Birthdays + Family = Magic! Day 3

[Suz36]

We were up bright and early again for 7:30 ressies at Chef Mickey's. The plan was to hop a bus to MK and then walk, but when our wonderful driver heard where we were heading, he dropped us off right at the Contemporary! That's the second time we've gotten lucky like that with early morning breakfast ADRs - gotta love those bus drivers!! We had a fun and tasty breakfast with Mickey and friends. I had each character sign 3 different photo mats so that I could have it and a picture for each family. We were tucked into the back corner of the restaurant, and had a great view of MK. Once we were stuffed, we hopped on the monorail to the TTC, then off to Epcot. My aunt, her husband and 4yo grandson were meeting us there, so I spent the ride trying to coordinate with her on the cell phone. We got through security, I made a beeline for Soarin' FPs, then met everyone for a trip through the sea on a clamshell. We then chatted with some dude named Crush, who directly spoke with DNe and his parental unit, my DB. What is it about them - they get chosen for everything! We finally met up with my aunt, then made our way to the Land for a boat ride and flight over California. Why can't this ride be longer? I absolutely love it! Next we went to visit with Figment, played in his laboratory, and splashed in his fountains. These have always been a favorite of my kids - I'm glad they haven't outgrown them yet! Hopefully, they never will. After a ride on Spaceship Earth, we went back to the Land for lunch at Sunshine Seasons. This place is perfect for a large group - so many choices, everyone can find something! We'd designated today as a mid-day break day, so DB and fam and the 4 of us headed back to POFQ - DM and DF stayed in the park with my aunt. We took a dip in the pool, which the kids really enjoyed. They loved the slide, and all the alligator fountains. There was even a lifeguard playing ring toss with the kids. While DH played with the kids some more, I was able to get a Hurricane from the pool bar - just like in New Orleans! We cleaned up and headed back to Epcot, met up with everyone else, then rode Test Track with FPs we'd grabbed earlier. We then made our way through the World Showcase to Germany for dinner at the Biergarten. We really enjoyed this restaurant!! I'm a pretty picky eater, so the food was not to my liking, but it's always about the atmosphere for me anyway. The kids had a blast dancing along with the Oompah band - my DS invented some kind of crazy penguin dance - I got great video of it! The kids did try some different foods from the buffet, and DH sampled the Beer Flight, which he enjoyed. DB and DSil each put away a huge stein of beer - quite impressive! We had no plans to stay for Illuminations, but after the waiter had some trouble with our bill and delayed us a bit, we had to hurry back around the lagoon as the show was going on. We were able to beat the crowd, and were home by 10.

[Donald]

Great vacation so far1 Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[Joannelet]

Thanks for the report! I have never eaten at Biergarten so I was happy that you had a good time although you don't care for that type of food much. That is one of the reasons why I never ate there..I am a picky eater too
I will have to give it a try!

[Suz36]

Joannelet - The reason I'd chosen Biergarten, besides wanting to try every restaurant on property, was because my parents had taken me on a trip to Germany when I was in high school, so I thought they'd enjoy it. Everyone really seemed to have a great time, so I'd definitely recommend you give it a try!

[faline]

Lovely day! Those mid-day breaks - particularly during hot summer months are greatly needed!

[DizNee143]

another good day!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Another wonderful day with a hurricane too

[Momto3littlemice]

Love the photo mat signing idea! I'll have to try that one!

[RedSoxFan]

Sounds fun.