Danny's Disney Trip, Day 2

Day 2 of the trip was spent at Epcot.

We started out in Innoventions and the Living Seas, and headed back to the World Showcase just as it opened. We made our way through Canada,

Great Britain (where we usually spend a lot of time, but as Megan was kicked out of line to see Mary Poppins, the visit here was brief - more on that later), and then moving past France, went on to Morocco.

Here we ate a light snack at the Tangerine Cafe,

and boy was the baklava tasty! Danny has a new favorite dessert. We moved on to Japan

where we shopped a bit and were entertained by the drums.

Next, we stopped at the American pavilion for a fife and drum show,

and then went to Italy for a few glasses of wine and a traditional picture with Poseidon.

Moving quickly now, as we had early dinner reservations, we sped through Germany,

China, 

and Norway, where got to ride one ride before entering Mexico for dinner. Our reservations were at La Hacienda de San Angel,

a new restaurant outside of the original Aztec pyramid that houses the Mexican experience.  This was truly one of the best Mexican meals I have ever had. Beef shank,

Mexican grill

and a flight of tequila (for George)

made this meal very memorable, but the highlight was the corn ice cream served with buttered popcorn on top. To Die For. Our waitress, Marigel, was awesome as she served Danny a dessert of churros with a candle in it. She saved the day, almost literally. The dinner was part of a Candlelight Processional package, and after eating we headed back to the American Pavilion and waited for the show to start.

If you've never seen it, Disney has trumpeters

and an orchestra, a huge choir,

and a celebrity who reads the Christmas story while they sing carols and end with Handel's Messiah Hallelujah chorus. It was breathtaking, and we had the pleasure of seeing and hearing Geena Davis read the Christmas story.

By the end of the night, we were pooped and headed back to call it a night.

Danny's Disney Trip, Day 1

On Black Friday, instead of shopping (been there, done that, never again), we set out for Walt Disney World Resort. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, and if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend it. Upon arrival, we made our way (by boat) to the Magic Kingdom.

Once there, we ate at the newest counter service restaurant, a Beauty and the Beast themed place named Gaston's Tavern that serves pork shank and a frothy apple drink named LaFou's Brew.

After eating, we headed over to the riverboat and Tom Sawyers Island.

Megan had just read Tom Sawyer's and Huckleberry Finn's adventures, so this visit was extra special. She got to hear the stories on the steamboat and then explore the island and remember the books.

After walking around a bit more, we had to experience a Creamer Family Disney tradition - the Dole Whip.

If you've never had one, it is a wonderful concoction of pineapple (orange or vanilla) soft serve ice cream with pineapple juice. Yummy! In fact, so yummy that George was too busy eating his to take any pics of the actual treat. Around dusk, we ate some dinner, and then headed out of the park.

We went to the resort area and snapped some photos in our own lodge,

and then went by boat to the Contemporary to view its decorations

and to jump on the monorail

headed for the Polynesian

and ultimately the Grand Floridian Resort.

The main attraction of the Grand Floridian, besides the sheer grandure and beauty of the hotel itself, is the gingerbread house that they construct ever year. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, it was closed for sales, but we still got some good pictures.

We headed back to the Wilderness Lodge, and we got off the boat just in time to catch the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom.

It was beautiful, and Danny really enjoyed his first day there.