Is It Time Already?! OKW and POR, November 2013 - Page 12 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I am glad you all enjoyed the Dessert Party. We have done it 3 times and will probably not do it again. The very first time we were told as we entered that we'd be expected to remain seated during Wishes. We had a table like you all right at the railing. Perfect! The next two times it was a free-for-all for the railing spots, and so where you were seated didn't matter. I enjoyed the desserts and the view but not enough to fight for a spot anymore.
I'm like you...I enjoyed it, but not enough to "fight" for it again! I'm glad we tried it though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Too bad with some of the attendees at the dessert party! At least you had a good time in general. Can't beat two creme brulees, as that would be me! Not a big sweets person either but those are one of my faves along with chocolate and various sorbets!
I went to a dessert party about four years ago and there wasn't any problems. Of course it was a sponsored event for this site's Decade of Dreams celebration for Fantasmic at DHS. Much more organized and civilized too, than what you encountered! No creme brulee for that! Only disappointment there. All Passporters for that event.
I wish I could've attended a Decade of Dreams event! I'm craving a creme brulee right now....
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcc0313
Glad you had such low crowds at Epcot. Love the pictures from the MK, glad you tried the dessert party, we have done it several times and it definitely can be a cattle race for dessert and I agree the best seats really do not matter as everyone is standing up, we usually grab a spot and just enjoy but after a few years of going I think my girls are dessert partied out.
I have SO many castle pictures, it's hilarious! I had to get a picture of every color change, and then from different zooms, and then with the kids...!
The dessert party was good, but the kids really weren't into it. They could take it or leave it. Maybe if I were there alone or with other adults, I might try it again. I probably would've taken my time and tried a few more desserts. Then again, I probably would've just grabbed 4 or 5 creme brulee's and made it a meal!
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I had a feeling I knew what was going to happen from another trip report in terms of people standing up by the railings. Why on earth do people feel the need to do that? As others have said, if everyone stayed at their tables, then people could still see.
Sorry people blocked your view at the party! I don't know why they don't just move the tables all the way up to the railing to prevent that (and to prevent the tables in the back from being obstructed! Great pictures!
Epcot sounded fun and the start to MK.
Thanks for your review of the Dessert Party. I had it on my list for next year, but after a lot of reviews I have nixed it. The lining up early thing pretty much killed it for me. I thought the point of it was to stay seated because every seat had a perfect view. My girls and I are short and I really don't want to pay to fight to see the fireworks. I will just find a spot out with the masses.
When we were at the Dessert Party in June things were replenished well. The railing was a bit crowded but we expected that. I love it just to be out of the masses. The creme brulee is my favorite too.
I had a feeling I knew what was going to happen from another trip report in terms of people standing up by the railings. Why on earth do people feel the need to do that? As others have said, if everyone stayed at their tables, then people could still see.
I was expecting it, too. I had also read several TRs that mentioned people at the railing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwewhisper
Sorry the dessert party wasn't what you had hoped. But at least it was something new to try and check off the "done that" list!
I didn't think it was bad. I just don't think it's that big of a deal, especially now that I've done it. With Evan, it's very difficult for us to "reserve a spot" for parades and fireworks. Even with shows, it's tough for us to get there too early because he gets fidgety if he has to stay still for too long. This was just a way I could ensure finally seeing Wishes, and for that the party delivered!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Sorry people blocked your view at the party! I don't know why they don't just move the tables all the way up to the railing to prevent that (and to prevent the tables in the back from being obstructed! Great pictures!
You know that's actually a great idea! They could've moved all the rows up to the railing and then had the walkway behind all the rows instead of in front of all the rows! Disney really should hire you for space planning!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
Epcot sounded fun and the start to MK.
Thanks for your review of the Dessert Party. I had it on my list for next year, but after a lot of reviews I have nixed it. The lining up early thing pretty much killed it for me. I thought the point of it was to stay seated because every seat had a perfect view. My girls and I are short and I really don't want to pay to fight to see the fireworks. I will just find a spot out with the masses.
Don't nix it because of the line. There's no need to line up because the tables are already reserved with your name on it. You could've arrived at the last minute and still sat at the table that was reserved for you.
As for seeing the fireworks...you'd just have to stand up at the rail as soon as you see people start to stand there to make sure you have an unobstructed view. It was worth it for me to do it this one time to make sure I could sit comfortably in a chair without people crowding around me. There's nothing worse than waiting an hour for a great spot and then latecomers inch up on you to try to squeeze in a good view.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dutchdisneyfamily
When we were at the Dessert Party in June things were replenished well. The railing was a bit crowded but we expected that. I love it just to be out of the masses. The creme brulee is my favorite too.
I agree...it was great not to be packed in tightly waiting for the show to begin! Things got replenished but only after sitting empty for a while.
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
We got back to our room and relaxed. It was probably about 10 or 11 by now, and while it sort of felt like it had been a long day, it really had been a relaxing day...except our legs were so tired! To our bodies, it was only 7 or 8 at night, so no one was ready to go to sleep. We spent a few hours watching Stacy on tv (throughout the trip, Evan was quoting random things Stacy said...and at the funniest moments!). I broke out the leftovers from Cooke's, and we had some microwave reheated fish and chips. Of course it didn't taste that great, but it was enough to satisfy our confused tummies eating at such odd times today! I think we finally fell asleep around 12:30 or 1am, local time.
I'm sure you've already guessed what happens next. At some point zero dark thirty the motors started buzzing past our room again! Some sounded like the golf cart motors, some sounded a little bigger, but you could hear them all driving by our room. I felt like I had just fallen asleep when I heard them! I have no concept of how long I lay awake. I refused to open my eyes because I knew once I did, I'd never be able to fall asleep again. It was still dark out (or at least not light enough that I could tell through my closed eyelids), and there was no way I was getting up yet!
Eventually, I fell asleep...although I can still remember so many long moments of quiet when I thought the noise had ended...and then another motor would buzz by!
I think I woke up around 8:30 this morning. Once again, Evan was awake soon after I was. Once again, Sophia was still in dreamland! I got Evan some breakfast of milk and cereal. I made a huge pot of coffee because the coffee filter package was for 10 cups. Well, I'm not terribly picky about my coffee, so I figured I'd make the entire pot, have a cup or two, let the rest cool off, and then refrigerate it for the next two days. Don't laugh! It worked fine! I just microwaved the coffee each morning!
I think I finally got Sophia moving around 10. We left the room around 10:30, and our destination was Epcot. Off we walked to the South Depot. The bus was relatively empty, and we sat in the very back...this became Evan's favorite seat every time we got on the bus. Most of the time it was available, but a few times he had to settle for a different open seat.
I carried a backpack into the park each day. I usually carried a jacket for each of the kids, a few snacks for Evan, my camera (unless it was around my neck), and a bag of quarters and pennies for the pressed penny machines. I set the backpack on the seat next to me and started looking at MDE on my phone to see what our FP+ times were (I knew enough not to make any early FP+ ressies for the first few days of our trip!). I think around this time I set down my phone so I could pull out my camera from the backpack and got the strap around my neck, ready to shoot away at everything the moment we got to Epcot. We couldn't wait to get there and really explore since yesterday's visit was so short!
We made it to Epcot and walked off the bus, with me reminding Sophia to check and make sure we didn't leave anything behind. Guess I should've reminded myself! We got off the bus, I put the backpack around my shoulders, started walking away from the bus stop, and I reached into my pant pocket to grab my phone to see what time it was. Umm, my phone's not in my pocket. Oh, I must've put it in the backpack by mistake. I open the backpack and dig around...not there...oh no! I left it on the seat next to me on that bus that just pulled away!!! No way I could sprint fast enough to catch that bus. I ran to the next closest bus to tell the driver what happened, and she motioned me to the office that was about 100 feet away. I walked over there, but there was no way of getting in there, and the door was locked. I walked toward the closest bus, and I think there was a shift change going on...I asked the bus driver if there was any way she could radio the bus that just left to tell him I left my phone on his bus! The bus driver who was standing by the door asked me which stop we got off at, and I told her. She figured out he was headed to Fort Wilderness. She radioed in to dispatch and told them there was a (I think it was a code 80, or something like that) on such and such bus. Then she said to hang on since she was going into the office in a minute. She went in, I waited, and then she came back out and said they radioed my bus driver, and he said he was about 10 minutes away from Fort Wilderness and would check for the phone when he got there. Now there was nothing for us to do but wait.
Sorry, no photos in this update...because my phone was on the bus that drove away!!!
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
Last edited by Dlandmom2; 12-11-2013 at 12:50 AM..
I'm SO sorry about the noisy vehicles in the wee hours! I've never encountered that problem. I remember the phone incident from your live updates, but it's still suspenseful!
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I'm SO sorry about the noisy vehicles in the wee hours! I've never encountered that problem. I remember the phone incident from your live updates, but it's still suspenseful!
I probably should've checked for the time when I heard the carts whiz by just to satisfy my curiosity! At least there wasn't that long continuous motor running this time!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I can't believe all that night during the night. How frustrating! So sorry about the phone. Not a great start to the day.
I'm sure part of it is due to being such a light sleeper. I was kicking myself for leaving the phone on the bus...I ALWAYS remind the kids to check for their things whenever we leave any place!
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwewhisper
So sorry about all the noise in the middle of the night! And oh no about the phone on the bus, leaving us with a cliffhanger
I'm guessing there are people arriving at all hours, so I get it, but it just seemed to be a LOT of traffic outside going back and forth...and before it was really light out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Sorry about the noise when you're trying to sleep, and for leaving your phone on the bus!
Yeah, it was one of those moments!
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
Well, we sat down on a bench near the office. Thankfully I had packed the Kindle, so Evan sat down and got some "free" play time while we waited! Sophia had her phone, so she kept herself amused for a while playing games.
We had been waiting about 10 minutes when who walks by us...the same bus driver who had photo-bombed us the day before! He chatted with us, and I told him about the phone. He walked into the office to see if he could find out anything else for me. He came out a few minutes later and said they're waiting to hear from the bus driver. I thanked him and as he walked away I said, "See you tomorrow! Same time, same place!"
Another few minutes later, a CM walked out of the office and told me the bus driver found the phone. Hooray! Ok, now it was just wait wait wait some more, lol! He said it would be about 15-20 minutes before he got back here. After waiting a few more minutes, Sophia said to me "So what are you going to forget tomorrow, Mom?"
Finally, I saw a bus pull up near the office. Yippee! My phone! I thanked the bus driver, and we were finally on our way to Epcot! I think it was about 12:30 at this time. Ugh.
We walked in, and one of the first things we saw on our right was Pluto greeting guests...and the line wasn't very long! This turned out to be the best interaction we had all week! Pluto was hilarious! Both kids had their headgear on, and Pluto immediately went for Evan's R2D2 ears!
We were sort of hungry...not terribly, but we were ready to eat. It felt like 10am to us, and our tummies didn't know if they wanted breakfast or lunch! We decided to head over to Sunshine Seasons Food Fair (is that what it's called?). This was a place I had wanted to try. It wasn't very busy, but I figured it would be easier if the kids just sat while I went to grab food. There were lots of open tables, but I could see that at busier times it would be hard to find a table.
I wasn't sure what I wanted...Sophia wasn't sure either, so she told me to get wahtever. I ended up with seared ahi tuna on cold noodle salad, Mongolia beef on rice for Sophia, and Foccacia bread with sauce for Evan (he ate the bread, ignored the sauce). I wasn't too quick with the pictures this time!
Sorry, I don't know how to rotate this one.
Evan's meal...and Evan eating it! LOL!
After brunch, we walked onto Living With the Land. Can't get enough of those Nine Pound Lemons!
I wanted to go on Circle of Life, but we decided to try it later (for the life of me, I can't remember why we didn't just do it then!).
We walked over to the bridge and decided we wanted to help Agent P save the world! We got our communicator and were told to head over to the UK. So, Agent E(van) and his two assistants headed to the UK to see what awaited us!
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
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The next two times it was a free-for-all for the railing spots, and so where you were seated didn't matter. I enjoyed the desserts and the view but not enough to fight for a spot anymore.
At least you had a good time in general. 
Can't beat two creme brulees, as that would be me! Not a big sweets person either but those are one of my faves along with chocolate and various sorbets! 
Only disappointment there. All Passporters for that event. 
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