Meet me at the Snuggly Duckling! A June 2018 TR. UPDATED 3/8

[petals]

Hope you're feeling better soon. I love the lion pic from your safari. We never saw the dancer types at the Rivers of Light

 

[Mommy Of 3]

Your kitties are SOOOO adorable!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Well, after nearly three weeks my cold is finally almost gone. Just a lingering cough now but it is nothing compared to the awfulness I was suffering through. I don't think I have ever had such a bad cold. Pretty sure I picked it up from my friend's baby as I babysat him a few days before I got sick and he was sick that day. Luckily he didn't suffer as long as I did.

In trip news Mom and I are no longer going to Disney in September. It turns out our change of plans is a good thing as Disney just announced Star Wars would be opening up earlier than expected at the end of August. I really would not have wanted to deal with the craziness that comes with that.

So why did we cancel our September trip? We decided to forego a trip this year and we are headed to Europe next year instead. We have booked a 9-night Disney Med cruise!!! We will spend some time in Rome before the cruise and then set sail for the Greek Islands, Croatia and Southern Italy. I have been to Italy before but Mom never has and neither of us have been to Greece. I am planning a land trip of Greece with my Dad and brother for 2022 but this will be a nice introduction to the country for me before I go on my in depth trip in a few years.


Now for the final update for my June 2018 trip:

June 20: Departure Day

The saddest day of any Disney trip had arrived, departure day.

We were up early and went down to The Mara for breakfast. I ordered the Bounty Platter and we sat outside in the same spot we had enjoyed dinner the day before.



Breakfast was good and filling.

Up in the room after breakfast we finished packing and enjoyed some final moments on our balcony with our animal friends.



Soon enough though we had to roll our bags down that long hall to the lobby to catch our ride.

Goodbye beautiful AKL! See you later!



This was our first WDW trip using the Magical Express so Mom and I were stressing a little about making sure we were waiting in the right spot so that we wouldn't miss the bus. When we got outside there was nobody else by the DME sign but eventually a few more people showed up. We then started to get stressed again when the bus didn't show up on time. The shuttle between Jambo House and Kidani arrived three times before the DME bus showed up.

On the bus



Driving away from AKL we could not believe the traffic back-up going to Animal Kingdom. It just kept stretching further and further away from the park. Would not want to be driving to Animal Kingdom that day. It was INSANE!

We had to stop at POP but then we were on our way to the airport.

We were happy when we got to the airport with tons of time to spare. I know most people hate waiting around in airports but I am a worrier and I would rather have to wait there for several hours rather than getting there close to the flight and being stressed out about traffic on the road and line-ups at the airport.

Since we had lots of time at the airport I did some last minute shopping. I got a SpaceX shirt for my dad from the Cape Canaveral store which was a big hit when I presented him with it in September.

I also purchased a WDW zip-up hoodie that I had been eyeing the whole trip but had held off buying since I wasn't sure I would have room in my luggage. I just wore it onto the plane which turned out to be a good thing as it was freezing!

Back in Canada we had to clear through Customs and Immigration and then find my brother Alek. He had taken a bus from our hometown to the airport in Toronto where he would meet up with us since we were continuing on to visit our family in Ohio from the airport.

We ended up driving until 11pm so it was a long travel day but we did get to see a beautiful sunset.



And that was the end of our Disney trip!


I will do a wrap-up post in a few days with my final thoughts and impressions.

 

[missangelalexis]

Glad you're finally feeling better. Your trip next year sounds like it will be awesome!

Departure days are the worst Glad it all went smoothly!

 

[Lesley Wake]

So why did we cancel our September trip? We decided to forego a trip this year and we are headed to Europe next year instead. We have booked a 9-night Disney Med cruise!!! We will spend some time in Rome before the cruise and then set sail for the Greek Islands, Croatia and Southern Italy. I have been to Italy before but Mom never has and neither of us have been to Greece. I am planning a land trip of Greece with my Dad and brother for 2022 but this will be a nice introduction to the country for me before I go on my in depth trip in a few years.

I'm so jealous! We really considered doing this one or the 12-night one, but it was just way too expensive! $17k for 3 adults in a veranda! Instead my mom decided we would do an Alaskan cruises as a family, so I booked that. It'll be easier to get up to Vancouver, and my Uncle lives there so we have a place to stay pre-cruise. And the timing worked out the whole family can go if they want.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Departure Day is always sad, we use ME for all or our trips and it is so nice not to have to drive to the airport myself!

We did a 9 night Med cruise on Princess Cruise lines, it was wonderful, we started in Venice and ended in Barcelona with Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, and Spain stops! We had the most beautiful weather that trip, I loved it.

We are taking our first Disney Cruise in January 2020, 4 nights on the Dream, it is very exciting!

Enjoyed your trip reporting! I hope you write a TR after your cruise, you do a great detailed job of writing your reports!

 

[petals]

Great trip report, thanks for sharing! Glad you are feeling better as well. The Med Cruise sounds exciting!

 

[Steppesister]

Well, after nearly three weeks my cold is finally almost gone. Just a lingering cough now but it is nothing compared to the awfulness I was suffering through. I don't think I have ever had such a bad cold. Pretty sure I picked it up from my friend's baby as I babysat him a few days before I got sick and he was sick that day. Luckily he didn't suffer as long as I did.

Oh my. That sounds just AWFUL!

In trip news Mom and I are no longer going to Disney in September. It turns out our change of plans is a good thing as Disney just announced Star Wars would be opening up earlier than expected at the end of August. I really would not have wanted to deal with the craziness that comes with that.

We're supposed to arrive Sept 13th- 2 weeks after opening. I"m going to have to re-think our plans now.

So why did we cancel our September trip? We decided to forego a trip this year and we are headed to Europe next year instead. We have booked a 9-night Disney Med cruise!!! We will spend some time in Rome before the cruise and then set sail for the Greek Islands, Croatia and Southern Italy. I have been to Italy before but Mom never has and neither of us have been to Greece. I am planning a land trip of Greece with my Dad and brother for 2022 but this will be a nice introduction to the country for me before I go on my in depth trip in a few years.

WooT!! That sounds heavenly!! Super excited for you!

The saddest day of any Disney trip had arrived, departure day.

Always the worst day!.

Oh my! You look positively sad!

Gorgeous!

 

[amazingact21]

Happy to hear your cold is finally clearing up. The ones that stick around forever are the worst; you begin to forget what it's like to feel normal!

Hooray for booking a Med. cruise! Those Greek isles itineraries looked mighty appealing. I bet they are going to be wonderful. And how can you beat visiting Rome beforehand?

Glad to hear MDE worked out well for you and that you were able to pick up a few last minute items at the airport.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

So why did we cancel our September trip? We decided to forego a trip this year and we are headed to Europe next year instead. We have booked a 9-night Disney Med cruise!!! We will spend some time in Rome before the cruise and then set sail for the Greek Islands, Croatia and Southern Italy. I have been to Italy before but Mom never has and neither of us have been to Greece. I am planning a land trip of Greece with my Dad and brother for 2022 but this will be a nice introduction to the country for me before I go on my in depth trip in a few years.

Sounds like a perfectly good reason to cancel a WDW trip! I would love to go to Italy and Greece one day.

We were happy when we got to the airport with tons of time to spare. I know most people hate waiting around in airports but I am a worrier and I would rather have to wait there for several hours rather than getting there close to the flight and being stressed out about traffic on the road and line-ups at the airport.

I am the same way. Many years ago I was more the other way, but after a couple too close calls and almost missing flights, I try to get there with plenty of time to spare.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Glad you're finally feeling better. Your trip next year sounds like it will be awesome!

Departure days are the worst Glad it all went smoothly!

Departure days really are the worst. Every time I have to leave I think I should just move to Orlando.

I'm so jealous! We really considered doing this one or the 12-night one, but it was just way too expensive! $17k for 3 adults in a veranda! Instead my mom decided we would do an Alaskan cruises as a family, so I booked that. It'll be easier to get up to Vancouver, and my Uncle lives there so we have a place to stay pre-cruise. And the timing worked out the whole family can go if they want.

The 12-night was so tempting but it was so expensive. It would have been about $5000 more for just a few more nights. I have to consider the terrible Canadian to US exchange rate as well when making these decisions. I am happy with what we booked though as I have always wanted to go to Dubrovnik and the rest of the itinerary is great as well. I also like that with the cruise I have booked we don't have to worry about flying from different cities at the beginning and end of the trip.

Alaska sounds wonderful. Lucky that you have family in Van to help with the pre-cruise stay.

Departure Day is always sad, we use ME for all or our trips and it is so nice not to have to drive to the airport myself!

We did a 9 night Med cruise on Princess Cruise lines, it was wonderful, we started in Venice and ended in Barcelona with Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, and Spain stops! We had the most beautiful weather that trip, I loved it.

We are taking our first Disney Cruise in January 2020, 4 nights on the Dream, it is very exciting!

Enjoyed your trip reporting! I hope you write a TR after your cruise, you do a great detailed job of writing your reports!

That cruise sounds lovely. I just love travelling. I will be interested to see how I find exploring Europe by cruise ship. In the past I have always done land trips and independently, not with any kind of organized tour, except my school trip to Italy when I was 16. So this cruise style of travelling will be an adjustment for me. Mom is really looking forward to it though and she loves that she doesn't have to worry about hauling her luggae around to new cities every few days.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Great trip report, thanks for sharing! Glad you are feeling better as well. The Med Cruise sounds exciting!

We are both very excited for the trip. I'm excited for the cruise but I am also excited for the pre-cruise stay in Rome and the chance to show my Mom around one of my favourite cities.

Oh my. That sounds just AWFUL!

It was and now that I am pretty much over it my right shoulder is in excruciating pain. I know you will understand how awful this is as aside from the pain I can't really do my job when I can barely move my right arm without gasping in pain. I suffered through two days at work trying to cope with it and getting help from co-workers to turn pt's etc. I'm really hoping it is just a muscular thing and that having this next week off to rest it will resolve the problem.

We're supposed to arrive Sept 13th- 2 weeks after opening. I"m going to have to re-think our plans now.

I'm sure you guys will still have a great time. I have complete faith in your planning abilities and experience with the parks to know how to manage the crowds.

WooT!! That sounds heavenly!! Super excited for you!

We are both really looking forward to the trip. A trip like this is something that Mom has wanted to do for ages so I am happy I can help make it happen for her.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hooray for booking a Med. cruise! Those Greek isles itineraries looked mighty appealing. I bet they are going to be wonderful. And how can you beat visiting Rome beforehand?

I am considering flying into Milan and exploring Italian Lake Country for a day or two since I only got a small taste of Lake Como one evening on my last trip to Italy. We would then take the fast train between Milan and Rome and spend 4-5 days in and around Rome before getting on the ship. If we don't go that route we will just spend a week based in Rome ahead of time and utilize the train for day trips after exploring Rome for several days. The true determinant for the Milan/Lake Como diversion will be the price difference between round trip airfare from Rome or the "open jaw" flights of arriving in Milan and departing from Rome.

I am the same way. Many years ago I was more the other way, but after a couple too close calls and almost missing flights, I try to get there with plenty of time to spare.

Exactly. I am a worrier by nature and so it is just best for my mental health and stress levels to arrive everywhere early.

 

[Steppesister]

It was and now that I am pretty much over it my right shoulder is in excruciating pain. I know you will understand how awful this is as aside from the pain I can't really do my job when I can barely move my right arm without gasping in pain. I suffered through two days at work trying to cope with it and getting help from co-workers to turn pt's etc. I'm really hoping it is just a muscular thing and that having this next week off to rest it will resolve the problem.

I do. My back and neck went through a long, horribly painful season last Fall. It's mostly resolved but MAN! It was tough to actually do my job to full capacity. My co-workers were awesome too and helped with turning pts., lifting the bags of laundry (yes, we do our own housekeeping), etc...

My co-worker fell skiing a couple of months ago and worked for a week with it... BROKEN!!!! She thought it was a torn rotator cuff, but the MRI said otherwise. I super hope she gets the clear to come back in 2 weeks.

I'm sure you guys will still have a great time. I have complete faith in your planning abilities and experience with the parks to know how to manage the crowds.

I shuffled DHS to mid-week hoping we can avoid the local crowd. Touring Plans says level of 5 both days, so we'll see....

We are both really looking forward to the trip. A trip like this is something that Mom has wanted to do for ages so I am happy I can help make it happen for her.

This makes me so happy for you two! Now, you get to plan it!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hello! If anybody is still following this thread I have started a new report for a spontaneous trip that Mom and I just recently took. Here is the link:

An Obsessive Planner's Spontaneous Last Minute Trip to Disney - A June 2019 TR

 

[Christina Johnson]

June 18 - EPCOT

It was sweet relief walking into the air conditioning of Beaches and Cream after after hasty walk in the summer heat.



Not too bad considering my mad dash. I couldn't believe I wasn't a red faced drippy mess.



Mom got the Cheese and Bacon Fries - topped with cheese sauce, bacon, red onions and garlic peppercorn ranch.



I usually get a burger when we eat here but I decided to try out the Grilled Cheese as I had read good things. I did substitute the tomato bisque soup it comes with for fries as I wasn't feeling soup on this hot summer day.



And you can't go to Beaches and Cream and not get dessert!

Mom got the Brownie with vanilla ice cream and asked them to hold the hot fudge and whipped cream.



I usually get the No Way Jose but it is a huge sundae and I knew I would not be able to come anywhere near finishing it so I opted to try a milkshake instead.



Our meal was good but I think I will stick to my tried and true of burger and No Way Jose when I return.





I really love the Beach Club and I'm hoping to rent a two bedroom villa here for our big family trip in 2021.

We decided it was time to head back to the resort for some pool time. Rather than walking back to the front of Epcot to catch a bus to our resort we decided to catch a bus from Beach Club to Animal Kingdom and then get a bus from there back to AKL.



Our plan worked really well as an Animal Kingdom bus showed up quickly and there was an AKL bus waiting at AK when we arrived. Much more efficient than walking to the front of Epcot.

There were lots of animals hanging out by our room that afternoon.













Down at the pool we were able to snag a spot that I had had my eye on and it became my favourite spot. It was in a quiet corner which offered partial shade, minimal foot traffic, and a pretty little stream.









It was a lovely afternoon at the pool. I really enjoyed our afternoon breaks and I plan to incorporate them into our plans from now on.

I spent some time reading in my lounge chair and some time floating around in the pool. They had a Disney trivia game going on so I decided to join in. Some of the questions were pretty hard! While playing the trivia game I made friends with a five year old who swam up to me and gave me a watering can and asked me to "water the roses" with her. It was sweet but also worrisome that a child would be so willing to approach a stranger.

After a few hours of R&R at the resort we made our way back to Epcot where we decided to use our second anytime fastpass from the DVC tour on Soarin.









This time I asked if we could go into the middle section of seats and they placed us in the front row! Never hurts to ask! This ride was much nicer without the distortion of being on the end.

Just recently stumbled on your trip reports! Love reading along so far! Where do you buy all your dresses? I’m loving them all!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Just recently stumbled on your trip reports! Love reading along so far! Where do you buy all your dresses? I’m loving them all!

Nowhere fancy, Gap, Old Navy.