It's Still Disney Magic to Me! A January 2016 Trip Report (PTR included too) Complete

[SarahDisney]

I'm so glad to hear that Chef Eric was great at helping out with your allergies - I'm always impressed (but not surprised) when Disney chefs go above and beyond to help guests find food that fits their dietary needs!

Sounds like you had awesome interactions with all of the characters!! I really love when characters get very involved with the guests and truly seem to enjoy spending time with guests - so reading stories like yours makes me really happy!

Sounds like your first day was a big success, and I can't wait to read about the rest of the trip!

 

[disneywlf]

I'm so glad to hear that Chef Eric was great at helping out with your allergies - I'm always impressed (but not surprised) when Disney chefs go above and beyond to help guests find food that fits their dietary needs!

Sounds like you had awesome interactions with all of the characters!! I really love when characters get very involved with the guests and truly seem to enjoy spending time with guests - so reading stories like yours makes me really happy!

Sounds like your first day was a big success, and I can't wait to read about the rest of the trip!

Thank you Sarah! He was absolutely excellent at helping me with my allergies and I agree, I am always impressed (but not surprised) when Disney chefs go above and beyond, as that is without a doubt what Walt would have wanted! Don't worry, I had many more positive experiences at both table and quick service restaurants on my trip that will be documented in this TR (hopefully tomorrow or Wednesday the latest for at least my MK day 1/11). I hope the Disney chefs were as accommodating with your kashrut requirements. From what I know from you and other Orthodox people I know, it seems like Disney does a pretty darn good job!
Thank you! The characters were absolutely awesome and I agree, it is their involvement with the guests and their magic that really make a visit to WDW or DL complete in my book! Glad my stories make you happy and I can't wait to read more about your trip!

 

[disneywlf]

It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 1
After getting a good night's sleep from my wonderful first day, I woke up at 5:45AM, ready to take on the Magic Kingdom! After getting ready, I ate "a slimy yet satisfying breakfast" (I could not resist another Lion King reference ) of gluten free bread with Boar's Head Three Pepper Colby Jack along with strawberries, a banana, and orange juice. I then checked the weather and it was 50 degrees that morning reaching a mild high of 64 degrees, which was very nice but just a bit cool to swim, which would rule at the possibility of taking an afternoon break by the pool. Undeterred, I put on my sweatshirt and gathered my belongings, leaving the room at about 7:45AM to head to the bus stop. While I walking, I called my mother to make sure all was well. Unfortunately, due to heavy winds in our area, my mom reported that our house lost power and she was in the living room, huddled in a blanket to keep warm along with our dogs. I felt terrible and while the outage had already been reported to PSEG, our electric company, mom still wanted me to call them once more to make sure we got our power back quickly. Before the bus came, I called PSEG and the representative was very apologetic and said that power crews were already in our neighborhood, as there were other outages in our area. She said that the power would be restored around 9:00AM, which was a bit of a wait, but it was what had to be done. I called mom back and while she was a bit disappointed, she was very thankful nevertheless and since she did not want me to dwell on this issue too much, she told me to have fun and that she would call me as soon as she received power, which was a fair deal! While there was no one at the bus stop as there were mostly conventioneers staying at my hotel, I enjoyed the 80's music they played over the speakers, such as "I'll Stop the World and Melt With You" by Modern English, which made the wait pleasurable. At about 8:05AM, my chariot to the Magic Kingdom awaited me and I could not have been more excited!

Despite the fact that there was no one else who boarded at my stop, the bus was nearly packed with people who boarded for the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios at other resorts on my route. Thankfully, I still got a seat up front and in no time flat, we were on our way to the TTC! I found the driver to be very enthusiastic, as he engaged the passengers in cheering by asking all of us if we were ready to go to the Magic Kingdom? The bus erupted in cheer and I loved it, as it added magic to what would soon become an even more magical day. At close to 8:20AM, we were approaching this happy sign!

As we were pulling into the TTC, my mother called. She was very happy to report that power was restored to our home and that PSEG crews came, as she would now have electricity and not worry about the cold. I told her that I had arrived at the TTC and that I was on my way to the Magic Kingdom. She was excited and while I was speaking to her, I learned from CMs making announcements that due to maintenance, the Express Monorail would not be operating until 9:30AM and to use the ferry or shuttle buses instead if you wanted to be in time for opening. Since a ferry was arriving, I made my way over to the dock to await its arrival.

In addition, she also told me that our friend who also breeds Affenpinschers (the same type of dogs we have) and Papillons in Montana approved of my idea to surprise her 3-year old granddaughter with some Disney magic. My idea was that since her granddaughter is a huge Frozen fan, I wanted to buy a Frozen related hat or other piece of clothing and have Anna and Elsa sign it when I met them again, as I knew that she would love it without a doubt. She should be receiving it at the end of this week as while her grandma/our friend received the hat, she will be getting when she sleeps over with her grandma at the end of the week. Anyway, mom told me that she gave the all clear and that I should proceed with my plan. Mom also asked when I would call her back and I told her that I would shoot for the afternoon, as I wanted to make sure she did not feel lonely. Mom thanked and told me to have a wonderful day and I thanked her, right as I was about to board the Richard F. Irvine, the ferry that would transport us to the Magic Kingdom.

Once I was onboard the ferry, I made my way to the upper deck without hesitation, as I love getting fresh air and enjoying the views of the Magic Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom Resorts, and the other scenery. While I was on the upper deck, I met a very nice family visiting from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. While we were meeting, the Richard F. Irvine left the dock and we were on our way!

After we introduced ourselves, we somehow reached the topic of weather, as we both agreed that the weather in Orlando was far better than from our respective locales. While I said that it was in the 30s in the New York area, they told me that it was six degrees below zero when they left! While I am used to the cold, I do not know if it has ever gotten that cold in recent history in the New York area and I will admit, I agree with what this family said that 30 degree temperatures are nowhere near as bad as below zero temperatures. Still, I am a warm weather person. After more conversing about our areas, they asked me if I could take a family picture of them on the father's iPhone 6 Plus. I was very happy to do so and got quite a few pictures, which they loved. I then asked them if they could take a picture of me and they were happy to oblige.

At about a little after 8:45AM, the Richard F. Irvine docked at the Magic Kingdom, where I then went through security and the admission turnstiles. Unfortunately, I missed the opening festivities but don't worry, I would see them again on my next visit to the Magic Kingdom. At just before 9:00AM, I found myself passing under the Main Street WDW RR Station and walking down Main Street, feeling like I had died and gone to heaven after seeing this beautiful sight!


As I passed through Cinderella Castle, I was focused on getting to Fantasyland, as I wanted to make Peter Pan's Flight my first attraction of the day to avoid its long lines and then ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, as I had a FP+ for 9:20AM-10:20AM. Wasting no time, I found myself in Fantasyland, which is a truly enchanting place!

Since there is a limit on the number of photos I can post in one post, I will be continuing the rest of my day in the next post! In the meantime, "second star on the right, and straight on till morning."

 

[xDisneyAngelx]

Call me crazy but I love Disney World when there are clear blue skies and not a cloud in site. Looks like it was pretty chilly....what was the temperature that day? And how were the crowds?

 

[tinabina919]

hey neighbor! i live in stony brook too...well not the university just in the town.
enjoying your report so far! I was there the week before you...still feeling the Disney blues

 

[SarahDisney]

Sounds like a good morning so far! Even though it was a little chilly, clear skies at Magic Kingdom always make it a beautiful morning!

 

[disneywlf]

Call me crazy but I love Disney World when there are clear blue skies and not a cloud in site. Looks like it was pretty chilly....what was the temperature that day? And how were the crowds?

Same here! Except for my last morning, it did not rain one bit and I loved it, as I had mostly sunny skies making for blissful touring weather! It was not that chilly that day. Temperatures in the morning were close to 50 degrees but by around 10AM, it was 60 degrees and by noon, it was a pleasant 64 degrees, meaning no sweatshirt or vest needed! Crowds were not bad at all I think my longest standby wait was about 20 minutes for 7DMT or Space Mountain, which was pretty good!

hey neighbor! i live in stony brook too...well not the university just in the town.
enjoying your report so far! I was there the week before you...still feeling the Disney blues

Hi there tinabina919! While I am not a Stony Brook resident as I live about 45-50 minutes southwest in Nassau, I must admit that the university and town are absolutely beautiful! While I wanted to take more non-matriculated courses there, I was not able to as the course I needed was unavailable, so I am taking a Psychology course, which I need and want at SUNY-Farmingdale from now to May. While I do miss Stony Brook, I love this class and to my surprise, the professor researches at Stony Brook, which is pretty cool! Hope to visit Stony Brook again sometime! Sorry about feeling the post-Disney blues . I feel them too, but hopefully, writing this TR will relieve the wonderful memories that I made on this trip!

Sounds like a good morning so far! Even though it was a little chilly, clear skies at Magic Kingdom always make it a beautiful morning!

Thank you Sarah it was a beautiful morning without a doubt! I loved the beautiful clear skies and lack of rain for the most part on this trip, along with pleasant temperatures as while it was not overly hot, the temperatures never really got lower than the 40s at night, which is perfect for the season! Plus, most of the days, it was warm enough not to have to wear a sweatshirt and vest during the day, which I loved!

 

[disneywlf]

It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 2
After making my way through Fantasyland, I had finally arrived at Peter Pan's Flight!

The standby wait was a mere five minutes and I was able to walk right in, marveling at the amount of detail that was present in the enhanced queue, like paintings of Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Smee, shadows of the Darling parents in the window, and models of the Darling children's bedroom. While I was walking through, I was chatting with a lovely lady from Myrtle Beach, SC, and we both agreed that the new queue was definitely part of the ride!


Pretty soon, I was off to Neverland on a flying pirate ship!

I loved riding Peter Pan's Flight again and I enjoyed flying through the night skies of London with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, meeting the Darling Family, visiting the sights of Neverland, and watching Peter Pan fight Captain Hook to save the day! After visiting Neverland, it was time to head over to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for my 9:20AM-10:20AM for my FP+ reservation. I first passed the castle walls to find my way around to the queue.

As I was heading over, I took a couple of pictures of 7DMT and it looked like a lot of fun but boy, I was not prepared for the amount of fun I would have!

I had a little trouble finding the queue as I did not realize it was somewhat in the direction of Tomorrowland, but I was thankful for the assistance of a very helpful cast member and I made it to the FP+ line, which I was very thankful for as the standby wait was already 45 minutes by 9:23AM, which is the time that the photo below was taken according to my camera and computer.

After admiring the detail and rock work that they put into the queue, I was onboard the mine train about five minutes after I entered the FP+ line. I hate to say it, but I think many sources, like The Unofficial Guide, sell this attraction a bit short as I loved 7DMT and it has become one of my favorite attractions. I loved the smoothness of the coaster, the pleasant side-by-side motions, the animatronic dwarfs singing "Heigh-Ho," and of course, The Seven Dwarfs dancing with Snow White as The Evil Queen eerily watches at their door! Yes, I did feel this attraction was a hair short if at that, but the fun of this attraction and the detail put into it made this a fantastic attraction! After riding through The Seven Dwarfs mine and visiting their cottage, I then decided to visit Belle's Village and The Beast's castle.

While I love Be Our Guest, I was not going to be eating there until Wednesday, as I got a lunch ADR for 10:30AM that day. Along the way, I encountered a very friendly and enthusiastic Photopass photographer who took many great pictures of me in front of Beast's castle, but I ended up loving this picture he took with my camera the best!

I then passed through Belle's Village, where I admired Gaston's Tavern and his fountain. I mean how could you not as despite the fact that he is a villain, no one is as awesome as Gaston! While I did want to meet him on this day, he was not out yet, so I decided to meet him another time when I was able to.

After my wonderful time visiting The Beast's Castle and Belle's Village, I made my way to Storybook Circus as I wanted to ride Dumbo and meet Minnie and Daisy!

 

[TGM]

I'm reading along, and loving it so far!

 

[disneywlf]

I'm reading along, and loving it so far!

Thank you TGM! Glad you are loving my trip and glad to have you following along!

 

[SarahDisney]

I totally agree with you on 7DMT - I think a lot of people sell it short, and it's really one of my favorite attractions.

I'm glad that you're enjoying your morning so far!

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

Peter Pan and The Mine Train are two of our family favorites! Glad you were able to hop on the Mine Train so fast! Thank goodness for FP!

 

[disneywlf]

I totally agree with you on 7DMT - I think a lot of people sell it short, and it's really one of my favorite attractions.

I'm glad that you're enjoying your morning so far!

I love it Sarah! I think Disney did an amazing job with it and it is sold short. It truly has become one of my favorite attractions too!

Peter Pan and The Mine Train are two of our family favorites! Glad you were able to hop on the Mine Train so fast! Thank goodness for FP!

Hi again lauren_elizabeth! That is pretty awesome and I agree, Peter Pan and The Mine Train are a couple of favorites in my collection as well. Thank you and I agree, thank goodness for FP!

 

[disneywlf]

It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 3
After arriving at the Magic Kingdom, it was now 9:38AM and I was very happy that I was able to ride two amazing attractions and visit The Beast's Castle and Belle's Village. My first order of business was to ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant, which is one of my favorite attractions.


I was greeted by a posted wait of a mere 10 minutes but walked on in about five minutes. Soon enough, I was soaring into the crystal clear skies on the lovable flying pachyderm they call Dumbo.

After a blissful ride on Dumbo, my next plan of action was to visit Pete's Silly Sideshow, where I would have the pleasure of meeting Minnie and Daisy!

Since it was 9:55AM, Pete's Silly Sideshow was not open yet, so I had about five minutes to wait until it opened. However, there were not many people, which would make for a short wait. What's more, the temperatures were beginning to climb, so I took off my vest and sweatshirt. While I was waiting, I took in the amazing and lively theming, like the introduction announcements by Pete for the different characters and the bright artwork. Not too much time later, the doors opened and all of the guests were ushered inside, where we were greeted by very bubbly cast members, including an older CM named Rosie. I loved being inside this circus tent and in no time flat, I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Daisy Fortuna, who was happy to show me my fortune with her crystal ball, which indicated that my future would be a good one!

After learning my fortune from Daisy Fortuna, I then went over to visit the marvelous Minnie Magnifique, who was ecstatic to see me and show off her trained poodles. She lovingly embraced me with a huge hug and put on cloud nine with her lovely kiss (hopefully Mickey didn't mind haha) .

After a magnificent time meeting Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck at Pete's Silly Sideshow, I was on my way to have more fun, but not before scanning my Magicband to the reader held by one of the CMs, which was pretty cool as my PhotoPass photos were stored on it, which I found to be much easier than carrying around the PhotoPass cards like in the past. Once I left Pete's Silly Sideshow, I then decided to ride The Barnstormer, as it is fun ride and it had a mere five minute standby wait.

Five minutes later, I was flying onboard The Great Goofini's propeller plane and while this roller coaster is tame compared to say, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, or even 7DMT, it is still a lot of fun nonetheless and makes for a very good beginner coaster. Once I rode the The Barnstormer, I then made my way to the Fantasyland stop of the Walt Disney World Railroad after my time in Fantasyland, which is a truly enchanting place. However, I wanted to head to Frontierland and Adventureland, as there were more attractions I wanted to visit and more characters I wanted to meet.

 

[ursalita]

I enjoyed catching up with your report. I'm glad you had such a great experience at Chef Mickey's. We went there once for my son's birthday and I don't remember much except for the great birthday greetings they gave him. I had no idea that had sushi. I definitely need to try it again sometime. Sounds like a great start to day at MK so far despite the cold. I know it was much warmer that it was up here but the 50's in FL is a little too cold for me. I definitely don't belong in the northeast!

 

[SarahDisney]

Wow - you were really able to get a lot done! Sounds like lots of fun!

 

[TeresaNJ]

Im enjoying your trip report! I love all the details you include, & it looks like you're having a wonderful time!

 

[dragonflydoll2]

I have enjoyed reading about your trip and am looking forward to future postings. Love the character interactions!!!

 

[disneywlf]

I enjoyed catching up with your report. I'm glad you had such a great experience at Chef Mickey's. We went there once for my son's birthday and I don't remember much except for the great birthday greetings they gave him. I had no idea that had sushi. I definitely need to try it again sometime. Sounds like a great start to day at MK so far despite the cold. I know it was much warmer that it was up here but the 50's in FL is a little too cold for me. I definitely don't belong in the northeast!

Hi ursalita! Thank you and always glad to see you! Same here Chef Mickey's was wonderful and they really know how to do a celebration! I remember back on my second trip during Thanksgiving 2007 with my mom and dad when I was 15, they gave my mom a cupcake, a Birthday pin, and they made a huge fuss over her. They do have a couple of sushi rolls, which they must have started in 2014 because I first saw them on my January 2014 trip and it seems to be popular, as they still had it on this trip. Hope you get another chance to try Chef Mickey's. I cannot agree and while it was cool, I would not say it was that cold, as it warmed up into the mid-60s, which was quite pleasant. In fact, for most of my trip, daytime highs were in the mid-upper 60s and even 70s, so it was pleasantly warm, but not broiling hot, making for perfect touring weather. I think I could take the 50's in FL, but I think my blood will get thinner when I become a Floridian lol . I am with you the Northeast in the winter is too cold!

Wow - you were really able to get a lot done! Sounds like lots of fun!

Thank you Sarah! I was glad to be able to get a lot done and it really was a lot of fun! Don't worry, there will be more on this blissful day coming up later today!

Im enjoying your trip report! I love all the details you include, & it looks like you're having a wonderful time!

Thank you TeresaNJ and welcome! I love your kind words and I love putting in all of the details and being a detail-oriented guy, as it helps to keep the wonderful memories alive in my book. I had a wonderful time indeed and I hope to be at WDW again sooner rather than later!

I have enjoyed reading about your trip and am looking forward to future postings. Love the character interactions!!!

Thank you dragonflydoll2 and welcome! I am glad you love my postings and don't worry, this TR is far from done as there will be far more postings and there will be even more character interactions, so hang on to your hat because this TR will be the wildest ride in the wilderness haha!

 

[disneywlf]

It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 4
After a magical time in Fantasyland, which is a truly enchanting place in my book, I went to the Fantasyland Walt Disney World Railroad Station, where I boarded a train back to Main Street USA and Frontierland.

After boarding the train at Fantasyland, I relaxed and enjoyed the ride past Tomorrowland, Main Street USA, and Adventureland!

Soon enough, I arrived in Frontierland.

Once I entered Frontierland, I then walked to Adventureland with one thing on my mind.

That one thing on my mind was to meet Aladdin and Jasmine, as they are among my favorite Disney characters. It was around 11:00AM and lucky for me, it was the perfect time to line up as Elizabeth, the wonderful cast member who was handling the line, advised me that they would be coming out at 11:20AM. While I was waiting along with the other guests, I had a ball chatting with Elizabeth, who was another one of the wonderful CMs I met. She was engaging, as we conversed about Aladdin as that is both one of our favorite movies and she also asked me if I liked Wolverine from X-Men, as it was kind of an inside joke between us . I also chatted with other people in line who were very nice, like a lady who brought a large board to be signed by Aladdin and Jasmine (as well as other characters) for her friend who just got married, a mother and daughter visiting from the Houston, TX, and a family with two boys dressed as pirates and a girl dressed as Queen Elsa. I also admired the new greeting area they had integrated with the Agrabah Bazzar souvenir shop, as I really felt like I was in Agrabah.
While the waiting was not the hardest part as the time went by quickly, I was soon invited by Aladdin and Jasmine into their meet and greet. They were absolutely wonderful and when they saw I was wearing my t-shirt with The Genie in the middle and "I am here" on the top and "What are your other two wishes?" on the bottom, they got even more excited. They loved that I was a genie fan and inquired if I knew the rules of the genie? I answered that I did and that genies could not kill, bring people back from the dead, or make people fall in love. They were impressed and Jasmine asked what I liked best about The Genie? It was not a hard thought and I mentioned that he is a very loyal friend. Aladdin and Jasmine agreed and Aladdin said "he has never had a friend like him!" Aladdin and Jasmine then asked what my two wishes were, since Genie was here haha. It took some thought, but I said that I wished for my mother to be with me on this trip and since I could not quite think of the second wish, with Aladdin's help I decided to make my second wish to free the genies #FREETHEGENIES (I couldn't resist). We then hugged each other and we got these wonderful pictures.

After our amazing interaction, I thanked Aladdin and Jasmine for having me and what an honor it was to see them! Princess Jasmine also told me to keep an eye out for Abu, as they said he was somewhere off in the marketplace. I happily agreed and was soon on my way, ready to find Abu and head to Frontierland, to ride Big Thunder Mountain as I had a FP+ for 11:35AM-12:35PM. I arrived at BTMRR at 11:35AM, where the standby wait was 40 minutes. However, thanks to my FP+, I was on in less than five minutes.

While I was waiting to board, I talked to a lovely couple from Richmond, VA. As we were talking about where we were from, they mentioned that they had family on Long Island in Suffolk County, which was pretty cool as I am a Long Islander from Nassau County. We also talked about rock and roll, as they mentioned that they are huge fans of Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Soon enough, we were ready to board the wildest ride in the wilderness and before we said goodbye, they said "God bless you" and I returned their kind words back! Once onboard, I had a grand old time riding "the wildest ride in wilderness!" After riding BTMRR, I also got a couple of cool pictures in front of it.

After a fun morning in Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Frontierland, I felt a rumbly in tummy (to quote Winnie the Pooh), I decided to head to Pecos Bill, as I was intrigued by their new Tex-Mex menu. How will it be? Find out in my next post!