The Mickeyphile Podcast Episode 187 - 26 Years!
It was our anniversary weekend trip to Walt Disney World and we did a lot. And kind of not much. We ate at 2 new restaurants, visited an old favorite event, a new favorite breakfast spot, and re-visited a dinner we haven’t been to in years. Plus we met up with some friends and got our favorite cookies and treats! All this plus some news and stuff on episode 187 of The Mickeyphile Podcast.
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Music: “Cân thema (Mickeyphile Podcast Theme)” copyright Scott Daves 2023
The Mickeyphile Podcast Episode 187 - 26 Years!
It was our anniversary weekend trip to Walt Disney World and we did a lot. And kind of not much. We ate at 2 new restaurants, visited an old favorite event, a new favorite breakfast spot, and re-visited a dinner we haven’t been to in years. Plus we met up with some friends and got our favorite cookies and treats! All this plus some news and stuff on episode 187 of The Mickeyphile Podcast.
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/946434275769168/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickeyphile_podcast/
Music: “Cân thema (Mickeyphile Podcast Theme)” copyright Scott Daves 2023
It was our anniversary weekend trip to Walt Disney World and we did a lot and kind of not much. We ate at two new restaurants, visited an old favorite event, a new favorite breakfast spot and revisited a dinner we haven't been to in years. Plus we met up with some friends and got our favorite cookies and treats. All this, plus some news and stuff on episode 187 of the Mickey File Podcast.
Speaker 2:Welcome back everyone to another episode of the Mickey File Podcast. I'm Scott, and with me, as always, is my lovely wife Karen. Hello everybody, the first quarter of 2024 is gone.
Speaker 1:How is it April already? It's years going by too fast already.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, we lost two weeks of March. That's true, you know, if we're being honest, yeah, yeah but the year is flying by. For sure, for sure, for sure, sure, sure. So yeah, there we are. Yeah, so we did a um, quick but long for us. Four nights at walt disney world one night off, not off property, off, off on property, but not Disney Right. Then three nights at Saratoga Springs, which was great.
Speaker 1:I love that hotel resort I know I do too and we actually stayed in an area that we haven't stayed in in a while.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we stayed at Congress Park, which we'll talk about. Yeah, because it was a little bit of a we'll talk about. Yeah, because it was a little bit of a not an ordeal, but it was a little funky at first. Yes, but it got sorted out I guess that's our start off, so let's go ahead and get to the news, please.
Speaker 1:Okay new forces of Nature. Acrobat show debuted on March 31st in World Celebration in Inspiration Gardens.
Speaker 2:This was so nobody knew what Inspiration Garden was. Sunday morning when that showed up on the map with a show Funny, the first I'd heard anything about this. I actually didn't. I saw a tweet sunday afternoon after we had started seeing videos of there's this new acrobat thing at epcot, right, and it was. Does anyone know what this structure is? Which was just a blob with a sheet over it. But apparently the picture was taken on saturday first time that showed up, apparently because I hadn't seen anything else about it. No, and then sunday morning on mde, is inspiration Inspiration Garden and the Forces of Nature? Yes, so yeah, inspiration Garden apparently is where those bronze things that we think represent trees but we're not really sure are Right.
Speaker 1:That's what they look like is trees, but they're metal bronze trees. They're as close to trees as anything else we've seen, so we'll call them trees, but I even kept saying they look like tree yeah, really close to dreamers point, point where the mickey and walt statue is in, as we said, world celebration.
Speaker 2:Right, I've watched a short video and I've watched the whole video right of the whole show.
Speaker 2:Um, it's an approximately 15 minute show and it is performed by anti-gravity orlando, so they have a um, we'll say history of working with disney. They do the art defying gravity gymnastics thing. I don't know if it's still there, but it was in the World Showplace, like the meeting hall there by Canada, right when they were using that for the Festival of the Arts. I don't know if they did that this year. They didn't have it in Showplace, but I thought they were still doing it in between Port of Entry and oh that stage where we never go anywhere near Right.
Speaker 1:That's possible Because I know they were doing acrobatic shows there.
Speaker 2:Okay, well then it would be them yeah.
Speaker 1:Just that one has more men and women combinations.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, right, so this is um. So there's this thing that is kind of a globe, yeah, like if you salvaged the ball from illuminations and then like five years, like so, you just like scrapped it and then, like five years later, went, hey, we could use that. Right, we'll use the skeleton of it, because it's kind of one would not look at it and say that is a perfect sphere yeah, definitely not um, it's got five acrobats mother nature and her four elements.
Speaker 2:Yes, I have not seen them listed anywhere. Presumably that's earth, wind, fire and water. Yes, that is what were. Um, and they do this thing on this spinning orb it was the video we watched was kind of cool. Parts of it were really cool.
Speaker 2:Mother nature almost fell off twice that yeah that makes it exciting kind of, having seen the video, I feel like if I actually go out of my way to go watch this, it would be like the same reason I would go to a nascar race. You're one of just waiting for the big one. You know, six show times per day 10, 15, 11, 15, 12, 15. Here's where they get you 110, 210 and 310, weather permitting saturday through wednesday only, right, um, you know what. It's cool and I am all for anything new and anything that grabs 50 or 100 people or whatever, and right during the day. You know whether it's the jammeters or this or uh, interns in dinosaur land that we'll talk about in a little bit. Yep, I'm all for this stuff. Yes, um, trying to keep this family friendly, but I think I can say, okay, you gotta be honest with you. When I started watching this thing, the first thing I saw was like some kind of avant-garde pole dancing class.
Speaker 1:That's what the first thing you said to me, because that's what it looks like.
Speaker 2:Yeah I don't know, um, I think the funniest comment I saw on Twitter X, whatever it's called was who were the people that were asking for this? And I believe the response was the Disney executive that went to Cirque du Soleil last week. Yes, so I feel bad making fun of it because you know there are talented people. Yes, doing acrobatics and let's be honest with you, I mean for the majority of gymnasts. Uh, come 18, that's done yeah so god bless these women girls for making a living doing it it was just a little I don't know it was weird.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Well, it's like a like honestly, it's like an interpretive dance and then they climb around on the orb for a little bit and then they do more interpretive dance on the ground and it's weird, yeah. And the the platform thing is really awkward. We've gone so much longer on this than I planned.
Speaker 1:The platform like there is no like graceful way to get on and off the raised platform that the ball is on, like I don't know they could put just little steps, like one step on each side, for them to jump up on, and it would have been so much more graceful yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, odd. Yeah, that was the first thing I noticed.
Speaker 1:I'm like really You're having to climb that.
Speaker 2:So maybe, and I mean like climb, like kind of sit on it and spin around and like it's awkward getting on it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so hopefully they will evaluate the show as it progresses and, um maybe make some changes right now it looked just but it's a nice idea to have yes, that's what I was going to say, and it brings people into an area where you're like I think for a while they were having daisy duck do you know photo ops there? But I think it's nice to have something artistic too and also that thing just appeared, yeah, like saturday.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there was, so it can disappear or reappear somewhere else pretty easily. I would assume right. So you. I'm not convinced. This is a permanent fixture at Epcot Right. Especially because you're going to have an Encanto show like five feet away, starting pretty soon.
Speaker 1:Right Now, the coloring of it worked, because the coloring of the yeah, yeah, yeah, it's bronze With the bronzy trees, yeah.
Speaker 2:Or, like I said, kind of rust colored, yeah. Or, like I said, kind of rust colored, like like if the orb had been, like you know, sitting in a lot somewhere resting for the last five years. I don't know, it's just a spinny thing, but it's just not. It is not perfectly round and it's a little bit wobbly, which made me nervous on a couple of the things.
Speaker 1:I think both of us were kind of holding our breath, watching and going wait a minute, that thing's wobbling around.
Speaker 2:Either she's going to fall off or it's going to break apart and roll away with her on, which would have been the most entertaining part From what I saw on a video online. Thank you, blog Mickey, giving credit where it's, but again, I'm all for Disney putting anything new, as long as they don't take away cool old stuff. Mr Toad, yes, not bitter at all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not at all.
Speaker 2:So, yeah. Like I don't like where the hatbox Ghost is, but I'm glad he's there.
Speaker 1:Yes, earth Month food offerings at Walt Disney World.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're kind of doing it up. Yeah, they are Okay. So at Animal Kingdom Theme Park they get a lot, because Earth Month is kind of a big deal over there. It is.
Speaker 1:It was really cool last year, by the way, earth Day 25th yeah, 25th anniversary, it was really cool.
Speaker 2:Creature Comforts has got a honeycomb mousse, honey mousse on top of a brownie base with sugar bees and white chocolate. Honeycomb. Dawa Bar, one of my favorite places at Animal Kingdom, has the Wazi Ways, parrot Bay Coconut Rum Bowls, blue Curacao Liqueur, sour Mix and Pineapple Juice garnished with a pineapple wedge. That is new. That sounds delicious. Nomad Lounge and various other places will have the pachyderm and pollinator, which is cruxland gin, bitters and soda water with a lemon wheel and honey, simple syrup. It's kind of a bee's knees yeah, almost. Pizza, fari, restaurant, asaurus both will have the elephant cupcake, which is a white chocolate elephant Atop a graham cracker cupcake With pineapple filling and a jungle of matcha buttercream and crispy pearls. It's really cute looking. It is very cute looking. I'd like to be able to buy the elephant. Yes, because the rest of it sounds like a lot of sweet.
Speaker 2:Tara treats Almost all of this stuff is available all of April, so it's all available now, right? Tara treats has got a rusted, a roasted mushroom and leak pizza impossible meatballs, roasted mushrooms, praise leaks and a dash of truffle oil. Pictures and leek pizza impossible meatballs, roasted mushrooms, braised leeks and a dash of truffle oil. Pictures of that on the website. Yep Tiffin's has zucchini, carpaccio, the land zucchini, marinated tomatoes, candied pistachios, kessel, vetrano, olives, golden raisins, plant-based feta, pomegranate, molasses and crispy sweet potato. So that is a plant-based thing. They also, shockingly, have the pachyderm and pollinator Right Shocking.
Speaker 2:I am suddenly really glad that we are seeing the animal kingdom towards the end of april. I know because at the mara, which is a long way to go, yes for quick service, but they have this rainbow tart chocolate cake. Here's what I like about this. Available april 1 through april 30. Mobile order available yes, they have the rainbow tart chocolate cake, pistachio crumb, passion fruit gel, vanilla cheesecake and white chocolate mousse and it looks awesome. It does. I don't know how they did the little water droplets on the raindrop but it's super cool.
Speaker 1:It is very cool. It just looks delicious. Yeah, I'm totally down for that. I wish I had known it was there.
Speaker 2:We were there on the first, we could have gone by. The last thing is Amourette's patisserie, also mobile order available, the plant-in-the the boot pit, petite cake, layers of carrot cake, cream cheese mousse and pineapple jam, and it's adorable. It's got like this little chocolate disc on it that they've printed it looks like, because chocolate printing is a thing yeah, uh, wally and eve, and then at the top it's got this chocolate boot with a. It looks delicious. Growing out of it looks pretty awesome. I know, uh, we have no prices for any of this stuff. I mean, you know they're disney snacks, so they're yeah, they're seven to twelve dollars and the drinks are 15 ish. You know guessing but that seems price appropriate.
Speaker 2:I feel like I can. I feel like those guesses are ballpark. Yeah, I would agree. So there's some good looking stuff there and it's all sweet.
Speaker 1:Yes, it is and a couple of drinks you know what?
Speaker 2:even that zucchini thing. It looks kind of weird, but it also looks intriguing.
Speaker 1:It does I agree, so we'll try them out yeah, we will try some of it anyway.
Speaker 1:Yep, okay, all right next a new entertainment offering recently debuted in dino land usa. As the story goes, a dino institute intern is on break and decides to head over to restaurantasaurus with his guitar. Until his shift starts again, you might find him wandering around the lounge area of the quick service restaurant on select days over the next months. Um, it says trading a trading, a shovel for a guitar. The Dino Institute intern is always on the lookout for the next earworm of a song and is eager to put together some lyrics, with the help of guests, of course. If singing isn't completely your thing, the intern is always happy to talk dinosaurs and all things Dino Land USA as well.
Speaker 2:So this sounds eerily familiar, yes. And then you look at the pictures online and this one guy for sure was Sandro. Yes, yes, so they had this guy on the Star Cruiser. Mm-hmm, we're big fans of ours. Yes, very, sandra was a big fan of ours. Yes, um, and we were huge fans of sandra that went around and like set of tables with guests and played his guitar and wrote songs with you, right and um. Fact, we did that and we helped him get his contract.
Speaker 2:That's right, I helped negotiate a record contract for him. I know we had a fun time.
Speaker 1:Right, but one of the pictures I saw was definitely from one of the very first Sandros. Yeah, and because I had seen him in some other you know YouTube things and saying, you know I was a friend of this, so I know he was one of the Sandros and it showed him walking around.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so Disneyland is getting the drinkware repurposed over there, right, and we're getting actors from the Star Cruiser repurposed over here, right, because not only do we see a Sandro in Animal Kingdom, but the last time that we were at Hollywood Studios with our friend, queen Amandala yes, lieutenant Croy was there, although he's not called Lieutenant Croy anymore, but she was but it was the same dude. She was very happy In the same costume. Yes, so that's cool. I mean I don't know if these people were under contract or Disney's just decided to. They were good and let's reuse them, but I like the idea of this thing. At Restaurantosaurus, yes, it was super fun on the Star Cruiser, like. That was like. That is one of my core memories from the star cruiser, right, that and going through that hole in the wall. I know, but he came at dinner yelling at me.
Speaker 1:Those are my three things.
Speaker 2:But he came and sat down with us at dinner and then the first night remember he just like sat at the table with us. We all were like huh we're like who's this guy?
Speaker 1:and um, he's walking around with a guitar. I yeah, a little confused, but okay.
Speaker 2:I don't think Well see, I had seen him going back, I had seen him when we came in, yeah, and I was like damn, you know, we got costumes on, but some of these people have gone all out, yeah.
Speaker 2:Because he had face makeup on. And then it turns out that, yes, later on we see him with a guitar because he was just in the crowd, right, when we were doing like mustard, yeah. And then all of a sudden, yeah, he's got a guitar and it's like, all right, this is kind of groovy. And then it was really groovy, yes, so, yeah, this is cool. I'm digging this. Yes, now it appears to be. Yeah, maybe it doesn't. I'm assuming it's in the restaurant.
Speaker 1:Well, they have them in the restaurant and in the bar, but it does look like he's. Yeah, he's in the lounge first, but then he also goes into the quick service restaurant.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's in the table area Super cool. Let's do it. Let's keep that guy around too, I know, yeah, you know, and bring back the people in Hollywood studios. Please please, please.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, it's a people eater. People stop and hang there and get involved and it's fun, it's entertaining, that's the whole point of it.
Speaker 2:Do you remember I won something from them? I don't remember what I got. It was like nothing, nothing, but it was, you know, cool to win something. Yeah, because they ask a question. Who had an extra pair of socks in their bag and I had literally just bought a pair of socks at the store.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I do, I had to pull them out of the bag.
Speaker 2:Yeah, those were still the tags on them. Those were cool days, yeah it was.
Speaker 1:You know it's stuff you remember and it's silly, but it's stuff you remember, yeah you know, when they had the thing um, where that they, you know, had the kids come up and stand in the circle and you had to, you know, tell a joke to somebody. I just thought that was neat. You get kids. I mean, that makes memories which we'll probably talk about later.
Speaker 2:So yeah, we had one of those experiences. It was just we got to watch one of those experiences this weekend.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it was so cool, it really was Okay. A baby, abdim's stork chick, has been born at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The stork chick can be found in dino dino land, usa.
Speaker 2:Yeah, another baby I don't know what an abdum's stork is. Um, I'm assuming it's like not, it's cute. It is the smallest. According according to Wikipedia, the smallest species of stork. Oh, okay. It feeds mostly on insects and is widely found in open habitats in sub-Saharan Africa and Yemen. Okay, there we go. Apparently, it delivers babies in the Middle East.
Speaker 1:Apparently so Little babies.
Speaker 2:Little babies In the Middle East. I don don't know that's what an abdomen stork is. It's adorable it is adorable actually. The for what they are actually kind of a pretty bird with colors on their face and stuff, yeah, but the baby's adorable yeah. Okay. New animal at. I think they eat insects such as caterpillars and swarming locusts, as well as small reptiles, amphibians and eggs. Okay, that is according to the London Zoo. There you go. I'm all about giving credit today.
Speaker 1:Apparently, I'm all about giving credit today Apparently All right, and Walt Disney World is upgrading about a quarter of its bus fleet in 2024.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's not a surprise. We knew that. Yeah, we've talked about it. They've already done some of it. Right? Here's what's a surprise, mm-hmm. Disney plans to add more than 90 new buses throughout the year with new exterior graphics and accessibility features. And there was a new one. It's zootopia. That was what it was. That was seen already. Yes, but here's the thing if a quarter of their fleet and they're going to add more than 90 new buses, they've got more than 360 buses, are you?
Speaker 1:joking. I had no idea they had that many tampa doesn't have 360 buses.
Speaker 2:I would almost almost bet on that hillsborough county.
Speaker 1:Let's see what heartline has and they're probably not going to tell you.
Speaker 2:Might. So the Heartline right, which is the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit they run the buses and the one trolley system and stuff that we have in Tampa Right had a total ridership of 12,929,000 last year. Okay, guarantee, more people rode the bus at Disney.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, the active fleet. Okay, hillsborough County runs 284 buses. Okay. Total buses Okay, disney has over 360. Wow.
Speaker 2:That's crazy. Yep, I mean I know they're like one of the biggest bus fleets and probably the biggest bus fleet in Florida and all that, but that's crazy. Yeah, okay, anyway. So cool new buses. That means that's the ones with, like um, I mean, they're talking about exterior graphics, but the accessibility features, right. They've got that new deal where you pull the your scooter in or wheelchair, and the arm comes down and holds it in place, right, and you don't have to get off of it, right. It's gonna make it way easier and way better, yeah, faster for, uh, yeah, mobility vehicle. Yes, groovy cool deal, yep.
Speaker 1:And then it has all those charging features too, on the new buses yeah, yeah, usb cords and all that or usb ports and all that yep. So that's all the regular news. There's some dvc news yeah, dvc.
Speaker 2:Um, disney vacation club owners have a new set of mickey mouse ears to call their own, which is actually cool. Have they sold dvc ears in a while?
Speaker 1:yes, they sold the pink, those pink and blue ones that went with the um pink and blue pattern with the lounge fly um last year okay, so they've got ears and, uh, some new members.
Speaker 2:Only pin releases there are. So there's actually four new pins. One is a two pin set and then two more individual pins.
Speaker 1:Right, and they are apparently limited edition yeah, because pin station was out of them when I went there sunday morning.
Speaker 2:I wonder I wonder what the number is for the limit of them. They is it 5 000, or what is it that makes something limited edition? I? Don't know like.
Speaker 2:I feel like everything that comes out for dvc and annual passes should be limited edition because not everyone can get them, right. Anyway, that's very cool. Disney has got new incentives, streamlines and improves incentives for spring 2024. Yes, so basically cabins at Fort Wilderness, disney's Fort wilderness resort. If you buy a hundred to 124 points as a current member, you'll get $17 off a point. That is all the way up to 500 points, you'll get $17 off a point. A new buyer will uh receive a $13 discount per point of every purchases from 150 to 500 points, right, and probably, if you buy more than 500. Probably, what's a welcome home, the current member welcome home Is that the one where you get to sell them your points back?
Speaker 2:Yes, gotcha. So for 150 to 199 points, they're offering $2,500. 200 to 250, they're offering $3,000. And 250 to 299, $4,000. Mm-hmm, so there you go, there you go. If you're not familiar, like, you can go in and buy points today, right, and then sell disney back your first year points for 2500 to 4000, right? Currently they do not talk about uh doing that. What they'll give to people with over 300 points that they want to sell back, I mean, it's pretty cool. You get your I don't know, first year payment or whatever, right? So if you're a new buyer, they do $2,000 for 150, then 2,500 for 200 points, 3,500 for 250, 4,500 for 300 to 499. Right, so that would be really tough, like I understand the financial benefit to doing it. I think it's very cool that they make the offer Right. I think it's super cool that people take them up on the offer.
Speaker 2:There's not a chance I could do it. No, I mean, I do not have the self-control to buy those points and not use them tomorrow. I would have. I just I couldn't do it, I know anyway. But there's the offers, so, so basically they're just. You know, in the past it's been oh for this many points. You get 13 and then 14 and then 20 or whatever. Right Now it's just here, it is Starting at this level. You get $13 a point discounted and thank you, right. So very cool.
Speaker 1:So that's the news.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's talk about our trip. I don't think we're going to get through the whole trip.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think we're going to break it up.
Speaker 2:We're going to try to get through the first three days. And then Sunday was it was a lot. Yeah, sunday, a lot of stuff was happening, so then we'll talk about that. Yeah, so Thursday.
Speaker 1:So initially, initially we were not going over thursday?
Speaker 2:no, we weren't, and then we got. We ended up having our dogs picked up instead of having to drop them off right, which saves so much time.
Speaker 1:And then she said I'd rather pick him up Thursday.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so that meant we said, well, let's just go over on.
Speaker 1:Thursday Then. So I on Wednesday looked it up going okay, where can we stay? Let me look at some Marriott's, you know. Let's look at residence in. Let me look Drury, you know, because I looked at Drury and Drury's been running a little high recently.
Speaker 1:So it's also the newest property on hotel plaza. You know what? It's? The newest hotel at disney, yeah. So I said well, let me just look at me, give you drinks and food, right? And they give you drinks and food. And I looked it up and a king room, king bed. It's 145 dollars. I mean day before, yeah, but $145.
Speaker 2:We got like we got there, we dropped off our stuff and we went right to Disney Springs.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, we got our drinks.
Speaker 2:Right and then went right to Disney Springs.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't remember what our view was.
Speaker 1:We had a view of the parking lot.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Well, we could see Disney Springs because of what it was, but it was only part of Disney Springs. We could kind of see more like Cirque du Soleil, angle Right. It didn't have a balcony because it was the new tower.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:But it was fine. And what was his name? Amir, right Amir or Amit?
Speaker 2:Amir Amin, something like that yeah.
Speaker 1:And because normally there's a 25 parking fee it's either 14 or 25, I think it's 25 now parking parking fee, because it's the only thing. They don't charge a resort fee. Right, and he went.
Speaker 2:He went ahead and waited for us because it was so nice he asked us if the fourth floor was okay and I was like yes, because the last time we stayed here, the fire alarm went off at four o'clock in the morning and we had to walk down 14 flights of stairs and he started laughing he goes. I can't believe you said that he goes. That was the first time I worked overnight, yeah, and the alarm went off and then he told us he goes. You know what, since you guys were here and that sucked, I'm going to wave the parking fee. I was like that's pretty awesome, dude, yeah. So yeah, we went up and threw our stuff in the room, literally threw our stuff in the room, went down, got our complimentary cocktails and actually some chicken tenders, I think.
Speaker 1:I grabbed some chicken tenders. Yeah, Because I hadn't eaten anything. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Man, it's a really nice hotel. It's a really cool hotel.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:To come down and stay a week if you can get it. Yeah, man, I haven't seen it over like 280 bucks. No, anyway.
Speaker 1:Well, new Year's Eve, okay, but Right. But you know, usually it's just a little bit more than I want to spend. Let's say that res, let's say residence in, is 170, 180, this one's 230. I'm like that's too big of a difference really for that. You know, because most of the time you proximity that type of thing, we're doing stuff anyways, yeah, so that's why.
Speaker 2:Right and we had plans to go to Disney Springs.
Speaker 1:Right, it was just convenient and it was a great price yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so this was Holy Thursday. Yes, it was Right. Spring break was in full throes.
Speaker 3:Mm-hmm, we were meeting our friend Jason. Spring break was in full throws.
Speaker 2:We were meeting our friend Jason. Jason called me and said the Lime Garage was full. He had to turn around and go to the Orange Garage. Right, we came to the Orange Garage. 10 minutes later, orange Garage was full. We had to turn around and go back to the Lime Garage.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:I think it depends which direction you were coming from, which whether or not it was closed it may have, but not closed.
Speaker 1:Full, full right right.
Speaker 2:Well, and we also went to surface parking first. It was not gonna happen, right? So then we had to go fight through the two garages.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:We had rented for the weekend.
Speaker 1:We thought it would be fun.
Speaker 2:And it was, and I could do an hour. Review of the car.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:We rented a Tesla Model 3. And it was fun. It's super fun to drive.
Speaker 1:Well, and part of the reason we did it because we knew we weren't going to have the dogs so we didn't have to worry about that Right drive.
Speaker 2:Well, and part of the reason we did it because we knew we weren't going to have the dogs, so we didn't have to worry about that right. So one of the perks of having an electric vehicle at disney is they have chargers, ev chargers, so there are um 13 chargers at disney springs, three in each of the garages plus I guess that makes four in the surface lot, right? Two things about that. If you are driving and you have either rented or own an electric vehicle, after like 10 o'clock in the morning those things are full, you forget about it.
Speaker 2:You never have a chance At Disney Springs, wherever Right. They were full the whole week. Yep.
Speaker 2:We did one time get to hook into one of them Early enough, so skipping ahead just a little bit here. Friday, we charged the car at a tesla charger it because this is my point of reference um, we were at like 36. It took 35 minutes to fully charge the vehicle. Right when we went to disney springs, hooked up, we were at 77%, plugged it in and it said it was going to be two and a half hours to charge. Right, so don't think you can go park somewhere in one of those and charge them and they're not free, by the way Right, and get a full charge. It's going to take two and a half, three, four hours to charge your car Right, so if you're there all day, it's perfect.
Speaker 2:Yeah, in this case we were not. We were going to Disney Springs to pick up a couple of things, Right. And then head out, right, so that was not great, and the rest of the time we couldn't get to one anyway. Correct, they were taken all the time. But we found other ones around and used them. Yes, but we found other ones around and used them. Yes, charger, it was super fun driving around.
Speaker 1:It really was. So it was, yes, it was fun. It's just very different getting used to going from the monstrosity I've been driving for two weeks to that.
Speaker 2:Karen had, our car has been in the shop and they gave her a loaner and so we drive a Jeep Compass, and this was a Grand Cherokee, that was enormous.
Speaker 1:It was you drink what? Grand Cherokee Limited, which means it's bigger and it's got the steps. It had everything in it. I got in there. I'm like holy crud. I don't even know how to drive this thing.
Speaker 2:It's a monster. It had all the bells and whistles, but man, it was a beast yeah whistles.
Speaker 1:But man, it was a beast, yeah and got like zero miles per gallon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was terrible, cost us a fortune for the two and a half weeks we had that car. Yeah, so anyway, enough of that first world garbage.
Speaker 1:But but that's our started the summer house thing of how we got there in the jewelry, we knew we were going to be close, yeah, so and like said just don't, Don't plan.
Speaker 2:They are not as accessible as they could be and they also are really really slow. Yes, You're better off. There are Tesla chargers within two miles that are really fast. Mm-hmm. Whether you have a Tesla or not, really, fast.
Speaker 2:Yes, so finally met up with Jason At the Stargazers At Stargazers, yeah, yes, so finally met up with Jason At the Stargazers At Stargazers. Yeah, love that place. Mm-hmm, it's a great place to go, until you have to go to the bathroom and then you cash out and go somewhere else. Right, because the bathroom's not close, as we've discussed before, yes, but it's never busy. The service is good, mm-hmm good. The drinks are not super expensive, right, I feel like they are a little cheaper than other places at disney, I would agree. Maybe that's the bathroom penalty, I don't know oh, you know, that's probably a good point but uh.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, we got to go there for a bit and uh, then we went to summer house, because that's what we needed, something to munch on, and they have cookies.
Speaker 2:Cookies walked in and it's just, two front bars were empty and this was, I don't know, eight o'clock um, yeah, because when we, when we closed out was 9, 15 so it might have been like 7 30 yeah walked in and I walked up to the bar, there were two people sitting at the front bar and, uh, I even said I was like nobody wants to drink with you guys and and they actually said that that it had been packed, and all of a sudden everybody just got up and left. Yeah, um, but the other bar where we had been a couple weeks before, it was completely the same situation, completely empty, and those were the two at the front right.
Speaker 2:so, uh, we sat there for a while. We got a couple of pizzas. Pepperoni pizza was great. Yes, asked for it to be a little crispy. Yes, you know I could have still taken it a little more crispy, but that's me.
Speaker 1:And then we had a margarita, and we had a margarita yeah, margarita pizza. It was all delicious.
Speaker 2:Three people, two pizzas, mm-hmm. And we took some home. And then we ordered cookies. Yes, that is the greatest deal. The pepperoni pizza was $22. And the margarita pizza was $19.95. Right, then you get to order the cookies from the bartender, right, right, you order the cookies from the bartender. They have the menu. And then, of course, you know, we walked through and took a couple of pictures of what was there and made our selections.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we got a fudge bomb cookie, a double chocolate cloud cookie those two are mine. I got the oatmeal apple cookie and a peanut butter cookie and a brown butter rice crispy treat Although they call it a crispy rice treat Right, although they call it a crispy rice treat, right. That, plus some beverages, was $90.18. Annual pass holders received 10% off of the entire check, including the alcoholic beverages, which is unheard of Nowhere else that I know of. Right, does that? Right At Disney.
Speaker 2:Really good cookies that we didn't have to wait In line for For a virtual queue or wait in line for over an hour and you just order them while you're sitting at the bar. Order some cookies and they bring them to you in a bag. They bring them out to you. It's fantastic and the pizza is really good. Yeah, I said it the last time we went. It's what I wish Blaze Pizza was like. Blaze is fine and it's especially good for the price. For what you can get for a $14 pizza at Blaze Pizza, at least in town. I don't know what it exactly costs at Disney World for the build your own Mm-hmm, but this is just better. The ingredients are better Mm-hmm, you know, and that's fine. It's a different kind of restaurant, right? Not knocking Blaze Pizza. God bless them. Eat them a lot. Yes, they don kind of restaurant, right? Not knocking blaze pizza. God bless them. I'll eat them a lot.
Speaker 2:Yes, they don't have those cookies either. So that was why we went was we were getting cookies and we did. Yeah, that was thursday night went back to the jury, went back to the jury and went to bed, went back to the jewelry and went to bed yes, I don't know what time we got up.
Speaker 1:We left the hotel probably 10 o'clock, yeah, because I grabbed something. No, I didn't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know. So Friday morning I don't know what time we got up, I would guess we probably laid around and left the hotel somewhere like 9.30, 10 o'clock, yeah, because Did not pay any attention. No, we drove over. We drove around. Yeah, we drove over to Winter Park to check something out. It didn't work out because they were closed.
Speaker 1:Yeah second time. Yeah, we did go to Vineland we came back and went to.
Speaker 2:So we actually came back all the way back, went to Disney Springs and had an unpleasant experience at the Oakley store. Correct, left Disney Springs and went to the Disney character warehouse. Well, went to Vineland, went to Oakley and we went to the Disney character warehouse Right and we just walked right into the character warehouse.
Speaker 1:It was busy inside, but it wasn't crazy, crazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, unlike the next day. Yes, they have some cool stuff. So they have this haunted mansion candle with the tombstones. On the outside it's in like a ceramic pot. Um, it's a big candle. It's three and a half inches tall, mm-hmm. Right, heavy.
Speaker 1:And then, when the candle's gone, you have a nice little jar.
Speaker 2:A little cool Haunted Mansion jar with. You know, here lies good old Fred, mm-hmm, master Gracie, all of them, yeah. And I want to say it was $35 in the stores when they came out with these candles six months ago. Mm-hmm, all the different candles. I looked at it in the store it was $14.99. I'm like man, I don't know, it's kind of borderline, but my Magic Candle Company Haunted Mansion calendar candle is gone, yep, so I'll go ahead and get this $14.99. Well, I think you said when you checked out it was $8.
Speaker 1:They told me it was $8 when I checked out, so it was half off again. Yeah, but the one I got, the Maleficent one that I got wasn't, it was still $14. $14? Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because you got the Maleficent with the horns.
Speaker 1:Yeah because I've been wanting that, but I didn't want to pay the full price for it either. Right, Even though normally I'll just by anything Maleficent, I just this one because it's a smaller candle than yours.
Speaker 2:Yeah right.
Speaker 1:That's why I couldn't justify the price on that one, and it doesn't have a lid, so If you like, dooney and Berg.
Speaker 2:they had several different ones, including the 100th platinum silver, whatever bags the whole set For deeply discounted. Yeah, that was was cool. Got a lot of t-shirts and hats and stuff, but they have a wide variety of smalls and mediums. Yes, or, which is what happens when a shirt's you know, everywhere in the world, you end up with smalls and mediums. Same thing happened in Columbia the next day. So it was good man. I wish they could institute mobile order at the character warehouse Mobile checkout. I know, man.
Speaker 2:Mobile checkout would be nice I mean I just told you to go sit somewhere while I stood in line. The place is a madhouse already and then you get in line and it takes forever to get through the checkout line, but you kind of got to because they also some of the best stuff in that store is behind the counter.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well, like I got that Alex and Annie bracelet that I've been wanting, it was from the 50th anniversary. It's one I've always wanted Not that I'm really going to wear it because it has a dangle charm on it always wanted. Not that I really gonna wear it because it has a dangle charm on it. I've always wanted it, but it was.
Speaker 1:it was 79 during the 50th yeah and then I got up there and they go, how much is it? And I looked at the tag I said, oh, it says it's 20. And she goes, no, it's 19, like oh, okay yeah, that was the other thing.
Speaker 2:They. They were like giving money off at the register and stuff. So anyway, after that we stopped at an off-property restaurant sports bar on the way back and had dinner and went to Enchantment at the Top. Yes, and Enchantment at the Top we've talked about before it was like 90 bucks a piece, 95.
Speaker 1:Um, it's not. Yeah, it's nine. It's gone up to 95. It was 90, it's gone up to 95. Technically includes the tip?
Speaker 2:yeah, but, but it's like a dessert party, the exception being it's not beer and wine, yes, included. It's open bar and you order your drink. You can order whatever cocktail you want, but you can also order any of the specialty cocktails off the menu and, and the desserts are more upscale yeah, more so than like the tomorrowland terrace one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you're on top of bay lake tower, right? Come Come 9 o'clock, 8.30?, 8.30. Started at 7, so come 8.30, everybody gets up, goes out of their lounge, goes to the left, you go to the left side, which is a better view, mm-hmm, and watch the fireworks. You come back in and they do last call Right, we had the coolest server. We've had nothing but good servers up there, but Travis has been the best Bar none, right, and he's been there a while. We talked Disney history and and DVC history. You know, right, and dvc history you know, right um.
Speaker 1:So on the windows up there you can't see it at night, right? Well, and generally we only get up, we get up there when it's dark, right? This is the first time we've been up there when it was light and for the most part.
Speaker 2:Yes, first time we've probably been inside while the sun was out. Yes, yes, there is the coolest mural on the windows of the monorail. Yes, two monorail trains. It is not Bob Gurr's vision or drawing vision or drawing, but it is a another artist's rendition of bob gerr's original plan for the disneyland rail. Uh, monorail, right, and it is so awesome and vibrant. And so, apparently, bob gerr was at disney world recently and signed the window. Yeah, which is cool. So how awesome is that? So, and then it was funny, like so we got pictures and then you know, an hour later the sun has gone down and you can barely see there's anything there, even if you know it right.
Speaker 1:I mean looking at him like babe, you can't even see it, he goes no yeah.
Speaker 2:So it was super cool to get up there in time to see it. Cool to get up there and time to see it, that was it. When we left there, we, you know, had another drink or two and um took off. We went back to Saratoga. Now we had gotten first of all, we got into our room, kind of going backwards here. Right, we got into our room pretty early, yeah.
Speaker 1:Two, three. Yeah, like two pretty early, yeah. Two three yeah, like two to three, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, before four, for sure, before four Right, you had asked for Congress Park and an upper floor Right, which they gave us both. We were on the fourth floor, but we were in the room furthest from Disney Springs. Yes, all the way, the last room on the fourth floor of the last building in Congress Park.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And it had a view of a canal like the end of the lake. That was the whole view. Yeah. Honestly not even as good of you.
Speaker 2:I understand preferred at saratoga is not a view right, it's location but it was not as good a view as a hundred other times when we've had golf course view right, right. So so you called and said is there any way we can get a view of Disney Springs Right? And it took. The guy told us he goes, yes, I will have somebody call you. It will take. It could be five minutes, it could be a couple hours Right To get the room ready. They were working Right Some kind of engineering issue and it was actually had been out of service but it was going to open up right and they sent uh bell services to come get our stuff right, uh, turned out it was about an hour.
Speaker 2:We got the notification they had moved us down one floor, last room on the third floor in that building. So the thing about Saratoga is like you have 47 rooms on the first three floors and only 36 on the top floor because you've got the grand villas and that takes up that kills off some spaces Right Moving down the one floor. Still being on the end, we had a great view of Summer House.
Speaker 1:Summer House, house of Blues, cirque du Soleil, that whole area Watching the drunk balloon, the drunk balloon go up and down, but we could still hear some music going, we could still see lights. It was nice you could hear the band at House of Blues.
Speaker 2:Somebody, a week or two ago, had posted a video of the balloon and it was like sideways almost. I mean it wasn't, but it was not straight up and down. Right, you know, the balloon was not directly over the basket, yes, and uh. Yes, and I had never noticed that before ever. Yeah, well, we're watching it and that was kind of going on. And then when it was on the ground loading and unloading, the balloon was swaying back and forth. It's like man, it's like sitting on the end and soaring. Yeah, you know, watching the elephants walk by, exactly, but it was a great view in Soarin'. Yeah, watching the elephants walk by, exactly, but it was a great view.
Speaker 1:It was a great view. And that's about the only time we really asked for it is because, you know, especially when they're for anniversary, because we come back and relax. We sit out on the balcony, you know, and look over at Disney Springs, or in the morning I like to have coffee, sit in there, look at disney springs, and it's one of the few times I actually go out there and try to take in disney springs yeah, we did a lot of sitting out there, especially at night.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you did more in the morning.
Speaker 1:I did it more at night, yeah, but it was great which is why I asked for the upper floor, because you have a pad and it's not the same. You don't really see as well. Yeah, Right.
Speaker 2:So I love the view at Congress Park.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, Most of it Right Most of the time, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we could have walked to Disney Springs, but it was not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I mean it was.
Speaker 2:I mean, you had to walk a lot of buildings to get to the bridge. Yeah, four whole buildings, that's a lot of buildings. Well, they're big buildings, yeah, you know. So we did not make a walk to Disney Springs this weekend, spoiler alert. Yeah, we honestly didn't. We didn't. We didn't spend a lot of time in Disney Springs, right, and we don't always it's funny we do when we don't stay on property.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:We like, especially when we're staying there for multiple days. We like the option of going over and that you know that started when the only thing open was Disney Springs because of COVID four years ago. Yeah, and we did go over there every day because it was the only place to do anything. Yeah. So yeah, all right, we're going to stop.
Speaker 2:I think we're going to yeah, yeah, we are because saturday was busy, yeah, saturday was a lot and um, so we're gonna stop there, yeah, and we'll pick it up next week. So, um, yeah, hey, thanks again for tuning in to share our anniversary with us and please don't forget to follow or subscribe whatever it says on your podcatcher of choice. All these guys now have changed their algorithm and so people are getting dropped if you haven't listened in a couple weeks, and it's a whole mess, so just make sure you're still subscribed. Yeah, instagram I got a bunch of stuff to post on instagram. The next week or so I'll be busy, but instagram, we're at mickey file underscore podcast thanks to our new subscribers, new followers this week, thank you. Check out our Facebook group, the Mickey file improvement district, and if you want to get in touch with us, email us. It's Mickey file podcasts. All one word, no underscore on that one at gmailcom. Goodbye, good night everybody. Thank you.