I forgot a HUGE "First time experience" from our last trip...

I knew I'd forget something, and how could I forget my first ride(s) on... Rock 'n Roller coaster starring Aerosmith!  Our plan for the Disney Hollywood Studios day was to have Mrs. Disney Dan and Daughter/Son-In-Law ride the Hollywood Tower of Terror, while "Grandpa Dan" went with Miss Ava in the stroller and got fast passes for Toy Story Midway Mania.  When we returned with our fast pass sets, the brave trio went on the Rock n' Roller coaster while I waited with Grandy.  We enjoyed waiting, because they blast Aerosmith tunes in the area around the attraction, and Miss Ava was moving to the music... so was I.  When they got off, my Daughter talked her "Chicken Dad" into riding it!  I told her... "I don't like roller coasters that go upside down!", she said "Dad, it's DARK, You CAN'T TELL THAT YOU'RE GOING UPSIDE DOWN!!!!".  Well, I thought about it, and figured 'life is short'... so I went with Daughter & Son-In-Law.  The lines were so short that we practically walked on.  Did I survive it? obviously... since I'm writing this blog entry.  Did I like it?  Wow... I said... "Let's do it again!", so I grabbed Mrs. Disney Dan by the hand and hopped in line again.  Screaming all the way through the ride.  What a great ride.  That first acceleration is exhilarating, and the sights and sounds of this marvel of an indoor coaster are just too much fun!  Now there is only one obstacle left in my Disney arsenal... The Hollywood Tower of Terror.  I'm not ready for that drop, but never say never.  And another first that I nearly forgot, was my first taste of Sake at the Japan Pavilion in Epcot.  I love to visit the store in the pavilion, and pick up some oriental snack crackers, I couldn't resist tasting a little Sake at the Sake tasting bar in the store.  It's good, it's like a champagne.  Another of those Disney fun firsts.  Great memories from my Disney fountain of youth.

New experiences on this last trip

On our last trip which is less than a week old, I got to do some things that I had not yet done at WDW.  Some of the rides that I might not have done by myself or with Mrs. Disney Dan.  I rode Triceratops Spin at The Animal Kingdom's Dinoland... twice!

This looked like one that our Grand Daughter would enjoy, and I was honored to be in the group to take her for a "Dino-spin".  I have to say that I really enjoy this simple carnival style ride.  It's a great view from up there, and everyone seems so happy and in a great mood while riding.  The line was so short, that we hopped right back on and did a 2nd spin.  I also took my first spin on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin at The Magic Kingdom.  Again, the wait wasn't too long, and the views were pretty awesome!  We played one of the midway games at Dinoland, I think it was a Wooly Mammoth racing game where you try to put the ball into holes on the board to move your Mammoth faster.  I didn't win, but my Son-In-Law pulled out the victory to win our Grandy a nice little stuffed turtle!  We had our first meal at 'Ohana, not for any other reason except that we were finally able to get in!  It was everything that I have heard.  The skewers of meats kept comin' and were good, but the "sides" were even better (in my opinion).  The Salad and Bread, the chicken wings & pot stickers were fantastic, and that dessert was soooo good!  It's a busy place, but it's so much fun and such a good meal, I look forward to a return visit.  We also had our first lunch at the madhouse that is Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe.  My Angus Chuck Bacon Burger was great.  The place is really busy and I generally gravitate towards a quieter atmosphere, but I'm glad that we stopped in and caught a performance by Sonny Eclipse.  We also made our first visit to an often overlooked little gem at Disney's Hollywood Studios - The Writer's Stop for some goodies including the World Famous Carrot Cake Cookie.  Disney Pod caster Lou Mongello recently named it as his "Best of the Best" Snacks in WDW, and I have to agree.  It's a chewy slice of heaven and it's plenty big enough to share!  We also paid our first visit to Le Patisserie in Epcot's France Pavilion and picked out an assortment of sweets, it was a busy place but we were rewarded for our patience with some delicious snacks, found a table and just took a nice break in a beautiful place.

Now Disney Dan loves a good cigar, and so does my Son-In-Law, so we made our way over to the Sosa Family Cigar Shop at Downtown Disney's West Side.  We picked up a few of the Sosa house cigars after watching the master roll a few cigars in the front part of the shop.  We then took them over to the Sosa Cigar Bar - Fuego, right across from the Harley Davidson Shop between Ragland Road & Pardiso 37.  We stepped in ordered a couple of Yeunglings and just enjoyed a few hours of relaxation.... in Walt Disney World!  Of course another first for us was our resort - The Animal Kingdom Lodge's Kidani Village.  It was our first official stay at a DVC resort, and I must say that the place was amazing.  The room decor and layout was beautiful and comfortable. Once we learned our way around the place, that LONG walk down the hallways to our room didn't seem so bad at all.  Of course while we were there, we had to have dinner at Sanaa, and again, it was everything that I imagined and more.  The flavors are really something that an adventurous eater (like me) would enjoy!  The Indian Style Bread service is a must!  And the animals were roaming around everywhere out our window.  We also had our first meal at La Cantina de San Angel, which is the counter service eatery across from the Mexico Pavilion pyramid.  We all got the same thing Tacos de Pollo (Chicken Tacos).  It was nice to sit out on the deck off of World Showcase Lagoon and just kick back at a slow pace and enjoy our lunch.  Our Grand Daughter was fascinated by the Sea Gulls who were lurking around for a hand out.  On this trip I had my first Dole Whip in adventureland.  Since it was my first, I went with the "original" - the pineapple dole whip, and it was great!  We even took our first bus ride to Downtown Disney  and even though we'd been to Downtown Disney before, we had always arrived via the water taxi from Port Orleans Riverside, or French Quarter.

I'm such a disney fanatic, that even arriving in a new way is memorable to me!  Almost forgot my first visit to La Cava de Tequila in the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot.  We tasted some Tequila and it was unusual for me to have a "salsa chaser".  But, it was really good!  I'm probably forgetting some other firsts from this trip, but each and every one of these were magical moments that are now stored in my computer of great disney memories.  Fresh water from my Fountain of Youth.