The Cast: Me, 26 year old Disney fanatic from New Jersey
Kristen, my long time girlfriend who I gave the Disney bug years ago
Special Appearance: My parents who relocated to Florida 4 years ago (Lucky!)
Day 3 (We are now an engaged Disney couple)
We actually slept in this morning after all the craziness the day before. Normally this never happens at Disney, but the day before was so action packed that we really needed it. We saw some giraffes and an ostrich from our balcony, but they were kind of far off in the distance. We packed our bag up forgoing breakfast and had the valet get out car. I did express checkout that makes life real easy. First stop this morning was Magic Kingdom, the quintessential Disney park. We decided to take the long way there by way of Epcot because we wanted to have dinner there later. We parked, hopped on the monorail and then onto the boat to the magic gate that lead to Main Street. The park was crowded, but not miserably so. I have seen it much worse in October, which surprised both of us. We walked over to future world to see if we could get on Buzz or Space Mt. Both were packed, but we opted for the fast past for Space Mt which was only an hour away. We had some time to kill so we saw Carrousel of Progress, which is as delightful as ever. I really hope they keep this attraction. Even without an update, it is still magical. We still had a little time so we took a relaxing ride on the People Mover or whatever it is called now. We love to wave at the people coming the other direction and see who waves back. It was time for Space Mountain so we handed in our fast passes and walked by a line that stretched out the entrance to the attraction. Disney lied about the wait time, it was much longer. They did not have any of the corrals open by the ride loading area so it was a real short wait for us. I always love this ride because it was the first rollercoaster I ever rode when I was a wee tike. Right after Space we got our fast pass for Buzz and went in search of lunch. After skipping breakfast we were starving. We discovered a great bargain in the park if you like Mexican food. The outdoor eating area is over by Pirates, but the name escapes me. We got large lemonade, taco salad and 2 tacos for $13. This was more than enough food for the both of us. We both highly recommend this place and will be including it in our regular visits. It wasnt time for Buzz yet so we literally walked on Pirates. We were both in shock over the non-existent wait. Once again, a great Disney classic ride. On the long way to Buzz, we were able to pick up Fast Passes for the Haunted Mansion. We both had a great time on Buzz and I won, but my score wasnt super. I always forget where that mega point target is. It was time for a little dessert so I wanted to try one of those Dole Whips that are always mentioned. Kristen loves ice scream so she was up for it. We shared the pineapple shake that was pineapple juice with the pineapple dole whip. It was heavenly, it will also be added to our cant miss food items on our next trip. It was about time for the Haunted Mansion and the fast pass line and the standby line ended up being the same, so a word to the wise: dont get a fast pass unless the line really stretches past the horseless carriage. This ride is still one of my favorites, only in Disney can you have such a creepy ride without truly being scary. I wish they carried more merchandise for the attraction because I would buy it all. After picking up a cool Mickey surfing towel at the little surf shop near the tree house, we were back on the monorail to Epcot. We got to sit in the front on the way to the ticket center, which was a first for Kristen, and she really enjoyed it. The trip to Epcot was quiet. We wanted to eat at a sit down restaurant in Epcot, but did not have any priority seating reservations so we hurried over to Guest Services to make a late attempt to have dinner. To our surprise we got to eat at one of our favorites, Japan. OK, we had some time before dinner so we rode the old favorite, Spaceship Earth, again. We also wanted to explore Innoventions a bit so we took this time to do it. The sky was looking pretty menacing right now and people looked to be leaving the park in droves. Instead of making the long walk to Japan, we hopped on one of the boats to cross the lagoon. This was a pleasurable little ride and was a first for both of us. Dinner was great as usual. We learned that the Teppanyaki Grill is Epcots most popular restaurant and that it is the busiest one in the world. However, Kristen and I both agreed that Bennihanna is better at home. We sat with a couple from New York who were down for the first time without their kids and loving it, so we were telling them about all the adult spots in Disney like Pleasure Island. After dinner it was raining so we jogged over to the US pavilion to see the show and check out the flag from ground zero. Both were moving especially after the events from this past year. We had plans to meet my mom and brother to see Circue du Soleil at 9:00. We really wanted to get over to Downtown Disney to do some shopping before the show so we quickly made our way there to find mob scenes at the World of Disney. It was raining and it was Saturday night, 2 things to avoid at Downtown Disney. We split up because we already knew 90% of the stuff we wanted to get after seeing it in the parks. A word to the wise: if you see it in the park and it is not attraction specific, World of Disney will have it. This way you can use one of the many discounts available there. We made the mistake on a couple of items, but you live, you learn. After a whirl wind tour of the store, we made our purchases and ran back to the car so we did not have to bring them into the circus.
I have heard many wonderful things about Circue du Soleil so I had huge expectations. The crowd was mostly couples, there were not a whole lot of families there. I guess price prohibits it. I felt a little underdressed because some people were really dressed up, but at least we were not in shorts and t-shirts. What can I say about the show, it was magical, exciting and breath taking. My favorite act was the guy on the mountain bike and Kristens was the little oriental girls with the rope things?? The time flew. See this show, it is so worth it!
After the circus, we had a little time before Downtown Disney closed so we ran over there to check out the new toy store. The place is huge and so well themed. We were so disappointed that we did not have more time to browse around. Next time we vowed to make our own Mr. Potato heads. Well, it was time to head back to Thonotosassa. The magical journey had ended, but it was our shortest and best trip yet!
Kristen, my long time girlfriend who I gave the Disney bug years ago
Special Appearance: My parents who relocated to Florida 4 years ago (Lucky!)
Day 3 (We are now an engaged Disney couple)
We actually slept in this morning after all the craziness the day before. Normally this never happens at Disney, but the day before was so action packed that we really needed it. We saw some giraffes and an ostrich from our balcony, but they were kind of far off in the distance. We packed our bag up forgoing breakfast and had the valet get out car. I did express checkout that makes life real easy. First stop this morning was Magic Kingdom, the quintessential Disney park. We decided to take the long way there by way of Epcot because we wanted to have dinner there later. We parked, hopped on the monorail and then onto the boat to the magic gate that lead to Main Street. The park was crowded, but not miserably so. I have seen it much worse in October, which surprised both of us. We walked over to future world to see if we could get on Buzz or Space Mt. Both were packed, but we opted for the fast past for Space Mt which was only an hour away. We had some time to kill so we saw Carrousel of Progress, which is as delightful as ever. I really hope they keep this attraction. Even without an update, it is still magical. We still had a little time so we took a relaxing ride on the People Mover or whatever it is called now. We love to wave at the people coming the other direction and see who waves back. It was time for Space Mountain so we handed in our fast passes and walked by a line that stretched out the entrance to the attraction. Disney lied about the wait time, it was much longer. They did not have any of the corrals open by the ride loading area so it was a real short wait for us. I always love this ride because it was the first rollercoaster I ever rode when I was a wee tike. Right after Space we got our fast pass for Buzz and went in search of lunch. After skipping breakfast we were starving. We discovered a great bargain in the park if you like Mexican food. The outdoor eating area is over by Pirates, but the name escapes me. We got large lemonade, taco salad and 2 tacos for $13. This was more than enough food for the both of us. We both highly recommend this place and will be including it in our regular visits. It wasnt time for Buzz yet so we literally walked on Pirates. We were both in shock over the non-existent wait. Once again, a great Disney classic ride. On the long way to Buzz, we were able to pick up Fast Passes for the Haunted Mansion. We both had a great time on Buzz and I won, but my score wasnt super. I always forget where that mega point target is. It was time for a little dessert so I wanted to try one of those Dole Whips that are always mentioned. Kristen loves ice scream so she was up for it. We shared the pineapple shake that was pineapple juice with the pineapple dole whip. It was heavenly, it will also be added to our cant miss food items on our next trip. It was about time for the Haunted Mansion and the fast pass line and the standby line ended up being the same, so a word to the wise: dont get a fast pass unless the line really stretches past the horseless carriage. This ride is still one of my favorites, only in Disney can you have such a creepy ride without truly being scary. I wish they carried more merchandise for the attraction because I would buy it all. After picking up a cool Mickey surfing towel at the little surf shop near the tree house, we were back on the monorail to Epcot. We got to sit in the front on the way to the ticket center, which was a first for Kristen, and she really enjoyed it. The trip to Epcot was quiet. We wanted to eat at a sit down restaurant in Epcot, but did not have any priority seating reservations so we hurried over to Guest Services to make a late attempt to have dinner. To our surprise we got to eat at one of our favorites, Japan. OK, we had some time before dinner so we rode the old favorite, Spaceship Earth, again. We also wanted to explore Innoventions a bit so we took this time to do it. The sky was looking pretty menacing right now and people looked to be leaving the park in droves. Instead of making the long walk to Japan, we hopped on one of the boats to cross the lagoon. This was a pleasurable little ride and was a first for both of us. Dinner was great as usual. We learned that the Teppanyaki Grill is Epcots most popular restaurant and that it is the busiest one in the world. However, Kristen and I both agreed that Bennihanna is better at home. We sat with a couple from New York who were down for the first time without their kids and loving it, so we were telling them about all the adult spots in Disney like Pleasure Island. After dinner it was raining so we jogged over to the US pavilion to see the show and check out the flag from ground zero. Both were moving especially after the events from this past year. We had plans to meet my mom and brother to see Circue du Soleil at 9:00. We really wanted to get over to Downtown Disney to do some shopping before the show so we quickly made our way there to find mob scenes at the World of Disney. It was raining and it was Saturday night, 2 things to avoid at Downtown Disney. We split up because we already knew 90% of the stuff we wanted to get after seeing it in the parks. A word to the wise: if you see it in the park and it is not attraction specific, World of Disney will have it. This way you can use one of the many discounts available there. We made the mistake on a couple of items, but you live, you learn. After a whirl wind tour of the store, we made our purchases and ran back to the car so we did not have to bring them into the circus.
I have heard many wonderful things about Circue du Soleil so I had huge expectations. The crowd was mostly couples, there were not a whole lot of families there. I guess price prohibits it. I felt a little underdressed because some people were really dressed up, but at least we were not in shorts and t-shirts. What can I say about the show, it was magical, exciting and breath taking. My favorite act was the guy on the mountain bike and Kristens was the little oriental girls with the rope things?? The time flew. See this show, it is so worth it!
After the circus, we had a little time before Downtown Disney closed so we ran over there to check out the new toy store. The place is huge and so well themed. We were so disappointed that we did not have more time to browse around. Next time we vowed to make our own Mr. Potato heads. Well, it was time to head back to Thonotosassa. The magical journey had ended, but it was our shortest and best trip yet!