Practically Perfect in Every Way - Julie's Solo Disney Adventure - UPDATED 2/18!!! Finally!

[juuuliebeth]

Wow. Okay. Sorry that it's been almost two months since I last updated. The fall has gotten crazy busy. I have most of it written, but it's the posting here with the photos that I'm behind on. Hopefully soon! It really was a wonderful trip and I want to share it with you. Ugh. I will be better about updates!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I'm so glad I found your TR! I just had my first solo trip this year, too and it's so fun to read about other solo adventures!

It does seem practically perfect so far and I can't wait to read how the rest of your trip was

 

[jrmint427]

I’m getting caught up! Enjoying your trip report!

“One stick of butter, coming up.” One of the few lines from my skipper I remember.

They didn’t use that line with us but it’s the perfect description of how it looks! It really was a light dessert though.

I have to say, the parade was a bit lackluster without Maleficent and her team of thorns.

I’ve still never gotten to see Maleficent in person

Snow White was perfection. She even did the voice perfectly.

Every time we meet her the voice is perfect! It amazes me.

When I got off, though, I heard a child behind me ask their dad, “Did we imagine that?” Oh, man. To see Disney through a child’s eyes.

It is magical seeing it through children’s eyes. My daughters are 2 and 4 and I love how they truly believe in the magic of Disney right now.

If you don’t know what they are, it’s an ice cream sandwich, where you get your choice of ice cream and sauce on a brioche bun and it’s pressed like a panini.

Why didn’t I read your TR before our recent trip?! This sounds amazing.

 

[Ensusieasm]

I’m enjoying your report! Thanks for sharing your rules!

 

[juuuliebeth]

Alright everyone. So sorry to have been gone so long. I don't know when I stopped, but that past few months have been filled with a trip to London, the holidays, and a trip to Disneyland. Plus working two jobs. Plus life. Luckily I have most of it written already. Posting here and inserting photos, though, has proved difficult to find time for. So I'm going to post as much as possible right now to give you plenty to read.

Day 4 - Hollywood Studios Morning

A 5:30am alarm on vacation should not be allowed. But Toy Story Land was calling my name, and I didn’t have a Slinky Dog Dash FP. So up I got. The only dark Bay Lake photo of the trip.

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I was actually pretty good about getting rest on this trip. And since Day 5 was going to be (mostly) a day off, this one night of little rest was well timed.

I was out the door around 5:55 and caught the 6:03 bus right on time. I loved having the bus times in the app! I was off the bus at 6:18 and at 6:24, though security waiting in line. People have been exaggerating the walk time from the new bus stop. I do walk at a brisk pace (blame NYC) so there’s that, but it took me less than five minutes to hoof it. While it sucks in the afternoon, because it’s really freaking hot, that morning and later that night, it wasn’t bad at all.

They let us through the tapstiles at 6:30, and I had a decent rope drop spot. Only a couple rows back. Unfortunately when they let us through at 6:45, I had a couple of families who insisted on holding hands and walking that I got behind a bit. There ended up being a bit of a wait at Slinky Dog once I got there, but probably only 8 minutes or so. I was actually off the ride by 7:05, which isn’t bad.

I liked the ride a lot, but I feel like manic rope drop situations like that take the joy out of it a little for me. Hoping to FP in the future, and even ride at night, to try it again. It was much faster and more thrilling than I anticipated. I think I still like Mine Train better, and BTMRR is definitely better. But I’m all for Toy Story Land and having a nice space for kids at Hollywood Studios.

The line for Alien Swirling Saucers was listed as 10 minutes but it ended up being closer to 20. Not worth it. They were only loading one side, which slowed things down tremendously. Toy Story Mania was up to 40 minutes by the time I was off. Luckily I did have a FP for that later. It’s definitely not something I’ll ride in the future unless I can walk right on and don’t have anything else to do.

At 7:30, I picked up a pop tart at Woody’s Lunch Box. I settled on the raspberry one, and it was really good. Better than I thought it would be, honestly. I ate it as I walked to Sunset Blvd.

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The app was saying RnR wasn’t running, which was disappointing. I wanted to try and ride a couple times in standby. I did ride standby at Tower of Terror, but I wasn’t able to do both over and over again like I’d planned. It wasn’t a huge deal, but I was a little bummed. I love RnR. And with RnR down, the standby line for ToT was longer than it should have been.

So I decided to hoof it to Star Tours after just one ride on ToT. I didn’t have a FP for it and I usually really enjoy it. I was off Star Tours at 8:10 and headed back to Sunset Blvd to occupy my time. I went through some shops and waited for either RnR to come back online or for my ToT FP to start. I took a survey from one of the staff walking around. Unless I really need to be somewhere, I’m always happy to take a survey. Then my FP time finally came around. One more drop in at the Hollywood Tower Hotel.

When I got off at 8:50, RnR was back up and running! I went over quickly and got in the Single Rider line, hoping it wasn’t long yet. And sure enough, it wasn’t that bad. But it still takes a while because you have to do the pre show and so forth.

I was off at 9:15 and headed to the Frozen Sing Along. I had a while until my TSM FP and I could use a break in the AC. Well, this turned out to be one of my favorite moments of the entire day. It was their first show of the day, and the cast members they had as Aria and Eric were so hilarious. They kept breaking and laughing. I think the show ran long, actually. When Eric talked about Elsa accidentally impaling someone with her ice and Aria corrects him, he said that he had to make it interesting for the teen boys in the audience who were forced to be there. There was such a guy in the first couple of rows, and this is where it got amazing.

Eric kept going back to this guy throughout the show, to big, big laughs. It was hilarious. Then the guy talked smack back, and told Eric he looked like Humpty Dumpty or something. I couldn’t quite hear exactly, but it definitely had something to do with Humpty Dumpty. And Eric about lost it. Said something about modern teenagers insulting people with nursery rhymes. Then he and Aria go off stage during a sing along, and when they come back he said he wanted to try insulting with nursery rhymes. He said, “Jack be nimble, jack be quick. You smell like a horse’s…” and left it hang there with an obviously rude ending.

The crowd lost it. It was hilarious. Eric kept saying he couldn’t find the work to finish it, and someone from the audience shouted, “You smell like a carrot stick.” Everyone applauded, and we proceeded with finishing the show. I don’t remember any other specifics, but it ended as hilariously as it started. (That totally could have been the name of this trip report.)

To say that I enjoyed this show is an understatement. What a shame that it’s totally dependant on the cast you get. I would go back two more times and while one was decent, this one ruined it forever for me. I don’t think I’ll ever go to a funnier show. It really did a great job of boosting my mood after my morning didn’t go as planned. I wasn’t upset, but I wasn’t really feeling it either. That was fixed! Thanks, Eric and Aria.

 

[juuuliebeth]

Day 4 Part 2 - Hollywood Studios Morning Continued

Then I went to Toy Story Mania. Had tons of fun. I love this ride. Glad the lines aren’t insane anymore so I can ride over and over and FPs are easier to come by. I got a pretty decent score, though I think it helps when you don’t have someone beside you getting some of the targets.



Still proud of myself, though. On my way out, I passed a Green Army Man. As he walked toward me, he asked, “Having fun?” I said, “Oh, yeah.” And he didn’t break stride as he said, “Keep up the good work.” It was amazing. Some of the theming in Toy Story Land is really great.

On the way out of Toy Story Land, there wasn’t a line for a photo at the entrance sign. So I jumped in real quick for a couple pictures. Still not a huge fan of pictures of me alone, but I just need to learn how to pose. The photographer did prompt me to tip my hat like Woody, which I think turned out rather cute.

Then came the most important part of the day. One Man’s Dream. I have gotten lucky on my last two trips that they’re showing it and not a movie preview. I feel that’s an abomination. One Man’s Dream is required viewing for me. If they ever get rid of it here, I feel like it should go on Main Street in Magic Kingdom somewhere. I love this film and the exhibit before. I know some people don’t bother, but I prioritize it. And it’s narrated by Julie Andrews! How do people skip this? I’ll never understand.

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Now time for my RnR FP. The line stalled a bit. They held the launches for maybe 5-8 minutes. Otherwise, it was the same as always. This is a ride where I usually really let myself scream. I freaking love it.

I think age is catching up with me and some rides leave me feeling a little queasy. Like Star Tours and even Everest sometimes. I just can’t ride fast rides over and over like I used to. Star Tours can only happen once. If I take time between Everest rides, I can do it multiple times, but not back to back.

By this time, my stomach wasn’t feeling the best. It was about 11:30, but I realized I’d only had a pop tart up until this point. With all these fast rides, I needed something in my stomach. And to avoid a huge lunch rush, I decided to go ahead and stop for some grub. While waiting for RnR, I was able to score a TSM FP for 4:00. Then I moved it to 2:00. Then 12:00, so I had that coming up, but could take my time getting there. I’d heard good things about the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich at Rosie’s All American Cafe, so that’s where I went. While I’d have loved some AC, I found a table under a ceiling fan, and refueled myself.



The sandwich was really good. I liked it a lot. Not super heavy, but definitely filled me up like I needed. The fries were fries. So long as they don’t get rid of it, this will be my go-to quick service option in Hollywood Studios.

I made a bathroom/water pitstop right before Toy Story Land, and went on TSM again. Got my best ever score and best in the vehicle. So proud of myself, yet again.



That ride is so freaking fun! I feel like I love it more every time I ride. I was done at 12:20pm. Man, I got so much done this morning. (I’ve been to Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones enough and never feel the need to go back, so my HS checklist is pretty short.)

After that, I stopped at Trolley Car for a carrot cake cookie. I’d never had one before, but felt the need to check it off my list of iconic snacks to try. I can see how many some people wouldn’t like it as much now that it has changed, but I still enjoyed it. I like more cake with less frosting, so it was right up my alley. I couldn’t finish it, though, as it hadn’t been long since lunch.

 

[juuuliebeth]

Day 4 Part 3 - Afternoon Break and Hollywood Studios Evening

By this time it was 12:45 and I was spent. It had been a long day already, and with a full day at Epcot the day before, I was taking a break. I don’t do this a whole lot, but 7am EMH calls for it. So back to the Contemporary I went. Luckily there was a bus waiting so I didn’t have to wait in the sun at the new bus stops. But it sat there for a while before leaving. I feel they were doing this a lot because of the lack of shade, which I think was nice. I don’t mind waiting if I’m sitting an AC.

I was back at the Contemporary by 1:10. I wasn’t sure if my room would have been serviced yet, and it wasn’t. My plan was to go to the pool anyway, so I changed into my bathing suit, grabbed my book and a towel and headed that way. The pool at the Contemporary isn’t anything special, but I think that’s nice. So it’s not so crowded. It took a minute to find a chair in the shade, though.

I got down there around 1:30 and stayed until about 3:30. I was hoping that would be enough time to them to clean my room. I took a slight nap, read some, and chatted with a couple folks nearby. I decided not to swim since I didn’t have someone to put sunscreen on my back. Plus, it was cool enough in the shade and I enjoyed just laying around. A staff member made her way around with cool, wet towels which were nice and refreshing.

When I got back to my room, it was cleaned and ready to go. I’ve heard about security checks and I really wanted to make sure the room was available for cleaning so I could avoid visits when I was in the room. I read some more on the balcony and it was nice actually. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel “wasting” time at Disney World. But it didn’t feel like a waste at all, when it’s what you want and really, what you need.

I eventually showered - I was sticky from sweat and sunscreen - then changed and headed back to Hollywood Studios around 5:30. The wait time on the app came through again, because I was walking into Hollywood Studios just before 6:00. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I had time before my ADR, so I went to see Olaf. I absolutely love these photos. He was awesome and fun.

Then I did a little shopping. The wind and the sky told me rain wasn’t far away, so I kept close to the Brown Derby, where I had my reservation. I went to a store and broke down and bought this Sadness plush I’d been seeing around. I loved it.

I chatted with the cashier a while as well since they were slow. He asked “Where do you make magic?” and when I told him Frozen on Broadway, well he just couldn’t believe it. He’s a huge Broadway fun, so we talked all about it. It was a really nice interaction.

I checked into Hollywood Brown Derby a little early. I thought rain was coming any moment. I did have to wait a bit, but I never mind when I’m early. It wasn’t that long, though, before I got called for my table. And I had a delightful meal. I was planning for a long lunch break, but I decided a resort break was better this day. Really happy with my decision. It gave me reason to come back, but not exhaust myself.

Anyway, my waiter brought me an entire basket of bread for myself. Now, you don’t know me that well, but I’ve been a bread lover my whole life. This is fairly common knowledge among my family and friends back home. There are few things I love more than the basket of bread at a restaurant. As a kid, it was always my favorite part of the meal. I could have made my meal out of it. And as an adult, I have to check myself that I’m not hogging it all and leave some for others.

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But this basket was all mine. And I almost started to laugh with glee. There were SIX rolls in there. All perfectly toasted and warmed, with salted butter on the side. I was in heaven. I ordered the Cobb Salad to go with it and added shrimp to it. Why not? But I thought keeping it light would allow me to really enjoy the bread. I forced myself to stop at three rolls, but I took the rest with me in a doggy bag and snacked on them the rest of the week.

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The salad was really good. I asked for it without eggs, as I don’t like hard boiled eggs. And I took off most of the avocado when it arrived. I didn’t want to be too picky, but I really don’t care for avocado, though I can eat it on occasion. The shrimp were warm, and I love a warm/cold hybrid in my meals. Contrasting textures and temperatures are my jam. So this meal really hit the spot.

 

[juuuliebeth]

Day 4 Part 4 - Disappointing Ending

I was done at 7:25 and walked out to find it was pouring rain. So after a quick trip to the bathroom, I popped my umbrella and headed out. I don’t let rain stop me at Disney World! I had time to waste until the fireworks and Disney Movie Magic show. Since the Frozen Sing Along was close by, I headed there. Why not try it again? Unfortunately my shoes got soaked on the walk over. Since I was just there for the evening, I decided not to bring my flip flops. Big mistake.

Unfortunately, this sing along one wasn’t near as good as the first. The cast was fine, but it went totally by the script. Nothing improvised or new. But it worked for filling the time.

After that I went to see Minnie and Mickey. The line was maybe a little long, but it wasn’t time yet for my TSM FP and I love Mickey in his Sorcerer costume. These characters were fun. Mickey pointed to my shirt that had him on it, and got super bashful when I told him I had a lot of shirts with him on it. I love Mickey Mouse.

Then I headed to Toy Story Land yet again and rode Toy Story Mania. Didn’t do quite as well as before, but okay.



I waited in standby since the line was short, then was going to use my FP, but for some reason wasn’t in the mood, so I cancelled. After walking away, I realized that was stupid, because I had time to waste before the evening entertainment. It was still slighting raining, and generally just a blah evening in Hollywood Studios after that.

To waste time, I shopped around but didn’t find a whole lot I wanted. A couple pins, but that was it. Then I realized it was almost time for Disney Movie Magic, but when I went to find a spot, there was still a huge stage in front of the Chinese Theater. It was from all the Star Wars stuff they do during the day, and because of the storm, they couldn’t move it. They were telling people to stand to the side for the show.

Here’s what I hope will be my only real rant of this trip report:

After wandering around to waste time until the show, while it was raining, my view of the show was absolutely awful. I went to move to another spot, but was yelled at by a CM that it was the dessert party area. There was literally no good place to watch this show. There were lamp posts and trees and other stuff in the way. I mean look:



I didn’t even bother staying for the Star Wars fireworks. I’m not a big fan of Star Wars, though I have seen the movies and liked some of them. I didn’t want to get stuck with a hoard of people waiting for a bus, so I called it a night. But I was in a really bad mood. I could have left so much earlier and already been in bed if I didn’t waste my time waiting on a show I could barely see.

I’m starting to really resent Star Wars, if I’m being honest. It is taking over Hollywood Studios, and I’m terrified of what it’s going to do to Disneyland. So for this ridiculous stage to be in the way of all of their evening entertainment was just beyond irritating to me. I was really looking forward to the Disney Movie Magic show, since I’m a huge fan of a lot of the live action Disney stuff, and this was just really disappointing. I was steamed all the way to the buses. Luckily there was one waiting without a huge line and I was able to hop right on.

I was back at the Contemporary by 10:20 and in bed soon thereafter. I needed to sleep off my bad mood. It was just a really disappointing way to end the day. Especially when Hollywood Studios used to be my favorite park.

Total Steps: 24,010 (10.5 miles)

 

[juuuliebeth]

Day 5 - A Leisurely Morning

Even though it was my “Day Off,” I still set my alarm, as I had at 9:00 reservation for breakfast at The Wave. I didn’t need my alarm, because the sun coming in the curtain every morning did the job. I purposefully only pulled the one set of curtains. Some people may hate light waking them up, but I find it the most natural way, and I feel better when it’s natural like that.

Anyway, I was up well before I had to be, but still felt refreshed. I was ready to be in a better mood, and it’s hard not to be waking up to Bay Lake outside your window.



I went down to The Wave around 8:50. For some reason I thought it would take 10 minutes to take the elevator down. Not the case, so I was there early. They sat me right away, as they weren’t busy at all. My waitress was wonderful. I asked for hot tea, and I chose the breakfast buffet instead of an entree.

The buffet was really good. The pastries weren’t dry and stale, as they sometimes can be, and the fruit was fresh.



The eggs, sausage, bacons, and other usual stuff was good, though the biscuit was dry. I didn’t like the sweet potato pancake as much as I wanted. It had more spice to it than I thought it would. But the Mickey Waffles are always great! I had about four, I think.



I only like my eggs scrambled, so I didn’t try the eggs benedict, though, I always hear they are amazing. It was a quick breakfast, since you serve yourself and I was seated early. I was done by 9:35.

Next on the to-do list was some laundry. While I had plenty of clothes to get me through the week, I thought I’d go ahead and do it just in case. Turned out to be a good choice, since I ended up preferring certain sports bras over others. Sorry if that’s TMI, but I’m sure there’s more than one lady out there who knows what I mean. Some shirts were fine with regular sports bras, some needed the ones with thinner straps, then some required me to wear a regular bra. So I thought I’d just wash everything. I had the pay the same amount for a whole load anyway. And I really needed to dry my shoes from the night before. They didn’t dry on the balcony overnight. Too humid outside.

I got a little turned around finding the laundry room, though, since it ended up being on the second floor. After I asked a Mousekeeper in the hallway, I remembered reading that somewhere. (FYI, I always greeted the Mousekeepers that I saw in the hallways. And they are always super friendly in return. I feel like little interactions like this go a long way to making a trip special.)

Once the clothes were in, I went back to my room to gather stuff for hanging out by the pool. On my way to switch things over, I realized I forgot my debit card to pay for the dryer. So back to my room I went. Luckily at the Contemporary, that’s mostly just an elevator ride and not all that much walking. Once I had that, and also got my forgotten sunglasses, I headed back to the laundry room. After switching things around, I headed to the pool.

This was around 10:30 or so, so it was easier to find a chair in the shade this time. I parked myself and enjoyed the morning outdoors. I read some and enjoyed my refillable mug of Diet Coke. I was determined to get my money’s worth out of it. I debated swimming at first, but decided to wait at least until I finished laundry.

When I went to pick it up, I saw that the door popped open and things weren’t dry. So I closed the door and went back to the pool. I went back 15 minutes later and the door was popped open again. This time, though, they clothes were dry. I wasn’t missing anything, so it’s not like people stole my stuff. I actually saw it pop open at one point, so maybe it’s the way these dryers work? Not sure. But it was odd.

I was probably done with laundry shortly before noon. I took my bag of freshly washed clothes with me to the pool and hung out there some more. Tried to give the Mousekeepers enough time to stop by if they wanted.

One thing about the pool at the Contemporary that bothered me, and it may not be just this pool, was the birds. I’m not sure if they were ravens or what, but they were really ugly birds that hung around because of food that was left around. I’m not a fan of birds, or really any creatures that fly. For some reason they freak me out, so I was a little uneasy. Luckily, two little boys around five years old came to my rescue. They took great delight in chasing the birds off whenever they’d land. Not for me or for their parents, but for the fun of it. My knights in shining armor.

 

[juuuliebeth]

Day 5 Part 2 - Disney Springs Afternoon

I went back up to my room about 1pm. I had an ADR at Disney Springs at 3pm and needed to shower and freshen up. The room wasn’t serviced when I got there, so I hung the Room Occupied sign and put the latch over the door. Since I was showering, I didn’t want to be surprised by housekeeping. I was in my room for an hour and never heard a knock or anything. When I left at 2pm, I saw them in the hallway a room or two down from mine. So they were definitely on their way. Perfect timing.

I forgot to check the time for a bus, but I ended up walking out right as a bus for Disney Springs was pulling in. Perfect. I really had awesome luck with the buses this trip, with one or two exceptions. But only one or two is pretty good during a 10 day trip. I made it to Disney Springs in good time, and spent some time roaming around DisneyStyle, where I picked up a tank top and another set of ears.

My reservation was at Homecomin’, one of my favorite restaurants from my last trip. This was the only place I’d been before (besides The Wave for dinner, but not for breakfast) on this trip. All my other ADRs were for new-to-me places. There were so many other things on the menu that I wanted to try, though, so I came back. The reservation was for 3pm, because I don’t get my CM discount from 4-10pm. Plus with the big breakfast, I didn’t want an actual lunch. Breakfast proved to still be a bit too big, though, because I couldn’t eat all of what I got.

I got sweet tea to drink. I got the Shine Tea last time and thought it wasn’t worth $12. The glass was full of ice and it wasn’t very big. Regular iced tea came with free refills, and such a menu calls for some sweet tea. Then I got the Fried Green Tomatoes and Thigh High Chicken Biscuits. I wanted the hushpuppies, but went for the chicken so it wasn’t too much of a carb overload since I had my fair share of waffles that morning.



Everything was delicious. Both items came at the same time and it was an enormous amount of food. I ate 3/5 of the tomatoes before eating the chicken. They were fried really well, the ham was so good, and the sauce just really finished it off. Plus the nice greens. All around, quite excellent.

The chicken biscuits were amazing as well. I probably prefer them to the fried chicken I had the last time. After the first biscuit, I was really stuffed, but as always wanted more. So I ate the chicken from a second biscuit. I took a doggie bag with the one whole sandwich and two tomatoes. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to eat them later that week. Too many other good things to eat!

I did want to get the Hummingbird Cake, but decided on a trip to Amorette’s instead. I really wanted to try the Mickey Mousse, and I’ve had Hummingbird Cake before. I got the Mousse to go, and headed back to the Contemporary.



I lucked out with the bus yet again and waited only about three minutes for one to pull up for the Contemporary. I was back at the resort at 5pm, and I found something that just floored me. When I walked into my room, I heard some sort of Disney background music. I wondered if the balcony door was open and it was coming from outside.

I soon found out that my television was on. Confused, as I hadn’t had it on at all that day, I look at my bed and just started laughing. The Mousekeeper had made Pluto (or a dog of some sort) out of towels, and between his paws was the remote pointed at the TV as if he was watching it. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. Made my day, and one of my favorite moments of the entire trip.

 

[juuuliebeth]

Day 5 Part 3 - Park Hopping Evening

This was supposed to be my relaxing day off, but when I was booking my FastPasses, I decided to see if I could find a Flight of Passage FP for this evening. Sure enough, there were some available, and I snagged one for 6:45. I definitely wanted to catch Happily Ever After that night, but my evening leading up to it was going to be free. Why not head over to Animal Kingdom?

So that’s what I did. I left the Contemporary around 5:45, checking the app for the bus time, again to great effect. I was off the bus at Animal Kingdom at 6:05. This was one of the more frustrating security experiences I had. The guy in front of me had his mug with him, and when the guard moved his backpack around, the mug spilled everywhere. And the guy was totally oblivious. I had to tell the guard and he had to get towels to mop it up. I know they are being thorough for a reason, but it really starts to get old after a while. And now, in the middle of the trip, was when it was starting to wear thin.

With forty minutes to kill, I actually didn’t end up doing much. I thought about meeting Minnie and Mickey or Pocahontas, but their lines were fairly long. So I shopped around and just enjoyed the park.

I got in line for Flight of Passage at 6:40 and was out around 7:05. I’d ridden it once before in October, and I have to say, I was underwhelmed that first time. I liked it, and it was good, but I for some reason didn’t feel the Disney Magic. I did this time. I was in complete awe the whole ride.

I do have to say, being a single rider on this ride can be a little frustrating. They put you in a makeshift single rider line and sometime I think you end up waiting longer than you should otherwise. If groups fit perfectly, and they really try to make them, then you’re stuck there. I was getting a little irritated, and while I didn’t say anything, I think they started to notice after a while because they filled two spots next to each other with two of us from the SR line.

I decided since my Animal Kingdom day was coming up, I wasn’t going to hang out very long. So I went out to catch a bus to Magic Kingdom. And, I kid you not, one pulled right up. I was on my way after only a couple minutes. Was my luck ever going to run out?

I was at Magic Kingdom at 7:49 and had an hour until Happily Ever After. Since I’d already scheduled on FP that day at another park, I didn’t think I’d be able to schedule more than one at a time at another park. Turns out, I could. I got one for Pirates soon after I arrived, and one for BTMRR for after HEA was over. Perfect. So I headed to Pirates and had a nice ride there.

Then I decided to pick up the new Pineapple Upsidedown Cake at Aloha Isle, with Dole Whip on top. And wow, was that good. I’m not the biggest Dole Whip fan, but this made me a convert. Put on top of a tasty cake and I’m your girl.



The photo is pretty bad, as my sister called right after I picked it up. I was talking to her a bit, but was too impatient to eat, so I was licking the Dole Whip part on top that had already toppled over. Not quite an Instagram Ready photo. But hey, I don’t order things because they look good in photos. I order things that taste good and make my belly happy. And this did that very well.

The crowd for Happily Ever After was a bit more packed this evening. I was able to find a pretty good spot, though, and enjoyed my cake while I waited. It started on time this evening, and I enjoyed it every bit as much as before. I don’t think it will ever get old. I actually start to cry when Tinker Bell comes out, and at various other moments. It’s just so wonderful!

After the show, I got to BMTRR around 9:30 and was done shortly after. It was a quick trip, but I love that ride in the dark. I tried to find a FP for Splash after, but when it’s that close to closing, it was a lost cause. And the wait time that was posted was a little long for me. I wanted to go to bed.

It seems leaving Magic Kingdom usually happens when I’m all the way in Frontierland, so it takes a while to make my way out. I was back in my room by 10:10 and asleep shortly after. It had been a long but great day.

Total Steps: 21,851 (9.5 miles)

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Wow you weren't kidding about a lot of updates!

The only dark Bay Lake photo of the trip

Even though it's dark, it's still so pretty! And looking out over dark water is really peaceful.

Better than I thought it would be, honestly

I had the same thought when I tried the hazelnut one. There was a decent amount of filling and the pastry part wasn't overly dry.

When I got off at 8:50, RnR was back up and running!

Woohoo!! Glad you go to ride it! And I love that the guy next to you looks like he's having some kind of... experience.

To say that I enjoyed this show is an understatement.

It sounds absolutely hysterical. I've never seen it but I'll have to try and hope I get CMs as good as those!

Man, I got so much done this morning

You really did!

I couldn’t finish it, though, as it hadn’t been long since lunch

And they're massive!

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel “wasting” time at Disney World. But it didn’t feel like a waste at all, when it’s what you want and really, what you need

I'm with you on this. I used to think breaks were silly but as I get older I realize there's real value in them!

But this basket was all mine. And I almost started to laugh with glee.

A basket full of bread just for you definitely deserves gleeful laughter.

I could have left so much earlier and already been in bed if I didn’t waste my time waiting on a show I could barely see.

Ugh I'm sorry- that does sound so frustrating! And a poor way to end what otherwise seemed like an awesome day.

Sorry if that’s TMI, but I’m sure there’s more than one lady out there who knows what I mean

Girl, I am with you there

Luckily, two little boys around five years old came to my rescue. They took great delight in chasing the birds off whenever they’d land. Not for me or for their parents, but for the fun of it. My knights in shining armor.

Bless the small children. They do have their uses every now and again.

such a menu calls for some sweet tea.

YEP!!

The Mousekeeper had made Pluto (or a dog of some sort) out of towels, and between his paws was the remote pointed at the TV as if he was watching it. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen

Alright that's adorable.

I had to tell the guard and he had to get towels to mop it up. I know they are being thorough for a reason, but it really starts to get old after a while

Yes! And the inconsistency with some checkers being super thorough and some barely even glancing inside... One guard actually accidentally spilled the entire contents of my DH's bag into a puddle on our last trip. And then didn't even apologize or help him pick anything up.

I actually start to cry when Tinker Bell comes out, and at various other moments. It’s just so wonderful!

Oh I cry every single time so you are not alone! Let the Disney tears fall!

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a fun day at DHS, minus the crappy ending

On my recent trip I popped some things in the dryer at my resort and noticed a lot of people "standing guard" by their dryers. I later found out that the shoes tend to kick the doors open, which might have been what happened to you!

Sounds like a nice night at MK!

 

[juuuliebeth]

On my recent trip I popped some things in the dryer at my resort and noticed a lot of people "standing guard" by their dryers. I later found out that the shoes tend to kick the doors open, which might have been what happened to you!

Ah. That makes sense. I did have my shoes in there.

 

[goodeats]

You are having (had) my dream trip! Some day I will have a glorious solo trip! Brown Derby and Homecomin would be on my list too.

And I thought the Frozen Sing-a-long was so great. It's totally under appreciated. Yes, it's like the Jungle Cruise in the sense that you don't know what you'll get, but it can be so funny.

 

[suse66]

Nice to see you back on the boards and with lots of great updates to enjoy!

I liked the ride a lot, but I feel like manic rope drop situations like that take the joy out of it a little for me. Hoping to FP in the future, and even ride at night, to try it again. It was much faster and more thrilling than I anticipated. I think I still like Mine Train better, and BTMRR is definitely better. But I’m all for Toy Story Land and having a nice space for kids at Hollywood Studios.

It is a crazy mad dash at Rope Drop. Slinky Dog took over my #2 spot with 7DMT going to #3. I am right with you with BTMR as my #1 though!

I was off at 9:15 and headed to the Frozen Sing Along. I had a while until my TSM FP and I could use a break in the AC. Well, this turned out to be one of my favorite moments of the entire day. It was their first show of the day, and the cast members they had as Aria and Eric were so hilarious. They kept breaking and laughing. I think the show ran long, actually. When Eric talked about Elsa accidentally impaling someone with her ice and Aria corrects him, he said that he had to make it interesting for the teen boys in the audience who were forced to be there. There was such a guy in the first couple of rows, and this is where it got amazing.

Oh my gosh, I would have been dying!!

To say that I enjoyed this show is an understatement. What a shame that it’s totally dependant on the cast you get. I would go back two more times and while one was decent, this one ruined it forever for me. I don’t think I’ll ever go to a funnier show. It really did a great job of boosting my mood after my morning didn’t go as planned. I wasn’t upset, but I wasn’t really feeling it either. That was fixed! Thanks, Eric and Aria.

Sounds like an amazing experience!

Still proud of myself, though. On my way out, I passed a Green Army Man. As he walked toward me, he asked, “Having fun?” I said, “Oh, yeah.” And he didn’t break stride as he said, “Keep up the good work.” It was amazing. Some of the theming in Toy Story Land is really great.

Perfection!

Then came the most important part of the day. One Man’s Dream. I have gotten lucky on my last two trips that they’re showing it and not a movie preview. I feel that’s an abomination. One Man’s Dream is required viewing for me. If they ever get rid of it here, I feel like it should go on Main Street in Magic Kingdom somewhere. I love this film and the exhibit before. I know some people don’t bother, but I prioritize it. And it’s narrated by Julie Andrews! How do people skip this? I’ll never understand.

Love this so much! Did you know you can be a Disney historian (certificate and all) by completing a three question "test" at the end of the exhibit? I simply have to do this!

I can see how many some people wouldn’t like it as much now that it has changed, but I still enjoyed it. I like more cake with less frosting, so it was right up my alley. I couldn’t finish it, though, as it hadn’t been long since lunch.

I like it so much better now but it still takes me about three days to finish it!

I eventually showered - I was sticky from sweat and sunscreen - then changed and headed back to Hollywood Studios around 5:30. The wait time on the app came through again, because I was walking into Hollywood Studios just before 6:00. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I had time before my ADR, so I went to see Olaf. I absolutely love these photos. He was awesome and fun.

Fabulous pictures!

But this basket was all mine. And I almost started to laugh with glee. There were SIX rolls in there. All perfectly toasted and warmed, with salted butter on the side. I was in heaven. I ordered the Cobb Salad to go with it and added shrimp to it. Why not? But I thought keeping it light would allow me to really enjoy the bread. I forced myself to stop at three rolls, but I took the rest with me in a doggy bag and snacked on them the rest of the week.

I had that same dinner and those rolls were to die for!!!!!!

After that I went to see Minnie and Mickey. The line was maybe a little long, but it wasn’t time yet for my TSM FP and I love Mickey in his Sorcerer costume. These characters were fun. Mickey pointed to my shirt that had him on it, and got super bashful when I told him I had a lot of shirts with him on it. I love Mickey Mouse.

Putting this on my list for March.

After wandering around to waste time until the show, while it was raining, my view of the show was absolutely awful. I went to move to another spot, but was yelled at by a CM that it was the dessert party area. There was literally no good place to watch this show. There were lamp posts and trees and other stuff in the way. I mean look:

That is just awful!

Anyway, I was up well before I had to be, but still felt refreshed. I was ready to be in a better mood, and it’s hard not to be waking up to Bay Lake outside your window.

Stunning view!

(FYI, I always greeted the Mousekeepers that I saw in the hallways. And they are always super friendly in return. I feel like little interactions like this go a long way to making a trip special.)

I completely agree! Everyone likes to feel recognized and appreciated!

Everything was delicious. Both items came at the same time and it was an enormous amount of food. I ate 3/5 of the tomatoes before eating the chicken. They were fried really well, the ham was so good, and the sauce just really finished it off. Plus the nice greens. All around, quite excellent.

Exactly what I would order and boy does it look good! I would be in a happy food coma.

The chicken biscuits were amazing as well. I probably prefer them to the fried chicken I had the last time. After the first biscuit, I was really stuffed, but as always wanted more. So I ate the chicken from a second biscuit. I took a doggie bag with the one whole sandwich and two tomatoes. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to eat them later that week. Too many other good things to eat!

That's the trouble. I wish you could get 1/2 orders of items for this very reason.

I soon found out that my television was on. Confused, as I hadn’t had it on at all that day, I look at my bed and just started laughing. The Mousekeeper had made Pluto (or a dog of some sort) out of towels, and between his paws was the remote pointed at the TV as if he was watching it. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. Made my day, and one of my favorite moments of the entire trip.

Love, love, love!

I was in complete awe the whole ride.

I have cried from sheer joy and awe every time I've ridden FoP!

Then I decided to pick up the new Pineapple Upsidedown Cake at Aloha Isle, with Dole Whip on top. And wow, was that good. I’m not the biggest Dole Whip fan, but this made me a convert. Put on top of a tasty cake and I’m your girl.

Is that not amazing? Totally getting it for dessert after dinner at Skippers in March.

After the show, I got to BMTRR around 9:30 and was done shortly after. It was a quick trip, but I love that ride in the dark. I tried to find a FP for Splash after, but when it’s that close to closing, it was a lost cause. And the wait time that was posted was a little long for me. I wanted to go to bed.

What a fabulous day!!

 

[TNGirlwCamera]

Frozen on Broadway

OMG do you work on Broadway? I just gave a squeal. lol I LOVE Broadway. I got to NYC 2-3 times a year to visit my best friend and we always see shows while I'm there. That is SO awesome!

 

[TNGirlwCamera]

I'm loving your report! You have gotten so much in! Maybe I should go alone...

 

[Araminta18]

But this basket was all mine. And I almost started to laugh with glee. There were SIX rolls in there. All perfectly toasted and warmed, with salted butter on the side. I was in heaven. I ordered the Cobb Salad to go with it and added shrimp to it. Why not? But I thought keeping it light would allow me to really enjoy the bread. I forced myself to stop at three rolls, but I took the rest with me in a doggy bag and snacked on them the rest of the week.

Dude, Brown Derby rolls and butter are one of my favorite favorite things. That's awesome that you had the whole thing to yourself and that you got to take them in a doggy bag!

I soon found out that my television was on. Confused, as I hadn’t had it on at all that day, I look at my bed and just started laughing. The Mousekeeper had made Pluto (or a dog of some sort) out of towels, and between his paws was the remote pointed at the TV as if he was watching it. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. Made my day, and one of my favorite moments of the entire trip.

Aw, that's adorable!!!

 

[Lesley Wake]

When I got back to my room, it was cleaned and ready to go. I’ve heard about security checks and I really wanted to make sure the room was available for cleaning so I could avoid visits when I was in the room. I read some more on the balcony and it was nice actually. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel “wasting” time at Disney World. But it didn’t feel like a waste at all, when it’s what you want and really, what you need.

Summed up my feelings too! Whenever I am lounging at a resort, I start to worry I'm wasting time, but then I realize, nope - this is vacation, its up to what I want to do, and what I want to do right now is sit here and relax!

I chatted with the cashier a while as well since they were slow. He asked “Where do you make magic?” and when I told him Frozen on Broadway, well he just couldn’t believe it. He’s a huge Broadway fun, so we talked all about it. It was a really nice interaction.

That's pretty cool! I knew you worked for Disney but didn't realize where!

It was just a really disappointing way to end the day. Especially when Hollywood Studios used to be my favorite park.

That's too bad! I hope you were able to see the Movie Magic show before they switch it out this spring!

I soon found out that my television was on. Confused, as I hadn’t had it on at all that day, I look at my bed and just started laughing. The Mousekeeper had made Pluto (or a dog of some sort) out of towels, and between his paws was the remote pointed at the TV as if he was watching it. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. Made my day, and one of my favorite moments of the entire trip.

Sooo cute! I liked it when the TV would be on as I went to enter a room for the first time! It feels extra magical!

I was at Magic Kingdom at 7:49 and had an hour until Happily Ever After. Since I’d already scheduled on FP that day at another park, I didn’t think I’d be able to schedule more than one at a time at another park. Turns out, I could. I got one for Pirates soon after I arrived, and one for BTMRR for after HEA was over. Perfect. So I headed to Pirates and had a nice ride there.

Yeah, there is an interesting quirk to the FP system. So, you have your first FP, which is in Park 1. Once you scan at that ride, the park restrictions don't apply anymore. So you can even book FP2 at Park 2 and FP3 at Park 3! And they can all be "Tier 1", assuming you can grab those same-day!

Then I decided to pick up the new Pineapple Upsidedown Cake at Aloha Isle, with Dole Whip on top. And wow, was that good. I’m not the biggest Dole Whip fan, but this made me a convert. Put on top of a tasty cake and I’m your girl.

Looks yummy! It's on my list, but this trip it was so hot and my mom and I decided to try the orange options instead! You gotta come out to Disneyland now we have the Tropical Hideaway! A loaded Dole Whip "sundae" with fruit and pocky sticks and everything!