Hello DisBoards!
This is my second trip and my first trip report, so please forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong forum. I'm waiting for my car to be serviced so I might as well write out my pre-trip report...and hopefully, updating it along the way might keep me company in lines! I have only 6 days (!!) left before I go "home" again.
I'm a teacher, so my options are: Christmas Break, Spring Break, and Summer. Wish me luck.
Friday, April 19: I'm flying out from NYC at 3, landing around 6. On my first trip, we took Magical Express, but this time I'm trying Uber. I only have 1 checked bag and a backpack so I hope it won't take too long before I'm on my way. I hope to arrive at All-Star Music by 7. We booked a Preferred room, so I hope it will be a short walk and also not too loud near the main pool. I have a sound machine just in case.
After throwing down my bags, I hope to head out to the Polynesian beach to see Happily Ever After from afar. If time allows, I might grab some dinner at Captain Cook's. Forums suggested I arrive by 8:30 to secure a good spot - time might be a little tight, but I think I can make it. MK is open until midnight, so I do have the option of heading into the park, but I will probably get to bed instead. I'll be taking Uber/Lyft or a Minnie Van both ways.
Saturday, April 20: I have a 7:45 ADR at Trattoria al Forno (Boardwalk) for Bon Voyage breakfast. I'm a little nervous about a solo character meal with face characters, but I trust they'll be good at their work and help me feel more comfortable. I may also cancel this if I decide that a conventional rope drop is a better bet - Epcot is predicted to be a "10" on Touring Plans this day, and since the highest level I saw on my August trip was a "5", I'm worried about losing touring time.
I plan on hitting up my favorites (Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Frozen, Gran Fiesta Tour) and maybe also Figment and Living with the Land before checking out the Flower and Garden Festival. Orange Bird sippers may be a silly fad, but they're awfully cute...so if they are still available I will try to obtain one before 11.
At some point I plan on hitting up Guest Relations, either at the International Gateway or somewhere else along the way. I need to bridge my ticket to an AP, get Tables in Wonderland, and see about getting an after-the-fact discount for a couple tours and things I've already booked. I hope it's relatively painless.
Next up will be Animal Kingdom. I might walk to the Beach Club and take a bus from there - they have a display of Easter eggs that might be cool (and less crowded than the park). I have a Hidden Mickeys app to keep me company!
I have FPs for Kali, Safari, and Na'vi, followed by an ADR at Yak & Yeti. I want to ride Dinosaur as well before seeing Rivers of Light. The park is open until 9:30 so I hope I can see Pandora at night too - last time I left before dark.
Sunday, April 21: Easter Sunday! I'm headed to the MK for an 8:05 Crystal Palace ADR! As I said before, I'm a little worried about solo character interactions, but I like Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet and love Tigger, so I think it will be OK. I also appreciate entering the park without much of a line in the morning...and since there is a Fantasyland EMM that morning, it's one of the only days when park hours won't change.
I'm planning to start touring in Adventureland for Pirates and Jungle Cruise, then meet Mickey and Minnie in their birthday outfits (again, if I'm feeling OK with characters...last time I didn't stand in line for any but did 3 character meals). I might also get to ride Under the Sea before my FP for 7DMT (10:00). I also have FPs for Big Thunder and Peter Pan, but might be able to move those up and also hit Small World.
I'll leave MK at 1:00 and take the monorail to the Grand Floridian to see the Easter displays before 1:45 Afternoon Tea. I'm going to try to relax and pace myself (hard for me). I hope the Orchestra will play their 3:00 set. Time to head to Disney Springs to check out the shops (last time I only really saw The Boathouse and Homecomin' when we ate there) before dinner at Morimoto Asia at 6:15. I might consider doing Characters in Flight or just hanging out.
Monday, April 22: A FREE DAY??? WHAT??? I don't have specific plans for this day. If you couldn't tell by the many preceding paragraphs, I'm a bit of an over-planner. I want the freedom to decide what I want to do that day...perhaps DHS? Since I'll be solo, I think there's a decent chance that some FPs and ADRs will be available.
Eric's flight lands about 10:15, so he should be able to join me wherever I am. We have plans to attend the Happily Ever After Dessert Party (garden view). I love that show so much. For me, it's more about the slight reprieve from crowds and good viewing angle than the desserts. Before the show, we'll probably try to get some same-day FPs.
Tuesday, April 23: If it's rainy, we have backup FPs for Animal Kingdom...but if the weather looks good, we hope to head to Typhoon Lagoon! I've never been to a Disney water park (and haven't been to a water park at all in close to 20 years) and I'm a bit nervous. I've watched many videos and selected Typhoon Lagoon because it seems to have the most options for me to go on slides without submerging my head completely under water (I really don't like that). I will stay in the very shallow end of the wave pool as that looks quite intense, and won't go on the most adventurous slides, but the two family raft rides, Keelhaul Falls, and maybe even Crush 'n' Gusher look good as does the lazy river. We have dinner this night at Sanaa, and I'm looking forward to that a lot.
Wednesday, April 24: On this day, we have tickets to Early Morning Magic at Toy Story Land. I felt a little guilty about the $$ for this one initially, but now that SWGE will be open in August, this is probably our best opportunity to go for a while. We'll check in at 7 and have time to do everything in TSL and then ride Star Tours before breakfast, which is provided at Backlot Express. Last time we went to DHS we saw Muppets and Indiana Jones, which were cool, but we didn't get to do the Frozen sing-a-long or Walt Disney Presents. We might eat at Baseline Tap House before leaving the park...or maybe look for a same-day ADR at one of the other spots.
We'll head to the Magic Kingdom (by taking a bus to the Contemporary and walking) sometime around 1 - expecting somewhat heavy crowds. If we haven't had a chance to ride Pirates on Monday, we might want to hit that first (but may need to wait a while). We have FPs for Eric's favorite ride - Splash Mountain - at 2:15. It scares me a bit but makes him so happy that we'll do it anyway. We have a FP for 7DMT at 3:15 and will try to fit in Haunted Mansion (FP 5:15 but will try to move it up) and anything else we can before leaving the park by 6:00.
We have an ADR for Storybook Dining at Artist Point (7:10). I'm excited to explore Wilderness Lodge too. If I haven't mentioned it already, one of my goals for this trip is to explore the resorts more since we really only saw All Star Music and the Polynesian last time. However, I am feeling iffy on the menu here and *might* decide to cancel...
MK is open until 2am (!!) this night. We definitely won't be staying that long, but we could go back into the park if we want.
Thursday, April 25: One of the things I'm most excited for about this trip is happening today - Keys to the Kingdom tour! This tour was my birthday present for Eric - he loves behind the scenes stuff! The tour includes lunch but does not specify where...it will probably be a sort of meh QS, so I'm not really that concerned. We'll check in at 8, and might arrive even earlier because that's the opening time for MK. We should finish around 1:30.
It's time to head to Epcot - FPs begin at 3:30 for Soarin', Spaceship Earth, and Mission: Space. I'll try to tap in and move those up as we get them. I'd also like to check out the UK and Canada pavilions, and maybe the America pavilion, as I haven't seen much of those yet. We'll play it by "ears" and explore the F&G festival some more - hopefully it will be less crowded than Saturday.
At 8, we check in at the Norway Pavilion for the Frozen Ever After Dessert Party! I've never seen Illuminations, and since it's closing in September, I'd better see it before it goes away!
Friday, April 26: Animal Kingdom Day (or backup Typhoon Lagoon day). We have an 8:10 PPO at Tusker House, which we might cancel and do regular rope drop arriving at 8:30 or so. We have a 9:20 FP at FOP, as well as Safari & Navi later in the morning. We might get to see FOLK at 1:00, grab some lunch somewhere in there, and see animal trails. We didn't get to see Nemo last time so I hope I can do that on one of my AK days.
Around 5:30 we should try to get a Minnie Van to Pioneer Hall to see Hoop Dee Doo! Yet another first for this trip
We have Category 1 seating for the 6:15 show.
Saturday, April 27: We have an 8:35 PPO for Garden Grill, which I will try to push earlier (although I'm told it doesn't really matter as long as it's before 9). We can do whatever we want on this day - see (eat) more of Flower & Garden, or take the monorail to MK or boat to DHS, or even return to Disney Springs when we've had enough time at Epcot.
We have a 6:55 ADR for Spice Road Table - if we really liked Illuminations, we might keep this, or we could cancel it and switch it out for a Disney Springs restaurant. I'm lucky to have such a nice long trip and be able to be a little flexible.
Sunday, April 28: Departure Day...sigh. I'll probably be ready to go home by this point, to be honest. But not before eating the oh so lauded Brunch at the Top at California Grill! We have an 11:30 ADR. If all goes according to plan, I will have visited GF, Polynesian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Ft. Wilderness, and AK Lodge!
Our flight home isn't until 8pm so we have time to return to a park or just lie in a food coma for several hours...
Those are the plans! I'll do my best to update as I go, especially while I'm on my own, so I hope you enjoy reading along!
This is my second trip and my first trip report, so please forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong forum. I'm waiting for my car to be serviced so I might as well write out my pre-trip report...and hopefully, updating it along the way might keep me company in lines! I have only 6 days (!!) left before I go "home" again.
I'm a teacher, so my options are: Christmas Break, Spring Break, and Summer. Wish me luck.
Friday, April 19: I'm flying out from NYC at 3, landing around 6. On my first trip, we took Magical Express, but this time I'm trying Uber. I only have 1 checked bag and a backpack so I hope it won't take too long before I'm on my way. I hope to arrive at All-Star Music by 7. We booked a Preferred room, so I hope it will be a short walk and also not too loud near the main pool. I have a sound machine just in case.
After throwing down my bags, I hope to head out to the Polynesian beach to see Happily Ever After from afar. If time allows, I might grab some dinner at Captain Cook's. Forums suggested I arrive by 8:30 to secure a good spot - time might be a little tight, but I think I can make it. MK is open until midnight, so I do have the option of heading into the park, but I will probably get to bed instead. I'll be taking Uber/Lyft or a Minnie Van both ways.
Saturday, April 20: I have a 7:45 ADR at Trattoria al Forno (Boardwalk) for Bon Voyage breakfast. I'm a little nervous about a solo character meal with face characters, but I trust they'll be good at their work and help me feel more comfortable. I may also cancel this if I decide that a conventional rope drop is a better bet - Epcot is predicted to be a "10" on Touring Plans this day, and since the highest level I saw on my August trip was a "5", I'm worried about losing touring time.
I plan on hitting up my favorites (Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Frozen, Gran Fiesta Tour) and maybe also Figment and Living with the Land before checking out the Flower and Garden Festival. Orange Bird sippers may be a silly fad, but they're awfully cute...so if they are still available I will try to obtain one before 11.
At some point I plan on hitting up Guest Relations, either at the International Gateway or somewhere else along the way. I need to bridge my ticket to an AP, get Tables in Wonderland, and see about getting an after-the-fact discount for a couple tours and things I've already booked. I hope it's relatively painless.
Next up will be Animal Kingdom. I might walk to the Beach Club and take a bus from there - they have a display of Easter eggs that might be cool (and less crowded than the park). I have a Hidden Mickeys app to keep me company!
I have FPs for Kali, Safari, and Na'vi, followed by an ADR at Yak & Yeti. I want to ride Dinosaur as well before seeing Rivers of Light. The park is open until 9:30 so I hope I can see Pandora at night too - last time I left before dark.
Sunday, April 21: Easter Sunday! I'm headed to the MK for an 8:05 Crystal Palace ADR! As I said before, I'm a little worried about solo character interactions, but I like Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet and love Tigger, so I think it will be OK. I also appreciate entering the park without much of a line in the morning...and since there is a Fantasyland EMM that morning, it's one of the only days when park hours won't change.
I'm planning to start touring in Adventureland for Pirates and Jungle Cruise, then meet Mickey and Minnie in their birthday outfits (again, if I'm feeling OK with characters...last time I didn't stand in line for any but did 3 character meals). I might also get to ride Under the Sea before my FP for 7DMT (10:00). I also have FPs for Big Thunder and Peter Pan, but might be able to move those up and also hit Small World.
I'll leave MK at 1:00 and take the monorail to the Grand Floridian to see the Easter displays before 1:45 Afternoon Tea. I'm going to try to relax and pace myself (hard for me). I hope the Orchestra will play their 3:00 set. Time to head to Disney Springs to check out the shops (last time I only really saw The Boathouse and Homecomin' when we ate there) before dinner at Morimoto Asia at 6:15. I might consider doing Characters in Flight or just hanging out.
Monday, April 22: A FREE DAY??? WHAT??? I don't have specific plans for this day. If you couldn't tell by the many preceding paragraphs, I'm a bit of an over-planner. I want the freedom to decide what I want to do that day...perhaps DHS? Since I'll be solo, I think there's a decent chance that some FPs and ADRs will be available.
Eric's flight lands about 10:15, so he should be able to join me wherever I am. We have plans to attend the Happily Ever After Dessert Party (garden view). I love that show so much. For me, it's more about the slight reprieve from crowds and good viewing angle than the desserts. Before the show, we'll probably try to get some same-day FPs.
Tuesday, April 23: If it's rainy, we have backup FPs for Animal Kingdom...but if the weather looks good, we hope to head to Typhoon Lagoon! I've never been to a Disney water park (and haven't been to a water park at all in close to 20 years) and I'm a bit nervous. I've watched many videos and selected Typhoon Lagoon because it seems to have the most options for me to go on slides without submerging my head completely under water (I really don't like that). I will stay in the very shallow end of the wave pool as that looks quite intense, and won't go on the most adventurous slides, but the two family raft rides, Keelhaul Falls, and maybe even Crush 'n' Gusher look good as does the lazy river. We have dinner this night at Sanaa, and I'm looking forward to that a lot.
Wednesday, April 24: On this day, we have tickets to Early Morning Magic at Toy Story Land. I felt a little guilty about the $$ for this one initially, but now that SWGE will be open in August, this is probably our best opportunity to go for a while. We'll check in at 7 and have time to do everything in TSL and then ride Star Tours before breakfast, which is provided at Backlot Express. Last time we went to DHS we saw Muppets and Indiana Jones, which were cool, but we didn't get to do the Frozen sing-a-long or Walt Disney Presents. We might eat at Baseline Tap House before leaving the park...or maybe look for a same-day ADR at one of the other spots.
We'll head to the Magic Kingdom (by taking a bus to the Contemporary and walking) sometime around 1 - expecting somewhat heavy crowds. If we haven't had a chance to ride Pirates on Monday, we might want to hit that first (but may need to wait a while). We have FPs for Eric's favorite ride - Splash Mountain - at 2:15. It scares me a bit but makes him so happy that we'll do it anyway. We have a FP for 7DMT at 3:15 and will try to fit in Haunted Mansion (FP 5:15 but will try to move it up) and anything else we can before leaving the park by 6:00.
We have an ADR for Storybook Dining at Artist Point (7:10). I'm excited to explore Wilderness Lodge too. If I haven't mentioned it already, one of my goals for this trip is to explore the resorts more since we really only saw All Star Music and the Polynesian last time. However, I am feeling iffy on the menu here and *might* decide to cancel...
MK is open until 2am (!!) this night. We definitely won't be staying that long, but we could go back into the park if we want.
Thursday, April 25: One of the things I'm most excited for about this trip is happening today - Keys to the Kingdom tour! This tour was my birthday present for Eric - he loves behind the scenes stuff! The tour includes lunch but does not specify where...it will probably be a sort of meh QS, so I'm not really that concerned. We'll check in at 8, and might arrive even earlier because that's the opening time for MK. We should finish around 1:30.
It's time to head to Epcot - FPs begin at 3:30 for Soarin', Spaceship Earth, and Mission: Space. I'll try to tap in and move those up as we get them. I'd also like to check out the UK and Canada pavilions, and maybe the America pavilion, as I haven't seen much of those yet. We'll play it by "ears" and explore the F&G festival some more - hopefully it will be less crowded than Saturday.
At 8, we check in at the Norway Pavilion for the Frozen Ever After Dessert Party! I've never seen Illuminations, and since it's closing in September, I'd better see it before it goes away!
Friday, April 26: Animal Kingdom Day (or backup Typhoon Lagoon day). We have an 8:10 PPO at Tusker House, which we might cancel and do regular rope drop arriving at 8:30 or so. We have a 9:20 FP at FOP, as well as Safari & Navi later in the morning. We might get to see FOLK at 1:00, grab some lunch somewhere in there, and see animal trails. We didn't get to see Nemo last time so I hope I can do that on one of my AK days.
Around 5:30 we should try to get a Minnie Van to Pioneer Hall to see Hoop Dee Doo! Yet another first for this trip
We have Category 1 seating for the 6:15 show.Saturday, April 27: We have an 8:35 PPO for Garden Grill, which I will try to push earlier (although I'm told it doesn't really matter as long as it's before 9). We can do whatever we want on this day - see (eat) more of Flower & Garden, or take the monorail to MK or boat to DHS, or even return to Disney Springs when we've had enough time at Epcot.
We have a 6:55 ADR for Spice Road Table - if we really liked Illuminations, we might keep this, or we could cancel it and switch it out for a Disney Springs restaurant. I'm lucky to have such a nice long trip and be able to be a little flexible.
Sunday, April 28: Departure Day...sigh. I'll probably be ready to go home by this point, to be honest. But not before eating the oh so lauded Brunch at the Top at California Grill! We have an 11:30 ADR. If all goes according to plan, I will have visited GF, Polynesian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Ft. Wilderness, and AK Lodge!
Our flight home isn't until 8pm so we have time to return to a park or just lie in a food coma for several hours...
Those are the plans! I'll do my best to update as I go, especially while I'm on my own, so I hope you enjoy reading along!
I remembered the Maleficient cone being tastier.
