Welcome back, sweet readers and cherished friends! I hope you've enjoyed every bit and bite of a beautiful holiday season and that this fresh new year is off to a lovely start! I'm happy to be back sharing with you again today and even happier that you're here reading! Thank you!
Day 4 - Wednesday, October 12, 2022
This wonderful Wednesday started with a brisk walk past early morning reflections at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort as we headed to the skyliner Epcot bound.
The skyliner to Epcot puts you right at International Gateway entrance which is perfect for starting the day with a minimal wait time at the popular Remy's Ratatouille Adventure ride.
Look at that beautiful wait time for Remy's Ratatouille Adventure! Can't beat that!
Glasses on glasses :)
While walking through World Showcase we enjoyed a bit of Disney magic in the form of nice, cold bottles of hydration when a kind cast member walked past us with little bottles of water and cheerfully offered them to the four of us for free. It added smiles to our morning and helped us get a jumpstart on keeping hydrated which is oh so important to feeling well on any Disney day.
Next we spent time in Mexico and enjoyed having the shop nearly all to ourselves other than the friendly cast members.
Relaxing with my Love while the girls shopped away!
More relaxation straight ahead on Spaceship Earth . . .
Last Epcot ride of the morning, Soarin'! "We're soarin', flyin', there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach..." Name that Disney tune!
We were all pretty hungry at this point. We had a very fun feast of a lunch planned so all we needed was an itty bitty sharable something to nibble and we enjoyed some fun conversation in the always adorable setting of Sunshine Seasons while we did.
My kinda snack!
After a quick pop in the Creations Shop we headed back out toward that skyliner once again. We were over the moon that we just happened to pass through the Mexico pavilion whilst our favorite Epcot entertainers were performing. Mariachi Cobre is such a talented group of musicians and have been delighting guests with their shows since Epcot's opening in 1982! It was special seeing and applauding them during their 40th anniversary at Epcot!
One last shopping trip before we exited! Can the Platt girls pass Mitsukoshi in Japan without stopping in? The answer is decidedly no way!
I was tickled pink to spot this tribute to Maelstrom in Epcot's 50th Anniversary signage here!
We hopped off the skyliner and made a beeline to our rental car as one of my most highly anticipated meal reservation of this trip was about to happen!
Lunch at Chef Art Smith's Homecomin'
I've heard such terrific Homecomin' reviews for years now. On this fine afternoon my sweet fam and I would finally walk through those doors and sample the scrumptiousness I'd been daydreaming about since booking the reservation.
A girl after my own fried chicken lovin' heart, my youngest went with Art's Famous Fried Chicken and swapped out the mashed potatoes for extra cheddar drop biscuits.
My oldest went for one of her favorite things on any menu, a burger. The Art Burger came with house-made barbecue chips drizzled with icebox dressing.
Jason spotted one of his favorite dishes to order on their menu and scooped that right up! Their chicken fried chicken was served alongside creamy mashed potatoes and a cheddar drop biscuit.
Now for the entire reason I booked this place, Art's Famous Fried Chicken for me! The menu description for this plate of perfection says that this chicken is buttermilk-brined for 24 hours then perfectly fried. Yes, please and thank you!
Last, but definitely not least, I added a scrumptious side of Momma's Mac and Cheese. Let me tell you, friends, this was cheesilicious! The cheese pull with nearly each bite was insane and even sharing it with Jas I'm not sure it was fully finished. So good and such a generous portion! I should add that the offerings at this place will set you back a pretty penny, but in my opinion it was worth the indulgent splurge! This was comfort food heaven and I look forward to returning!
Full as we could possibly be, we made our way back to the resort. Jason and I took a moment to pop into the gift shop while the WDW Annual Passholder discount was still at that limited time incredible savings of 30% off. I left with a cute Caribbean Beach Resort Tervis tumbler and a resort magnet to add to our collection.
After a couple hours of rest and relaxation at the Caribbean we headed over to Magic Kingdom for an evening of fun!
We had purchased Disney Genie+ on this particular day and had lined up Lightning Lane reservations for Peter Pan's Flight. Sadly, after a short wait in the queue cast members literally ushered through the queue where guests typically board and out the door. We were given no explanation why we were being asked to exit. After talking to a cast member outside the attraction we learned that there was a potential emergency that required evacuation of the entire building. Having gotten a Lightning Lane for this attraction, we were told that we could visit guest services where we could either get a new Lightning Lane for a later time that evening (if it were to begin operating again) or we could select a different attraction in its place. We did visit a guest services location in Liberty Square where a kind cast member was able to get us our request of Splash Mountain in its place.
If you've read my previous posts you may remember that this is my youngest's childhood favorite. Knowing that this was our last trip to ride it, we were happy to have yet another opportunity to soak up the sweetness of this classic attraction!
By around 8pm we were starting to get a bit hungry. After the feast we'd enjoyed that afternoon we only needed a little to nibble on to get us by. We opted to pop into a very busy Pecos Bills where some of us would munch on their chips and queso blanco while others would work their way through some Disney popcorn. Next we'd move our snack party to Tomorrowland with a sweet snack/dessert!
Back at The Lunching Pad to end our evening eating with a family fave, cream cheese pretzels!
Freshly fueled up for a few more attractions, we hit Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid, Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Our evening ended with a rainstorm. Thankfully we plan for such events, keep in eye on the weather, and I pack my park bag accordingly. I pulled out ponchos for Jason and our girls and was actually pretty giddy to put one of my favorite purchases this trip to good use . . .
I'd spotted this cute It's a Small World themed rain jacket during a previous trip, but they didn't have my size. While browsing in World of Disney wondering if there was anything I "needed" during those beautiful 30% off discount days my eyes met this pretty print once again, but this time in just the right size! I scooped it up at a bargain price and it kept me and my clothes completely dry, and was cute to boot! I'm taking good care of this one and hope to use it on many future trips to come. A rain jacket is definitely a good investment when you vacation in Florida regularly! :D
Thanks so much for stopping by my corner of the web today! I'd love it if you'd pop by this time next week for another pixie dusted post!