GDF and Z Ditch Daddy and Dash to Disney

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Haha... we had that downpour too.  Put the ponchos on Tom, Bailey and myself...and the plastic cover over Brandon and his stroller.  The only saving grace, was that it was warm outside, so getting wet (while a huge pain) was not the end of the world

[LONE-STAR 370]

No kiss from Elsa and Anna?

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I always used to visit Tom Sawyer's Island when Aunt Polly's was open.  We'd get ice cream in the afternoon and relax a bit.  Once Polly's closed, the place wasn't worth visiting IMO.  I agree it could be much better utilized.  The issue is access.  The river boat is too tall to build a bridge I would think.  So they have to use the rafts to get to the island, which wouldn't be practical if they built something really worthwhile out there.  Come to think of it, Aaron's idea is perfect.  

On our first trip, Polly's was still open with cold fried chicken, ice cream, and other goodies. They also still had the "whitewashing" of the fence and the hidden paintbrush.

 

Rick and myself sat on the porch and enjoyed some chicken, and ice cream, and the boys ran all over.

[Gamecock Goofy 2]

Enjoyed your report. Loved hearing your rope drop day especially. Glad to know you can still get a lot done on a holiday without FP+. I was worried about that! This trip for us will be a first with FP+. I sure hope those return lines are better in a few months. That is crazy ummm I mean MAGICAL!!

[jjbescher 17]

Enjoyed your report. Loved hearing your rope drop day especially. Glad to know you can still get a lot done on a holiday without FP+. I was worried about that! This trip for us will be a first with FP+. I sure hope those return lines are better in a few months. That is crazy ummm I mean MAGICAL!!

 

I think FP+ is allowing people to NOT have to go to Rope Drop.  They don't have to run all over the place to get FP they know they can get on certains rides.  It is for those that make late FP+ or people that did not make any at all.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Haha... we had that downpour too.  Put the ponchos on Tom, Bailey and myself...and the plastic cover over Brandon and his stroller.  The only saving grace, was that it was warm outside, so getting wet (while a huge pain) was not the end of the world

 

But the restaurant was COLD.

 

No kiss from Elsa and Anna?

 

They're playing hard to get.... for now.

 

On our first trip, Polly's was still open with cold fried chicken, ice cream, and other goodies. They also still had the "whitewashing" of the fence and the hidden paintbrush.

 

Rick and myself sat on the porch and enjoyed some chicken, and ice cream, and the boys ran all over.

 

That sounds better than it is now. I officially retract my statement about not much changing. I would like cold friend chicken and ice cream over there.

 

Enjoyed your report. Loved hearing your rope drop day especially. Glad to know you can still get a lot done on a holiday without FP+. I was worried about that! This trip for us will be a first with FP+. I sure hope those return lines are better in a few months. That is crazy ummm I mean MAGICAL!!

 

As a general rule, the first 2 hours of any day are great for touring. I don't see the FP+ return lines getting better because people either play dumb or really don't understand the system. They didn't even understand the old system, so I'm not very hopeful.

 

I think FP+ is allowing people to NOT have to go to Rope Drop.  They don't have to run all over the place to get FP they know they can get on certains rides.  It is for those that make late FP+ or people that did not make any at all.

 

This is sort of true. But if you want to ride both TSMM and RnR, you pretty much have to RD because of the tiers. The same goes for Soarin and TT. I do feel less pressure to RD though.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Let’s wrap this thing up!

 

When we left off, we had thrown on our ponchos and headed to dinner somewhere I’d never been before, The Plaza. Now, I’ve made ADRs here, but we always seem to cancel for some reason. This time, we actually made it.

 

The Plaza basically had salads and sandwiches, and I believe it’s the cheapest TS restaurant in Disney. It’s not a good place if you’re on the dining plan, but if you are paying cash, it’s only a couple of dollars more than a CS place.

 

You can see, Z is soaked.

 

 

We were seated by a window, and there’s a pretty good view here. It will be even better when the construction is finished.

 

 

The chef came out to talk to Elena, and then he came out with special garlic bread for her. He wanted to show off how good the gluten free bread was. He was right! I tasted it, and it was good. Elena was super excited!

 

 

I ordered the cheese steak. It doesn’t look that great in the picture, but it was pretty good, nothing special. But do you see the fries? Those aren’t Disney fries!

 

 

Elena had a sandwich on gluten free bread. It had fresh mozzarella, tomato, and hummus. She liked it, but it did get soggy towards the middle.

 

 

She was excited to have fries. Most places use the same fryer for their breaded things and fries, so she can’t eat them, but this place had a dedicated fryer, so there was no cross contamination.

 

The boys’ meals came with dessert, and they really liked them.

 

 

I wanted dessert, but I was way too full.

 

 

It continued to rain, and we were soaked, so after dinner, we decided to head back instead of riding BTMRR in the rain.

 

 

 

That night, Elena and I sat up for awhile chatting while the boys slept. I think this is when we started planning the girls trip to Food and Wine.

 

The next morning, they hunted more lizards while we packed.

 

 

We said our goodbyes, and Elena was all set to follow me out… But we had a problem.

 

My car wouldn’t start!

 

Uh oh.

 

I could tell that it was probably the battery, and she reminded me that she has AAA. I thought about calling, but I told her we might get on the road faster if we could get someone on the loop to help. And lucky for us, the guys across from us were out and had jumper cables.

 

And they helped us!

 

 

After that, it was time to get back on the road. It was an uneventful trip home for her and D and Z and me.  I was a bit nervous when I had to turn off the car the first time, but it started right back up.

 

Some final thoughts… It was a great trip thanks to the Friends and Fiends. I knew I’d have a blast with Elena and the Fiends, but I enjoyed the time when it was just Z and me even more than I thought I would. I can see lots of Mom/Son trips in our future. It’s fun to bond away from the “real world.”

 

I mentioned this is my trip in January, but FP+ really has changed the way I tour. Only having 3 initial FP+ is irritating, and so is going to the kiosks for the subsequent ones, but it’s not all bad. Hopefully, they’ll move to the revolving system where you are allowed to always be holding 3 FP+, vs. having to use all 3 before you can select a 4^th. On the plus side, I kind of like sleeping in sometimes, and it is less running around. I’m a planner though and enjoy the planning. This last minute trip was a bit of a challenge, so I can see why local folks wouldn’t like the new system.

 

I’m beyond excited about my next Disney trip… I’m heading back in October for Food and Wine! So, just a warning… you haven’t seen the last of Elena. Hopefully, she will behave herself next time. I doubt it though!   

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great job!

 

I also have never eaten at the Plaza.  I've got to change that.

 

TCD

[dvccamper 32]

Great trip report! Looking forward to your October TR, we go at the very end of October for an adults only trip, can't wait!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Great job!

 

I also have never eaten at the Plaza.  I've got to change that.

 

TCD

 

Thanks! And I do recommend The Plaza. It's not a super hard ADR to get either. I just wish I had eaten less, so I could have tried some of the desserts. They looked really good!

 

Great trip report! Looking forward to your October TR, we go at the very end of October for an adults only trip, can't wait!

 

We'll be there Oct. 23-26! I can't wait.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Back from the north-woods and all caught up.

So, you went to eat shortly after riding Pooh? How many plastic baggies did you guys find in the shroom room?

Love the Lizard hunting pics!

Good use of the SMBFP+ system.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Nice report Kelly!  Looks like a great time.  Sorry about the battery....has it given you trouble since? 

 

Great job!

 

I also have never eaten at the Plaza.  I've got to change that.

 

TCD

 

How can that be?? 

 

I get to the place at most once per year on average....and I've eaten there probably 4 times in the past 7 years. 

 

They have steak fries, you know.  STEAK FRIES!! 

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Great job!

 

I also have never eaten at the Plaza.  I've got to change that.

 

TCD

 

Yes, you do!  This is one of my favorite places to eat in the MK.  They accept TIW and will split meals.  It ends up costing us no more than a CS.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Nice report Kelly!  Looks like a great time.  Sorry about the battery....has it given you trouble since? 

 

 

How can that be?? 

 

I get to the place at most once per year on average....and I've eaten there probably 4 times in the past 7 years. 

 

They have steak fries, you know.  STEAK FRIES!! 

 

I know.

 

I can't explain it.  I will remedy this oversight as soon as possible.

 

Yes, you do!  This is one of my favorite places to eat in the MK.  They accept TIW and will split meals.  It ends up costing us no more than a CS.

 

If I bring Twin #2 along, I'll get at least as good a deal as TIW.

 

TCD

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

 

If I bring Twin #2 along, I'll get at least as good a deal as TIW.

 

TCD

 

Even better!

[Lou... 3,118]

If I bring Twin #2 along, I'll get at least as good a deal as TIW.

 

Yes you will as long as it's lunch. If it's dinner, it has to be after 8:30pm and is not on a block-out date.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Back from the north-woods and all caught up.

So, you went to eat shortly after riding Pooh? How many plastic baggies did you guys find in the shroom room?

Love the Lizard hunting pics!

Good use of the SMBFP+ system.

 

Ha ha ha! Good one... and I'll never tell. 

 

Z became quite the lizard hunting expert when we were there. He used his ghost crab hunting skills from the beach, but without a net. 

 

Nice report Kelly!  Looks like a great time.  Sorry about the battery....has it given you trouble since? 

 

 

How can that be?? 

 

I get to the place at most once per year on average....and I've eaten there probably 4 times in the past 7 years. 

 

They have steak fries, you know.  STEAK FRIES!! 

 

The battery has been fine since, but that is actually the 2nd battery my SUV has had, and it's only 3 years old. Apparently it's an issue because I generally only drive about 15 miles a day. 

 

And The Plaza definitely has good fries.I made sure to order them because I'd heard they were good.  

 

Yes, you do!  This is one of my favorite places to eat in the MK.  They accept TIW and will split meals.  It ends up costing us no more than a CS.

 

It's a reasonable meal for sure. I wish I would have shared something, so I had room for dessert. 

 

I know.

 

I can't explain it.  I will remedy this oversight as soon as possible.

 

 

If I bring Twin #2 along, I'll get at least as good a deal as TIW.

 

TCD

 

Now you're thinking! Prime times are hard to snag because the secret is out that it's inexpensive. You should be able to find something though. 

 

Even better!

 

Yep!

 

Yes you will as long as it's lunch. If it's dinner, it has to be after 8:30pm and is not on a block-out date.

 

Wait a second... you're reading my TR! 

[Beckers 1,136]

Plaza is yummy. We always do lunch there. They have a great club sandwich, my parents get the strawberry salad and Brian has had the meatloaf we have always been happy.

[Duane 152]

Most excellent TR report Kelly... I'm sorry that I haven't posted more, but work has gotten in the way again, but I have been reading along as I could... In fact, I'm on a plane home now as I type...

Can't wait for the next trip that you guys take!

[LONE-STAR 370]

Last time we ate at the Plaza it wasn't good and we haven't been back. Maybe its time to give it another try.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I haven't eaten at the Plaza either. We will definitely look into on our next trip.

[dvccamper 32]

 

We'll be there Oct. 23-26! I can't wait.

 

We'll just miss you, we arrive the 29th.  On the plus side, it's over the weekend of daylight savings when we gain an hour...I'll take an extra hour in Disney any day!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Plaza is yummy. We always do lunch there. They have a great club sandwich, my parents get the strawberry salad and Brian has had the meatloaf we have always been happy.

 

It was a cute stop. I'll be back for sure.

 

Most excellent TR report Kelly... I'm sorry that I haven't posted more, but work has gotten in the way again, but I have been reading along as I could... In fact, I'm on a plane home now as I type...

Can't wait for the next trip that you guys take!

 

Thanks so much for reading along! Glad you enjoyed it.

 

Last time we ate at the Plaza it wasn't good and we haven't been back. Maybe its time to give it another try.

 

I think you should give it another chance.

 

I haven't eaten at the Plaza either. We will definitely look into on our next trip.

 

Try it. You can't beat the prices in Disney.

 

We'll just miss you, we arrive the 29th.  On the plus side, it's over the weekend of daylight savings when we gain an hour...I'll take an extra hour in Disney any day!

 

And you'll be there for Halloween!

[Helmsey......Todd 134]

Great report! Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your trip with us.

Now that you know you can pull off more "impromptu" trips, AND you have AP's you should be able visit more often, no?

[Big Kahuna aka John 71]

Thank you for sharing