2017: A Year of New Beginnings & 1st Time Everythings/Soloing in the World Mar '17 *Update 3/2*

[JessRose]

Following along! I will be there right after you!
I'm still trying to get into O'Hana too although I haven't been looking as much as I should, you've convinced me to keep trying.
Props to you for going solo!! I don't think I could do it but I'll live vicariously through you!
Your plans so far look great, I'm looking forward to reading the rest, and taking notes!!

Good luck on Ohana! I thought for sure at the 30 day mark that at least a few would open up, but took a few days to keep trying. With some of the new events they announced recently, it might sway some to change their plans.

Thanks for following along!

 

[JessRose]

Day 3 Plans

It never feels like so long in between posts for me. My goal is to finish my PTR before I depart, which my trip ticker is kind enough to tell me is only 1 week and 3 days away. Holy-moley! Time sure does fly.

Onward we get to the plans!

Day 3 will bring me to Animal Kingdom to take advantage of Morning Extra Magic Hours. Just when I thought I had all of my plans for this park figured out Disney up and announced that FINALLY, after what feels like 10 million years, Rivers of Light was happening.

This was definitely a good dose of karma for me, because literally the night before the announcement, my friend and I were having dinner. She is a travel agent, and we were discussing the fact that we thought perhaps this just wasn't going to happen ever. And then literally the next morning, BOOM. Rivers of Light! It was as if Disney was listening and decided to prove us wrong.

I was so frazzled when they made the announcement, that I didn't even think to make a FastPass+ reservation. When the thought finally occurred to me later in the afternoon, they had already been gobbled up.

Anywho...onward we go with the real plans.

Due to the fact EMH start at 8, I plan to be at the Pop Century food court for 6:30-6:45.

This should allow me enough time to grab breakfast, due my morning Instagram and email check and be on the road to Animal Kingdom by 7:15. PS, if you want to follow along on my Instagram for my trip, I'm @FairyTalePlans (I do post a lot about my Etsy shop and blog on there for the time being, but while I'm on my trip it will be 100% Disney-trip related.)

When I arrive to Animal Kingdom, I plan to ride...

As many times as is reasonable (including a FastPass+ reservation at 9:30). I think the animals are most active in the morning so I can't wait to see what I capture.

After Kilimanjaro, it will be time to head over to...

The Festival of the Lion King. I haven't been able to see this show since my 2010 due to a variety of closures and refurbishments. I cannot WAIT for this one. It's been so long since I've seen this one I don't remember a ton of the show, so it might be like seeing it for the first time again. I have a 10:30 FastPass+ for the 11:00 show.

After Festival of the Lion King, it's off to...

I'll be honest, this is not my favorite show at Disney, but it's one of my favorite movies, so I will sit through it, and hopefully get some awesome pictures with my new camera. I have an 11:30 FastPass+ for the 12:00 show, so I think it will be cutting it tight to get from FOTLK to Nemo, but I will have my hustle on.

After Nemo I'll have some free time, but not much before I need to head over to my lunch ADR at...

Tiffins! I wasn't wowed over the menu here, but the only options for a Rivers of Light dining package were Tiffins or Tusker House, and I just could not bear the thought of a character meal solo, so...Tiffins it is! I was trying to convince myself that I should just standby it for Rivers of Light...but with this being a brand new show, and this being a Saturday night, I elected to play it safe and reserve the dining package.

Who else is SUPER excited about Rivers of Light?? This might be my most anticipated anything at the Disney Parks, except for maybe Star Wars Land. I think this is going to be AMAZING, and it's been very hard to resist online reviews, videos and blogs. But I'm going to be well behaved and not ruin it for myself.

I don't have much planned for the afternoon after lunch at Tiffins other than to get some awesome pictures around the park and to check out some of the street performers in Harambe.

Around 5 o'clock I'm going to head to dinner at...

While I've eaten at the table service counterpart many times, this will be a first at the quick service location. I was definitely lured in by the Kobe Beef Banh Mi hot dog. I plan to get in line for dinner at 5.

Literally the second I'm done eating, I'll be headed to wait in line for Rivers of Light. The show starts at 7:15.

Squeee! I'm really excited about this one!

Afterwards, I will check out the Tree of Life Awakenings Show, and then call it a night!

 

[JessRose]

Day 4 Plans

Well...nothing like getting things in at the very last minute. BUT since the Disney Gods graced us with a little Detroit airport delay this morning....why not try and get this PTR finished since I'll be in DISNEY in t-minus 4 hours!

To kick things off on Day 4, I'm planning on heading over to Landscape of Flavors at Art of Animation for breakfast and being at the bag check for my sentimental favorite park - Hollywood Studios - by 7:30 AM. I have a jam packed day, so why not start things off early with Extra Magic Hours??

I have an ambitious list, and hope to be able to get through 2 rides on Toy Story, The Tower of Terror and The Great Movie Ride in that first hour.

Depending on how much time is left, I will either do some shopping, or check out One Man's Dream. Seriously, I could spend hours in here. I find it completely fascinating. #DisneyNerd #NotAshamed.

At 10 o'clockish, it will be time to head out of the park, so I can check out something I've been DYING to do since they first announced it...

BRUNCH at...

Brunch at California Grill. I'll be honest, it was a really difficult decision between brunch here or at Narcoossee's, but the menu and atmosphere at Cali Grill edged them out by a very slight margin. Immediately following Disney After Hours, this is the experience I'm looking forward to most on this trip.

After a fabulous brunch, I'll be waddling back out of there...headed back to Hollywood Studios.

I have a FastPass+ for The Great Movie Ride (one of my all time favorites) at 1:10.

Then, I hope to catch the 2:00 PM showing of Beauty and the Beast. I'm hoping for a great seat AND hoping to get some amazing pictures of this show with my new camera - something I've always failed miserably at in the past. With the new movie release coming up, I'm hoping it really gets me excited for that.

Then, its off to watch the March of the First Order at 3:00 PM - a first for me on this trip.

At 4:00 PM, I have a FastPass+ for The Frozen Sing-A-Long. Not sure what to expect out of this. I haven't read much about it, so it will truly be a new experience for me.

At 5:00, one last FastPass+ for The Terror of Tower.

I have a dinner ADR at Brown Derby at 6:15 - solely and only so I can eat the Cobb Salad. Seriously. Not using the dining plan - I just want the salad and nothing else. Sorry in advance to my server who might be expecting a 3-course diner.

Then it's time to book it over to Fantasmic to secure a hopefully good seat - and hope I can get some great pictures - another thing I've failed at miserably in the past.

Then I am hoping to ALSO manage to see the Star Wars Galactic Spectacular (another first for me). Fantasmic is at 7:00 and the fireworks are at 8:00, so we'll see what happens!

The park is closed at 8:00 which I think is pretty early. I'll have had a few jam-packed days, but I'm really hoping to have the energy to scoot over to Disney Springs - as it might really be my only opportunity to really check it out. I have not been since it officially became Disney Springs, so I'm looking forward to it. On a recent DisUnplugged podcast, they mentioned you can get amazing Disney shirts at Uniqlo for cheap. They opened a Uniqlo when I lived in New York and it was a MAJOR deal. At the time, I just didn't get it, and found their clothes to run REALLY small. Like, I'm talking I was wearing a large-extra large and I am normally a small-medium. But, anyway - it's worth a shot. I can't wait to see what else is new since last I've been!