Volunteer John and the Contemporary Journey! Chapter 13 1/13 - FINAL THOUGHTS / COMPLETE

[Volunteer]

Machu Picchu looks gorgeous! It's definitely on my "one day, in my wildest dreams" list. I hope you had an amazing time!

It was an amazing, surreal time.

You need to see them! For not being Disney, they're surprisingly good!

That's what I keep hearing, I just haven't gotten around to them yet. I haven't seen any of the "How to Train your Dragon" movies yet either!

I think it's pretty cool that you travel so much! I am excited to read more of your travels!

Thanks, I'm very blessed!

 

[Volunteer]

CHAPTER 3: LONDON, ISLA NUBAR, AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN

My next journey took me to Diagon Alley, but unfortunately "Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts" was closed. I soaked in the environment and decided to go back outside towards the Hogwarts Express to take me to the "Hogsmeade" section of the Islands of Adventure park.

But first, I decided to have a chat with the Knight Bus Conductor.

He asked me why I had a target on my shirt, and I told him Professor Snape gave me detention and my punishment was to be a target for spells in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Shortly, I entered Kings Cross station and was met with my train.

and before I knew it, I was here!

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (the ride inside Hogwarts) is my favorite ride at Universal, maybe even at any Theme Park worldwide. The queue is incredible (they even have a line that let's you just walk through the queue and not ride if you want to see how detailed Hogwarts is), the ride is unique, and with the single ride line I'm usually on in less than five minutes no matter the wait during the day. It also doesn't help that I am a massive Harry Potter fan!

I rode two or three times back to back - at one point the ride shut down when I was hanging at a tilted angle which was interesting. Then the ride came back on with the lights on, which was pretty interesting to see how the ride works (besides magic and Floo powder ).

I then decided to head towards Isla Nubar...

and there was a Raptor on the loose! Don't worry, I'm the alpha and I got it back in the fence and was able to get a picture before she got too cranky.

I love this meet and great, it's so original, well done, and fun!

After securing the area, I decided it was time to ride the Jurassic Park River Adventure. This is a fun water ride, where something goes horribly wrong, dinosaurs escape, and there is a big drop at the end a la Splash Mountain. It's a lot of fun and I always tend to get soaked (this was a pleasant experience, because it was in the high 80's - low 90's).

At this point, I was getting hungry (it may have been around 11am - breakfast didn't keep me going very long), so I decided to head back towards Hogsmeade. BUT, not before buying a Universal Dining Pass.

What is this Universal Dining Pass you say? Well, remember when Disney offered the Dining Plan and it was an incredible value (or a value at all)? It's kind of like that, but you can buy them in the park and you don't have to stay on site to be eligible.

From Universals site: For 19.99, you get 1 Quick Service Meal (1 entrée & 1 non-alcoholic beverage), 1 snack and 1 non-alcoholic beverage. The snacks include butterbeer or ice cream (foreshadowing?) If you eat one of the more expensive quick service meals, those can be nearly $16-17 by themselves. So it can save you money if you're planning on buy any, or all of the three mentioned above.

Anyways, enough advertising for Universal ( they should really pay me ... ). Back to Hogsmeade for lunch at the Three Broomsticks.

Looks like I had a chicken and ribs combo, with corn and potatoes. I think the drink was pumpkin juice but I'm not sure. You can also see the Universal Dining Card on my tray (may or may not have been intentional).

After lunch, I walked through Hogsmeade and took the Hogwarts Express back to Diagon Alley.

Apparently I tired to ride Forbidden Journey (the ride in Gringotts), but the single rider line was too long (maybe 20 minutes) and I'm spoiled hahaha.

Besides, I had bigger plans for the moment.

Again, it was hot, so some butterbeer ice cream was calling my name.

NOMS. It really hit the spot!

At this point, I had to make some decisions. The Horror Make Up Show was starting soon, and that was one of the shows that I've never done so it was a priority. I made my way back towards the front of the park, walking through Diagon Alley, London, Springfield, eventually getting to my destination.

This was a fun show demonstrating how make up and affects are used in horror movies. I was glad I watched it, but it won't be a priority going forward.

At this point, I wanted to make it back to the hotel and nap for a while before following up with our evening plans. So I started walking back, and I ran into someone I HAD to get my picture with.

The Doc!!!!!

Back to the Future is my favorite movie, so it was great seeing Doc. Universal even had a BttF poster on one of their construction walls.

I continued walking out, and there was a band set up playing "Back in Time" by Huey Lewis and the News! This is a song from Back to the Future! And then they played Johnny B. Goode, which is the song Marty McFly played at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance to get his parents to kiss for the first time (seriously - if you haven't seen this movie yet - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR). It was a nice moment to sit, relax, and listen to music.

I don't think the lady on the bottom left would be happy I got a picture of her making this face.

As I was listening, I finally thought, "I should video this for my trip report!" But the songs were nearly over. I then thought, "That's ok, I'm sure they are on YouTube somewhere and I'll link that."

Well wouldn't you know there isn't a video of them playing on YouTube! But I did find a video of them and their music playing in the background, thanks to InsideTheMagic. It starts around the 1:20 mark I think.

Once I finished my easy listening, I exited the park and made my way back to the pick up location. But, I did see something odd. The Hulk coaster was being refurbished, and it's track had been taken completely down! You can see a track is supposed to be coming out of the tube in the palm trees. It was odd!

I requested an Uber, and luckily the driver had just dropped someone off and he picked me up without me having to wait!




I got back to my hotel, and rested up for the evening at Epcot!

This was really a low key day for me at Universal - but I did everything I set out to do that morning and afternoon!

Thanks for reading!

Up next - my evening at Epcot and Magic Kingdom!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Wow, must have been amazing to see Machu Picchu in person!

Looks like a pretty nice room - get the job done at least. And the Uber ride sounds super easy

Haven't been to Universal in years (well, decades at this point) but have seen the first Despicable Me movie at least and my kids saw the Minions movie.

Periscope is a pretty cool concept!

 

[Volunteer]

Wow, must have been amazing to see Machu Picchu in person!

It really was. By that time,I had adjusted to the altitude (less oxygen in the air), so I was able to walk around and "hike" without being exhausted. It was a great experience!

Looks like a pretty nice room - get the job done at least. And the Uber ride sounds super easy

The room was great - nothing beats free, right? I'll have a short "review" coming up! Uber does really have a great user interface that makes it easy!

Periscope is a pretty cool concept!

It really is - I wish that they would save videos older than 24 hours (although I understand why they don't), or provide a way for me to save my video with the comments embedded. Right now you can save the video but you can't see the comments. So I have a copy of a couple of the videos I took on the trip, but I'm addressing comments which you don't see anymore. So it's like I'm talking to myself.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

sounds like a productive day - even if you didn't get on Gringotts - that is good to know the singer rider line for Forbidden Journey doesn't take to look ... do you still get to see the whole queue if you ride single rider?

Never even knew about the dining plan at Universal. Seems like a smart idea if you are going to get a meal and a snack.

That ice cream does look pretty darn good - though it is rainy and in the 40s right now where I am so probably not my best option

 

[NPRinLA]

I haven't seen any of the "How to Train your Dragon" movies yet either!

You need to drop everything that you're doing and go watch them RIGHT NOW!! They're amazing! I cry like a baby every time.

Looks like you were able to pack a lot into the day. I love all of the attention to detail that Universal did for Diagon Alley/Hogsmeade!

 

[Volunteer]

sounds like a productive day - even if you didn't get on Gringotts - that is good to know the singer rider line for Forbidden Journey doesn't take to look ... do you still get to see the whole queue if you ride single rider?

Unfortunately the single rider queue takes you almost straight to the loading area.

Never even knew about the dining plan at Universal. Seems like a smart idea if you are going to get a meal and a snack.

Don't forget an extra drink

That ice cream does look pretty darn good - though it is rainy and in the 40s right now where I am so probably not my best option

Ice cream is always a good option, even in the cold. Almost like brunch

You need to drop everything that you're doing and go watch them RIGHT NOW!! They're amazing! I cry like a baby every time.

Done.

Looks like you were able to pack a lot into the day. I love all of the attention to detail that Universal did for Diagon Alley/Hogsmeade!

Yeah, the attention to details is just incredible - unfortunately I did not get as many pics as I would have liked for the report. I'm sure you're excited for Hogsmeade to open in Hollywood soon!

 

[Volunteer]

CHAPTER FOUR: THE WISHES BEGIN

I awoke from a nap, ready to make my way to Epcot to meet up with my friends. I checked the bus schedule, and I had just missed the last bus heading toward the Disney area. Not a big deal, since I would just take an Uber.



This trip was a little more expensive, because it was surging (probably because it was a Friday afternoon and rush hour was about to clog I4) - it was 2x the normal rate if I remember correctly. No matter, the drive dropped me off in the Epcot parking lot. I had a matter to attend to before going in the park - I needed to pick up my AP! I was (and still am) so excited to be a passholder for the second time! It just made sense with the "tenative" plans I have to come back twice next year for "long weekend"-ish trips. And we also know how AP's can lead to unplanned trips as well ...

I took some pictures around Epcot while waiting on my friends ...

Once my friends got into the park, we needed to basically walk straight back to Italy to make our ADR at Via Napoli. Which is what we did, once they could corral the little ones in to staying in the strollers.

Apparently I take chandelier pictures in restaurants.

I apologize for not having any Via Napoli pictures, and honestly my picture taking game could have been better the rest of the trip. Whenever I was with my friends and their family, I really just focused on enjoying the moment instead of snapping away. For that, I apologize!

The pizza was wonderful, as always. Definitely the best pizza on property (my mom last year said it was the best pizza she's ever had). We have a place in Nashville that's cooks the exact same style pizza named DeSanos. So, if any of you locals (or if you just want to come to Nashville ) out there are reading and want a Via Napoli fix - head there! It's also much cheaper

Once we finished dinner (which takes longer when you are eating with a 3 and a 2 year old) it was time for us to head to Magic Kingdom for Wishes and EMH (I'm pretty sure they had EMH tonight). A couple of short monorail rides completed, and we were on Main Street for the first time this trip! We walked down, trying to find a spot before Celebrate the Magic started. Main Street was not as crowded as I thought it would be, and I think the newly expanded hub and people using the "back exit" behind the scene really helped. We found a nice spot to lay our claim for the shows.

Front View

Back view with lots of happy faces and cell phones (I was also impressed at how quickly they got the tree up).

Celebrate the Magic and Wishes were amazing, as always. I'm always impressed how great CtM looks projected onto the castle!

Once wishes was over, my friends has 7DMT fastpasses to burn so me and Chris went to use them. He wanted to test it out to see if the three year old would be able to handle riding.



I really like this ride - it's not the most thrilling but it's a fun and well put together dark ride. It will always remind me of going to the 24 hour day in 2014 and it being open "unexpectedly" right at park opening around 6AM. This was great because I got to experience it with a lot of Disney nerds such as myself (who else would be in the MK at 6AM ) and it was an overall fun time because everyone was so excited to be on it (remember, it was not officially open at this point). What a great Disney memory! And then later that night at around 1:30 AM, my friends from Miami wanted to ride it before leaving, so I waited an hour and a half with them in line. I probably wouldn't wait more than 30 minutes for it in the future, but to be fair, I don't wait that long for many rides.

Anyways, we determined the three year old would like it and if not then he would get over it. SPOILER ALERT: He loved it later on in the trip! I was so thankful!

Apparently we rode 7DMT again (according to another picture in my PhotoPass account - which is not great so it will not be shared ). At this point the family and kids were back on Main Street watching the parade, and we knew it was futile to get back to Main Street. So we decided tonight would be the guys night of late hours and riding as much as we could.

That being said, we started with Buzz and I showed him where the big point spots were so he could show his kids. I unfortunately was rusting and only scored in the 400,000 .... hopefully I would become a Galactic Hero again before the end of the trip.

Space Mountain 3 times.


Forgive me for being cheap. Also, don't think the girl behind me was too excited to be coming around the corner.

Then we walked across the park for Splash, Big Thunder (I think this was the night we were on Big Thunder when it was actually Thundering - really cool), and finished the night off with Pirates. At this point the park was closed, so we made our way to the exit. We said our goodbyes and I told him I would meet him at the hotel tomorrow!

Since no buses were running to my off site hotel, I had been planning to take an Uber back. I had read beforehand the best way to get an Uber from the MK was to take the walk way to the Contemporary and catch one from the front of the resort. I had never taken this walkway before, so I was excited to expand my Disney knowledge.

And thus began my first "Contemporary Journey" of the trip .. cue lights from above, heavenly singing, as all the readers begin to realize where the name of the trip came from.

The walk was about ten minutes, which I didn't think was that bad even after a day of parks. Once I got to the resort, I requested a ride, and saw a few other people were doing the exact same thing I was. Cool!

My ride was there within 5 minutes...



and I was laying in bed at 11:35pm

I needed to get my rest because I had an early morning before the parks - I needed to check in to my next Disney resort! Stay tuned to find out where it is! Hopefully it will have a better view than my room at the Radisson!

RADISSON REVIEW: Trying to stay unbiased since I paid for this room with points, I really liked the hotel. It had all the amenities I would ever need at a hotel, and it was close to the parks. The bus schedule to the parks was obviously not as good as being on site, but that was not a factor for me. I think rack rate for this rooms is around $100, and if I didn't need transportation to the parks, I would stay here again (on points or paying) if it made sense. Rooms were nice, bed was comfy, and I didn't have any problems with noise.

Thanks for reading! Say hello if you're reading and haven't commented yet - would love to hear from you!

 

[disneyguy4life]

Another great update. I have a question about the bus system. I haven't stayed off property before and am not very familiar with the process. Is it public transit that picks you up and drops you off at a Disney location or is it Disney transportation?

 

[Volunteer]

Another great update. I have a question about the bus system. I haven't stayed off property before and am not very familiar with the process. Is it public transit that picks you up and drops you off at a Disney location or is it Disney transportation?

Thanks! It's actually technically neither. It usually depends on the hotel, but from what I've seen the hotels will have buses that go to the parks at set times (like 8AM, 9AM, etc) and then have set times to pick you up (8pm, 9pm, etc) at an assigned parking spot. So it's usable, but no where near efficient as Disney buses.

 

[NPRinLA]

I needed to pick up my AP! I was (and still am) so excited to be a passholder for the second time! It just made sense with the "tenative" plans I have to come back twice next year for "long weekend"-ish trips. And we also know how AP's can lead to unplanned trips as well ...

Got to love unexpected trips!

so I waited an hour and a half with them in line. I probably wouldn't wait more than 30 minutes for it in the future, but to be fair, I don't wait that long for many rides.

Eeek... I don't think I could wait that long for just about anything. But I'm so impatient.

Even with waiting an hour and a half for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you still got a lot of rides in for one evening! And I am loving the pics! WDW looks so magical this time of year. Can't wait to hear all about the next leg of your trip!

 

[Volunteer]

CHAPTER 5: MOVIN ON UP ...

I woke up early this morning with a pep in my step - today was the day I moved resorts! I planned on going to Animal Kingdom solo, so I wanted to get checked in at the resort before attacking the parks for the day. I took my luggage down to the lobby, checked out, and summoned an Uber that was there within 5 minutes.



Yep, you see that destination correctly.

I was staying at the Grand Floridian for two nights! I was incredibly excited, because it was my first time staying at a monorail resort. I normally would NEVER pay the rates that come with the Grand, but my friends attended a conference which they let me book my own room at the heavily discounted conference rate. It was too good to pass up, and it put me one step closer to staying at all the Disney World resorts.

Me at that moment:



It's not every day that I nerd out at Disney anymore (which is unfortunate), but this was one of those moments. And it wasn't the only one that day.

I talked to the nice young man (older gentlemen) that is a greeter and he welcomed me to the resort. I had seen him greeting guests before in previous visits when I go go to the Grand for dinner/look around. It's always so heart warming to see Cast Members take so much pride in their work!

I checked in and understandably my room was not ready (it was around 8:20 AM IIRC). So I stowed my bags, and hopped on the Animal Kingdom bus.

When I arrived at AK, I looked and saw this bus!

I really liked this movie! It didn't take itself too seriously, which gave it a lot of humor that carried the movie.

It was just after 9AM when I arrived, and I had this waiting in front of me.

It took me about ten minutes to get through the bag check line!

Once I was through, I looked up and left to see some Avatarland construction...

Eventually that will be a mountain. Or a floating island. Or something blue. Not sure.

I know what this is.

As a solo traveler, my first stop at AK is always the safari. Especially first thing in the morning. Nothing changed here.

I was relieved that Little Red was safe and was staying out of trouble (he always seemed to be captured by poachers when I went in the past ... )

I like how this picture came out.

NOMS

HEY!!! LOOK OVER HERE!!

No judging here, I was tired as well.

Baby Warthogs! Cuteness overload!

I said "Kwaharini" to the safari and made my way to the closest walking trails.

"It's a bird? It's a plane?" It's probably a bird or a plane.

more cute

"don't even talk to me before I've had my morning coffee"

"Hello ... it's me."

I somehow found myself at the new Harambe Market. So I looked around, but I wasn't hungry yet and nothing was open.

Besides, it was time to say hello to Betty. The Yeti.

I love Expedition Everest, but it always makes me think about what could have been if the Yeti foundation didn't crack. I was able to ride it in 2006 after opening and saw Betty in her 100% glory.

"Hello, can you hear me?
I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be"

But that doesn't stop the thumbs up and smiles x3. Thanks single rider line!


After this, I decided to try the other walking trail to see what the tigers were up to.

they weren't up to much.

I see dinner?

I talked to a Cast Member patrolling the area and she was excited to say they now had a male and female tiger that they hoped to breed soon, starting early in 2016. They haven't "met" yet, but are aware of each others presence (maybe they both swiped right on Tinder). So maybe sometime in 2016 we will be able to see a stage ready Tiger cub at Animal Kingdom

These guys had their eye on some water buffalo type creatures for about 15 minutes, then walked the other way. It was an underwhelming standoff, but it made for a nice picture.

hay

So I'm pretty sure at this point I went to see "It's Tough to be a Bug!" I'm not sure because my notes are few, and so are my pictures. It's a fun show; I love seeing people react to the stingers and the spiders. This show didn't disappoint with the reactions (people watching is one of my favorite things to do at WDW).

Next I decided to time travel, unfortunately without Doc and Marty

SPOILER ALERT: We made it out alive, again. Whew.


The lady behind me is my thumbs up soul mate. Also, shout out to the guy in the back row that looks like a blind Jimmy Buffet?

At this point, it was in the afternoon, it was around time that I usually head back to the resort for nap time. But I had not received a text saying my room was ready. No big deal. I was next to Flame Tree BBQ (my favorite spot to eat in AK), ordered some chicken, and took a seat with an interesting view.

This is a construction view of the theater where the night time show (can't remember the name) will be starting May 2016. On the back side of the seating, is the walkway to EE. I'm really excited about all the additions to AK coming in the next few years. I'm not a big Avatar fan, but I know the new land will be top notch and worthy of the Disney name.

While I was dining, I received a text stating my room was ready! Woot! So I made my way to the bus stop back to GF.

UP NEXT: My room is ready, but am I ready for the room?

 

[Volunteer]

Eeek... I don't think I could wait that long for just about anything. But I'm so impatient.

Even with waiting an hour and a half for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you still got a lot of rides in for one evening! And I am loving the pics! WDW looks so magical this time of year. Can't wait to hear all about the next leg of your trip!

I probably wasn't as clear as I should have been - I waited an hour and a half with a different set of friends the evening of a 24 hour day. We wanted to ride as well as kill time because we were trying to make it till 6am Definitely wouldn't wait that long under normal circumstances.

 

[NPRinLA]

I keep thinking about your Ubering all over Orlando. The last time I was there they didn't have Uber yet, and so I have a car rented this upcoming trip that I got a great deal on, but I'm thinking that I may just Uber it now that I see how well it's worked for you.

It's not every day that I nerd out at Disney anymore (which is unfortunate), but this was one of those moments. And it wasn't the only one that day.

I would have completely been the same way! Just wait until the new lands open... then there will be plenty of new opportunities!

Once I was through, I looked up and left to see some Avatarland construction...

I've never seen Avatar (and was firmly in the camp against building a land at AK surrounding it), but during D23 I got a chance to talk to Joe Rohde for a few min about the new Pandora...I'm still a bit skeptical about it, but I'm kinda getting excited about it.

Great Pic! Loving the hair in this one!

SO, I don't remember ever riding Dinosaur. But to me it seems an awful lot like the Indiana Jones ride we have out here. Is it pretty similar?

 

[Volunteer]

I keep thinking about your Ubering all over Orlando. The last time I was there they didn't have Uber yet, and so I have a car rented this upcoming trip that I got a great deal on, but I'm thinking that I may just Uber it now that I see how well it's worked for you.

It worked extremely well, and it was so nice to not have to worry about / keep up with a car. If you're familiar with the app, then it shouldn't be an issue for you either.

I would have completely been the same way! Just wait until the new lands open... then there will be plenty of new opportunities!

YES

I've never seen Avatar (and was firmly in the camp against building a land at AK surrounding it), but during D23 I got a chance to talk to Joe Rohde for a few min about the new Pandora...I'm still a bit skeptical about it, but I'm kinda getting excited about it.

I was never a big fan of the project, and it got delayed so long I honestly thought it would never happen (was hoping for that). But now it's coming no matter what I think, so I might as well look at it from a positive spin.

SO, I don't remember ever riding Dinosaur. But to me it seems an awful lot like the Indiana Jones ride we have out here. Is it pretty similar?

YES. It's the exact same ride (I even think it uses the same track layout), except it doesn't come close to Indiana Jones at DL.


Great, now I miss Disneyland and Indiana Jones.

 

[deannaf87]

Subbing! Will catch up when I'm not supposed to be working

 

[oOJulieOo]

Hello! I'm joining in and loving all the tips I'm finding in your trip report. I haven't been to Disney world in about 5 years because we were living in Europe and so much has changed at WDW since the last time I went. Your detailed report is very helpful in my re-learning process!

Your Machu Pichu pic is amazing. That's on my bucket list as well.

Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Volunteer]

Subbing! Will catch up when I'm not supposed to be working

I don't want anyone fired over reading my trip reports, so thank you. Thanks for subbing! I'll be checking out your report soon!

Hello! I'm joining in and loving all the tips I'm finding in your trip report. I haven't been to Disney world in about 5 years because we were living in Europe and so much has changed at WDW since the last time I went. Your detailed report is very helpful in my re-learning process!

Welcome oOJulieOo! I'm not sure how detailed my report will be going forward, but I'm glad you are enjoying!

Your Machu Pichu pic is amazing. That's on my bucket list as well.

It was a great experience! Hope you get to make it some day.

Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks for reading!

 

[cajunfan]

So now I have to go look up the pizza place here in Nashville...

Glad Uber worked out well for you. If I ever fly there again (rates are just so darn expensive...especially when you are so fat you have to buy two seats ) I will definitely use them.

The Grand Floridian! Wowsa!! I have to admit, this is one that I really have no desiret stay at. But glad you got to try it at a decent rate!

I may have asked this before (but I am old and senile and can't remember), but do you take pictures with your phone or a regular camera? They are awesome!

Does your new AP not come with the memory maker? Or was this visit right before that was announced, and will it be added for future trips?

 

[Volunteer]

So now I have to go look up the pizza place here in Nashville...

It's worth a visit!

The Grand Floridian! Wowsa!! I have to admit, this is one that I really have no desiret stay at. But glad you got to try it at a decent rate!

Polynesian and Contemporary would be much more my style as far as monorail resorts go. I was a little concerned about not feeling like I fit in, or it was too "stuffy", but unfortunately neither were the case.

I may have asked this before (but I am old and senile and can't remember), but do you take pictures with your phone or a regular camera? They are awesome!

Thank you so much! I use my phone which is a Galaxy Note 4. I've been fortunate to get great pictures from it this year!

Does your new AP not come with the memory maker? Or was this visit right before that was announced, and will it be added for future trips?

Mine didn't come with PhotoPass, or maybe it didn't register. Maybe I'll follow up with Disney IT and see if I was supposed to get it