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Trip Log:
Slept in this morning until just after 6am. We had a 7:45am breakfast at Topolino’s so it was a very quick walk to breakfast. After breakfast half the group went to Typhoon Lagoon and the rest of us met up with a friend to visit then we headed to EPCOT. Strolled through World Showcase to World Celebration and caught a performance by Forces of Nature. After their show we took a stroll around world showcase stopping to see the Voices of Liberty. Paused in France for a snack, some wanted soft serve ice cream which was not available. So we continued on toward the front of the park to see the swirl ice cream stand. It did not have chocolate either so he was 0 for 2. We looped back to France for some hand made ice cream and then I made my way to World Discover to watch the 2:14pm SpaceX launch. After the launch stopped by Connections Eatery for some food. Took a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There was only a few minute wait for the Safari. Took a stroll through Gorilla Falls then through the Tree of Life Gardens on my way to Dinoland USA. Circled the area a bit for a look around then decided to head for the bus. Caught a bus to the Beach Club and met the rest of my group at the Skyliner. We walked to World Discovery and waited for Test Track. Stopped by Club Cool then decided to visit Mission Space (Green Team) which was a walk on. After our flight made our way to World Showcase were we did a loop starting at Mexico. Most opted to go back to the room and I stuck around the 10 minutes until showtime for Luminous finding a spot down on the water’s edge. After the show waited about 15 minutes for the Skyliner back to Riviera where I called it a night.
Thoughts & Observations:
- Started our morning off going upstairs for breakfast at Topolino's Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera for Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends. I had not eaten up there before so this was a new experience for me. I thought the restaurant and service were great and the character encounters were fun. The cast was friendly and efficient.
- We were seated in one of the smaller rooms on the far side of the restaurant. This had pros and cons. On the positive side you were not out in the middle of the dining room and when the characters came by it was just two tables in the area for them to visit. The downside was you did not have a lot to look at. Your views outside were limited and the characters were also restricted to a narrow doorway due to the walls. I would have preferred to be in the main dining room I think. Overall I though the seating was really spread out compared to other restaurants and the atmosphere very relaxed for character dining which were both great.
- The food was ok. I really enjoyed the pastry basket of muffins and croissants. I would have liked to have seen a refill option on that. The waiter encouraged everyone to order a main course and said eggs can be added to anything along with the sides. I opted for the waffles with bacon. When the food arrived, the waffles were cold and were not great. I should have sent them back but I opted to eat it as is. I would have much preferred Mickey waffles. I did not care for the batter either. The bacon came and looked barely cooked. I did ask for some crisp bacon and they brought a second plate that was hot and cooked better.
- The characters cycled through the room. During our meal we met Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck each once and a couple twice. There were a couple character moments in the main room and our view stunk for these as you will see in my pictures and video. I felt awkward standing up to go outside the room for pictures/video as I would have been standing over others eating so instead had to settle for looking through the doorway.
- We really appreciated the pacing of the meal. For character dining it seemed relaxed and not crazy like so many other meals tend to be, especially Chef Mickey’s.
- After eating we walked out on the balcony to take a look around and the morning views were great. It was interesting how being up one extra floor offered a different feel than the room view.
- Would I go back… maybe. If we were looking for a character dining experience it would be near the top of my list. If I was looking for a good breakfast meal I would not.
- Spent the late morning at EPCOT and some of the group had a taste for chocolate soft serve ice cream. This seemed like something that would be easy to get at EPCOT. We failed in the end. Our first try was in France. After waiting in line found out the machine was out of order again/still. Then we tried the Swirled Showcase… well they do not serve chocolate. You can swirl in other flavors. At this point the group gave up and left the park.
- I decided to try and see the SpaceX launch from near Mission Space. I was able to see it briefly between the clouds. Being a mid day launch it was not that impressive and the views we get at home from Vandenberg are better and spoil you.
- Headed to Disney’s Animal Kingdom again in the late afternoon. The park was emptying out as it always does. It really seems like the 3pm hour is when things start to shut down and by 4pm your choices are much more limited even though the park is open until 7pm. It would be great to see some more entertainment added and other offerings to keep guests in the park longer and more for those who are there to do.
- Today my Safari luck was better than my last two but still not great. My trip through Gorilla Falls was mixed. The family troop was active but the bachelors were already in for the day.
- Returned to EPCOT to find the rest of my group and visit a few more attractions on their list. They really wanted to do Test Track so we decided to get in line and just wait it out. This was painfully slow as the mix of Lightning Lane to Standby was not in our favor or even. So what should have been a moderate wait turned into a long wait.
- We stopped by Mission Space and did the green team. It was a walkon as it tends to be. The pavilion just as an empty feel to it. Both queues were nearly empty. Cast members did not seem excited or interested and everything just seemed quiet almost depressing.
- I had about an hour until Luminous so took a lap around World Showcase at 8pm. As is the norm there was no entertainment and not a lot going on. I did hear the final notes of the Garden Rocks concert as we reached that point.
- There was no event taking place at the Terrace des Fleurs area near the International Gateway so opted to walk down to the lower terrace and found a great spot for Luminous the Symphony of Us a few minutes before show time. I had not watched from down there as there always seemed to be an event using the space. It really is a great spot and even though you relatively close to the bridge the experience is different.
- I moved quickly after the show and had a 15 minute wait for the Skyliner tonight. Overall I prefer the Skyliner over the buses. The shorter walk and continuously moving queue are great. But feeling like you have to rush out of the park to avoid having a long wait is not ideal.
Pedometer Information for the day:
| Steps |
26,653 |
| Miles |
12.2 |
| Walking Time |
4:20 |
| Total Time |
15.5 |
Addition Blog Picture Posts from today:
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