SpectroMagically, Taking on the Worlds in 2015! Day Eighteen-The middle or -what notes?

[walt4it]

Welcome back and thanks for your continued reading - really appreciate all the additional posts to some of the early days that have been made recently and once again apologise for my two jobs currently preventing more progress in the trip reporting.

Thank You



The previous day - Day Seventeen is here


If you want to read from the start - the index is here

Welcome to day 18


Saturday August 15th , 2015


Planned FP's and dining today

Saturday August 15, 2015

Magic Kingdom
Splash Mountain 5:40 PM - 6:40 PM
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 6:40 PM - 7:40 PM
Space Mountain7:40 PM - 8:40 PM



So where do you begin the only day in the whole holiday that has a grand total of ZERO notes and very few photos!
You steal a quote-

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Charles Dickens- A tale of two Cities.

Not being a literary type I'm amazed that I can actually get such words into a trip report - but it just summed up today which did mark the mid point of the whole trip.

Forgive me if I’m wrong but it was the worst of times – today we stuttered to a crawl and whilst I will avoid any blame of the amount of expensive wine last night, did not go there, as I'm not paying for more than one bottle of Disney wine
It was the evening to come that was the work of other forces!

We had actually enjoyed a rather good sleep , with no thought of an early park morning today.

We also wanted to do something different for breakfast. At SSR Artists Palette is ok but is very limited. So we headed for Boardwalk in the car, we had our second most secret place in the whole of WDW in mind.
Now if you are reading this trip report and hoping for a little bit of advice for food options can I just say this place (as with The Writer’s Stop in DHS) is the most horrible place in the whole world to grab a coffee, croissant, baguette and much, much more – you will really dislike it in August in particular!

Not much space for a mass influx of guests so I would steer well clear!


But shhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Please don’t tell anyone else!
I will say this just the once – what a place and the vast range of choices and prices on the menu meant for a good choice of food options.
This place is totally hidden and may only be found if you watch the film in the French Pavilion , which I do not recommend ( more of this in a future day! )
OR walking to the very outer limit of France – no it is not The Channel nor indeed the Alps or Pyrenese but for many it may well be –it is well disguised!

Superb little boulangerie just hidden from everyone.

Maybe it is the street performers that put people off, and long may they do so!

We actually did not do much at all , although it was good to have the freedom to think we were in Epcot and not here to do anything. The back gate was an ideal way of ensuring we had a short spell here before going back for a swim.

As we swum and enjoyed the fact we had a late set of FP’s today, there was a bit of an awareness that once again the weather was closing in.

For anyone going in August you actually can feel it coming – you get to pressure cooker hot and humid and it goes very very quickly.
The life guards start twitching and you know you will be out of there very quickly.

We headed back to the room and felt the very first Thundercrack.
We opened a beer and knew we may be there a while.

When the third beer was opened and the rain still looked like this we had a decision to make.

What should tonight look like?

Splash Mountain 5:40 PM - 6:40 PM
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 6:40 PM - 7:40 PM
Space Mountain 7:40 PM - 8:40 PM


For all the FP+ in the world we felt the night would not be best spent chasing a ride on a Saturday night.

We did something that we are not very good at – we got packed up early during the still ongoing storm and knew we were totally ready to leave in the morning. PACKED!
Far too organised, but it meant we were already thinking of tomorrow.
We cancelled the FP’s and accepted defeat for the evening in MK.


The rain continued although not as heavy. The showers came and went but were becoming more infrequent.

We took the different option and also recognised we may not return again this year, mainly due to the car parking issues and the building site that still exists at DTD/ Disney Springs.

We walked there and were glad to get to Wolfgang Puck Express without getting too wet.
I know I have said it before but it is great use of a counter service credit and you get it served to your table.

Great food. NO Picture this time!

It was still damp but not raining as we walked towards World Of Disney – now I am sure I am not alone in being fearful of every visit to this place – it usually costs a lot of money – not tonight!

My pocket remained undipped and as I result I even indulged everyone in a Ghiradelli’s ice cream (now that really was a first!)
A moment of total weakness but it was really good though and having sampled the heaven it provided I now know it will cost me once again in the future! Look at the delight on their faces at being bought an ice cream at DTD for the very first time!

You can still feel the effect of that shock in the blurred photo!

We needed a bit of shelter as we ate the ice creams with Illuminations resounding at Epcot. It was still wet and we were thankful we had avoided the MK night.

After a few late nights we headed back to SSR to enjoy our final moments in ‘the Disney Bubble’ we were early to bed but with a cunning plan for the morning!

Hope you can join us for that.

[KittyBlackDog]

Aha you sneaked an extra day in just before 'Time' was called

We moved that day and remember watching the storm clouds follow us to our villa and then from a distance for the rest of the evening - it scuppered our evening return to MK that night too.

Aw the joys of a proper croissant sandwich and patisserie

I see a new tradition (ghiradellis) has been started

TFS

[collybird]

It's so gutting when weather foils your plans, always visiting in Oct/Nov I've always been lucky so far, nervous about September this year!

Looking forward to grabbing lunch in France this year, we had planned on Chefs de France but now they've removed the lunch menu (RIP quiche, croque monsieur etc) it will be quick service for us.

[Redrach1903]

So annoying when the rain wont let up!

At least you still got good food and ice cream though

I already have that bakery on my list, hope I manage to get there!

[mick]

Shame about the rain but you made the best of it

Joan

[flo-tinka]

We remember that night too. It was our last Disney night (maybe for a while 😥?) and we had a little revisit to HS planned but that went the way your night went too. We were also moving the next day so we packed, ate up and drank all the wine we could while being amazed at the rain coming down!
I can't believe that was their first ice cream at DTD! First of many I'm guessing

[MrsSilverStar]

sounds like you still made the most of the day, despite the weather, and had fun. Those ice creams look amazing! I'll keep my eyes peeled around France for the secret bakery, great tip.

[Taffy1959]

Nice relaxing day but shame about the weather spoiling your plans for an evening at MK.
The ice cream looks good hope you all enjoyed it

[annedawso]

Ha, that was the day we arrived last year. I can't remember the weather that day at all, or any specific day come to think of it.
Loving your trip report.

[sandshal]

Great post guys, nice to have a kick back and catch up day especially on a mammoth trip like yours.

Looking forward to the next instalment

Sharon