You 3, Them 3, Us 3 = Awesome? Updated 10/19

[darrenf67]

It was going to be a small trip - really it was. Just my wife, daughter (13) and myself. No headaches, or dramas. Two weeks at Disney world - awesome.

THEN close family friends thought "Why Not? We should come along" We said Awesome. You three (Mum, Dad and Daughter 15) and us make 6. Easy.

THEN our eldest daughter, her partner and baby (born in September 2013)said, "we don't want to be left home - we might come too." We said awesome. You three, them three, us three makes 9.

So 9 people from Australia set off in December 2013 for two weeks at the happiest place on Earth, travelling together, staying together (in a villa in Orlando) and park hopping together.

What could possibly go wrong? Will it be Awesome?

 

[darrenf67]

How to get to the good stuff

Day 1 - We have arrived - Magic awaits...
The Magic Kingdom (Part 1)
The Magic Kingdom (Part 2)
Dessert Party, Buzz and a Snowy Main Street
Harry, Spidey and the Hulk ... Did I Really Just Do That?
Toy Story, Indy and Idol - A Day At Hollywood Studios
Eating Our Way Around Epcot Part 1
Eating Our Way Around Epcot Part 2
Eating Our Way Around Epcot Part 3 - Teppan Edo and Candlelight Processional

 

[darrenf67]

For this who don't know a trip from Australia to WDW Florida is quite the journey. We left Brisbane International airport, travelled 12 hours across the Pacific Ocean to Los Angeles and then connect from LAX to Orlando. Phew! All worth it of course. Wouldn't it be great to travel business class one time though? I sneak a peak enviously at those spacious lay down beds and all that leg room and think Wow! Then i think - Hmmm - all that extra money would buy A LOT of Disney merchandise hehe So back down the aisle to my economy seat I walk.

We checked out our Villa - you may have heard of it - Villas at seven dwarf Lane - it is huge and in a lovely pool and sports area. Our 2 storey villa has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and plenty of room for all of us.

We did a quick supply run to the local Target and stopped for dinner at ...wait for it ... Steak 'N Shake ... love those shakes. haha

Then its an early night ready for a day at the magic kingdom with tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and the Tomorrowland terrace Dessert
Party. Our Disney Magic Awaits!

Oh by the way for those wondering about the baby - he slept like an angel all the way over - we scored great seats on the plane and he had his own seat!! Easy!

 

[darrenf67]

The first day at WDW was at the Magic Kingdom. We were up and ready and on our way. Ahhh thats a good sign...

We parked, made our way to TTC and quickly jumped on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. 4 of us had been here before, for the rest this was there first time. I love to see the faces of those "newbies" when they walk down main street for the first time and see that castle - oh yes - that has a magic of its own I think.

After a stroll down main street we headed to one of our favourites - Pirates

Even though its very similar to the ride in California I think I prefer this one more - better entry and queuing area and the ride seems more intense.

After Pirates we headed over to the "Jingle Cruise" - a laugh as always. I did appreciate the Christmas overlay, but not sure it added too much to this classic.

Wondering through Adventureland is always fun and of course you can't pass through without a...

Yum! My favourite.

At this point we had a fast pass for Splash Mountain so we ran over there and had a ride - good fun as always.

Around this time we needed to get our bands for the Christmas Party, so got this then got ready for the night festivities.

Oh the baby - apart from feeding he slept like a baby in his pram - haha

 

[darrenf67]

Up next - a. Very merry party ...

 

[PrincessInOz]

You started a TR!


Great! I'm here for the ride.

I looked at this picture real close to 'see' you. Took me a while. But I eventually got there....

.....you're front and centre......having fun!



Nice to 'see' you.

 

[darrenf67]

You started a TR! Great! I'm here for the ride. I looked at this picture real close to 'see' you. Took me a while. But I eventually got there.... .....you're front and centre......having fun! Nice to 'see' you.

Hey there

Thanks for joining in! Took me a while but I'm finally getting a TR done

 

[darrenf67]

After picking up our party wristbands we ran into some friends nearby.

Yeeha!

The sun was going down by this, so we made our way to main street for some dinner - just had to stop for quick castle photo first of course!

Dinner was a bit of everything - some of us had hot dogs from Casey's Corner, while I zipped to Cosmic Rays for some pizza!
As it was Christmas Party time we decided to head to New Fantasyland first. On the way we ran into a lovely lady.

I love her fancy Christmas Dress!
In New Fantasyland we rode the Dumbo ride and the Barnstormer. I got a photo with some great characters I loved as a child!

Haha nice face I'm pulling!

Heading out of Fantasyland we managed a quick ride on the teacups.

Then we walked in the direction of Tomorrowland. We had a booking for the Wishes Dessert Party.

Quick castle shot on the way!

Don't you just love the holiday lights - so magical. I know it's a cliche but still...

While waiting for our reservation time we did a quick space mountain ride!

Fast and furious isn't it - wow

Next up: Dessert Party, Buzz and a snowy main street!

 

[darrenf67]

So farther Magic Kingdom has been well... magical! Haha

The Christmas Party was in full swing and most of us were lined up for the Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace and I realised I had not yet obtained my limited edition party pin. I dashed to the closest location that sold them and... they were SOLD OUT! . That caused me a momentary panic. I asked the Cast Member where else sold them and of course it was the big merchandise location near Dumbo in New Fantasyland. We were there an hour before!! So with lightning pace (well brisk walking pace anyway) I zip all the way back there and they did indeed have some left. It wasn't the Mickey one I wanted, but it was a cute Nutcracker version so I was happy.
Without delay I made it back just as we were going in for the Dessert Party.

Now for those of you who like the healthier style of eating with small quantities and lots of nutritional benefits FORGET IT, this is a buffet full of sugary, sweet delights that made my eyes pop. Sadly I did not get to try every delicious item, but I did give it a great try.

That was my first plate! Haha

Aside from the glorious food, the other main benefit is you can watch the Wishes Fireworks show from the Tomorrowland Terrace Balcony. And wasn't that amazing. Tinkerbell flew in and landed right above us! Amazing. The holiday version was spectacular and I think I had a small tear or two as the finale concluded. Goosebumps covered my body - I didn't want it to end. Stunning.

I wish my photography was as good as the show.

We rolled out of the terrace and into Buzz lightyear. Now I may have had my senses dulled by the dessert party because I actually lost the battle. Oh wait - I always lose. Oh well.

Now it was time for the Christmas Party Parade. We found a spot not far from Starbucks and waited for the show.

Looking towards the railway station:

And the castle end:

How awesome was it to have that "snow" fall down. Made quite an impact and all the more special. I think i was just a few of us here because the young ones wanted to ride some more before the park closed.

Here are a few parade shots:

Of course my phone went flat as the parade was ending but it was a great parade.

That wrapped up our huge day at the Magic Kingdom. We all gathered together for one last group shot and then headed home.

Unbelievably everything went to plan, the baby was so amazingly good and slept most of the day. The kids had a ball and I was moved by everything. The only sad thing?? I couldn't fit in a complimentary cocoa. Awwwwww. Darn dessert party. hehe

Tomorrow was another big day!

Coming Up - Harry, Spidey and a big green... Hulk??? Can't believe I did that!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Seems like a great day at MK. I love your shots of Main St with the snow. The castle looks wonderful all lit up too.

 

[darrenf67]

Seems like a great day at MK. I love your shots of Main St with the snow. The castle looks wonderful all lit up too.

The snow was fantastic, but the castle all decorated takes our breath away.

 

[darrenf67]

The next day arrived and we were off to Universal Studios today. We had a two park pass and had purchased an express pass to get us into the front of the lines so we were all set.

We arrived early and got a pretty good park.

I took this so I remembered where we parked. Our parking spot will be important for later - there was a big drama at the end of the day and that guest assistance button was used. Oh no!

We walked through the city walk and into the park -

Goal one was of course the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Those who wished to ride ran ahead and those who didn't strolled through the park. I, of course, wanted to ride, so raced ahead and reached Hogsmeade in no time. The crowd was big but not chaotic and the wait line pretty short so in we jumped. I love the details and care taken as we wound our way through Hogwarts, passed Dumbledore's office, through the Green houses and into the ride loading area.

As for the ride itself - AMAZING . The combination of 3D, giant screens and animatronics was fantastic, but the way the chair twists and turns is incredible. I was spell bound (excuse the pun!). The others in my party - not so much. In fact, Ange needed to sit down for an hour after it made her feel that sick. Youch!

After the ride we explored the area, had a butter beer, bought some postcards and had them stamped and the kids rode the other rides in this area.

We then spent the day riding and acting like tourists through:

Springfield

How good was this area?? I was walking through a cartoon and loving every minute of it. I had been on the Simpson's ride in Hollywood, but hey, it couldn't hurt to try again could it?? Nah, of course not.

The Minion Mayhem ride - was great if a little bumpy- unique concept though.

Met a transformer! This ride and the spiderman ride were very similar in design I though but both are in my top three rides at these parks.

All ready to take on Spiderman

And the Men in Black!

Tangled with a dinosaur or two

We had lunch here

Might i add that yes I did indeed have Green Eggs and ham and it was... delicious. try it sometime.

Lastly we went to the Hulk ride. Now I am not a big ride fan and this looked freaking scary - but I made a deal with myself to try every ride once this trip - some I loved and others well... let's just say once was enough - The Hulk was one of those - man it was wild and I think I had my eyes shut most of the time - haha but I got a pic to prove I did it!! No mean feat I say.

That is not a look of joy people!!

That was our big day at Universal. Now what was the drama with the rental car?? We got back and would you believe it wouldn't start! We rang that call button and were told to ring the renatl company. That we did. THREE hours later after many calls and complaints we had our battery charged and were on the ride home. Then we get home and it stops again! So a replacement car arrives at.... 2AM!!

Now thats how to end a big day isn't it!!

Next up - Hollywood Studios.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I love some of the rides at UO. FJ is my favourite ride of all time and I'm hoping to get to see Diagon Alley at some stage.

Looks like you had a great day. The end of it does not sound promising!

 

[tcarrick12]

Love the review of Universal. I had the opportunity to go to Islands of Adventure for a 4 hour gala (it was closed for our event only) in May (for work) and loved it. I had never been to Universal and can't wait to take my family there for a day or two the next time we go to Disney. From what I saw, and it was only 3/4 of Islands of Adventure, we would have a great time!

 

[darrenf67]

I love some of the rides at UO. FJ is my favourite ride of all time and I'm hoping to get to see Diagon Alley at some stage.

Looks like you had a great day. The end of it does not sound promising!

Yes the Forbidden journey is amazing - I expect the new Gringotts ride will eclipse it.

As for the car - the new one was great - just the 2AM arrival time was a little hard to take.

 

[darrenf67]

Love the review of Universal. I had the opportunity to go to Islands of Adventure for a 4 hour gala (it was closed for our event only) in May (for work) and loved it. I had never been to Universal and can't wait to take my family there for a day or two the next time we go to Disney. From what I saw, and it was only 3/4 of Islands of Adventure, we would have a great time!

Yes I loved Universal as well, and with the new Harry Potter extension I think a return trip is needed!! It is massive and like Disney, you miss so much the first or even second time around.

 

[darrenf67]

So the next a new day was upon us and Hollywood Studios was our destination.

This park offers a number of treats I was excited to see and one of us also had a starring moment! A day to remember indeed.

First up we headed down Sunset Blvd to two great rides. The Aerosmith ride - which was awesome - loved the use of neon and darkness - quite an eye opener.

Right next door is the Hollywood Tower - and this is one of my favourite rides of all the parks. Love the set up and the effects and the ride is different every time - rode this a few times.

The rest of the morning we split up and I went to:

I spent a while reading and admiring the work of a truely great man and human. It amazes me how one man can create and inspire so much.

We met back up after lunch at:

Great stunts and fun story - I believe it's closing soon - that will be a loss - the crowd were really into it and loved the action sequences.

We left Indy and I went to visit one of my all time favourites - probably the number one movie of my childhood too - I still have some of this action figures haha

A bad selfie I know - but hey got to have one every trip right?
The girls ran into an old friend:

By now it was time for that starring moment I mentioned earlier. My son-in-law auditioned earlier in the day for American Idol and made it to a live show!

So we went to the theatre for his performance. It was great and...

He made to to the final!! He didn't win but we all had a lot of fun and enjoyed the VIP treatment his spot gave us for the show. We got to go in early to watch the soundcheck and rehearsal and stay for the show in VIP seats. Great job Travis!

We finished at Idol and headed to Pixar Place for some mania!

I am hopeless at these games and I think I needed more time on my Atari as a kid!! Anyway it is always a good time.

Leaving the ride we passed by this ride and since we had never been on it we had a go:

I have read how people give this a hard time and I can see it could benefit from an upgrade. but hey it wasn't that bad - had some good scenes and we all enjoyed it.

We did see Fantasmic and that was great as always.

I did get some pictures walking around that night:

It was late and time to head home. Now I can hear you all yelling - "It's Christmas time at Hollywood Studios where are the Osborne Lights pictures"??

Well would you believe we picked today to come and the park closed at 7pm and NO lights!! Don't you all worry though, we made it back later in the week and I have some good pictures for you then!!

Here's my favourite photopass shot from this day:

And our view heading to the trams

Next up is our day eating around the world at Epcot. Oh yeah!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Congrats on your SiL making it to the final of AI.

Looking forward to seeing what you ate at Epcot and to seeing the Osborne lights later.

 

[darrenf67]

Congrats on your SiL making it to the final of AI. Looking forward to seeing what you ate at Epcot and to seeing the Osborne lights later.

Thanks! The SIL was pretty impressed!! Ahhhh Epcot how I love thee - getting the pics organised for that now

 

[darrenf67]

We had a rest day between Hollywood Studios on the Tuesday and Epcot Thursday. Our "rest day" was spent shopping. The outlets and Walmart/Target were on the agenda. I also think we went to Steak N Shake and had the $4 dinner!

Epcot is unique because of its World Showcase. This area is fantastic. For all those Aussies out there, it reminds of Expo 88 in Brisbane - pavilions from various countries and food to try. For those who might like to know more check out this: World Expo 88 Brisbane, Australia It was a defining moment for our city and changed how we lived, saw ourselves and the world. It was an amazing 6 months to be part of.

ok... enough history ...

Epcot was an awesome day - we started here

The car was parked and we headed through security to Spaceship Earth.

The queue was short so we jumped on in. Isn't it great - love the whole concept and style of ride.

We of course saw ourselves on the big screen after the ride.

After the spaceship ride we came to the magnificent fountain and might have had a Starbucks!!

From here we went through to...

This ride is great. We love the part at the end where the giant aquariums are. We spent ages wandering in here and I may have bought a shirt with "mine, mine, mine" written across the top - don't ya love those gulls.

After leaving the Seas we trekked back across the plaza to...

Beth had fun designing our car.

The ride itself was good, but I think Cars land has overtaken it for the whole experience.

Now I know there hasn't been much food consumed yet, but that's because the world Showcase is just about to open and so will our mouths.

Next up - the world tour and eating begins...