Double the fun : East & West coast Disney & Universal parks - UPDATED 1/14 About This Page:

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Sorry that Nest couldn't join you today! It looks like you had a great time on the balloon ride and at AK and Epcot! Love the pictures!

I dearly wished Nest could've joined me on this day! Even though I wasn't able to do anything about altering the balloon flight situation , at least I was able to help him catch-up on things in the Animal Kingdom and Epcot once he was feeling better Glad you liked the pics - I had to try extra hard to take good shots seeing as Nest wasn't with me with his wizz-bang camera

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Dlandmom2

What a fun day! I'm sorry Nest wasn't feeling up to experiencing it with you, but hopefully he had a chance to rest and get his back feeling much better.

I'm not sure if you know this, but on some of the major rides, they have single rider lines. Expedition Everest is one of them. It's usually a much quicker line. Sometimes friends will get in the single rider line together if they don't mind being split up to fill up single seats here and there.

Your teasers are always great...now I'm wondering why it was the Tour Take 1! I've never eaten at Cinderella's Royal Table, so I'm looking forward to that review as well!

Even though I really missed Nest's company, I did end up having a good day once I got used to the fact I'd be running solo. Fortunately, his back got better after a few days of shorter activities and taking things a lot easier.

I've heard of single rider lines, but I definitely didn't spot the one for Expedition Everest I definitely would've made use of it if I had've! Looking at things in a positive light, by missing the single rider line, at least I got to take lots of photos of the queuing area!

Hopefully by the end of this week, you'll find out why I referred to the Backstage Magic Tour as "take 1", and how our dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table went. I can't wait to share our experience with you, as I found it quite hilarious due to Nest's reaction to all the princesses constantly coming up to him!!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Cam22

So sad that Nest's back caused him to miss out on the whole day! The balloon ride looked so awesome. Great time at AK, too!

Yes, it was great to have seen Orlando from a different vantage point. One of these days I hope to convince Nest that getting up at 4am to do this sort of activity, is actually worth it in the end

Despite the long waits in line, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Animal Kingdom!

[Big Sister]

DAY 16: Wednesday, 24 November 2010

Backstage Magic Tour (take 1), followed by dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table

Today Nest and I had reservations for the seven hour Backstage Magic Tour beginning at 8.45am, which goes backstage at three of the four parks at Walt Disney World. I woke up at 7am to get ready to go by myself, as Nest's back was still bad I left to catch the bus to Epcot, the tour's meeting place, at 8am. As the bus pulled away from the stop and set off on its way, I suddenly had the brilliant idea of asking if the tour could be postponed till Thursday, 2 December, when hopefully Nest's back would be better, especially as it was Nest's idea to go on this tour in the first place, and he had been really excited about it (as was I.) I was so elated to have come up with this idea , and wondered why I hadn't thought of it before, especially as I was stressing out about Nest missing out on yet another fun excursion.

Last night, it only took around eight minutes to get from Epcot back to the Pop Century Resort (unless I went to sleep without realising it, therefore making the journey seem so much shorter!) This morning, it seemed to take quite a while - the bus didn't pull into Epcot until 8.25am. When I was walking from the bus stop looking for Guest Relations, my tour's meeting place, I saw a big group already formed on the other side of a fence I could see no short cut through. I continued on hurriedly, and much to my dismay, saw the largest bag check queue I've ever come across, that I had to clear before joining the tour (I don't know how people can go to the parks without a bag, and be able to use the quick guests without bags line - I'm so envious of those people! I carry my purse, camera, diary, whatever confirmation documents I need for the day, and a jumper in mine.) By the time I got through bag check, I only had five minutes to get to the meeting place Talk about cutting it close! I seriously thought that leaving the Pop Century Resort at 8am would be enough time!

As I arrived, a Cast Member called Fran, gave me a lanyon and name card to write my name on and wear around my neck. I explained Nest's bad back situation and asked if we could postpone the tour till December 2. He said it shouldn't be a problem, and wrote our names in his notebook, and the hotel at where he could reach us. He also gave me his name and number where I could reach him, in case we hadn't heard from him by the end of the day.

I was so happy I was able to postpone the tour to a later date so that Nest would be able to join me (and help me with the journal entry afterwards! ) I momentarily thought about going to ride Spaceship Earth and the Seas with Nemo and Friends at least, before going back to our room, but the lines to get into Epcot were so overwhelmingly long, that I immediately told myself to forget about it, and went to catch the bus back to the Pop Century Resort. Besides, I wanted to tell Nest the good news ASAP, and since my mobile phone doesn't work overseas, I'd have to deliver the news in person. Since I was the only person waiting at the station for a hotel bus, I hoped that they would be making return trips that early. While I was waiting, I worked on my journal, and witnessed a skater dude sprinting after a Coach America bus, whistling loudly. Luckily it stopped for him, and I heard the dude say he'd left his wallet on the bus. I was so relieved he got it back, as I could imagine how much that would've ruined his holiday. I was so pleased when a bus for the Pop Century turned up after ten minutes - phew! For the first time ever, I had the whole bus to myself, which meant I could sit wherever I wanted! It was so lovely and peaceful after having experienced such crowded conditions.

The morning's activity had taken eighty minutes to sort out, including transport. When I got back to the room, it was 9.20am! Nest woke up and said that the day had gone quickly, until he checked the clock and asked why I had come back so soon, and was really happy with the news To celebrate, I went to Everything Pop to purchase a celebratory breakfast for us both - it was so crowded! Our meal consisted of chocolate croissants, choc chip pancakes (notice a chocolately theme developing here? ), cashew nuts, and peach 'n mango drinks. The Cast Member who served me, commented on my Rod Serling t-shirt, and we both agreed that he's a one-of-a-kind writer. She also told me about her admiration for Alfred Hitchcock's writing. Back at our room, Nest and I watched the Phineas & Ferb cartoon marathon while eating. Just as I was about to start my breakfast, Fran rang up to confirm the new date for our Backstage Magic Tour. He said he was surprised to speak to me again in person, as he had been expecting to get voicemail. I was surprised to have heard back from him so soon!

After breakfast, I drifted off to sleep and didn't wake up until 2pm, to find Nest watching courtroom TV and working on his journal. I had slept away four hours! I tried working on my journal too, but wasn't all that productive. I felt guilty for not being out in the parks and making the most of them while here. In an attempt to make myself feel better about my laziness, I told myself that it was ok to have a rest, as the parks had been so uncomfortably crowded lately, and I haven't been getting much sleep and needed to catch up. Another reason I was reluctant to hit the parks solo, was because I felt bad for leaving Nest and his bad back alone in the hotel room, despite having his blessing to make the most of things.

Around the 5pm mark, I stopped being lazy and started to get ready for dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table at 7pm, as I didn't want to give up that particular reservation, even if it meant dining alone Nest had been really looking forward to seeing the inside of the Castle, and decided to risk refreshing his back pain and come along with me, seeing as his back was feeling a lot better after two full days of bed rest - I was so happy he'd be joining me!

We took things easy to prevent further injury, and gradually made our way to the Magic Kingdom. Much to our disappointment, the 6pm bus destined for the Magic Kingdom was departing just as we had the stop in our sights. Since Nest was in no condition to run, I didn't bother running to hold it myself ... much to my relief, as I'm in no condition to run either At least this meant we were first in line for a seat on the next bus at 6.20pm.

It was a good job we left our room when we did, as by the time our bus arrived at the Magic Kingdom, we got through bag check (when Security asked the woman in front of us how she was, she said she was really to kill her family, as they weren't listening to her), and battled our way through the throngs of people clogging Main Street, we made it to Cinderella's Royal Table with around five minutes or so to spare! It was the second time that day I cut things a bit too close!

Crossing the drawbridge and walking through the archway tunnel decorated with beautiful mosaics of scenes from the Cinderella fairytale, it was an exciting exclusive-type feeling to be able to turn right for the restaurant, instead of exiting the archway out into Fantasyland. I wondered if that was the same feeling people fortunate enough to be chosen to stay in the money-can't-buy experience that is the Cinderella suite, felt ... though I imagine the excited exclusive-type feeling would be multiplied a thousand times over!!

Once Nest and I had been checked in at the door, we were admitted into the grand foyer. The grand foyer had walls of big stone bricks, which were accentuated with stone arches and columns. The walls were decorated with period tapestries, coat of arms, and weapon displays. Hanging from above, was a candle chandelier. Beautifully crafted stained glass windows featuring bluebirds with fluttering ribbons in their beaks, allowed extra light into the foyer. Very high up on one of the stone ledges, were two mice looking down on all the goings on. Keeping an eye on things on the floor of the foyer itself, were some silver knights in shining armour. As it was the holiday season, a richly decorated Christmas tree in a royal blue and gold colour theme with gold and blue fairy lights, featured in the corner next to the big fireplace near where we were to meet Cinderella. Above the exits, were huge Christmas wreaths decorated to match the Christmas tree.

Inside the grand foyer, we lined up to have our photo taken with Cinderella in front of an archway framed around the outside with stone bluebirds holding stone ribbons in place. Hanging just behind the archway, was a light blue patterned curtain. Framing the inside the of the archway in front of the light blue patterned curtain, were bunches of royal blue drapes. At the foot of this archway, were five little skinny pine trees coiled with gold ribbon, in pots. I was a bit stressed and embarrassed while waiting for our turn to have our photo taken with Cinderella, as I had no idea what to say once it came time to meet her (the embarrassing bit), and I knew quite well Nest didn't want any part of it at all (the stressful bit), as he finds interacting with the 'face' characters, embarrassing, compared to the silent fluffy characters . The only way I got Nest to line up in the end, was that I said that the photo was included in the price of the dinner experience. When it came our turn, Cinderella asked Nest if she could take his arm (I can't remember what his reaction was, more's the pity), and latched onto it with both hands, which I thought was hilarious (in a silent manner - I daren't laugh out loud! ) As for my interaction, Cinderella commented on how long my hair was: "Just like a princess, and almost as long as Rapunzel's!"

After having our photos taken, Nest and I waited in the foyer for about fifty minutes to be seated in the main dining room upstairs. From observation throughout our wait, we learnt that there was a group of ten who had been waiting one hour and twenty minutes to be seated They acted like they had won the lottery when their name was finally called!

On hearing a call for the Royal Carriage Family, Nest and I made our way up the red carpeted spiral staircase, and waited to be shown to our table. While we didn't get a coveted window seat, we did get a good seat on the raised level overlooking the whole dining room. While we had been waiting to be seated, we noticed a whole lot of princesses were in attendance. Nest was so unimpressed, as I had promised him that only the Fairy Godmother was going to be there, as that's seriously what I had read! Because of this, once we reached out table, Nest chose the seat that was the most difficult to get to by people approaching the table. Here's an excerpt from his journal:

"Teddy told me that we only had to get a photo taken with the Fairy Godmother and then that's all. But Teddy was wrong. First of all it was Cinderella we had our photo taken with, and when we sat down at our table we were visited by all the princesses "

Poor Nest! Throughout the course of our dinner, we met Belle, Snow White, Ariel, and Aurora. I had just finished taking a photo of the domed ceiling decorated with flags and beautiful stained glass windows, when Ariel came up to our table, commenting on how pretty it was up there. As we had yet to be presented with any food, Ariel asked us if we were having the seaweed salad, and when I said no, she said it must be a mermaid thing. She kindly asked the lady at the next table to take a photo of the three of us together.

Generally I don't have a favourite princess, but from this experience, I really loved Snow White and Aurora in particular. I loved Snow White, as she was just so great and funny, but unfortunately I can't remember an example to illustrate why.

Our meeting with Aurora will stick in my mind forever, purely because of Nest's reaction! She was really nice, and stood talking to us for quite some time. She asked us about different words in Australia, that meant the same thing in America, for example: rockmelon = cantaloupe, rubbish = trash, mobile phone = cell phone, car boot = trunk, jumper = sweater, holiday = vacation. As Aurora had used all the best examples and I wasn't prepared for such a quiz, I drew a blank. I tried drawing Nest into the conversation (he was busy being super embarrassed and very quiet in his corner ), but he couldn't think of anything either. She then went on to tell us how all the princesses were having a sleepover in the castle that evening, "which is very exciting!" Afterwards, Nest took my photo with Aurora, and when Aurora asked Nest if he would like to have his photo taken with her, he politely declined. Immediately I went into damage control, explaining how he was very shy, and with that, Aurora moved all the chairs out of the way and posed proudly by his side, holding onto his shoulder. I took a photo before Nest could move, and screamed with internal laughter at the result! The look on his face is absolutely priceless, and is my most favourite photo of our six week holiday!!

Our server's name was John. He had a quiet manner about him, but was very attentive. He presented us with beautifully decorated menus to choose our meal from, which featured an illustration on the back, of Cinderella and Prince Charming in a stained glass window design. He also gave Nest a knight's sword, and me a purple star wand with flowing ribbons Nest and I were glad we weren't left out on this account due to our age. We weren't presented with a wishing stone though , so were worried about the success of the wishing ceremony that occurred periodically throughout our meal (twice), when the lights were dimmed and stars swirled over the walls of the restaurant.

Submitting our meal order, we nibbled on yummy hot dinner rolls with butter, and supped on chocolate milk (Nest), and Coke (me). Our drinks were served in elegant royal blue goblets. Nest chose an appetizer of mixed field greens and fresh herbs tossed with a white balsamic vinaigrette. I like to take a photo of every meal we eat while on holiday, not only to remember what a fun time we had, but also to serve as a memory prompt when it comes time to writing up journal entries. When I went to take a photo of Nest's salad, he picked up his sword and pretended to use it as a knife, which I thought was funny

I chose a royal tasting of cheese as my appetizer. On a rectangular plate, were mouse-sized servings of three different types of cheeses with accompaniments - it was so delicately presented, and looked really nice. Unfortunately, so much time has passed since actually eating that meal, that I can't remember what the types of cheese were, and the photo isn't much help The first type of cheese looks like sticks of swiss served with a tiny dollop of fruit mince. The middle cheese is a tiny dob of what looks like a smooth cottage cheese garnished with two flaked almonds and two whole blackberries. I think the last cheese was a triangle of brie topped with honeycomb. I definitely remember the honey, as it was super sweet. Nest had been thinking of ordering the royal tasting of cheese as his appetizer also, but on seeing the amount on the plate, was glad that he didn't, as he was absolutely ravenous. He said that his salad was really nice.

Our drinks were topped up in time for the arrival of our entrees, which for Nest, was fried chicken with broccolini and a house-made macaroni and cheese. The description of the dish sounded as if it would be nice and filling, but Nest was beside himself with disbelief on its arrival, as it turned out to be quite small. His chicken was more the size of a quail, with the drumstick being smaller than his little finger! It was presented really nicely, but for a hungry tall person such as Nest, you'd only have to inhale and it would be gone

As for my entree, there's no way I can pass up the opportunity for beef and potatoes! I'm absolutely mad for that combination! It should come as no surprise then, that I opted for the roasted beef tenderloin served with duchess potatoes, asparagus, and a tomato hollandaise sauce. The dish was sooooooooooo yummy and nicely presented! The potatoes were piped into a coiled circle, and I could detect a slight taste of nutmeg while eating them, which was a new and interesting sensation for my tastebuds.

For dessert, Nest and I both chose the chef's dessert trio, the description being, "Cinderella sent her chefs around the world to discover new desserts. They are happy to share three of their favourites with you." They were served on a rectangular plate like my cheeses had been. The first dessert was a little pyramid of chocolate, with a cute little dark and white chocolate striped stick poking out of it. The second dessert was served in a double shot glass, and consisted of blueberries with zabaglione and topped with a strawberry half. The third dessert was one of my favourites (not that I have it often): a small pastry cone shell covered in raw sugar and filled with custard - there's a party in my tummy! So yummy! So yummy! I still had enough Coke in my goblet, but Nest's choccie milk was all gone, so he ordered a lemonade. When we ask for lemonade, we mean Sprite, so got quite a surprise when a goblet of pink lemonade was delivered, which tastes quite different Next time we'll learn to ask for Sprite in particular ... and we'll be ready for when Aurora asks us about different words in Australia, that mean the same thing in America!

We headed back to the Pop Century Resort after dinner. I took photos of the beautiful mosaics in the archway tunnel leading out of the castle, as well as some super close-ups of the castle itself. I was super pleased with the end results, thanks to Nest's guidance

To get out of the Magic Kingdom, we had to go through Tomorrowland instead of directly straight ahead from the castle and down Main Street, due to the nightly parade which was already well and truly underway. We bumped into Keith during our detour, and we said and stopped for a quick chat. He told us that there was about 55,000 in the Magic Kingdom at that point , and that he was going to be our driver for Big Cat Rescue on Saturday, which we thought was awesome

As the delicate portioning sizes at Cinderella's Royal Table had done nothing to satisfy Nest's hunger, we stopped into Everything Pop on the way back to our room, for supper, as my English friends call it. Nest got his favourite meal of chicken parmigiana, and a chocolate milkshake. I was a tiny bit munchie, so I got a small cheese pizza, knowing that Nest wouldn't mind helping me polish it off if I couldn't manage it myself, and a Coke. We also got a slice of tie dye cheesecake and a container of grapes to share.

Later on that night, Nest was lying on the floor for some reason (he either had had too much to eat, or was trying to feel the different textures of carpet), and when he went to get up, re-injured his back While Nest called it a night at that point , I got on with doing the washing, drying and showering. By the time I had finished those tasks, it was 5am!! Even though neither of our journals mention it, we must've been watching television and working on our journals for quite some time before this, for me to have gotten to bed at such an hour!

Next Entry: Thanksgiving Day

[Colexis Mom]

Great pictures from your day! Glad you were able to reschedule the tour for Nest, although now I'm wondering if he'll be able to go! Great pics from CRT, but my goodness, the portions are so small (and the cost is so high)! More please!

[thinktink79]

you have the greatest post. love reading them. thanks for sharing.

[Dlandmom2]

I just thought of a word comparison for you! Your carpark is our parking lot! I learned that from my cousin in Melbourne almost 30 years ago, and I still remember it!

Great day! I'm so glad you were able to reschedule the tour and that Nest was able to enjoy CRT with you! I just love the pics of Nest looking at the camera with his eyebrows raised!

Poor Nest...I can't believe he hurt his back again! I hope you come back soon with the next update! I'm dying to find out what happens!

[Dlandmom2]

Oh, I forgot to ask, does your vacation countdown mean you're returning to DLR or WDW later this year?

[Cam22]

Looks like a great time at CRT for breakfast! Love all your pictures, but the one Jaq and Gus is the coolest as they are very special to me.

[chezp]

I'm glad you were able to reschedule the tour. Love the photo with Aurora!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Great pictures from your day! Glad you were able to reschedule the tour for Nest, although now I'm wondering if he'll be able to go! Great pics from CRT, but my goodness, the portions are so small (and the cost is so high)! More please!

Thank you!

I was ecstatic I was able to reschedule the Backstage Magic Tour also, as the thought of having to remember all that I'd be learning that day, not to mention being chief photographer yet again, was too much of a responsibility for little ole me! I can't believe it took me so long to come up with the postponement idea!

I knew dinner at CRT was going to be expensive, but I was willing to pay the price so that Nest and I could experience the inside of the Castle together, as last time I dined there with a friend, I wasn't feeling well, and therefore couldn't appreicate it fully. I thought my money was well spent, purely because of Nest's reactions to the food portion sizes and princesses constantly approaching him

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by thinktink79

you have the greatest post. love reading them. thanks for sharing.

Thanks very much - I'm thrilled to hear you've been enjoying them!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Dlandmom2

I just thought of a word comparison for you! Your carpark is our parking lot! I learned that from my cousin in Melbourne almost 30 years ago, and I still remember it!

Great day! I'm so glad you were able to reschedule the tour and that Nest was able to enjoy CRT with you! I just love the pics of Nest looking at the camera with his eyebrows raised!

Poor Nest...I can't believe he hurt his back again! I hope you come back soon with the next update! I'm dying to find out what happens!

Originally Posted by Dlandmom2

Oh, I forgot to ask, does your vacation countdown mean you're returning to DLR or WDW later this year?

Thank you for your word comparison suggestion - I'll endeavour to remember it for our next trip to WDW ... though I'm not sure if I'll be able to get Nest anywhere near the castle ever again, on the off-chance I try to drag him inside for another dinner experience

I so love the pictures of Nest with the princesses also - you can tell he's half embarrassed and half not impressed!

Yes indeedy - my vacation countdown means we're returning to the States at the end of the year! At the moment, our plans keep on chopping and changing though, as it originally started off as Nest planning a trip with his friend, Benny. When I found out, I said there's no way he's going to the Happiest Place on Earth without me , but that I'd give them space so they could relax and do their own thing still . Benny's fiancé found out, and said she was coming also. Unfortunately, she has been the downfall of these plans for reasons I wont go into here , so I've pulled the Big Sister card , and opened up about a surprise trip I'd been planning since January, for the same time as Nest and Benny had planned their trip for. Nest went with my surprise plans without a moments hesitation, but I've yet to make them concrete due to finances (I wasn't going to spring the surprise on him until a month or so before departure, when I knew for certain what I'd be able to afford.) Luckily, our time at Disney will still coincide with the time Benny and his fiancé will be there, so Nest will still be able to catch up with him … though how successful that will be, is up to the fiancé. I hope to finish this current TR before our next vacation , so that readers will understand the reasoning behind "re-doing the disastrous end to our 2010 trip!" If that's not the ultimate teaser, then I don't know what is

I have my next two entries ready to load, but limited time in which to do it in, so I hope to be back tomorrow to tell everyone how our Thanksgiving Day went (having said that, I’ll try and load my next entry after this, as it’s quite short, therefore shouldn’t take long.) I'm currently gearing up to write my next six entries, as they are going to be HUGE in comparison, but I'm so looking forward to sharing them

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Cam22

Love all your pictures, but the one Jaq and Gus is the coolest as they are very special to me.

Thank you - glad to have included a picture of your two special characters for your enjoyment It has been ages since I've watched Cinderella, so I must get around to doing so soon, so I can be reminded of Jaq and Gus' personalities.

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by chezp

I'm glad you were able to reschedule the tour. Love the photo with Aurora!

Thanks - me too!

The photo of Nest and Aurora is a scream, isn't it?!