All You Need is The Force, Trust and Pixie Dust! A May 2014 TR -- Updated 11/20

[Missyrose]

Wow, what a great first morning. We are staying at BWV for the first time in September and your photos make it look all the better. Plus the quick trip to Epcot, seriously cannot wait. We also swear by guest services at Epcot after only good experiences there and less than stellar at MK and AK.

BTW the photo of the frontier airplane just reminded me they are starting direct service from Dulles to orlando. Not sure if you are closer to there or national, but we are and sadly united has been our only option as of late. Just booked frontier tickets for September and it was only 175 round trip.

You will LOVE BWV. It is such a fantastic resort. There's so much to explore and enjoy. I saw those super cheap Frontier fares when they announced the new routes to and from Dulles, I'm glad you snagged one!

Hahaha, see your sentiment on taking pictures is exactly like mine. I'm so guilty of taking pictures and walking. I can't guarantee they're pretty, but hey! You can see where I went.

Yay Boardwalk! We really loved staying there this time. I've been fortunate enough to stay there four times, but it was a first for the P's.

Nice! Our villa was ready too. Boardwalk Villas were on it!

I wouldn't wait four hours for anything in Disney either. I mean, I'm a hardcore Disney fan but man.

Walking and taking pictures is a necessary evil at Disney. Too much to do to stop and take pictures of everything!

You guys seemed to love Boardwalk, I can't believe this was your parents' first time staying there!

Yay...another Missy & Franklin TR! I just found your TRs and FB page a couple of months ago, and have really enjoyed reading every last word! (and of course, viewing every last photo)
DH and I have a trip scheduled for November. Staying at the BWI. And for the first time, flying instead of the usual 15 hour or so drive! Question, what is the faux-norail? LOL

Thanks for reading! When in November are you going? You'll add so much more play time to your trip by flying!

Oh, and faux-norail is the monorail-like shuttle that takes you from the A and B terminals to the main terminal at Orlando's airport.

Following along from Facebook

Your pictures aren't bad, give yourself some credit I enjoyed all of them. Someday I need to stay over in the Boardwalk, it's soooo beautiful.

I agree with your assessment of the faces being cute and creepy

PP is a great first ride to do in MK, no doubt. And the Castle makes everyone happy. So does funnel cake.

The castle DOES make everyone happy! Funnel cake too! So looking at the castle while eating funnel cake is basically heaven. Thanks for the compliments on the photos!

What a wonderful way to start the trip! DVC jackpot indeed! Love it!

And you look so happy and gleeful in every picture!

Can't wait for more!

It really was a pixie-dusted way to start the trip! I'm pretty much always that happy while at Disney, except for the occasional meltdown, of course.

Joining in! Your TR title drew me in because I am a big Star Wars fan (if my username hadn't given that away already), but I haven't had a chance to go to SWW since 2005.

Thanks for joining in! We're pretty big Star Wars fans too, I think you're going to like what we have coming up later in the trip.

I think your pictures are pretty darn good! Did you take one of Franklin's DSLRs?

BY the way I waited for Anna and Elsa for 4 hours at Epcot in march! Not my idea.. luckily we took turns waiting so it wasn't too bad. I can't believe I waited that long!!! Never again!

Nope, no DSLR for me. Just the Sony HX9V point and shoot. I bow down to you for waiting that long for A&E. Seriously, I couldn't do it.

Besides the PP attraction pictures, I think all your photos turned out very nice!

Thanks!

I'm here! Subscribing!!

Welcome aboard Renee!

It's kind of funny that Howard and I both reading the start of this TR separately on our own computers at this exact moment, haha. I think Disney would be the ONLY place I'd be okay going by myself at first because of Magical Express and all that. There's really no need to worry about getting around with the way Disney takes care of everything.

You still take really nice pictures! I like seeing the world through a solo adventurer!

Franklin and I end up doing that all the time. I'll go to show him something on the Dis and he's already reading it, or vice versa!

Disney really does make it so easy to do everything solo. And I had the best bus karma I'd ever had! I never waited more than a few minutes for a bus!

Your pictures are good! Nice job!

You'll be covering World Cup Soccer at work? I'm so sorry...

Believe it or not, I had no trouble finding the Anna and Elsa barbie sized dolls shortly before Christmas to give as gifts. I must have just hit it right as I've heard so many complain about the lack of Frozen merchandise.

You look so happy! Married life must be agreeing with you!

I'll be focused on the World Cup live blog at work. So basically I'm signing my life over to soccer for a month. I really wished I liked soccer more. But it is a fun tournament, so hopefully we can have some fun with the blog.

You really lucked out finding Frozen merchandise!

Thanks! Married life definitely agrees with me (and Franklin!)

I'm in! A little late but I'm in.
Loving the Disney selfies!

Yay! Glad to see you Wendy! The selfies were pretty fun!

Great morning!! Amazing how you can be boarding a plane in one moment, and walking towards Cinderella's castle the next!

Your Boardwalk view is gorgeous -- literally perfect!!

And, your photos are great! I like the F&G photos...I'd love to visit Epcot during that festival sometime!

Our cruise was wonderful....I plan on starting a report VERY soon! And, would love a DC DISmeet I'd actually love to hear about your DVC experience...we visit enough now that I am beginning to wonder about it...

I can't wait to hear about your cruise, let me know when you start the TR! Flower and Garden makes Epcot even prettier than it usually is! The topiaries are so much fun.

Message me on FB and we can chat DVC! I did a ridiculous amount of research before we bought in a few years ago. We've bought two contracts resale and another two directly through Disney.

Brilliant start and hey I'm very impressed with the pics so far You can tell that gorgeous smile of yours just comes from the heart
Our first day traditions generally involve trying to stay awake so that we recover from jet-lag asap. I'm one of those freaks that cant properly start my hols unless I've unpacked So I normally do that with the others helping until they either get bored or get in my road (patience is a virtue I may lack after 9 hour flight ) at which point hubby takes kids to pool and I join them as soon as I'm done. This last 2 years we've had QS at the pool before that we were the family who had children sleeping with their heads on the table at 7pm (midnight our time). We are ALWAYS up before the sun on our first day and MK is always the first park we hit unless we are heading to the darkside for a day sssshhhh!!

Thank you!! I can't even imagine being functional at Disney with that kind of travel time and time difference! I like the idea of a chill arrival day. It was something I was toying with for the first day of our August trip. Then Disney went and announced a Villains party for that night. So much for a laid-back arrival day!

I am thoroughly enjoying your report. I've read another of your report and have to say your husband takes fantastic pictures but yours are oretty decent. Keep up the good work. I'll be reading.

Thanks for joining us! We have LOTS of fun ahead!

This is such a fun trip report already! I also think you were being too hard on yourself about the photos -- I think they are great so far and I'm really enjoying the selfies, too! They're just so much fun and capture a feeling in a moment! Also... I feel ya about the boardwalk resorts... love the others but love love love those ones! And yum... funnel cake... I want some right now!

Thanks! I could use some funnel cake right about now.

joining in

So excited for your trip report. I was following on your facebook page and looking to hear all about your trip. I haven't been to WDW since 2003 and we are going the day after thanksgiving this year and I can't wait. I'm hoping my fiancee loves it as much as I do so that we can keep going back! Love your pictures they are great! Look forward to seeing Franklin's also!

Thanks for joining in here and on Facebook! Where are you staying in November? Got anything special planned for that trip?

EEK I cannot imagine waiting 4 hours to meet a princess especially with children! Right now I am super happy to have been blessed with boys who could care less. I think I am pretty spoiled that generally I won't wait more then 30-40mins for anything at WDW and for that it would have to be good...like TSM on our last trip! Love the report so far!

I'm with you, if I see a long line, I'm out. Though TSM is pretty worth the wait.

I LOVE your necklace! It's beautiful!

I don't love the new DME video either. I miss the videos of kids getting surprised with trips, and the Disney characters checking in. I did like the interviews with CMs though!

Psh, you don't give yourself enough credit, those resort photos are gorgeous!

We try to go to Downtown Disney on our first day. When we went in August we walked in and Part of Your World was playing. It was a moment of pure Disney magic. Plus we get to start our trip with snacks, shopping, and pin trading

Thanks! I got the necklace custom made from this Etsy shop. The CM interviews are pretty good in the new DME video, but it just wasn't nearly as magical as the old one.

I like the idea of Downtown Disney on the first day! Though my wallet may not love it. Letting me loose in World of Disney with all that pretrip Disney excitement coursing through me is a recipe for shopping overload!

What a great start to your trip! I am loving all the Selfies! The Boardwalk looks so classy. And what a view!!

Funnel cake without powdered sugar? Certainly less messy!

I know, I know, I'm totally weird for not liking powdered sugar on my funnel cake. Franklin likes to tell me that every time we order one.

Yay! Joining in as I love your TR's! They make me feel like I am right there with you! Franklin's photos sure help with that too . Only 3 1/2 months until our trip with the first time at MNSSHP/F&W. Can't wait!

Thanks! You will LOVE F&W and MNSSHP. It is the best time of year to go to Disney. Let me know if you have any questions, we've become experts at fall trips.

Following along!

My partner (now husband!) and I were at Disney just a few days before you. It was our first stay at the Boardwalk to celebrate our wedding. (We're calling it a minimoon rather than a honeymoon since we're taking a longer honeymoon trip to DLR and Hawaii in the fall.)

I read all of your other trip reports in the weeks leading up to our May trip. So excited you've got another one started!

My husband doesn't get much time off from work, so we generally fly down late in the evening so we can get in as much Disney time as possible. On both of our trips together so far, our first park has been AK the morning after arrival. Other than that no arrival traditions...just feeling overjoyed to be at the World!

A minimoon, that's a cute way to describe it! Are you staying at Aulani in Hawaii?

Thanks for joining us on this TR (and the other ones!)

AK first? That park is a beautiful way to start a trip!

Duh! I’m in!!

Also…#derp to me for seeing ya’ll more than once and not getting any pictures together….

I cannot believe we both forgot to take pictures! Next time, Villains party?

Ugh, have to agree about the new dme video! It just sucks lol! Thankfully the cartoons are still great! Lol.

WOW what a beautiful view and villa!! That’s way prettier than I thought it was lol….I’ll have to look into staying at the BW now bahaha!

BW is definitely worth a stay, it is beautiful!

Love the updates so far!! Strolling over to WS for lunch is seriously amazing!! Ah Epcot, the summer is great to you! Love it! Oh, but that castle…love it MORE lol!!

Ahahahahaha 4 hours no thank you…. WHAT?! ELSA DOLLS!! We saw the shirts & all the Anna stuff but nothing Elsa! In preparation for moving I ended up selling all the Frozen merch I had and seriously, I sold that Elsa animator doll for $90….probably could’ve gotten more for it…

I seriously thought about buying my five dolls to sell to help pay for the rest of the trip!

Awe man, was totally hoping for some Fof photos!! Definitely listening to it right now! Lol!

Hm…arrival day traditions? Think it all depends who I’m with lol! I usually like to have a character meal to really get into it, but if it’s just Steven & I since we’re AP’s we’ll head straight into MK because dang that Electrical parade just calls to us!

Festival of Fantasy is coming up next, thanks for the tip about the YouTube video. I'm listening to it now as I work on the next chapter!

The APs do make it so easy to just pop into whatever park you want, even if it's just for a little bit. Kinda like I did with Epcot for lunch!

I'm here, I'm here!!! My first time to DIS all week, so I had to make sure I stopped in on your new TR. I love all of the selfies, so fun when you have a bit of solo time in the parks!

Yay!!! So glad you're here Kristy! The solo time was a ton of fun!

What a gorgeous day! I love the view from your room Looks like you got a lot accomplished in your first half of your day.
I'll be taking a plane to Orlando in July and this will be my first time riding with Jet Blue. I'm glad it gets a thumbs up from you because I was kind of nervous about flying. It's been a really long time!

JetBlue is awesome! It's our favorite airline to fly. Your trip is coming up so soon!
​

 

[PrincessCathy]

Thanks for reading! When in November are you going? You'll add so much more play time to your trip by flying!

Oh, and faux-norail is the monorail-like shuttle that takes you from the A and B terminals to the main terminal at Orlando's airport.

​

Arriving November 15th, departing November 22nd. I'm so excited! And yes, flying instead of driving will make a big difference in our play time! We do have to drive about 3 hours to the airport we're flying out of, but that's not a biggie. From there, it's a direct flight, just under 2 hours!

I tried to make our ADRs at opening time on the 180th day, but couldn't get it to work. So I had to wait and try that evening after work. I was able to get most of what I wanted, the exception being the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party. We are trying 'Ohana (dinner) for the first time, thanks to your TRs! And breakfast at Crystal Palace, prior to park opening time.

I have another question, please. I know you've mentioned your "ears" headband before, but I can't remember if you said where you bought the ears and the extra bows. (?) Is it from someone that sells them online? They are so cute!

Can't wait to read more about your latest trip!
Cathy

 

[Zentra]

"Thanks for joining in here and on Facebook! Where are you staying in November? Got anything special planned for that trip?"

We leave the Saturday after Thanksgiving and go to the following Saturday on the 6th. We will be staying at Port Orleans Riverside. On Tuesday the 2nd we are attending Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. My fiancee and I both love Christmas and decorations so we figured this would be a great time to go. But due to him working as an Assistant Meat Market Manager at a Grocery Store we can't really go closer to Christmas and so the week right after Thanksgiving is a slower time during the holidays for him.

I have already been able to do our dining reservations and was lucky to get a BOG dinner and O'hanas dinner confirmed. Looking forward to those two.

Also want to say a big thank you to Franklin who through reading your trip reports and looking at his photos, I read he used Lightroom. My Fiancee's favorite pastime is taking scenery pictures and so I mentioned this to him and he got it and is using it. It does make the beautiful pictures stand out even more with a little digital magic of Lightroom! He has a Nikon D3000 that he bought a couple of years ago. I'd love to share his flickr account with you and Franklin if he is interested in seeing some of his shots. I'd love to have an unbiased opinion how good I think he is LOL. Let me know and i'll message you the link.

Ok enough about my trip, looking forward to more of yours, Including SWW as we are also Star Wars fans.

Oh and one more silly question....How do you pull a single quote from that whole long list!...I couldn't figure it out other than my silly cute and paste

 

[bama belle]

I'm joining in! Just got back from a wonderful week at Bay Lake Tower! Now, off to start reading....

 

[marDgreen88]

Joining!

 

[jessibelle]

Joining!

Been waiting for this TR as I was on my Disneymoon when you were on this trip. Judging by Instagram we were like 30 mins ahead of you in each park hahaha. So when we got a fluke of a last minute FP+ for Anna and Elsa (which I could not pass up) the queue was at 300 minutes!! I spoke to a family in line and they said it was true, it really was THAT long.

Boardwalk villas are stunning and I can only hope to stay there at some point. We're now saving to buy into DVC on our next trip.

Can't wait to see what else you got up to

 

[sunfun94]

Pics look good to go Missy! Seeing the pic of your awesome pixie dust induced "its only 10am!!" room only makes me more excited for our big family trip that isn't until next year! Lol! Being alone in The World, wow I would prob spend a ton more time in WS than my DD allow on recent trips!
Going back to the dolls, I thought I had read somewhere that the parks had put a limit in the purchase of frozen merch? Did you see any signing for this anywhere on your adventures?
Our normal tradition is DTD and some Earl of Sandwhich! Because of school we normally take the late afternoon flight and get in for dinner...

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Ceryssa]

I'm here! Saw parts of it on FB but looking forward to the whole report! I don't think I've ever read a TR about SWW before so I'm really excited about that!

Love the idea of being able to walk to Epcot...a stay at one of those resorts is definitely in my future! Thanks for giving me something to read to hold me over til November!

 

[Hardheadedwoman]

I'm so happy (jealous?) you go to Disney so much because I love your reviews!

Following along!
Lissette

 

[happenin2you]

The cartoons on DME were still great…

… but I am not a fan of the new DME video. It’s too clinical and feels like one giant ad. I know the old video was meant to sell Disney’s stuff as much as this one, but it never felt that way. This one lacks all the fun and whimsy that made the old video a must-see.

I agree. This was our first time back since 2010, so I don't really remember the previous video very well, but I was very excited to see it, and very let down with the new video...

First stop was Caribbean Beach Resort! It’s so pretty and pastel.

The next stop was mine, time to go home to Boardwalk!

For those of you that don’t know, the Village Green is the courtyard between the regular resort building and the DVC building. It’s technically pool/garden view, but all the studios in that area have this awesome partial Boardwalk view.

Hello Spaceship Earth!

I didn't know about Village Green, but that's what we got, too! We must have been three or four rooms closer to the lobby from where you were.

Once they got there, I put everything away and decided it was time to venture out for lunch! When you’re staying at Boardwalk, there’s really only one way to start the trip. A lovely stroll to the World Showcase.

That's what we did after checking out our room.

The Flower and Garden Festival had just ended, but lots of the topiaries were still up. I still feel like the added faces to the princess topiaries are two parts cute, one part creepy.

I didn't feel like any of the princess topiaries looked nearly as nice as the rest.


But before we go, do any of you have any arrival traditions? I almost always find a way to get to MK on arrival day because the trip doesn't really feel like it's started until I've seen the castle!​

My husband and I don't really have any first day traditions. The last two trips, we made sure to get to MK on the first day, but this time we came in on the last day of F&G and wanted to see as much of that as we could before it was over. I think in the future, our first day will be relaxing at the pool, a cocktail, and renting a movie from CH.

 

[Missyrose]

Arriving November 15th, departing November 22nd. I'm so excited! And yes, flying instead of driving will make a big difference in our play time! We do have to drive about 3 hours to the airport we're flying out of, but that's not a biggie. From there, it's a direct flight, just under 2 hours!

Anytime you get more Disney time, it's ALWAYS a good thing!

I tried to make our ADRs at opening time on the 180th day, but couldn't get it to work. So I had to wait and try that evening after work. I was able to get most of what I wanted, the exception being the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party. We are trying 'Ohana (dinner) for the first time, thanks to your TRs! And breakfast at Crystal Palace, prior to park opening time.

Excellent picks! Keep trying for the dessert party, you never know when that might open up. Funny story about 'Ohana. While planning our December trip, we couldn't decide between eating at 'Ohana early in the trip or on our last night, so we decided to eat dinner there twice on that trip!

I have another question, please. I know you've mentioned your "ears" headband before, but I can't remember if you said where you bought the ears and the extra bows. (?) Is it from someone that sells them online? They are so cute!

Can't wait to read more about your latest trip!
Cathy

Hayley made the ears and all the bows, here's her shop: Magical Ribbons. Franklin keeps laughing at me because I keep having to buy bigger boxes for my Disney bow collection. But all her stuff is so cute, I just can't help it!

"Thanks for joining in here and on Facebook! Where are you staying in November? Got anything special planned for that trip?"

We leave the Saturday after Thanksgiving and go to the following Saturday on the 6th. We will be staying at Port Orleans Riverside. On Tuesday the 2nd we are attending Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. My fiancee and I both love Christmas and decorations so we figured this would be a great time to go. But due to him working as an Assistant Meat Market Manager at a Grocery Store we can't really go closer to Christmas and so the week right after Thanksgiving is a slower time during the holidays for him.

I have already been able to do our dining reservations and was lucky to get a BOG dinner and O'hanas dinner confirmed. Looking forward to those two.

Also want to say a big thank you to Franklin who through reading your trip reports and looking at his photos, I read he used Lightroom. My Fiancee's favorite pastime is taking scenery pictures and so I mentioned this to him and he got it and is using it. It does make the beautiful pictures stand out even more with a little digital magic of Lightroom! He has a Nikon D3000 that he bought a couple of years ago. I'd love to share his flickr account with you and Franklin if he is interested in seeing some of his shots. I'd love to have an unbiased opinion how good I think he is LOL. Let me know and i'll message you the link.

Ok enough about my trip, looking forward to more of yours, Including SWW as we are also Star Wars fans.

Oh and one more silly question....How do you pull a single quote from that whole long list!...I couldn't figure it out other than my silly cute and paste

Sounds like you have an awesome trip planned! You leave the day we get to the World (Dec. 6). We cannot wait to try MVMCP for the first time!

I'm so glad the Lightroom worked for you guys! Please send us the link to the photos!

To quote, hit the quote button at the bottom of the page, then edit the quoted part down to the phrase you want.

I'm joining in! Just got back from a wonderful week at Bay Lake Tower! Now, off to start reading....

Thanks for joining! A week at BLT, sounds like heaven! I booked a birthday trip at BLT for next April while I was on this May trip!

Joining!

Hi Marissa!

Joining!

Been waiting for this TR as I was on my Disneymoon when you were on this trip. Judging by Instagram we were like 30 mins ahead of you in each park hahaha. So when we got a fluke of a last minute FP+ for Anna and Elsa (which I could not pass up) the queue was at 300 minutes!! I spoke to a family in line and they said it was true, it really was THAT long.

Boardwalk villas are stunning and I can only hope to stay there at some point. We're now saving to buy into DVC on our next trip.

Can't wait to see what else you got up to

Congrats on the wedding! That's so funny that we basically took the same trip. BWV is amazing, I don't even think the pictures always do it justice. Let me know if you have any DVC questions!

Pics look good to go Missy! Seeing the pic of your awesome pixie dust induced "its only 10am!!" room only makes me more excited for our big family trip that isn't until next year! Lol! Being alone in The World, wow I would prob spend a ton more time in WS than my DD allow on recent trips!
Going back to the dolls, I thought I had read somewhere that the parks had put a limit in the purchase of frozen merch? Did you see any signing for this anywhere on your adventures?
Our normal tradition is DTD and some Earl of Sandwhich! Because of school we normally take the late afternoon flight and get in for dinner...

Can't wait to read more!

Thanks! Being solo in the parks was really fun, so worth it!

There were signs EVERYWHERE about the Frozen limits on merchandise. But the limits didn't seem to keep the merchandise in the stores any longer.

I like your EOS tradition, those sandwiches are so yummy!

I'm here! Saw parts of it on FB but looking forward to the whole report! I don't think I've ever read a TR about SWW before so I'm really excited about that!

Love the idea of being able to walk to Epcot...a stay at one of those resorts is definitely in my future! Thanks for giving me something to read to hold me over til November!

I haven't written a SWW TR before, so we're both in for some fun with this one. Being able to walk to Epcot is the ultimate Disney luxury to me. Walking to DHS is a bit longer, but still totally doable too.

I'm so happy (jealous?) you go to Disney so much because I love your reviews!

Following along!
Lissette

Awww thanks! Glad to have you following along.

My husband and I don't really have any first day traditions. The last two trips, we made sure to get to MK on the first day, but this time we came in on the last day of F&G and wanted to see as much of that as we could before it was over. I think in the future, our first day will be relaxing at the pool, a cocktail, and renting a movie from CH.

We loved the location of this villa, I'm now requesting "near the elevators" for every BWV visit from now on. It was so nice to be able to get from the room to the pool or Boardwalk in less than a minute!

I just wish Disney would add some more color to the princess topiaries, especially their dresses!

Oooooh, the pool, cocktail and a movie sound like a delightful arrival-day plan, might have to try that one time.

​

 

[Pixel Dust]

"Thanks for joining in here and on Facebook! Where are you staying in November? Got anything special planned for that trip?"

We leave the Saturday after Thanksgiving and go to the following Saturday on the 6th. We will be staying at Port Orleans Riverside. On Tuesday the 2nd we are attending Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. My fiancee and I both love Christmas and decorations so we figured this would be a great time to go. But due to him working as an Assistant Meat Market Manager at a Grocery Store we can't really go closer to Christmas and so the week right after Thanksgiving is a slower time during the holidays for him.

I have already been able to do our dining reservations and was lucky to get a BOG dinner and O'hanas dinner confirmed. Looking forward to those two.

Also want to say a big thank you to Franklin who through reading your trip reports and looking at his photos, I read he used Lightroom. My Fiancee's favorite pastime is taking scenery pictures and so I mentioned this to him and he got it and is using it. It does make the beautiful pictures stand out even more with a little digital magic of Lightroom! He has a Nikon D3000 that he bought a couple of years ago. I'd love to share his flickr account with you and Franklin if he is interested in seeing some of his shots. I'd love to have an unbiased opinion how good I think he is LOL. Let me know and i'll message you the link.

Ok enough about my trip, looking forward to more of yours, Including SWW as we are also Star Wars fans.

Oh and one more silly question....How do you pull a single quote from that whole long list!...I couldn't figure it out other than my silly cute and paste

You're welcome! Lightroom can do wonders for a photo. His photos on Flickr look amazing! Also, the technique he's using for the waterfalls is the same for firework photos. Tell him to keep up the good work. Thanks again, for following us!​

 

[natebenma]

No apologies needed for your photos, they are great! I especially love your selfies. You look SO happy!

Loved your start in Japan, and the monorail and Peter Pan, of course!

Hello Spaceship Earth!

My view to the left.

Great Ball of Communication- Those are some stunning views!

But before we go, do any of you have any arrival traditions? I almost always find a way to get to MK on arrival day because the trip doesn't really feel like it's started until I've seen the castle!

Our tradition is to go to MK, and see the castle first, even though it would be much easier to go to EP after checking in to the Beach Club.

And the funny thing is, it is the boys who insist on MK first!

It just recently occurred to me that this will be the first summer since 2008 that I won't see Cindy's castle. We'll see the sister castle in DL in about 3 weeks, and I will be at the World in a couple of months for the BC/YC FAQ meet, but I won't have park tickets for the day I am there. First world problems, I know, but it made me sad when I realized this!

 

[Missyrose]

No apologies needed for your photos, they are great! I especially love your selfies. You look SO happy!

Loved your start in Japan, and the monorail and Peter Pan, of course!



Great Ball of Communication- Those are some stunning views!

Our tradition is to go to MK, and see the castle first, even though it would be much easier to go to EP after checking in to the Beach Club.

And the funny thing is, it is the boys who insist on MK first!

It just recently occurred to me that this will be the first summer since 2008 that I won't see Cindy's castle. We'll see the sister castle in DL in about 3 weeks, and I will be at the World in a couple of months for the BC/YC FAQ meet, but I won't have park tickets for the day I am there. First world problems, I know, but it made me sad when I realized this!

I totally lucked out with those views, it was a truly incredible villa! That's so funny that your go-go-go boys are the ones who demand to see the castle first on each trip! That's adorable.

I think you should plan a quick trip to Contemporary while you're at Disney in August, so you can at least see the castle on the trip.​

 

[Missyrose]

Welcome back friends! We last left off with me enjoying a funnel cake before it was time to use my FP+ reservation for the Festival of Fantasy parade. It was my first time seeing the new parade, so I staked out a spot in the FP+ area pretty early, right around 2:35. For those who may not know, the roped-off area for FP+ is at the top of the hub (facing the castle).

But enough preamble, it’s time for a parade!

​

 

[Missyrose]

It was a fan-freaking-tastic parade. The music is great, the floats are spectacular and the costumes are beautiful. There is attention to detail in FoF that is just unmatched in any other Disney parade. I will say the only downside to the FP+ spot is how unshaded and brutally hot it is in the sun. I went directly to Casey’s for a refreshing drink and a cool spot to look through my parade photos. I also took a quick second to tweet:

Festival of Fantasy was spectacular. But, man, was that FP+ spot brutal in the sun!

It was about 4:00 and it was hot, really freaking hot. So I decided to make my way to the Poly, where I had a 5:15 ADR at ‘Ohana. I figured I could hang out at Tambu Lounge for a while, where it would be nice and air conditioned. Luckily I left when I did, because I ran into serious monorail issues. First, the resort monorail sitting at the Magic Kingdom station was “down for maintenance.” Then once another monorail came, we did the “holding for clearance” dance before each station.

All the waiting meant I got to my ADR just in the nick of time. Since it was an early ADR time, I was seated almost immediately after I checked in.

Now, I know people may think ‘Ohana is kind of a weird place to eat solo, but it was actually a lot of fun. There were lots of “cousins” to talk to and I even got a private serenade.

But we all know, ‘Ohana is all about the food. The wings, potstickers and noodles were amazing, as usual.

The pork and steak were delicious, I didn’t even miss the chicken!

And, well, there’s really no way to describe the bread pudding other than simply perfect!

Completely full and happy after yet another fabulous ‘Ohana meal, I headed back to Magic Kingdom -- I still had a FP+ reservation to use!

It was a date with Buzz to take down the evil Emperor Zurg!

Apparently my rivalry with Franklin really does motivate me in this game, because I did horrifically without him.

​

 

[Missyrose]

Since I was already in the neighborhood, I hopped on my favorite Tomorrowland attraction: The PeopleMover!

I had my own car…

… so was it any surprise that the cast member let me stay on for a second ride?

This time, the lights were on in Space Mountain!

I had been Twitter messaging back and forth with Len from Touring Plans. He and a few of the guys who help him run the Web site were giving a talk with some students at MK.

He had heard a rumor that Seven Dwarfs Mine Train might be having its first soft opening that night, so he invited me to tag along. I met up with the guys at Columbia Harbor House and we headed for New Fantasyland… where we waited and waited and waited and waited. We chatted amongst ourselves. we talked with CMs -- standing there for more than four hours, hoping they’d let a few folks on the ride. It never happened.

And this is where the running theme of "me standing outside of SDMT" begins to take over my trip. The upside was I got to chat with some really knowledgeable Disney guys and had an absolute blast.

It also gave me a cool vantage point for Wishes that night.

So, all in all, not the most exciting night to write about in a trip report. But it at least came at the end of a very, very full day. By the time I stumbled onto my first Disney bus of the trip, I was beat.

That’s where we’ll end, at the conclusion of the first day of my wonderful trip. But there is still so much fun ahead, including a new meal on Tuesday and my first trip to the spa -- Senses at the Grand Floridian, so stay tuned!​

 

[ElenaJane]

SM with the lights on!!!! That is the goal! Very cool.

I am so glad you got to ride 7DMT. Sounds like you definitely earned it with all that hovering!!

 

[dramadrew]

I love your perspective in your FoF parade photos! I copied your Grand Vilas chandelier from above idea on my last trip. It looks like I may have to borrow some more of your ideas on my next one!

 

[katt789]

Absolutely in LOVE with your FoF pictures!! ALSO! Don't know if I had mentioned in, but when I was reading your last TR and found a picture of a friend in Boo To You, that's the same friend that hangs out with Darth Maul! Bahah.

Back on track: love that parade, SO MUCH, and thanks to knowing the fp+ spot is so in the heat & sun, I've never bothered using a fast pass for it, it just doesn't seem worth it in that cast lol! We all know I burn too easily!

Yay for Ohana, so much delicious food! I've debated going there solo a few times but have never committed to it lol! One day soon I'm sure!

Looks like a pretty awesome evening in MK as well!!