3/28FINALLY COMPLETED*August 2013*I can't go to Disney without a Pete!

[maddiebee]

Hi!
Man I totally hate packing, so I figured starting a Trip Report would be the best way to procrastinate, right? We leave in barely three days!!
I've never done a trip report, so I'm not totally sure the format, but here goes!

Let me introduce us. It will just be my darling boyfriend Pete and I. We live in Boston and are in the process of moving in together. Terrible planning time wise, but having to pack up my apartment will be a good distraction from all the homesick I'll be plagued with upon our return. He's a teacher so summer time is the only time we can go plus WE'RE GOING FOR HIS BIRTHDAY, which is tomorrow

We have a little baby named Little Kim, who heartbreakingly has to stay home.

This will be our second trip to Disney together. Prior to our trip last year, I had only been once before when I was little, with my brother, who is also named Pete and my Nana.

I wish I could still find that outfit.

Last year we also had a couple friends in tow, one of who was also named Pete. I just love Pete's I guess. Our trip last year was awesome, but we did all 4 parks in 2 days and a day at Universal, while also staying off site. While I don't think any length of time would ever be enough, I'm thrilled to have so much more time this trip. While I'm a huge Potterhead, we'll be skipping Universal this year. I definetly plan on going as soon as Diagon Alley is done!

This year, Pete and I will be staying at the All Star Music resort for 4 nights and I'M SO FREAKING EXCITED
We land Sunday morning at 10:03am and I plan on heading to the park as soon as we drop our bags. I'm so excited for the Magical Express, to be staying onsite, to check out DTD, to check out some resorts, TO JUST BE TOTALLY IMMERSED IN DISNEY!

We have ADR's for CRT, Coral Reef, Ohana, and I FINALLY, just yesterday, got the BOG ADR that I have been stalking for months! HAVE FAITH GUYS!

I have a spreadsheet with what parks I want to be at each day. I plan on getting up early everyday and making it to at least RD for one reason or another. We have a 9:00am CRT res (Pete said he'd get up early for it, but not any earlier than that ) one day, I'd like to hit RD at MK by myself so I can see the opening ceremony another day, and I want to be at AK by 9am one day so that I can head over to Rafiki's Planet Watch to hopefully catch a veterinary procedure! I work as a vet tech and I can not imagine a cooler job than being a vet tech at Disney

I also am Gluten free and am so excited for all that Disney has to offer for my allergies! I will definitely be talking a lot about food so stay tuned!

So, I have two more shifts of work to get through and then we're off!!
I'll leave you with my two favorite photos from our trip last year, one being of me hysterically crying during Wishes. Man, I really really love Wishes. And I cry a lot.

links!!
Aug 18th
Day one, part one. Clever title to come?
No Fantasmic! is not fantastic
All my Weird Al dreams have come true!A mermaid and some goodnight kisses

Aug 19th
A magical morning on my own!
Waking the Beast
Drinking around the Dad park
Tired princesses and dinner under the sea

Aug 20th
A sweaty princess breakfast
A sweaty Animal Kingdom and Everest marathon!
Suprises and meat!!


Aug 21st
Drinking around the rest of the world and CHARACTERS!
Epcot and Dole Whips and Parading!
All the happy tears ever
And all our Wishes will come truuuuuue

Aug 22nd
The saddest day of a Disney trip​

 

[Disneylover99]

Great report! We will be landing on Sunday at almost the same time as you, but we are heading to Pop. Hope your Pete has an amazing birthday!

 

[maddiebee]

Great report! We will be landing on Sunday at almost the same time as you, but we are heading to Pop. Hope your Pete has an amazing birthday!

Thanks!!! Hope you guys have an awesome trip!!

 

[beachmama3]

Joining in! We arrive in Orlando on Sat but check into POR on Sunday! Hope you have a great trip!

My husband's birthday was 8/11 so we are celebrating when we get down there!

 

[maddiebee]

Joining in! We arrive in Orlando on Sat but check into POR on Sunday! Hope you have a great trip!

My husband's birthday was 8/11 so we are celebrating when we get down there!

Yay! Happy Birthday to your husband!

 

[maddiebee]

Man, our trip was so wonderful and I'm still just so homesick. Luckily, we came home and had to get me moved out of my apartment and into my boyfriends, so we didn't have a whole lot of time to be sad.
And so now I am going through all my photos, heartbroken to be so far away from home.

But enough about that!

We were up and out of the house by 5am and headed to Logan August 18th. I had barely slept at all because I was just too excited. We got through security super fast. As Pete and I started taking off our belts and shoes and taking out liquids, security told us we didn't have to do any of that and basically just waved everyone through. I was like wow! Times are changing! We headed to fresh city and I got a yogurt and a smoothie which turned out to be some sort of brutal mistake. As soon as they started to call boarding for our flight, my breakfast decided it no longer wanted anything to do with me. I made it on the plane ok and was able to use my first Airsickness Bag for what I'm assuming was just "Way too excited to going home" sickness.

I fell asleep immediately on the plane and we landed and got right on the Magical Express. Let it be known that I am a CRIER. I cry a lot, especially when it comes to Disney, because it just makes me so happy. Getting on the Magical Express was no exception. As soon as the movie started, so did my tears, which Pete was happy to document

We arrived at All Star Music around 11:30 and our room was ready, so we dropped off all our stuff and beelined it to HS. Neither of us had ever been on TSMM before and luckily we were still able to snag a couple of fp's for it when we got to the park! They were for much later in the day, but I was happy to have been able to get a FP at all. We hopped on The Great Movie ride and then both realized we were pretty hungry, especially since all the breakfast I had tried to eat was not in agreement with me! We didn't have and ADR's for our first day, but I really wanted to try 50's Prime Time. We stopped in and they told us the wait was about 20 minutes, which we were more than happy to wait.

I honestly could of waited for a long time. The waiting area is so cute and I absolutely adore the theming of this place. We ended up being seated soon after checking in and had such a good meal. I am gluten free and just have a sensitive stomach in general and had heard they had great GF options here, which they definitely did. Pete got a full sampler which he loved (and looked so good)

and I got GF chicken pot pie, which I was over the moon for.

I HAVEN'T HAD CHICKEN POT PIE IN SO LONG. I could of hugged the chef when he came out and told me that was one of the options.
Normally, after such a hefty meal, I would totally need a nap, but my Disney adrenaline was surging and I could of ran a marathon. We loved 50's Prime Time, but for the amount and type of food that it was, it may be a better dinner option.

Last year we didn't do many rides at HS, so it was really nice to actually get to explore and go on all the rides and meet characters.

I was so so so excited to meet Sorcerer Mickey and actually did not cry, which Pete and I were both impressed by

We ended up spending a lot of time in the Animation building. The drawings are all so neat. Disney scenery is just so incredible and it was really cool to look at everything they had there.

We also spent a lot of time in One Man's Dream. I love Walt's story and it was such a neat little exhibit of Disney's past and future.

It had been a couple hours since we had grabbed our TSMM FP, so we went a snagged one for RnRC, as it was the only other ride at HS that day with waits we were unwilling to put up with.

I had hoped to possibly catch Characterpolooza, but I guess it's supposed to a secret? I asked a couple CM's if the storm clouds looming around would hinder it and they either had never heard of it or tried to play coy.

It started to rain a bit, so we headed to the Backlot Tour. We thought it was cute and we loved the prop room. I was so excited to see Mr. Tumnus!! My left arm is all illustrations from the Chronicles of Narnia and Mr Tumnus is right at the top!

Up next, our first night turns into a very soggy one!​

 

[Disneylover99]

I'm loving your report and I remember that rainy night well. We were also at HS on the 18th. We were waiting for Fantasmic when the rain hit!

 

[kayemgi]

Following along! We are staying at ASMu too, I would love to hear more about it. And would you share a photo of your sleeve? I would love to see it, it sounds awesome! I love the Chronicles of Narnia too.

 

[maddiebee]

Following along! We are staying at ASMu too, I would love to hear more about it. And would you share a photo of your sleeve? I would love to see it, it sounds awesome! I love the Chronicles of Narnia too.

We honestly spent very little time at the resort, but we did think it was super cute! This was the first time we stayed on site and we weren't sure what to expect but everything was nice enough and went smoothly. I loved the theming and how colorful and fun everything was. One thing that we did think was kind of weird, was how quiet everything was, in the sense that most areas didn't have any music playing. Later on we realized that some areas had music that related to the theme of that area, but it seemed a little erie to be somewhere at disney with no music, especially a resort themed around it! It also would be nice to have some coverings at the bus stops, but ultimately we never ended up waiting too long! I think we only shared buses with one of the other All-Stars once!
We only ate at the food court once, but I was able to get gluten free Mickey waffles easily and quickly. They were great and I think Pete got Eggs and bacon and seemed happy enough with them.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions about the resort!

And this is probably the clearest photo I have of my arm:

 

[kayemgi]

We honestly spent very little time at the resort, but we did think it was super cute! This was the first time we stayed on site and we weren't sure what to expect but everything was nice enough and went smoothly. I loved the theming and how colorful and fun everything was. One thing that we did think was kind of weird, was how quiet everything was, in the sense that most areas didn't have any music playing. Later on we realized that some areas had music that related to the theme of that area, but it seemed a little erie to be somewhere at disney with no music, especially a resort themed around it! It also would be nice to have some coverings at the bus stops, but ultimately we never ended up waiting too long! I think we only shared buses with one of the other All-Stars once!
We only ate at the food court once, but I was able to get gluten free Mickey waffles easily and quickly. They were great and I think Pete got Eggs and bacon and seemed happy enough with them.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions about the resort

Awesome, that's good to hear. We don't spend much time in the resort either, we are big time park people, but it's good to know that it was a good experience for you. Last time we did Disney we stayed at CBR and I felt like it was a waste of money because we were barely there! So we went with a value this time.

LOVE your tattoo, especially the little I can see of what must be the Dawn Treader and little Reepicheep! He's one of my favorites. Those books are such a part of my childhood, and I still re-read them as an adult every few years. It's nice to see another fan!

 

[maddiebee]

Awesome, that's good to hear. We don't spend much time in the resort either, we are big time park people, but it's good to know that it was a good experience for you. Last time we did Disney we stayed at CBR and I felt like it was a waste of money because we were barely there! So we went with a value this time.

LOVE your tattoo, especially the little I can see of what must be the Dawn Treader and little Reepicheep! He's one of my favorites. Those books are such a part of my childhood, and I still re-read them as an adult every few years. It's nice to see another fan!

I feel the same way. BF and I spent some time exploring other resorts and we would like to stay somewhere nicer next year, but I'm still wondering if it's totally worth it. I honestly feel like the all-stars "feel" a lot more Disney because they are so colorful and fun and I'd much rather be in the parks all day. BF would rather have a lot more time at the pool, though. So, we'll see!

And thanks! Narnia has always been very special to me

 

[OhMari]

Hi,
I have you moved.
I have a really sensitive stomach too.
I didn't have an ADR and tried 50 Prime Time and got in by myself.
I heard the Chicken Pot Pie was gluten free and I loved it and I love not being sick after I eat.
I also brought in my IPad, since I was solo and my waitress didn't say a word about it and I gave her an extra big tip for being nice to me. She caught me outside and gave me a hug and told me to have a better day.

Looking forward to the rest of your TR.

 

[maddiebee]

Hi,
I have you moved.
I have a really sensitive stomach too.
I didn't have an ADR and tried 50 Prime Time and got in by myself.
I heard the Chicken Pot Pie was gluten free and I loved it and I love not being sick after I eat.
I also brought in my IPad, since I was solo and my waitress didn't say a word about it and I gave her an extra big tip for being nice to me. She caught me outside and gave me a hug and told me to have a better day.

Looking forward to the rest of your TR.

Thanks!! We really really loved prime time and talked about it our whole trip! Being at Disney with a sensitive stomach was so easy too. Everyone was so accommodating, which I will discuss more!

 

[wiigirl]

Following along!

 

[danjoan14]

Loving your report. We were they the same time that you were. I feel your emotions about Disney. I'll tell you that it was really tough to come home. I'm still depressed about not being at the Magic. It's just a weird kind of feeling!

 

[FlaNani]

Following along from Team August. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[JessM]

Following!

I love reading about other young couples going to Disney, can't wait to read more!

 

[maddiebee]

The rain was starting to pick up as we headed over to use our TSMM FPs. I wanted to get there as early as we could, in hopes that we would be able to catch the first Fantasmic! showing afterward. As we were on our way over I saw a few custodians and asked them if they still thought the first Fantastic! would be on and they told me it had been cancelled but maybe the later show would happen.
We have never seen Fantstimic! and I really was excited to see it! I was happy to wait around for the second show.
When we got out of TSMM (which Pete just barely beat me at. Pfft) it was still raining and pretty steadily, so we ducked into ABC Commisary to grab a bite to eat while we waited. I haven't heard many great things about it but THEY HAD GLUTEN FREE CHICKEN FINGERS!!!!

These were actually really really good. Not greasy at all and they were HOT. Pete wasn't hungry and didn't end up getting anything, but man, I really enjoyed these chicken fingers.

It was still raining and we had not brought our ponchos with us, so we ran into the nearest shop to kill some more time and get ponchos.
And then the sky opened up.

Sigh. There went all our hopes of catching Fantasmic!. I was really really heartbroken but we figured it would be best to head back to the resort and see if we could catch some EMH at MK. We were tired and soaked but
IT WAS THE LAST NIGHT WE COULD CATCH THE JUNGLE CRUISE!

We were the only ones on the bus from ASMu to MK and got to catch a few minutes of Wishes from the bus! Our bus driver was very sweet and I wish I had remembered his name! I was basically too excited the whole trip to write down any CM's names, which I really wish I had. I just never thought to do it in the moment

Naturally, I cried.

We had a great day at HS but I definitely didn't feel like I was home until we hit MK.

I really really love MK at night.

Up next, SKIPPER DAN!!​

 

[maddiebee]

So, I'm a huge Weird Al fan. For those of you who don't know, he has a song called "Skipper Dan" about being a Jungle Cruise skipper. This, along with the fact that I live for puns and bad jokes, make the Jungle Cruise one of my favorite rides. When I found out it was only going to be open for the first day of our trip (which needed to be a HS day) and being refurbed the rest, Pete looked at me and said "IS IT EVEN WORTH GOING ANY MORE".
So we got to MK and after I got over my being home/castle blubbering, we beelined it for the Jungle Cruise.
As we were getting on, I asked if they actually had a Skipper Dan and all Skippers laughed and said that they actually did.

This was my first night time Jungle Cruise and I definitely thought it made it more interesting! The rain also made it feel more "jungley".
At the end of the ride, they grabbed the real Skipper Dan for me and obliged me with a (sweaty, rained on) photo!

We took a close up of his name to tag to really prove it, but I can't seem to find that.
Anyway...
It was a great night to be at MK. The rain had lightened up a lot at this point and left us with a eerily quiet and empty park. Obviously we figured this would be the perfect time to go on the Haunted Mansion.

Then we did a nice, quiet explore of New Fantasy Land. I can not properly express how neat everything was in the dark AND in the rain. Everything had such a different feel to it.

My, what a guy.

​

They really should sell beer here. The kegs make it incredibly confusing.

Up next, WHAT DO YOU EVEN SAY TO A MERMAID?!​

 

[maddiebee]

After exploring Gaston's Tavern, we saw that the wait for Ariel's Grotto was 5 minutes and I FREAKED. The Little Mermaid was the first movie I ever saw in theaters and one of my favorite movies ever. There was one family infront of us inline and I was so nervous! I'd never done any character meet and greets before and I was starting with my all time fav and oh my god Pete how is my hair what do I say I'm so nervous am I sweating too badly?!

This one with her eyes closed cracks me up. Good work Pete.

Since it had been drizzling, my hair was a total mess and I guess the lighting in there is bad, but Ariel was so sweet. I honestly got so nervous and even though there wasn't anyone in line, I felt like I needed to hurry up so I didn't make her miss another concert or something. Lord knows I didn't want to get in trouble with Sebastian. We went and checked out Pete's Silly Side Show after. There wasn't much going on, but Pete enjoyed it

Then we went on Space because duh.

My best friend and I always talk about how Lincoln was "the hottest prez" and I was so excited to learn that he was Walt's favorite too! He was everywhere!

As we slowly made our way out of the park, the Kiss Goodnight started and obviously I lost it. It was so wonderful to see. I had heard about it really early on in my Disboard research and honestly had kind of forgotten about it and then the Castle started to twinkle and the voice over played. If I need a good cry, I playback the video on my phone. What a absolutely perfect way to end our first day. ​