Halloween in the Wilderness 2015 Trip Report Index! (And here is the Pre-Trip Report!)



Day 7 - Hey Mickey
1900 Park Fare (Character Buffet Breakfast) | Magic Kingdom | Casey’s Corner (CS Lunch) | California Grill (Signature Dining) | HalloWishes
October 29th, 2015

The day started with breakfast at 1900s Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. You can have your photo taken as you go in, but the photo we had was a bit rubbish, so I won’t share it! The decor is old-time carnival, and rather whimsical. However, it did smell funky in there, which was actually really off putting. And because there aren’t any windows, felt quite enclosed. The buffet was nicely presented and laid out, but not much space around the omelette station if several diners are waiting for their breakfast there.


Breakfast at 1900s Park Fare is character dining and we met Mary Poppins, Alice, The Made Hatter, Pooh, and Tigger. They all come around as you are having your breakfast, so make sure you have you camera ready, and autograph books too!


Onto the buffet offerings…
There are the breakfast food staples – Mickey Waffles, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Biscuits and Gravy, Pancakes, Bagels, Hash Browns, Sausage, French Toast, Assorted Pastries and Breads, Cereals, Fresh Fruit, etc. There is also a carving station – meats may vary, but it was smoked ham when we went.


There are signature dishes: Floridian Strawberry Soup, Cheese Blintz with toppings, Smoked Salmon Lox with toppings, Omelettes and Eggs made to order, House-made Hash, Lobster Eggs Benedict, Classic Eggs Benedict, and Yogurt Bar.


And not forgetting desserts – Bread Pudding, Cinnamon Buns, Muffins, and Donut Holes.


I made notes about the food – mainly that some of the bread products tasted stale – bagel, the biscuits (for biscuits and gravy), and the muffins under the eggs Benedict. Steve really enjoyed the corned beef hash. We’d say it was all standard Disney breakfast fayre, and nothing special. Probably wouldn’t visit here again for breakfast as we prefer Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom, Tusker House at Animal Kingdom, and Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

After paying our bill, we caught the Monorail round to Magic Kingdom!


My notes for this day tells me that Magic Kingdom felt like a very busy park – busier than when we’ve been in August. I don’t know if it was because I was lulled into thinking October would be a lot quieter, or because it was a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party day. Either way, it was was busy!

Magic Kingdom had their Halloween decorations up, which we have seen before – in late August when they generally start appearing. Since I love Halloween, I really don’t mind! I don’t think I spotted anything different than what I’ve seen before – giant carved pumpkins, pumpkin scarecrows, Mickey pumpkin wreaths, and smaller carved pumpkins above the stores along Main Street USA. Actually, now that I look back through the photographs that I took, I am sure that the garlands hanging from the lights are new to me – I don’t think I have spotted them before.


This part for day 7 is mainly photos, as I don’t have much to add that I haven’t said before in previous trip reports!


All visits to Magic Kingdom starts with a walk down Main Street USA. We take our time these days when visiting the Disney Parks, and don’t rush to see and do things – we always plan to return during our visits, and of course, try to visit Orlando as often as we can afford to! Plus this year, my body couldn’t cope with speed, so it was a very chilled holiday overall.

We stopped to take a look in the shops at the Halloween merchandise – not too much different from past years, but some of the jewellery was on sale, so I bought a necklace to match the bracelet I bought on a previous trip.


New for us this year were the additional towers to the sides of Cinderella Castle, as well as seeing the new hub in all its glory. Still some work going on, but not as much as our last visit.


As we approached Cinderella Castle, the show Dream Along With Mickey was just about to get underway.

I ADORE this show, it’s my Disney Life in one performance… little did I know that this would be one of the last times I would ever see it, as it’s now been replaced with another. To say I’m sad about this is an understatement! I fell in love with Dream Along With Mickey in 2011 when we visited Magic Kingdom for the first time, and it has become my anthem for our holidays ever since! I can’t believe I’ll never be able to watch this awesome show live again… but do have the videos we’ve taken, which I never tire of watching!


So here is the last time we ever watched Dream Along With Mickey in October 2015… all the feels, and all the tears!


We didn’t have to wait too long after Dream Along With Mickey for the Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street party/parade.

Giant gift boxes float down Main Street USA, encircling the hub in front of Cinderella Castle, and you know the party is going to begin. Unlike the regular Disney Parade, this one encourages you to get up, dance in the streets, and even take selfies with the characters to share on social media with the hashtag #MoveItShakeItPics. This parade used to be called Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!, so there is a name change this year for us, and slightly different floats and characters. The main theme tune has also changed – which is a shame as I prefer the old one to the new, it was a lot more catchy!

We wandered into Adventureland, which is one of my favourite themed areas of the Magic Kingdom. We had some free FastPass+ selections from our Disney Vacation Club tour a few days ago, so decided to use one on Jungle Cruise. Some might say it was a waste, but sadly, I wasn’t in a position to make all the stairs at Splash Mountain this year, which was a shame for me. Pirates of the Caribbean was down for some reason, so Jungle Cruise it was!

We actually like this ride, it’s a classic attraction, and the jokes from the boat drivers, whilst corny, are also quite funny too! Plus, I wanted to try and get a good photo of the baby elephant squirting water (didn’t manage it – was on the wrong side of the boat)


From a plus size point of view for this ride (size UK32) there are no restraints, and it’s a step access into the boat, with bench seats around the edge of the boat.


After our Jungle Cruise, we took a break with a drink from Sunshine Tree Terrace. I had a Piña Colada Slushy (non-alcohol) that I wanted in a souvenir Tiki glass (plastic), and some soft drinks for the boys – all paid out of pocket rather than on the Disney Dining Plan. My drink was $10.64, and was delish! Looking at my photographs, there is a photo of Liam holding a box of popcorn, which we must have bought too. I don’t have any record of it in my food spend spreadsheet (geek!) so I assume we paid out of pocket for this, and I’m sure popcorn is around $3 or $4. The boxes and drinks containers have a slightly different design for Halloween which we thought was pretty cool!


Into the Enchanted Tiki Room next – my personal favourite, but I’m a bit strange! I always sing along, and love this animatronics show! Altogether now:

In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room
In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room
All the birds sing the words and the flowers croon
In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room

We then took a wander into Frontierland to grab a spot for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Discovered this as a good vantage point for the parade last year, so wanted to make sure I got it! Some more photos below of Adventureland and Frontierland. I seriously could hang out in this part of Magic Kingdom all day!


As 3pm rolled around, the Festival of Fantasy parade did too. The parade is fairly new – starting in 2014, and replacing the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade.
Festival of Fantasy is a fantastic parade, with a catchy song that runs through the 13 minutes or so that the floats take to go by. The parade starts with the Main Street Philharmonic, playing the Mickey Mouse Club song: “Who’s the leader of the club, that’s made for you and me? M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E!” And you can’t help but sing along to that! The parade also ends with the song too.
After the Philharmonic comes the Magic Kingdom Grand Marshall – in this car, are park guests who have been chosen to open the parade. I do not know how they are selected, but what a great honour!
The very first parade float is Beauty and The Beast, followed by many others with characters from Disney, and Pixar, both old and new. I think the parade features a great mix of characters. I have managed to capture all of the floats that go by for Festival of Fantasy. Not much else to say here really, so enjoy my photographs and video of the parade!

After watching Festival of Fantasy, we went back to Pirates of the Caribbean, which had been down when we tried to ride it earlier. This time around, all was okay, so using a Fastpass+ from our DVC tour, we joined the line. We didn’t have to wait too long, and we were soon boarding the little boats. Where I sat was soaking wet – noice – so had a wet bum for the duration of the ride! We do love this ride, even though the drop in it isn’t as big as the one in Disneyland Paris, we always need to go on PotC! I’m rubbish at taking photos on this ride though… need to improve for the future!


We also managed to catch Captain Jack Sparrow and Joshamee Gibbs on the stage opposite the ride. Never seen them before. We then carried on back through to Main Street USA, as the park was starting to get busy with party go-ers for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party that was on that evening. Liam was hungry, so we made a pit stop at Casey’s Corner for a hot dog for him, and some corn dog nuggets for Steve and I to share.


Chili Cheese Dog – topped with chili and shredded cheddar cheese, plus fries, drink, and a brownie – I think this was all a meal credit.

I don’t seem to have a photo of the receipt (which I tend to do to keep track!) so can’t say for certain. In my spreadsheet though, I’ve got food down from Casey’s as $18.07 total.

I know we paid cash for the Corn Dog Nuggets ($6.38), as they were not available as a snack credit. I’ve taken so long to write this trip report, that my memory of the finer details are now gone.


As we sat on the tables outside, Dream Along With Mickey was being performed on the stage in front of Cinderella Castle in the distance. Any excuse for me to watch and singalong!

On the way out, we saw our first Flag Retreat Ceremony, which takes place in the Town Square on Main Street USA, and is a tribute and thank you to veterans for their service, sacrifice, and dedication to protecting the country. The Pledge of Allegiance is said, and a trumpet fanfare sounds Retreat. As the American flag is lowered, the Main Street Philharmonic plays the Star Spangled Banner. Members of the Color Guard remove the flag from the staff and fold it while guests are lead in a chorus of “God Bless America. A guest veteran is handed the flag, and there is a short procession down Main Street USA while a medley of US Military songs conclude the ceremony. It happens at 5pm every day. We all found it very moving.


After our day at Magic Kingdom, we headed back to our resort – Wilderness Lodge – to chill out a bit, and get ready for our dinner that evening at California Grill. We dined at this signature restaurant in 2014, and had a great time. The restaurant is located at the very top of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and has amazing views of Magic Kingdom from up there. What’s also nice, is that the music from the fireworks is piped into the restaurant, and the lights are dimmed down. You can watch from your table – we were lucky (both times) to have a table by the window – or out on the viewing platform.

I purposely booked this night for our dinner at California Grill because it was a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party night, and as such, we would be able to see HalloWishes without having a party ticket. We arrived at Contemporary, and took the elevator up to the 2nd floor, where you check in for your Advance Dining Reservation. A Cast Member then takes you up in the elevator to the top floor where you are either shown to your table straightaway, or sit in the lounge area, while you wait. On this occasion, our table was immediately ready. It was great to find out that we had a window table again.


Our server introduced himself, and brought us a bread basket and butter (which seems to be a standard thing in Disney’s Signature Restaurants), and took our drinks order.

When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a signature restaurant you are entitled to one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (usually refillable) for two credits per person.

Appetizers…

Me: California Combination Roll – Jumbo Lump Crab, Avocado, Cucumber, Shrimp Tempura ($24)

Him: Three-Meat Signature Meatballs – Anson Mills Pork Belly-Laced Grits, Pickled Fresnos, Chimichurri ($16)

The Boy: Crispy Rock Shrimp Salad – Spicy Baby Greens, Subarashii pears, Soy Reduction, Wasabi Cream ($18)

Since we are now at the point where I really cannot remember how the food tasted etc., so I’m guessing from here on out there probably won’t be finer details – unless I can remember something that was AMAZING! Or if something was really bad.

My note taking on this trip was pretty poor, but I’ve just scanned the short entry about this day in my diary and I’ve written down: “the food was good, but I made bad dish choices”. When I say something like that, it usually means that I preferred what the boys had over my own! I seem to do this quite often at restaurants!

The food at California Grill was beautifully presented, and I expect nothing less from this sort of price point restaurant.


Entrées…

Me: Bison Strip Loin – Benzinger Arbequina Olive Oil Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, Cherrywood Bacon, Madeira-Fig Demi-Glace ($50)

Him: Pork Two Ways – Grilled Tenderloin, Goats Cheese Polenta, Mushrooms, Lacquered Belly, Country Applesauce ($39)

The Boy: Wagyu Beef Strip Loin – Snake River Farms Wagyu, Cauliflower Purée, Autumns Vegetables, Maple Gastrique ($55)


Desserts…

Me: Sundae Sampler – Unique and Playful Sundaes with a Nostalgic Twist: Coconut Cheesecake Cone, Shirley Temple Float, White Chocolate, and Huckleberry ($13)

Him: Heirloom Apple and Walnut Cake – Heirloom Apple, Fig and Dried Cherry Compote, Roasted White Chocolate Mousse, Brown Sugar Ice Cream, and Candied Walnuts ($13)

The Boy: Chocolate Pudding Cake – Luscious Chocolate Cake with Nutella Filling, Meringue Kisses, and Chantilly Cream ($14)


HalloWishes was AMAZING! I absolutely loved the soundtrack (the music is piped into the restaurant), and these are some of the best fireworks I’ve ever seen in my life! One thing that marvelled all of us was just how far back from the park a lot of the fireworks are. I know it’s for safety issues, but seriously, they look so close when you’re down on Main Street USA!

Because of this, the video of HalloWishes below, doesn’t show too many of the big starburst fireworks, because they were simply out of shot. My husband set up the camera, and pretty much just left it on the window ledge to film, only zooming in and out a tiny bit. I said to him, when I watched the footage back recently, that it was such a shame – but he said with the lights from the restaurant (although they are dimmed down you can see the reflections and stuff, so that was why he was more zoomed in. Regardless, the video still has all the music, and the fireworks you can see directly behind the castle. By the end, we all just said “wow”, because that is the best way to describe them!

As well as seeing the fireworks, we also saw the Electric Water Pageant floating along Seven Seas Lagoon. I don’t have any good photos of my own of this – my camera just isn’t fast enough, so a blurry photo it is!



Read about the day before:
Day 6 - Fine, Fancy, Fun:
Kona Cafe (TS Breakfast) | Silver Creek Springs | Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue (Dinnershow)

Read about the day after:
Day 8 - In The Slow Lane:
Roaring Fork (CS Lunch) | Shopping | Artist Point (Signature Dining)

Read ALL the days!

Oh my goodness, the presentation of the food at the California Grill is just beautiful with the added bonus of seeing the amazing fireworks! The corn dog bites at Casey's Corner taste so good, my favourite snack at MK 😋 Some really love parade pics today too, thank you.

We loved Cali Grill - the views are outstanding. In our next (previous now) trip we had brunch up there, and to see everything in daylight was spectacular!

The corn dog bites are yummy! Don't forget I've linked to all of my photos on Flickr, as I can't include them all here!

I love the relaxed pace of this trip, every year I promise myself we're going to take it easier but then I get there and have an overwhelming urge to do everything. Must try harder!

We were even more chilled out on our 2016 trip - some of it down to me not physically being able to rush around, but also because we don't feel the need to any more! I'm sure that might change when Pandora/Avatar land opens, and Star Wars/Toy Story lands too!

Food at Cali Grill looks amazing, another one on our list for this year too!

Magical day!

I know it's been said before but your photography skills are amazing. Your angles and timings are perfect

I know what you mean about Dream Along with Mickey, I got really emotional the other week when I heard Wishes was being replaced

The food always looks amazing! Hope you enjoy it there!

Aww, thank you I do think I get a bit lucky sometimes with the timings!

My friend loves Wishes, and feels about like that going, like I did about DAWM