Sue and the DoD trip that "Just might end up on the Internet somewhere" report!--COMPLETE 6/5/09 - Page 16 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I tried the Grapefruit Cake and while it was delicious, I have to say that it is left somewhat in the dust by the other desserts. But it is the HBD signature dessert and I don't have any regrets [because the next time I went I tried something else!].
Thanks for all the wonderful pictures of the food.
Good to know that it's not to die for. Our waiter told us that sometimes if they're not overly busy you cvan request a piece from the nearby cafe'.
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Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
I am back from vacation (watch for that trip report to start soon in the Globetrotting forum! ) so I should get this done!
Day 4, part 2....
After that stupendous lunch, we left the HBD for the park. Karen and Steve were off...um....somewhere...and we were off to Toy Story Mania!!! Before they left us, Karen had surrendered two of the coveted fastpasses for Angie and I! We were golden now!!!
Now, a little aside here..
I love my DH. I really do. We are soulmates in every sense of the word. He is my other half. He completes me. Now, that being said....
He doesn't do waiting well. He doesn't like to spend time in lines, and he doesn't like returning with FastPasses if it's going to be a long time before they are good. So.....needless to say, in September 2008, we never got on TSM. Not once. Not at all. No 90 minute standby line, no return at 4:30 FP, nope, nada, nil.
I was sad.
So now, with Fastpass in hand, off I went to FINALLY get to try this ride. The first of SEVERAL firsts that day!
I...um....took some pictures....
Love this one!
So I sat in my seat not knowing what to expect. The ride started, I went through the practice round...
Oh, I am SOOOO hooked. This is like Buzz Lightyear on steroids. WHY didn't I make Steve wait for this? He would LOVE this!!! Too soon it was over and I had a pretty lousy score, but who cared? It was fun!!!
From there, we wandered over to the Great Movie Ride:
"We'll always have Paris!"
On to Tower of Terror:
We were getting sleepy now (couldn't have anything to do with the FAB's at lunch, could it?) so we decided to go back to the room for some R & R.
We had much more fun and I had another first or two ahead of me....
Hope your vacation was a good one. Lovin' this TR and can't wait to hear more. I agree TSMM is the best! We waited at least 90 minutes last June when I went with the gang of 4 (DH, DSinL, DGS1 and DGS2 (one graduated from HS, one from kindergardent). It was so well worth it, but a fastpass is much, MUCH better!! Encourage Steven to either go first thing at rope drop (we managed 3 in a row last month) and/or get that FP!
What a great time at the studios! Your lunch at HBD looked so ! (And I am very impressed by how thoughtful and considerate you were of Karen and Steve by not letting them be the only ones to order a lot of food! )
It is great to see a picture of Dorma. I think she's a hoot! And I am so glad you got to ride TSMM! I just LOVE it and can't wait to ride it again!
I'm so glad you like TSMM, Sue! Stefanie and I were sold during the practice round, too. She kept yelling, "Mom, I'm shooting stuff." I really like how they've made this attraction adaptable to the player's skill level. Great pictures!
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After a brief rest, we were ready to head back to MGM. Our initial plans were to have dinner at the Grand Floridian Cafe with Chez and Wendy at 5:40 and then go to Epcot to see Illuminations. We had caught Illuminations Friday night, and we were anticipating being fairly stuffed from lunch. So with regret, we bowed out of dinner, and I don't think Wendy and Chez are talking to us yet. Kidding...you know I'm kidding!!! Indeed, the first part turned out to be true, as we were still a tad full even at 6 PM!!
We decided to meet up with everyone for the Margarita Meet. We got there a bit after 6, and the Margarita stand was closed. I think that they actually HAD to close because they ran out of Margaritas. I mean, look how many Maria drank:
Or maybe it was Vanessa?
So we didn't get an FAB but we would make up for that later. The meet was great fun, I finally got to meet Heather in person and got a duck (or two) to prove it! (they sit on my Disney shelf now overlooking my computer, so I can type trip reports under watchful eyes!)
Angie and I were staying for EMH, so as the meet wound down, we were deciding what to do. When all the noisy Passporters had left, a little passporter decided to join us:
Maybe he drank all the margaritas!
Marie, Angie and I went forward bravely into EMH. We decided to see what the wait was on Toy Story Mania. We still had our original Fastpasses from the morning, but alas, Marie didn't have one. Or did she? WAIT!!! Remember that Fastpass that I was saving for scrapbooking that Shawn had given me that morning? Yes, I made the ultimate scrapbooker sacrifice and gave it to Marie!!! We were on our way! I did take a few pictures on the way:
We stopped at the American Idol attraction and watched the finale on the big outdoor screen. Of course, we all picked the wrong contestant.
And off again to TSM:
Well, it was just as cool as it was the first time...maybe cooler!
By now, we actually were starting to get hungry. I think Heather mentioned this in her TR. There is like NO place to get food during EMH. We tried the Backlot Express...no luck. Most of the food places were closed. At that time, someone, and I think it was Marie, got a brilliant idea. Why not head over to Beach Club and go to Beaches and Cream? Wow! That sounds great! And it was sounding even better as the minutes went by. We were getting ready to leave when I got a call from Sara. We had talked about meeting for drinks if she had some free time, and tonight, Dennis and Judy were on Ryan patrol, so she and Shawn were free! I told them our plans, and they decided to join us!
I valeted the car (for free, this time!). We got to Beaches and Cream, and the CM said there was about a half hour wait. No problem, we sat outside and waited and soon Sara and Shawn arrived!
Love the ice cream cone tables:
We thanked Shawn for his donation of the Fastpass!
In no time at all, we were seated inside with a really cool CM as our waitress. Now, this was another first for me. Remember the no-waiting DH? Well, there's usually a wait for B & C, and Steve wouldn't really want to wait for "just a burger". He's more of a table service kind of guy. So...although we have had ice cream here several times, I have never eaten here! : I ordered a vanilla Coke and Angie and I split the roast beef hoagie. It was hot, with melted cheese and onions, and we got it with onion rings:
Sara and Shawn split a burger and Marie had a burger also:
Ou wonderful CM was kind enough to take a group shot of us in front of the juke box:
The meal was great, I definitely need to get Steve here, too!
The night wasn't quite over yet, though. We decided to walk down to Yacht Club and have another FAB at the Crew Cup lounge. Steve and I will eventually drink our way around the world, having already drank in the BelleVue Room (BW), The Outer Rim (CR), The Tambu Lounge (Poly), Territory Lounge (WL), Francisco's, now Rix's (CSR), and Martha's Vineyard (BC). But this was one we haven't yet tried! Another first!! So off we went, where I ordered the drink of the day, some sort of fruity and very alcoholic punch:
It was good, but I only had one since I was here in my car.
The night wound down, and we all said our goodbyes and went our seperate ways. Tomorrow was our last day.
Riding TSMM twice in the same day! I'm so glad you posted pics of dinner at Beaches and Cream as we're eating there on Sunday and I want food, not just ice cream, otherwise I'll run out of energy on our first day.
What a day of firsts...glad you were finally able to enjoy TSMM (twice ). Beaches and Cream sounded like a great place to stop in for a bite...glad you all had a good time. I can't believe the trip is almost over already...can't wait to hear about the safari.
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) so I should get this done!
Too soon it was over and I had a pretty lousy score, but who cared? It was fun!!!
! (And I am very impressed by how thoughtful and considerate you were of Karen and Steve by not letting them be the only ones to order a lot of food! 
)
Kidding...you know I'm kidding!!! Indeed, the first part turned out to be true, as we were still a tad full even at 6 PM!!
: I ordered a vanilla Coke 
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