The “Hurt So Good” TR or How You Can Feel Bad and Still Feel Good - UPDATED 10/17 COMPLETE!! About This Page:

[Tawnya]

Great update! Love the girls parasols very cute!

[Nimros]

We walked into Teppan Edo about 20 minutes before our ADR was due; it was early, I know, but we were hot and it was very cool inside. The girls were mega-excited about eating here as they had never been to a teppan style restaurant before. Plus, just the fact that real people from Japan were working there was enough to make it their favorite place to eat! They had been practicing using chopsticks with cotton balls and paper balls for weeks.

Our hostess very politely took my name and directed us to the waiting area. I had planned on telling her we didn’t mind waiting for an entertaining chef, but I felt so bad about being early that I didn’t request it. We got a good view of Tokyo Dining while we waited (I’d like to check them out on some future trip.)

They were very busy and it took quite awhile for us to be seated and our table had nine guests instead of the usual eight. Our server took our orders and was very impressed that I ordered green tea. All of us chose the chicken – although looking back on it, Kevin and I could have smacked ourselves for not ordering the filet.

Our server came back and introduced us to our chef, Mariko. She was tall, slender and sweet as could be – and very, very funny and completely entertaining. She had us all laughing in no time and the girls were so enchanted with her, I was sure she could get them to try “Yummy, yummy mushrooms.” Cory did; Kelley did not. Kelley did, however, eat her entire dinner with chopsticks!

I was so happy we got Mariko as I observed other tables where the chef did nothing but prepare the food and leave. Our table was laughing and thoroughly enjoying our dining experience.

Kevin had one other couple on his side; I sat next to a man and his wife and eleven year old son. Fortunately, he made a wonderful dining companion and we enjoyed a lively conversation about Disney (this was their 15th trip,) homeschooling, and trying new foods.

When Mariko finished preparing our food, we gave her a CM Appreciation Card (it took her a bit to figure out what it was!) and when she thanked us, Kevin answered, “Dou itashi mashite.” She was so surprised and pleased, “OHHhhhh, you speak Japanese!”

As dessert was brought out, our server presented the birthday girl Cory with her very own official chef’s hat and we all clapped as she blew out the candles on her cake. This was my favorite dessert of the entire trip; we had the chocolate ginger cake – and it was the most unusual and delicious cake I’ve ever had!






Completely full, we headed back out through WS.



(Still pushing those bangs out of my eyes!)

And when we reached China, we spotted the first Photopass photographer who was ready to take pictures of us! We made a bee line for him and asked, “Where have you guys been all day? You’re the first PP we’ve seen!” He gave a rather sheepish grin and said that when the weather is hot like this, they tend to find cool places to take photos. Hmmm. Where is there anywhere cool at WS to take photos?

To make up, he took quite a few shots of us. Here's a few...



We decided to look at the exhibits inside the temple. As a martial artist, Kevin is very interested in Chinese history...








(The ceiling in the temple.)



We had already made the decision to skip Illuminations this evening; we had pretty much overdosed on parades and fireworks by now. Instead, it was time to head over to FW and take in some more attractions. Kevin, however, was getting really tired – and said he didn’t want to do Soarin’ or TT.

This time, I tried my best to explain to him that it was perfectly okay for him to take the bus back to the resort and let the girls and I finish up our rides. I think the thing that convinced him was that I said he could already be relaxing in bed and watching one of his favorite TV shows by the time we got back! He finally agreed to return to the resort – but then stopped short, looked around and said, “I don’t even know how to get out of here!” We gave him directions and sent him on his way.

(Little did we know at the time, but a bomb scare had grounded the Disney transportation system that day. Luckily, they had just reinstated the bus service by the time Kevin was ready to leave!)

All of a sudden, ‘the girls’ were FREEEEE!!! Yahoo!!! It was time for us to use those FPs and have some fun! (Not that we don’t love Kevin, but it’s hard for us to enjoy ourselves knowing he’s tired and would rather be home.) So we held hands and skipped and just acted as crazy as we wanted. (Can you sing, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun?)

First thing was to pick up our ride on Soarin’. We still had a bit of a wait even with our FP, but in no time we were buckling up. A CM, however, thought that Cory didn’t quite measure up to the height arrow on the seat – and made us redo her belt through the leg strap. He even eye-balled Kelley and I, and decided Kelley should strap up, too! Poor Cory was fuming because it made her feel like a baby, but she didn’t argue with him. Kelley didn’t care – she just wanted to Soar!

After we landed, it was time to walk across to Mission:Space. I still had my ‘front of the line’ FP, but it wasn’t needed this evening. M:S was a walk-on. This time, we had a young man of about 12 who rode with us. He was very talkative and wanted to share all he knew about this attraction. He and the girls worked out who was doing what position in the crew and we entered our capsule. With the boy there, the girls were a bit more reserved this time, but we still enjoyed it.

Test Track was next. Now, we had seen a corporate group enter the park this morning; not sure where they were from, but several of them were ahead of us in the FP line. There was a young guy standing with a young woman in the pre-show room from this corporate group – and he was obviously three sheets to the wind. He actually leaned up against the door that opens to the queues – and I was certain he was going to fall flat on his <bleep> when the door opened! (He staggered back up just in time.)

I kept thinking to myself, “This guy is going to hurl if he rides this. Please don’t let him be seated in the same car as we are!”

Guess where he was seated? That’s right – in the front seat of our car!!! And right in front of Cory! You get the picture. All through our ride, I kept expecting him to lose it – but fortunately for us, he made it through fine. Whew!


This was so much fun, spending some time on our own, and we contemplated doing a few more rides… but we also wanted to beat the Illuminations crowds out to the bus stop. It was time to go. On our way, we stopped at Mouse Gear so I could take another look at a possible present for my DiL, but I didn’t find what I was looking for.

We stopped one last time for our ‘girls only’ Photopass shoot.


On the bus, we decided to get off at the Main bus stop so we could check Fulton’s to see if I could find something for Dil. If they didn’t have it, we’d have to make a run to DTD tomorrow evening. Fulton’s was a strikeout, so we walked across the bridge over the Sassagoula River and over to Acadian House, talking about how much fun this evening had been.

Kevin was exactly where I had pictured him – relaxing in bed with his favorite TV show and a bowl of Cheerios! Now I knew what was coming…I went to the bathroom mirror and surveyed the damage…

My shoulders, back and chest were red as a lobster! There was even a white stripe on my front where the shoulder strap of my handbag had crossed. Luckily, my moisturizer protected my face from the worst of it, but my nose and cheeks were a bit pinker than usual. The girls, however, had a nice sunburn across their cheeks and noses. They were not happy with me. And I was not happy with myself. This is a mistake I will not make again.

UP NEXT : Why It Pays to Get There Early: Part 2 and “I Forgot the Camera!”

[B.M.]

Sounds like a great meal and a nice night out with just girls! Sorry about the sunburn; hope it didnt end up being too painful!

[lazanya]

Glad you all enjoyed your dinner at Teppan Edo! Sounds like a fun time with just you girls. Sorry about the sunburn.

[Meggera]

I'm sorry you got burned. I'm glad you enjoyed Teppan Edo. I want to go there so badly. Great update!

[bsblady01]

more please

[mcc0313]

Your meal sounded wonderful. Teppan Edo is one of those places I really want to try but I am a bit wary due to the allergy factor. We love Japanese food but we only eat from one restuarant near my house that really caters to our allergies.

What a wonderful evening you had alone with the girls, Kevin got to enjoy some relaxation time and you three got to run "free" at Epcot. Love the photo of you all at the end of the evening. Sorry about the burns, the sun was truly beaming as we did use sunblock and still got it pretty bad.

[vitamingirl]

It did not look crowded at all in Epcot. Was it and is this a particularly slow time to go or was it just early in ws?

[vitamingirl]

What is a cm appreciation card?

I was thinking of celebrating DS 11th bday at teppan edo, would you rec it?

[sparks74]

Great TR and wonderful pictures!!!! Cant wait to hear more.

[dsnytina]

What a great afternoon with your girls in Epcot!
Can't wait to read more!

[Nimros]

Originally Posted by B.M.

Sounds like a great meal and a nice night out with just girls! Sorry about the sunburn; hope it didnt end up being too painful!

Originally Posted by lazanya

Glad you all enjoyed your dinner at Teppan Edo! Sounds like a fun time with just you girls. Sorry about the sunburn.

Originally Posted by Meggera

I'm sorry you got burned. I'm glad you enjoyed Teppan Edo. I want to go there so badly. Great update!

Believe it or not, I just finished the last 'peel' from this sunburn a couple days ago!

Originally Posted by mcc0313

Your meal sounded wonderful. Teppan Edo is one of those places I really want to try but I am a bit wary due to the allergy factor. We love Japanese food but we only eat from one restuarant near my house that really caters to our allergies.

What a wonderful evening you had alone with the girls, Kevin got to enjoy some relaxation time and you three got to run "free" at Epcot. Love the photo of you all at the end of the evening. Sorry about the burns, the sun was truly beaming as we did use sunblock and still got it pretty bad.

I think I might be a bit wary, too with food allergies. You might try calling them directly to see what they say.
And yes - it was good to know that Kevin got to spend some relaxing time with his feet up. I know he felt a lot better and had more energy the next day.

Originally Posted by vitamingirl

It did not look crowded at all in Epcot. Was it and is this a particularly slow time to go or was it just early in ws?

It definitely was not crowded at Epcot that entire day. We had the same experience 2 yrs. ago when we went in September. And I have to say it - Tour Guide Mike is right on with his least crowded park recommendations.

Originally Posted by vitamingirl

What is a cm appreciation card?

I was thinking of celebrating DS 11th bday at teppan edo, would you rec it?

A Cast Member Appreciation card is just a little card you can make to give to CMs who go out of their way to make your trip a bit more magical. There are several sites on the web with templates or you can just design your own on a business card size template. We put on our names and city with the date of our trip - and a picture of Walt and Mickey together that said, "Walt Would Be Proud - Thanks!"

As for Teppan Edo, if your son loves Japanese food, he'd enjoy this restaurant. But the main thing is getting a chef who does more than just prepare the food. What makes this type of restaurant fun is a fun chef.

[DawnK]

great pictures! just caught up. Glad you folks are having a great time.

[Nimros]

~ Two Razor Attacks ~

(which sounds gruesome but is really stupid)

9/18 It was hard to believe this was our last day at WDW. As sad as it was, I was still really looking forward to today – Animal Kingdom at last! On our last trip, we only toured this park for half a day and I was anxious to get back and really experience it this time.

Another early day for arrival at RD – our plan called for FPs to EE and a ride, a visit to Dinoland; back to Asia for the Maharaja’s Jungle Trek, a safari ride and a tour of Pangani Forest Trails, followed by the big finish of seeing Festival of The Lion King so we can get to Boma for dinner. This would be Kevin’s first time to ride EE and Dinosaur, now that he had his handy dandy motion sickness spray. We needed to catch the first bus again.

We were just a bit late getting out of bed this morning and we had to rush to get ready on time. I was in such a hurry that I was a little careless shaving my legs and – OUCH – sliced a gouge in my ankle! It bled a fair deal but with pressure stopped quickly. After that, I was scrambling to make sure everyone was slathered in sun screen (see – I remembered!) and then we were out the door.

Several other families were waiting for the AK bus. Onboard, we settled in our seats and I checked with Kevin to make sure he had brought his motion sickness spray. Check. Hat? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Camera….?....Camera…? ….

“I forgot it,” Kevin replied. “I left it sitting on the night stand.”

To say I was upset is putting it lightly. But I knew he felt terrible about it and so I didn’t say much, but Kevin could tell by the look on my face that it was not okay. “I’ll go back and get it,” he offered.

I did not want him to waste time doing that – we’d just have to do without it. But he said he really didn’t mind. We went back and forth about this for a long time until he convinced me it didn’t really bother him in the least to do it – and so I agreed.

He would stay on the bus back to POR, grab the camera and catch the next bus to AK; the girls and I would go on some rides while we waited for his call to let us know he was back.

I felt really bad for him as we took off for the entrance.

The girls and I headed for Rainforest Café and the ‘back entrance’ to AK. As soon as they opened the glass doors, we headed out to the turnstiles; no one else was there except for a very chatty CM who was from a city near my parents’ hometown. We talked so much and so long that we missed the opening and didn’t notice until another CM waved us through.

Rats! That was our main reason for using the RF entrance! The crowds from the main entrance were already streaming by as we entered the Oasis and up towards the Tree of Life to watch the opening ceremony. We didn’t make it to the rope and were off to the side near the tip board.

Doug, one of the CMs manning the ropes, noticed Cory’s birthday button and asked her, “Since it’s your birthday, how would you like to help me open the tip board this morning? I’m not strong enough to do it myself.”

Of course she would! But suddenly Cory was all ‘shy’ again and everyone in the crowd was going, “Aww – she’s so shy. Isn’t that sweet?” uh-huh.

And then Doug told me he’d like to present her with a certificate for front row seating for Festival of The Lion King - what showing would we like to attend? Wahoo!!! What a great way that would be to end our day at AK!!!

Shortly before the Opening Ceremony, Doug introduced ‘Corinne’ to the waiting crowd and had her turn the crank to raise the canvas curtain for the tip board. She did a great job – and here I was with no camera to record the moment.

We didn’t see much of Mickey, Minnie or the gang because we were too short to see over people’s heads. And just as before, two CMs held the rope and walked the crowd over to Expedition Everest.

Kelley and Cory waited for me at the entrance to the stand-by line while I grabbed our FPs for later. I wasn’t sure how we’d handle that as I could only get 3 – Kevin had his KTTW card with him – but I figured we’d work it out later.

This was Kelley’s first ride on EE and the line was moving too swiftly for her to get nervous. Before she knew it, she was stowing her gear aboard the train that would take us to the top of the tallest mountain in…Disney World! I had a very nice ride partner to whom I explained this was my daughter’s first ride on EE (the girls were right in front of us and I kept reaching forward to pat them on the head) and we chatted briefly before the adventure began.

Now – here’s where I need to ask you all a question…First time we rode EE in ’07, the Yeti was having some ‘issues’ and could only move his arm a bit. Afterwards, we saw a video where he was really moving a lot and were anxious to see how different he was this trip. But neither Kelley, Cory nor I saw the Yeti this time! Is he still there? We saw his shadow – but that was it!

With one ride on EE under our belts, we headed over to Chester and Hester’s Dino-rama for a spin on Primeval Whirl. This was an attraction I had not done yet – the girls rode with Alexa last trip. What did I think? Wellllll, it’s not my favorite attraction at AK; I thought it was pretty rough, especially at the end. But I’m glad I went because the girls were enjoying it so much.

We had another talkative CM loading the cars. When he found out we were from Nashville, he wanted to know where our favorite places to eat were – and did we like breakfast at the Pancake Pantry? We yelled that it was our favorite as we were whirled out of sight!

My cell phone rang while we were on PW – I knew it had to be Kevin calling to say he was back. As soon as we were finished, I gave him a call and told him where to meet us.

And his story? When he got back on the bus, he told the driver he had to go back and get our camera – and the driver offered to reverse his route so he could let Kevin off at our stop first. He found the camera and had just walked back to the bus stop when another AK bus pulled up! How’s that for speed?

The girls ran down to wait for their dad under the big yellow dinosaur – and then we were off to save an iguanodon!

(Cory wanted to try her hand at a 'creative' shot!)



Kevin and Kelley both had skipped Dinosaur last trip, so this was going to be a new experience for them. Kevin had taken his motion spray – but it was the roughness of the ride that worried me. I hoped his back would survive the adventure!

We put Kevin in ‘the sucker seat’ and the girls between us. I reminded Cory to keep her eyes open for the entire ride this time and we were off!

I had a feeling Kevin would not enjoy this one because it was so jerky – and he didn’t. Kelley was not scared a bit and said she’d do it again. Somehow, we missed seeing our photos – I think one of the girls needed a bathroom stop and after a ride like Dinosaur, who could blame them?

After some shopping and a bathroom break, we walked back to Asia.




(I had to get this shot - the water was unbelievably clear and reflective!)

Along the way, my mind was seriously turning over the possibility that it might be best for Kevin to skip EE. It had been 2 years since my first ride and my memory of it was a little foggy. I remembered that the train had gone backwards for a bit – but I had forgotten that it had gone backwards for such a long time and at such a high speed. Even though we all wanted to ride EE as a family, I felt we might be risking the rest of the day at AK if this attraction affected Kevin adversely.

So I shared my concerns with him and let him make the decision. He decided it wasn’t worth the risk – so the girls and I would come back and ride EE by ourselves later in the day.

Did I mention it was hot again? I actually love hot and humid weather – especially when I’m somewhere like AK where being hot is part of the ambience of trekking through the wilds. For everyone else though, this day was another challenge.



It took me a bit to find the entrance to Maharaja Jungle Trek. After seeing the gorgeous photos by Beth’s (mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince) latest TR, I was anxious to see it. Kevin, however, was commandeering the camera and I didn’t want to disturb his wildlife photo shoot – so I contented myself by locating all the Hidden Mickeys Beth had pointed out.



I also got a call on my cell; Alexa was having some ‘issues’ back at home and although I wanted to be a good mom and listen, I had to tell her I was missing all of MJT and I’d call her back later.

The girls were very intrigued with the tigers and had some questions. A very young CM was standing nearby – I swear, he looked like he was about sixteen! – and they approached him with their questions about tigers in the wild. He was very knowledgeable and was able to answer them in detail. We learned a lot.



It was getting to be about 11:00am and we wanted to have lunch before it got too busy. Even though I really enjoyed Flame Tree Barbeque, I knew it’d be best to get everyone out of the heat for awhile, so Pizzafari was our choice. I needed to pick up FPs for Kilimanjaro Safari first, so I asked Kevin to take the girls and head to the restaurant; I’d meet him there after I got the FPs.

Now, my husband may be an over-the-top intelligent and extremely gifted individual – but he is, without a doubt, extremely directionally challenged! This means, even with a map, he can have trouble navigating around. He gave me one of those looks that said, “How in the world do you expect me to find this place??” I gave him simple directions and a park map and told him it was easy. “Walk past the Tree of Life, turn right, keep walking straight until you see Pizzafari on the left. Go inside; it’s air conditioned and you all can wait for me there.”

We never made it to Africa last trip – and it was amazing! I wish I had more time to really look around and enjoy it, especially since I was on my own for a bit – but I knew my family was waiting…

By the time I got back to Pizzafari, even I appreciated being able to get out of the heat for a short while. Inside, it was almost completely empty. I looked through each dining room, but didn’t see anyone. Where was my family?!?

Just as I was getting ready to go back outside and look for them, I saw Kevin and the girls coming in through the front doors. I will let Cory relate the story of how they finally found the place in her TR.…let’s just say they had their own little adventure in getting there!

I loved the inside of Pizzafari! It was colorfully decorated and visually stimulating; I could have taken photos of everything. The food was good, too. We all had personal pizzas and salads. Kevin had yet another apple tart as did Kelley; Cory and I split my chocolate cake and her chocolate chip cookie.



As we were eating, I noticed an elderly CM who was giving another guest a tour of the restaurant, pointing out little details and Hidden Mickeys. She was thoroughly enjoying her job and had lots of knowledge about Disney. I took a photo of ‘the smallest HM in Pizzafari’ but as luck would have it, the flash from the camera obliterated it!

(One of the small orange dots on the turtle shell is a HM.)

(A good view of more of the rooms.)

(Snails and turtles on the ceiling beams.)




UP NEXT: The Secret Path, A Bumpy Safari and Dancing With a King.

[B.M.]

Great day at AK! Can't wait to hear the experience of front row at Festival of Lion King- one of my fave shows! I can relate to Kevin on being direction challenged, I can get lost going anywhere, no matter how many times I've been there before!