Anniversary DCL Trip – Day 5

After the late night prior, our 5:30a alarm was a rude awakening. We took turns packing and showering so we could finish quickly. By 6:30 we had exited the stateroom for our last time. We made our way to Cabanas for one last breakfast. One light plate each was good, knowing we had Kona ADRs waiting for us. The line to disembark the ship was long… very long. I was amazed how quickly it had grown. But as with all of the other lines we experienced on our DCL trip, the line moved exceptionally fast. Within minutes we were out the door, down the ramp, and out to the parking garage.
Our GPS decided to be a bit Goofy on the way out (we were trying to avoid tolls), and we ended up turned around a few times for no apparent reason. Otherwise the drive back to Orlando wasn’t too bad, and we were at the Poly with plenty of time to spare.
We shopped for a bit (I again struck out trying to purchase a Hawaiian shirt ) Then grabbed a french press at the Kona Island while waiting for our table. Our table was ready on-time and we were seated. No need to look at the menu, 2 Tonga Toasts with bacon, and 2 POG juices, to go with our Kona Coffee. The food was incredible as always, and with full bellies we made our way to the busses.
A short 13 minute wait for the bus to DS (just as shown on the screens at the bust stop) and we were on our way for a little retail therapy. I found the bus drop-off more convenient location-wise than the self-park. Our visit felt a bit rushed (even though it really wasn’t) and I noticed myself keeping a tight eye on the time. We did manage a long browse through WOD and a pass through most of the other shops. I noticed a decline in the selection of many Disney products we usually purchase, and can’t count how many items that sizes (for both my wife and I) were out of stock. CMs kept telling us there were no additional items in the back, which was also pretty amazing to us. It was so odd that a company & place that places retail in front of you at any opportunity, does not keep enough items in stock to move sales.
We had stopped in Candy Caldron to peek at the cool apples, and decided to buy a sweet treat. DW chose a chocolate covered brownie with toffee chips. It was good, but very sweet (and not really satisfying w/o a glass of milk ). A little more strolling and we decided to catch the bus back to the Poly. Both DW and I were in agreement that the vibe down DTD (sorry, Disney Springs) has changed and it really is not a must-do, day-long experience for us anymore.
Back at the Poly, we headed for Trader Sam’s. 3:37 and there already was a line to get in … Thankfully, we managed to be one of the last before the cutoff and we took a small table off the corner of the bar. I absolutely love that place! The decor is awesome, the drinks are good, and I was pretty impressed with the food. I ordered a Krakatoa Punch, DW opted for the Dole Whip w/ rum, and we snacked on an order of Kahlua pork tacos. We relaxed for about an hour before moving on, and grabbing an early dinner. Pulled pork nachos from Capt. Cooks did the trick nicely and I capped it off with a Dole Whip. This is sadly where our Disney time ended.
In the parking lot we carefully stowed the last of the souvenirs. We made our way to MCO. GPS had us driving an estimated 54 minutes… Well, it went batty again, and we ended up in Epcot parking lot. :hmmph: The CM at the parking gate was very nice and gave us some directions before letting us turn around. We made it up onto I-4 and traffic just built and built. We kept watching our arrival time creep up, and we were not set to arrive after our car drop-off time
A couple adjustments by the GPS for traffic and we were off the highway. There is no way I could drive down there on a regular basis. Between the traffic, and the traffic lights, the return ride was brutal. We managed to make it to Garage A by 7:04, so luckily no late charge. We checked in for our flight and breezed through security to wait for our flight home.
Our flight went smoothly and we touched-down just before 1.
We had a magical time, and are looking forward to our next DCL trip… We’ll bring the kids along on the next one I guess :p