"You Can't Make Disney Your Permanent Residence." COMPLETE! 10/21 x 2

I didn’t find anything I really wanted at the Polynesian, so I got back onto the monorail and got off at the Grand Floridian. The GFlo is my most favorite hotel and I dream of staying there some day. I kind of obsess over the lobby.

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The band playing at night makes the ads to the whole feeling of being at some other time and place.

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I love the giant birdcage.

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And look at that window in the ceiling. It's gorgeous.

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The GFlo had their own, very giant, gingerbread house.

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To get to the quick serve, Gasparilla Grill, from the lobby you have to go outside. This giant vintage postcard was hanging on the wall and it made me think of Danny and Hannah. I was loving being alone at the parks, but I did miss them a little.

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From the outside path to the restaurant.

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I was still on the dining plan, so I placed my order for some pasta, grabbed my drink and dessert and found a seat.

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I got loads and loads of pasta! Definitely more than I could eat.

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On the way back to Bay Lake, the monorail passed the Water Pageant. This is the shot I got from the moving monorail

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Of course the Contemporary was full of it's own holiday decorations.

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I was headed out to the walkway between the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower as the fireworks started. Perfect timing!

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What a great end to an awesome day! I took a shot of one of the pieces of art hanging outside the elevators. Then I climbed in, found my room and crawled in bed. It was going to be my last night in such luxury.

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Good Morning to my 15th day at Disney World in a row.
It was also the 3rd Friday in a row I had been at Disney. When I woke up I realized being at Disney had started to feel like being at home. In retrospect, I think that feeling, and this insanely long trip, got me seriously thinking about doing the College Program. I liked feeling like I lived there. I wanted to keep feeling it.

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I decided to celebrate such a great accomplishment with a crazy snack I had gotten at Karamell Kuche. It was marshmallows on a stick, covered with dark chocolate and caramel. Always remember; breakfast is the most important meal of your day.

I was sad to be leaving our lovely one bedroom suite at Bay Lake. Where I stay is never a priority for me at Disney. I’ve stayed in all Stars, Art of Animation, Moderate, Deluxe and DVC rooms and some are lovely and some are fine, but really it’s just a place to sleep, shower and keep my stuff. That said, Bay Lake Tower is really* sweet.

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This was the view from my couch/bed.

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And the sweet view from the balcony. I got packed, chatted with my family, called for bell services to move my luggage, and said goodbye.

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Another piece of lobby art.


I headed for Epcot and once inside headed straight for the Soarin’ fastpass machines.

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I used a quickservice credit for Sunshine Season’s breakfast. Why don’t you get a dessert with your breakfast on the meal plan? That seems like a rip-off.

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I enjoyed my breakfast and people watched for a while. I decided to skip my fastpass for Living with the Land. It’s not my favorite.

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I often write my fastpass times on my hand, because I always think I’m forgetting when they are. I can pull out a piece of paper or a phone to check, but having them right there on my hand makes checking super quick and easy.

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When I went back to Soarin’ to use my first pass, it was time I could get a second fastpass, which I did. This is one of the main things I miss about olden days fastpass.

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The fastpass line was pretty long.

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Someone had some fun with the sign. I approved. Still, do not dance on this ride.


Next up - Space Ship Earth.

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Let’s time travel!

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One of my favorite scenes. My mom had that terrarium when I was a kid. I love it.

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And this lady is the hippest lady of all time.

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This guy is probably a dork, though. I hope he doesn’t hit on hip lady too much.

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They were building my future….

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I end up in China a lot in these future building stories.

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And then I rode it again, because it’s my favorite ride in Epcot.

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I went to Mouse Gear to look for gifts, and was frustrated to find the same stuff I saw at every other store. I really wanted to buy some gifts for home, but I also wanted to buy stuff I couldn’t get anywhere else. What’s the deal Disney? I wanted to give you my money, but nope.


So I wandered around so more. The luxury of too much time. It was beautiful.​
 
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I had a FP+ scheduled in Norway, so I headed into the World Showcase.





RIP sweet ride. The less said about that the better.

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The big nose guy. I'm not into picking other troll's noses, so I just snapped my picture and moved along.

I was thinking about lunch, and La Cantina de San Angel seemed like a fantastic choice.

If it’s busy at la cantina, which it usually is, it’s sometimes hard to find a seat. If you’re by yourself without anyone to find the table while you wait for the food, which I often am, good luck. One thing that helps is that during the day, they open part of La Hacienda de San Angel’s seating for the Quick Service guests.

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The off limits side was ready for dinner diners.



This area is where I usually find a seat. The view is terrific.

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I had the beef tacos that they don’t serve anymore.

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And since I had to have a dessert I had this sweet tamale. It was a special holiday treat.



I went back to the Land to use my Soarin’ FP+, and immediately rode again with a paper fast pass. That was a lucky time to be in the parks in some ways. After that it was time to leave the part and check in at my last resort of this long trip: All Star Movies. I’d never been there before and was excited to check it out!

I didn’t rush out though, I stopped by the Visa photo spot but the line was way too long, so headed out to find my new bus stop.

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Thank you photopass lady.

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I always try to photograph this fountain.

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Stitch, you are naughty.

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My new Epcot bus stop. It was a pretty close bus stop, even though it was a super cheap value resort. I was not complaining.
 

This was the first time I’d ever seen All Star Movies. I thought it looked cool.

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If you know me, you know that Buzz Lightyear is my boyfriend. If you ask him about this, he might deny he knows anything about it. But it’s ok, I understand. He’s got Jessie and he’s a superhero. And I’ve got my own situation. It’s the kind of thing we keep on the down low. But in our hearts, we both know what’s true. So it goes without saying I needed to stay in the Toy Story section. But when I checked in, I was not in that section. I nicely told the nice CM checking me in that I had paid for preferred in hopes that I could stay in that section and before I could even ask if she could check on available rooms, she was on the phone to check and telling me she was sure she could find me one. Yay! Thank you!

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I was digging the way the food court looked. I was feeling like I needed something, and I went in search of something essential --

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a delicious magical Mickey Bar.

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I headed off into the Toy Story section.

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Oh, I was in love with this area!

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The view out my door. Nice!

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And inside the door.

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I really like this dresser. It can hold a lot of stuff.

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Remember when they were replacing all the refrigerators because Safety First! This was then.

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The first towel creation of our trip!

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And the most important part of any Disney resort room - Stacey Aswad on the TV!


I sat outside on some toy blocks and talked to my boyfriend for a while. And then I took a lot of pictures.

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Hello giant boyfriend.

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To infinity and beyond!!

 


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I went back inside for a minute to rearrange my suitcases a little. When I came out it was dark!

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Eventually I stopped taking pictures and hopped on a bus for Epcot.

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I stopped back in the Visa picture place one last time as soon as I got there. It was almost time for them to close up and there was only one family in line. The wait was surprisingly long. The family was nice though, and the Grandpa chatty. They had a very adorable little baby in a carrier.

Eventually it was my turn, of course. Minnie and Pluto were lovely as always. Pluto pointed at my shirt and pretended to shot Buzz’s arm buzzer thing.

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I was hungry and looking for dinner. I decided to take a boat to the other side of World Showcase and ended up at the Boulangerie de Patisserie. It was crazy crowded in there, but worth it.

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They were out of the Creme Brulee so I had to wait while they flamed some more. I did not mind.

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This sandwich has become one of my favorites. This trip was the first time I ever tried it. It’s the Poulet au Pistou. Chicken breast, cheese, tomato, onion and pesto. Delish, plus very fresh.

After dinner I went looking for a spot to catch Illuminations.

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I settled in the big open area in Italy. We could send the end of Holiday Wishes! And then Illuminations.

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People were bugging me at this point. I knew I had been at the parks long enough because things like body odor and ipad photography were distracting me form the amazingness of Illuminations. Apparently I took a picture so I would always remember how annoying other guests can be.

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After Illuminations was fantastic though. I was in absolutely no rush. This was the last night of my magical trip! Plus I had like a thousand snack credits I needed to use. So I found a nice spot at the base of the columns in Italy and waited for the crowds to thin out.

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I remember feeling so perfectly content and like everything in the world was wonderful and I sat back and watched the sky, listening to the music and the happy conversations of people who have just thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Eventually I decided to head off in search of treats, but not until I took one last look at Italy.

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Don’t. Even. Blink!!

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Karamell Kuche was a perfect spot to pick up some treats.

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The drawbridge was up when I made it to Africa. There were a bunch of drunken when men in ties hitting drums with absolutely no rhythm to "entertain" us as we waited.


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I was trying to cram in as much Disney as I could on that last night. Snacks and photopass pictures FTW!

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I decided to sit by the fountain and try a chocolate covered strawberry. It was delicious.

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I went into Starbucks to get my last snacks. It was past midnight at that point and I knew the resort food court would be closed, so I had the Starbucks CMs help me pick some stuff to take home on the plane. They were amazing and I loved them a bunch.

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I got the perfect Disney tourist picture on the way out - Ears, SSE, bags, Starbucks, camera, Disney purse -- I love that photo!


I drug myself “home” and found Brian and Adriane crashed out. I slipped into bed and fell asleep for my sleep at Disney (for a while).

 

It finally came, the last day of my glorious 16 day stay in the magic of Disney World. I didn’t sleep well the night before. The crazy blisters all over my feet were getting to me, and I was having some weird and unpleasant dreams.


I woke up around 7 and worked on packing everything up. I opened the door to look for my Magical Express envelope and there wasn’t one, but I was pretty sure they’d let me get on the bus anyway. The rest of the room woke up then and we chatted about the night before as I did my last minute touches. I told them about some snacks I had left for them if they wanted some breakfast and called the luggage guys to help me get to the airline check in. Then I hugged my family goodbye and waited outside so I could get some last looks at Andy’s super fun bedroom.

Airline check in always makes me a little nervous, and the line was long that day which gave me plenty of time to work up some anxiety. Did that super slow lady know what she was doing? Would my bags make it back to Kansas City? I guess she did because they did but as much as I love to travel, I really hate checking in for a flight.

I headed to the bus stops and the second one that came along was for the Magic Kingdom, so I jumped right on. The drawback of ASM busses is that they often arrive pretty full, and this one was. But I found a seat and thought about my trip on the long ride to the MK.


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Does that place ever fail with the magic? Ok yeah, of course they do. But they’re really, really good at bringing it, right from the entrance.

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I had made it right at opening. There wasn't the opening show at rope drop though.


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The trolley sure looked festive though.

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These are the pods they make certain characters sleep in at night. I’m sure of it.

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The view of Main Street looking out from the castle. If you were Cinderella (or one of her mice), you’d see this every day.


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This walkway was open, and there were very few people inside so I got to have a good look at these fantastic mosaics.

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Run, Cindy, run!

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I call this one “Haters gonna hate.”


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Jealous.


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Oh, I love you Magic Kingdom!!


 






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It took a minute for the sword to be empty enough for me to get this picture. I love this sword and wish it were a bigger deal.

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Peter Pan was a walk on, so I walked on.

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Peter Pan and Wendy were out!

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Their line was a little long, but since I was just wandering about enjoying my last morning there, I got in it. My notes say than Wendy asked how I was doing, and when I said I was doing well, it turned into a lesson in proper English for Peter. Peter asked if since I wasn’t a “do gooder” was I a do badder? or a pirate? I told him I was neutral and Wendy said I was Switzerland for the day. I know people sometimes think it’s hard to find something to say to the characters, but in this case all I said was “I’m doing well.” and it turned into goofiness. Most characters are ready to have a good time.

I headed for the wilderness.

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That mountain is so far away from everything else. All by itself. And yet the area around the entrance is always such a mess of people not knowing where they're going. I knew though - right onto the roller coaster.

After, I checked at the train station for Jessie and Woody, but they weren’t there. I also just missed the train. The friendly CM told me it would be about 7 minutes until the next one. I got on the train and sat there for a minute but - I was limited on time, I was hungry and I wanted to see Buzz one last time. I decided I’d rather walk through the park in the atmosphere so I bailed.

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I had a great idea of where to go.

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This area is lovely, and almost always kinda empty and quiet.

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Oh that Nutella waffle! So very tasty. A guest at the next table even said it looked good!

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I headed to the castle and on to Tomorrowland.

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Buzz wasn’t out yet, so I had to wait. But not for long.

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It was fun to watch them open the Starport.
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Stitch was leaving as Buzz was coming in. It was so cute to watch them see each other and hug!
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So it was my turn to say hey to Buzz. He liked my monorail shirt.
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I told him thanks, but that I had a Buzz shirt on yesterday and I meant to say hi then.
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And then I explained how the night before I had slept in a room where a GIANT statue of him just outside my room. And how I felt so safe knowing he was watching over me while I slept.
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Of course, the people mover.
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The People Mover is the perfect place people watching. So keep your eyes peeled. You never know who you might see.
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I really love that ride. Tomorrowland was looking pretty cool that morning.
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I was feeling like it was about time to head back to AS:M to wait on the Tragical Depress.

 


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As I got to the hub, I heard the magical chords of the Move it, Shake it, Celebrate It parade! I thought that was the perfect way to end my magical trip! I stood on a curb inside the circle and moved it, shook it and celebrated it.

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Goodbye Magic Kingdom.

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I will miss you sweet kingdom.

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The worst ride of the trip... the ride to the airport.

Brian and Adriane got to the airport really early for their flight and found me at the airport! Awesome surprise. We chatted for a while and then had to say goodbye all over again.

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On the way back to real life..

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In just a few hours I was back in Kansas.

This trip was amazing. I had time with my little family, time with more extended family, and time to myself. Fantastic. I took about a million pictures. I a bunch of new things, and a bunch of the old things I love. And being there so long? I know a lot of people swear they wouldn't like it, and they probably wouldn't, but for me it was perfect. I loved that feeling of wandering around a park with nothing to do and no time to get there. That was truly a treasure. And it got me thinking seriously about applying for the Disney College Program and living there for several months (which I later did). This trip, like most, was full of amazing moments and memories for myself as an individual and for my family as a whole.

Thanks for following along people. I should not have abandoned it when I did - but I did. However! Now it's done. 19 days at the Magical World of Disney!


 
Amazing pics and I love your mileage count!

Thank you so much!! Taking Disney pictures is one of my most favorite things in life. :)

It's insane how much walking can happen on a Disney vacation. I like to remind myself and warn people who haven't been.
 

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