Category Archives: Park Reports

Disney Resorts, Parks and Shopping Kind of Day

Posted on by
3

I love the kind of day that just unfolds as you live it… nothing really planned, just go with the flow and see where it takes you.  Besides two appointment times I made with a blog reader and a good friend, the day was mine to make whatever I felt like. Here is what I did in the land of Walt Disney World- enjoy!

A fan of the blog, Melissa Stevenson, contacted me for a get together. I had an open day, so it seemed like fun to meet her and say hello to one of my favorite WDW Resorts- All-Star Movies. We met up and enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the Food Court, where I had my first large Mickey waffle smothered in strawberries- it was TO DIE FOR! Chatting with her and her son, it was a wonderful way to start my day! Thanks again for breakfast Melissa!

It was on to my next appointment, which was with my very close friend, Korie Aiken. I hadn’t seen her in awhile due to schedule conflicts and me being gone in WI, so we were pumped to hang out together. We met up at Animal Kingdom, and headed towards Safari. Since the wait was 70 minutes already at 11 a.m., we opted for fastpasses and headed for lunch.

We enjoyed chicken fried rice at the Yak and Yeti counter service, hanging out on this beautiful day with a girlfriend was just awesome. It was nice to catch up and touch base on how life was going. With full stomachs we headed towards Dinosaur. Nothing says “Let’s ride Dinosaur” then after you have had a full meal! LOL We did great though, and it was a lot of fun. I like that ride more and more, just excites me I guess.

It was time to ride Safari finally, and after we finally got out of the Fastpass line, we were quickly on the ride. I NEVER get sick of this ride, it is just so peaceful and beautiful. We saw the giraffe family, and I FINALLY saw the baby elephant- soooo cute!! We had a blast chatting with the driver, as he was new and full of energy. The ride is always more fun when the driver is into it.

It was time to get back to real life and pick up Kyra from school, so Korie and I agreed on meeting up again later. After Kyra and I got home, Korie and I headed to DTD together to hang out and find what fun trouble we could get into. No, not really, we just did whatever we felt like. Since she hadn’t been to Disneyquest yet, we of course headed there first. I took her on the POTC game and the Jungle Cruise one. We laughed out butts off on the Jungle Cruise, as we could not paddle worth our lives. Funny enough, she kept getting sprayed, while I was perfectly dry! Sorry Korie! Then we made our own rollercoaster on Cyber Space Mountain called the “Jolley Trolley” in which we had a rating of “1.” I watched Korie watch it, as I don’t do well in small spaces, and I couldn’t stop laughing. We made it SO TAME that she felt like she never moved! Next I gave her a tour of the place, and what was worth the time, and what wasn’t. I have to tell you folks, it was absolutely dead when we went- so keep that in mind when looking to do it. Week days are, for the most part, quiet.

We then headed towards the T-Rex restaurant to check it out inside. Both of us hadn’t looked inside it yet, so we walked around and it was not only very dead, but it was nice and empty to take pictures. The family and I are enjoying a meal here next month with friends, so I was super excited to see all of the rooms and areas to sit in. I can see how it could be noisy in there when it’s busy, but it was quite fine when we were walking around. The coolest spot in that place is this huge jelly fish over a large circle table- or in the Ice area. The room actually changes colors, something kids will love!!

We were hungry again, so we chose a place in DTD called “Fresh Appeal.” A wonderful place with fresh wraps and salads, very healthy choice in the midst of our French fried world. I enjoyed a Chicken Caesar wrap, which you could also add a variety of veggies to it, like Subway. It was quite delicious, and quite a lot to eat, you could easily split a wrap with someone. We were fortunate to see my friend, Emily, who works at Babycakes which is located inside the same building. She chatted with us a bit and it was nice to see her again, her and Tom are great people.

Before hitting the stores, we grabbed our free piece of chocolate at Ghiradellis and spent some time hanging out with Brent Dodge. I have to say, he is a class act all the way and fun to chat with. Thanks for hanging out with us Brent, we appreciated it.

We were off again to window shop for Christmas ideas, getting closer and closer to the World of Disney. The area was alive with energy, and all of their Christmas decorations were out. It’s crazy to hear Christmas music already, but it does help get you in that mind frame. I enjoyed the World of Disney, drooling over all the Christmas stuff and everything else I want to buy others for the holidays.  I was MORE excited when we perused the Christmas store… ohhhhhh I want one of everything! LOL  Anything Tangled, Jessie from Toy Story, Belle, the Parks, the list goes on and on.  I cannot wait for our first Christmas here!!

After a long day, we walked back to the Disneyquest area to the van… then decided we didn’t want it to end and headed to Epcot to see “Air Supply.” We parked at Boardwalk, which was near capacity, and walked over to catch the last show. We got in line, only to find Otis and Glenn hanging out for it as well. They invited us to join them, so we spent the time waiting in line chatting and laughing with the guys. We sat with them, in great seats near the catwalk, and enjoyed singing along with the songs.

I had a great day with Korie, meeting Melissa, chatting with Brent, and getting sing along to Air Supply with Otis and Glenn. Thanks to all of the wonderful friends I have here in FL and around the World, you always make my soul smile.

Gal Pal Fun at the Magic Kingdom

Posted on by
6

The BEST part of this blog has been the friendships made through it. One of my favorite ones made was by a gal named Robin Howard, who reached out to our family as one of our blog readers. She is also in the WDW Radio family as a “box person” and has followed our story for some time now. When she asked me months ago to book November 3rd for a girl day at the MK, I was on top of it and excited! So here is our day and what we did… enjoy!

After tackling the poor woman in front of the Train Station out front, we were out and about on Main Street, laughing and giggling all the way. Yes, we sang, we chatted, we had fun. And you know what? We had JUST met in person! Sometimes you make a great connection on the internet and KNOW you will be great friends, and sometimes not. I knew the minute I met Robin she was a keeper, and we gelled all day together.

We hit the front of the Castle first, as we saw several camera crews with lighting and sounding personal around them. What’s going on? Well, since I don’t follow Twitter because I just don’t have the patience for it, I didn’t know that the band called “One Republic” was shooting the WDW Commercials for 2012. How cool that there they were, right in front of us, singing the song “Good Life” while we were standing in front of the Castle in the Magic Kingdom.  It was cool, it was magical, and it was special to share with a friend.

After our “geeked out” moment, we headed to Fantasy Land to hit some rides. It was 10:30 by this time, and I had that feel of dread that the lines would be long already on certain attractions. Thankfully, the crowds were very light, and we walked onto Peter Pan, Snow White, and Winnie-the-Pooh. Score!

We then headed towards the Haunted Mansion, where I got to be tour guide and explain to Robin the story of the stone busts in the cemetery, along with all the other cool things- including a very hidden wedding ring! She got to experience the attic, the stairways, and the new and improved ending of the ride- it is ALWAYS fun getting to experience with someone who is seeing things for the first time.

Our stomachs were grumbling, and after determining that they were not spirits talking to us, we headed to Cosmic Rays to grab a bite to eat. I ordered the kids turkey sandwich, and Robin got a burger. She got to check out the new digital menus, and we chatted up a storm as we listened to Sonny Eclipse. We joked that his sister should be called Stormy Equinox.

With our tanks again full, we headed onto the TTA for a ride through Tomorrowland, then onto Buzz to test our space ranger skills. Robin did quite well! We stopped by to say hello to Buzz, Chip and Dale, and of course, Stitch. Since she had never been to the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor before, we headed in, and thanks to my FB friends, I did text a joke in. Too bad it wasn’t used, but I did use the one about Cinderella being bad at sports. Thanks again to all those who played along in helping me, much appreciated!

After hanging out with Monsters, we walked on over to the Speedway to check out if the band was there yet. We had been informed that they would be around a certain time, and sure enough, there they were! We positioned ourselves by Space Mountain to grab a picture of the band on the ride, just them alone, and it was GREAT! Besides the camera crew, we were the only ones there taking pictures. We left the area happy to have seen them again!

Since we hadn’t rode the railways yet, we headed towards Big Thunder Mountain Railroad where the crowds were big by the entrance. But here is the funny thing, the line had a 10 minute wait, and sailed along quite quickly. The moral of the story? Don’t judge the attraction by the number of people by the entrance, you never know how long it really is until you do it.  I realize that some don’t have the luxury of time, but keep in mind that if you are in a rush, just Fastpass it. If not, try it out, you will be pleasantly surprised.  We had so much fun on it that we FP’d for later that night, as the ride at night is quite a bit faster. 

We headed to Pirates of the Caribbean for a ride, in which I sat right in water when I got into the boat- yay, wet butt for the next hour, lucky me! We laughed at the spot on my shorts as we got off the ride, and shopped for a bit looking at all the Pirate T-Shirts. Robin enjoyed seeing Jack Sparrow’s show, while I found an outlet to plug into at Tortuga Tavern and had a quiet moment to recharge for a bit.

After we found each other again, it was time for dinner. We found Pecos Bills to be the most inviting for what we were hungry for, and I ordered a kids cheeseburger, and I think so did Robin too. The fixings bar here is to die for! Not only do they have the mushrooms and onions, but they have fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and banana peppers. I LOVE banana peppers! Another meal of chattering away, and were again full to move on to the next fun thing.

She made me do it, I didn’t want to, but she made me do it. Yes, I did the Tiki Room, AGAIN. Ok folks, it’s great for nostalgic reasons, but it is not in my top 10 to do at the Magic Kingdom. Since it was her first, we did it, and of course I had to sing some of it to Robin because that’s what kept me sane during it. It is a beautiful attraction, just not one of my favorites.

Another first for Robin? Why, a Dole Whip please! Yes, the gal finally had her first one! She did love it, at first… but it was quite sweet after awhile and unless you REALLY like the sweet stuff, it can be a bit over the top. I am glad she finally got to say she had one, enough said. I like them a lot, but I find I crave them more in the heat, and it was actually cool when she got hers, so I wasn’t much in the mood for one.

So every time I have been in Tomorrow Land, the 626 Dance Party is going on. With the Fall and seasons in full swing, it seems the schedule has changed. So finally I had someone with me who wanted to boogie down, and of course, no party that night. So we headed to Big Thunder for a dark ride in the west, and it was AWESOME! I love seeing the Castle all lit up at night as you climb that second hill, so cool!

We of course had to go visit Mickey and Minnie, and since the wait times were so low, we went and said hello to the Princesses too! What was HILARIOUS was that Belle informed us that Beast was out getting a hair cut and she was going to be quite upset if he got shaved again! LOL We couldn’t stop laughing at that, as all we could picture was this hairless dog. She was cracking up too, and it was one of my all-time favorite conversations with a Princess!

We called it a day and found a spot for the Magic, Memories, and Me show. Another first for Robin, so I was quite excited to share that moment with her. Our thing together is Lilo and Stitch, so when Lilo came on and said “Ohana means family” I am pretty sure her and I both simultaneously teared up.  I LOVE that show, and I would even go as far as saying I love it more than Wishes these days- it just has so much meaning and depth to it. Bravo to the Imagineers on that!!

We got out before Wishes started and grabbed the first Resort Monorail. We wanted to take pics at the Poly before saying goodbye, and as we headed over on the Monorail, it stopped so we could see the finale of Wishes- how cool is that? We got to the Poly eventually, and found the surf board in the lobby that has “Lilo and Stitch” on it. Robin met Craig, who was there to take me home, so we hugged her goodbye and I headed home while she headed back to her Resort. A sincere and warm thank you to Robin, I wish there were more people in the world like you who have such a good heart and kind soul. I will count the days until we get to hang out again. Love ya much Stitch and thanks again for the fun day!

Back in Walt Disney World

Posted on by
8

It had been 11 days since I had been in the Parks, the last being Epcot where I bought Hannah’s Mickey ears. After a great night’s sleep in my own bed, I woke up this morning and smiled at Craig. “Let’s go to Disney World today” I whispered and Craig’s goofy grin splashed across his face. I had truly missed the magic, and it’s funny to even think I could be saying “I haven’t been to WDW in 11 days…” It used to be “I haven’t been to WDW in years.” Kyra had friends from WI in town, so she headed to MK with us to meet up with them, while Craig, Emily and I hit the Park with no agenda at all- total bliss.

Emily has her costume set for Halloween, a super awesome find Mom and I found in WI, but I needed some extra touches that I knew we could find in MK. We strolled in and around the Emporium on Main Street, looking for that certain “thing” that would add to it. I loved the peaceful nature we all had as we just took our time with nowhere to go, it was just so relaxing. When I saw the Castle for the first time again, it was like a huge “Welcome Home” sign for me, and it just felt so “right” walking around the Park today.

As we were in Tomorrow Land, Kyra called us to tell Emily that a Disney Channel star was in the Park. “Rocky” on that show “Shake it Up” was on vacation and had a small group following her throughout the Park when Kyra had seen her. Emily freaked out, and all we heard for the rest of our visit was that she hoped and prayed she would be able to find and see the actress. As we ate at Cosmic Rays, I gently reminded her that it was a huge park, and there was no guarantee we would even be able to get CLOSE to the star, or even possibly see her passing by.

After a wonderful lunch, we headed towards Fantasyland to see the progress on the construction. We snapped a few pics, then headed for the Haunted Mansion. Seeing the line was a 40 minute wait, we decided we weren’t in a “line mood” today, and headed towards Pirates instead.

Pirates of the Caribbean was the same, a 40 minute wait, so we headed into the gift shop instead. We found some wonderful items we snatched up, including a Jack Skellington scarf. Every register was packed, and the place was buzzing with excitement. I really enjoy that store, as it seems more than that but more a stop on your pirate journey. On a side note, I really want those POTC keys for my house but I keep procrastinating on them.

As we were walking out of Adventureland, we saw a mob of people standing around a tall girl. I looked at Emily and said “Is that her?” Emily screamed! She said “Mom, it’s her!!” as she jumped up and down. There was an opening in front of the actress, so I walked Em right up to her and said “Can we get a picture?” Emily didn’t hesitate to hug her star, then I snapped the following picture of the two together. We told Zendaya that Emily had been looking for her all day since we had heard she was in MK and we were so happy we found her. She was super sweet to Emily and I was so happy she got to meet her.

After that moment, Emily couldn’t stop smiling. When I say this, I mean our youngest daughter was in the highest of highs. She was giggling, screaming, smiling- the kid was amazingly happy. She kept saying “I can’t believe I met her- and she HUGGED me.” We had to take a couple snapshots of Emily’s joy right after her moment.

After grocery shopping and a much needed nap, we headed back into WDW for an evening at Studios. It is an incredible thing to be able to just do whatever at home and then say “Hey, let’s go to WDW.” We actually had to put sweatshirts on tonight, but it was enjoyable to wear them in the cool evening air.

It was a fairly empty park, so we searched the stores for anything from “Shake it up.” We found nothing, so we headed to the back streets to see if the lights were strung up yet. Seeing the lights all ready to go for the Christmas season got us quite excited for our first Christmas here as FL residents. We can’t wait to be there opening night for the lights!

We finished up our awesome day with a carrot cake cookie at “The Writers Stop” and then a bit of playtime in the Animation building where there was NOONE. I’m talking no visitors, and no Cast Members… it seemed deserted except for the Art of Animation store. We had fun playing among the magic, taking Emily’s pictures while she goofed around. We had a beautiful day with beautiful moments… it is good to be home.