a bit of a 'boob'...I was convinced that the monorail went straight through to the Magic Kingdom...well it does if you get off at the Transportation and Ticket Centre and pick up another monorail...suffice to say we saw Epcot again that evening!!

Two Weeks to Go!!

That's right it is only 2 weeks to go until we see that 'Welcome Home' sign!! This vacation was booked approximately 16 months in advance and although at times it has seemed a long way off it really is nearly here!

So we are now down to the finer details in the planning process; from those last minute purchases to making sure all bills are paid before we leave to actually deciding on which park we will visit on which day (I keep putting it off because it's hard to decide).

So the Excel spreadsheet is up and running and I have key dates already marked out. Our first and last days are in my mind a 'no-brainer', it has to be The Magic Kingdom; it is after all the epitome of all that Disney conjures up, and nothing beats that feeling of walking under the railroad and down Main Street USA heading towards Cinderella Castle. I then have dates put aside for a few other things;

• We have our ADR (Advanced Dining Reservation) at Teppan Edo
• We will be attending WDW Radio's Meet of the Month at Disney's Blizzard Beach
• We shall be joining Michelle of The Minnie Minxes for a 'Drink Around the World' at Epcot
• And another date with Michelle will be over at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop when we will hopefully tackle the infamous 'Kitchen Sink Ice-Cream Sundae'

I have sorted our Photopass+ and ordered new raincoats for the kids as would you believe it they have grown somewhat since our last trip back in 2011.

I am hoping to book at least one more ADR, this time for Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney's Wilderness Lodge so I need to make some decisions as to where we are going on which days so that I can tie this reservation in nicely.

I am also, along with the help of my daughter, going to make up some envelopes ready for tipping 'Mousekeeping' - a creative few hours with pens, envelopes, glue and more decorating envelopes for those oh so important tips.

So over the next few days I shall let you know how the planning is coming along and just how excited we are all getting!

Getting Closer

Well that vacation of ours is getting closer, only 37 days to go as I type.  But life seems so busy at the moment that I don't seem to have had chance to think or plan or anything...let alone write a blog post!

Working in education at this time of year is busy, busy, busy. Not only is it the end of the academic year so there are reports to write and end of year concerts to plan and rehearse it is also the ideal time of year for fundraisers. A Summer fair a few weeks ago and a 'Back 2 School Disco' last night!

Plus having two teenagers whose school lives also seem to impact on everything that I do - reward trips, school plays, work experience etc etc I don't know whether I am coming or going at the moment.

Work has also meant completing staff appraisals, sorting new contracts for the next academic year, planning the coming years curriculum and even talking about Christmas concerts, parties and visits from Santa - no seriously Christmas has been planned in July!

I have also had a couple of personal things happening with close family members that thankfully are sorting themselves out and now beginning to look really positive.

So now I am beginning to get a bit of my vacation mojo back, in fact typing this is beginning to re-invigorate my vacation vibe.  Everything is booked and paid for including the overnight hotel at the airport, the car parking at the airport and the ESTA's for travelling to the US.

I have even booked one ADR at Teppan Edo and we are debating booking at least one more...possibly the Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge resort.  This desire to make another ADR is partly the fault of Lou Mongello and his WDW Radio podcast; we were catching up on old episodes and heard his live review of the restaurant and it reminded us of our visit back in 2008.

We had done the Backstage Magic tour, taking advantage of my parents being with us to look after our then young children.  We had a day exploring behind the scenes with lunch at the Whispering Canyon Cafe; we really enjoyed both the food and the experience and are very tempted to book for our kids to experience it all first hand.

Then would you believe the next WDW Radio podcast we listened to was also a live review of a restaurant; this time Via Napoli at Epcot (anyone would think Mr Mongello liked his food!!), so this is now also on our list of possible places to eat at!

Decisions, decisions!!

I also joined Touring Plans awhile back and have their 'Crowd Tracker' printed off so I can see which parks are best to visit on which days.  On our first full and our last full day I always like to visit the Magic Kingdom and the good thing is, according to Touring Plans, it's the best park to visit on those days.  Now I just need to figure out where we go in between!!

On our last vacation to WDW in 2011 our two children decided which parks we would visit on which day; they even completed an Excel spreadsheet!  So I think I shall arm them with the Crowd Tracker, the date of our meal at Teppan Edo and let them plan again.

My brain is also starting to go into overdrive about the mundane aspects of taking a two week vacation; things like the shopping to be done before hand, making sure bills are paid that are due whilst we are away, when can I book a grocery shopping delivery for when we return etc etc.  But this is all part of the fun of taking a vacation, all part of the build up, the anticipation, the excitement...Oh and did I mention only 37 days to go :)

The Finer Details

So we are down to 68 days to go! Over the last few days I have managed to get some of the finer points put in place ready for our vacation.

Reservations have now been made for a hotel near our departure airport for the night before we fly.  We have a relatively early check-in for our flight but have a car drive of over 3 hours to get there.  So it makes life so much easier to drive to the airport the day before and then we're ready and refreshed for that early check-in.

I have also booked the car parking for the duration of our holiday, so I now know that whilst we are off having fun our car will be looked after and waiting for us when we return. I have opted for the valet service this year, just to avoid any delays when we get back.

This year I have had to apply for ESTA's (Electronic System for Travel Authorzation) for all of us.  An online system to get approval for entry into the US.  Which for some reason was strangely nerve wrecking when applying; making sure I'd input everything correctly and then paying the fee and waiting for the result only to then see 'Authorization Pending'!!!  Which meant I then had to log back on to check a day or so later and was much relieved to see 'Authorization Approved' - phew!  This will last us for two years...seems a good excuse to think about another vacation ;)

And finally I have booked an ADR (Advanced Dining Reservation)!!  My very first ADR...ever!!  We will be eating at Teppan Edo at the Japan pavillion in Epcot...and yes I'm just a little excited.  Booking online was so easy and it would be very tempting to make a few more reservations but as we have the Quick Service Dining Plan this meal, and any others like it, will have to be paid for separately out of our vacation budget.  So for the time being I am happy to have this one booked and I think we shall see what happens whilst on vacation.

So for now I think I have booked and sorted as much as I can, I have even booked all my hair appointments between now and when we go!  After all I want to look my best for Mickey :).  In fact the only things left to do are to order some US dollars nearer the time and a last minute shop for all the 'essentials'...68 days and counting!

93 days or 13 weeks...

So it's now 93 days or 13 weeks till our next visit to WDW. Which do you think sounds closer?

Whichever it is I just know that the chance to visit my favourite place (apart from home, of course) is getting closer. And most days my thoughts turn to one element or another of our vacation.

The vacation is now paid for (took us 13 months to do it, but it's all done now!).  We have two weeks staying at the Coronado Springs Resort with the Quick Service Dining Plan 'thrown in for free' with our package deal.  So now my thoughts turn to the details before our vacation can begin.

Being based in the UK we have to sort ESTA's (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) for the whole family, a minor expense at $14 each and at least they will last us 2 years.

Another minor expense is hotel accommodation the night before we fly.  We live about a 3 - 4 hour drive away from our departure airport and as check-in for our flight is around 8.00am it is a lot easier to travel down the day before and stay overnight in a cheap hotel close to the airport.  So I have been doing a bit of internet searching and have managed to find a really cheap deal for the night :).  Another, not so minor expense, is what to do with the car whilst we are away on vacation...thankfully there are lots of different options at different prices.  I think I have settled on an option that will mean the car is ready and waiting for us at the airport when we return from our two weeks away - I hate having to think about the end of a vacation before it's even started!!

It will be our first time staying at Coronado Springs Resort so that in itself is something to look forward to.  I have been checking out all the information I can about the resort, liking Facebook pages and following Twitter accounts.  I really like to go in knowing what to expect so I can start to plan in my head what we will be doing whilst there!  The Rix Lounge looks very inviting for a bit of adult time, thankfully our kids are old enough to look after themselves now which means me and Simon will be able to sneak a couple of hours drinking cocktails!

The grounds look amazing and we are already discussing taking runs around the lake. I think the main pool area is going to be a big draw for our two kids and will be fantastic when we have a chill out day away from the parks....oh ok half a day away from the parks!

I still haven't made any ADR's, and at the moment there is really only one restaurant that we can all agree on, which is Teppan Edo in the Japan pavillion at Epcot.  I think we enjoy the freedom of roaming the parks with no real ties too much and are finding it really hard to commit ourselves to ADR's...and as far as we are concerned the 'quick service' options are so varied that we are quite happy eating on the go.  Plus any ADR's we do make will have to be extra to our Quick Service Dining Plan and out of our 'expenses' budget!

We do however, have one date set whilst on vacation and that is to meet up with good friend Michelle from The Minnie Minxes podcast who is organising a little get together in Epcot one day to travel our way around the world....hopefully including food and drink!!

So vacation planning is taking shape slowly but surely and I shall fill you in with more details the closer we get :)