No right,no wrong, no rules for me - I'm free *First solo trip 4/30-5/6* updated 8/29x3 *complete*

[wdwnut61]

I do love all your photos you have a great eye!
I agree Belle and Beast topiaries are beautiful.
DD and I love France the small courtyard on the side and buildings remind us of Les Miserables one of her favorites musicals.
I know what you mean about the heat. It was warm in March but not the 90 plus humidity now.
I never thought of doors as art until my DD was on her honeymoon and they took a European cruise. She took pictures of doors from every country they visited. There was such detail and artistry in each one.
We love Mitsukoshi and we're shocked when we saw it. I hope it doesn't stay that way.
Looking forward to your next update.

 

[chunkymonkey]

Aww your post is making miss all the Epcot topiaries already and I was just there 3 days ago. What a fun day at Epcot so far. There's nothing like walking around the World Showcase...

But not before what is possibly the WORST awkward selfie of the bunch so far:

I think you look super cute and not awkward at all. And that is a great lipstick shade on you!

These were kind of weirdly bland and sweet at the same time, but it worked! I liked them! I do have a question, though...are they supposed to be warm?? Mine were warm, I guess from just sitting out inside the kiosk on the counter? I thought it was odd.

I noticed that too! I don't think they were supposed to be THAT warm. I thought they were definitely warmer than I have had them before. Not like gross warm yet but still noticeable, so you're not the only one!

There was another fun photopass opportunity that I could not skip! You could hang out with miss Snow and turn yourself into a dwarf. What?? Of course I was in for that!!

I loved this Photopass! And you look cute!

 

[kittylady1972]

LOVE all of the photos. Your reviews make me rethink getting any drinks. I have read other drink reviews and it sounds like maybe I'll just stick to a few of the food items at Flower and Garden and not worry about drinks, which is fine with me. I'm very interested in trying the Fruishi though...just looks cool.

 

[xlsm]

As soon as I type this and hit "post reply", I'm heading to school to pick up the kids and we'll be off to Michigan on our Odyssey of the Mind adventure!! Three cars, 7 kids, 6 adults, and waaaayyy too much stuff.

I won't have my laptop, so probably not a lot of checking in throughout the next week, but I might pop in from time to time on my phone.

Wish us luck and see you all real soon!!

 

[missangelalexis]

Good luck and safe travels!!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I'm finally caught back up on your trip report just as you're leaving! Best of luck to you all, and enjoy your trip as much as possible despite the stress!

 

[Raeven]

Good luck!

 

[ariane37]

Best of luck to you and all the team!!!!

 

[xlsm]

Checking in real quick from our last night in Michigan...can't wait to be home, but not looking forward to a 12 hour drive home. No overnight stop this time!

We've had a lot of fun during our trip, but we are so over living the dorm life!! Ready for real food and real beds!

I'll have updates to this report up Monday or Tuesday

 

[TXMNie]

Joining in and loving the updates so far! Flower and Garden looks wonderful!

 

[Lynzer4]

Great report so far... love it!

I'm also from Missouri and flew out of St. Louis for our Disney Cruise on April 26th. We got out as we had an evening flight but we were delayed and it was the most turbulent flight I have ever been on. When we can come Monday, May 1 we could see all the flooding.

Cant wait for more!

 

[Tracy161]

Joining! And now to catch up...

 

[xlsm]

Good morning!! I'm back for realsies this time, did you miss me??

What a whirlwind crazy week, guys, I'm tellin' ya. But we survived, and that's what matters.

Last Tuesday we left town at noon and drove just under 7 hours to Springfield, Illinois. The next morning we were up bright and early and drove about 6ish hours to Lansing, Michigan for Odyssey of the Mind World finals!!

The first night, all four boys decided not to sleep AT ALL. Not a single wink. We were far enough away from them in the dorms (and they were all four together, connected by a bathroom) that we did not hear them. They were not pleasant the next day!!

Things I have learned: dorm life at Michigan State is not for me. We had no air conditioning, no ventilation, creepy fuzz and/or mold filled grates above our bathroom sink...and by the way, how is anyone supposed to get ready or work in a room with the tiniest bathroom on earth and only three plug ins??

And thank goodness for the salad bar, because the food was not awesome.

However, despite a few little hiccups, the overall trip was a lot of fun. If you follow me on Instagram, I shared a little bit, but most of the good stuff (like spraying the kids with silly string - theraputic!!) was on Facebook, so those of you who are my friends on there got a little more of a taste of what we were up to.

I'm ready to get started on next year's problem, which I know sounds crazy after all the complaining I've been doing for the past few months, but I am about 98% sure I get to hand pick a team next year, so...

Anyway, I know you're not here for THAT, you're here for DISNEY!! And I'm ready to get back into the swing of things so this TR doesn't drag on forever and bore you to death.

When I left off, I was wandering through the World Showcase on my way back to Future World and out of the park, so I'll pick up there. Today will be two updates to finish off this first full park day (Yes, this is just the first full day!! I get a little picture/word happy when I'm on my own I guess!!)

Here goes...

Chapter Two Part Seven

So I had finally dodged the crowds of Rafiki wannabe lifter-uppers, admired a lion planter, and was off to take...



An awkward selfie in China!!

The China pavilion is so darn photogenic. I take a gazillion pictures each and every time I walk through there. This day it was just a quick trip though, I'd spend more time later on!



(the colors in this one slay me )

Hello, Mr. Dragon. How you doin'??



(dishonor on YOU, dishonor on your COW!)

I thought this topiary was so cool. I would love to sit down with the designers and hear about how they planned out which plants to use, and placement, etc...

I kept moving around the edges of China and found these guys:



It's official - a panda is cute no matter what it's covered with. Fur, plants, whatever.

Up next??

Norway!!

Norway has been a favorite since my first ever visit to WDW (which was also during Flower and Garden), way back when Akershus was a walk up and not a character meal.

This guy:



has seen some upgrades in the last *unintelligible mumbling* years.

He was the perfect partner for this Awkward Selfie with Troll:



We both have crazy eyes.



(only a couple more weeks til OITNB is back! Woo!)

I said hello to two of my favorite ladies...Elsa, fierce as ever:



In all honesty, I vastly prefer Anna. Elsa is a little dramatic for me. I mean...running away and building an ice palace because you are basically the ice version of Spiderman?? Get a therapist, girl, you've got a support system. Relax.



I was getting hot again, so this was a very welcome sight:



Hola, Mexico! I love you! It was time to cool off inside with a visit to one of the BEST rides ever (I'm not even being hyperbolic, I actually feel this way!) I even got to sit up front!







They say we are birds of a feath-errrr!!!!

Speaking of which...



I found these three happy chappies with snappy serapes!

(best ride song. period. the end)

It was time for me to make my way out of the World Showcase and go back to the Future (World). I had a fast pass getting ready to open up for Spaceship Earth. On the way there, and in keeping with great theme songs, I passed these two brothers:



Also appropriate because it really is SUMMER VACATION time, woohoo!!

I made googly eyes at the flowers again...



Realized I needed to take a quick detour because I'd forgotten to see something on my list...





(I'm ready for Cars 3!! I hope it is better than Cars 2 and recaptures the charm and perfection of the original!)

THEN I was ready to get back over to Spaceship Earth.

There she is!



Hello, gorgeous. I love you.

I got up to the fast pass line and was greeted with this sight:



Yes, that was the fast pass line. I was trying to solve the mystery of the craziness when I noticed some EMTs and a stretcher and some stealthy movement off to the left. There had been some kind of medical emergency and the line had been held up and shifted. Mystery solved.

I hope whatever happened was nothing serious and that the person is ok!!

I rode through the past, the future, and came back to the present. Made my way out of the park, onto a bus, and back to the AKL!

My Epcot portion of the day was over...or was it?? Where will the evening bus roulette take me?? Find out next time...

(which should be in about half an hour or so, however long it takes me to put pictures in photobucket and type it up )

 

[Sailormoon2]

This is exactly why solo trips are amazing!!! How much of this random strolling and photo taking would you possibly have gotten done with the entire family in tow!!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Good morning!! I'm back for realsies this time, did you miss me??

Yay, you're back! I absolutely did miss you.

Things I have learned: dorm life at Michigan State is not for me. We had no air conditioning, no ventilation, creepy fuzz and/or mold filled grates above our bathroom sink...and by the way, how is anyone supposed to get ready or work in a room with the tiniest bathroom on earth and only three plug ins??

Wow, this is definitely worse than my dorm experience! That sounds disgusting! We had to share two public-washroom-style community bathrooms for our whole floor though, and I was pretty low on outlets, so I definitely agree on those issues. I never have any desire to go back. Two years was far more than enough.

He was the perfect partner for this Awkward Selfie with Troll:

A true work of art.

(only a couple more weeks til OITNB is back! Woo!)

Ooh I didn't realize! That's exciting!

Hola, Mexico! I love you! It was time to cool off inside with a visit to one of the BEST rides ever (I'm not even being hyperbolic, I actually feel this way!) I even got to sit up front!

Really? I'm not sure I can get behind this sentiment. Maybe I'll see it with new eyes when we go this summer! I'll sincerely give it a try.

Your Epcot pictures are so pretty and bright and are making me a little heartsick for Epcot F&G. So lovely!

 

[xlsm]

Ok, so it was longer than half an hour. Photobucket is/was being a jerk and it took more time than I'd have liked to get my pictures uploaded, and I had to redo several,but it's time to continue this adventure with...

Chapter Two Part Eight

After a successful and very full morning/early afternoon at Epcot, it was time for a break back at the resort. I looked out my window to see who was hanging around this afternoon...



Giraffes!! Hooray!!

I could even see them from my bed:



I rested and called DH to talk for awhile, and asked his opinion on what I should do for the night. My original plan was to visit Hollywood Studios, but part of me was like, you are already back at the resort, just stay in! On the other hand, I was hungry and hadn't eaten much all day, just the hotdog, fruishi, and a couple of drinks. Maybe I should go back to Epcot for food. DH thought I should go to the Magic Kingdom, since I hadn't been there yet.

We got off the phone and I still had not made a concrete decision.

Instead, I admired the super cool bracelet I'd bought from an artist vendor that afternoon at Epcot:



It's not made of beads...those are cantaloupe seeds! And even though it looks like it's on a chain, it's just thread. The picture is not doing it justice, because in person it's pretty incredible. I would have taken more pictures in the park of the other jewelry she made, but it had "no photos please" posted all over the booth

I felt like I'd wasted enough time just sitting around, so I checked on my animals again:



and then decided to head downstairs. I paid a visit to the Arusha savanna. I love this rock:



and was happy to see a zebra out there.



It was time to make a choice: Should I stay or should I go?

I chose go, and walked to the bus stop. I decided that I would play bus roulette and pick whichever came first. I was texting DH while waiting, and had come around to two preferred choices: DHS or MK. So what bus pulled up first??

Epcot.

I couldn't break my promise to get on the first bus to come, could I??

Well, lucky for me a Hollywood Studios bus rolled up right behind it so I found a loop hole!

I was on my way to DHS for the evening!





I love this park! I don't understand the hate it gets, or when people say, "half the park is closed", because that is just false. I spent less time here than usual on this trip, and missed so much.

The bad thing about this park is the food, which was unfortunate since I was starving. I couldn't get a reservation for anything immediately, and didn't want to wait an hour and a half so I knew I'd have to brave quick service. I chose....



Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Fare.

I have no pictures of my food (??why??) but I ordered the empanada platter, which is: Beef empanadas served with cilantro rice, black beans, tomato corn salsa, and sour cream. The empanadas were not good. They were soggy so I just sort of ate the insides and left the bready part. The rice was ok, and the black beans were good...let's just say my food luck was not improving and this didn't do a whole lot to fix the "I'm starving" problem.

I did see a feisty squirrel while sitting there eating, though.



I watched him climb all over that ECV. It was fine Disney dinner entertainment. And no upcharge for level one seating!

Crowds were L-O-W, and I had a few things on my must do list, so I threw away the rest of my food and made my way toward my first destination:



There was no line, and it was almost creepy walking through the long queue by myself. I did find this though, which made me very happy...



I'm just a *little* obsessed with Jaws. I have the Sperrys to back it up.

When I got to the room with the screen I was happy to see I wouldn't be all alone in my ride car...that might have been a little uncomfortable. I boarded the ride and made my way into the movies.



We were held up by a gangster...a LADY gangster! She was intense, I loved it. Glad to see women breaking laws and taking names.



I got weirdly weepy at then end when they show the movie clips like I do every time, and hopped off to find my next adventure. I saw these cute signs out along the way:



Construction signs. You're doing it right.



I got in the (also nonexistent) line for Star Tours and took a little pleasure cruise around the galaxy. I was not the rebel spy I always will be in my heart, though!!

To help me survive that disappointment, I decided to visit some of my very favorite friends...The Muppets!!





I thought about opening this door and seeing if they could help me out...



I was still in the heights of my Odyssey of the Mind stressed out craziness, so it seemed like it could help!!

I loved hanging out with my Muppet friends!

You know, DH and I talk about retiring to Florida and living near the parks. It's never too early to check out real estate. This might be a viable option, what do you think??



Rent for awhile, check out the neighborhood...I hear there's a lot of development in the works, though. Could be a lot of construction noise

And while we're talking about construction noise, here's another look at the cute walls!!



I love this style of animation!

I admired more of the Muppets Courtyard, including this epic mural:



I got to check out Pizzerizzo, although it looked closed?? There was no one inside at all?? I was confused.



And then I went to see if I could find a stuffed Fozzie in the store. Spoiler alert: I did not.



(but I did find and buy a stuffed Fozzie in Michigan that I randomly found in a Walgreens, so there's that!)

I reminisced about our December visit for a little while...



and threw a minor internal hissy fit about my favorite fountain being turned into a PLANTER



At this point I also had to admit how tired I really was. It was time to make my way toward the front of the park. This old lady needed some sleep! My dreams of rope drop to close were not becoming a reality.

I said hello to some Star Wars construction walls:



Paid a visit to my old pal Gertie



Admired Indy's jeep



And bid a fond farewell to the land of glitz and glamour



I adore you, Hollywood Studios! Yesterday, today, tomorrow...always have, always will!

And that completes my first full park day!! "Full" was right, it was packed with activities!

Up next??? MAGIC KINGDOM DAY!!!

See you real soon!

 

[MeghanEmily]

After a successful and very full morning/early afternoon at Epcot, it was time for a break back at the resort. I looked out my window to see who was hanging around this afternoon...



Giraffes!! Hooray!!

Hooray is right! Best sight ever!


What a lovely evening at DHS. I'd be lying if I said it was my favorite park, but I do really like it, and I don't understand why people don't. There's still lots to do, and I don't find the construction seems that pervasive. It's got great atmosphere.

This old lady needed some sleep! My dreams of rope drop to close were not becoming a reality.

I feel this. I can never party as hard as I want to. (Says the girl who's in bed by 10:00 and up by 5:45 every day these days.) I think I'm already an old lady.

And that completes my first full park day!! "Full" was right, it was packed with activities!

How was that possibly only the first full park day!? Woah!

 

[missangelalexis]

Welcome back! Glad the trip went well!

I need to spend more time in the China pavillion, so pretty!

Love your photos of the Anna & Elsa topiaries!

Glad you made it over to DHS!

Sounds like a great first full day!

 

[buddha112]

Odyssey of the Mind. Yes MSU dorms are not the most convenient thing and that is experience talking. Hope you enjoyed your time in the "Mitten". Great Pics!

 

[wdwnut61]

More beautiful pics from Epcot. DD and I just got back and thanks to your lovely photos of the topiary's we were able to enjoy so many more than we did in March.
We love HS too
How awesome to see giraffes from your window!
Your bracelet is so pretty never would have guessed cantaloupe seeds.
Looking forward to MK.