**This Relaxation Thing Looks GOOD On Us!-Our July 2012 Honeymoon**NEW TR LINK!!!!!!!

[CAStevens218]

Alright…time for the night I was most looking forward to for the entire trip….Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom until 2:00AM!!!!!! We weren’t leaving until they kicked us out!

My feet were still bothering me from those stupid new sandals I had tried to wear, so we decided to start in Tomorrowland and make our way around systematically, riding everything that had a reasonable wait time.

We started with the Monster’s Inc laugh floor, which we had never done before. A show was just starting, so the timing worked out perfectly!

This show is so much fun, I can’t believe we had never done it in the past. We will definitely be back in the future.

Up next, we headed to Astro Orbiter. I had gotten it into my head that I wanted to ride it at night to check out the view, so we jumped in line.

The posted wait time was 20 minutes, and it was actually probably a little bit longer than that. This ride is SO slow loading!

Who else has tried to fit two adults into these ride cars?? This next picture pretty much sums up that experience…we could NOT stop laughing!

Needless to say, we did not fit comfortably! I remembered this from last time, not really sure why I wanted to ride again! I also remembered that I hated the ride the first time…but I guess I really wanted to try it at night. The angle of these rocket ships once they get up into the air is terrifying…and they move so fast that you can’t really check out the view anyway. Oh well, we had fun laughing at ourselves, and we never have to do it again!

When we exited Astro Orbiter, we check on Buzz and Space Mountain, but they both had pretty long waits so we moved on to Fantasyland. Here, we did another ride we had never done before…the Teacups! Ben always laughs at me, saying it is one of the most famous rides at Disney World and I refuse to ride it. The spinning makes me sick…but I agreed to give it a shot since Ben really wanted to ride.

We walked right on, it made me feel nauseous, as I expected, and it is another one that I can cross of the list and never do again! Ben can ride alone and spin to his heart’s content!

We headed on through Fantasyland, stopping to visit our Hundred Acre Wood friends next.

The wait time said 20 minutes, but we only waited about 5. This ride brings back so many great childhood memories!

Here’s one for Andy-Roo and Blakers! Hooray!

We continued on through Fantasyland…I just love it at night!

Mickey’s Philharmagic was out next stop. We timed it perfectly and practically walked right to our seats.

I love the posters in here!

My favorite!

Up next? We walked on to It’s a Small World of course! Ben strongly dislikes this one…but I love it and I rode the Teacups for him, right?

We had a boat all to ourselves, which was a nice treat! Here we go, on the happiest cruise that ever sailed!

This was the first time I managed to find my people…the Greeks!

India! I will be there in 9 weeks!!!

I love this guy! On our January trip I bought one of the Small World Vinylmation Jrs hoping to get him and I did! He’s on my work keys along with the Snow White one I got on our honeymoon…they keep me in a Disney mood even while I’m working!

This room is so pretty!

This is how Ben felt about it…HAHA!

There’s that clock that I love but never time right to see it open!

...continued in next post...

 

[CAStevens218]

...continued from previous post...



Our next ride at Peter Pan with a wait of only 5-10 minutes. If I haven’t mentioned it yet or if you couldn’t tell, late extra magic hours were working out very well for us!

I love Peter Pan’s Flight…it is just so magical to me!

We headed to another favorite, the Haunted Mansion, next. This ride was pretty much deserted as we headed through the line, and we ended up all alone in the interactive queue! We had so much fun!

There is just so much to look at here when you are really able to take your time!

I love it at night way more than during the day…although it is still fun during the day too.

As we headed into the stretching room, we caught up with about 10 other people who had gone through the regular line. As we entered, there was a CM having way too much fun at his job, creeping up behind people and standing very close to scare them. I love when CMs really get into their characters and are able to have fun like that!

After our ride through the Haunted Mansion, we checked the time and saw that it was already 1:45AM! We had a quick team meeting and decided that Splash Mountain HAD to be our last ride of the night, so we started to head that way.

I got into a little trouble on the way…

When we got to Splash, we, of course, walked right on. The CMs were just telling people to go ahead and choose their own seats, so we picked the front of course!

This ride is so cool at night! The views can’t be beat!

We splashed down into the Briar Patch safely and were welcomed with great fanfare!

I love this ride because the little drops inside are great, the story is great, there is so much to look at, you get great views of the park, and it is just plain fun!!

I also love Ben’s face in the ride photo. He says he was doing in on purpose but I’m not so sure!

Sadly, it was 2:05AM when we stepped out of our log, and it was time to make our way out of the park. We took our time, soaking in the atmosphere and the emptiness of the park.

I could photograph the castle all day…and night!

We made our way down Main Street with the rest of the 2:00AM diehards!

Here is my proof of the time! 2:20AM baby!

One last glace back at the castle! I honestly have no idea where these people came from because we barely so anyone during out last hour in the park!

I wasn’t ready to go, so I took my time, snapping photos.

Sadly, it was soon time to make our exit. The ferry was our only choice to get back to the Transportation and Ticket Center at that time of night, so we hopped on. As we made our way there, a CM was out with a pin board, so we stopped and Ben made a trade. That was a nice treat!

We enjoyed our ferry ride and the beautiful views.

I even saw the kiss goodnight from the ferry!!

We took the tram back to our car, and this is what the lot looked like!

Ours was behind the white van…the only two left in the section!

We made the drive back to Port Orleans Riverside, and I think we were asleep before our heads hit the pillow!

What an amazing night this was. We love the Magic Kingdom at all times because it has a different kind of magic. In the morning, there is the excitement of the crowds coming in, all the CMs saying good morning, the music, the smells. At the holidays there are amazing, gorgeous decorations. During the half marathon we got to experience it in a whole different light. And, on this night, we got to experience a whole different kind of magic…the park takes on a different feel when it is open that late, and it was just so cool to feel like we had it to ourselves and to run from ride to ride and jump right on! I only wish we had MORE time! I could have stayed until morning! If you are on the fence about super late Extra Magic Hours, give it a shot!! We LOVED it!

Up next: We do some rolling on the river!!

 

[jc040404]

I need to go back and read since I just scanned through so far, but I had to comment on one thing. That last picture is just awesome!! You're so lucky to have stayed so late!

I'll be back to catch up tonight!

 

[CandleontheWater]

Aww, what a wonderful night! Late night EMH are just about my favorite time to tour WDW. Of course since we had DS, we haven't been able to take full advantage, but I can't wait until both boys are older and we can tear through the parks, late into the morning!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds Astro-orbiter terrifying. You are up so high, and it seems like it would be so easy to fall out! I did it once and never again!

Its very sweet that you went on the teacups and Ben went on Small World. Marriage is all about compromise, right!

 

[CAStevens218]

I need to go back and read since I just scanned through so far, but I had to comment on one thing. That last picture is just awesome!! You're so lucky to have stayed so late!

I'll be back to catch up tonight!

That empty parking lot was so cool to see!! I would stay that late again in a heart beat!

Aww, what a wonderful night! Late night EMH are just about my favorite time to tour WDW. Of course since we had DS, we haven't been able to take full advantage, but I can't wait until both boys are older and we can tear through the parks, late into the morning!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds Astro-orbiter terrifying. You are up so high, and it seems like it would be so easy to fall out! I did it once and never again!

Its very sweet that you went on the teacups and Ben went on Small World. Marriage is all about compromise, right!

This was our first experience with super late EMHs and we LOVED it! How exciting that you have so much to look forward to with your boys! I'm sure they will have a great time running around the Magic Kingdom at 2:00AM some day!

Ohhh, Astro Orbiter...I was so sure I would fall out with one wrong move!

Yes, the first of many compromises...and a compromise I will never make again...I'd rather ride Small World alone than spin on those teacups again!!!!!!

 

[jc040404]

Yay for another trip!! Ben is too silly though. He has to focus on all that fun stuff before the ride back! Your dates are just after our APs expire. Good luck with a Be Our Guest ADR. I was kinda like you at first. While I liked the menu, I wasn’t sure about it for the kids and didn’t grab a time right away. When I looked again, I know there is stuff they'll like and regretted the choice. Now I’m stuck stalking to get in while we can! It’s completely booked up on weekends until our Disney days end.

The dessert party!! How awesome that you got such great seats! It stinks that the food wasn’t so wonderful though. I actually wondered about cold desserts being outside. You’d think they would have something set up to prevent it getting too warm. No idea what exactly..

Love the parade lights & fireworks reflecting on the water!

The astro orbiter is so scary! I can’t imagine wanting to do it at night!! One time in the daylight was more than enough for me, but Blake has been asking about it lately. Eek!

Loved the “Hooray!” pic!

The park seems amazing during such a late hour. Super jealous!! Sounds like an incredible night!

 

[CAStevens218]

Yay for another trip!! Ben is too silly though. He has to focus on all that fun stuff before the ride back! Your dates are just after our APs expire. Good luck with a Be Our Guest ADR. I was kinda like you at first. While I liked the menu, I wasn’t sure about it for the kids and didn’t grab a time right away. When I looked again, I know there is stuff they'll like and regretted the choice. Now I’m stuck stalking to get in while we can! It’s completely booked up on weekends until our Disney days end.

The dessert party!! How awesome that you got such great seats! It stinks that the food wasn’t so wonderful though. I actually wondered about cold desserts being outside. You’d think they would have something set up to prevent it getting too warm. No idea what exactly..

Love the parade lights & fireworks reflecting on the water!

The astro orbiter is so scary! I can’t imagine wanting to do it at night!! One time in the daylight was more than enough for me, but Blake has been asking about it lately. Eek!

Loved the “Hooray!” pic!

The park seems amazing during such a late hour. Super jealous!! Sounds like an incredible night!

We are still trying to decide about the trip. Airfare is kind of pricey right now, so we might have to use the responsible sides of our brains and put it off. We are planning to take a big beach/Disney trip in the summer of 2014, so we are supposed to be saving. I'm not completely giving up yet. Ben said to go ahead and make a Be Our Guest Reservation in case prices go down. We got one for 7:00PM on the day we wanted, but there is also one at 8:25PM...I'm thinking of switching to that one so we could watch the fireworks from Fantasyland at 8:00PM and then go to our ADR. This is all if we go. Come on Southwest or JetBlue, drop those prices!!!!!!

Our seats were awesome, and would have been even better if everyone sat for the fireworks. Oh well, we still enjoyed ourselves! You WOULD think they could keep the food cold somehow though...even if they put in on ice. Its not like its out for that long, there should be a way!

No more Astro Orbiter for me! Good luck when Blake decides he wants to ride!

Being in the park that late is one of my favorite memories. I can't wait until the day we get to experience that again!!

 

[CAStevens218]

After staying until the end of 2:00AM Magic Hours, we were reasonably exhausted. We had decided ahead of time that we would not set an alarm for the next day and would catch up on our rest. We knew that we would regret it if we didn’t!

We woke up at 10:45AM! Definitely a Disney record for us! I don’t think I’ve ever slept past 8:00AM in a Disney hotel!!!

I relaxed for a while in bed with my book while Ben continued to doze. He works overnights so this was prime sleeping time for him.

We finally got moving around 12:15PM when the idea of food got us going!

Getting dressed was interesting because my blisters from the night before were pretty terrible. I went with a sundress and sneakers and decided to just own it! Comfort won over any need to be fashionable!

We took a slow walk over to the food court for lunch. It was not busy at all and we were able to get our food very quickly. Ben chose chicken nuggets and fries for his lunch. They were fresh and tasty and he enjoyed them.

For my lunch, I picked the make your own pasta, which we had discovered on our last trip and loved. The portion is far too big…probably enough for two adults to share! I got fettuccini with alfredo sauce, chicken, peas, broccoli, spinach and sun dried tomatoes. You get to watch them make it on the stove right in front of you, and they top it off with a big handful of cheese and a breadstick. Yum!!

Ben chose cheesecake for his dessert. I didn’t try it, but he said it was just okay. Looks pretty though!

I had decided on ice cream. All I had to do to be able to go pick it up later was tell the cashier when I went to pay. She stamped my receipt so I could go back and pick it up when I was done eating. They give you a certain time limit, but I didn’t write it down so I’m not sure exactly what it was.

Ben had finished eating way before me, so he decided to run back to the room for sunscreen while I enjoyed my ice cream. I was content to relax and enjoy the view. Port Orleans Riverside is SO pretty!

Our next plan for the day involved an activity that we had never done and that Ben was really excited about. We decided to rent a boat! The rental counter is across from the arcade, in that blue building in my previous picture. You just go up to the window and tell them what kind of boat you want and how long you want to rent it for, and they give you the paperwork to sign. You also have to leave a room key with them, which you get back when you return with the boat in one piece.

After we signed the paperwork, a CM came down to the dock with us to help us get settled into our boat. She gave us life vests and held the boat for us while we got in. We had chosen one of the small two seater boats, which was just fine for our purposes, but was very small. Ben got settled into the driver’s seat, they gave us some quick instructions and off we went!

We had decided to take the boat out for 1 hour, because they told us it takes about 30 minutes from Port Orleans Riverside to Downtown Disney and 30 minutes to get back.

Ben had a great time driving the boat…I think he had a smile on his face the entire ride! I enjoyed checking out the beautiful scenery.

After Port Orleans Riverside, we came to French Quarter. I love the fun colors over here, and that pool looks like a lot of fun!

We followed the signs for Downtown Disney, taking our time and taking everything in.

We saw a lot of birds along the way, which was fun. What was not so much fun was the snake in the water! It was HUGE!! Ben hates snakes, so when I pointed it out, he went from having a great time to informing me that this was his nightmare! Once it disappeared, he bounced back.

We started to see some other boats as we neared Downtown Disney. Those pontoon boats look like a great idea for a large group! I’m sure it would be a ton of fun!

We made it to Downtown Disney, and it was awesome to check it out from the water at our own pace.

We also got to check out Saratoga Springs across the street. It sure is pretty, but we ate there once and I don’t think it would be at the top of our list of places to stay. The atmosphere just didn’t suit us.

We cruised around the Downtown Disney area a couple of times and then turned and started our journey back to Port Orleans Riverside.

It was fun to check out the Treehouse Villas. I’m sure those would be really neat to stay in!

Before we knew it we were back at French Quarter.

And then Riverside!

We docked the boat and headed up to the window to pay. Our trip had only taken 45 minutes, so that is all they charged us for. With the 15% off coupon that came with our package, the cost was $37 and we thought it was worth every penny! It was something fun and different to do, and the ride was very relaxing and pretty!

My biggest recommendation if you ever decide to do this:

If it is a hot day, bring drinks! We had saved our bottled drinks from lunch and boy were we glad we did! It was HOT out there on the water!

With our bill settled, we decided to spend a little bit of time checking out the arcade to cool off. The arcade at Port Orleans Riverside is nice and spacious, and it was very clean and quiet while we were there. Of course, it was the middle of the day, so I’m sure that had something to do with it, but it was perfect for us.

We played air hockey and pin ball, using the free card that comes with the package. I think we might have also added $5.00 or so.

We were pretty spent from our late night previously and being out on the water in the hot sun, so we decided to relax for a bit. Ben headed to the room for a nap and I went to the pool with a book for about an hour.

While Ben was in the room, he called and made a golf lesson for later in the week. He really wanted to do it, but we hadn’t booked it ahead of time, and I was nervous that it would be too late now and he wouldn’t be able to get in. However, he not only got a lesson but got his pick of days and times!

I enjoyed sitting in the shallow area of the quiet pool with my book and Ben enjoyed his nap. At about 4:45PM we pulled ourselves together and got ready to head out for some evening fun, which I will tell you about next time!

 

[heaven2dc]

Ben really does look happy driving the boat! You both look relaxed and what a better way to spend the day That was a great price for enjoying the beautiful scenery and seeing DTD from the water. I absolutely agree that having a day to chill somewhere in your vacation helps and going out on a boat and playing games at the arcade topped off with nap/pool time sounds like my kind of vacation!

 

[CAStevens218]

Ben really does look happy driving the boat! You both look relaxed and what a better way to spend the day That was a great price for enjoying the beautiful scenery and seeing DTD from the water. I absolutely agree that having a day to chill somewhere in your vacation helps and going out on a boat and playing games at the arcade topped off with nap/pool time sounds like my kind of vacation!

It was a lot of fun to do something different than the parks for a day. We definitely got to relax and recover from our busy week so far. This is the time in the trip when the relaxation part really started to kick in!!!!!!

 

[CAStevens218]

Mini Update...

We booked flights today!!!!!

We will officially be back in Disney World from February 26 until March 4!!!!! I can barely contain my excitement!!!!

We will fly out on an evening flight on Feb 26 and fly home on an evening flight March 4.

We are definitely doing a value...Ben wants to try All Star Sports, so I think that is what we'll go with. We weren't thrilled with the bus system when we stayed at Music, but I think we'll rent a car.

This is going to be a "budget" trip for us...we were totally spoiled on our honeymoon and this time it is either keep it simple or don't go...so I'd rather go on a budget!

I might surprise Ben with a segway tour or something as a Christmas gift though!

That's all for now, no trip report update, just had to share my excitement about the new trip!

 

[CAStevens218]

Alright, its update time! My goal is to finish before I leave for India in 6 weeks, and I think that is totally doable! When I get back, I will have less than two months until we head back to Disney World! I'm so excited! Our plane tickets are booked and I am going to book our package today!!! I'm thinking about doing a combined mini-India trip report and Disney pre-trip report when I get home in January!

Anway...

When I left off last time we had spent a relaxing day at Port Orleans Riverside, and we were now ready to venture out for a little park time and some dinner!

Our destination? Animal Kingdom! Our mission? Conquer Everest!!!

We got in the car and drove to the park, and proceeded to have a great deal of trouble parking! It was after 5:00PM now and, even though the park was open until 7:00 or 8:00 (I cant remember which), masses of people were exiting and we seemed to be the only ones entering. This was great for us, except that nobody was out directing cars where to park, and that parking lot completely confused us! We ended up driving all the way around and out TWICE before we finally just parked and hoped we were within walking distance of the gates. We were parked in Unicorn and the walk ended up being just fine.

With that little fiasco behind us, we headed inside! I had the rudest bag checker Ive ever had on this day. It must have been a long, hot day for him or something. I have a cross body bag (very small, holds my phone, camera, park tickets and thats about it), and I was walking up with it still on. I knew that most bag checkers want you to take it off, and I was going to, as soon as I got to him. Well, he did not like that plan and started snapping at me (very loudly), to take it off. In a normal situation I would have had some choice words for him, but I was in Disney World and I decided to let it go! But jeez, he really needed a dose of pixie dust!

Anyway, we headed into a practically empty park and started to make our way toward our destination, Everest! This was really our only goal because it was pretty hot and sticky and we were still kind of dragging from being out so late the previous night.

We took a leisurely walk, enjoying the scenery and lack of crowds.

On the way, Ben was thirsty, so we stopped in Drinkwallah to use a snack credit for a frozen drink. This place has so much to look at inside!

Ben chose a Frozen Raspberry Lemonade, and, maybe Im wrong, but I dont think the CM was supposed to put ice into an already frozen beverage, as you can see in the picture:

That was kind of weird, but aside from that we thought it was good but a little sweet.

Continuing along the way, we approached the mountain!

This area of the park, as you approach Everest, is one of my favorites at twilight. The lights are so pretty!

As we got closer, we saw that fastpasses were gone for the day. The line said 25 minutes, so we jumped in. It ended up only taking 10 minutes!

There is so much to look at here!!

Soon enough, we were boarding our train and making our way up (and back down!), the mountain! We jumped right back in line when we were done. The wait this time was about 5 minutes, and the third time we went around, we walked right on.

Normally I would have ridden a few more times, but I was feeling a little sick after the third time, so we called it quits. We hung out in the air conditioning in the shop at the end of the ride for a few minutes to cool off until I felt better, and then headed on our way. We walked through the air conditioned shops as we continued on, making our way to the exit.

Unbelievably, this was the only time we spent in Animal Kingdom on this trip! We love the park, but I guess since we had spent a whole day here on January we didnt feel the need at the time. I definitely plan to give it the time it deserves in February.

We walked back to the car and headed to our dinner destination, Animal Kingdom Lodge. We were going to Boma, and I was SO EXCITED!!!

 

[CAStevens218]

As we pulled in, we told the security guard where we were eating and he was so excited to tell us all about it! Yay for enthusiasm!

We parked and walked into the building at about 7:15PM. Wow, is this place gorgeous or what?!!?

Animal Kingdom Lodge is definitely on our list of places to stay one day!

Just like at Animal Kingdom, there is so much amazing detail!

This next thing was very cool. Its part of some kind of tribal ritual or celebration and someone actually wears it and dances! Its huge, I can’t imagine!!!!

After checking out the lobby, we headed outside to see the savannah. As we walked out, we saw a campfire going on, and it looked like so much fun! I think I might actually want to stay here on a trip in the winter months so it would be cool enough to want to sit by it!

As we reach the savannah, we saw how gorgeous it is. Disney did an amazing job here!

I’m not 100% convinced about the Savannah view rooms. It would be AMAZING to wake up and see animals right outside the window, but it seems like there are so many trees near the rooms. Maybe it would be worth it to save the money? I’m not sure…

I swear, they were posing for me!!

When we were done looking at the animals we still had a little more time before our ADR at Boma, so we went inside the doors and found some comfy chairs in the lobby sit in and enjoy the ambiance.

At 7:45PM we headed over to Boma to check in for our 8:05PM ADR. We were seated within 5 minutes and our server congratulated us on our wedding and chatted with us about it while we walked to our seats. She took our drink orders and we hit the buffet!

I started out with salads and hummus. I LOVE hummus! The salads were just okay for me…whatever seasoning they use on things here is a little sweet for my liking. But the hummus was great!!

This was Ben’s first plate. I think that is some kind of carrot soup? He didn’t like it and neither did I.

Here is my second plate. Everything was good, again, whatever the sweet spice is isn’t my preference. However, the Indian dish over the white rice was AMAZING!!! I went back for seconds of that! I didn’t write down what it was for some reason, but if memory serves me it was paneer cheese and peas in a masala sauce.

Now for dessert! I was really excited about this because everything looks so great in pictures!

Sadly, it was all very blah. Like the dessert party, I thought everything was too warm. And, sorry DisBoards, but I did NOT like the zebra domes! Ick!

However, our waitress brought us a special plate of desserts to celebrate our honeymoon, and these were fabulous!!

We also shared a plate of fruit, which was great!

Overall, we enjoyed Boma. I’m not sure that we will go back for dinner any time soon, but I am definitely interested in trying breakfast if we ever stay there.

On our way out, we stopped to check out the gift shop. Before we even made it inside we spotted the tic tac toe board and we had to play!

We ended up playing best out of 3…we tied the first two games…and then…

I won! Hooray!! I love winning!

After our game, we had an awesome time looking around the store. They have so many unique items! I ended up purchasing a carving of a giraffe and one of a rhino, and they are now in my office at work. We also got a beautiful ceramic elephant that goes with our décor at home. The merchandise here (the special African themed stuff) was VERY reasonably priced!!

I paid for my purchases, traded the CM for a Piglet pin, and we were on our way. We jumped in the car, drove back to Port Orleans Riverside and headed to our room. We spent the rest of the night watching the Olympics and packing. Tomorrow was a big day…we had to make an early start for an ADR, and we were moving to the Beach Club!!!!!!

 

[heaven2dc]

Isn't it so much fun to ride EE several times in a row?!! I've only gone twice in a row and had to sit out because I felt weird. AKL is so beautiful - and I absolutely love your pics!! Esp the one with the zebra, giraffe and animal I don't know the name of lol What kind of camera do you use? I just bought my DS25 a Fuji FinePix S5700 on Ebay for his Christmas present - not the most expensive and it's used but it'll be a start to see how he does.

 

[CAStevens218]

Isn't it so much fun to ride EE several times in a row?!! I've only gone twice in a row and had to sit out because I felt weird. AKL is so beautiful - and I absolutely love your pics!! Esp the one with the zebra, giraffe and animal I don't know the name of lol What kind of camera do you use? I just bought my DS25 a Fuji FinePix S5700 on Ebay for his Christmas present - not the most expensive and it's used but it'll be a start to see how he does.

I LOVE Everest! I think the heat just got to me this time around...

Animal Kingdom Lodge is amazing...I can't wait to stay there some day in the future!

My camera is a Sony Cybershot. I love it because it is a nice, compact point and shoot but has a 16x optical zoom and tons of settings.

 

[Belle83]

I'm new to your TR but am call caught up now We're going to stay at POR in a few weeks and now I want to rent a boat. The trip down to DTD just looks so scenic/peaceful.

 

[CAStevens218]

I'm new to your TR but am call caught up now We're going to stay at POR in a few weeks and now I want to rent a boat. The trip down to DTD just looks so scenic/peaceful.

Welcome and thanks for reading and commenting!!! I hope you have an amazing time staying at Port Orleans Riverside! It is a beautiful resort! Renting a boat was a great way to relax and enjoy the resort...I highly recommend it!!

 

[CAStevens218]

On Sunday morning, the alarm went off at 6:00AM….and I knew quickly that there was NO WAY I was dragging myself out of bed yet. I hit snooze a few times and ended up getting up at 6:45AM, and Ben was up and moving about 15 minutes later.

We got dressed quickly, did some last minute packing of pajamas and toiletries and packed the car. We said goodbye to our beautiful royal room at Port Orleans Riverside, and to the gorgeous scenery at the resort, and we were on our way by 7:30AM.

We would check in to the Beach Club eventually…but first we had other plans!

We drove to the Transportation and Ticket Center, parked, and jumped on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

Our first stop when we entered the park was a photoshoot in front of the castle! We can never pass that up!


DSC02370 by CASDonnelly, on Flickr

After we got our pictures, we headed to our true destination…Crystal Palace!! We love a good breakfast buffet, and we always leave here with adorable photos!


DSC02385 by CASDonnelly, on Flickr

We checked in at 8:15AM, which was exactly on time for our ADR. We were seated within 5 minutes of checking in, on the far right of the restaurant. Our waitress took our drink orders and we were about to get up to head to the buffet, when we had a visit from Eeyore!


DSC02372 by CASDonnelly, on Flickr

Next up was Piglet, who I was very excited to see! I had an amazing photo of him and I from a previous trip, and I was hoping for another cute one! Piglet delivered, sitting down on the bench next to me and posing!


DSC02374 by CASDonnelly, on Flickr

Love that guy!

After our mini photoshoot, it was time for food!! We headed up to the buffet and filled out plates. We were not wowed like we had been the first time, but the food was good, with some items getting “great” rating.

Here is my first plate:


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I have a picture of Ben’s, but he put a croissant on top of everything, so that’s all you can see…not helpful!

Tigger visited us next,


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And then Pooh!


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It was nice that all the characters came pretty early on, because then we could relax and enjoy our food. At some point during all this, our waitress brought us a congratulations cupcake with a candle in it, which was a very nice touch!

I guess I didn’t take any more food pictures, but I wrote down that we both went back for 2nd plates and discovered our love for the chocolate croissants! SO GOOD!

We settled our bill and were heading out of the restaurant by 9:15AM.

It was a gorgeous day to be in Disney World!!


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We started to head for Tomorrowland, and we posed for more photos along the way.


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Our first stop was Buzz Lightyear, where I was determined to win for once!


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From my pictures, it looks like it was a walk on, and I can only assume that is the case because we rode twice in a row!

Ben won the first time…but then…I finally won!!!!!!


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Still a pathetic score, I know, but I was just happy to beat him! I recently watch the videos about where the targets are that give big points…so I’m hoping for more success in February! I didn’t tell Ben…ssshhh!!!

We hit the Peoplemover next, for some relaxation and air conditioning!


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I love the views from this ride!

We saw Chip and Dale greeting guests down below:


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Of course, the castle views are a highlight!


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And, of course, we enjoyed the cool, dark air conditioned areas as well!


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As you can see, things weren’t too crowded at this point…


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At this point, it was time for us to split up. Ben had booked at 11:00AM golf lesson and it was now 10:00AM, so it was time for him to get going. The plan was for me to wander the Magic Kingdom and then head over to the Beach Club via the International Gateway at EPCOT. He would meet me there with the car after his lesson.

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My first stop was something Ben would never tolerate, the Carousel of Progress.


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I love this…I think it is so much fun and full of nostalgia!

I then began my photo-taking journey through the park. I headed toward Fantasyland first.

Of course, I had to check out what was going on behind those construction walls!


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I am so excited that this is opening and I will get to be inside in February!!!!

I then concentrated on the area around the castle. We have never spent much time there, so I wanted to explore and take photos.


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I wandered through Sir Mickey’s to check out the merchandise.


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Then, I continued to check out the castle up close. It is just go gorgeous!!!


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I couldn’t get the perfect angle on this shot with the crown on her head because some guy kept wandering back and forth aimlessly in front of me…but you get the idea!


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Once I had my fill of admiring the castle from the outside, I headed inside to spend some time with the beautiful murals.


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When I came out the other side, I headed down the ramp, still admiring the views.


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I just love the clock on the castle. I wish the sold them because I would buy one in an instant!!


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It was fun to spend a few minutes admiring the action in the hub and on Main Street for a few minutes.


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The sky writer was flying around, and I though this shot was really cool. Of course, I cut out most of his message, but I love what I ended up with!


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I made my way over to Sleep Hollow Refreshments for a slushie, and admired the view from there for a while.


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From across the way, I could see the Tremaine family greeting guests near the castle, and I got some cool shots!


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Slushie in hand (I used a snack credit for it), I started to make my way toward the front of the park. I could have wandered around all day, just enjoying the atmosphere, but I also wanted to wander EPCOT a bit, and Ben’s golf lesson was only supposed to take an hour, so I knew it was time to get going.


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Of course, I had to snap a few more pictures on my way out…


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I walked through the shops on Main Street on my way out. In the Emporium, I purchased a Snow White Series Vinylmation Jr, and got the Snow White one! She is on my work keys now, along with the hippo one from Small World. They remind me of Disney every day at work!

I also made a pin trade with the cast member who cashed me out, and headed out the door. I got “stuck” where I was by the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It parade, which didn’t feel like being stuck at all! I enjoyed watching the last few floats pass by before I continued along.


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I exited the park and turned right to go up the platform to the resort monorail.


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I rode to the Transportation and Ticket Center, and transferred to the EPCOT monorail. I had an unfortunate run in with a snake on the way up the ramp, so I scrambled pretty quickly the rest of the way!

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I was entering EPCOT at 11:50AM, and, as I did so, Ben was calling to say that he was done with his golf lesson. I was kind of sad that I wouldn’t have as much time to wander as I had originally hoped for, but I was excited to meet up and check in to the Beach Club, so it didn’t get me down! I HAD to walk to the International Gateway anyway, so I decided that I would still take my time and enjoy that walk. I told Ben to go ahead and drive to the Beach Club and I would meet him there.


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I headed straight for the World Showcase, entering via Mexico.


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I didn’t really make stops, just admired the scenery and snapped pictures!


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It was early enough that I was nearly alone in the World Showcase, which was amazing! It was a hot one, but there was a nice breeze, and everything was just perfect!


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I did stop to check out the Viking display in Norway. It was nice and cool in there with some cool stuff to look at. They could probably spice it up a bit, but I was glad I checked it out.


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Continuing on my way, I made another pit stop in China for some Strawberry Red Bean ice cream.


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This was very sweet and creamy. Not quite what I expected it to taste like, but very good!


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Empty!!


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I passed by the beautiful Italy pavilion and dreamed about our Via Napoli ADR later in the vacation!


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And I passed Japan and dreamed of the amazing meal we had already had at Teppan Edo!


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I took some time to admire Morocco, but knew I wanted to spend more time here on another day, so I didn’t stay long. This pavilion is so detailed and beautiful!


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Then, I reached France, which I also admired from afar and dreamed of convincing Ben that we should eat here before the end of the trip! The World Showcase inspires so many food fantasies!!!!


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Finally, I was at the International Gateway, and it was time to make my way to the Beach Club. I was so excited to finally see it for myself!!


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Up Next: Checking into the Beach Club, a beautiful dinner, and back to EPCOT!!!