DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM - A Spring 2013 Adventure! *COMPLETE* 11/20

[flyergrad09]

So it's taken me a few days, but I finally caught up on your TR! It sounds like you are having an excellent time, and it's nice to fill in the gaps between your tweets and instagram pics.

That coaster set from Cast Connections is so cute! Also, I love the Mickey/Minnie shirts that you and Preston have!

 

[lovegrumpy]

I can't wait intell the Vera's go on sale.

 

[JessicaFaye508]

March 7th, 2013 (Part 1) - Traveling the World With Duffy!

We had another Epcot morning planned for this day! We had to get on Test Track so we were up and out very early!

We stopped at the pin board on our way out and I found some AWESOME pins to go with my cast member costume mickey collection and an orange monorail. This was only the beginning of our crazy pin-trading day.

We got to the bus stop and the line for Epcot was so long. We then remembered that I had a car and it would just be so much easier if I drove us there. So we hopped in Brooke and she took us to the park!

Matt took our park passes and got us Test Track fastpasses. Karen and Alexander took the monorail over to Magic Kingdom and would meet up with us later.

Preston and I went over to Sunshine Seasons and got ourselves some breakfast! I had a plain bagel and a banana. The bagel was very fresh! I enjoyed it a lot.

Preston and Matt both got the breakfast paninis which they really liked!! I love that we went to Sunshine Seasons 3 times with in 24 hours. We're crazy.

After we ate we went on Living with the Land! For a group of teenagers, we actually REALLY enjoy this ride. I just think its so relaxing and eye appealing. It was a lot of fun to ride through. Also, it was a good preliminary introduction for our dinner at Garden Grill!

Then it was Test Track time! We got to design our car today which was really cool! This was the first time I actually designed it for real. We made an AWESOME car. Seriously, it was so good. It was light blue and had an insanely good power score.

However, when we went on the ride our car didn't even show up on the place charts! LAME! We were so upset because we DEFINITELY would've sweeped the board. It was such an amazing car. Ah well. The good thing is that Preston thought the ride was awesome! He never got to ride old Test Track so this was his first experience on it. He loved it!

Another bro picture:

Then we all decided to travel the world! TO WORLD SHOWCASE WE GO!

We started at the Mexico Pavilion and we went inside. We went on the Gran Fiesta Tour first! Preston thought he completely avoided It's A Small World on this trip (aka his biggest fear) but this ride gave him a little taste of what he was missing! MUAHAHA!

Then we decided we wanted to do the Kidcot Funstops so we could go around the world and get our Duffys stamped! The three of us sat down with the kids and colored our beautiful Duffys! It was so much fun!!

We got our first stamp in Mexico! They also draw a little flag or picture or words on the back of your Duffys now, too! AH it was so cute!

Then we decided to have our lunch! We knew we wanted to eat at the Mexico quick service, La Cantina so we got right in line. We ate inside of La Hacienda so we wouldn't have to deal with Orlando's obnoxious temperature changes.

Preston and I both got the Chicken Tacos and they were AMAZING. Wow, I seriously don't know why I don't eat here all of the time. I was loving life!!

Matt got the beef nachos minus the jalapeños and tomatoes. He was in heaven.

The boys ordered some Mexican soda to drink. It was Mango flavored. Preston loves Mango flavored things so it was right up his alley!

For dessert we all got Churros and WOW they were amazing. Ahhh yum, I absolutely LOVED them!!

Our next stop was NORVAY! We were going to go on the Maelstrom but THE RIDE WAS BROKEN. Clearly the morning rush caused some technical difficulties and we would have to return later.

So what do you do when the Maelstrom is closed? YOU EAT SCHOOL BREAD!!!!!!! And that is what we did! We got two of them to share between the three of us. Matt and Preston both have never eaten school bread and their eyes were opened. Matt was like in love. He said he was only going to have a couple bites and he ended up eating an entire school bread. Mmm I haven't had one in so long but it was super yummy! The custard is definitely my favorite part!

DUFFY IS TRYING TO STEAL MY SCHOOL BREAD!! NO! BAD DUFFY! MINE!!

We also got our stamps in the Norway gift shop. The colder temperatures really dried out my hands so I decided to try that beautiful Norway lotion in the gift shop. IT WAS AMAZING. Its 40 something dollars though or else I would have totally bought a bottle for myself! It makes your hands so soft and it smells so good!!!

China was our next destination! We went to go get our stamps inside of the pavilion. We saw Mulan greeting but here line was REALLY long. So who did we greet instead? NORMAN JUNIOR! I had to introduce Preston to Norman Junior in his live and natural habitat.

I love the Flower and Garden display in China!

DUFFYS IN CHINA! Yes, my boyfriend colored his Duffy purple. No one should be surprised.

Our next stop was Germany! Nothing all too exciting happened there besides us trading pins and getting our stamps for Duffy. Although I did see this guy eating an AMAZING-looking piece of cake. I need to go discover where I can obtain such a beautiful food.

Italy was next, which is my and Matt's home country! YAY ITALIANS! We got our stamps and we also decided to try the dessert at the Flower and Garden booth. It was called the Limoncello Panna Cotta and it was WONDERFUL. The raspberries were some of the best we ever had. If you have the chance to try any of the F&G food booths, I definitely recommend this one!

I posted on twitter:
I haven't tweeted at all today. It's probably because I've been busy traveling around the world.

And also... I've literally been eating ALL day. Epcot loves me

The food booths at the flower and garden festival are kind of the best idea EVER.

Lady and the Tramp are PERFECT.

Our next country was the American Adventure! They have the Toy Story topiaries here again this year!

We got our stamps for Duffy and looked at the little pin trading booth. All of us were running EXTREMELY low on pins. And by that I mean I literally had one left to trade. Matt and I both invested in some pin sets so we would have some more to tide us over for the rest of the day. We were going pin crazy.

I also got THE MOST adorable Lady and the Tramp Flower and Garden Festival pin. Ahhh it was so perfect!! I love how Lady and the Tramp have been featured on so many of the limited edition pins lately! That was one of my childhood movies so I will always have a special place in my heart for them!

Then we went over to Japan and got our Duffys stamped again. One of the cast members made a Lotso out of a Duffy! IT WAS THE CUTEST THING! God, they're so creative!!

We had to go into Mitsukoshi because HELLO, Pokemon! Matt and Preston are BIG Pokemon fans so this was like heaven for them.

They wanted everything.

After browsing the store we went back to American Adventure and Preston grabbed an American Dream. YUM! This was a big hit. It is red slushie, blue slushie, and vanilla ice cream. You can get it at Fire & Drum. We all shared some because it was SO good. The boys did a lot of pin trading here and then we continued on.

Continued in Next Post​

 

[cheekypoppins]

Ohhh I've never seen or heard of the "american dream" before I think that's the perfect alternative for my daughters,because the khaki gori always gets worn more than eaten and when I get my grown up slushie in France they always want a cool treat too.So thanks for including that cause I love that it has a lid YAYYYY ( trust me when it seems boring now,but when you're a parent you'll like lids too lol)

 

[Mariannekay]

Jess, there's a WONDERFUL Black Forest cake available from Sommerfest in Germany...it is sooo yummy! Maybe that's the cake you saw?

 

[JessicaFaye508]

March 7th, 2013 (Part 2) - Traveling Around the World With Duffy!

We went over to Morocco next and did our little sweep of the country.

Then it was off to France! We got our Duffy’s stamped, browsed around the gift shop, and admired all of the desserts from the bakery that we wanted but were too full to have.

Some of my absolute favorite topiaries!

After France we made a slight detour over to the Yacht and Beach Club! I had to show Preston these resorts because they are my FAVORITES. Also, Matt’s family always stays at the Yacht Club so it’s basically his second home.

We pretty much went through both lobbies and gift shops and pin traded while admiring the beauty of my favorite resorts.

I told Preston about Stormalong Bay back when I stayed here in December and he was so excited to see it in person!

YaCHt Club lobby!

I love the pier!

Friendship Boat!

I LOVE YOU, YACHTY!

Then it was back to the World Showcase! We went through the United Kingdom’s gift shop, got our Duffy’s stamped, and looked at all of the Beatles merchandise for Preston.

As per Lia’s recommendation, we tried the Trio of Trifles which was INCREDIBLE. They were absolutely the best thing that I have had so far, particularly the berry one. Preston had the chocolate and Matt had the green tea. They were SO delicious and I highly recommend them!

Our last country was Canada. Preston grabbed us some seats so we could watch the 5 o’clock showing of Off Kilter and Matt and I went to get our Duffy’s stamped.

WE COMPLETED OUR DUFFYS! HOORAY!!!!

On the way back, I HAD to buy some popcorn because I spotted THE MOST adorable popcorn container I have ever seen in my ENTIRE life. I have such a soft spot for anything IllumiNations related, so I HAD to buy this. Not to mention Disney popcorn is THE BEST.

I went back to sit with Preston and Matt went off to go buy gifts for his family. Preston and I snacked on the delicious popcorn and watched Off Kilter!

I think I told this story before, but when Preston was younger he found this random burned CD in his yard that said “Off Kilter” on it. So he took it inside and listened to it and really liked the music! He couldn’t find much about the band online, but a few years later when he went to Disney for his senior trip and he recognized a song in Canada where he made the connection! So we definitely had to make sure we saw them on this trip! He absolutely loved the show and we had awesome front row seats!!

After that was over, we walked over to Norway so we could ride the Maelstrom. On the way we took a picture with the MONSTERS UNIVERSITY TOPIARIES!!!!!!! Oh my God. I’m just so excited for this movie.

Also, we HAD to meet Duffy! I’m so glad he was out greeting, especially after traveling around the world with him! His line wasn’t too long either which was great!!

We got to the Maelstrom and the line was 30 minutes long! Ugh, I did not feel like waiting. So we grabbed fastpasses (I know, right?) and headed back into Future World.

Continued in Next Post​

 

[BamaGirl]

I love your trip report! Thanks for showing off the American Dream we will have to get one when we are there in April. and I must get one of those popcorn buckets! We collect them! I can't wait to read more!

 

[Blissikins]

Wow, that Lady & The Tramp pin is ADORABLE!! I was in WDW for F&GF last year, and it was the most wonderful thing to see, I'm so glad we picked that time to go.

I love the popcorn bucket too! I only got two when we were away, but I used mine to transport delicate souvenirs back home to England in my suitcase!

 

[wiigirl]

Awesome TR! Wonderful pics!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Ah, the Flower and Garden display in China. I just love that dragon. Thanks so much for posting that.
When I was there in October I could not figure out why it wasn't there. I'm just so used to going in the Spring.
Mystery solved.

 

[Princess Oliviea]

Hi Jess I just have to tell you your pictures are amazing [you're such a great photographer] and I'm sorry but your boyfriend Preston is so lucky he doesn't know me because I would so steal his Darkwing Duck shirt. Please complement him for me about his awsome t-shirt

 

[JessicaFaye508]

March 7th, 2013 (Part 3) - THE GARDEN GRILL

On our way back to Future World we stopped to take a picture in front of the Fountain of Nations. Aka one of the other loves of my life.

We still needed to ride Spaceship Earth so that was our next destination! We met up with Matt and all went on the ride together.

I was so very comfortable that I fell asleep for the entire ride. I swear, I can fall asleep anywhere if I’m tired enough. Needless to say it was a very enjoyable ride! I did wake up to discover my future, though!

After that Preston and I walked ALL THE WAY back to Norway and rode the Maelstrom. It was TOTALLY worth it and Preston really appreciated the frumpiness level.

He was quite excited for the MAELSTROM!

Once we finished, it was back to Future World for dinner! We did SO much walking in this short period of time. No wonder I was dying by the end of the night.

We arrived at Garden Grill right at 7 o’clock for our reservation! We checked in and only had to wait about 5-10 minutes until we were seated!

Now, I was expecting this meal to be good. But it was SO MUCH BETTER than I could have ever anticipated!! AHHH oh my God. We were all in heaven.

They started us out with THE MOST INCREDIBLE ROLLS EVER. Seriously, they were so soft and beyond delicious.

They also gave us some salad.

Then MICKEY SHOWED UP IN HIS OVERALLS AHHH. He was so precious and he was SUPER animated. It felt like we were having a conversation with him even though he never actually said a word. I have the most adorable boss in the entire world!

While we were finishing up taking pictures with Mickey, Pluto was right behind him. I RAN up to Pluto and gave him the biggest hug! I told him he was my favorite and he was SO CUTE. He gave me lots of hugs and kisses and we took the most adorable pictures together!!

THIS IS MY FAVORITE.

I'm so in love. Pluto is the BEST.

My Boys

HE'S SO CUTE.

Then we had a little character break so it was FOOD TIME. They brought us THE MOST INCREDIBLE FOOD EVER.

The beef, first off, was AMAZING. The flavor was just fantastic. I’m pretty sure we talked about how good it was for the rest of the trip. I want more!!!!!! Plus the mashed potatoes plus the beef was a FANTASTIC combo.

The turkey was so good that I could cut it with the side of my fork. NOMS. The stuffing was great too!

The fish was so good! Everyone was really impressed!! Even for people who don’t typically eat fish, they LOVED it!

Not only did we get to feast on all of that, but we ordered the kids food too. I MEAN, THEY HAVE TWO OF MY FAVORITE FOODS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. One of which being… MACARONI AND CHEESE!!!!!! Plus, it had goldfish on top. You may think that would be weird, but DANG it gave it such flavor!

My other favorite food (actually my #1 favorite) was SWEET POTATO FRIES. Honestly, these were some of the best I have EVER had. They were cooked to perfection and were delicious without even dipping them in anything!! (although I did ask for honey which made them EVEN better!) Preston is only so-so on Sweet Potato fries but he said these ones were GREAT. I ate so many of them... I just don’t even want to know. Giving me an unlimited amount of sweet potato fries is such a dangerous idea. I can’t stop myself.

The kids food also came with broccoli and chicken... however, I didn’t really get to try either of them because I was so distracted. Judging by everyone else’s reactions, they were good as well!

Continued in Next Post​

 

[JessicaFaye508]

March 7th, 2013 (Part 4) - "Well... It's been Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse."

Dale was our next character to visit! Preston was SO excited because Chip and Dale are his favorites!! I’m so glad I booked this meal so he could see them!

Dale asked Karen if she wanted to marry him, but his attendant told Dale that he has Clarice back at home! Oh Dale, you’re crazy!

Hehe Dale is a trouble maker.

Chip was our last visitor from the night! He was SO CUTE and he gave us lots of hugs! AHH everyone was so great!!

They love each other.

We finished off with our dessert. It was like a cake with warm berries in the middle and mousse on top. It was DELICIOUS. Preston said “this is like a really really good nutrigrain bar!” hahaha I guess!

We were just chatting about the trip while we were finishing up dinner and we were like “well guys, it’s been real.” “Well guys, it’s been fun.” And then of course my boyfriend goes, “well guys, it’s been Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.”

After that, the conversation just ended and we were all cracking up. That was the winner of the night.

I posted on twitter:
We are so food drunk.

Yup, no alcohol was needed to make us crazy. There's always gotta be that last rush of hilarity before the trip is over!

We all finished up and then parted ways. We gave Alex and Karen our magic fastpasses from last night and the two of them plus Matt went over to Magic Kingdom! Preston and I had IllumiNations to watch!

We took some pictures along the way! I had to get one by my favorite fountain!

Also, LION KING TOPIARIES!!!!!!

We found a spot for IllumiNations right on the bridge between the United Kingdom and France. Aka my favorite spot. It was SO beautiful but I didn’t take a single picture. I just wanted to enjoy watching my favorite show. It was wonderful! We were so happy and the show was just gorgeous. I love that soundtrack!!!

Ahh it was so fantastic. BUT ONCE IT WAS OVER WE WERE ON A MISSION.

We wanted to make it back to Magic Kingdom before closing at 10 pm so we could go on Space Mountain. WOULD WE MAKE IT!?!

IllumiNations started at 9 pm and took about 10-15 minutes. So after that we BOLTED out of the International Gateway. We bypassed so many people and RAN all the way to the Beach Club bus stop. (yes, I ran. Preston was shocked.)

We got there and waited for a bus. Then we waited some more. And we waited SOME MORE. The bus was not coming and we were SO sad. It was about 9:20-9:30 pm so we texted Alex and Matt saying we weren’t gonna make it.

As we sent the message, a Magic Kingdom bus pulled up. It was like a miracle.

We got on the bus and they took us to Magic Kingdom. We RAN inside, went through security, and went the opposite way of all of the crowds to Tomorrowland.

This was the greatest victory of our lives. I believe it was 9:52 pm when we arrived in Tomorrowland so we got to Space Mountain probably 2-3 minutes after. We were RUNNING up to Space Mountain and our three friends were waiting there for us cheering. VICTORY WAS OURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We got in line and all of us were SO happy that we made it by MINUTES. Seriously, Preston and I felt like champions.

We got in the car and Preston sat in the front for his first time, and the ride seemed SO MUCH BETTER to him. He thought it was amazing!!

It was absolutely one of the best rides I have ever had on Space Mountain and we were just loving life! HOORAY FOR DISNEY MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!

It's our victory pose!

The boys told me I looked like the pink power ranger in this ride photo because I'm like "yeah pink power ranger!" I'm just a frump.

The park was closed at this point so we headed out. We had to take our last castle pictures all together!

We all browsed in the Emporium and Preston bought me a Disney present. I was so excited to see what it was!!!

Then we went to guest relations to pin trade and we also asked how we were supposed to get our car at Epcot if the park closed! They told us to take a bus from the TTC.

So we did! We took the express monorail to the TTC and then found signs saying “buses to Epcot.” Beautiful. It’s like they knew we were coming.

We got on the bus and were taken right to Epcot. We got to the parking lot and Brooke was literally the last car in the lot. TIME TO GO HOME!

We got back to Art of Animation a little before midnight. I watched some Stacey and Matt, Karen, and Alex gave me a Flower and Garden Festival pin thanking me for setting up the trip. It was so unexpected and SO adorable! I was so excited!

Then Preston gave me his present! First off, he got me a Mickey pin with hearts in it and it was SO adorable. Then my big present was THE PRETTIEST LITTLE MERMAID SNOW GLOBE EVER!!! I pointed it out a few days ago and he ended up remembering and he bought it for me! I was so happy! It was so sweet!

After that I PASSED out. I was so exhausted and I can’t even imagine how much walking (and running) we did during that day. GOOD NIGHT!

Continued in Next Post​

 

[JessicaFaye508]

March 8th, 2013 - Preston Goes Home ):

Ah the last morning. Karen and Alexander’s flight left sometime around 7 am so they were gone before we woke up. Matt had an earlier flight too so he brought his luggage downstairs before I was awake.

Preston’s flight wasn’t until 6:35 pm so we had a nice half-day ahead of us to spend together. We were both awake by 9 am and we got ready and packed up until 11 am. We were looking at all of the little treasures we acquired throughout the trip and reminisced about random memories we had.

We also went through all our pin collections again because we’re obsessed.

At 11 am we packed the car and went down to the front desk. We saw Matt just chilling in Landscape of Flavors so we said a quick hello. Then we went to the front desk and the line took FOREVER. Finally we were assisted and the cast member settled our bill and told us our remaining dining credit balance. We had four quick services left to use!

I grabbed the Art of Animation t-shirt to add to my collection! I'm obsessed with owning resort t-shirts. No one is mad.

Matt was going to Magical Express so we said our goodbyes! Then Preston and I were off to Downtown Disney!

We walked by the pin store and I looked inside… then I saw THE PIN BOARD WAS OPEN!!!! So I basically BOLTED in there without an explanation and Preston was like “where are you going!?” And then he saw THE BEAUTIFUL PIN BOARD. Basically Disney loves us. I traded for a Carsland pin and a Duffy pin! Preston got a chip pin and a firefighter Goofy pin!

We were both hungry so I had to take him to my favorite place – Wolfgang Puck Express! When we got in there, the song “Somebody More Like You” by Nickelcreek was playing and that is one of Preston’s FAVORITE songs. Nickelcreek is a really underrated band but their music is AWESOME. Preston was freaking out. It was another one of those “Disney is perfect” moments. (Also, if you feel like looking up Nickelcreek, my favorite song by them is called “This Side.” Just saying!)

We ordered our food and we found a table. Our waiter (I believe his name was Omar) was AWESOME. He was just a genuinely nice guy who did his job. We were very satisfied.

I ordered the pepperoni and mushroom pizza. Spring break started with a WPE pizza and ended with a WPE pizza! Not a bad life. The fact that they have this combination of toppings on their menu is PERFECT because they’re literally my two favorites. Disney, I love you.

Then Preston got the bacon wrapped meatloaf, which he was SUPER excited about. Like… bacon and meatloaf are two of the best foods in existence. Why wouldn’t you put them together!?!? Preston said it was beyond delicious! I mean, just look how pretty it is:

For dessert I got the frozen yogurt with strawberries on it. YUM that was absolutely fantastic and refreshing!

Preston got the cheesecake for his dessert! The kid loves his cheesecake.

After Wolfgang Puck, we went into World of Disney! Preston needed to go to the largest Disney store in existence!

I wasn’t going to buy anything, but there was this long sleeve shirt with the old WDW logo on it that I have been meaning to get. So I just decided to finally buy it today! And then I found this BEAUTIFUL new crew neck that they must have just released. It is embroidered and it is gorgeous and it is so soft! Ah I was so excited – what a find!

Then I also got a book called “Disney Trivia from the Vault.” I started reading it while I was waiting for Preston to get back from the restroom and I couldn’t put it down! So I decided to buy it so I could read the entire thing later!

Preston got his Mom a cute phone holder (the sparkly one with Mickey and Minnie) and then we headed out!

We went over to the Lego Store because Preston LOVES his Legos. He was OBSESSED with Legos as a kid and I promised him I would take him there. He didn't have time to go during his last trip so it was a necessity this time! He was just so happy to be in the presence of so many legos. He thought the big lego structures were awesome.

Then we went over to Goofy’s Candy Company because we were going to transfer our last two quick services to snacks. However, they cannot do that there unfortunately. WAH. You can only transfer quick services to snacks at quick service locations... if they even let you do it at all.

Then we were going to get Earl of Sandwich for us to eat later but the line was just so long. I had a mini-breakdown at this point because I was sick, tired, and my entire body was just sore from going all week long. I’m a five year old. Good thing Preston knows how to deal with me.

Being the smart boy that he is he suggested that in a case like this we should go get some ice cream to console me. We went to Ghiradelli and split a banana split. It was a beautiful decision and it made me feel a lot better. It was delicious.

Then at that point I was going to take Preston to Coronado so he could see where I worked but I was SO tired. I just couldn’t do it. He was totally fine with that.

So we drove to my apartment and said hi to Jana and Maria who were home. Then we just passed out and slept from like 2:45 - 4 pm. It was the most beautiful nap of my entire life. I was so comfortable and sleep was the best thing that could’ve happened at that moment.

Then it was time to go to the airport. I quickly showed Preston my pin book before I left and he loved it!! Then we hopped in the car and we were off.

We just talked about how perfect the trip was the entire ride there. I pulled up to the drop off area and gave Preston the biggest hug ever. It didn’t really hit either of us until this moment that he was leaving. We were so wrapped up in how wonderful the trip was that the goodbye was kind of a shock. I didn’t cry as much as I normally do when we have to say our long goodbyes but there were still some tears.

I drove home and listened to my Disney music until I got back to the apartment. Preston texted me and told me that he got bumped to a different flight that was actually direct instead of connecting!! So he got home 2 hours ahead of schedule! I SWEAR, THIS TRIP WAS PERFECT.

At my apartment I just unpacked everything. It was so nice and clean in there because we had inspection while I was gone. We got the white glove award! WOOHOO!

I had those two last quick services to use up, so I texted Mark and we decided to go to Captain Cooks for dinner at the Polynesian. We drove there and it literally took us 15 minutes to find a parking spot. It was RIDICULOUS.

We finally went inside and ordered our food. I got an adult grilled cheese (no tomato though), which was yummy. I really liked the multi-grain bread it was on.

For dessert I got a PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CUPCAKE. Yeah. That exists. It was actually really delicious! I liked it a lot. The cake and the icing were both really light and there was grape jelly in the middle. It tasted really good!

Mark got the turkey club for his meal and a red velvet cupcake for dessert!

After we finished eating, we looked at the pin book and then we headed back to the apartment. I grabbed my computer and went over to Mark’s apartment and hung out with Mark, Surge, and Shane while I caught up on my trip journal!

When Preston got home, he told me how many steps we all took each day! His Nintendo DS keeps track of your steps like a pedometer, so it was really interesting to see how much walking we actually did!

March 2nd, 2013: 5,700 steps
March 3rd, 2013: 15,337 steps
March 4th, 2013: 21,932 steps
March 5th, 2013: 17,613 steps
March 6th, 2013: 15,995 steps
March 7th, 2013: 19,696 steps
March 8th, 2013: 5,168 steps

GRAND TOTAL: 101,441 steps!!!!

THAT IS A LOT OF WALKING. This is why it is completely acceptable to eat a lot of food in Disney!

Continued in Next Post​

 

[SmallWorld71]

Wow! What a fabulous vacation you, Preston and your friends had!

Thanks so much for taking the time to share!

 

[sue_88]

wow you posted another update just as I was about to comment! I'm happy there is more to read!!
Anyway, I was concerned with Duffy trying to steal your schoolbread! I really enjoyed that photo.
I'm glad that you did the kidcot stops. I really appreciate people who enjoy the kidstuff. Probably why I love Disney!
Yum! I want to try that Italy dessert made with lemoncello! That sounds good.
You seem like you really did have the most amazing time. And hooray for making it to Space Mountain!!! There is always time to wedge one more ride into a Disney Day!

 

[Linda67]

Wow, that's a huge amount of steps!

Like you say, that's why you can enjoy your Disney cupcakes

 

[PrincessFelisha]

I just have to say that Nickel Creek is amazing and I love them too! This Side is one of my favorite songs as well!!

Loving your report and glad you and Preston had such a perfect trip!!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

March 9th, 2013 - Post Disney Depression in Disney

I posted on twitter:
I thought I was going to sleep in so late today and I was up before 9 am. I'm not getting out of bed until work.

I woke up this morning and I was really sad that everyone was gone. I caught up on trip reports and just hung out in my bed all day until work because I was SO tired. My voice was still gone and I still wasn’t feeling completely better, so I definitely deserved some relaxation time. Especially because I had to work late tonight!

I posted on twitter:
You know it's serious when you have post Disney depression while living in Disney. @PrestoVision, come back.

I also downloaded the Celebrate the Magic soundtrack and became OBSESSED. I just can’t stand how much I am in love with the Lady and the Tramp/Tangled/Brave part of that show. Seriously, I just get so emotional!! I listened to it on repeat for quite a while.

I posted on twitter:
Celebrate the Magic is probably my newest obsession.

No, it most definitely IS my newest obsession. #inlove

Eventually I got up and had some Lean Cuisine enchiladas for lunch. HOW CAN THAT EVEN COMPARE TO DISNEY FOOD!? I just don’t know.

I had to work at 5:30 pm until 2 am. (but it was daylight savings so it was actually 3 am I guess?) I drove home and fell asleep the SECOND my head hit the pillow. It’s going to take me a week to recover from this trip.

Continued in Next Post

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 10th, 2013 - Sanaa with Miranda!

This morning I woke up around 11 am and got ready to go to Animal Kingdom Lodge! I was meeting Miranda there for lunch and I was SO EXCITED!!!

I haven’t been to Animal Kingdom Lodge since two Decembers ago so I feel like it has been a really long time. I was SO excited to be back there! Kidani Village especially holds a lot of memories for me because it was the place where my Mom and I had our first Mother Daughter trip!

I posted on twitter:
Oh my God, can someone remind me why I don't come to animal kingdom lodge every day?!??

I walked in and went right down to Sanaa. AH I was so excited.

Miranda met me there and we requested a window table! YAY it was so cool!! We saw lots of animals, particularly zebras and giraffes! Some of the Zebras were actually chasing each other and it was REALLY funny.

Both of us got the Slow Cooked Dishes. I got my usual: Shrimp with Green Curry Sauce, Beef Short Ribs, and Basmati Rice. Out of the three, the Beef Short Ribs were the BEST. Oh my God, they were so incredible. The texture was amazing and the meat cut so easily with the side of my fork. Not to mention the flavor was PERFECT. The rice complimented it especially well! If I had to eat this every day of my life, I would not be upset.

Miranda got the Slow Cooked meal with the Spicy Durban Shrimp, Spicy Durban Chicken, and Basmati rice. She LOVES spicy food so it’s right up her alley!

We chatted and caught up over lunch. We talked about my trip last week, how Miranda’s jobs are going, and I caught her all up on my DCP thus far! It really has been too long since I have seen her considering we both live in Florida now.

We couldn’t decide if we wanted to get dessert, but they are small here so we decided to do it.

BEST CHOICE OF MY LIFE. Seriously, the dessert I got today was AMAZING. They sadly got rid of my favorite Orange Sesame Cake... so my heart is a little broken. HOWEVER, I got the Banana Kulfi Sundae and it was SO INCREDIBLY GOOD. It’s some type of African ice cream made with sweet and condensed milk. The ice cream was banana flavored. Then in the middle was chocolate syrup. BANANA + CHOCOLATE = PERFECT. And not only THAT but there were also STRAWBERRIES. Oh my God, flavor explosion. That was literally one of my favorite desserts I have ever had.

Miranda got the chocolate cake with raspberry sorbet! She has had it before and it's just as good as she remembered!

After that we went outside and looked at the animals!

We had to take a picture together too! That savannah is just so beautiful!

We walked back to the car and said goodbye. Then I headed to Publix and grabbed some bread, milk, yogurt, ham, and apples. I just needed some basics. That was probably the cheapest trip to the grocery store I have ever had in my entire life.

Then I got gas and went back to my apartment. I had the entire day off today but I NEEDED to rest. I need to get completely better, so I took a 2+ hours nap. It was absolutely WONDERFUL. I needed it so bad.

Then I wrote more trip report updates and just relaxed. It was such a wonderful night. I actually really love just taking the time to write and organize my pictures. It’s so therapeutic to me.

Then I went over to Mark’s apartment and hung out with him and the guys for the rest of the night. I wrote more trip report stuff while they watched TV. Ah DCP life. I love it.

Then I went back to my room, reorganized half of my pin book, and then went to sleep!

Continued in Next Post​

 

[G2MAmber]

My husband and I dated long distance (been married 7yrs now and have 2kids)! Reading your trip with Preston reminded me of our courtship, especially the goodbye so happy your in a good place with good fiends I make being apart a bit easier!! And you all walked a lot!!! That's awesome he recorded it!!