When A Tourist Becomes A Local! A Full Year (2019) TR! *CANCELED!*

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 8: I See A Bird Taller Than Me?

Welcome to Day 8 and my final day of this trip to Walt Disney World!

My day would begin by traveling to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.





I would have one goal for the morning. That is Kevin recently began traveling around Discovery Island. So, I was on the search for a bird. A very tall bird.

While waiting for Kevin to hopefully come out, I would get a picture with Dug and Russell!







I would see a lot of high up Disney officials gathering around the exit to Discovery Island heading to DinoLand. I guess that could only mean one thing. Kevin would be making a spotting very soon.

Sure enough! She did!











Kevin interacting with her friends.





I feel like Kevin is a really great addition to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

I would then explorer a little bit of Asia where I would get a photo pass picture of Expedition Everest in the background! I was not happy to see snow falling while I was in Orlando.







It was time for my first fastpass of the day. That was for Expedition Everest!







After an encounter with the Yeti, I would make my way over to Africa and say hello to my favorite Disney character at Festival of the Lion King!









Now it was time for a midday snack. I would make my way to Pizzafarri to try a cupcake. It wasn’t just any cupcake. It was the Lion King cupcake!!!









The cupcake had way too much frosting on it. If it wasn’t a Lion King cupcake, I would have never purchased this. Also, it wasn’t worth $6. It was nice to get a picture of it though.

It was time to head into Pandora and fly a banshee.









I would be getting to see Disney’s Animal Kingdom again very soon, but it was time to head to a different park and meet up with my Dad!



Hmm…A gondola system? Which park would I be heading too?



More in my next post!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 8: An Adventure To Hollywood And Around The World!

It was time to experience Disney’s Hollywood Studios!!!





I would wait for my Dad to arrive so I decided to grab some lunch at Backlot Express.



I would order a chicken sandwich that was actually pretty good.



*STORY TIME*

Well, my Dad would arrive and this is where I would have one of the strangest experiences on Disney property that I have experienced.

My Dad and I would be eating and talking about what we were wanting to do, and there was gentleman in his (I would say) 60’s sitting next to us. We were minding our own business until at one point he leans over to me and asks if I could help him.

Being the kind person that I am, I answered “sure” and of course I asked in what way I could help. He leans over and says, “I came to the wrong park.”

He explained that he doesn’t like Star Wars and the whole park seemed to be filled with Star Wars stuff. I was then thinking that he just came to the wrong Disney park for the day when he was meaning to go to another park.

This is when I heard him say something that I always wondered…

He started talking about that he thought this park used to have a Hulk rollercoaster and Harry Potter lands. I wanted to do a complete facepalm in person, but I tried to be relaxed since I realized then what he meant by saying he came to the wrong park. This man didn’t want to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This man wanted to go to Universal Orlando.

Well, it was already mid-day, and I wasn’t necessarily going to direct the man to guest services since I don’t think Disney would do anything for a man that wanted to be at their competition. So, I did what any Disney fan would do. That is try to come up with a plan for this person to have a fantastic day.

I would try to get the My Disney Experience App on his phone, but I was having issues. So, I would do the next best thing. Walk with the gentleman from Backlot Express all the way to the fastpass machines in the middle of the park. This is where I would help him get a fastpass for Star Tours (he said he didn’t like Star Tours but there was no better option), Toy Story Mania, and Tower of Terror. I would then inform him to stand single rider on Rock N’ Rollercoaster and then see Fantasmic (All of you are probably dying that I recommended this show to a stranger). However, since he doesn’t like Star Wars, I was being a nice human by recommending a show that isn’t Star Wars based.

We would then say our farewells, and I have no idea how his day turned out. I spent about 25 minutes trying to help this guy, and I can only hope that he had a fantastic Disney experience!

*END OF STORY*

I would then travel to Walt Disney Presents to see the One Man’s Dream film one more time.





That is the only reason why I came to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on this final day at Walt Disney World.



I would then travel by boat to the Swan and Dolphin where I would walk the rest of the way to EPCOT.

















I would then enter the International Gateway entrance where you all guessed it. I was off to the American Adventure to see the Voices of Liberty!







After saying farewell to the Voices of Liberty, I would stop at the Refreshment Outpost and get a frozen lemonade that wasn’t that frozen.





I was hopeful to finally paint on the wall at this point of the trip, but for some reason it was closed for the day.



I spotted a rainbow in EPCOT!



The fountain is one of my favorite parts of EPCOT.



A wonderful sunset view of Spaceship Earth with a storm heading this way as well.





I definitely had a great week at the Festival of Arts. However, can you believe that I came to this festival and didn’t try and of the food? Maybe next year!



What is the best way to leave Walt Disney World? That is by seeing someone get arrested at the entrance of the EPCOT bus loop area. Yeah…I didn’t take pictures, but that was definitely happened.

More in my next post!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 8: Traveling Back To The Midwest!

It was time to leave Saratoga Springs!





We were going on a Disney Cruise…Just kidding. We were off to the airport.





My Dad and I would arrive at the airport where we would get through security fairly quickly.



My final ride of the trip…





How about some Chinese food for dinner?



It was time to head to the gate for our flight back home, but not home for much longer for me!





We would make it on our flight.



Of course I would watch Act 2 of Newsies since I watched Act 1 on the way to Orlando.



I would also watch the end of the Duke/Louisville game.



To end the flight, I would watch my favorite episode of Band of Brothers.



We would soon arrive to an empty airport in the MidWest where it was a lot colder than Orlando. I was immediately starting to dream of being a permanent resident.



Well, we made it home. This was a fantastic trip, and I can’t wait to be a resident very soon!

Stay tuned for a resort update from this trip to Walt Disney World!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

What a great note to end your trip on with a seamless goodbye to three parks.

That is quite the interaction you had with that man. I'm so glad it was someone like you who ran into him. If it was someone like me, I'd have given him the hard truth that he was nowhere near the correct park and should understand the clear distinction between Disney and Universal. It would've been quite the Disney tough love moment I guess lol

Lol I've seen an arrest by Disney casting offices. Never at a park though. That's wild.

YAS to watching act two of Newsies on the way home. I approve.

Glad to hear it overall was a good trip for you and I can't wait to hear about all your other forthcoming visits!

 

[disneywlf]

Loved reading about your visits to the three parks and the addition of Kevin looks amazing in addition to Dug and Russell being fun characters to meet!

I loved your interaction with the man at DHS and that you helped him to salvage his day. I would have been very kind, albeit a bit more blunt as I would tell him he was at the wrong park. However, I probably still would have helped him out so he could make the best of his day .

Another fantastic TR as always and I cannot wait to read more reports!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

What a great note to end your trip on with a seamless goodbye to three parks.

That is quite the interaction you had with that man. I'm so glad it was someone like you who ran into him. If it was someone like me, I'd have given him the hard truth that he was nowhere near the correct park and should understand the clear distinction between Disney and Universal. It would've been quite the Disney tough love moment I guess lol

Lol I've seen an arrest by Disney casting offices. Never at a park though. That's wild.

YAS to watching act two of Newsies on the way home. I approve.

Glad to hear it overall was a good trip for you and I can't wait to hear about all your other forthcoming visits!

- LOL! Well, I guess I can say I have experienced seeing someone in a Disney Park that thought they were going to Universal. I always wondered if I would experience that happening.

- It was rather horrendous since he had a young daughter crying nearby. Definitely a sad but interesting moment. No idea what happened though.

- I told you to wait until the end of this trip. I sometimes like breaking up watching Act 1 and 2.

- Stay tuned for many exciting updates heading your way!

Loved reading about your visits to the three parks and the addition of Kevin looks amazing in addition to Dug and Russell being fun characters to meet!

I loved your interaction with the man at DHS and that you helped him to salvage his day. I would have been very kind, albeit a bit more blunt as I would tell him he was at the wrong park. However, I probably still would have helped him out so he could make the best of his day .

Another fantastic TR as always and I cannot wait to read more reports!

- Kevin is definitely really cool. I just wish Kevin was an official meet and greet. Kevin doesn't stop for photos.

- I did tell him he was at the wrong park, but I tried my best to see what he might enjoy inside the DISNEY Hollywood Studios.

- Thank you! Stay tuned for more exciting updates!

 

[Verstehen]

All caught up! Excited for your move. We've been in Orlando for three years now and just love it.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

All caught up! Excited for your move. We've been in Orlando for three years now and just love it.

Glad to see you have caught up! I have now been in the Orlando area for a week and very much enjoying it so far!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Saratoga Springs Overview - Part 1!

Hello everyone and welcome to my overview of the resort I stayed at on this trip. That resort being Saratoga Springs!



Saratoga Springs is a Disney Vacation Club Resort that is located very close to Disney Springs.

Here is a closer look at several aspects of the resort:

The Carriage House is the main lobby area





The lobby area is nice. It feels a lot like a barn to me for some reason. Maybe it’s the high ceilings ?





There is a hallway that separates the lobby from the quick service restaurant/shop.



There is a boat that can take you to Disney Springs.



The grounds of Saratoga Springs are really nice.





Depending on where you are at the resort, there is a bridge that takes yo right to Disney Springs





I would stay at the Congress Park district. There is a parking lot right by the building for easy access to your car./rental car.



There is a bus stop at each “district” of the resort.



The pool area at Congress Park is really nice. Not as big as the main pool, but a nice option to go to after a long park day.







There is also a hot tub at this pool.



You can get a great view of Disney Springs from the Resort.



The resort is really nice to walk around at night.



There is a Senses Spa at Saratoga Springs that is really nice and relaxing.







The walkway to Disney Springs is really nice as well.







There is a nice lake and fountains in the middle of the resort.







There is a bridge that connects the “main area” of the resort to another one of the main pool areas.







The main pool is very nice. This pool area has a water slide.





The building is home to the quick service location, as well as, the main shop.



The grounds of Saratoga Springs are definitely really nice.



More in my next post!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Saratoga Springs Overview - Part 2!

Here is a look at our one bedroom villa that we stayed in at Saratoga Springs!

My Dad and I would get a 1-bedroom DVC Villa, and here is what you can find in this room.

When you enter, you can find a mirror and small table to put your items on.



This is the view of the living room as you turn the corner.















Decent sized living room with an older feel with the furniture.

Here is the kitchen and many items that you can find in the cabinets:























You can definitely get a lot out of cooking in the kitchen on your trips to Walt Disney World if that is something you like to do. The kitchen was definitely fully stocked.

Here is a picture in the walkway as you enter.



Each 1-bedroom or larger villa has a washer/dryer which comes in handy while on a Disney vacation!



More in my next post!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Saratoga Springs Overview - Part 3!

Here is a look at the bathroom.



A nice sink area in the bathroom.



Closet with needed items in the bathroom area.



Whirlpool jacuzzi tub (my favorite)!



These sliders above the jacuzzi tub open up to a view of the bedroom.



Another area of the bathroom with another sink, as well as, a shower.







Every hotel room needs a toilet.



Here is a look at the main bedroom.

















I love these pillows on the couch in the Living Room!



The couch in the Living Room can be turned into a sleeper sofa. This was actually surprisingly comfortable for a sleeper sofa.



Here is a look at our balcony and the view that we had from Congress Park.











Love the Mickey details on the balcony!



I hope all of you enjoyed taking a look at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa! This is a very nice resort that tends to be very quiet as well. If you have any questions about this resort, feel free to ask in the comments below.

This will now conclude my updates from our trip in February during Festival of the Arts. I hope all of you will stay tuned for the start of my “Being A Local” updates starting very soon!

 

[Ensusieasm]

Thanks for the tour of Saratoga Springs. You did a great job with that. Now I can’t wait to hear your stories about living life in the Disney World neighborhood.

 

[Cowgirl_Jessie]

Thanks for the tour of Saratoga Springs. You did a great job with that. Now I can’t wait to hear your stories about living life in the Disney World neighborhood.

Great pictures! We’ve only stayed in a DVC 1 BR at Hilton Head, very similar layout. Can’t wait to hear about your journey becoming a local!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Thanks for the tour of Saratoga Springs. You did a great job with that. Now I can’t wait to hear your stories about living life in the Disney World neighborhood.

Thanks! Looking forward to diving into being a local!

Great pictures! We’ve only stayed in a DVC 1 BR at Hilton Head, very similar layout. Can’t wait to hear about your journey becoming a local!

Thanks! All of the one bedroom villas are similar in a way. I can’t wait to share more experiences with you!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

4/10/19: Arriving In Orlando!!!

Hello everyone and welcome to the start of my “being a local” updates! I am really excited to dive into the many fun adventures that I have already had, as well as, many more to come. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride that I am currently living.

I have already posted part 1 of the adventure above that started my trip from Kansas City to Tennessee. It was now time to finish the journey and arrive in Orlando!!!

The day would start in Murfreesboro, TN where I would notice there was a Jamba Juice right by the hotel. So, I had to show my friend what a Jamba Juice was and we would stop there for our breakfast.



It was time for our 9 1/2 hour drive!

Tennessee is a very beautiful state to drive through.











We would arrive in Georgia, and it wouldn’t be long before we were in Atlanta.











It would take us 5+ hours to drive through Georgia. I never thought Georgia was that big, but it was definitely a long journey to get though that state.

WE MADE IT TO FLORIDA!!!





It would take us about 2 1/2 hours once we entered Florida to arrive at our destination. That was the place that a lot of us like to call our home, Walt Disney World!!!



My friend and I would be staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village in a 1-bedroom savannah view room. So, we would make our way to that resort. I was really excited to stay here. It had always been dream of mine to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and that dream was coming true on my trip to moving to Orlando.

We would unpack, and we were hungry. So, we were off to Disney Springs!

I had hyped of D-Luxe Burger to my friend saying that it is “the 2nd best burger place I have ever been to.” I grew up in California, and nothing can beat In-N-Out for me. So, I was very nervous thinking what if my friend didn’t like D-Luxe Burger. However, he was up to going there. So, it was time to eat some meat after our long drive to Florida!



I always get the barbecue burger which is delicious. My friend got the southern burger. We also got an order of large fries.



My friend came away from this saying that D-Luxe Burger is the best burger he has ever had. I was really happy to hear that he enjoyed it. My burger was great as always, and I really like the fries at this restaurant.

So, my friend was given some information from a friend about the Void. Being a huge Star Wars fan, my friend requested that we go to the Void and do the Star Wars VR Experience. This would be my 4th time doing it, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever do it again honestly. It’s just very expensive for what you get. However, I would do it for my friend. That means we were off to the Void after dinner.





It would only be my friend and I inside the Void which was a nice experience. We got to do the Star Wars experience all to ourselves instead of having another party of 2 with us. This is when I see it is worth it. When you have the experience all to yourself, you are able to interact with the items in a much better way instead of having to share with strangers. We both came away from enjoying our experience at the Void, and I might actually go back at some point to do the Wreck-It-Ralph Experience.

We wold then walk around Disney Springs for a little bit before it was time to head back to our hotel. We were both very tired after a full day of traveling, but it felt good to finally be in Orlando!

We would start our theme park days tomorrow, and we would be heading to my favorite Walt Disney World Theme Park first!

Stay tuned for more local updates from my time living in Orlando, Florida!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I got behind several updates, but I'm all caught up again!

Your trip ended with such a productive day!!! Goodbyes to 3 parks, good work!!!

I'm looking forward to continuing to follow along as you get to live life as a local say that 3 times fast! LOL

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

I got behind several updates, but I'm all caught up again!

Your trip ended with such a productive day!!! Goodbyes to 3 parks, good work!!!

I'm looking forward to continuing to follow along as you get to live life as a local say that 3 times fast! LOL

I’m happy you were able to catch up!

It’s always nice when you have a late flight and can hit many of your favorite things to do one last time on a trip.

Looking forward to sharing my time as a local!...I did say that 3 times fast and it was tough lol.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

4/11/19: An Adventure To The Animal Kingdom - Part 1!

Hello everyone and welcome to my first full day of living in Orlando! However, I still didn’t officially have my apartment yet, and I also wouldn’t be living in it for another week.

My friend and I would wake up bright and early, because we were getting ready to travel to a different planet at my favorite Theme Park.

It was so early that when you are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, it must be a thing to watch the sunset and blare the “Circle of Life” on your phone. Well, that’s what we did!



No animals were out this morning.









My friend and I would decide to drive off to Animal Kingdom where we would be one of the first in line at the gates.



I will now introduce my friend to all of you. This is Matt, and he was very gracious to drive down to Orlando with me and help start my new adventure. I was now excited to show him around one of my favorite places on this planet, Walt Disney World!



The gates would open around 8:15 a.m. and we would participate in the stampede to Pandora. We would then enter Pandora at around 8:30 a.m. This is pretty much what I predicting would happen.







When we entered the Land, we would get in line for Flight of Passage like everybody else it seems like.





We would be in the loading room shortly after getting in line.



Our adventure on a banshee was awesome as always. Matt really enjoyed this ride, and I knew that this was going to be a hard ride to beat as his possible favorite attraction.

We would then travel across Pandora to ride Na’vi River Journey since it was a short wait.





It’s always great to see the animatronic, and relax on a boat ride where you can’t understand any of the languages that are being spoken.

There are so many picturesque spots in Pandora. This land is truly beautiful.





We would then travel over to the Tree of Life where we would get a picture together.









We found Kevin!!!



We would then adventure over to Kali River Rapids!



Now since the rapids are very close to Maharajah Jungle Trek, we would go on a search for some Asian animals.







It was time for our first fastpass of the day. That was for Dinosaur!



After traveling back in time, it was close to the first showtime for Finding Nemo the Musical. So, we decided to relax and enjoy a show.





I really enjoyed this show since I noticed one of the Voices of Liberty members was playing the role of Crush today.

After the show, I would adventure on Expedition Everest by going through the single rider line. Expedition Everest is still arguably my favorite ride at Walt Disney World.



It was a beautiful Thursday afternoon at Walt Disney World!



My favorite location to get a picture of the Tree of Life is on the path between Asia and Africa.



We would cross into Africa, but we were getting hungry. So, we decided to cross the bridge. Were we heading back to a different planet?



More in my next post!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

4/11/19: An Adventure To The Animal Kingdom - Part 2!

My friend and I would arrive back in Pandora where we would decide to get a PhotoPass picture. We also got a special magic shot!





Pandora is seriously a beautiful place!





The person riding one of those machines was out.



We would then have lunch at Satuli Canteen.



I would have a chicken and noodle bowl. Still one of my favorite quick service locations on property!



It was time to encounter my favorite show on Disney Property. That is the Festival of the Lion King!









The show would bump up against our next fastpass which was for Kilimanjaro Safaris!





My friend got really lucky since this was one of the best safaris that I have ever been on.













I don’t know…







Were we going to see a lion…

We were not seeing one as we went around…

Still didn’t see one…

Driver almost turns to go away and *poof*…

The Lion appears!!!



The lion walks up…



Still walking up…

Thinks about it…



and then lays down and falls asleep lol. That was our 10 second lion experience for the day. Super cool though how it happened!

My friend and I on the safari!



We would then explorer Gorilla Falls!



There were baby birds!!!



I love meerkats…a lot!









Hello gorillas.



After going through the trail, we would make our way to Pandora one final time. Earlier in the day, I was able to pick up a same-day fastpass for Flight of Passage for both of us.



So, at this point, it was about 3:30 in the afternoon. It was time for us to leave Disney’s Animal Kingdom and head to our resort for some time to relax. We had a very late evening ahead of us, and this was needed due to how early we woke up.

We were off to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge!



Stay tuned for more updates from our day at Walt Disney World!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

What a lovely first day at DAK! It sounds like everything went smoothly and you got all you wanted done. Always so fun introducing Disney newbies to Disney.