Postlude: My Food Vacation

Normally, when I visit a theme park, I seek out the cheapest food options and accept that I might go home hungry because I am not willing to spend $15 on a burger.  My Disney World vacation was the exception to this rule.  Not only did I spend five days at theme parks, but I also ate like a king thanks to a promotional discount on the Disney dining plan during the month of October.  I'll spare you the tedious details of the Disney dining plan.  Suffice it to say that there are lots of benefits to visiting Disney World in October: temperatures are lower (but still warm), average rainfall is lower (it didn't rain once during my vacation), crowds are lower (the kids are in school), and the Disney dining plan is free (FREE!). 

Taking full advantage of our free Disney dining plan, some of the dishes Chris and I tried include mickey-shaped macaroni, chicken artichoke flatbread, goat cheese ravioli, oak-fired fillet of beef with heirloom tomato risoto, yuzu-marinated sushimi, new england pot roast, fried herb and garlic cheese, smoked trout dip, olive oil poached salmon, chicken pot pie, peri-peri roasted chicken, Botswana style Seswaa short rib, Nigerian-style sea bass, Florida seasonal salad, and grilled chicken breast with sun-dried tomato spread.

Chris and I also tried a number of yummy desserts and snacks, including a mickey shaped ice cream bar and ice cream sandwich, a mickey shaped pretzel, a mickey shaped Rice Krispie treat dipped in chocolate and mini reese's pieces, a brownie and ice cream sundae, a root beer float cupcake, warm apple crisp, tanzanian chocolate cake with green tea ice cream, white chocolate cake with berry compote, mega-berry and mango smoothies, chocolate truffle mouse, pistachio and mint-chocolate chip ice cream, cheesecake, creme brulee, and banana stuffed, cinnamon dusted fritters with chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter dipping sauces.

Chris and I visited Epcot during the International Food and Wine Festival.  From Belgium we tried a Belgium waffle with chocolate ganache.  From China we tried Mongolian beef in a steamed bun and chicken pot stickers.  From Scotland we tried vegetarian haggis with neeps and tatties-griddled vegetables.  From Australia we tried a grilled lamb chop with mint pesto and potato crunchies.  Chris and I finished off our international tastings with a pair of delicious orange Dole whips.

Before I go on, please know that Chris I did not spend our entire vacation moving from one meal to another.  Chris and I each ordered separate appetizers, entrees, desserts, and/or snacks when we did eat, which we then shared with each other.  So, while we did eat more than normal when we actually sat down to eat, most days we ate only two meals, if not less.

Of all the delicious food I ate, my absolute favorite meal was the pilgrim's feast at the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom.  The pilgrim's feast consisted of roast turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  Thanksgiving dinner in October was a real treat.  

 

The final meal of my vacation took place at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Chris and I found a cereal and snack bar called Cereality that offered a number of different cereals with several different fruit or nut toppings.  I thoroughly enjoyed my Honey-Nut Cheerios and Special K with walnuts and craisins on the side. It was a perfect ending to a vacation full of good food. 

From Epcot to Home

Top: With friends at Epcot in 2001
Bottom: At Epcot in 2013

Epcot was the last Disney World park that Chris and I visited during our trip.  The day started with an early breakfast reservation.  The downside to the early breakfast reservation was waking up before 7:00 a.m.  The upside to the early breakfast reservation was entering Epcot before it officially opened.  It was so nice to walk around the park while it was virtually empty.   At one point, I spun around in big circles with my arms spread out just because I could.

Look at all that empty real estate behind us.

Our early breakfast was not an ordinary breakfast, but a Norwegian breakfast buffet with Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, and Princess Aurora.  I was surprised at the small size of the princesses.  I told Chris that either the princesses are small so as to cater to their primary audience (little girls) or they are small because they are princesses.  Chris dismissed my first theory and told me that I could never be a Disney princess.  I guess he might be right because the princesses make me look huge. 

She uses fairy dust to keep her hair curled.

The princesses spoke in soft high-pitched voices, smiled non-stop, and were very proper.  Ariel referred to everyone in the room as "the humans."  I was confused because she had legs and a voice, which meant that she had officially transformed into a human as well.

Chris and I rode all the big rides at Epcot, which are unlike the normal thrill rides found at a theme park.  One ride simulated the g-force experienced when riding a rocket into space.  Another ride consisted of three rows of 11 swinging seats inside a huge convex screen displaying ariel footage of California.  Chris was very excited to watch Captian EO, a 3D video in which Michael Jackson travels to another planet and saves the inhabitants with his singing and dancing.  Captian EO was presented in it's original 1986 version and was exactly as Chris recalled from his childhood visit to Disney Land. Chris was very excited to watch Captain EO, and it did not let him down. 

I also relieved a childhood memory at Epcot when I met Mary Poppins.  I loved watching Mary Poppins as a child.  I remember watching it over and over at my Mimi's house during the summer when my brother and I spent weeks at her house in New Mexico.  Mary Poppins reminds me of being a child laying on the brown carpet in Mimi's dark den watching Mary and Bert on her old TV, an old TV built into a bulky piece of wooden furniture.  I think I love Mary Poppins because it is associated with these happy memories.  

Fortunately, Mary Poppins did not disappoint.  She spoke with an English accent, maintained perfect posture, and scolded children for not standing with their feet together. Oh Mary!  Needless to say, meeting Mary Poppins was the highlight of my day.

The rest of the day at Epcot was spent in the World Showcase, which is a portion of the park recreating the architecture, food, and culture of different parts of the world. When I visited Epcot in high school, I had never traveled outside the United States.  It was very neat to visit Epcot again after having visited some of the places replicated in the park, like the Eiffel tower, Plaza San Marco, and the Butchart Gardens.  

Top at Epcot; bottom the real deal.  From left to right: Butchart Gardens, Eiffel Tower, Plaza San Marco, and
Trevi Fountain.

Chris and I stayed at Epcot until the final fireworks show at 9:00 p.m., making for a very long day.  The awesome fireworks, however, were worth the long day.

After a long day at Epcot, Chris and I prepared to return home.  We spent a morning bumming around our resort and then ate one final indulgent lunch.  

View from our Resort.

Saying good-bye to Mickey.

Bumming around the resort one final morning was a relaxing way to end our vacation, a vacation that I know Chris and I will repeat someday in the future.  Although we saw a lot during our trip, we left a lot of Disney World untouched and undiscovered.  Only time will tell if our next visit will be with or without little ones.  Either way, I know it will be magical.  

The Animal Kingdom

Day four at Disney World was spent at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  The highlight of the morning was taking a peaceful safari ride through a reserve area.  It was so nice to see the animals relaxing and enjoying a natural habitat, all from the comfort of a large safari truck.  

The animal Kingdom is really a zoo with a few rides.  Despite the few rides, this was the only park where I finally summoned the courage to ride a roller coaster with my hands in the air, and we rode this roller coaster twice because it was such an awesome roller coaster.

Riding Expedition Everest.

Each Disney World park has a central feature.  At the Magic Kingdom, it is the castle; at Epcot, the large, silver sphere; at Hollywood Studios, a large replica of the Fantasia hat.  At the Animal Kingdom, the central feature is a large tree.  The tree doesn't look like anything special from afar, but up close you are able to see 100+ animals intricately carved into the tree's bark.  

During the afternoon, Chris and I met Dug the dog from the movie Up while at the Animal Kingdom, which was special to Chris and I for obvious reasons.  Unfortunately, the Disney employee who offered to take a picture for us did a TERRIBLE job.  I think it was a plot to force us into purchasing the overpriced photo from the Disney photographer.

Chris and I ended day four at our resort, where we took a pirate themed fireworks cruise in Bay Lake.  We met Captain Hook and Peter Pan, enjoyed the Magic Kingdom fireworks from a boat, and laughed at the boat guide who, unlike so many other Disney attractions, was full of sarcastic, adult-humor jokes about Disney World. 

    

At one point during our boat cruise, the boat guide made a joke about the holiday celebrations at Disney World starting in October and lasting well into 2014.  As it turns out, he was right.

Happy Holidays!

Hollywood Studios

Today Chris and I visited Disney's Hollywood Studios, and it was awesome!  Shortly after arriving, we ate lunch at a restaurant filled with authentic1950's era furniture, decor, and architecture.  This was super fun for me as I love, love, love the designs of the furniture, architecture, clothing, and advertisements from the 1950's.  Not so fun was our waitress, who summoned the attention of the whole dining room and then spoon fed me my peas when I failed to clean my plate.

The waiting area was staged like a 1950's living room.

The dining area was staged like a 1950's eat-in kitchen.

I was surprised to find myself thoroughly entertained by the stunt shows at Hollywood Studios.  I always assumed that stunts were performed in small, safe segments using deceptive camera angles and then cleverly pasted together to create a seemingly impressive, albeit fake, stunt segment.  I also expected all stunt shows at a theme park to be somewhat lame and rinky-dink.  Then I watched the extreme stunt show at Hollywood Studios.  During one segment referred to as a ballet chase, six little cars sped around, jumped off ramps, and weaved just inches within each other for almost three full minutes.  One car raced around and jumped a ramp backwards.  This was not lame or rinky-dink at all, and it was not performed in small, safe segments using nothing more than tricky camera angles.

The large stunt show set with the stunt cars in front.

I was so impressed by the stunt show that I wanted to have my picture taken with two of the stunt car drivers after the show ended, and I'm sure that I annoyed the people in line behind me as I asked the drivers a number of silly questions like, "Did you go to a special driving school?" and "Does it get hot in those cars?"

The stunt drivers - they were covered in sweat!

In addition to cool restaurants and stunt shows, Hollywood Studios has a ride called Midway Mania that is unlike any other ride I've been on.  It is not a roller coaster, a thrill ride, or a simulated 3-D experience.  Instead, it it most comparable to a spinning, quick moving video arcade game.  Like stunt shows, I have never been a fan of arcade games.  This ride, however, was so much fun that I wanted a picture with the ride entrance at the conclusion of the ride.

Look at all the fun toys at the entrance!

Notice in the upper left-hand corner of the picture that there is a wait time of 85 minutes posted in green.  That is one of the longest lines I saw for any ride at Disney World, which should explain just how unique this ride is.  Don't worry though, I did not have to wait in line for 85 minutes thanks to my magic band and a little thing called a fastpass.   

During the afternoon, Chris and I sat in a 30 minute animation class where we followed an animator's step-by-step instructions for drawing Eeyore.  I was surprised at how well my drawing turned out, and I really enjoyed the simplicity of the class when compared to the other big, over-stimulating attractions of the day.

My Eeyore drawing - not bad at all!

Outside the animation class, I met Mr. Incredible and Frozone from the movie The Incredibles.  I asked Mr. Incredible if we could arm wrestle.  He obliged my request and even let me win.

Mr. Frozone insisted that I pose like that - it looks ridiculous.

The day ended with a live water show, which I liked a lot better than the cheesy parades at the Magic Kingdom.

Fantasmic: the only place I saw all the princesses with
their princes.

Hollywood Studios was so much fun that Chris and I stayed all day and into the evening.  It was a long day, but a fun day that really surprised me.  That's what I call Disney magic.    

We entered late in the morning.

We left late in the evening, after almost everyone had
exited the park.  

I'm Going to Disney World!

I returned to work last week, but only for two days because months ago Chris and I booked a vacation to Disney World that just happened to begin as the government shutdown ended.  Let me say that again - I'm going to Disney World!!!!  

After booking our trip, the Disney travel company sent Chris and I a customized booklet describing the resort at which we would stay, the different parks, and our dining options.  Then, about a month before our departure date, we received a second booklet containing all of our flight information, details about the shuttle that would pick us up at the airport, and our luggage tags.  Disney really knows how to make you feel special about spending heaps of money at their theme parks and resorts.

Your Story: The Sias Family Vacation

Luggage Tags - so that our bags went directly
from the plane to our hotel room.

After weeks of waiting, our departure day finally arrived.  Chris and I arrived at the airport before 6:00 a.m. for an early morning flight.  Given the time of day and the small size of the airport, I did not expect any problems making our first flight.  I did not, however, plan for Chris' luggage to be too tall to carry on the plane and a lengthy line at the desk for checking luggage.  Apparently, the combination of (1) a team of college golf players with multiple large bags of golf clubs and (2) a lady with numerous over-sized suitcases and two cat crates will literally halt operations.  In the end, Chris and I made our flight, but not withouts some serious doubts while we stood in a line that moved very little for at least 20 minutes.     

Airport drama aside, our first day of vacation was awesome!  Chris and I started our vacation by relaxing on the beach at our resort, which was steps from our room.  It was a nice, calm prelude to four days at theme parks.

The view of the beach from our room.

On our patio, looking at the beach.

On the beach; our room faces the beach and is on the first floor
of the building behind Chris.

Our first evening in Disney World, we ate dinner at a restaurant in our resort that also features visits with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.  It was so much fun to meet the original Disney characters.

Getting Minnie's autograph.

Goofy between us and behind us.

It's hard to hold a pen when you wear oversized gloves.

Chris' favorite - Donald.

Pluto: one of the rare animals who doesn't act like a person.

Feeling ambitious and excited about being at Disney World, Chris and I couldn't resist walking over to the Magic Kingdom after dinner, even if it was already 10:00 p.m.  Because of the time, we were able to ride iconic rides like the teacups, dumbo, and it's a small world without any lines.  It was awesome!

I really LOVED the teacups, even if Chris didn't.

Chris and Dumbo.

The castle at night.

Our first evening at the Magic Kingdom was also our first exposure to the large amount of crying that takes place at Disney World.  Disney World is touted as the happiest place on earth, and there are certainly a lot of smiles, laughter, and excitement throughout the parks.  Disney World, however, can also be a very exhausting place, especially for young children with short attention spans who are also used to a daily routine.  The result is lots of crying children.  During our first night at the Magic Kingdom, Chris and I witnessed one mother forcing her young, crying son onto the Dumbo ride and then dragging him through a water fountain as he repeatedly stated that he wanted to go home.  Let the magical memories begin for that family!    

After a late night on our first day, day two at Disney world started with sleeping in and a late workout at the gym. I decided to work out with Chris because I had eaten a big dinner the night before while meeting Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. I chose an elliptical machine and set the resistance higher than I would normally select, again motivated by the big dinner the night before. What seemed like 30 harmless minutes on an elliptical machine resulted in very sore calf muscles for the rest of the trip.  Big mistake!

After a slow morning at the resort on day two of our vacation, Chris and I spent a few more hours at the Magic Kingdom. Highlights from day two include Splash Mountain and Space Mountain.  On Splash Mountain, I discovered that Chris fully immerses himself in the roller coaster experience while I tend to brace myself for the worst (we're sitting in the last row in the picture below).

Hanging out with Walt, Mickey, and the castle.

Space Mountain is located in this strange looking white building.  Don't let the strange building fool you - Space Mountain is a super fun roller coaster in the dark!

For dinner on day two, Chris and I dressed up and ate at the California Grill, a restaurant located on the top floor of our resort.  The California Grill features delicious food, views of the Magic Kingdom, and a sophisticated decor (a welcome respite from the theme park scenery). Chris was looking especially sharp in his bowtie.

Just before dessert at the California Grill, the Magic Kingdom fireworks went off.  It made for a great ending to a great day.