cheryllarsen
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2011
Your words draw the pictures.
A boat really is the best way to approach MK! The WL boat is even better than the larger one.I especially love the way the Magic Kingdom looks from a boat. It's just the perfect serene way to approach the park.
That's a really good rule! I try to follow the same and sit whenever possible.My number 1 rule of Disney is "Save the Feet!" It seemed weird that no one else sat down like I did.
That is a really sweet way to remember your mom.My mom loved carousels and before she died, she made me promise to always ride a carousel for her whenever I had the chance. Whenever I ride one, I think of her, and wish she was there with me.
That is the perfect way to spend an afternoon! It doesn't get better than a book and a hot tub for me.For the next 2 hours, I alternated between the hot tub, the pool, and sitting in my lounger reading a spicy romance. It was deeply relaxing.
I'm sorry to hear the service at Jaleo wasn't as good this time around! The food is excellent, but service can make or break a meal as an experience.Sadly, this would not be as good as the last time.
We had the same experience this year - we usually love the morning safaris to see more activity, but our morning ride this year didn't have the same activity we've seen in the past. Same with Gorilla Falls, we couldn't really see the gorillas because they were resting too far away. I might change up when we do those things next time!I have usually had great safaris in the morning, but there just weren't a lot of animals out that day. Needing a bigger animal fix, I wandered through the Gorilla Falls trail
A good skipper makes all the difference on that ride, so nice you sent a cast compliment!Then back to the Jungle Cruise, where Skipper Laura was so good I sent in a cast compliment. She had a lot of energy for someone who had to be at work early in the morning.
Oh no! While definitely the responsible thing to do, I wonder if the CMs would have let you ride if you had shown them your upcoming boarding group number and flight info. You were so close! But, a reason to go back, and it's great you hit everything else on your list.With a sigh of responsibility, I gave up. No Tron for me. Riding Tron was the only thing on my List that I hadn't gotten to do, so overall, I was ok.
It's great you were able to take the time to relax! I love what an escape Disney can be.It was so nice to just dedicate myself to relaxing and having fun. I don't get to do much of that in my life.
Thank you for sharing your trip, I enjoyed reading!Thanks for reading and commenting - Disney is pretty wonderful, but you WDW fans are even better!
Well cheese and carbs are both food groups so it makes perfect sense that cheese biscuits are perfect!I grabbed a to-go breakfast from Roaring Fork to eat in my room. It is a terrible tragedy that you cannot buy more of those cheese biscuits. They are soooooo good. Like, sneaky good. Like, darned near worth going to the Lodge just to get a biscuit good.
Such an amazing morning!Between stacking and light attendance, I had an amazing time at the park. I walked into the park and onto Spaceship Earth. Headed to GOTG and found a photographer with no line at the Walt statue. Road GotG - even with the BG it was a 45 minute wait in line. But that ride. Woosh-twisty-woosh! For some reason I thought it was a dark ride with screens, so I was kinda surprised. But it was big fun. Then across the park to Soarin over CA. I now know what everyone means about the orange grove smell. Living with the land x 2, then lunch an Sunshine Seasons. They had a roast chicken with black beans and rice that was reall good. Then I headed into the countries.
Same here! My go to park uniform is either a cute T/skort combo or a Disney dress with bike shorts underneath. I'm all about the comfort!yet as I walked away with my chilly orange goodness, I spotted a single empty chair tucked in the shade behind a bush. Oh, it's good to be a solo traveler sometimes. It was so nice to sit, slurp and people watch. I gotta admit, there were a surprising number of people in pleather pants at WDW this year. Being 57 means I look at them and think "oh, that must chafe like a mother." I guess I've given up on the Cute Trendy Clothes bus. If they were happy, I'm happy. I'll stick to my casual comfy tshirts, swing dresses, and shorts-with-pockets.
Hello....exactly what I would get!Grabbed a gingerbread cookie to take back to my room at Karamel Kuche and a bottle of wine for the balcony from Italy.
Absolutely the perfect evening!Dinner was a glass of wine and some charcuterie on the patio, with my gingerbread cookie for desert. I wish I they had Karamel Kuche at home. They have the best stuff! Then another evening of watching the MK firework on the balcony. That is just the nicest way to end the day. It sent me to bed smiling and singing along to HEA.
I can picture myself there....your words set the scene perfectly.I practically skipped out of my room to the boat launch, where I was the second person in line to get on to the first boat. I love boats. I love the way the world looks from a boat. I love the way the Lodge looks from a boat. I especially love the way the Magic Kingdom looks from a boat. It's just the perfect serene way to approach the park. Fog was floating off the water and a heron stood on one leg watching us cruise by. It felt like something in a Disney movie, especially since Poof! Suddenly there's a castle!
I am stealing this idea for my next MK rope drop!My number 1 rule of Disney is "Save the Feet!" It seemed weird that no one else sat down like I did. You can't get any closer to the rope because of the crowd. Why not rest? Especially since you can rejoin the crowd as soon as it starts to move. In any case, I sat and people watched for a bit, and as soon as the crowd started moving, I walked on to Peter Pan. There's something about the view over London (Maybe because I'm in a boat???) that I just love
Time for the pool after a perfect morning!I walked out of Liberty Tree just at the perfect time - I could hear the sounds of the Festival of Fantasy parade in the distance. I sat down on the convenient steps, and watched the parade float by. It as nice to sit and digest. But boy was it getting hot!
Yes!! Nothing better.It was hot. I was hot. I was full. I was on vacation. I was feeling relaxed and lazy. I was going back to the Lodge and go to the pool.
Exactly!! Feeling like a big pile of happy pudding is the best feeling ever.The boat ride back was shady and breezy, cooling me down just right. I slipped into my swimsuit. My room was so wonderfully close to the pool - just a few short steps. The geyser exploded just as I walked past, misting over me like a blessing. I found a lounger quickly, tossed my coverup and shoes on it, and slid into the water. That perfect, cool-but-not-too-cool water. It was fun to watch the kids play. I don't think anyone enjoys a pool as much as an 8 year old. For the next 2 hours, I alternated between the hot tub, the pool, and sitting in my lounger reading a spicy romance. It was deeply relaxing. There is this point where your bones melt and turn into pudding, and that is exactly how I felt. Like a big pile of happy pudding.
Putting the lemon cookie on the list for August.That night, I sat on my balcony and watched the HEA fireworks again, nibbling on a lemon cookie from the Summer House. If you like lemon, you MUST get this cookie. Moist with crispy edges and an intense lemon flavor, it was one of the best things I ate all week. I've never had Gideon's. I'm sure they are great. But OMG that lemon cookie! It's hard for me to imagine that anything at Gideon's could be better. Cookie and fireworks to end the night - this is exactly what a vacation is supposed to be.
There's a reason WDW is often referred to as "the bubble". The real world doesn't exist within it's gates. We all need a break from our adult lives and responsibilities.Is there anything as purely decadent as sleeping in at WDW? Knowing that you can get up at any moment to face a world of fun possibilities? There is something about laying there, Disney music playing, contemplating all your options. It makes me feel so fortunately, so lucky. We all need to escape our modern lives sometime. WDW is a great escape. Maybe the perfect escape.
Sounds like the best morning!Stuffed, with biscuity goodness oozing out of every pore, I made a lazy morning out of it. I sat on my balcony and watched squirrels. I read a book in the lobby. I relaxed in a soft chair near Geyser Point and watched the boats float by. I did nothing. It was blissful. This is exactly the reason to stay at a Deluxe resort. The grounds are so lovely and so relaxing that you can relax and simply Be.
Awesome MK evening! You are selling me on late February.By 4 pm, though, I was ready to Do Something again. It was Evening Hours at MK for Deluxe guests That made for an easy decision. I hopped back on the boat, and over to MK. The crowd was astonishingly light. The weather was beautiful, but I guess the race crowds were all gone. It felt like almost no one was in the park. I rode Buzz Lightyear, Mermaid, HM, BTMRRx2 and took the train all the way around the park. I munched a Mickey bar, then road the Riverboat. I grabbed a quick chili cheese dog at Caseys for dinner, and still had time for the Mad Tea Party (possibly not the smartest thing to ride after a chili cheese dog), the People Mover, and the Carousel. At 6 I tried to get a Tron boarding group. I thought it would be easy because there were so few people, but no luck. Darn it, Tron! I will get you eventually! Oh well, I have another chance later that week. So I wandered the shops, again disappointed that I didn't see anything I wanted to buy. Finally I grabbed a spot on Main Street and watched HEA. Having seen the fireworks 2 nights in a row from my balcony, I focused on the projections. And look! It's the Kiss Goodnight! Another ride on the People mover. Another shot at Zurg. Let's try the Carousel of Progress. There were so few people - only 7DMT had any sort of a line. But it was 10:30 pm and I was tired. Time to hop a boat back to my cozy room and head to bed.
Wow!!Then, since I hadn't officially used my ILL, I walked on to ROTR again. I was stunned at my luck. Who gets to walk on to ROTR twice in a row???
100%!It was only 8 pm, but I'd done what I wanted. I caught a bus back to the lodge, and I bet you can guess what I did. Yes, I watched the HEA fireworks with a glass of wine from my balcony. These relaxed evenings watching HEA were worth every extra dollar spent at a deluxe hotel.
I love the Disney Uniqlo too. We have one at our local mall but nothing compares to the ones at Disney Springs.Uniqlo is one of my weakness at Disney Springs. They have unusual tshirts and great clothes, and no branches anywhere near where I live. I ended up buying a couple of tshirts and a waffle henley. That henly has henley has been wonderful - so warm and so soft! - I really wish I'd bought a second one in another color. Next I went back to the Summer House and picked up 2 more lemon cookies. Have I mentioned how good they are? lol You really do have to try them.
Spending time with yourself and for yourself is the best ever!There is something about WDW. You are too tired to move quick, you've had too much fun to be stressed, you got to spend a whole week doing things just for yourself. I felt filled with joy and empty of stress. It was nice to sit by the lake and feel lucky to be there.
That's one of the things I like best about solo travel; no need to make difficult decisions.Not thinking is one of the best parts about Disney. I get so tired that my brain turns off. I don't have to make difficult decisions. I can just do what seems like fun in the moment. That's one of the best things. But a little before 6 am, I gave up and got out of bed. I dropped my luggage to Bell Services. I had a few bottles of water, some gatorade and some soda left over, so I bundled it into a plastic bag and wandered down to the restaurant to see if I could give it away. To my surprise, no one wanted it. I ended up leaving it on a table by the elevator, and when I went past it 20 minutes later, it was gone. I really hope someone saw the Take Me sign and picked it up.
There's always a next time!Back at the lodge, I grabbed my luggage and called an Uber back to the airport ($36.94). Once at the airport, our plane ended up being delayed for 2 hours, darn it. I would have had enough time to ride Tron after all! Oh well. Next time.
I tour pretty much the same as you. I prefer rope drop, a restful afternoon and a park evening.This trip made me realize how I like to do Disney. I want to spend about 6 hours in the park. I'm not much of a park hopper, though I like having the option. I've been to WDW enough that I can just do the things I like and not feel bad about skipping attractions that I'm meh about. I want to stay somewhere nice so I can enjoy relaxing at the resort; a Deluxe is worth it to me and a nice pool is important. In fact, I adored Wilderness Lodge. I think it may have spoiled me for all other resorts. I never got tired of being able to watch fireworks from my patio while listening to the HEA soundtrack. The quality of the food at the resort was good too, and that makes a difference to me. It was so nice to just dedicate myself to relaxing and having fun. I don't get to do much of that in my life.