Bring on the MAGIC- May 2016 solo PTR, Final update 5/6

[Elevationist]

So put on your dancing shoes and away we go........

For the most part what sticks with me is the sense of awe and magic.

Then you GET it! You're DISNEY PEOPLE through and through!

And not to let little inconveniences get in the way of truly appreciating and experiencing the magic that is Disney World. I'm usually easily frustrated and annoyed but I am going to try my darndest not to let that get the better of me.

Yaaaasss! Things WILL go wrong during your trip, girl. It's unavoidable. You just gotta find your Disney Zen, and everything will be AWESOME!

I might have to avert my gaze when passing its replacement which I hear is horrible anyway.

It's horrible because it's so dumb. LOL. Not scary at all. It's pretty much the same attraction and concept, but they made it cute and soft and Stitch-like. And smelly... He farts. He maybe belches. STINKY.

My earliest and fondest memory is "It's a Small World". I know many people find it annoying and can't stand the song, but for me it's inextricably linked to the magic that is Disney, so it will always be a beloved ride.

My aunt is very my like you in that regard! (I'm one of the haters. PROUD HATER!)

From Epcot I remember wandering World Showcase. I absolutely LOVED World Showcase. I thought it was so cool and fascinating.

Loooooove love love love love World Showcase! So excited for you to get to re-visit it!

And there was this motion simulator ride that explored the human body. Kind of like Star Tours but for the human body.

Body Wars! It's no longer there. RIP, Body Wars!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Saphire5742]

Then you GET it! You're DISNEY PEOPLE through and through!

It's horrible because it's so dumb. LOL. Not scary at all. It's pretty much the same attraction and concept, but they made it cute and soft and Stitch-like. And smelly... He farts. He maybe belches. STINKY.

Oh, I know that. It's the memory that STILL haunts me. Way to go Disney (although there are probably people who loved that ride and were sad to see it go

Yes. This. This is my goal too - just let me be me, and be truly happy, and see other people being happy.

As it should be, imo

 

[CamilaGS]

Hello, Odelia!

I´m new here at Disboards, though I´ve lurked it for a relatively long time, and yours was the second PTR I ever read (first was SnowWhiteOz´s one). I saw a link to it and it got me hooked because of the title indicating a May 2016 trip, and then I saw we were going pretty much at the same time and I was like "yay, this is exciting, I gotta follow her!" LOL
I´m going to WDW on May 8th and leaving on the 14th, however we´ll never be at the same park at the same time, I´m afraid. But at least I can enjoy your countdown as it´s mine too! Yay for May tripping!
So, long story short, I´m totally following your PTR! Hugs from Brazil and... yay! Only 87 days to go!

 

[Saphire5742]

I´m going to WDW on May 8th and leaving on the 14th, however we´ll never be at the same park at the same time, I´m afraid. But at least I can enjoy your countdown as it´s mine too! Yay for May tripping!
So, long story short, I´m totally following your PTR! Hugs from Brazil and... yay! Only 87 days to go!

for stopping by. Yay for May tripping indeed!

 

[SarahDisney]

Hey Odelia!
I finally got a chance to read through your entire PTR, and while I don't have the patience to comment on all of it, I'm really excited for you because it sounds like you have some awesome plans (any trip that starts with an ADR at Victoria and Albert's will probably be amazing). And it's coming up so soon ... only a few months left!!!

Also ... I really need to get to Israel for Chanukah one year. The only sufganiyot I had this year were custard and caramel (I don't eat plain strawberry jelly ones). I definitely need to find some better flavors!

 

[Saphire5742]

Sarah! Glad to have you here.

And it's coming up so soon ... only a few months left!!!

Less than 3 months now!

Also ... I really need to get to Israel for Chanukah one year. The only sufganiyot I had this year were custard and caramel (I don't eat plain strawberry jelly ones). I definitely need to find some better flavors!

You definitely should!
Actually funny story- when I was here for the year after high school they served us dulce de leche sufgies. I remember thinking that it was just wrong since I was so used to the strawberry jam ones. Obviously I've since changed my tune, especially after moving here. YUM YUM YUM.
If you ever do get here for Chanuka let me know and we'll go sufgie crazy together.

 

[andiepie]

Hey there! Finally got a chance to read your ptr. Completely jealous! Ive been planning my own trip for years, now and still can't go. I'll just read yours and live vicariously!

 

[Dentam]

Joining in! Your trip is coming up fast - woohoo! Your ADR's all look yummy and you have quite a few that I've never eaten at before so I'm looking forward to hearing how you like them.

Oh, and when we were in WDW last September, we saw Mary Poppins doing meet and greets on Main Street in the MK!

Look forward to reading more about your trip!

 

[Saphire5742]

Hey there! Finally got a chance to read your ptr. Completely jealous! Ive been planning my own trip for years, now and still can't go. I'll just read yours and live vicariously!

Hello and . I've been waiting for years too. Hope you get to go soon

Joining in! Your trip is coming up fast - woohoo!

. I still can't believe I'm actually going. 2.5 months to go!

Your ADR's all look yummy and you have quite a few that I've never eaten at before so I'm looking forward to hearing how you like them.

Thanks. I agonized a lot over those choices. Can't wait to indulge. And of course there will be a DR. Will try my best not to disappoint

 

[Saphire5742]

76 days!!!!!!!!!!

, it's been a while. Time flies. Of course that brings me closer to the Magic, but before that I have a major exam coming up. End of March to be exact. And I admit I'm stressed and overwhelmed and am having difficulty concentrating on the material that I have to learn. But enough of that, it's time for an update.

There have been a few developments. For one thing I canceled the park hopper option on my tickets. It's looking more and more that I won't be using them so I'd rather spend that money elsewhere.

Also yesterday I saw that the menus for F&G booths were released. Yay!!!! There looks to be some interesting items on there. The following are on my list to try (courtesy of disneyfoodblog.com):

NEW! La Isla Fresca

• • 
    Jerk-spice Grouper or Chicken with Mango Salsa, Chayote and Green Papaya Slaw with Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette (GF)
  • Jamaican-braised Beef with Pigeon Pea Rice and Micro Cilantro
  • Tres Leches with Guava Purée

NEW! Cider House

• • 
    Pear Cider-brined Shredded Corned Beef with Braised Cabbage and Pears and Branston Dressing
  • Freshly Baked Lemon Scone with Crème Fraîche and Mixed Berries (GF)
  • Sonoma “The Pitchfork” Organic Pear Hard Cider, Healdsburg, CA

Urban Farm Eats

• • 
    Vegetable and White Bean “Naanwich” with Arugula Pesto and Oven-dried Tomatoes featuring Seeds of Change® Quinoa, Brown & Red Rice

Jardin de Fiestas

• • 
    Corn Tortilla Quesadilla served with Roasted Mushrooms and Zucchini Blossom topped with Green Tomatillo Sauce
  • Flan de Rosas served with Hibiscus Reduction

Lotus House

• • 
    Gaoli Beef Bun
  • Beijing-style Candied Strawberries
  • Vegetable Spring Roll with Orange Sauce
  • Honey Mango Wine Cooler

Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market

• • 
    Chicken Fricassee with Green Asparagus and Peas served with Uncle Ben’s® Rice Pilaf.

Primavera Kitchen

• • 
    Pollo alla Parmigiana: Breaded Breast of Chicken, Tomato, Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese
  • Mezze Lune Primavera: Egg Pasta stuffed with Ricotta and Spinach in a Creamy Sauce with Spring Vegetables and Pecorino Cheese

The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews

• • 
    Warm Chocolate Cake with Bourbon-Salted Caramel Sauce and Spiced Pecans

Hanami

• • 
    Frushi: Fresh Pineapple, Strawberry and Melon Rolled with Raspberry Coconut Rice, sprinkled with Toasted Coconut and Whipped Cream on the side

Florida Fresh

• • 
    Kale Salad with Dried Cherries, Almonds, Goat Cheese and White Balsamic Vinaigrette (GF)

You'll notice that there isn't much in the way of drinks here. I'm not a big drinker. I might have the occasional wine or cocktail but that's about it. I get lightheaded easily. I would like to try a drink or two. We'll see what I feel up to. Don't want the alcohol to spoil my vacation especially after such a long wait. Looking over this list it's a good thing I have two full Epcot days planned and only 1 ADR there. If I ever make it to F&W, I'm going to need those park hoppers for sure and an extra day!

Another thing I just found out about today was the Gardens of the World Tour during F&G. I'm leaning towards signing up for that. The price is almost the same as those park hoppers I canceled last week. I do have another full Epcot day planned after all.

Also FP+ day is rapidly approaching. As of right now I don't know whether my schedule will allow me to do them myself or if I'll have to ask my TA to do them for me. Couldn't ask for the time off since I have other important requests for that week. Anyway, like I mentioned before, I've been doing my research on what my FP picks should be.

Here's what I decided so far-

May 9- first MK day
Peter Pan's flight
Mine Train
Wishes

May 10- first Epcot day
Spaceship Earth
Character Spot
Illuminations

May 12- HS day
Toy Story
Tower of Terror
????? Voyage of LM or Frozen sing along (none of the other options appeal to me)

May 13- AK day
Safari
Expedition Everest
Dinosaur

May 14- 2nd Epcot day
Test Track
Nemo
?????? I guess anything will do here

May 15- 2nd MK day
Splash Mountain
Haunted Mansion
Pirates

What do you think?

Today I leave you with something special. After the last update I got to wondering how WDW looked like on my first ever trip. I found a website- disneyparksearchive.com - that has Disney guidebooks throughout the years. And I saw something mentioned and thought "Hey, I have a photo of that!". You see before I moved, my mom made me a scrapbook. I haven't looked at it in a while, but on one of the pages there is the exact photo described in the guidebook. My mom thinks it was the summer after I was born, July 1982. That would have made me a little over 6 months.




So that's me, my parents, and my uncle who was almost 10 at the time. Hmmm, I wonder what he remembers.

 

[SarahDisney]

We haven't gotten park hopper in a few years. It really isn't worth it unless you're going to use it a lot.

Your food selections look great!

I think your FP+ selections look pretty good. HS and Epcot are both kinda hard ... we've done Frozen Sing Along at HS, and I don't know that it really makes a difference.

Also ... I love your picture. It's adorable!!

 

[Saphire5742]

We haven't gotten park hopper in a few years. It really isn't worth it unless you're going to use it a lot.

Your food selections look great!

I think your FP+ selections look pretty good. HS and Epcot are both kinda hard ... we've done Frozen Sing Along at HS, and I don't know that it really makes a difference.

Also ... I love your picture. It's adorable!!

Thanks for the reassurance!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Saphire5742]

Ok, so according to a thread I just stumbled upon, Wishes (and also possibly Illuminations) FP+ will no longer be available after April 19. And in my search for more info I saw this on several other forums as well. Ok then. I guess that changes my FP choices. So for my first MK day I'll choose Space Mountain. For my first Epcot day though, I guess I'll have to use it on Test Track just like the second Epcot day, since Soarin will still be down for refurb.
Also found out that the refurb for BTMRR has been delayed so it will be available after all for the dates I'll be there. So I'm thinking switching to that FP instead of Pirates for my second MK day.

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Saphire5742]

Got my schedule for next week today. So even though I wasn't able to request it, I'm available on FP+ day.
Next Wednesday, March 9. WooHoo!!!!!!

 

[Saphire5742]

64 more days before Magic immersion!!!!!!!!!!!
{and 3.5 days until FP+ selection}

So, on Monday when I returned home from my evening shift I checked one of the Disney blog sites that I follow before bed and saw the most exciting and long awaited news. Disney officially announced RoL opening!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This makes me so happy. Plus there are plans for outdoor entertainment in the late afternoon and evening that sound like fun. On the other hand Disney has yet to announce show times which is annoying.
Anyway I decided to move up my Boma reservation from 6:20 to 4:30. I figure I'll be at AK for rope drop then leave for AKL at around 3ish so I have some time to explore the resort before dinner and then head back to AK. This also means that I canceled the Yak&Yeti lunch reservation. So I won't be having the won ton desert after all . Oh well. I think I'll just get a quick breakfast at the resort or have a sweet snack at AK at around 10ish.

Continuing from where I left off in my last update, I have two more nostalgia photos to share today. They were both in that scrapbook my mom made for me. This first one is when I was 8 featuring myself, my sister, and my grandmother. I knew my grandma was with us when I was 16 but forgot that she was with us the time before as well.

That's me in the Goofy hat!

The next one is the last time I was at Disney, 18 years ago. I am hesitant sharing this since I look soooooo dorky. Totally cringing right now, but here it is anyhow:



But it is cool to have a photo with The Queen of Hearts. I think I was trying to channel her Majesty. Obviously I did not succeed. Back then I was not completely in touch with my evil side yet.

Some backstory on the last trip. I really wanted to go to Disney the year before. Probably because of all the commercials advertising the 25th anniversary celebrations. Alas, my parents decided on Mexico instead that year. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. But the following year my parents did take us to Disney! Of course I was so happy when I found out. Doubly so because Disney decided to extend the celebrations until the end of January of 98.
So yes, this means that the last time I saw the castle in person it was a giant pink cake. I know it gets a lot of hate, but honestly I don't hate it myself. Obviously compared to the majesty of the original it was kinda tacky, but I think it was also fun and playful and whimsical. Not everything has to be taken so seriously. Although I'm sure couples who planned weddings there for that time before the newly decorated castle was unveiled were not amused.

This week I'm also planning on renewing my passport which expires next month. And in preparation for that I need to buy some pink hair dye. Right now the highlights are a very very very faded shade of green. Not something I want to be sporting in a passport picture for the next 10 years.

That's all folks.
Stay tuned next week when we find out how my FP+ day went.

 

[Dentam]

I saw the sneak peek of RoL that was posted the other day. It looks like it is going to be an amazing show and I bet it'll be a tear jerker too! That's so awesome that you'll get to see it during your trip! And you can't go wrong with a meal at Boma!

 

[SarahDisney]

Yay for finally getting an opening date for RoL ... I'm so excited that you're going to get to see it.

I love the throwback pictures!

I never saw the cake castle, but from what I've seen in pictures, it's kinda cute. I'd rather have seen the regular castle there, but it's still a little cute!